Digital Commons Network^™

Internal Audit Obligations To Combat Money Laundering In Ksa: A Qualitative Study Among Saudi Auditors, Mohammed Alzahrane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Money laundering (ML) presents a significant challenge to Saudi Arabia's financial system, hence the need for comprehensive measures for detection and prevention. This study will analyze various aspects of ML within Saudi Arabia, focusing on its complexities, regulatory landscape, and ongoing efforts to combat it. Saudi Arabia, as a key financial center, faces unique challenges in addressing ML due to its strategic location, substantial oil reserves, and intricate financial transactions. The country's dynamic financial sector and technological advancements amplify these challenges, requiring vigilant measures to counter illicit financial flows effectively. The regulatory framework governing anti-money laundering in Saudi Arabia is …

Secondary Teacher Perceptions And Practices Of Intercultural Communicative Competence Development In Online Intercultural Exchanges, Paige L. Roland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Secondary level world language programs in the United States lack efficient infusion and assessment of intercultural communicative competence in the curricula. When a learner acquires a new language, they also shape their personal identity and expand their ability to successfully interact cross-culturally, thus the need for culture and language to be understood as interdependent components of the bigger whole is evident (Liontas & Siegel, 2019). While there are extensive research theories and studies regarding models of assessment for various competences underlying intercultural communicative competence (e.g., communicative competence, idiomatic competence, sociolinguistic competence) throughout the decades, little research is available which utilizes …

Analysis Of Adverse Events Associated With Sglt2 Inhibitors And Molecular Mechanisms Using Faers Database And Transcriptome Data, Rahinatu Bawah Ali

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, we explored the differential effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on cardiovascular and renal health, utilizing both clinical data and molecular insights. Focusing on three commonly prescribed SGLT2 inhibitors—Dapagliflozin, Canagliflozin, and Empagliflozin—we employed the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database to assess adverse events, including myocardial infarction, cardiac failure, tachycardia, acute kidney injury (AKI), renal failure, urinary tract infections, and fungal infections. This analysis was complemented by transcriptomic data from kidney cell lines treated with these drugs, processed through NCBI’s GEO2R and Limma programs, to reveal the gene expression profiles linked to these …

Hurricane Evacuation: Navigating Uncertainty During Covid 19 And With Existing Communication Scales, And Considering Public And Expert Perception Of Alternative Scales, Leilani D. Paxton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of current hurricane warning products and communication strategies, exploring factors influencing public perception of risk and decision-making during evacuations. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data, focus group discussions, and interviews with meteorologists and emergency managers. The first paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hurricane risk perception and evacuation decisions. Findings indicate that while COVID-19 concerns played a role in some individuals' decisions, particularly those with pets or concerns about shelter conditions, the majority of participants evacuated for Hurricane Ian. The study highlights the importance of providing clear, consistent, and …

Moral Of The Story: Secondary Language Arts Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Moral Intelligence, Sadia Fauzia Zaman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The literature review reveals a gap in secondary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers’ perception of students’ moral intelligence (MI). While many character education studies examine the student perspective, this study contributes to the limited research on secondary ELA teachers’ perceptions of students’ moral intelligence and how it can be cultivated. This dissertation addresses that gap by collecting and analyzing ELA teachers’ lived experiences and perceptions of students’ MI, as well as exploring how ELA teachers and schools can support students’ moral development by integrating moral and ethical topics into instructional practices. This qualitative study used narrative inquiry to gather interview …

Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Incorporation Of An Ecojustice Framework In An Undergraduate Stem Integration Course, Rita G. Ortiz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental education across the K-12 science curriculum lacks critical examination of human and ecological relationships, particularly in relation to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. While the Next Generation Science Standards include environmental topics within their disciplinary core ideas and many schools offer environmental science courses, this gap can be addressed in teacher preparation programs, particularly for those teaching younger students. Ecojustice centers on socioecological topics by addressing cultural assumptions we, as humans, live by in relation to natural systems. Ecojustice education is a critical pedagogy that engages learners about social issues related to our current ecological crisis. This …

Dynamic And Harmonic Studies Of Inverter Based Resources, Rabi Shankar Kar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the inverter-based generation is the primary technology driving renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic and wind turbines, its penetration is increasing rapidly. Due to the high penetration, there are multiple situations of IBR misoperation due to any type of grid contingency. This dissertation focuses on exploring the response of IBR towards grid contingency.

The primary objectives of the study are as follows: 1. Conducting a harmonic analysis of inverter-based resources when subjected to balanced and unbalanced grid conditions, 2. The use of a circuit simplification method to streamline the analysis process and study the dynamic response of IBR …

Advanced Magnetic Sensing Technologies For Enhanced Biodetection And Healthcare Monitoring, Kee Young Hwang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The development of biosensing systems that leverage the unique properties of magnetic nanoparticles and the high sensitivity of magnetic sensors for detecting biomolecules and cancer cells has been an active area of research. However, challenges remain in detecting and differentiating the magnetic signals of biomarkers made from nanoparticles that have similar sizes but distinct magnetic properties. Additionally, overcoming the reduction in detection sensitivity caused by non-magnetic coatings on magnetic nanoparticles remains a key hurdle. Concurrently, there is a pressing need to develop advanced magnetic sensor technologies that can enhance existing healthcare monitoring systems and enable more precise, real-time diagnostics.This dissertation …

Framing Barbie: A Thematic Analysis Of News Media, Mckenzie Muskett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study qualitatively examined how newspapers and digital media sources frame the 2023 movie, Barbie, and how news media can either perpetuate stereotypes or uproot them. This was done by first facilitating a thematic analysis of newspaper articles from five major U.S news outlets, New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, and then from four major digital news outlets, Newsweek, Reuters, BBC, and NewsNation. This study utilized framing theory to identify ten frames news outlets used to frame Barbie. Additionally, feminist theory was implemented to inform the findings and analyze the articles. …

Auction-Based Tolling Systems: Addressing Behavioral Economics And Social Equity Concerns, Tung Huy Vo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The value of time (VOT), or willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce travel time in the context of transportation, is not homogeneous across all road users. Everyone has their own unique VOT and may have multiple values for the VOT associated with factors such as the time of day or the trip purpose. However, the traditional distance-based, time-based, or demand-based congestion pricing methods cannot reflect the true WTP for the use of tolled facilities of the road users. Recent studies have explored and proposed an innovative congestion pricing scheme that integrates auction mechanisms into tolling systems, known as auction-based tolling …

Flexible Docking Method Development For Computer-Aided Drug Design, Luke C. Warrensford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern drug discovery, the process of identifying or developing novel therapeutic compounds to treat a disease, increasingly relies on computational methods to make the process faster and more efficient. One of the most useful tools in the computer-aided drug design toolbox is molecular docking, the simulation of a protein-ligand complex to determine ligand binding affinity. The results from molecular docking help inform the overall drug discovery process on which compounds have more potential to be potent inhibitors, thus saving time and resources during the later and more expensive stages of drug discovery. Two important considerations of modern docking methods are …

Understanding The Impact Of Cultural Competency Development On College Students Through Experiential Learning: A Study Of An Honors High-Impact Course, C. H. Kevin Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how students develop cultural competency through participation in an experiential learning-embedded college course. Existing literature often addresses career readiness, student success, cultural competency, and faculty-student affairs collaboration as distinct areas of research. However, while students may engage with diversity best practices as leaders or through diversity-related courses, bridging the gap between curriculum and competency development remains a critical area for ongoing discussion.

This study focused on a course I designed on Korean culture and identity, which provided an overview of topics such as history, politics, cuisine, music, and current events. The …

Navigating Critical Incidents As Black Women Assistant Principals In Title I Charter Schools: A Narrative Inquiry, Marsha T. Henry-Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The racial discipline gap and the school-to-prison persist despite contemporary discourse, legislation and trending best practices implemented to reduce exclusionary discipline and its related consequences. However, school leaders are often faced with critical school discipline events, that based on predetermined consequences, end with students being excluded from school. For my study, critical incidents needed not be major incidents, but they hold some level of significance in the lives of those involved. This study examined how Black women assistant principals experienced critical school discipline incidents while they worked in Title I charters schools in Florida. Narratives were captured during individual interviews …

Molecular Mechanisms Governing Osteosarcoma Pulmonary Metastasis, Niveditha Nerlakanti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a bone cancer that commonly metastasizes to the lung. Despite advances in the development of targeted therapies for treating solid malignancies, broad-acting chemotherapies remain the first line of treatment for OS. In assaying the efficacy of approved therapeutics for non-OS malignancies, we identified the histone deacetylase 1 and 2 (HDAC1 and 2) inhibitor, romidepsin, as effective for treating established lung metastatic OS. However, romidepsin has noted toxicities in humans, thus we aimed to define the primary mechanisms through which HDAC1/2 mediates OS progression to identify more selective druggable targets/pathways. Microarray and proteomic analyses of romidepsin-treated OS cells …

Foundations Of Music Education: Creativity, Curriculum, And Terminal Degrees, Charles Edwin Patterson Iii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This collection of articles includes three concepts centered on critical areas within music education: (1) creativity and the creative personality, (2) curriculum development with a focus on orchestral string teaching, and (3) the historical evolution and current status of doctoral programs in music education in the United States. These three articles are correlated through their shared focus on enhancing the field of music education by examining the essential elements that shape practices by students, teachers, mentors, etc. Together, they explore how creativity, curriculum approaches, and advanced training programs in music education contribute to a holistic and adaptive music education framework …

Leveraging Feedback From Older Adults To Enhance Patient-Centered Engagement In Healthcare Services, Erica Susan Sappington

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is comprised of an introduction to the topic, three academic papers, and a final chapter discussing the implications of the findings. Its primary objective is to examine strategies to engage older adults in proactive health interventions, enhancing their participation and satisfaction within healthcare systems. Each academic paper utilized distinct data sources and research methods. Paper 1's survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlations to understand older adults' engagement with academic medical centers. Paper 2 used thematic analysis of focus group data to identify key themes in older adults' perspectives on novel health services. Paper 3 used …

Can The Effluent From Wastewater Stabilization Ponds Be Effectively Managed For Health And Nutrient Recovery?, Michael Glass

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Wastewater stabilization ponds, such as facultative and maturation lagoons, have been shown to be effective processes to manage conventional water quality parameters found in domestic wastewater. The main goal of this thesis is to explore whether wastewater stabilization ponds can simultaneously reduce pathogens to safe levels while supporting agricultural activities through nutrient recovery. A large dataset for water quality of wastewater lagoon effluent in the U.S. was obtained at the state level and combined into regional southern and northern locations. Analysis of data showed there was significant difference in lagoon effluent concentration between northern and southern states for the water …

Beyond The Mask: Veterans Challenging The Strong Black Woman Trope In Their Journey To Heal In The South, Meya J. Hemphill-Hodges

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to emphasize notions of citizenship and accessibility as experienced by Black women Veterans. By expanding our worldview of Veteran identity, the ethnographic data demonstrate issues of displacement, alienation, and longing that contribute to the dissonance Black women Veterans rooted in the U.S. South may experience. To forge belonging through place-making, Black women Veterans may seek sisterhood by building sites of resistance in person or online. Findings are based on in-depth interviews with Black women Veterans and participant observation with community partners who service Veteran needs. Black women Veterans construct their identities often in oppressive …

Understanding Contributing Factors To Injury Severity And Improper Driver Actions In Work Zone Crashes And Evaluating Smart Work Zone Applications For Safety Improvement, Rakesh Rangaswamy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A work zone can be described as a roadway designated for construction, maintenance, or other activities that temporarily disrupt the normal traffic flow. Due to this disrupts in traffic conditions, work zones may bring sudden shifts in driving experience, depending on the sort of work zone present, creating unpredictable maneuvers, and putting both motorists and workers at risk. To understand these issues, this study uses work zone accident data obtained from Florida and uses several methodological techniques, including the mixed logit model with variance and mean heterogeneity, temporal instability test, log-likelihood test, out-of-sample analysis, and ANOVA test.

Firstly, this study …

Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Level Of Preparedness To Support Students Who Encounter Adverse Childhood Experiences, Lanicia P. Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to explore preservice teachers’ perceptions of their preparedness to support students who have been exposed to or/are currently encountering adverse childhood experiences. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a form of trauma and are very likely to occur among students. Due to students spending a significant amount of time in classroom settings, teachers are the first to identify possible issues that can interfere with academic performance. The present study was built upon the few studies that have focused on preservice teachers and their perceptions of preparedness to support students experiencing ACEs. Data were collected using an online survey …

“Who Am I?”: Novice Teachers Making Meaning Of Their Intersectional Teacher Identity, Kerrijo E. Ellis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how marginalized and/or minoritized novice teachers make meaning of their teacher identity. An integrated theoretical framework informed this study using Hong et al.’s (2024) conceptualization of teacher identity, Crenshaw’s (1989) intersectionality, and Collins & Bilge’s (2020) definition of intersectionality. Utilizing the photovoice methodology, four focus groups were conducted with a purposeful sample of five novice teachers who identified as marginalized (i.e., gender, disability, LGBTQIA+) and/or minoritized (i.e., ethnic and/or racial minority). Using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2023), I identified three themes: (1) Why I Became a Teacher, which included …

Feminist Narrative Inquiry: Stories Of Five Young Adults Who Aged Out Of Florida Foster Care, Amy E. Nourie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in the United States and, each year, more than 20,000 reach the age of majority without achieving permanency, also known as aging out (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2022a). Research has consistently called attention to the negative effects of foster care on youth including issues relating to substance use, housing instability, educational obstacles, and mental health concerns (Forkey & Szilagyi, 2014; Sarri et al., 2016). These negative outcomes are often even more pronounced for young adults aging out of foster care and transitioning into adulthood (Haggman-Laitila et al., 2019). Despite the decades of …

Technology And Aging: Maintaining, Improving And Understanding Health And Wellness, Mitchell Roberts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three academic papers followed by a chapter discussing the implications of the findings. This dissertation aims to better understand how technologies can promote older adults' (55 years or age or and older) desires to maintain, improve, and understand their health and wellness. The primary objective is to examine how three different technological modalities can inform proactive interventions at various life stages, aiming to promote healthy aging and alleviate age-related health issues by integrating disease prevention strategies within the Lifespan Theory of Aging.

Each academic paper came from an independent data source. The first paper used audio …

Preparing Children For Kindergarten Readiness: Early Childhood Teachers’ Goals And Practices, Julie Chappell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Literature in the field of early childhood education suggests that standardization and the accountability movement in the United States has changed the way that teachers approach kindergarten, resulting in less play and more teacher-directed activities. This pedagogical shift causes challenges for early childhood educators striving to promote developmentally appropriate, play-based and child-centered approaches to learning for young children while preparing children for the expectations of kindergarten. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of prekindergarten teachers’ views about their role in preparing children for kindergarten. The study was guided by two research questions: How do prekindergarten …

Analysis Of The Impact Of Pavement Characteristics On Road Traffic Safety And Pavement Management Using Statistical Heterogeneity Models, Huiqing Lyu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pavement shall accommodate current and predicted traffic needs in a safe, durable, and cost-effective manner. Among pavement surface characteristics, pavement friction is a critical factor contributing to roadway safety, as it directly impacts a driver's ability to execute steering, braking, and acceleration maneuvers safely. Ensuring an adequate level of pavement friction is essential to minimize the skidding risk for all road users. Continuous pavement friction measurement (CPFM) has recently become a proven approach, revolutionizing safety-related pavement management and skidding crash injury prevention. Meanwhile, pavement roughness has long been linked to vehicle fuel efficiency and pavement structural degradation. Perceptions of pavement …

Life History Of Men Who Experienced Childhood Maternal Absence, Renice Obure

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation project explored the impact of childhood maternal absence on the life history outcomes of adult men. An integrated theoretical model of developmental-evolutionary framework was developed to guide research design and conduct. This model combined sex-differentiated life history framework and fathering resource theory. The study consisted of three components: a scoping review of 29 relevant studies conducted in the United States between 1990-2023, a quantitative analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (Add Health) waves I and IV (n=6932), and a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with a sample of 22 fathers who experienced childhood …

Navigating Change: Youth Civic Engagement At Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, Alex R. Whitacre

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of gentrification on the Tampa Heights community in Florida, focusing on the role of Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association (THJCA) in fostering civic engagement and youth empowerment amidst urban transformation. Using a mixed-methods ethnographic approach, including participant observation, archival review, spatial analysis, surveys, and interviews, the research investigates how THJCA affiliates conceptualize and respond to gentrification, space, and community change. Employing urban place theories and social capital frameworks, the research challenges deficit-oriented narratives in examining the experiences of current and former residents, the effects of gentrification on youth educational services, and THJCA's strategies for maintaining …

Six-Year College Graduation Status For High School Students Participating In An Upward Bound Program, Raymond Upward Cabrera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of high school academic indicators and participation in the federally funded Upward Bound program on college graduation rates for first-generation, low-income students. Specifically the extent to which participation in the federally funded TRIO Upward Bound program and related factors—high school GPA, course rigor, program involvement, gender, race, and college type—predict 6-year college graduation rates for first-generation, low-income students. Using stepwise logistic regression analysis on data of 163 students in an Upward Bound program in the Southeast, the results show that students with higher GPAs, active engagement in the program, and females were significantly more likely …

Monsters, Multiplicities, And Liminal Experiences In Doctoral Education: Fabulation As Research Methodology, Anna V. Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to experiment with qualitative research methodologies while exploring the complexities of doctoral education, research practices, philosophies of inquiry, and other topics intersecting with(in) educational scholarship. My vision for this work was fueled by postmodernist critiques of humanist education, frustrations with the methodological status quo pervasive in educational research, and deep concerns about the unsustainability of performance-focused teaching and learning.

The logic I follow in this project is simple: if we—researchers and academics—are to contribute solutions for challenges and ongoing crises in our world, then we must start thinking relationally and in ways more complex …

Performance And Trihalomethane Formation Potential Of Alternative Electron Donors For Wastewater Denitrification, Bruno Fulco Mancini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen removal from wastewater is critical to preserve ecosystems, as well as human health and welfare. Excess nutrients in receiving waters can cause many problems to the environment, such as algal blooms, drinking water contamination, and economic losses. Nitrogen removal in wastewater occurs mainly through the oxidation and reduction processes of nitrification and denitrification, which occur in engineered systems at wastewater treatment plants or water reclamation facilities.

The site for this research was the South Cross Bayou (SCB) Water Reclamation Facility, located in Pinellas County, FL, USA. At SCB, nitrogen is removed through a Modified Ludzak-Ettinger (MLE) process with the …