Digital Commons Network^™

Waive It Away: Systemic Injustices Against Black And Brown Faculty And Staff Professionals, Past And Present, Marquis B. Holley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates perceptions and experiences of systemic injustices/racism, which is reflected in policy misuse and/or abuse at a large Research One (R1) university located in the Southeastern United States. In particular, the study will provide a lens for viewing the shortcomings regarding hiring practices, with the misuse of the Waiver of Advertisement, which was an initiative aimed at addressing the underrepresentation of Black and Brown professionals in faculty and staff/administrative positions. It is critical to note that the assumption of this project is that white faculty and staff/administrators are the beneficiaries of the waiver. The study will assess this …

Evolution Of Targeted Therapy Resistance In Eml4-Alk Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Robert Vander Velde

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Targeted therapies have emerged as potent treatments that lead to the remission of many tumors. However, they rarely cure cancers in advanced, metastatic settings. This is due to the evolution of resistance, which in turn can be ascribed to the survival of small subpopulations of tolerant and/or resistant cells. Here we investigated the evolution of resistance to EML4-ALK inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and demonstrated that resistance evolves gradually, from unique pre-treatment sub-populations, as multiple resistance mechanisms accumulate in a Darwinian fashion. Despite accumulating multiple changes, cells evolved, in parallel, toward similar inhibitor specific phenotypes. Evolving cells have …

Novel Synthetic Ketogenic Compounds, Michael Scott Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ketogenic diet has grown in popularity in the last decade as a weight loss tool. Research into the diet’s effects on the body have revealed a variety of other health benefits. The use of exogenous ketone supplements to confer the benefits of the diet without strict adherence to it represents an exciting new area of focus. Synthetic ketogenic compounds are of particular interest that has received very little emphasis and is an untapped area of focus for chemical synthesis.

The first chapter of this manuscript provides an overview of the history of the ketogenic diet along with a summary …

Diaspora By Design: The Systematic Displacement Of Tampa's African-American Populace, 1925-1974, Shannon D. Bruffett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diaspora by Design: The Systematic Displacement of Tampa’s African-American Populace, 1925-1974 is a political and economic history that maps the transformation of the city’s urban landscape through a variety of federal programs. It examines the the ways that Tampa city leaders employed a variety of federal programs, and funding, to shape the economic, social, and cultural environment of Tampa’s Black population over the course of five decades.

Physician Burnout: A Curriculum Design Study, Dian A. Ginsberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study created and evaluated an educational intervention that addressed the remediation of physician burnout on an organizational level. This quality improvement study explores existing programs and applies innovation to improve the depth and scalability of a physician burnout program.

Transcriptomic And Functional Investigation Of Bacterial Biofilm Formation, Brooke R. Nemec

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii are two highly successful human pathogens, which have adopted very different, but effective survival strategies. The success of S. aureus is attributed to the tight regulation of an arsenal of virulence factors. Conversely, A. baumannii lacks what would be considered traditional virulence factors and, instead, has developed a high tolerance for environmental stress, which allows it to persist in unforgiving environments, including nosocomial settings and the human body. One common characteristic of these two organisms is their proclivity for biofilm formation. Herein, we discuss the diverse mechanisms governing biofilm formation for A. baumannii and S. …

Essays In The Industrial Organization Of Healthcare Markets, Maysam Qadimi Rabbani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of four chapters each looking at one dimension of the impact of market concentration on patient well-being. The chapters are titled:

• Chapter 1: Non-Profit Hospital Mergers: The Effect on Healthcare Costs and Utilization
• Chapter 2: Mergers with Future Rivals: An Entry Barrier
• Chapter 3: Can Mergers Do Good? Lessons From 25 Pharmaceutical Mergers
• Chapter 4: Retail Pharmacy Mergers: The Case of Walgreens and Drugstore.com

Chapter 1 has been published in the International Journal of Health Economics and Management (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10754-021-09303-8). It examines a non-profit hospital merger. Merger courts offer leniency to non-profit cases on the premise that they …

Design, Synthesis And Testing Of Bioactive Peptidomimetics, Sami Abdulkadir

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are complex macromolecules that are responsible for almost all biochemical processes and play vital roles in signaling pathways, metabolic pathways, and all other cellular functions. Proteins accomplish this by interacting with other proteins and macromolecules like DNA and RNA, for instance, as transcription factors. As such, we can find protein interactions behind every cellular action or inaction, and it is easy to see how protein interactions are crucial in understanding disease processes. Advance in proteomics has particularly provided a wealth of insights into molecular mechanisms of disease processes of cancers and other rare diseases, which has helped identify key …

Designing A Health Coach-Augmented Mhealth System For The Secondary Prevention Of Coronary Heart Disease, Avijit Sengupta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents research that employs design science research (DSR) methodology to develop and evaluate a high-fidelity prototype of a home-based cardiac rehabilitation (HBCR) system to support self-management of chronic cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease (CHD) and to offer secondary prevention against other chronic diseases with similar risk factors. While the population of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients requiring cardiac rehabilitation (CR) continues to expand, lack of access and other barriers to center based cardiac rehabilitation (CBCR) presents a huge challenge. A mobile phone and wearable device based technological system can offer an HBCR program for CHD. By following …

The Effects Of Agrochemical Pesticide Applications On Target And Off-Target Species In Aquatic Ecosystems, Bryan K. Delius

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increase in the global human population is driving agricultural expansion, which increases the likelihood and degree by which agrochemicals impact aquatic systems. It is projected that by 2100 the global human population will exceed 11 billion, and to feed the increased human population, the necessary increase in agricultural infrastructure is estimated to double irrigation, nearly triple fertilizer applications, and increase pesticide applications by tenfold. It stands to reason that wetlands impacts from agriculture are also likely to increase as the industry expands its operation to meet the globally growing demand for food.

Wetlands are highly productive habitats that not …

A Multi-Faceted Approach To Understanding Acceptability Of Docs K-5: A Qualitative Analysis, Andrea Guarnieri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the acceptability of DOCS K-5, a behavior parenting program adapted for parents of elementary aged children. Despite proven efficacy in preventing maladaptive behaviors, parenting programs have historically suffered from low attendance and engagement. Participants (N = 13) attending the pilot DOCS K-5 program took part in six group interviews while enrolled in the program to examine the facilitators and barriers to attendance, perceived effectiveness, and collateral benefits received from participation in the program. This study considered possible cognitive, affective, instructional, and pragmatic facilitators or barriers to attendance and engagement. Participants described motivations to learn various types …

How Culture And Storytelling Can Influence Urban Development: An Ethnographic Look At The Community-Driven Revitalization Of Newtown In Sarasota, Florida, Michala Head

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When Americans think of Florida, tourist attractions often trail the initial thoughts of alligator sand chaos. Disneyworld and its neighboring parks are set up for optimal experience and consumption, the thought of a trip South along the coast for a sweltering beach day, sipping on a frozen drink in January sings to Midwesterners. For residents of these seaside cities, such as Sarasota, the experiences of the space are much more complex. Within the broader contexts of the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd and a global pandemic that impacted America’s marginalized populations disproportionally, …

Data-Driven Studies On Social Networks: Privacy And Simulation, Yasanka Sameera Horawalavithana

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social media datasets are fundamental to understanding a variety of phenomena, such as epidemics, adoption of behavior, crowd management, and political uprisings. At the same time, many such datasets capturing computer-mediated social interactions are recorded nowadays by individual researchers or by organizations. However, while the need for real social graphs and the supply of such datasets are well established, the flow of data from data owners to researchers is significantly hampered by privacy risks: even when humans’ identities are removed, or data is anonymized to some extent, studies have proven repeatedly that re-identifying anonymized user identities (i.e., de-anonymization) is doable …

High Speed Switching For Plasma Based Electroporation, Shivangi Sharma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ever since mankind has started identifying the diseases, extensive work has been done, and pathologies are written identifying the cure for them. As technology progressed, the development in the field of pathologies also did. Thus, finding innovative and efficient ways to get the ‘cure’. With the advancement in drugs, the delivery methods for these drugs also have advanced. One such delivery method is gene therapy. This method is beneficial when genes are to be used to prevent diseases.

Gene therapy has been proven effective for treating a wide range of conditions, such as cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. Gene therapy …

Analysis And Modeling Of Strategic Interactions In Health Systems To Improve Patient Care Access, Jorge A. Acuña Melo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Affordable health care access that provides well-coordinated and high-quality services on time is a goal that governments and health organizations strive for. Regrettably, most countries deal with access problems that affect the population's health, such as long waiting lists for specialized medical services, overcrowding of emergency departments, and high health prices. In the present doctoral dissertation, I model and analyze the strategic interactions that inhabit the health system machinery to uncover possible structural problems that led to the aforementioned issues. The study involves operation research, data science, and game theory techniques to address the health care access predicament.

Each research …

Career Development And Workforce Experiences Of Trans People In Their Workplaces, Rene Ragmett Alvarez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Existing research concerning trans people is sparse, and even less research exists regarding their career development and workforce experiences. Hence, I explored the career development and workforce experience stories of trans people. I used a conceptual and theoretical framework in this study to inform my general approach to trans scholarship leading to the specific examination of the career development and workforce experiences of trans persons. The conceptual and theoretical framework included Hale's (1997) suggested guidelines for non-trans people writing about trans people, constructivism, social cognitive career theory, and minority stress theory and informed the qualitative vehicle of this study to …

Analysis Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Gene Expression Profiles In A Prospective, Community-Based Cohort, Jan Dahrendorff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common and debilitating psychiatric disorder that may occur in individuals exposed to traumatic events such as accidents, interpersonal violence, war, combat-exposures or natural disasters. PTSD is a significant public health issue with a high disease burden associated with substantial health care costs and several comorbidities negatively affecting an individual’s quality of life. The biological underpinnings of the disorder are not well understood. Gene expression studies can shed light into the complex physiology of PTSD. However, to date, studies employing a hypothesis-free approach examining the whole transcriptome are scarce and are limited to assessment of …

A Review Of Marine Turtle Orientation And Artificial Lighting Impacts With Novel Results From Florida’S Gulf Coast, Andrea M. Fisher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Artificial light (i.e. unnatural light emitting from a human-made source) is one of the most extensively distributed, and least managed, type of anthropogenic pollution. Due to the disproportionally high rates of urbanization in critical coastal ecosystems, species, like marine turtles that use beach habitat for nesting activities, are especially vulnerable. Marine turtles employ the use of multiple visual cues (e.g. wavelength, intensity, background illumination, and dark silhouettes) to conduct sea-finding behavior and different variations in cue usage exist across species and geographic location. During nesting and emergence activities, orientation can be interrupted and manipulated by artificial lighting resulting in lower …

An Investigation Of The Hot Docs Guide For Weekly Early Intervention Sessions: A Multiple Baseline Design, Cashea Holyfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many parents of young children across the United States are increasingly impacted by their children’s display of early childhood challenging behavior. Common examples of these behaviors include feeding difficulties, tantrums, whining, crying, and noncompliance (Barbarian, 2007; Hemmeter et al., 2014; Spencer & Coe, 2003). Though the relationship between early childhood behavior problems and future outcomes may not be causal, researchers have consistently concluded that if left unaddressed, children who demonstrate early challenging behavior are likely to experience some difficulties in academic achievement, sociability, school readiness, and mental health (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2002; Turney & McLanahan, 2015). Behavioral parent training …

Pre-Service Teachers' Knowledge Of The Brain: Implications For Autonomy-Supportive And Controlling Motivational Styles, Katie Jansen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neuromyths, or misconceptions about the brain and learning that are rooted in scientific fact, have been documented among educators across various subject areas and educational levels throughout the world. The endorsement of neuromyths may affect the ability of educators to support the psychological needs of their students. The present study examined neuromyth endorsement and neuroscience literacy among pre-service educators, as well as their orientations toward autonomy-supportive or controlling motivational styles. Associations between pre- service teachers’ knowledge of the brain (i.e., neuromyth endorsement and neuroscience literacy) and their motivational styles (i.e., autonomy-supportive or controlling) were also explored. Data were gathered from …

"We're The Lucky Ones": A Social Network Analysis Of Recovery After The Iowa Derecho, Kayla C. Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

On the afternoon of August 10th, 2020 a straight line windstorm, referred to as a derecho, tore across the Midwest. Derechos are often described as an “inland hurricane,” with wind gusts exceeding 58 mph. This thesis explores how Iowans relied on social networks to recover from the derecho. Personal networks were analyzed to understand how people utilized relationships for specific types of support. The relationships investigated included informal and formal sources such as family, friends, neighbors, government, volunteers, non-governmental organizations, and self-reliance. Data were collected on social networks and storm recovery through a survey and semi-structured interviews. Using anthropological theories …

Successful Aging In Adults Who Stutter: Exploring Predictors Of Physical And Mental Health-Related Quality Of Life, Amanda Kelly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to investigate predictors of physical and mental health quality of life in aging adults who stutter (AWS). Our goal was to identify factors contributing to successful aging in this talker group. The aging population is expected to increase exponentially over the next twenty years. Factors influencing self-perceived health-related quality of life have yet to be investigated in aging AWS.

An online survey was completed by a total of 40 AWS, age 50 years and older, recruited from the Greater Tampa Bay region and nationally. The survey comprised multiple measures that probed for information regarding self-perceived health …

Depression During Adolescence: An Examination Of Treatment Outcomes Through An Intersectional Lens, Myesha Morgan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Major Depressive Disorder is a common mental health disorder, with studies suggesting its potential to lead to academic and social-emotional impairment in youth (Alegria, Vallas, & Pumariega, 2011). Although psychological treatments for this disorder have been studied for decades, prior to recent years little was known about the generalizability of treatment effectiveness to non-European samples (Bernal, Bonila, & Bellido, 1995; Bernal & Scharron-Del-Rio, 2001). Data suggest that racial/ethnic minority youth experience more severe depression when diagnosed with the disorder and are less likely to access mental health services. Behavior Activation (BA) is a treatment approach found to be effective for …

Flow Visualization And Aerosol Characterization Of Respiratory Jets Exhaled From A Mannequin Simulator, Sindhu Reddy Mutra

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is important to understand the airborne transmission of infectious diseases due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical experiments were conducted to understand the dispersion of aerosols emitted from a mannequin simulator replicating human tidal breathing through the nose and mouth with and without a protective face mask in an enclosed space. Flow patterns are observed via high-speed visualization, and the concentration and size distribution of the particles is measured as a function of distance from the mannequin using an optical particle sizer. Masks were shown to effectively reduce the horizontal dispersion of aerosol for both mouth and nose breathing. Further, …

A Study Of Trpa1 Activation Via Covalent Electrophilic Modification Of Cysteines, Thomas A. Parks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A subset of sensory nerves called nociceptors are stimulated by noxious stimuli and evoke nocifensive responses in different organ systems. Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is a tetrameric, nonselective, cation channel that initiates the generator potential that evokes afferent signaling in nociceptive nerves. TRPA1 is activated many harmful irritants, such as food chemicals, environmental pollutants, reactive oxygen species and other endogenous mediators. Most TRPA1 agonists have electrophilic properties, which covalently modify cysteine residues on the cytosolic side of the channel. Biochemical studies in our lab have identified four cysteines (C273, C621, C665, C1085) that rapidly bound iodoacetamide (irreversible electrophile); …

Corrosion Durability Service Life Of Calcium Silicate-Based Reinforced Concrete, Carolina Páez Jiménez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corrosion of reinforcing steel is a major area of study for assessing durability of reinforced concrete infrastructure. Conventional concrete infrastructure designs use ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as the primary cementitious material. However, the world's current challenge to achieve sustainable development requires the cement industry to reduce its environmental impact, as it is responsible for 8% of the anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Hence, a new type of cement has been developed. This novel calcium silicate cement (CSC) reduces the carbon dioxide emissions during its manufacturing process as compared to OPC, providing an environmentally-sound alternative for reinforced concrete fabrication.

Corrosion of steel reinforcement …

The Extended Parallel Processing Model (Eppm) And Risk Perceptions Of Twitter Messages Related To Covid-19, Muhammad E. Rasul

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since its genesis, the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 has claimed millions of lives across the world and has infected many more. The population in the US experienced one of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19 in the world, with the number of deaths rising monolithically at one point. Although the development and inoculation of a large number of the public has helped, newer variants threaten to revitalize the growth and spread of COVID-19. Scholars have extensively studied health messages related to COVID-19 in a variety of contexts. However, little attention has been paid to the risk perceptions of health messages related …

Treatment Responses Among Youth With Anxiety Disorders And Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors In A Clinic Sample, Katrina Scarimbolo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders are considered to encompass multiple conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, panic disorder and specific phobias. Related conditions include post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive and compulsive disorder. Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) are a group of disorders that result in repetitive touching, picking, and/or pulling to areas of the body such as the scalp or skin (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). An anxiety disorder and a BFRB commonly co-occur in youth. This comorbid presentation produces further impairment in school attendance, peer socialization, or other functional domains. These difficulties youth experience make it pertinent to study …

Phenotypic Diversity And Costs Of Early Hatching In Lizards, Zachary Winstead

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Early hatching is a form of environmentally cued hatching in which embryos can emerge early to improve chances of survival and is considered a means of antipredator defense. Early hatching as a response to predation has been well documented in amphibians, but its prevalence among other animal groups is unknown. Moreover, any trade-offs between early hatching and other traits, and thus survival, are not well understood. There is anecdotal evidence that lizards exhibit early hatching behavior, but quantitative evidence is limited to one study. In the present study, I tested for the presence of early hatching in six species of …

A Framework To Aid Decision Making For Smart Manufacturing Technologies In Small-And Medium-Sized Enterprises, Purvee Bhatia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0 has changed today’s manufacturing scenario. The transition to smart manufacturing technologies has been evolving over the last few years and has recently accelerated due to the pandemic. The need to make manufacturing systems agile, adaptive, resilient, and robust has expediated the adoption and implementation of smart manufacturing technologies.

Despite the interest of manufacturers in smart manufacturing, the adoption rate has been slow due to the lack of decision-making tools that can provide a clear strategic roadmap for effective execution. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are especially slow in adoption due to the …