Digital Commons Network^™

Biosynthetic Gene Clusters, Microbiomes, And Secondary Metabolites In Cold Water Marine Organisms, Nicole Elizabeth Avalon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microorganisms and invertebrate animals from cold water marine environments, such as in Antarctica and in Ireland’s deep sea, are a rich source of secondary metabolites. In this dissertation, research was centered around secondary metabolism and natural product biosynthesis. The projects include the delineation of biosynthetic gene clusters hypothesized to be responsible for the biosynthesis of the palmerolides, stratification of the microbiome of the Antarctic ascidian Synoicum adareanum, genomic and peptidomic analysis of a host-associated Antarctic Pseudovibrio sp., and isolation and characterization of secondary metabolites from the Irish deep-sea coral Drifa sp.

Palmerolide A, the principle secondary metabolite associated with S. …

Advancing Functional Scientific Literacy To Socioscientific Literacy As A Cross Disciplinary Educational Goal: A Philosophical Analysis, Kory Bennett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Educational experiences built upon the Socioscientific Issues (SSI) framework provide opportunities for teachers and students to reflectively and reflexively address ill-defined complex scientific issues that affect human beings around the planet. Through the practice of Socioscientific Reasoning (SSR), while grappling with SSI, students have the potential to develop a SSI functional perspective of scientific literacy (SL); functional scientific literacy (FSL). Due to the multidimensional complexity of many human issues in and out of the science classroom, students are required to develop various skills, dispositions, and problem-solving strategies that expand from and connect with a SSI functional perspective of SL. The …

Phenomenological Study On Lived Experiences Of Assigned Expatriates, John Alan Hennings

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The academic community has researched expatriate work for over five decades, but the problems identified in the 1960s persist. This study focuses on the assigned expatriate, defined as an individual on overseas assignment for his or her employer. It uses qualitative semi-structured interviews and a phenomenological approach to answer questions research has largely ignored: What are the distinctive characteristics of life and work as an assigned expatriate? How do assigned expatriates perceive their expatriate experience? The scope includes selection, preparation, life and work abroad, and repatriation, investigating the experiences of expatriates on assignments for the U.S. military, civil government, and …

Micro-Architectural Countermeasures For Control Flow And Misspeculation Based Software Attacks, Love Kumar Sah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Embedded system applications in diverse sectors such as transportation, healthcare, homeautomation, etc., have been gathering, processing, and transporting data using embedded computers connected to vast networks. As the usage of these embedded devices in daily life is increasing exponentially, security of these devices is a growing concern amongst the users. An alarming rise in recent cyber-attacks has deepened such concern. In the recent past, software-based attacks are more sophisticated and larger in scale than previously known. An embedded processor depends on a compiler to use the architecture efficiently. The compiler generates object code to efficiently utilize the micro-architecture for storage …

Counseling Clients With Traumatic Brain Injury: Exploring Counselors’ Perceived Knowledge, Comfort, And Self-Awareness, Michelle Bradham-Cousar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The number of traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnoses continues to rise each year. Counseling is a critical factor in TBI treatment, and although numerous studies have investigated TBI outcomes, a paucity of researchers have studied professional counselors’ knowledge, comfort, and self-awareness when working with TBI clients. Due to the diversity of counselor caseloads, it is likely that counselors will serve clients with a dual diagnosis that includes TBI. These dual diagnoses include depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, psychosis, or another neurocognitive disorder. The purpose of this study was to explore counselors’ knowledge, comfort, and self-awareness when working with individuals with …

Enhancing Adult Refugees’ Metacognition, Motivation, And Multiliteracies: Metacognitive Instruction Within An E-Learning Environment, Imelda V. Bangun

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adult refugees without print literacy are a diverse group. The reasons adult refugees lack print literacy varies widely among individuals. While meeting the needs of these adults is indeed important, instructors who work with these learners are frequently challenged to provide suitable e-learning environments in which these learners can thrive. Accordingly, the present study aimed to achieve four goals. First, it investigated the effectiveness of explicit metacognitive instruction within an e-learning environment in enhancing the motivational profile of adult refugees with limited literacy. Second, it researched the effectiveness of explicit metacognitive instruction accompanied with an e-learning environment in enhancing the …

Countermeasures Against Various Network Attacks Using Machine Learning Methods, Yi Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid development of a computer network, our lives are already inseparable from it. Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) is in use everywhere; more and more devices are connected to the Internet, and many companies and individuals tend to store their data and information online. Furthermore, it is now very convenient to communicate with each other through email and text messages. However, widespread networks also provide more attack surfaces for attackers. There are a variety of network attacks aimed at information theft. To better defend against those network attacks, one needs to have a broad knowledge of existing attacks. In this …

Visualization Dynamics And Ideal L2 Self: Exploring L2 Learner Motivation In A Study Abroad Context, Dan Zhong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Second language learner motivation research has witnessed a transition from a historically static approach to a more dynamic approach, yielding extensive research during the past decade. Dörnyei (2005, 2009) proposed a vigorous motivation framework, the Second Language Motivational Self System (L2MSS) that highlights the dynamic nature of learner motivation. The L2MSS consists of three main constructs: the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, and the learning experiences (Dörnyei, 2005). This study uses the L2MSS framework as the theoretical basis to explore learners’ motivation and learning experiences in a study abroad context. Empirical studies using this framework to explore L2 …

Self-Perceived Competence Of Senior-Level Student Affairs Professionals, Anh-Kay Pizano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-perceived competence levels of senior-level student affairs professionals. Additionally, the study aimed to learn about the experiences that contributed to the participants’ competence levels. A qualitative study, consisting of semi-structured interviews, was conducted to address the research questions. Common themes emerged from the interviews. When asked to rate themselves based on their competency level, the majority of the participants rated themselves advanced. The participants recounted numerous experiences that led to how they rated their levels of competence. Years of experience in the student affairs profession was most often noted. Other experiences …

System Support Of Concurrent Database Query Processing On A Gpu, Hao Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The unrivaled computing capabilities of modern GPUs meet the demand of processing massive amounts of data seen in many application domains. While traditional HPC systems support applications as standalone entities that occupy the entire GPU, we propose a GPU-based DBMS (G-DBMS) that can run multiple tasks concurrently. To that end, system-level management mechanisms like resource allocation and buffer manager are needed to build such a concurrent database query processing system and fully unleash the GPUs’ computing power. However, CUDA does not provide enough OS-level functionalities to support it. Thus our research is focusing on implementing the optimization of resource allocation …

Asian Male Stereotypes: An Investigation Of Current Beliefs About Asian Males And Stereotypes Perpetuated By U.S. Modern Cinema, Noelle Knopp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a triangulated two-part study with a quasi-experiment design. Study Part 1 performed a textual analysis supported by the theory of framing on the films Crazy Rich Asians, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Always Be My Maybe, and To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You to find commonalities among portrayals of prominent East Asian male characters. Using Wong et. al’s findings of common perceived stereotypes by Asian American males, the author used the six traits defined by Wong et. al as a base to see if the films corresponded to or deviated from the stereotypes …

I'M Going Digital: Potentials For Online Communities Through Internet Remix, Justin N. Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the late 90s and early 2000s, computers and internet usage became more widespread. This widespread usage led to a proliferation of “digital objects” (digital versions of audio, video, image, text, etc.) dispersed through the internet. The instant and near-infinite reproducibility of digital objects combined with their ease of manipulation by computer users has led to their widespread recognition and use as tools of communication online. As a consequence, technology has allowed those traditionally thought of as consumers to become cultural producers by repurposing digital media objects. Because of this, internet remix of digital objects is one of the best …

Climate Change And Sustainable Development Within The Tourism Sector Of Small Island Developing States: A Case Study For The Bahamas, Arsum Pathak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The research literature suggests Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are vulnerable to climate change. Tourism in SIDS is sensitive to climate variations and dependence of the sector on natural resources (beaches, coral reefs) adds to their vulnerability. The purpose of this study is to assess climate impacts and adaptation within the tourism sector of a SIDS – The Bahamas that relies on tourism and faces climate vulnerabilities, as do other SIDS. Given the importance of tourism to their sustainable development by supporting economic growth and employment, this study identifies timely risks and adaptation planning for a tourism-based SIDS economy in …

Corporate Brand Impact On Sales / Revenue Per Share, Brad A. Puckey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify the linkage between the corporate brand and sales / revenue per share growth. Utilizing a unique database, the CoreBrand® Index, this study is a quantitative analysis of the interaction between the corporate brand and financial data. A relationship between corporate brand and financial data has been suspected by practitioners; however, it has never been proven. For the first time, quantitative analysis is conducted in this dissertation using this unique dataset.

This study is intended to help those responsible for managing corporate brands to better understand their impacts and benefits. The more that …

Who Rises To The Top: An Investigation Of The Essential Skills Necessary For Partners Of Non-Big 4 Public Accounting Firms, Amanda K. Thompson-Abbott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The public accounting industry will face several challenges in the upcoming years. One challenge is an aging workforce that will be retiring in large numbers. This shift will result in a shortage of partner-ready candidates. The second challenge involves rapid technological disruption that is predicted to change the skill sets needed for success. Both issues underscore the need to recruit and retain talent in the public accounting profession. Academic research has focused primarily on Big 4 firms, so this paper focused on non-Big 4 firms. This study used exploratory research to examine two questions: “What skills does it take to …

Modeling Early Life: Ontogenetic Growth And Behavior Affect Population Connectivity In Gulf Of Mexico Marine Fish, Kelly Vasbinder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an examination of growth, behavior, and dispersal during the early life stages of marine fishes in the Gulf of Mexico. Understanding movements of early life stages is a key part of managing exploited fish populations. Position in the water column can impact larval dispersal, since it determines those currents to which larvae are exposed. First, I investigated the relationship between length and age in early life stages of marine fishes. I found that demersal fish taxa tend to be represented by exponential models, while pelagic fish tend to be represented by linear models. I suggest this may …

Characterizing Childhood And Diet In Migration Period Hungary, Kirsten A. Verostick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project investigates children, childhood and diet of two different Migration Period (4^th-8^th century AD) populations, the Gepids and the Avars, in the Great Hungarian Plain. The main goal was to assess whether there are differences in treatment of children and differences in breastfeeding and weaning practices in these distinct sites and populations. Secondarily, this research also focused on characterizing diet for the Gepids and the Avars at four different sites from the Migration Period, to understand how the migration and settling into the region and the assimilation of other groups into the two populations affected their …

Mapping Narrative Transactions: A Method/Framework For Exploring Multimodal Documents As Social Semiotic Sites For Ethnographic Study, Anne W. Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work grew from my attempts to find a method for studying a body of editorial cartoons—multi-modal documents producing cross-modal responses—that were created and published in an earlier time period, in order to answer questions about the culture in which the cartoons were produced and read. Initially my questions included wondering about the topics cartoonists addressed, the narratives cartoonists created to address the topics, how the narratives were framed, and in what ways the narratives might have been seen as attempts to shape the larger cultural discourse around the topics. However, given the number of possible combinations of information streams …

Exploring Adult Indigenous Latinxs’ English Language Identity Expressions And Agency: A Malp®-Informed Photovoice Study, Andrea Enikő Lypka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars historically emphasized literate learners’ additional language trajectories. In countries with increasingly large numbers of limited-literate adult language learners, there is an urgent need to inspire limited-literate adults to speak out and be heard. To address the needs of adult language learners with inconsistent schooling, and the ways their identities, agency, and social power influence opportunities for participation in the target language communities of practice, scholars need to implement bottom-up and responsive curricular and research innovations. To this end, informed by poststructuralist and transdisciplinary understandings of English language development, I investigated the identity work (self-positioning and other-positioning) and agency deployment …

Hearing Aid Acclimatization In The Context Of Central Gain Mechanisms, Peter J. Hutchison

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary goals of this dissertation were to 1) identify markers of central gain in the auditory system following short-term acoustic attenuation via earplugging and acoustic enhancement via sound generators, and 2) determine if acoustic enhancement is effective in modulating central gain in older adults with age-related hearing loss, and if so, to what extent. Additionally, a further goal of this dissertation was to explore the possibility that central gain is related hearing aid acclimatization. The results described in Chapter 2 are further evidence that altering acoustic input to the peripheral auditory system modulates central auditory plasticity and is evident …

Cost Efficient Algorithms And Methods For Spectral Efficiency In Future Radio Access, Murat Karabacak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing interest in data-hungry wireless applications of mobile devices has led the cellular industry to look for new frequencies and new techniques for utilization of next-generation wireless technologies. As millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication becoming a promising solution, It can provide greater bandwidth and higher data rates in future radio access. While in the hostile environment of mmWave bands, the signals suffer from high propagation loss, the smaller wavelengths of mmWave frequencies make it possible to practically pack a large number of antennas with reasonable form factors. Thus, mmWave communication can provide directional transmission with high gain antenna arrays to penetrate …

Design And Implementation Of Solid/Solid Phononic Crystal Structures In Lateral Extensional Thin-Film Piezoelectric On Silicon Micromechanical Resonators, Abdulrahman Alsolami

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Achieving high quality factor in MEMS resonator devices is a critical demand for today’s wireless communication and sensing technologies. In order to reach this goal, several dedicated prior works have been conducted based on published literature at different frequency ranges. Particularly, piezoelectrically transduced resonators, which are widely deployed in commercial wireless communication systems, could benefit from greatly improved qualify factor. So far, their development has evolved from thin film bulk acoustic resonators (FBAR’s) using surface attached piezoelectric thin-film transducers with moderate Q factors to high Q resonators equipped with a side-supporting tether (anchor) attached vibrating resonators that allow the devices …

An Analysis Of The Antecedents And Consequences Of Robotic Process Automation In Accounting Functions., Aharon Yoki

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Robotic Process Automation (“RPA”) is a recently emergent technology that has exploded in popularity as firms seek to capitalize upon the marketing promise of cost reduction and improved efficiency. Yet, with this expansion of RPA, very little is known about the firms’ initial drivers, perceptions during implementation, and how outcomes align with initial expectations. RPA could displace and dramatically change the workforce, but it is unclear how employees will respond to the continuing spread of RPA. This study seeks to fill that important gap in the scholarly literature with an exploratory mixed-methods study. The first chapter is an extensive literature …

Clarifying The Relationship Of Design Thinking To The Military Decision-Making Process, Thomas S. Fisher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The complexity of today’s operational environment where military organizations are conducting campaigns to address some of the nation’s most urgent problems has grown exponentially. To address this expanding complexity, the Defense Department introduced ‘design’ into its problem-solving doctrine as a method to understand the new and dynamic challenges associated with this increasingly complex environment and provide a tool to augment its current doctrinal military decision-making process. However, it appears military ‘design’ as prescribed by the Department may be only marginally effective at producing viable solutions for solving the complex, ill-structured problems that current military campaigns were developed to resolve. This …

Networks In The Norm Life Cycle And The Diffusion Of Environmental Norms, James E. Fry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this research, I analyze how Transnational Municipal Networks (TMNs) and cities affect the diffusion and transmission of a decarbonization norm. Urban policy and political science scholars assert that cities and their networks are influential in implementing internationally coordinated environmental policy. However, few projects have analyzed how local actors may diffuse environmental norms that have been developed in the international system. Using the norm life cycle, this research explores the transmission of a decarbonization norm by means of GHG measurement and mitigation. I identify two critical objectives associated with a decarbonization norm: establishing a system for monitoring GHG emissions and …

An Examination Of An Engagement Indicator For Non-Traditional First-Generation Black Students Enrolled In U.S. Institutions, Chantae D. Still

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

More students than ever have been provided access to higher education; however, the increase in enrollment is outpacing the data on successful completion rates. Student engagement has been identified as fundamental for college student success and retention.

The purpose of this study was to provide a description of the student engagement of non-traditional first-generation Black students attending 4-year public institutions in the United States. Using the Student-Faculty Interaction (SFI) National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) scales of student engagement, this study examined the relationship between SFI and selected personal characteristics of traditional and non-traditional, first-generation first-year and senior-year Black students, …

Communication, Learning And Social Support At The Speaking Center: A Communities Of Practice Perspective, Ann Marie Foley Coats

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In response to increasing demand for public speaking instruction, more institutions are establishing campus speaking centers staffed by student tutors. Peer tutors provide clients with a range of supports in the speech-making process, including suggestions for speech content and organization and for improving delivery during simulated practice sessions. This study investigates patterns of peer interaction in one campus speaking center to understand the dynamics of peer support in a non-classroom setting and how they may create the conditions for student learning. This ethnographic study conceptualized speaking center activities and the practice of oral communication skills development through the lens of …

Spatial And Temporal Determinants Associated With Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Activity In Florida, Kristi M. Miley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV) is considered the most pathogenic mosquito-borne illness in the United States. Human mortality has been estimated to range between 35 to 75%, with horses experiencing mortality rates greater than 90%. A large number of EEEV cases occur in Florida. Though we have come a long way since the first human infection was identified in the 1930s, there is still much to learn regarding the virus’s ability to maintain transmission year-round in Florida. Phylogenic studies support that Florida may serve as the geographic reservoir for EEEV. This research investigated spatiotemporal and ecological variables associated with risk …

My Life In The Arts: Challenges Of A Non-Conformist Professional Path, Mark L. Matthews

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There exists a cognitive dissonance between the current state of educational delivery systems and the preparatory needs of the non-traditional student who desires a professional life outside of the cultural norm. The aspiring professional painter, musician, poet, actor, novelist, photographer, or dancer all fall into an educational category that is not properly served by current pedagogical design at all levels. In order to address this problem of practice we must first identify common themes present in a non-conformist, entrepreneurial life progression though the formative years. To that end I will begin with a presentation of my own story, which encompasses …

The Impact Of War On U.S. Army Leader Self-Development Domain In The Early 21st Century, Stephen D. Pomper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research examines senior U.S. Army officer leaders’ propensity and appreciation to engage in self-devolvement and to develop their junior leaders. The research compares what the Army is prescribing to its leaders with what they are actually saying and doing. It focuses on the decade before the Global War on Terrorism, during the high-tempo war period, and the last ten years. We find that the past 19 years of war have impacted the U.S. Army in countless ways. One is arguably on its most precious capability—its active officer leaders. As the Army rose to war-related challenges, it did so …