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Regulation Of The Heat Shock Response Via Lysine Acetyltransferase Cbp-1 And In Neurodegenerative Disease In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lindsey N. Barrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The decline of proteostasis is a hallmark of aging that is, in part, affected by the dysregulation of the heat shock response (HSR), a highly conserved cellular response to proteotoxic stress in the cell. The heat shock transcription factor HSF-1 is well-studied as a key regulator of proteostasis, but mechanisms that could be used to modulate HSF-1 function to enhance proteostasis during aging are largely unknown. In this study, we examined lysine acetyltransferase regulation of the HSR and HSF-1 in C. elegans. We performed an RNA interference screen of lysine acetyltransferases and examined mRNA expression of the heat-shock inducible gene …

Aqueous Humor Dynamics And Compound Action Potentials In The Anesthetized And Conscious Freely Moving Rat, Youssef Mohamed

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vision is dependent on the proper functioning of many intricate components of the eye. Aqueous humor dynamics function to keep the eye inflated at the right pressures and nourish avascular tissue in the eye while properties of the corneoscleral shell dictate how dynamic changes in volume and pressure affect tissue at the optic nerve head. Retinal ganglion cells exit the globe at the optic nerve head and carry all of the visual information to the brain for perception of visual stimulus. In this dissertation, we aim to present a lumped parameter model of the eye that can accurately describe the …

Approach And Avoidance Food Craving: A Dual Cue Reactivity Investigation, Christina Lee Verzijl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent research suggests that food craving is a motivational process underlying the full spectrum of disordered eating behaviors. The ambivalence model of craving, originally applied to substance use craving, provides a framework through which the push-pull motivational process of food craving and its relation to the range of disordered eating behaviors can be understood. In this perspective, food craving is a multi-dimensional motivational process that involves an individual’s competing desires to both consume (i.e., approach) and not consume (i.e., avoid) certain food. Building on previous literature, the current study tested whether behavioral measures of approach and avoidance food craving (i.e., …

Modified Biosand Filtration Using Aluminum Hydroxide Filter Media To Enhance Fluoride Removal, Joshelyn Guimaray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are over 20 countries whose citizens consume groundwater containing high levels of fluoride, including Nigeria, Mexico, India, China, and Ghana, which all have major health crises when it comes to the safety of their drinking water. Minerals like fluorite contain fluoride which is often found in groundwater aquifers. The minerals release fluoride into the groundwater. Per the World Health Organization (WHO) standard, the maximum contaminant limit for fluoride consumption should be less than 1.5 mg/L. Chronic exposure of elevated levels of fluoride can cause people to suffer debilitating health effects, such as dental and skeletal fluorosis. Dental fluorosis causes …

A Convergent Approach To Aqueous Lead (Pb) Mitigation Of A Supplemental Self-Supply Shallow Groundwater Source Accessed By Handpumps In Madagascar, Adaline Marie Buerck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The World Health Organization (WHO) has consistently listed lead (Pb) as one of the ten chemicals of major public health concern. Though the toxic nature of lead has been known since the 20th century it is still utilized in a wide variety of products due to its favorable properties. Exposure to lead still accounts for approximately 900,000 deaths annually and disproportionately impacts those in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) due to a variety of reasons such as poverty, malnutrition, and lack of knowledge on the toxic nature of lead. Lead exposure routes include air, soil, dust, diet, and water. Though …

Population Genomics Of The Giant Caribbean Sea Anemone Condylactis Gigantea (Anthozoa: Actiniidae) In Florida And Across The Caribbean, Nancy E. Sheridan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The giant Caribbean sea anemone Condylactis gigantea is a long-lived, conspicuous, and phenotypically diverse species native to the western Atlantic Ocean (from Bermuda to southeast Brazil), Caribbean Sea, and southeastern Gulf of Mexico. This sea anemone is an important benthic community member that provides habitat to numerous species, including cleaner shrimp. This relationship makes these animals desirable to aquarists for both enjoyment and the service provided by the shrimp for the overall health of an aquarium, and which is why they are sought.

The extraction of about 3.3 million C. gigantea individuals in Florida over a 23-year period for the …

Assessing The Human-Health Risk Of Exposure To Pathogens From Beach Sands, Javier Federico Gallard-Góngora

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fecal contamination at recreational beaches impacts the health of beachgoers, through the introduction of disease-causing microorganisms, and the well-being of communities dependent on income from recreational beach activities. Beach ecosystems are also impacted by sewage through the introduction of nutrients that can cause abnormal increases in autochthonous microorganisms which can impact the population of larger organisms in the ecosystem. Fecal contamination is introduced into sand via untreated sewage, direct deposition of human feces into sand, runoff, and deposition of animal feces into sand. The introduction of fecal contamination into sand exposes individuals to pathogens (disease causing microorganisms) which can result …

An Integrated Approach For Dynamic Process Modeling And Optimization Of Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Komal Rathore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The subareas of process systems engineering including process modeling, simulation, and optimization are becoming progressively substantial for understanding processes, making decisions, improving efficiency, and complying with stricter environmental and safety legislation. Additionally, the availability of user-friendly flowsheet simulators and computational resources with the current trend of data collection and analysis has allowed for a more accurate representation of complex processes such as wastewater treatment systems. Despite all the progress in the areas of process modeling and simulation, the first-principle mechanistic models for wastewater treatment processes are at best employed during the design stage, and therefore, not used optimally for day-to-day …

Fragmentation Of Chemically Herded Oil Slicks By Obstacles: Visualizations, Flow Measurements, And Spatial Distributions, Ali Alshamrani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemical herders are a promising technique for treatment of oil spills in icy waters at high latitudes. However, obstacles on the water surface such as floating ice affects or interferes with all spill response countermeasures including chemical herder operations by fracturing the contracting oil slick and trapping small oil patches. Chemical herders are likely to be especially useful in containing oil spills in remote, ice-infested Arctic waters, where using booms to contain an oil slick is difficult. Much of the previous research into chemical herder has focused on the effectiveness of different types of chemical herder agents to thicken oil …

Development And Analysis Of Green Pathways For Biphasic Extraction At High Pressure, Kyle L. Cogswell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Technological advancements over the last century have allowed for advancements not only in science and engineering but medicine as well. The use of supercritical fluids for processing continues today after its initial boom in the latter part of the last century; often being paired with co-solvents to extend the range of use for this technique. Supercritical fluid extraction may be paired with pressurized warm water extraction to yield a new intensified process for biphasic extractions that improves efficiency and reduces waste. This combination may be used to replace sequential extraction processes or supercritical extraction processes that make use of organic …

Seroprevalence Of Sars-Cov-2 Antibodies, The Gut Microbiome, And Peripherally Circulating Cytokines In Pregnant Hispanic Females, Tina Susanna Mutka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pregnant Hispanic females have been disproportionately impacted by SARS-CoV-2 andhave experienced high rates of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, unrecognized infection. Acute SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with gut microbiome changes and altered peripherally circulating cytokine levels in symptomatic, non-pregnant individuals.

This study investigated the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in a sample of pregnant Hispanic females (n = 197). A sub-sample of SARS-CoV-2 seropositive and seronegative pregnant Hispanic females were followed across pregnancy and their bacterial gut microbiome was characterized, and cytokine levels measured to investigate relationships between SARS-CoV-2 serostatus, the gut microbiome, and peripherally circulating cytokine levels across pregnancy. …

Comparing Brood Care Behaviors Across Five Fertility Castes In The Invasive Fire Ant,Solenopsis Invicta,And The Expression Of Inotocin, Alexis Masnjak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, is one of the most successful of the invasive eusocial invertebrates. The fire ant’s prolific reproductive capacity and its division of labor among five fertility castes are key factors to its successful invasion and global colonization across all continents except Antarctica. Although the rate of self-care and brood care by sterile S. invicta workers is well known, little is known about the rate of self-care and brood care by the other four fertility castes. In this study, I quantified the frequency and duration of behaviors by alate males, alate queens, newly mated queens, older mature …

Improved Performance Of Silica-Supported La0.5Ba0.5Feo3 In The Reverse Water Gas Shift - Chemical Looping Process For Carbon Dioxide Reduction – A Density Functional Theory Study, Jiawei Guo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Global warming is increasingly obvious, and the reduction of greenhouse gases is an effective way to heal. Increasing the efficiency of catalysts that is applied in the industry can significantly reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Reverse water gas shift chemical looping (RWGS-CL) is a promising reaction to convert CO2 to CO. La0.5Ba0.5FeO3 (LBF) is a good candidate for RWGS-CL, which shows increased conversion yield when supported on silica. This research focuses on identifying the mechanism of RWGS-CL via silica-supported LBF by exploring the oxygen vacancy formation energy (EO-vac). Density Functional Theory (DFT) is a powerful computational method to solve …

Conquistas And Chronicles: A Social History Of The Fernando De Soto Expedition Of Conquest, 1538-1543, Morgan Norman Greig

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of the last century, Fernando de Soto’s conquest of Florida has been a central topic of debate among scholars of the United States. In particular, the written sources generated by expedition members during and after their time in Florida have been used primarily by archaeologists and anthropologists for ethnohistoric data on Native American societies in the early-sixteenth century southeast. However, there are two central problems in the historiography that have plagued the field of Soto studies, both of which are the central focuses of this study. First, there has never been a full-length historical study conducted on …

Japan’S Covid 19 Infection Rate: A Focus On Tokyo Neighborhoods, Lauren Koerner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis asks, are neighborhood demographic and economic variables connected to COVID-19 infection rates in Tokyo, Japan? I hypothesize that variation in urbanization and neighborhood demographics account for Japan’s low, though not uniform COVID-19 infection rates. This thesis applies several anthropological perspectives: The biocultural perspective because I look at epidemiology of COVID 19 considering socio-cultural, economic, and ecological factors as well as biological susceptibilities. The critical biocultural perspective because I look at how structures of power and inequality may impact health and healthcare access. Biomedical/applied anthropology, well placed to study the current epidemiologic situation of COVID 19 in Japan and …

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia Coli And EnterococcusSpp. In Sand And Water At Tampa Bay Beaches, Jennifer K. Sabater

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As antibiotic resistance in the environment continues to rise there is an increased concern that infections may become harder to treat as bacteria acquire genes for multidrug resistance. Recreational beach waters in the Tampa Bay area are routinely monitored by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the presence of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as Escherichia coli and enterococci. Exceedances of beach action values (BAV) 235 CFU/100 mL (E. coli) and 70 CFU/100 mL (enterococci) indicate the presence of fecal contamination which is associated with an increased risk of disease for beachgoers. Antibiotic-resistant E. coli and Enterococcus spp. have …

Assessing Environmental Sensitivity In San Diego County, California, For Bird Species Of Special Concern, Eda Okan Kilic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is widely recognized that desertification constitutes one of the biggest environmental problems on Earth. Desertification negatively impacts the future of humans and other living things all over the globe. Therefore, the assessment of desertification is essential to both monitor and combat desertification. A number of models are routinely applied to assess desertification. The MEDALUS model is one of the most popular approaches, identifying desertification risk based on an environmentally sensitive area index (ESAI) that integrates climate, vegetation, soils, groundwater, and socio-economic factors to obtain an overall rating. The goal of this study was to measure the potential impacts of …

Outcomes Of A Periodic Exposure Assessment Of Workers At A University Campus, Logan M. Armagast

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Standards promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)are applicable to most businesses in the private sector, however, state and local government entities are not under OSHA’s jurisdiction. Universities that receive public funding fall under the category of state and local government entities and, unless an OSHA-approved State plan explicitly states otherwise, they are not required to demonstrate compliance with OSHA standards and are not subject to OSHA inspections. Without being constrained by federal regulation, those responsible for ensuring the health and safety of employees at publicly funded universities have some leeway in their methods for evaluating the conditions …

Etiology Of Sterile Intra-Amniotic Inflammation: An Exploratory Study, Zoe M. Taylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Preterm birth is the event of spontaneous birth prior to 37 weeks of gestation. In the United States, 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely. Low gestational age has been linked with increased morbidity and mortality. Preterm birth is multifactorial, where a myriad of contributors have been identified to include inflammation, chorioamnionitis, and inflammatory conditions to include hypertension and diabetes. To further explore the role inflammation plays in low gestational age, a literature review was done using PubMed. Two classes of inflammation quickly emerged: Pathogen born intra-amniotic inflammation and Sterile intra-amniotic inflammation. The latter form of inflammation has no identifiable …

A Technique-Based Approach To Structure-From-Motion: Applications To Human-Coastal Environments, Robert Van Alphen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Photogrammetry is a method by which physical information can be extracted from thecorrespondence of 2-dimensional images. In the geosciences, Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry is a technique that has seen considerable interest in the past decade of research. Here I present three case studies of various scope and methodologies which can inform the use of SfM in the geosciences. First, I discuss the theoretical and algorithmic basis of SfM photogrammetry and its uses thus far in the geosciences. Chapters two through four show specific studies which highlight several approaches to SfM and the data which can be produced. Chapter five then concludes …

Outcomes Of A Telehealth Adaptation Of A Trauma-Based Parent Training Program, Holland Hayford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 25% of children will experience a traumatic event by the age of four. If trauma symptoms remain untreated, these traumatic experiences during early childhood can negatively impact a child’s executive functioning skills, mental health, social interactions, and relational attachments to other individuals. Due to the harmful impact of untreated trauma symptoms on children’s wellbeing and development, several evidence-based interventions have been developed. One such intervention is Smart Start: Parenting Tools for Children with Developmental Delay, Social-Emotional Concerns, and Trauma (version 5), which targets children’s disruptive behaviors and trauma symptoms, caregivers’ parenting stress, and the caregiver-child relationship. This study utilized …

Microheater Stimulation Platform For Neural Cells, Haley Royce

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrical stimulation is the basis of many biomedical devices like cochlear implants,pacemakers, and retinal implants. In these systems, current is applied to a desired tissue to effectively stimulate it. Unfortunately, this is not localized as the current will spread through the tissue, limiting the spatial resolution. Thus, alternative forms of stimulation are needed to improve device precision and resolution. This project explores microheaters as a stimulation platform that can be easily integrated with existing biomedical devices. Microheaters produce heat via the Joule heating effect wherein electrical current is run through high resistance materials to output thermal energy. They are highly …

Are All Pictures Worth 1,000 Words? An Investigation Of Fit Between Graph Type And Performance On Accounting Data Analytics Tasks, Shawn Paul Granitto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The usefulness of accounting data is directly dependent on the presentation and interpretation of the data (DeSanctis and Jarvenpaa 1989; Brown-Liburd et al. 2015; Cao et al. 2015). While both corporate accounting and public accounting have a large focus on data analytics and visualizations, accountants in both fields have reported to have minimal experience creating visualizations and observe a growing use of visualizations within their role (Krumwiede 2019; Buchheit et al. 2020; Gibson et al. 2020). Vessey (1991) finds that the appropriateness of a visualization can impact a user’s decision-making performance. Although prior studies have provided suggestions of when to …

Metabolomic Analysis, Identification And Antimicrobial Assay Of Two Mangrove Endophytes, Stephen Thompson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural products have played major roles in drug discovery and provided sources for many new drugs. Secondary metabolites, also called natural products, are organic compounds that are produced from fungi, bacteria, and other living organisms. Secondary metabolites produced by endophytic fungi include alkaloids, phenols, peptides, enzymes, polyketides, and terpenes. Endophytic fungi are rich sources of secondary metabolites and demonstrate bioactivity against many human pathogens including the ESKAPE pathogens. This thesis explores the diverse roles of endophytic fungi and their production of unique secondary metabolites for potential drug discovery and development. Secondary metabolites from two endophytic fungi (EG10-21E-2-HDAC & TAP14-34A-2-HDAC), collected …

Reelin Supplementation For The Rescue Of Fragile X Syndrome., Nicole K. Morrill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reelin is a large, extracellular matrix glycoprotein involved in neuronal migration during embryonic brain development and synaptic plasticity in the adult brain. Reelin consists of eight EGF-like repeats and undergoes natural cleavage at two sites, between repeats 2 and 3 and repeats 5 and 6, resulting in five naturally occurring fragments. The role of Reelin in the developing central nervous system has been extensively characterized, and loss of Reelin or disruption in the signaling cascade may contribute to the cognitive impairments seen in numerous neurodevelopmental or aging diseases such as schizophrenia, autism, depression, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease. Reelin’s signaling potentiates …

Testing The Effects Of Social Exclusion On Emotional Arousal: An Examination Of The Effects Of Psychological Pain And Rumination, Amanda L. Peterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The examination of social exclusion and its impact on future emotional responding may prove to be a fruitful area of research in the prevention of suicide. Additionally, there may be other factors (such as the experience of psychological pain and rumination) that may influence how one responds to social exclusion. However, little research has explored individual differences in reactions to social exclusion. As such, the present study explored how social exclusion influences emotional responding to other environmental stimuli, as well as examining how a history of psychological pain and rumination affected how one responds to social exclusion. 503 undergraduate students …

Integration Of Sustainability Into Higher Education Policies: A Case Study Of The University Of South Florida, Mehmet Z. Apaydin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not new notions for higher education institutions (HEIs). However, well-organized efforts to make campuses "sustainable" are not common, and the efforts are modest compared to the institutional capabilities. This thesis, a case study of the University of South Florida (USF), was designed to explore how sustainability values and SDGs are incorporated into higher education policies. To accomplish this, the study employed a mixed method design that includes a literature review, an overview of policies and implementations, document content analysis, a program and course inventory, a keyword analysis, and semi-structured interviews. …

Alpha Synuclein: A Therapeutic Target And Biomarker For Parkinson’S Disease, Max Chase

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s Disease, and the most common motor disorder. In fact, nearly a third of those with AD have PD. A major hallmark of PD is the appearance of Lewy Bodies, proteinaceous cytoplasm inclusions, that build up and spread throughout the CNS in a prion like fashion. The major component of these Lewy Bodies is a protein called alpha-synuclein. Alpha-syn is a 14kDa protein made of 140 amino acids and found in the presynaptic ends of CNS neurons, acting as a chaperone and regulator. The protein is also found in the …

Stability Analysis Of Delay-Driven Coupled Cantilevers Using The Lambert W-Function, Daniel Siebel-Cortopassi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A coupled delay-feedback system of two cantilevers can yield greater sensitivity than that of asingle cantilever system, with potential applications in atomic force microscopy. The Lambert W-function analysis concept for delay differential equations is used to more accurately model the behavior of specific configurations of these cantilever systems. We also use this analysis concept to find parameters which yield stability for greater parameter ranges, of the delay differential equations. The Q factor, or quality factor, is the ratio of energy stored in the system, to the energy lost per fixed oscillation/movement cycle. Having stability of the cantilevers corresponds to the …

Onsite Water Reuse: Fate Of Indicator Bacteria, Antibiotic Resistant Genes, Environmental Impacts, And User Perceptions, Michelle B. Henderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Changes in water use, climate, and urbanization have shifted how water resources are used and defined. Wastewater is increasingly regarded as a viable resource to address challenges in non-potable and potable water applications. When dealing with water reuse, water quality and quantity are of the utmost importance; and the final product must be suitable for its intended purpose and acceptable to users. The first portion of this research analyzed the performance and environmental impacts of pilot-scale Hybrid Adsorption Biological Treatment Systems (HABiTS) for onsite wastewater treatment and reuse. Various configurations were investigated to increase HABiTS performance and ability to produce …