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Nrf2 Sequestration By Ssh1 Tips The Balance From Neuroprotection To Neurodegeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease, Sara G. Cazzaro Buosi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Oxidative damage is one of the earliest events in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis and precedes the clinical stage of disease. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) is activated in response to oxidative stress, which protects the brain from oxidative damage and AD pathogenesis. Although Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress response declines with age and becomes dysfunctional in AD brains, the mechanistic basis for this dysfunction is unknown. Here, we demonstrate through in vitro and in vivo models, as well as in human AD brain tissue, that Slingshot homolog-1 (SSH1) acts as a counterweight to neuroprotective Nrf2 in response to oxidative stress …

Utilizing Neoantigen-Specific Cd4* T Cells And Immune Checkpoint Modulation To Advance Adoptive Cell Therapy With Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes For Metastatic Melanoma Patients, Maclean Scott Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is a promising immunotherapeutic approach for patients with advanced solid tumors. Metastatic melanoma is a tumor type amenable to immunotherapy in part due to the presence of antigen-specific TIL. These T cells can be activated and expanded for ACT, which has resulted in relatively high rates of clinical responses. While numerous advances have been made, the inclusion of neoantigen-specific CD4+ T cells within TIL infusion products remains underexplored and therefore offers a significant opportunity for progress. Similarly, immune checkpoint inhibitors, specifically PD-1 blocking antibodies, augment antitumor immunity and may improve the outcomes …

Testimonios Of Civic Pedagogy: Developing Critical Literacy Skills Using Civics And Holocaust Studies, Tameka Parenti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Civics using Holocaust Studies offer a variety of pedagogical advantages. Regardless of the topic, Holocaust events can be used to build critical analytical skills and cultivate essential literacy skills about the social world. Further, the Holocaust can be used to introduce and grapple with the complex/abstract ideas of the civics content. Given the relationship that social studies has to critical literacy development, civics used in conjunction with Holocaust resources present teacher(s) (educators) with the opportunity to explore (theoretical) concepts foregrounding manifold relationships making up the social world.

This research aimed to examine how secondary students connect to the social world …

Population Demography, Spatial Ecology, And Habitat Use Of The Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene Bauri) On A Barrier Island, Michael D. Mills

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Turtles are one the most threatened vertebrate groups in the world due to anthropogenic threats such as habitat loss and overexploitation. In addition to occupying a range that has been vulnerable to major habitat loss, the Florida box turtle (Terrapene bauri) is particularly at risk of overexploitation due to its popularity in the pet trade. Sanibel Island is a barrier island in southwest Florida that has experienced major habitat loss and is the site of a recent poaching event. In response to these threats, studies of both the population demography and spatial ecology were conducted on Sanibel’s Florida box turtle …

Frequency Domain Diffuse Optics Spectroscopies For Quantitative Measurement Of Tissue Optical Properties, Sadhu Moka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tissue oxygen saturation, blood flow and blood volume are physiological bio-markers of tissue health. Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy(DOS) and Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS) are two complementary approaches to measure tissue oxygen saturation and blood flow respectively. Quantitative Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (DOS) uses multi-spectral intensities of near-infrared light that have been modulated at RF frequencies to estimate static tissue optical properties and hence concentrations of oxygenated and de-oxygenated hemoglobin. Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy estimates tissue dynamics - i.e., blood flow, by measuring temporal intensity auto-correlation function of backscattered light diffusing through the tissue. Conventionally, DCS instruments use coherent light sources with constant intensity. …

Neroimaging Of Brain Activaion Using Diffuse Optical Tomography, Jingyu Huang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research has two parts. The first part focuses on the use of non-invasive imaging technique, diffuse optical tomography (DOT), to study the brain activation during the stimulation in the clinical room. It further extends the application of DOT by using it to monitor the hemodynamic response during the TMS stimulation in different parameters. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is based on NIR light that exploits the relative transparency of biological tissue. The part two and three extends the application in the hospital for delirium patient study and arm muscle dystrophy by adding the sources and detectors to monitor the brain …

Biochar Amended Biological Systems For Enhanced Landfill Leachate And Lignocellulosic Banana Waste Treatment, Xia Yang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biochar is an inexpensive and environmentally friendly carbonaceous pyrolysis byproduct with a high surface area, pore volume, and adsorption capacities for inorganic and organic compounds. The goal of this dissertation is to evaluate the feasibility of biochar application in biological treatment systems for enhanced waste management. Three major objectives guided this research to provide a compressive understanding of biochar enhancement effects on biological treatment systems for contaminant removal, energy recovery, and environmental impacts as well as essential factors influencing biochar production and properties.

In Objective 1 a low-cost hybrid Constructed Wetland (CW) system modified with biochar/zeolite was developed for enhanced …

A Multiple Input Multiple Output Framework For The Automatic Optical Fractionator-Based Cell Counting In Z-Stacks Using Deep Learning, Palak Dave

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Quantifying cells in a defined region of biological tissue is critical for many clinical and preclinical studies, especially in pathology, toxicology, cancer, and behavior. Unbiased stereology is the state-of-art method for quantification of the total number and other morphometric parameters of stained objects in a defined region of biological tissue. As part of a program to develop accurate, precise, and more efficient automatic approaches for quantifying morphometric changes in biological tissue, our group has shown that both deep learning-based and hand-crafted algorithms can estimate the total number of histologically stained cells at their maximal profile of focus in extended depth …

Aldosterone Treatment Protects Connexin 30 And 43 Expression For Age-Related Hearing Loss, Jennifer A. Pineros Valencia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL), also known as presbycusis, is the number one communication disorder affecting our aged population. Connexin proteins are essential for intercellular communication throughout the human body. Mutations in connexin genes have been linked to human syndromic and nonsyndromic deafness; thus, we hypothesize changes in connexin gene and protein expression with age may be involved in the development of ARHL. In our current study, connexin mRNA gene expression for CBA/CaJ mice at different age points were examined and correlations were analyzed between the changes in gene expression and functional hearing measures, such as ABRs and DPOAEs. Moreover, we …

Quantifying Environmental Sensitivity Of Marine Resources To Oil Well Blowouts In The Gulf Of Mexico, Emily Chancellor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focused on oil spill risk assessment techniques historically utilized for coastal resources (e.g., environmental sensitivity indices (ESIs), vulnerability assessments, species-specific vulnerability frameworks) and their application and expansion to offshore resources found in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Additional included techniques (e.g., multi-sector trade-off analysis, marine spatial planning (MSP) software) provide support in decision making processes regarding the potential siting of oil production sites and/or the withdrawal of areas from oil and natural gas production. Chapter 1 included an overview and justification for this study. Chapter 2 demonstrated an initial methodology for the creation of offshore ESIs and how …

Relationship Between Individual Characteristics And Received Social Support Among People With Serious Mental Illness, Samantha Dicorte

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Past research on social support has mainly focused on perceived social support. Relatively less research has been done on received social support and how it can promote positive behavior outcomes. This study examines the importance of received social support, including background on social support, social support outcomes, and a theoretical foundation overview of the social stress model. In addition to a literature review, this study investigates the association between individual characteristics (i.e., diagnosis and substance abuse including alcohol, race/ethnicity, gender, age, and marital status) and different types of received social support (i.e., daily, mental health, and adherence support). Simple linear …

Theoretical And Experimental Analyses Of Acoustofluidic Phenomena For Biosensing Applications, Pradipta Kr. Das

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acoustofluidics is a well-proven tweezer serving various applications such as particle manipulation, cell trapping and separations, fluid mixing, and bio-sensing. In this thesis, we explored several aspects of acoustofluidics such as acoustic streaming, acoustothermal heating and acoustophoretic manipulations of micron sized objects, in the context of biosensing applications.

In Chapter 2, inner acoustic streaming for second-order fluids has been studied analytically by employing asymptotic expansions for thin Stokes layer and low acoustic Mach number. In addition, a multiple-time-scale approach has been adopted to separate the primary oscillatory flow and the steady acoustic streaming. The study considers two sample cases: (i) …

Reproduction In Relation To Heavy-Metal Contamination Along An Urbanization Gradient In Aninvasive Florida Lizard Species (Anolis Sagrei), Elizabeth Hauck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental contamination is accumulating rapidly worldwide due to increasing urbanization rates. Heavy metals are known to be particularly toxic to organisms, to accumulate in biological systems, and to be found in higher concentrations in animals located in areas of high urban levels. However, the physiological impacts of these toxic heavy metals in wildlife remain largely unknown. Lizards are excellent bioindicator species for environmental contaminants due to their trophic level as mesopredators and their susceptibility of exposure via air, water, diet, and soil through egg deposition. To assess the impacts heavy-metal contamination has on reproductive parameters in lizards and how these …

L-Ergothioneine Treatment In Old Cba/Caj Male Mice Slows The Progression Of Age-Related Hearing Loss, Mark A. Bauer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The naturally occurring amino acid, L-Ergothioneine (EGT), has immense potential as a therapeutic, having shown promise in the treatment of other disease models, including neurological disorders. EGT is naturally uptaken into cells via its specific receptor, OCTN1, suggesting that it is highly conserved, to be utilized by cells as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, particularly under stressed conditions. In our current study, EGT was administered over a period of 6 months to 25-26 month old CBA/CaJ mice as a possible treatment for age-related hearing loss (ARHL), since presbycusis has been linked to higher levels of cochlear oxidative stress, apoptosis and chronic …

Structural And Biochemical Characterization Of Epigenetic And Fusion Tyrosine Kinase Cancer Targets For Drug Development, Melissa Bikowitz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is a significant global health burden, as ~40% of the human population is diagnosed with cancer over a lifetime, half of which succumb to the disease. To develop novel compounds as potential cancer therapeutics, an in-depth structural and biochemical understanding of proteins involved in oncogenesis is key. This dissertation centers around the comprehensive structural and biochemical characterization of two classes of proteins critical for cancer cell survival: bromodomain-containing proteins (BRDs) and fusion tyrosine kinases (FTKs).In 2010, small molecule inhibitors targeting bromodomains (epigenetic reader proteins) became heavily popularized due to the druggability and potent anticancer effects of BET inhibitors. …

Low-Pressure Plasma Surface Treatment Of Polycarbonate And Polyacrylic Plates With Different Plasmas And Their Characterization, Suleyman Gorkem Gizer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, polycarbonate (PC) and acrylic (PMMA) surfaces were treated with carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), oxygen (O2), and air plasmas with a low-pressure plasma method in order to change their surface properties such as surface free energy and wettability. Moreover, different pattern sized, line, triangular and square shaped surface patterns were used to determine the shape and size-dependent changes. The characteristics of untreated and plasma treated surfaces were examined via contact angle (CA) measurements with distilled (DI) water, against plasma treatment number. Moreover, surface free energy (SFE) calculations of the PC and PMMA surfaces were carried out from sessile drop …

Assisted Living Administrators’ Perspectives Of How Covid-19 Affected Direct Care Staff, Carlyn E. Vogel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presented many new challenges within assisted living communities (ALCs) and exacerbated preexisting challenges. With high quality of care in ALCs as the continuous goal to achieve, it is important to recognize challenges faced in these communities, especially those related to staffing and COVID-19.

Objective: The objective was to investigate issues related to staffing and the effect of COVID-19 in ALCs, including staff absence, leadership, impacts on staff, and impacts on staff retention.

Methods: Participants were ALC administrators from the NIA-funded parent study titled Strategic Approach to Facilitating Evacuation by Health Assessment of Vulnerable Elderly in …

An Examination Of Parental Coping Strategies During Catastophic Events, Vivian K. Mills

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

On March 11, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Sars CoV-2 a global pandemic. The virus that originated in Wuhan, China, had spread to several other countries causing governments to shut down and issue safety mandates to slow and stop the spread. The pandemic caused global changes to normal routines and highlighted the importance of coping during these tough times. Although the global COVID-19 pandemic encompassed much of the news during the past few years, it is not an isolated catastrophic event to have impacted society. Natural disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, wars, and other disasters have …

Plasma Treatment Of Polyethylene And Polydimethylsiloxane By Air, Oxygen, And Carbon Tetrafluoride And Their Characterization, Osman Polat

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, low density polyethylene (LDPE) and polydimethylsiloxane (silicone/PDMS) were treated with oxygen (O2) , air and carbon tetrafluoride (CF4) low pressure 13.56 MHz radiofrequency plasma. An experimental setup was used to determine process power and irradiation time for improved modification, the validation was done by measuring the contact angle of the treated samples immediately after treatment. The modification used commercially available sheets to imitate its use in the industry and various applications. The treatment aims to increase/decrease the surface free energy, making it possible to modify the intrinsic inert materials without affecting the bulk. Increased wettability, adhesion, and …

Surviving A Broken System: Synergies Between Solidarity Economies And Sustainable Development Goals, Julie Beach

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Capitalism has created problems including wealth polarization, rapid depletion of natural resources, and pervasive systemic societal issues. Hard work is not enough to solve the unequal distribution and barriers preventing access to necessities. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were created to remedy the harsh reality of global inequities and negative environmental impacts by working towards a more just and equitable future for all. Solidarity Economies (SE) offer an alternative framework to achieve these goals.

This research used multiple qualitative methods to investigate the synergies between SE and SDGs in a growing urban environment. St. Petersburg, FL struggles with affordable housing, food …

An Anthropology With Human Waste Management: Non-Humans, The State, And Matters Of Care On The Placencia Peninsula, Belize, William Alex Webb

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The management of human waste is a seldom studied phenomenon in anthropology. Yet across the globe, in countries both rich and poor, it presents pervasive and difficult to tame problems. This dissertation draws on complimentary theories of management and entanglements to explore the practices and processes of organizing human waste on the Placencia Peninsula, Belize. The results illustrate how problems are conditioned and defined by messy relations between institutions, people, technologies, materials, and ecological life.

Fieldwork and analysis for this work was a culmination of years of interdisciplinary collaboration between other anthropologists and engineers at the University of South Florida. …

Anthropogenic Fecal Pollution Affects Microbial Water Quality And Multidrug Resistance In Tropical Aquatic Environments, Adriana González-Fernández

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although an often-overlooked issue, fecal pollution at recreational beaches should concerneveryone. Worldwide more than 80% of wastewater is discharged into rivers or the ocean without any treatment. Untreated and inefficiently treated wastewater can introduce diseasecausing microorganisms into the aquatic environment. Fecal-borne pathogens can also originate in animal waste, and humans can be exposed to these pathogens from poorly managed animal feces that make their way into the aquatic environment. Exposure to waterborne pathogens in recreational waters is a public health hazard, as it facilitates the transmission of waterborne illness, and surface waters serve as natural reservoirs of antibiotic resistant bacteria …

The Biological Roles Of Tau Protein In The Vasculature And The Regulation Of Vegfr1 Signaling By Heparan Sulfate, Yanan Zhu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation consists of two research projects. The first project investigated the roles of extracellular tau in the vasculature, including tau-induced angiogenesis and tau internalization, a topic related to tauopathy. The second project was to understand the regulatory functions of heparan sulfate proteoglycans in VEGFR1 signaling.

Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, and are characterized by the appearance of intraneuronal tau inclusion in the brain and the patient's cognitive decline. Recent studies have emerged that soluble and aggregated tau also exists outside neurons in the central nervous system. Intriguingly, overexpressing tau in neurons in the mouse …

Exploring Engagement And Persistence Through The Lens Of Student Experiences In A Sonography Program, Josephine Elizabeth Peck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The juxtaposition of the increased current and future demand for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and high attrition rates in many sonography programs emphasizes the need for colleges to do more to educate and train sonography practitioners who are prepared to enter the healthcare workforce. Additionally, a gap exists in understanding student engagement and persistence in Sonography programs. By filling this gap, pertinent answers about student success or lack thereof in these Sonography programs can be addressed.

This basic qualitative study aims to explore student engagement and persistence through the prism of their experiences in AS(DMS) programs at four-year state colleges in …

Adapting The Montessori Method In Saudi Early Childhood Classrooms, Lila A. Alhashim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored how teachers have adapted the Montessori method in Saudi early childhood classrooms to align with Saudi socio-culture and Islamic practices. The study was framed using the socio-cultural theory. A qualitative multi-case study design was used to collect data from semi-structured interviews and on-site observations for four Saudi early childhood teachers in two Montessori classrooms in Saudi Arabia. The data were thematically analyzed manually and with NVivo software. The study results showed that the teachers encouraged children’s independence and freedom of choice in work time and during the classroom day, but limited their freedom during mini-lessons and circle …

Minecraft In Language Teacher Education: Acceptance And Integration In Practice, Kristen E. Fung

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In today’s technological era, understanding if and how teachers’ acceptance and integration of technology evolves is critical to understanding their needs. Technology creates complicated demands on educators and research shows various factors may contribute to their limited success at integrating it (Bustos & Nussbaum, 2009). Research also shows that teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards pedagogical innovations and information and communication technologies are prominent factors that impact adoption and integration (Tejedor & Muñoz-Repiso, 2006), and the perceptions teachers develop as pre-service teachers influence their classroom performance as in-service teachers (Moon et al., 2016). While research shows plentiful evidence of the educational …

Integrating Psychopathy Into Prominent Developmental/Life-Course Theories, Eva M. Fontaine

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite empirical research identifying psychopathy as one of the most robust predictors of criminal behavior, calls to integrate psychopathy into criminological theory have largely been unrequited. Within criminological theory, the construct of psychopathy has been proposed to best fit in the developmental/life-course (DLC) paradigm. As such, the purpose of this dissertation was to explore the theoretical integration of into psychopathy into three DLC theories: (1) Moffitt’s (1993) Dual Taxonomy, (2) Gottfredson & Hirschi’s (1990) General Theory of Crime, and (3) DeLisi’s (2009) Unified Theory of Crime. In doing so, the three studies in this dissertation employed the Pathways to Desistance …

Beyond Health And Animal Rights: A Study In Black Veganism, Wendy J. Rib

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Veganism, or the avoidance of animal products, has been recognized by nutritionists and food scientists as a lifestyle choice associated with good health and lower prevalence of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease. However, the choice to eschew all animal products is frequently more than just a diet. Many people practice veganism as part of a larger reformative social movement, seeking permanent change in food structures, advancing policies in animal welfare and transforming their everyday lives in the quest for cultural acceptance. Although the number of people who identify as vegans appears to be growing, it is often assumed that …

Sexual Dysfunction And Sexual Distress In Lymphoma Patients: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study, Dorothie S. Durosier Mertilus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lymphoma, especially non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), is among the most common categories of cancer in the United States (National Cancer Institute [NCI], 2019). The survival rate for lymphoma has significantly improved over the last few decades due to advances in therapy. However, despite these advances, lymphoma patients experience many negative consequences of cancer treatment, including sexual dysfunction (NCI, 2021b). The purpose of this mixed methods pilot study was to explore the presence and experiences of sexual dysfunction and related sexual distress in both male and female lymphoma patients during cancer treatment. A concurrent triangulated design was used to: 1) evaluate the …

Investigating Students' Interpretations Of Ecological Food Webs, Christopher Neil Grissett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To better prepare undergraduate students for current and future biological challenges, scientists, educators and researchers in the Vision and Change report recommended five core conceptual areas essential for the improvement of biological literacy, one of which is biological systems. Systems are an identified core concept that may help promote biological literacy. One example of a system that students have difficulty understanding is an ecological food web, which consists of parts or components interacting with one another to perform a given phenomenon. The intricacies of this system tend to confuse students and can produce naïve conceptions that could hinder future learning …