Digital Commons Network^™

Whiting Events Off Southwest Florida: Remote Sensing And Field Observations, Jacqueline Long

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Whiting” is a term used to describe a sharply defined patch of water that contains high levels of suspended, fine-grained calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). These features are named for their bright (at times white) appearance when compared to surrounding waters, and have been found to occur globally, persisting for multiple consecutive days. Although whitings have been widely studied using chemical, biological, geological, and physical techniques, there has been little effort to document their spatio-temporal distributions in a systematic way, not to mention the lack of consensus on what generates whitings and allows them to persist for days to weeks …

The Effect Of The Antecedent Dry Conditions On Nitrogen Removal For A Modified Bioretention System, Mackenzie Peterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eutrophication is defined as the ‘over enrichment’ of a water body from nutrients, resulting in uncontrolled growth of primary producers, leading to periods of oxygen depletion from decomposition of the algal organic matter. According to the 2010 Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment (a U.S. Congressional Report), 40% of U.S. water bodies are contaminated with pollutants, including nutrients. Non-point sources of nutrient pollution are a major cause of this reduction in water quality. One way to decrease eutrophication is to manage nutrients found in stormwater runoff, before they reach a receiving water body.

Bioretention cells containing an internal water storage zone …

Hidden Markov Chain Analysis: Impact Of Misclassification On Effect Of Covariates In Disease Progression And Regression, Haritha Polisetti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most of the chronic diseases have a well-known natural staging system through which the disease progression is interpreted. It is well established that the transition rates from one stage of disease to other stage can be modeled by multi state Markov models. But, it is also well known that the screening systems used to diagnose disease states may subject to error some times. In this study, a simulation study is conducted to illustrate the importance of addressing for misclassification in multi-state Markov models by evaluating and comparing the estimates for the disease progression Markov model with misclassification opposed to disease …

Contribution Of Epithelial Hypoxia Signaling To Pulmonary Fibrosis: Role Of Fak1 And Galectin-1 As Driver Molecules, Jaymin J. Kathiriya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a deadly disease of unknown origin, which causes 80,000 deaths every year in the US and Europe combined. Unknown etiology and late diagnosis, combined with limited treatment options, contribute to a dismal survival rate of 3-5 years post diagnosis. Although molecular mechanisms underlying IPF pathogenesis and progression have been studied for over two decades, lack of in vivo models that recapitulate chronic, progressive, and irreversible nature of IPF have contributed to limited therapeutic success in clinical trials. Currently, only two drugs, Pirfenidone and Nintedanib, are approved for IPF treatment in the US, with their efficacy …

Analysis Of Managerial Decision-Making Within Florida’S Total Maximum Daily Load Program, Justin Barthle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water quality has evolved legislatively from protection of navigation routes and quantity of sources to more emphasis on impairments on water quality for surface and groundwater sources. Nonpoint or diffuse sources of impairments represents a major challenge for management due to the complexity of its sources and difficulty in tracking.

The most cited sections on public policy analysis focuses on the overall process agencies employ to understand the results the program yields. Often overlooked are finer details and mechanisms, such as decision-making and priority setting, which have a great impact on the overall process. To investigate these factors, we need …

Adaptive Styles And Coping Strategies Of Youth Diagnosed With Cancer: Relationship To Well-Being, Psychosocial And Educational Adjustment, And Parents’ Adaptive Styles, Renee Corbett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although almost 16,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year, the incident rates have remained stable over recent years, and mortality has decreased consistently since 1975 (American Cancer Society, 2016). With increased survivorship, research and practice in pediatric oncology has focused more on the psychosocial well-being of patients during and after treatment. With research repeatedly indicating that patients and families appear to exhibit great resilience and adjustment, and low incidences of psychosocial difficulties (e.g., Kazak, 1994, Eiser et al. 2000), some researchers have examined adaptive style as a possible construct that may help explain the predominantly positive outcomes …

Cardiovascular Regulation By Kvβ1.1 Subunit, Jared Tur

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heterologous expression systems such as COS-7 cells have demonstrated the profound effects of KCNAB1-3 or Kvβ1-3 proteins on voltage gated potassium channels (Kv) channels. Indeed, in the presence of these β-subunits transiently expressed Kv channels are often modulated in multiple ways. Kv channel membrane expression is often increased in the presence of β-subunits. In addition, non-inactivating Kv currents suddenly become fast-inactivating and fast-inactivating channels become even faster. While much research has demonstrated the profound effects the β-subunits in particular the Kvβ1 subunit have on transiently expressed Kv currents little to date is known of the physiological role it may play. …

Contextual Factors And The Syndemic Of Alcohol Use And Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Humberto López Castillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 1990s with the AIDS pandemic, there has been an increasing interest on the importance of risky sexual behaviors, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). An important antecedent for these behaviors is alcohol use. Studies consistently show an increased frequency of both alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors in MSM populations. However, to date, there has not been a precise estimate of the effect size in these diverse populations and a consistent way to measure it. More so, the importance of context is often cited as a source of variability, but is rarely measured in …

How Mature Capitalism Turns Pollution Into Diamonds: Malagnogenesis And The Reverse-Engineering Of Harm Into Risk, Kevin P. Martyn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a great deal of debate about the pervasiveness and persistence of neoliberal thinking. In the context of the post-2008 ‘great recession’ the resilience of neoliberalism is particularly confounding. To begin to unravel the ways in which neoliberalism is situated relative to risk, this study identifies an increasingly important neoliberal knowledge practice: malagnogenesis. Malagnogenesis is proposed herein as the production of ignorance that normalizes harm for and amongst marginalized populations. To shed light on the phenomena of malagnogenesis, this study investigated the history of leaded gasoline in the U.S. To that end, I …

Asymmetric Transformations Catalyzed By Chiral Binol Alkaline Earth Metal Phosphate Complexes, Sri Krishna Nimmagadda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Small molecule hydrogen bond donors have emerged as versatile catalysts in asymmetric synthesis. Within this class, chiral BINOL phosphoric acid is regarded as one of the pioneer catalysts used in several asymmetric transformations. The ability of the catalyst to activate the substrates could be controlled in two different ways. (1) Dual activation/bifunctional activation of substrate by hydrogen bond interactions or ion pairing with phosphoric acid or (2) By forming chiral BINOL phosphate metal complex that could significantly alter the interactions in chiral space. In particular, chiral alkaline earth metal phosphate complexes have unique advantages as catalysts owing to the ubiquitous …

Examining Content Validity Of The Nurse Competence Scale In The United States, Jessica B. Shearer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nursing competence is a necessity as it affects public health, safety and welfare; however there are very few reliable and valid tools that measure nursing competence. The Nurse Competence Scale has been used in many different countries outside of the United States and is based on Benner’s Novice to Expert theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the content validity of the Nurse Competence Scale using a mixed methods approach. Descriptive statistics were used to report results of the frequency of use scale and the critical to practice scale. Nursing faculty indicate Prioritizing My Activities Flexibility According to …

Importance Of Forest Structure For Amphibian Occupancy In North-Central Florida: Comparisons Of Naturally Regenerated Forests With Planted Pine Stands, Christopher J E Haggerty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Once dominant, longleaf pine forests of the southeastern United States have been modified by 97 percent, resulting in several animal species being listed as endangered and threatened. Pine plantation silviculture (tree plantings) now occupies half of the original longleaf range where several animal species of conservation concern have experienced recent local population declines. In North America, the accepted practice of pine plantations is to plant pines densely in rows for wood production. Given that land use is considered a primary local driver for the 30% of amphibian species currently at risk of extinction, and planted pine is predicted to expand …

Design And Development Of Peptidomimetic Ligands For Targeting Radiopharmaceuticals, Imaging Probes, And Immunotherapeutics In Oncologic Disease, Michael Lawrence Doligalski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. While much has been learned about these diseases in the last few decades, one of the main barriers to widespread advancement is the heterogeneity of cancer biology. A growing body of evidence supports the idea that certain protein receptors are overexpressed on the surface of tumor cells as compared to normal tissues. These extracellular biomarkers provide a unique opportunity to selectively target the tumor with both imaging and therapeutic modalities. The research in this dissertation focuses on targeting proteins on the tumor cell surface with peptidomimetic ligands. …

Feeding Patterns And Trophic Food Web Dynamics Of Armases Cinereum Across A Mangrove/Upland Ecotone, Erin Paige Kiskaddon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The feeding ecology of a common saltmarsh crab, Armases cinereum (Armases), was investigated to determine how habitat (mangrove vs. ecotone, natural mangrove vs. modified mangrove fringe) influenced this species’ feeding behavior and trophic ecology in its southwestern Florida, USA, distribution. In the laboratory, Armases’ preference for mangrove material was examined using leaves of three mangrove species (Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, and Rhizophora mangle) and leaves of different degradation levels (fresh, senescent, and partially-decomposed). Leaf material from A. germinans was preferentially consumed over the other taxa at fresh and partially-decomposed levels of leaf decay. When Armases were …

The Archaeopalynology Of Crystal River Site (8ci1), Citrus County, Florida, Kendal Jackson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Woodland-period (ca. 1000 B.C. to A.D. 1050) fisher-hunter-gatherers of the Crystal River drainage on Florida’s Big Bend Coast are well known among southeastern archaeologists for their elaborate shell mound architecture, maritime lifeway, and exotic exchange goods. Recent archaeological investigations at the Crystal River site have employed high-resolution topographic mapping, geophysical surveys, trench excavations, and coring to model the temporality of mound construction and occupation at the site; this work has set the stage for subsequent research focusing on community structure, resource extraction, and human-ecosystem dynamics. However, like many central and north peninsular Gulf Coast sites, our understanding of Crystal …

Parallelization Of Push-Based System For Molecular Simulation Data Analysis With Gpu, Iliiazbek Akhmedov

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Modern simulation systems generate big amount of data, which consequently has to be analyzed in a timely fashion. Traditional database management systems follow principle of pulling the needed data, processing it, and then returning the results. This approach is then optimized by means of caching, storing in different structures, or doing some sacrifices on precision of the results to make it faster. When it comes to the point of doing various queries that require analysis of the whole data, this design has the following disadvantages: considerable overhead on traditional disk random I/O framework while reading from the simulation output files …

The Effect Of Seasonality On Pulmonary Function Tests, Nicholas James Cotter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung spirometry data from three working-class industry populations were analyzed using logistic and linear regression to see if seasonality adversely affected test outcomes. Populations included emergency responders, general industry, and shipwrights. The data was organized into allergy and non-allergy seasons using NOAA meteorological data and regression and logistic analysis was run on these separate populations to test for demographic and seasonal effects on lung spirometry test outcomes. The American Thoracic Society gold standard was as a point for determining impaired lung function (FEV₁/FVC > 0.80). It was found that seasonality imparted a slight linear effect on the predictive values …

Sleep Disruption Among Cancer Patients Following Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, Ashley M. Nelson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Sleep disruption is one of the most commonly reported quality of life concerns among cancer patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Despite the high percentage of patients reporting sleep concerns, relatively little research has characterized sleep problems or explored relationships with psychological factors. In addition, no studies have used actigraph technology to characterize sleep issues among transplant recipients.

Method: Autologous HSCT recipients who were 6 to 18 months post-transplant were invited to participate. Patients completed self-report measures of cancer-related distress, fear of cancer recurrence, dysfunctional cognitions about sleep, and maladaptive sleep behaviors upon enrollment, wore an …

Reactivity And Recovery Among Oif/Oef/Ond Combat Veterans: Do Those With Subthreshold Ptsd Differ From Veterans With And Without Ptsd?, Paula Castro-Chapman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study expanded the current literature by assessing PTSD in relation to reactivity and recovery from negative emotional arousal among OEF/OIF/OND Veterans. Cardiac impedance was employed during a speech task and a trauma imagery procedure. Those in the PTSD-S group displayed lower SBP and higher TPR reactivity relative to the PTSD- and PTSD+ groups; lower CO reactivity relative to the PTSD+ group; and more CO recovery than those in the PTSD+ group to the trauma task. For speech task, Veterans in the PTSD-S group exhibited lower HR reactivity for both speech preparation and delivery than those in the PTSD- group. …

Regulation Of Nachrs And Stemness By Nicotine And E-Cigarettes In Nsclc, Courtney Schaal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women, nationally and internationally and kills more people each year than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined. Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the most common histological subtype of lung cancer, and accounts for 85% of all cases. Cigarette smoking is the single greatest risk factor for lung cancer, and is correlated with 80-90% of all lung cancer deaths. Nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco smoke, is not a carcinogen and cannot initiate tumors itself; however, it is known to act as a tumor promoter, by enhancing …

Emotional Self-Regulation: Voices And Perspectives Of Teachers Within Diverse Socio-Cultural Contexts, Anna Paula Peixoto Da Silva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Given the importance of emotional self-regulation to a child’s ability to develop social competence and prosocial behavior, and the significant role early childhood teachers play in supporting young children’s emotional self-regulation, it is important to explore the concept from the perspective of teachers, or from the socio-cultural context through which they (i.e., teachers) make sense of the world.

This study used an exploratory case study methodology to explore the understandings of emotional self-regulation among three Head Start teachers working with varying socio-cultural contexts and to identify the socio-cultural perspectives that influenced their ability to effectively apply their understandings.

Findings indicate …

Teaching Students With Down Syndrome: Mothers' Perspectives On The Most Appropriate Educational Environments For Their Children, Stacey Mulrenin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perspectives that mothers of children with Down syndrome (Ds) hold regarding the most appropriate educational environments for their children. Environments for students with Ds may be classified as inclusive (fully included within a general education classroom with complete access to the general curriculum and typical peers), integrated (self-contained within a general education school, with some interaction with typical peers), or segregated (separate school for students with intellectual disabilities, or InD). A qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews and a follow-up focus group was used to gather thick, rich descriptions of mothers’ perspectives of these different types …

Moderation Analysis Of Bowel Function Among Nutrients And Physical Function Or Depression, As Well As Whether Bowel Function Is Related To Cognition In Older Adults, Jessie Alwerdt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As we age, the risk for gut issues, such as smooth muscle tone, may be an underlying indirect or direct cause or risk factor for many age-related issues, such as frailty. Consequences of decreased motility and depleted epithelial barrier may result in nutrient deficiencies that may increase the risk for malnutrition (Brownie, 2006). Further, there is increasing evidence that there is a gut-brain-axis relationship that may influence cognition and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. While there are relationships established, the interconnections of these factors have yet to be fully understood.

This dissertation examined several relationships specific to …

Efficient Algorithms And Applications In Topological Data Analysis, Junyi Tu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Topological Data Analysis (TDA) is a new and fast growing research field developed over last two decades. TDA finds many applications in computer vision, computer graphics, scientific visualization, molecular biology, and material science, to name a few. In this dissertation, we make algorithmic and application contributions to three data structures in TDA: contour trees, Reeb graphs, and Mapper. From the algorithmic perspective, we design a parallel algorithm for contour tree construction and implement it in OpenCL. We also design and implement critical point pairing algorithms to compute persistence diagrams directly from contour trees, Reeb graphs, and Mapper. In terms of …

A Molluscan Record Of Monsoonal Precipitation Along The Western Shoreline Of The Late Maastrichtian Western Interior Seaway, Scott Allen Ishler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Global warming in response to increasing levels of atmospheric CO2 concentration (pCO₂) has generated concern over the effects of increasing surface temperature on the hydrologic cycle. Investigating precipitation dynamics during past ‘greenhouse’ intervals provide important insights necessary to better constrain potential future climate scenarios. The Late Cretaceous greenhouse is characterized by elevated pCO₂ and surface temperatures, with a prolonged cooling trend which initiated in the late Campanian and an associated 4^th-order sea-level regression recorded in the Western Interior Seaway (WIS), providing an opportunity to examine the hydrologic cycle under conditions of changing temperature and sea-level. …

Antimalarial Exoerythrocytic Stage Drug Discovery And Resistance Studies, Lynn Dong Blake

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a devastating global health issue that affects approximately 200 million people yearly and over half a million deaths are caused by this parasitic protozoan disease. Most commercially available drugs only target the blood stage form of the parasite, but the only way to ensure proper elimination is to treat the exoerythrocytic stages of the parasite development cycle. There is a demand for the discovery of new liver stage antimalarial compounds as there are only two current FDA approved drugs for the treatment of liver stage parasites, one of which fails to eliminate dormant forms and the other inducing …

The Blurred Lines Of Hpv And Cervical Cancer Knowledge: Exploring The Social And Cultural Factors Of Identity, Gender, And Sexuality In Caribbean Immigrant Women, Maisha Standifer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how the sociocultural experiences of migration and acquisition of health knowledge influence the beliefs and behaviors related to human papillomavirus (HPV) risks and cervical cancer prevention among women who have emigrated from English-speaking Caribbean nations and now live in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. Genital human papillomavirus is very common, and cervical cancer is the most common HPV-associated cancer. Additionally, all cervical cancers are caused by the HPV infection. More women of color, including Black and Hispanic women, are diagnosed with cervical cancer and at a later stage of the disease than women of other races or …

Molecular Response Of Spartina Alterniflora To The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Mariano Alvarez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although the “genome as a blueprint” metaphor has been pervasive in biology, recent advances in molecular biology have revealed a complex network of regulatory machinery that dynamically regulated molecular processes in response to environmental conditions. However, these patterns, as well as the evolutionary processes that underlie them, remain understudied in natural conditions. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill released an estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall on salt marsh habitat dominated by the foundation species Spartina alterniflora. Despite the severe impacts to phenotype and fitness, S. alterniflora proved remarkably resilient in …

Material Expertise: Applying Object-Oriented Rhetoric In Marine Policy, Zachary Parke Dixon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation applies object-oriented rhetorics and posthuman philosophies to environmental policy deliberation in order to help bridge gaps between policy makers, scientists, and citizens. For environmental policy scholars the non-credentialed expertise of local, or indigenous stakeholders is valued as possessing technical, objective merit that can improve the development and implementation of environmental policies. However, the utilization of stakeholder expertise in environmental policy faces serious challenges in terms of finding common grounds for communication within complex techno-social systems, of overcoming deep cultural differences and perceptions, and grave ethical issues of access and power. This dissertation develops two case studies of marine …

Computational Modeling Of Allosteric Stimulation Of Nipah Virus Host Binding Protein, Priyanka Dutta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nipah belongs to the family of paramyxoviruses that cause numerous fatal diseases in humans and farm animals. There are no FDA approved drugs for Nipah or any of the paramyxoviruses. Designing antiviral therapies that are more resistant to viral mutations require understanding of molecular details underlying infection. This dissertation focuses on obtaining molecular insights into the very first step of infection by Nipah. Such details, in fact, remain unknown for all paramyxoviruses. Infection begins with the allosteric stimulation of Nipah virus host binding protein by host cell receptors. Understanding molecular details of this stimulation process have been challenging mainly because, …