Digital Commons Network^™

Efficient Forward-Secure And Compact Signatures For The Internet Of Things (Iot), Efe Ulas Akay Seyitoglu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the modern Internet of Things (IoT) applications, the system entities collect security-sensitive information that must be cryptographically protected. In particular, authentication and integrity, as foundational security services, are essential for any IoT applications. Digital signatures provide both authentication and integrity to these applications. Nevertheless, once an IoT device is compromised, its signature private key is leaked to an adversary. Forward-secure digital signatures mitigate the impact of such key compromises by incorporating a key-evolving mechanism into the authentication process. However, existing forward-secure signatures suffer from large signature/key sizes, heavy computational overhead, and some prominent variants that can only sign a …

Psidb: A Framework For Batched Query Processing And Optimization, Mehrad Eslami

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Techniques based on sharing data and computation among queries have been an active research topic in database systems. While work in this area developed algorithms and systems that are shown to be effective, there is a lack of logical foundation for query processing and optimization. In this paper, we present PsiDB, a system model for processing a large number of database queries in a batch. The key idea is to generate a single query expression that returns a global relation containing all the data needed for individual queries. For that, we propose the use of a type of relational operators …

Development And Application Of Computational Models For Biochemical Systems, Fiona L. Kearns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemistry is the study of matter and its transformations. Computational chemistry uses computer models to study chemistry in all its intricate complexity. In this thesis I hope to accessibly introduce fundamental concepts central for computational chemistry including quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics, and multiscale modeling. I then present several works which I have conducted throughout my graduate career employing many different computational methods. The investigations described here can be summarized as follows. Chapter 2.1 modeling proteins involved in crustacean molting, and identifying possible inhibitors to this molting. Chapter 2.2 modeling d-fructose bound to synthetic saccharide receptors with hopes of improving saccharide …

Bayesian Reliability Analysis Of The Power Law Process And Statistical Modeling Of Computer And Network Vulnerabilities With Cybersecurity Application, Freeh N. Alenezi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As most of mankind now lives in an era of high dependence on multiple technologies and complex systems to store and manage sensitive information, researchers are constantly urged to obtain and improve measurements and methodologies that have the ability to evaluate systems reliability and security. The objectives of the present dissertation are to improve the Bayesian reliability estimation of a software package where the Power Law Process, also known as Non-Homogeneous Poisson Process, is the underlying failure model and to develop a set of statistical models evaluating computer operating systems vulnerabilities. Furthermore, we develop a reliability function of a computer …

Shallow Water Seafloor Geodesy: Gps On An Anchored Spar Buoy, Surui Xie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Measuring seafloor motion in shallow coastal water is challenging due to strong and highly variable oceanographic effects. Such measurements are potentially useful for monitoring near-shore coastal subsidence, subsidence due to petroleum withdrawal, strain accumulation/release processes in marine shelves and submerged volcanoes, and certain fresh water applications, such as volcano deformation in caldera-hosted lakes. I participated in a project to develop a seafloor geodetic system for this environment based on an anchored spar buoy topped by high precision GPS. Orientation of the buoy is measured using a digital compass that provides heading, pitch, and roll information. The combined orientation and GPS …

Evaluation Of Optimal Technique For Left Breast Irradiation, Amitpal Singh Saini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have indicated that radiation therapy reduces the risk of the local recurrence of breast cancer in several cases and that it has increased the overall survival rate. Although radiation therapy is beneficial for the treatment of breast cancer, it is known to increase the risk of both radiation toxicity and secondary breast cancer. In left-sided breast cancer, radiation therapy treatment often leads to the heart and its components—such as the left ventricle and left anterior descending artery—being exposed to high doses of radiation because of the proximity of the heart to the left breast, resulting in cardiac complications …

Performance Based Funding And The Florida State University System: An Exploratory Analysis, Laura A. Hoffman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education funding models based on performance have seen a resurgence over the last decade. These models, known as performance-based funding (PBF) 2.0, hold institutions accountable to outcome metrics such retention and graduation rates through the incentive of increased funding and the threat of funding cuts. This quantitative, exploratory study examined data from the Florida State University System (FLSUS) coincident to the years prior to and after the implementation of the Florida PBF policy. The primary purpose of the study was to examine what changes, if any, occurred regarding student access to or success within the FLSUS coincident to PBF …

Targeting Cancer-Anorexia Cachexia Syndrome And Septic Inflammatory-Based Atrophy With R/S 1,3 Butanediol Acetoacetate Diester, Andrew P. Koutnik

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cancer anorexia cachexia syndrome (CACS) is a distinct atrophy disease negatively influencing multiple aspects of clinical care and patient quality of life. Although it directly causes 20% of all cancer-related deaths, there are currently no model systems that encompass the entire multifaceted syndrome, nor are there any effective therapeutic treatments. Here, we show that the VM-M3 mouse model of systemic metastasis demonstrates a novel, immunocompetent, logistically feasible, repeatable phenotype with progressive tumor growth, spontaneous metastatic spread, and the full multifaceted CACS with expected sex dimorphisms across tissue wasting. We also demonstrate that the ubiquitin proteasomal degradation pathway was significantly upregulated …

Classifying Emotions With Eeg And Peripheral Physiological Data Using 1d Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network, Rupal Agarwal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing emotions is very important while building robust and interactive Affective Brain-Computer Interfaces as it allows the machines to have some degree of emotional intelligence with the help of which they can understand the changing emotional state of users. In the past, emotions have been recognized via unimodal data such as electroencephalography (EEG) signals, speech, facial expressions or peripheral physiological signals. However, emotions are complex as they are a combination of human behavior, thinking and feeling. Therefore, as compared to unimodal methods, multi-modal techniques, recognize emotions with more reliability. This thesis aims to recognize and classify human emotions into high/low …

Advancing Equity Amongst General Chemistry Students With Variable Preparations In Mathematics, Vanessa R. Ralph

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reducing the inequities propagating the lack of representation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers has become a national imperative made increasingly complex given the inequitable preparations in science and mathematics students experience before college. A common institutional-level approach to promoting equity is the use of math and science prerequisites to prepare students who seek to enroll in lower-level STEM coursework. However, the literature does not support the efficacy of this approach, finding no substantive improvement to student performance despite considerable financial and time costs to students, instructors, and universities alike. Set in first-semester General Chemistry courses taken early …

Differential Mobility Spectrometry-Mass Spectrometry (Dms-Ms) For Forensic And Nuclear-Forensic Applications, Ifeoluwa Ayodeji

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In forensics and nuclear-forensics, the current lab-based analytical technique employed can be laborious, time consuming, and less suitable for in-situ and real time screening. However, it is important to develop fast and fieldable instrumental technique, without a tradeoff for its high throughput, for drug screening and radionuclear analysis. The underlying factors to be considered in the instrument development ranges from: high potency of samples, even at very low concentration; complex nature of samples in the surrounding environment; real-time chemical composition variation; and instrument size, weight and power (SWAP) consideration. Differential mobility spectrometry (DMS), also known as field asymmetric waveform ion …

Male And Female Students’ Persistence In Stem Fields In Community Colleges: A Secondary Analysis Of Nces Bps:12/14 Data, Ying Hu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Today, economic growth, technology advancement, and daily life are all driven by science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). American colleges and universities need to produce more STEM graduates in order to meet rapid job growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the significant factors that influence the persistence of STEM students in community colleges. The research described the characteristics of STEM students who persisted and of those who did not in STEM, as well as the different characteristics between male and female students. It also investigated student and institutional factors that influenced STEM students’ persistence. Furthermore, the study …

Algorithms Enabling Communications In The Presence Of Adjacent Channel Interference, Berker Peköz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Newer cellular communication generations are planned to allow asynchronous transmission of multiple numerologies (waveforms with different parameters) in adjacent bands, creating unavoidable adjacent channel interference (ACI). Contemporary windowed-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (W-OFDM) algorithms have limited ACI rejection capability under high delay spread and small fast Fourier transformation (FFT) sizes. CP is designed to be longer than the maximum excess delay (MED) of the channel to accommodate such algorithms in current standards. Most prior work on windowing assume additional extensions reserved for windowing, which does

not comply with standards. The robustness of these algorithms can only be improved against these conditions …

Some Recent Advances In Design Of Bayesian Binomial Reliability Demonstration Tests, Suiyao Chen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reliability demonstration test (RDT) is one of important reliability assurance activities to demonstrate products' quality over time. Binomial RDT (BRDT) is one class of RDTs with appealing features, such as less failure monitoring efforts and fewer reliability modeling assumptions. Integrating with Bayesian method further allows prior knowledge incorporation for potential test sample size reduction. However, conventional designs often assume the binary failure states (i.e., success and failure) and consider a single objective of minimizing the testing cost with limited planning horizon. In this dissertation, a series of RDT designs are proposed and studied by advancing the conventional Bayesian BRDT designs …

Gabbing While Gaming: Commandeering Commercial, Off-The-Shelf (Cots) Video Games To Structure Student-Centered Social Studies Discussion, Joshua M. Patterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Amidst the current cultural backdrop of debilitating digital addiction and malicious misinformation campaigns, secondary social studies instructors require every possible tool to engage students stuck in the haze of simulated reality. While nationwide mastery of the subject area is wedged between failure (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2020) and apathy, three-dimensional, entertainment-driven simulations are progressing at an exponential rate of adolescent adoption and historical accuracy. In this phenomenological case study, I capitalize on pupils’ preference for virtual integration by outlining a pedagogical approach that harnesses the trinity of content knowledge, discursive prowess, and video game aptitude. Video game titles were …

Modeling And Control Of Renewable Energy In Grids And Microgrids, Yin Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To save the non-renewable resources and reduce pollution emissions, the integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into the main grid is increasing very fast. However, power systems experience more stability issues that are caused by the higher penetration of RES. The main objectives of this dissertation are to 1-investigate these stability issues using linear analysis, EMT simulation results, and experiment results; 2-provide the suitable solutions with the evaluations. The research results will be presented into two parts based on two modeling approaches. In the first part, RES units are normally modeled as an aggregated power source for the investigation

because …

On The Convergence Of Transportation And Power Systems In Smart And Connected Communities, Kevin A. Melendez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Even though the total number of light-duty vehicles in the U.S. is expected to increase by 2030, total fuel consumption is expected to significantly decrease in the same timeframe. This contradictory behavior is in part explained by the increasing utilization of electricity as the primary source of energy in the transportation sector. Due to its potential to decrease dependency on fossil fuels, electric transportation has become a promising approach to alleviate the increasing environmental crisis. Passenger car markets are expected to experience a flood of new Electric vehicles (EVs) in the next few years. EVs are considered effective resources to …

Disrupting The Heteronormative Mindset In Teacher Preparation Through Inclusive Children's Literature, Denise I. Donahue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because of discrimination that presents itself through bullying based on identity, and the lack of positive LGBTQIA+ representation within classroom lessons, there is a need for a higher quality of preparation for teachers in order to create inclusive environments.

All teachers, particularly new teachers, need to know how to effectively work with diverse learners to meet their needs academically, emotionally and socially. This includes preparing teachers to instruct students and work with families who include LGBTQIA+ members. LGBTQIA+ students are often marginalized, discounted, harassed or invisible. (Kosciw, Greytak, Zongrone, Clark, & Truong, 2018). There is a need for a higher …

Springs Of The Arabian Peninsula: Historical Trends, Current Status And Human Impact In Saudi Arabia, Oman And Jordan, Kamal M. Aljohani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted to update previous studies of the springs of the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan). Approach: 76 springs were surveyed in between March and July 2018: 15 Saudi Arabia, 41 Oman and 20 Jordan to ascertain the current status, water quality and zooplankton benthos and fish communities. Investigation of the changes of biota and chemical parameters downstream from the springs source in Saudi Arabia. Results: Mercury exceeded the WHO and USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL) in 63 of 76 springs, Aluminum exceeded MCL in 8 of 76 springs, and both were the common dissolved heavy …

Antarctic Deep Sea Coral And Tropical Fungal Endophyte: Novel Chemistry For Drug Discovery, Anne-Claire D. Limon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Considered the pulse controlling the biological interactions and contributing to the ecological survival of organisms, natural products have intrigued, challenged, and stimulated the scientific and non-scientific minds for millennia. Drug resistance and the lack of suitable potent drugs against neglected tropical diseases further motivate the biological activity assessment of these secondary metabolites, when possible.

This thesis describes the chemical investigation of two marine organisms and the elucidation of eight novel structures.

The study of a deep sea Antarctic coral unveils six novel terpenoid structures from three different molecular classes: sesquiterpenoid alcyopterosins, a triterpene steroid, and three prostaglandins. While mass availability …

Use Of Spectrofluorometry To Detect Petroleum Hydrocarbons In The Marine Environment, Mary Iris Abercrombie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The genesis of this research was the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which discharged petroleum and gas into the Gulf of Mexico for 87 days in 2010. High-resolution fluorescence spectroscopy was employed for the detection of petroleum in seawater samples following the oil spill. Fluorescence arises from the chemical structure of π-bonding in C=C bonds, especially those in aromatic structures. Spectrofluorometry was also used to observe and track the formation of petroleum plumes in seawater undergoing controlled physical dispersion in a wave tank, both with and without the addition of chemical dispersant. Further, the changing fluorescence characteristics of a broad range …

Development Of A Voxel-Based Monte Carlo Radiation Dosimetry Methodology For A Targeted Alpha Particle Therapy, Christopher John Tichacek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of targeted ligands to deliver radioisotopes directly to tumor cells is a promising therapeutic strategy. Because of the short path length and high LET of alpha particles, targeted alpha particles are ideal for treating metastatic disease while minimizing damage to non-targeted tissues. However, clinical methods for determining 3D radiation dosimetry in patients with multiple metastatic lesions are needed to support clinical translation of novel targeted alpha particle therapies for personalized treatment, especially in patients that have previously received radiotherapy. Recently interest in novel radiopharmaceutical development has grown significantly. However, compared to external beam radiation therapy, progress in customizing …

Effect Of Atypical Protein Kinase C Inhibitor (Dnda) On Cell Proliferation And Migration Of Lung Cancer Cells, Raja Reddy Bommareddy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer, and it is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women. Elevated levels of PKC-ι and FAK are implicated in the progression of lung cancer and involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell survival, and cell migration processes. Lung cancer diagnosis typically occurs in the late stages, which limits the treatment options. Hence, there is a dire need to develop drugs that are effective and safe to treat lung cancers. We used a novel aPKC inhibitor named DNDA (3,4-amino-2,7 napthalene disulfonic acid) to study the role of atypical PKCs (aPKCs) …