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Synthesis And Evaluation Of 3-Aryl-4(1h)-Quinolones As Orally Active Antimalarials: Overcoming Challenges In Solubility, Metabolism, And Bioavailability, Andrii Monastyrskyi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Infectious diseases are the second leading cause of deaths in the world with malaria being responsible for approximately the same amount of deaths as cancer in 2012. Despite the success in malaria prevention and control measures decreasing the disease mortality rate by 45% since 2000, the development of single-dose therapeutics with radical cure potential is required to completely eradicate this deadly disease. Targeting multiple stages of the malaria parasite is becoming a primary requirement for new candidates in antimalarial drug discovery and development. Recently, 4(1H)-pyridone, 4(1H)-quinolone, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridone, and phenoxyethoxy-4(1H)-quinolone chemotypes have been shown to be antimalarials with blood stage activity, …

Religiosity, Spirituality, And Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults In An Active Living Community, Monica D'Adrianne Solomon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The population of older adults in the United States is steadily rising. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a call to reduce mental distress in older adults. Research shows that mental distress is associated with depressive symptoms, which are significantly related to many chronic medical conditions, functional impairment, suicide, and all-cause mortality. Depression is a major public health concern. There is an interest in gerontology research on the buffering role of engagement against depressive symptoms such as volunteering, social activities, and religion. Certain religious beliefs and behaviors contribute to maintaining or improving mental health and research …

Molecular Evidence For Vector Implication Of Onchocerca Lupi In Los Angeles County, Ca, Shanna June Bolcen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Onchocerca is a genus of roundworm most commonly associated with the human infection onchocerciasis, or river blindness. While typically a zoonotic infection of ungulate populations, canine cases (Onchocerca lupi) have been identified in the United States and Greece. In 2012, Los Angeles County, Veterinary Public Health Program identified 3 cases of Onchocerca spp. infections in domestic canines. Samples from the ensuing blackfly collections were sent to the Global Health Infectious Disease Research Unnasch Laboratory for parasite isolation and vector species identification. Species-specific primers were designed and optimized for O. lupi using a non- specific cytochrome oxidase (COI) gene target (689bp) …

Neural Correlates Of Spectral, Temporal And Spectro-Temporal Modulation, Anusha Mohan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural sounds are characterized by the distribution of acoustic power over different frequency regions and/or time. This is termed spectral, temporal or spectro-temporal modulation. The auditory system is equipped with banks of filters tuned to different spectral, temporal and spectro-temporal modulation frequencies (SM, TM, STM). The sensitivity of the peripheral system to these modulations can be measured by undertaking a linear systems approach. In addition to understanding the psychophysical sensitivity, studying the neural patterns of their processing is also critical. The current study is an attempt to understand the relationship between the behavioral and neural correlates of spectral, temporal and …

The Hypertrophic Effects Of Practical Vascular Blood Flow Restriction Training, John Francis O'Halloran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Practical blood flow restriction training is a new training technique that has the potential to increase muscular hypertrophy and muscular strength while allowing practitioners to train with lighter loads (20-30% of 1-RM). Through the use of elastic knee wraps, the limbs can be restricted using a perceived pressure scale. The comparison of practical blood flow resistance training with traditional, non-blood flow restricted resistance training and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength has not been investigated.

Twenty-one resistance-trained males participated in a 4-week training program and were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Practical BFR training (BFR; n = …

The Effects Of Systematic Reinforcement On Academic Performance In Precision Teaching: An Investigation Of Acquisition, Retention, And Endurance, Victoria Ann Hoch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of positive reinforcement in acquisition programming is a hallmark of Applied Behavior Analysis; however, the Precision Teaching literature reveals a lack of reporting on the use of reinforcement. The present study utilized a groups design and single case analyses to investigate the effect of programming systematic tangible reinforcement on acquisition performance, retention and endurance of academic skills with 10 typically developing students ranging from 5-7 years of age. Results indicate that for both control and experimental participants, an increase in accuracy on both See/Say sight words and math problems occurred; however, the experimental group performed better on See/Say …

Using Contingency Mapping To Decrease Problem Behavior And Increase Social Communication Skills In Children With Autism, Diana Carolina Sanguino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Social communication skills play a central role in the developmental outcomes for young children with autism. Due to deficits in social communication skills, many young children with autism develop problem behavior. Providing these children with the right tools to communicate properly may decrease their problem behavior. This study examines the impact of contingency mapping intervention on problem behavior and functional communication skills in three children with autism, using a multiple-baseline design. Before implementation of contingency mapping, verbal contingency was implemented in the first phase of intervention, which was associated with minimal increases in communication skills and decreases in problem …

Using Auditory Feedback To Improve The Performance Of Judokas During Uchi Komi, Taylor Easton Ferguson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Auditory feedback has been shown to be highly effective at teaching new skills to athletes in a variety of sports. This method consists of targeting a routine, breaking down the specific skills required to complete the routine, and training an individual on those skills using an auditory device to provide feedback on correct responses. This study evaluated the effectiveness of auditory feedback for improving a judo technique. One set of techniques taught in judo are standing throws, which require a partner to receive the technique (uke.) These throws require specific skills to successfully implement the technique. Auditory feedback was evaluated …

Trends And Costs Of Industry-Related Injuries In The United States [1998 - 2009], Delphine Fontcha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In order to describe the trend, characteristics, and cost of occupational injuries that occurred in industrial settings across the United States between 1998 and 2009, a cross sectional analysis based on hospital discharge data was conducted. The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from the Healthcare and Cost Utilization Project (HCUP)(1) was used. Identification of relevant injuries from the sample was performed using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 CM) code E849.3 (industrial place and premises)(8).

A total of 307,586 (weighted) patients with industrial related injuries were discharged from hospitals in the United States during the period …

Human Trafficking From Southern Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, And Guatemala: Why These Victims Are Trafficked Into Modern Day Florida, Timothy Adam Golob

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida is ranked as one of the United States' top three destination states for human trafficking; many of those victims originate from Mesoamerica--Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Human trafficking is a growing problem which hinders universal human rights for hundreds of new victims in Florida every year. Mesoamericans have a high risk of becoming victims due to the situations in their home countries. The issue of human trafficking has only recently gained the national and state attention of law makers and law enforcement officers.

This study uses several human trafficking cases to educate and exemplify why Mesoamerican victims …

Karenia Brevis Harmful Algal Blooms: Their Role In Structuring The Organismal Community On The West Florida Shelf, Alisha Marie Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Karenia brevis dinoflagellate blooms off the west coast of Florida can create devastating effects on marine communities when they release a neurotoxin known as a brevetoxin. These blooms, informally referred to as red tides, can cause massive fish kills, necessitate closures of shellfish fisheries, and can even leave lingering toxins that impact shelf communities long after the bloom has dissipated. As a result, much effort has been put into studying K. brevis bloom initiation and dynamics. However, how K. brevis blooms impact Florida's fisheries is not fully understood because the relationship between K. brevis cell counts and fish mortality is …

The Black Experience In The United States: An Examination Of Lynching And Segregation As Instruments Of Genocide, Brandy Marie Langley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This thesis analyzes lynching and segregation in the American South between the years 1877 and 1951. It argues that these crimes of physical and social violence constitute genocide against black Americans, according to the definitions of genocide proposed by Raphael Lemkin and then the later legal definition adopted by the United Nations. American law and prevailing white American social beliefs sanctioned these crimes. Lynching and segregation were used as tools of persecution intended to keep black people in their designated places in a racial hierarchy in the United States at this time period. These crimes were two of many …

Elective Early Term Delivery And Adverse Infant Outcomes In A Population-Based Multiethnic Cohort, Jason Lee Salemi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The length of human pregnancy, arguably the most natural of physiological processes, is undergoing subtle but consequential modification in order to adapt to modern societal demands. The gestational age distribution of births in the United States has been shifting to lower gestational ages over the past two decades, parallel to a concomitant rise in obstetrical intervention in pregnancy. The result has been an increase in elective deliveries at 37-38 weeks (early term).

A population-based retrospective cohort study of over 616,000 live-born full-term singleton infants was conducted to investigate the association between elective early term delivery and subsequent infant morbidity, mortality, …

Statistical And Prognostic Modeling Of Clinical Outcomes With Complex Physiologic Data, Monica A. Puertas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Laboratory tests are a primary resource for diagnosing patient diseases. However, physicians often make decisions based on a single laboratory result and have a limited perspective of the role of commonly-measured parameters in enhancing the diagnostic process. By providing a dynamic patient profile, the diagnosis could be more accurate and timely, allowing physicians to anticipate changes in the recovery trajectory and intervene more effectively.

The assessment and monitoring of the circulatory system is essential for patients in intensive care units (ICU). One component of this system is the platelet count, which is used in assessing blood clotting. However, platelet counts …

Lead (Pb) Contamination Of Water Drawn From Pitcher Pumps In Eastern Madagascar, David Bradlee Akers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Access to safe water supply--a major determinant of public health--is less than 50% in Madagascar, and access to piped, treated water remains out of reach financially for many in the urban and peri-urban areas where available. The Self-supply option of the Pitcher Pump has been meeting the need for household water in coastal areas of Madagascar since the early 1960s and has proven a sustainable option for many. These pumps make use of leaded components in the construction, however, which may pose a health risk for heavy metal intoxication and therefore cause the water to be unsafe for drinking and …

Characterization Of Iron Response In Gynecological Cell Lines, Kyle A. Bauckman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ovarian carcinoma afflicts over 22,000 women each year with a 5 year survival rate of only 18% for stage IV patients [23]. Current treatment options are limited due to high rates of drug resistance and recurrence. Further, the identity of "precursor lesions" which give rise to various subclasses of epithelial ovarian cancer has been evasive. This is due to discovery of the cancer at already an advanced stage. Interestingly, endometriosis a benign but invasive gynecological disease has been described as a "precursor lesion" in the development of specific subtypes of ovarian cancer. Endometriotic cyst development involves the accumulation of "old …

Perceptions Of Mentoring From Fourth Year Medical Students, Stephen Charles

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods research study investigated medical students' perspectives of professional mentoring through a web-based survey/needs assessment. The participants are fourth year medical students from three large urban research institutions and two regional branch campuses. The web-based survey/needs assessment was created, peer reviewed, and validated. A strategic sampling of focus groups was conducted to gather additional information regarding the results from the web-based survey. The information and data obtained from the survey and focus groups was used to provide recommendations for administrators and faculty about the mentoring program for each campus. A new proposed model of mentoring was developed upon analysis …

Resources Matter: The Role Of Social Capital And Collective Efficacy In Mediating Gun Violence, Jennifer Lynne Dean

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study explains how community activists make use of available social capital and collective efficacy while attempting to mediate gun violence. It specifically focuses on twelve in-depth interviews of activists' perspectives, processes and rationales to alleviate community gun violence, based on informal social control models. Findings suggest activists must establish trust and respect with youth they work with before mediation begins, which is established through similar life experiences or backgrounds. Once a strong bond is established with youth, activists identified five core processes to reduce violence: 1) improve the mindset, 2) provide life skills, 3) assist youth as their …

Dieting, Discrimination, And Bullying: A Contextual Case Study Of Framing In The National Association To Advance Fat Acceptance, Veronica Kay Doughman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA), the largest size acceptance organization (Kwan 2009), recognizes and frames fat as an identity in need of protective policies. This framing is not without complication. Both the framing techniques utilized by this organization and the political context in which this organization exists are extremely complex. As a way to uncover this dynamic relationship, I analyze NAAFA's framing techniques (Snow and Benford 1988). Employing this social movement organization (SMO) as a case study (Snow and Trom 2002), I analyze the way this organization's framing and reframing (Benford and Hunt 2003) shifts across time …

Transcriptional Control Of Toxoplasma Development, Joshua Byran Radke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite of animals and man. The asexual life cycle of Toxoplasma involves three very distinct, but tightly coordinated developmental stages. In nature, the sporozoite (contained within an oocyst) and bradyzoite (contained within a tissue cyst) initiate infection of the intermediate host, followed by rapid differentiation into the actively replicating tachyzoite. When countered by an effective host response, the tachyzoite differentiates back into the latent bradyzoite and this unique ability of Toxoplasma to interconvert between the replicating tachyzoite and the latent bradyzoite within a single host is the cause of life long infection. The …

Promoting Generalization Of Skills Acquired Through Behavioral Skills Training With Embedded Visual Prompts, Andrea N. Perdomo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Studies on the "Tools" for Positive Behavior Change were originally conducted with people involved in the foster care system. Few studies have conducted the trainings in classroom environments to increase the positive interactions between teachers and their students. Numerous studies have demonstrated the usefulness of behavioral skills training in teaching a wide variety of behavioral skills; however, relatively few of them have shown generalization to their natural environment and maintenance of appropriate responding following the training. Methods of prompting following the initial trainings that have been utilized are often quite intrusive especially when it interrupts the flow of the participants' …

Sustainable Energy And Nutrient Recovery From Swine Waste, Adib Amini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Swine production represents approximately 40% of the world's meat production, and swine wastes contain high concentrations of organic matter, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Swine production is intensifying as meat demand increases and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are becoming increasingly common, making it difficult to treat the waste generated. A system for holistic treatment of swine waste produced in CAFOs was investigated in this study that sustainably generates energy and recovers N and P as saleable fertilizers. The system uses anaerobic digestion (AD) for methane production and solids stabilization, followed by precipitation of struvite (MgNH4PO4*6H2O) and recovery of N …

Baseline Studies Of Selected Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers In The Air Of The Nandamojo Watershed, Costa Rica, Mary Sophia Geesey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used as flame retardants in a number of common household and commercial products around the world. PBDEs enter the environment in a variety of ways, such as through emissions, leaching from end-of-life electronics in landfills, and incineration. While many countries have phased out the manufacturing of penta-, octa-, and deca-PBDEs or have banned the manufacture and use of these congeners altogether, these persistent organic pollutants (POPs) continue to be detected in humans and the environment.

This study investigates spatial and temporal variations of selected PBDEs in the air of the Nandamojo watershed area in …

Insights Into [Aacute]-Aa Peptides And Ã-Aa Peptides As Broad Spectrum Antimicrobial Peptidomimetics And As Anti-Biofilm Agents, Shruti Padhee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The emergent resistance of bacteria against the conventional antibiotics has motivated the search for novel antimicrobial agents. Nature abounds with a number of antimicrobial peptides that are a part of our innate immune system and protect us against a variety of pathogenic bacteria. While they are broad-spectrum in their activity and show less drug-resistance induction, their intrinsic metabolic stability limits their potential therapeutic applications. Herein we describe the development of novel broad-spectrum bioactive antimicrobial peptidomimetics AA-peptides. AApeptides were designed based on chiral PNA backbone. Substitution of nucleobases yields AApeptides that are resistant to proteolysis and capable of mimicking peptides. Two …

Antiviral Resistance And Dynamic Treatment And Chemoprophylaxis Of Pandemic Influenza, Sandro Paz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Public health data show the tremendous economic and societal impact of pandemic influenza in the past. Currently, the welfare of society is threatened by the lack of planning to ensure an adequate response to a pandemic. This preparation is difficult because the characteristics of the virus that would cause the pandemic are unknown, but primarily because the response requires tools to support decision-making based on scientific methods. The response to the next pandemic influenza will likely include extensive use of antiviral drugs, which will create an unprecedented selective pressure for the emergence of antiviral resistant strains. Nevertheless, the literature has …

An Evaluation Of Group Contingency Interventions: The Role Of Teacher Preference, Christina Ennis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disruptive behavior within classrooms is a major concern for teachers and parents. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) provides a multi-tiered framework for schools to provide supports to students, which are matched to each student's needs. Whereas most students are successful with the school-wide supports provided to all students, approximately 20% of students are likely to require additional supports. Group contingencies have an established basis of support as effective Tier 2 interventions; however, these contingencies vary in a variety of dimensions that may influence their efficacy and acceptability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative impact of …

Accuracy Of Educators In Identifying Middle School Students With Elevated Levels Of Anxiety Or Depression, Cheryl Gelley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Schools need accurate and efficient ways to identify youth with mental health problems, in part to provide services to such students whose mental health concerns pose barriers to learning. The present study involved an investigation of the accuracy of one method--relying on educators (teachers, a team of school-based mental health professionals, and a school nurse) to identify early adolescents who self-report elevated levels of anxiety or depression. With respect to teachers as screening agents, the possible variability in rates of accurate identification as a function of number of teachers involved in the process (i.e., pooling nominations from multiple subject area …

Pathways Of Embodiment: Drug Use Among Adolescents In Popay[Aacute]N Colombia, Sarah Louise Fishleder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the interrelated biological and cultural factors that determine pathways by which recreational drug use is manifest to addiction in the lives of youth aged 12-18 in Popay[aacute]n, Colombia. It utilizes existing data from mixed methods research conducted between 2004-2005 examining epidemiological risk factors, drug use, perceptions about drugs, and a biological phenomenon of the brain known as incentive salience. Perceptions and experiences related to drugs were gathered using structured methods. MDS and hierarchical plots of drug perceptions are presented in order to demonstrate the power of culture and expectation on perception and choice. Structural equation modeling was …

Evaluation Of Hand Augered Well Technologies' Capacity To Improve Access To Water In Coastal Ng[Oumlaut]Be Communities In Panama, Sarah Hayman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Amid the global efforts surrounding United Nations' Millennium Development Goal Target 7c to improve access to safe and sustainable drinking water among populations who lack this resource, it has become essential to monitor and evaluate progress. Development initiatives working to achieve improved drinking water access often introduce appropriate technologies designed to be sustainably owned and operated by populations in rural areas suffering from water related hardships. It is valuable to thoroughly examine the degree to which these technologies satisfy intended objectives and affect user experienced water access. The accurate reflection of impact and progress can be complex, as the evaluation …

Epibenthic Mobile Invertebrates Along The Florida Reef Tract: Diversity And Community Structure, Kristin Netchy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Benthic mobile invertebrates are important components of coral-reef diversity and community structure, though, in most cases, their ecological contributions are poorly known. Baseline information on their diversity, prevalence, assemblages, and ecological roles is needed to aid in the conservation of coral-reef habitats. The objectives of this study are to 1) describe diversity and assemblages of epibenthic, mobile invertebrates in shallow water coral-reef communities in Florida, 2) evaluate their ecological roles by reviewing published literature on diet, and 3) measure the degree of linear dependence between mobile invertebrates and scleractinian corals. Underwater surveys were conducted in the summer of 2013 at …