Digital Commons Network^™

Round Table (Part 3) Book Review: From Discrimination To Death: Genocide Process Through A Human Rights Lens, Andrew Woolford

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Round Table (Part 4) Book Review: From Discrimination To Death: Genocide Process Through A Human Rights Lens, Melanie O'Brien

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Women’S Access To Transitional Justice In Timor-Leste: The Blind Letters, Sheena M. Harris

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Perpetrators Of Mass Atrocity: Terribly And Terrifyingly Normal?, Hollie Nyseth Nzitatira

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Eyewitness To Wehrmacht Atrocities On The Eastern Front: A German Soldier’S Memoir Of War And Captivity, Timothy Heck

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Cyber Security Of Autonomous Vehicles: The Implications For City Planning, Tegg Westbrook

Journal of Strategic Security

The rise of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has proclaimed positive consequences for urban quality, including reductions in accidents and deaths. As automobiles become digitalized, questions over cyber or electronic threats require further contextualization in urban security scholarship. Focusing on literature on radiofrequency interference of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-aided and -dependent systems, the aim of this article is to consider threats to vehicle safety from electronic interference and the implications for users, city planners, asset managers, and vehicle manufacturers.

While well-known issues such as privacy aversion, tax avoidance, and fraud are documented, it expands on other less-well-known threats to autonomous vehicles …

Understanding The Strategic Value Of The Assassination Of President Juvénal Habyarimana, Jonathan R. Beloff

Journal of Strategic Security

This article examines the assassination of former Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana through the utilization of strategic theory. The President's assassination on the night of April 6, 1994, ignited the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, which killed up to a million Rwandan Tutsis and non-extremist Hutus within 100 days. While the assassins are still unknown, speculation exists of whether the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) or the former ruling akazu ordered the attack. It concludes that the akazu was the most likely actor behind Habyarimana's assassination, given that the structure of strategic incentives favored its position over the alternatives.

The Impact Of Small-Scale Conflicts On Post-Soviet Alliances, Ani Hakobyan

Journal of Strategic Security

Military alliances are crucial for international and regional security. However, conflicts may disrupt these connections, weakening alliance structures, particularly in complex regions such as the post-Soviet space. This article examines the effects of small-scale conflicts on the post-Soviet alliance network by analyzing the impact of three conflicts: the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, and the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) War. Using the temporal exponential random graph model (TERGM), the study finds that three conflicts significantly weakened alliance structures in the region, reducing the likelihood of new alliance ties within both the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and broader …

Rethinking Cyber Deterrence: Adapting To The Realities Of The Digital Battlefield, Peter Pijpers, Kraesten Arnold

Journal of Strategic Security

The question of whether deterrence is achievable in or through cyberspace has sparked considerable debate among academics. Over time, arguments have evolved, further entrenching this discourse and moving it out of the mainstream spotlight. This article examines how recent armed conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza may reinvigorate discussions surrounding this issue. It emphasizes that cyber activities can indeed produce deterrent effects while also recognizing the necessity for a new terminology to accurately capture these effects. In cyberspace, traditional deterrent logics—such as deterrence by denial or punishment—along with core principles including credibility, communication, and cost-benefit analysis, do not uniformly apply due …

American Extremism: An Evolutionary Process, Christopher Young, Michael Damian Tucker

Journal of Strategic Security

This article critically examines the historical definitions of American right-wing extremism as utilized by the media, political community, academia, and the government. We suggest that the historical definitions of the right wing are inadequate and fail to describe extremism accurately and consistently. Using evolutionary game theory, this article further argues that right-wing extremism (and left wing) is based on an evolutionary process to secure social existence and will rise as predators challenge historical hierarchical systems.

Latin America’S Policing And Reform In The Age Of Crime Fear, José De Arimatéia Da Cruz Phd, Mph

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Subversion: The Strategic Weaponization Of Narratives. By Andreas Krieg. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2023., Chad M. Briggs Phd

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Crow's Nest, March 31, 2025, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The March 31, 2025 issue of Crow's Nest.

Integrative Multi-Omics And Clinical Data Analysis For Predicting Recurrence And Survival In Uterine Cancer, Varun Sai Raigir

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The prediction of uterine cancer recurrence is very important for assisting women in reducing the cancer risks and also for the growing field of personalized medicine. The primary aim of this thesis is to investigate the integration of various omics data alongside clinical and therapeutic information to predict survival in uterine cancer. The combination is very important for understanding the risk factors, including clinical aspects, genetics, and the treatment schedule, in order to prescribe the appropriate way to reduce the risk of recurrence, make clinical interactions easier, and enhance personalized patient care. This study utilizes the publicly accessible TCGA dataset, …

Essays On Policy Initiatives For Equitable And Fair Distribution Of Benefits Of Information Technology, Roohid Ahmed Syed

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The impact of Information technology on human lives is beyond measure. Information technology has become so integral to our human lives that we can no longer undermine its societal impact. While there is ample evidence for the societal gains from digital technologies, there is evidence for the inequitable distribution of such gains across society. For example, accelerated digitization of economy has left the digital haven-nots with limited access to education, health care and employment opportunities further deepening the already existing social inequities. Furthermore, increasing implementation of algorithms has created the problem of algorithmic bias across multiple domains including hiring. Though …

Pedagogy, Technology Acceptance, And Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Among Nursing Faculty, Rachel Ross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Integrating pedagogical and technological knowledge among faculty is crucial, especially within Florida state colleges’ Nursing (ADN) programs. I explored the impact of three decades of technological advancements on faculty's ability to incorporate technology into their teaching methods using a qualitative, exploratory design; I conducted semi-structured interviews via Microsoft Teams. The analysis of faculty perceptions, experiences, and challenges reveals a significant gap in pedagogical knowledge despite strong subject matter expertise, indicating underdeveloped instructional strategies and learner-centered pedagogies. Additionally, participants exhibited a diverse understanding of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, highlighting difficulties in effectively integrating technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. …

Volatile Organic Compound (Voc) Sensing Trend Among Novel 2d/3d Materials, Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) present significant health risks to both humans and animals. Long term exposure to certain VOCs belonging to certain chemical classes can cause both short- and long-term effects including nausea, damage to the central nervous system, and cancer. VOCs can be found in various everyday products like varnishes, paints, cooking items, cleaning products, nail polishes etc. Because of their ubiquitous nature, health concerns and risks regarding VOC exposure have become even more pressing. In this study, the VOC sensing capabilities and trends of novel 2D, and 3D materials (perovskite, and phthalocyanines) have been explored through electrochemical and …

Automated Data Analysis For Concussion Patient Records: A Flutter-Based Desktop Application, Fhaheem Tadamarry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Concussions are a prevalent and complex medical condition requiring careful clinical assessment and data-driven insights for effective management. This thesis presents the development of an automated data analysis system for concussion patient records, integrating Flutter-based desktop application development with SQL-driven data processing. The system provides a streamlined, interactive interface for clincians and researchers to upload, visualize, and analyze patient data efficiently.

The proposed solution automates data cleaning, preprocessing, and statistical analysis, ensuring robust and reliable insights into demographic, clinical, and recovery-related factors. Key analyses include sex-based differences injury mechanisms, prior head injury impact, mood disorder correlations, and time-to-treatment variations. The …

Multimodal Ai-Driven Biomarker For Early Detection Of Cancer Cachexia, Sabeen Ahmed

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer cachexia is a metabolic syndrome characterized by substantial skeletal muscle loss, impacting cancer patients' survival and quality of life. Despite its clinical significance, early detection remains a challenge due to the lack of standardized diagnostic criteria and the reliance on indirect markers. This work presents an AI-driven approach to enhance cachexia detection and monitoring by integrating multiple deep learning methodologies. We explore transformer architectures for time-series analysis to model sequential medical data, enabling disease prediction and progression modeling. To ensure robust and reliable decision-making in clinical settings, we explore Bayesian deep neural networks for uncertainty estimation. Additionally, we introduce …

Enhancing Ai Reliability: Probabilistic Inference And Neural Optimization, Behnam Zeinali Rizi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deep neural networks have recently shown better performance than traditional machine learning algorithms in various applications such as computer vision, natural language processing, indoor navigation, and biomedical signal/bio-informatics data processing tasks. However, some main challenges still exist when harnessing these models for different applications. The first challenge is the performance of these methodologies for some specific types of data, such as Biomedical images, IMU measurements, and even bioinformatics data, such as genome expression. Moreover, deploying these models on mobile and IoT devices is computationally challenging. Most devices use cloud computing, where powerful deep-learning models analyze the data on a server. …

Textbook Content Analysis For Statistical Content Standards For 8th-Grade Math: Commercial Publishers, Curriculum Software Supplement, And An Open Educational Resource, Matthew M. O'Brien

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the vertical and horizontal content analysis of statistical content within current 8th-grade mathematics instructional materials to determine the extent to which students are provided with opportunity to learn high cognitive instances and the usage of the four phases of statistical problem-solving across two commercial publishers, one open educational resource, and one curriculum software supplement. All previous analyses of statistics education content textbooks have only examined textbooks from commercial publishers or those published by national governments. The horizontal content textbook analysis investigated the textbook's background information and overall structure. The vertical content textbook analysis examined the cognitive level …

Understanding The Interplay Between Nutritional Status And Depression Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Mary R. Goldsworthy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

By the year 2050, it is projected that the population of individuals aged 60 years and older will increase by 47 percent, reaching a total of 82 million in the United States. Many older adults experience depressive symptoms, and some never recover from it. Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among older adults. Approximately 3.2% of community-dwelling older adults experience major depressive disorder in a 12-month period, although many more experience clinically significant depressive symptoms, with a recent estimate of 35% based on a global meta-analysis. In addition to physical functioning and depressive symptoms, another domain in …

Dnajb6: A Potent Dnajb Chaperone In Regulating Tau Proteostasis, Abigail R. Esquivel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases often feature the pathological buildup of misfolded proteins, and tau is a principal culprit in multiple tauopathies. One chaperone of emerging interest is DnaJB6b, a member of the Hsp40/DnaJ family, which exhibits potent anti-aggregation activity against several disease-related proteins. Recent investigations highlight its unique capacity to recognize and neutralize aggregation-prone forms of tau. DnaJB6b appears potent against multiple variants of tau and may be acting against tau, in part, by directing misfolded tau toward proteasomal clearance. The first lines of evidence come from systematic chaperone screens, where DnaJB6b repeatedly emerged as a strong suppressor of tau seeding. Further …

Examining Within- And Cross-Language Relationships And Quantitative Methods In Spanish-English Dual Language Learners' School Readiness Skills, Shaunacy R. Sutter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aims of this three paper dissertation are as follows: First, to examine the cross-domain associations between school readiness skills, including oral language, literacy, and math skills, within and across languages in Spanish-English speaking DLLs in PreK. Second, to explore the cross-domain associations between oral language, literacy, and mathematics skills at varying levels of literacy and math achievement. Finally, to review the quantitative methods used in research on school readiness skills and the home and classroom contextual factors that support these skills for Spanish-English speaking DLLs in the United States over the past decade. Spanish-English speaking DLLs enter early childhood …

Exploring Corona Discharge In Electrostatic Printing For Electronics And In Other Application, Zijian Weng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The field of printed electronics (PEs) is expanding rapidly, driven by increasing market demand. According to reports, the global market for PEs is expected to reach $23 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.3% from 2023 to 2028. This growth necessitates the development of innovative printing technologies that can meet these demands efficiently, delivering high-quality, high-resolution PEs suitable for applications in health, environmental monitoring, sports, aerospace, and more.

Currently, PEs manufacturing relies on two main groups of printing technologies. Contact printing methods offer high-speed production but struggle with precision, while non-contact methods provide high resolution but …

The Asset Management Optimization Engine: An Ai And Machine Learning Model Approach To Pavement Asset Management, Matt Versdahl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While state Departments of Transportation (DOT) face major funding challenges, the need to find optimal ways to preserve and maintain pavement assets remains. Asset management employs a lowest cost lifecycle method to analyze asset costs and determine the best investment strategies to preserve it throughout its lifecycle. As new technology emerges, so do opportunities to leverage it. DOTs collect a significant amount of performance data on pavement and use it to decide how to keep it in a state of good repair. The literature in this area focuses on engineering techniques applied to treatment strategies. This dissertation research focuses on …

New Petrographic And Geochemical Constraints On Pre-Eruptive Storage Conditions And Their Control On Eruptive Styles In Martinique’S Recent Volcanic Systems, Abigail Martens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the volcanic systems of Martinique Island, focusing on magma storage conditions, magmatic evolution, and eruption dynamics. Chapter 3 presents a petrographic analysis of volcanic rocks from the island’s old, intermediate, and recent arcs, examining the evolution of plagioclase textures and the increasing abundance of other mineral phases, such as pyroxene, amphibole, olivine, and quartz, which provide insights into changing magmatic conditions. The main research is divided into two projects. Chapter 4 addresses the pre-eruptive storage conditions (pressure and temperature) of magmas beneath recent (<5 Ma) volcanic complexes (Morne Jacob, Piton du Carbet, Trois Îlets, Mt. Conil, and Mt. Pelée), exploring magma evolution, crystallization, and the role of lower crustal injections and flank collapses in triggering eruptions. Results reveal variable magma storage depths (<6 km), with significant temperature and pressure variations, indicating complex magmatic systems. Chapter 5 focuses on the Roches-Genty ignimbrite in southwestern Martinique, investigating its stratigraphy, geochemistry, and age using field mapping, grain size analysis, and 40Ar/39Ar dating. The study identifies two distinct sub-Plinian eruptive phases associated with the Dizac ignimbrite, with ages of 3.37 ± 0.14 Ma and 2.10 ± 0.26 Ma, providing insights into past explosive volcanic activity. Geochemical analysis confirms an andesitic composition, similar to regional volcanic systems. This dissertation enhances understanding of Martinique’s volcanic history, providing valuable insights into magmatic processes and eruption dynamics, with implications for volcanic hazard assessments in the Lesser Antilles.

Relationship Between Motivation, Requesting Accommodations, Rapport, And Adequate Progress In College Students With Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Harold Holmes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

College students with disabilities often face challenges including difficulty accessing accommodations and developing satisfactory rapport with instructors when navigating their college experience. These challenges can negatively impact their academic progress and their ability to complete their programs of study. The first purpose of this study was to describe the levels of self-efficacy, perceived control, willingness to request accommodations, instructor- student rapport, and adequate progress towards a degree among college students with disabilities. The second purpose was to determine any relationships between these variables. Undergraduate students with disabilities at a public university in the southeast region of the United States completed …

The Prideful Ass: Using Augustine's Neoplatonic Theory Of Sin To Investigate Curiosity In Apuleius' Golden Ass, Danielle E. Booth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ancient discourse about the beneficial yet predominantly dangerous role of curiosity inattaining knowledge was prevalent in the Roman Empire around the 2nd century C.E. when the North African author, Apuleius, composed his Latin novel, the Golden Ass. Although there is no shortage of modern scholarship that focuses on how Apuleius dramatizes obsessive intrigue by means of his protagonist, Lucius, contemporary publications seldom reorient the discussion to consider how unclear he is about the unstated source of curiosity, as I do in the following thesis. Approaching this topic through the context of ancient Neoplatonism, I argue Augustine of Hippo – a …

Awful, Yet Awe-Full: The Sublime Dystopia Of Blade Runner 2049, Charles E. Butt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blockbuster dystopian sci-fi features stories of environmental collapse, authoritarian governments, out of control corporations, unbounded consumerism, and other awful possibilities. Scholars of science fiction broadly agree that this genre explores collective fears, anxieties, and speculations about the present and future. At the same time, film scholars have established that dystopian sci-fi cinema is compelling, and audiences respond to their effects-driven visuals, photorealistic mise-en-scene, and dramatic narratives. This creates an apparent paradox: Blockbuster cinematic aesthetics portray undesirable worlds desirably. I resolve this paradox by arguing that the worldbuilding of spectacle-driven, dystopian sci-fi cinema is Romanticized. That is, the provocative style of …