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Learning Resilience: Veterans Of Color Learning Positive Coping Strategies., William Carpenter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how veterans of color learned positive coping strategies to endure the challenges experienced during their transition from active duty. There has been limited research examining the veterans’ of color experiences during their transition from active duty military. The research questions focused on how veterans of color were learning to adjust and cope in response to the adverse experiences they encountered during their transition. The theoretical framework used for this investigation was a combination of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and adult learning theory.

For this study, seven Black Post 9/11 veterans of African …

Exploring Saudi Families’ Engagement In The Us Early Childhood Schools: Experiences Of Bearing The Burden, Sarah Alberaidi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A vast body of research in early childhood education has shown the positive effect of parents' engagement on children's emotional, cognitive, and social development. However, researchers identified limitations to parent involvement activities within the culturally diverse context. The purpose of this case study was to fill the literature gap in exploring how Saudi families engage in their children's early education in the United States. Within the context of sociocultural theory, Muscrit theory, family ethnothories, and mirror, window, sliding glass doors framework, this study aimed to understand the family engagement practices of three Saudi families whose children enrolled in early childhood …

Functional Studies Of Dcaf14 In Replication Fork Stability And Genome Integrity, Neysha Tirado-Class

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The response to replication stress is critical for ensuring the stability of replication forks and preserving genome integrity. To aid this response, several factors are recruited to stalled replication forks to prevent irreversible collapse of the replication machinery. Replication fork proteomic analyses of stalled forks reveal enrichment of DCAF14, a component of the Cullin4-RING (CRL4) E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, that mediates replication fork protection by blocking nuclease-mediated digestion of nascent DNA. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism by which DCAF14 functions in the context of replication stress. Notably, loss of function mutations in DCAF14 are associated with a …

Soaked In Alcohol: Beyond The Female Archetype As Reflected In Djuna Barnes, Dorothy Parker, And Zelda Fitzgerald, Chondell C. Villines

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study surveys the use and abuse of alcohol within the literature of Modernist female authors of the Jazz Age, 1920 – 1930. An examination of the works of Djuna Barnes, Dorothy Parker, and Zelda Fitzgerald is conducted to understand their treatment of alcohol consumption by women and how this treatment is more complex than their male counterparts. This dissertation focuses on each author’s use of alcohol in developing their fictional female characters and how, when, and why they drink. These questions directly relate to the use and abuse of alcohol to assuage trauma, or as a reaction to trauma. …

Exploring Spin Dynamics Using Time-Resolved Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect Spectroscopy, Arup Barua

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The interaction between light and matter plays a crucial role in numerous systems, including optoelectronicdevices such as Photodiode (PD), Laser diode (LD), LED, solar cells to even biological components like photosystem II, and potential upcoming quantum technologies. Light is absorbed or emitted usually at a scale smaller than a nanometer, with associated processes happening within attosecond to picosecond durations. It is known that in a vacuum, static magnetic fields do not affect light. On the other hand, the magnetic field or magnetization of a material affects the light that passes through or is reflected by the material. The magneto-optic effect …

Advances In Model Reference Adaptive Control: Exploring Gain Scheduling, Scalability, And Time-Varying Command Following, Jesse Jaramillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Feedback control architectures are fundamental for achieving a desired response in physical systems. A robust and reliable design must account for system uncertainties and exogenous disturbances, which may arise from phenomena such as modeling approximations, nonlinearities, degraded modes of operations, wind gusts, or structural impairments. Two widely recognized methods to mitigate the negative impact of uncertainties and disturbances are robust and adaptive control architectures. Specifically, robust control designs ensure stability by considering a worst-case scenario, which can potentially lead to suboptimal performance or steady-state errors depending on the nature of the uncertainty. In contrast, adaptive control designs offer the capability …

From Graph Theory For Robust Deep Networks To Graph Learning For Multimodal Cancer Analysis, Asim Waqas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the intersection of graph theory and deep learning, focusing on enhancing the robustness of deep neural networks (DNNs) and applying these advancements to complex problems like cancer diagnosis and treatment. We investigate the structural properties of graphs and their influence on neural network performance, particularly in multimodal learning. The work delves into the design space of DNN architectures using graph-theoretic measures, transforming graphs into DNN architectures for various tasks, and examining their robustness against noise and adversarial attacks. The study extends to medical imaging, highlighting advanced DNN architectures like U-Net for brain tumor segmentation. It addresses the …

Porphyrin Overdrive In Cancer: Unraveling The Mechanisms And Therapeutic Potential, Pravin D. Meshram

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increased understanding of cancer cell metabolism has shown options for novel treatment strategies. This thesis looks at the role of heme metabolism, specifically "porphyrin overdrive," in cancer progression and treatment. Cancer cells are hypermetabolic and rely on heme synthesis. When treated with δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), they abnormally accumulate heme intermediates. This metabolic weakness presents an opportunity to exploit heme synthesis in targeted cancer therapy. In this study, we suggest a "Bait and Kill" technique that uses exogenous ALA to induce protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) buildup in cancer cells, making them more susceptible to oxidative stress. We investigate the possibility of …

Investigation Of The Use Of Recycled Concrete Aggregates In Porous Asphalt Mixture, Asad Elmagarhe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to address the national need for using recycled concrete in road pavements. This is especially important in the governmental and corporate sectors, where reducing the cost and carbon footprint of construction projects is a priority. The long-term goal is to meet the public demand for environmentally friendly infrastructure and minimize the harmful effects of waste disposal on humans and the environment.

The project focuses on using recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) in porous asphalt pavement to reduce stormwater runoff, a popular environmentally friendly road design. However, compared to regular dense asphalt mixtures, porous asphalt mixtures (PAM) are more …

Gender Role Depictions In Arabic Children’S Picture Books, Aljawharah A. Almuqbil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to explore gender role depictions in children's Arabic picture books. The importance of this study emerged from its focus on young children, where the concept of gender begins to be constructed. This study provided insight into the nature of gender roles in children’s picture books, especially under the remarkable changes that Saudi society is witnessing and the lack of Arab studies in this area. Social cognitive theory, gender schema theory, and critical literacy pedagogy guided the study. A sample of 26 picture books was selected from the Child Book Club at King Abdulaziz Public Library and analyzed …

“Siguiendo Adelante”/ "Moving Forward:" Gender-Based Violence (Gbv) Service-Seeking And Survivorship Among Indigenous Guatemalan Women, Caitlynn C. Carr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines Indigenous women’s access to and beliefs regarding gender-based violence (GBV) services and the Guatemalan legal system. It illuminates the legal, structural, and institutional challenges and power dynamics associated with seeking support and justice for women in Guatemala, as well as why and how women decide to seek formal assistance. This research also investigates changes in attitudes and beliefs regarding women’s rights, gender roles, and formal and informal forms of support for GBV survivors. Utilizing a mixed-methods, engaged anthropological approach during 10 months of ethnographic fieldwork in two primary locations in Guatemala, this dissertation explicates qualitative data collected …

Understanding Perceptions Of Speech Therapy And Willingness To Continue Seeking Speech Therapy Among Adults Who Stutter, Jaclyn Lucey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project investigates factors associated with treatment-seeking behaviors among adults who stutter (AWS). Specifically, we hypothesized that perceptions of previous speech therapy, including satisfaction with therapy and perceived effectiveness would be related to willingness to seek continued speech therapy. Our project was motivated by a widely used theoretical framework of health service use, and it expands on existing ancillary evidence in stuttering research.

To achieve our objective, we used both qualitative and quantitative methods to gain a more holistic understanding of barriers and facilitators to seeking continued speech therapy. Simultaneously, across two studies, we conducted and analyzed semi- structured interviews …

Economic Planning And Operation Of Ev Charging Infrastructure Participating In Electric Power Markets, Diwas Paudel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more common, there are not enough charging infrastructures to keep up with the projected EV charging demands. This necessitates investment from private enterprises in the charging infrastructure, along with additional government investments, to support the expected EV growth. The profit potential of the EV charging business will be crucial in attracting private enterprises to invest in the infrastructure. The profitability of these infrastructures depends on their location and effective operation. The charging infrastructure needs to be strategically placed and sized in the service area of interest. Once built, they need a robust strategy to …

‘The Overheated World’: Crisis Politics And Neoliberal Inertia, Shomik Chakrabarti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers were forced to balance the maintenance of ongoing economic activity alongside the measures advised by epidemiologists and other public health officials to contain the viral spread. The magnitude of the pandemic forced major conduits of the global economy to come to a sudden halt through incidents such as border closures, supply chain disruptions, lockdowns and calls for individuals to distance themselves from one another. Like the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, COVID-19 was thought to signal an inflection point for neoliberal political economy where a possible post-neoliberal era would develop in the aftermath …

Modeling The Development Of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Formal Theory Approach, Alexandria M. Choate

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex disorder characterized by instabilities in emotion regulation, impulse control, and interpersonal relationships. BPD affects adolescent and adult populations at similar rates, with traits often detectable in late childhood or early adolescence. Despite some progress in the understanding of BPD and its development, contemporary theories have yet to address several important questions in the literature. The present study suggests that many limitations associated with current theoretical models of BPD may be attributable to an overdependence on verbally specified, or weak theories. In most cases, weak theories are constructed using vague or imprecisely defined hypotheses …

Reaching New Generations: Exploring Museums' Social Media Strategies For Engaging Younger Audiences In The Post-Covid-19 Era, Lauren Parker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the evolving landscape of museum communication and marketing strategies on social media, particularly focusing on engaging younger audiences in the post-COVID-19 era. Through qualitative interviews with marketing managers and social media coordinators from ten American museums, this research identifies strategic communication goals, changes in social media strategies post-pandemic, and specific tactics for engaging younger audiences, especially on TikTok. The study revealed that museums have key strategic communication goals for their use of social media: increasing visibility and awareness, fostering community engagement, and providing educational outreach. Post-pandemic, museums significantly enhanced their digital presence by increasing digital programming, utilizing …

Pyramidal Behavior Skills Training To Increase Behavior Specific Praise In Juvenile Residential Staff, Kyra E. Ludwiszewski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ensuring consistent and effective behavioral treatment services for youth in juvenile residentialfacilities remains a challenge. In recent years, behavioral skills training (BST) has been combined with pyramidal training to teach behavior analytic procedures to staff in various settings. This study aimed to examine the implementation of the pyramidal BST with supervisory and floor staff in a juvenile residential setting that serves high-risk youth exposed to various forms of trauma and victimization. The study employed a multiple baseline design across participants, involving one supervisory staff member and three floor staff members. The objective was to evaluate the impact of pyramidal BST …

The Use Of Proactive Progressive Muscle Relaxation To Increase Academic Engagement For Elementary School Students, Lillian G. Mccook

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) has been shown to produce desired outcomes by decreasing disruptive behavior in the classroom and increasing academic engagement. The integration of technology into the educational setting alleviates some of the burden on educators and enhances the learning experience for students. This study evaluated the effectiveness of brief video-based PMR to increase academic engagement in the classroom with three elementary school students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Additionally, this study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of video based PMR within a classroom setting. Results from this study show that PMR was a feasible, acceptable and effective …

Using Functional Communication Training For Students With Disabilities, Carey J. Walls Iv

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When implementing functional communication training (FCT), a gradual reduction in the frequency of reinforcement becomes necessary to minimize the resurgence of problem behavior and systematically fade out the FCT intervention. This study evaluated the implementation of FCT combined with a delay-to-reinforcement procedure for children with disabilities who engage in problem behavior due to limited communication skills. The study participants were three elementary school students, ages 9 or 10 years old and their respective paraprofessionals and classroom teachers in two self-contained classrooms at two public schools. The intervention outcomes for functional communication response (FCR) and problem behavior were evaluated using a …

Transfer Students Matter: A Case Study On The Student Experience Of First-Generation Transfer Students At A Four-Year Public University In A Bridge Program, Quishaundra R. Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study aims to establish a knowledge base and learn about the experience of first-generation transfer students who have completed their Associate in Art (AA) degree from a community college and have transitioned to a four-year public university. The study aims to examine first-generation transfer students' sense of belonging and transition at a four-year public university. A qualitative case study was conducted to learn about the experiences of first-generation transfer students who transferred from state community colleges and are currently enrolled at a four-year university in a bridge program. This study was driven by two theoretical frameworks: Schlossberg's transition …

Anonymized Identity Recognition And Classification Using Privacy Preserving Facial Encoding, Manas Sanjay Pakalapati

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The need for sharing large-scale datasets to train deep neural network models, particularly in healthcare, raises significant data security and privacy concerns. To address these issues, methods such as data encryption or encoding are utilized. These techniques can encrypt the data and make it unreadable to humans, while still retaining its usefulness for training models.

In this study, we investigate various image encoding techniques designed to protect privacy by making images unrecognizable while still retaining their usefulness for model training. Our investigation utilized publicly available facial databases and focused on evaluating the trade-offs inherent in image encoding techniques, with a …

Immunogenicity Of A Plasmodium Vivax Circumsporozoite Protein Vaccine, Eric Cruz Murphy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a disease of global public health importance. Improving treatment methods focus on novel antimalarial drugs to combat parasite resistance and the development of vaccines with effective adjuvants. The current vaccine RTS,S/AS01 is moderately effective only against Plasmodium falciparum. There is no vaccine for Plasmodium vivax to date. The development and implementation of a vaccine against P. vivax would inhibit sporozoite infection of hepatocytes, block development into the blood stage and confer future immune protection. The circumsporozoite protein (CSP) is the most abundant on the surface of sporozoites and protein variants VK210 and VK247 are leading vaccine candidates for …

The Power Of Class Consciousness: An Investigation Of Permeability Beliefs, Dehumanization, And Evaluations Of The Poor, Kirsten J. Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Class consciousness, a theoretical construct from the Marxist tradition, promotes an understanding of class dynamics as a structural phenomenon. I hypothesized that class consciousness would moderate animalistic dehumanization of the poor. A total of 435 participants took an online survey containing self-report questionnaires. While a priori hypotheses related to animalistic dehumanization were not supported, exploratory analyses revealed that permeability beliefs—the degree to which an individual sees class boundaries as impermeable—moderate emotional tone when discussing the rich and the poor. Mirroring Marx’s theorizing, those with class consciousness spoke more positively of the poor and less favorably of the rich than their …

Assessing Roman Catholics’ Modern Beliefs And Behaviors Surrounding Genetics Counseling Services, Mary S. Shinaberry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is limited knowledge about the contemporary beliefs of Roman Catholics regarding genetic healthcare, and concerns exist that they may be less comfortable accessing genetic counseling services. To better meet the needs of this population, we interviewed 18 adult Roman Catholics living in the United States. A novel method of thematic analysis was utilized, combining traditional qualitative techniques with the assistance of ChatGPT-4, following best practices proposed to improve the trustworthiness of AI-assisted qualitative analysis. The majority of participants were college-educated women aged 25-40, none of whom had seen a genetic counselor. Most participants associated the term “genetic counseling” …

Evaluating The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce Secondary (Ptr-Sec) Model For Middle School Students With Disabilities Requiring Individualized Behavior Supports, Paris N. Thie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) is a manualized, team-based, function-based intervention model designed to prevent problem behavior from occurring (prevent), teach functional replacement behaviors or skills (teach), and promote the replacement and other desired behaviors (reinforce). The current study extends the literature on the PTR intervention model by further evaluating the PTR model for middle school students in a public middle school setting. In particular, the PTR Secondary (PTR-SEC) model was evaluated with three students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and other disabilities, involving their classroom teachers. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the behavioral outcomes of the …

“Even The Birds Got More Out Of Her Than I Did”: Wrecking And Constructive Memory In Key West, Florida, Sarah L. Whiting

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the creative nature of memory at work in coastal city of Key West, Florida. Using the commemoration of the wreckers as a medium, I argue that the memory of wreckers is based on fictional maritime literature from the nineteenth century. The basis of the collective memory of wreckers in Key West from maritime fiction affects the way that the residents define themselves. Through embracing the fictional wrecker past that the monument to the wreckers represents, the residents of Key West embody their Conch identity. Thus, collective memory in this city works as a creative vehicle and shows …

Patrol Car Swab Sampling For Biological Agents, Haylie Corcho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Law enforcement personnel have a variety of responsibilities and subsequently, a variety of different exposures. Biological agents are common in the environment and therefore, these exposures are a concern in the profession. There is a gap in research into biological agent exposures in this profession, particularly how it relates to surface contamination and within the officers’ vehicles. There is also a lack of standardized decontamination procedures for patrol vehicles, allowing for the potential persistence of these agents. The purpose of this study is to understand which biological agents are most common in patrol cars, which areas within the vehicles have …

Examining The Effectiveness And Acceptability Of A Single-Session Problem-Solving Teleconsultation Package With Caregivers, Tiara J. Rowell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study implemented a single case concurrent multiple baseline design to examine the effects of a single-session problem-solving teleconsultation package for behavioral caregiver training. This study sought to address a gap in the Problem-Solving Consultation (PSC) literature regarding the treatment of children’s challenging behaviors. Participants included three caregivers who received a single-session PSC through teleconsultation. The session focused on creating a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) in order to address their child’s challenging behaviors. The BIP was developed based on baseline data, questionnaires, and emails exchanged between the consultant and the three caregivers. Results indicated that two of the three caregivers …

Disruptions In The Experiences Of First-Time Military Family Members, Ana C. Vidal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Military service members and their families encounter many obstacles throughout their time in the military (as well as before enlistment/commission and after service), ranging from those unique to the military community to those common within civilian families. Although how military families deal with these challenges/stressors and how to better support these families has been a salient research area, there is still room for expansion of knowledge. This study argues for expanding who is included in the definition of a “military family” to include a service member’s parents/parental figures and siblings, as well as enlarging the period of interest in military …

Using Brain Break® In The Classroom To Increase On-Task Behavior And Decrease Disruptive Behaviors Of Students, Michaela C. Elza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Off-task and disruptive behavior are one of the greatest causes to loss of instructional time in the classroom. Teachers spend time addressing student challenging behaviors which consequently cuts time from their academic instruction. Antecedent exercise programs, such as Brain Breaks®, provide teachers with short physical activity videos that provide students a movement break between long periods of academics without the need for expensive equipment. This study evaluated the effects of Brain Breaks® videos to increase students’ on-task and decrease disruptive behaviors in the classroom. Three participants were included in this study, Jordan a 6-year-old male, Andrew an 8-year-old male, and …