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Mining Multibeam Transit Data For Deep Ocean Polymetallic Nodules: Case Study In Se Pacific Ocean, Mark E. Mussett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Occurrences of nodules on the seafloor represent benthic habitats and present potential deposits of economically important metals. Better understanding their extent throughout Earth’s oceans will aid in resource management and determining different factors which influence their formative factors and respective local characteristics. Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, along with auxiliary data suggest an area of seafloor near the Foundation Seamount chain in the southern Pacific Ocean, centered around -36.84° latitude, -119.75° longitude, contains a previously uncharted polymetallic nodule occurrence. Our analysis of Simrad EM12 DUAL (12 kHz) multibeam data, collected during a 1997 transit, shows an area of strong backscatter …

Discovery Of Small-Molecule Inhibitors For The Β-Catenin/B-Cell Lymphoma 9 Protein-Protein Interaction., Zilu Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is associated with activating genes that support cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Excessive activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling has been associated with development of several types of cancer and activation of stem-like cancer cells. Direct targeting of β‐catenin, the central hub in this signaling pathway, is a promising strategy to suppress the hyperactive β‐catenin signaling but has proven to be highlychallenging. Substantial efforts have been made to discover compounds that bind with β‐catenin, block β‐catenin mediated protein–protein interactions (PPIs) and suppress β‐catenin signaling. β‐catenin/BCL9 PPI has a smaller contacting area (1450 Å2) and a moderate binding affinity …

Knowledge Integration In Domain-Informed Machine Learning And Multi-Scale Modeling Of Nonlinear Dynamics In Complex Systems, Phat K. Huynh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonlinear dynamical systems have been extensively used to model various phenomena in the changing world around us, especially in science and engineering fields. Thanks to breakthrough advancements in sensing technologies, an increasingly high volume of multi-modal sensor data has been collected, which enables us gain better insights into complex systems dynamics and build sophisticated data-driven machine-learning-based dynamic models without having the access to the underlying governing equations. However, integrating domain-specific knowledge in machine learning algorithms remains pivotal for various reasons: it promises enhanced predictive accuracy, better model interpretability, and increased generalizability. This dissertation delves into three core research questions, each …

Predictors Of Growth In Socioemotional Functioning From Kindergarten Entry To 5th Grade For Students With And Without Disabilities, Sydney Shupe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The link between socioemotional functioning and academic achievement is well established, as is the evidence showing that children with disabilities often develop socioemotional functioning differently than peers without disabilities. However, few studies have considered how early skills are associated with growth of socioemotional functioning for children, and how that may differ for children with disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of academic, social, and behavioral skills at the start of kindergarten on the growth of socioemotional functioning from kindergarten to 5th grade; early socioemotional functioning, academic and cognitive skills were analyzed in a series …

Analyzing Multi-Robot Leader-Follower Formations In Obstacle-Laden Environments, Zachary J. Hinnen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Observations in biological formation from nature likes flocks of birds, herds of mammals and packs of wolves have inspired the innovation of robotic architectures. This thesis presents an approach that aims to use robotic systems to mimic leader-follower behaviors in the navigation and formation of sparse and dense environments. The goal of this work is to extend and further analyze the original work of Weitzenfeld et al [3] to evaluate new swarm and pack based multi-robot architectures with the inclusion of obstacle avoidance and variations in group formations. The multiple robot architecture is based off a wolf pack with a …

Tree Planting As An Adaptive Management Tool For Climate Change In Morocco, Stephanie J. Robinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The practice of planting fruit trees to combat climate change impacts in Morocco has been growing in popularity with support from the Moroccan government and non-profit organizations. Although it is often considered a successful adaptive management tool, tree planting initiatives (TPIs) in arid lands have not been thoroughly analyzed, their management is unstandardized, and these initiatives can cause harm when trees are planted in areas that cannot support them. To implement tree planting better these TPIs need to find areas where the trees they are introducing have the best chance of survival without negatively impacting the surrounding ecosystem and human …

Evaluating Video Feedback To Improve Esports Performance In Street Fighter V, Romel C. White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

eSports is a newly rising field with rapidly increasing cultural validity. Despite the wide array of similarities between eSports and traditional sports, behavioral skill acquisition interventions have yet to be applied to video game skills. Feedback-based behavioral interventions in particular have been commonly used and implemented for effective skill acquisition for traditional sports. Although video feedback has been established as effective in conjunction with video modeling for traditional sports, further research is needed to validate its efficacy as a standalone intervention. In this study, the effects of video feedback were analyzed with three participants in a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across …

Novel Fpga Speed Grade Authentication Method For Counterfeit Identification, Ana Maria Camacho Negrete

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Today's society runs on modern microelectronics. Whether it is our computers, smartphones and tablets, navigation systems, and even automobiles, the impact of inferior components on our society's functioning is a well-known and serious challenge.Inferior components, in this context, refer to non-specification compliant parts that are known to enter the global supply chain either due to manufacturing/quality control errors or intentional component counterfeiting by non-OEM (original equipment manufacturer) sources. This thesis discusses the latter, which is a well-documented and growing challenge that poses a serious risk to every sector of our society. This has been further exacerbated by the global pandemic-driven …

Evaluating Methods For Improving Dnn Robustness Against Adversarial Attacks, Laureano Griffin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deep learning has become more widespread as advances in the field continue. As aresult, making sure deep learning is safe has become a priority. A seemingly normal image with intentional pixel changes can cause a well-trained model to misclassify the image with high confidence. Those kinds of images are called adversarial attacks. Adversarial training has been developed to defend against adversarial attacks. This thesis evaluates different adversarial training methods against a variety of adversarial attacks. The key metrics for evaluation are classification accuracy and training time. This thesis also experiments with an improvement on an existing adversarial training method, the …

Effects Of Downdrag On Pile Performance, Ruthvik Pendyala

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The behavior of piles under varying load conditions has sparked significant interest and research within the geotechnical engineering field. Specifically, in the context of MSE wall-type embankments, piles are installed before embankment construction commences. In these scenarios, soil settlement beneath the embankment initiates following pile installation, consequently generating downward lateral shear loads on the piles, known as downdrag.

Research pertaining to the downdrag phenomenon in cohesionless granular soils is limited. Hence, the primary focus of this study revolves around examining the impact of downdrag on pile performance in sandy soils using numerical modeling as the investigative approach. To accomplish this, …

Chemical Analysis Of Metabolites From Mangrove Endophytic Fungus, Sefat E Munjerin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural products hold a significant place in drug discovery for their abundant and unique secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites which encompass a range of organic compounds such as alkaloids, phenols, peptides, flavonoids, polyketides, and terpenoids, can easily be exploited for drug development. Endophytic fungi, residing harmoniously with its host, have emerged as generous producers of bioactive secondary metabolites, displaying efficacy against a wide array of human pathogens, including the challenging ESKAPE pathogens.

The research explores endophytic fungi and their prospective for drug discovery and development through the synthesis of distinctive secondary metabolites. Endophytic fungus, HM13-26C-2B, collected from Honeymoon Island, Florida …

Use Of Silica Dust And Lunar Simulants For Assessing Lunar Regolith Exposure, Layzamarie Irizarry-Colon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The utilization of the lunar regolith holds immense potential for future space exploration, but the potential health risks associated with lunar regolith are a significant concern. This literature review seeks to critically assess the use of silica and lunar simulants standards and permissible exposure limits (PELs) to evaluate the adverse health effects of lunar regolith. The literature review covers an extensive analysis of existing research, health risks, toxicological properties, and physical and chemical composition associated with silica, lunar simulants, and lunar regolith by using three main sources: regulations, scholarly articles, and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) discussion. This comprehensive analysis forms …

Stable Isotope Analysis On Yellowfin And Blackfin Tuna Eye Lenses Reveals Life History Patterns In The Gulf Of Mexico, Kylee M. Rullo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spatial geography, ontogenetic movement, and trophic patterns of mobile species are key elements of effective marine resource management. A number of methods are currently available for tracking movements of pelagic migratory species, including the use of conventional and electronic tags. However, tagging campaigns can take years to provide useful data, can be expensive, and only capture a portion of a fish’s lifetime. For this project, I used stable-isotopic ratios of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) in metabolically inert, chronologically-layered fish-eye lenses to explore lifetime movement and trophic patterns of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus) in the …

The Aging Workforce: How It Relates To Incident Rates Within A Distribution Warehouse And A Chemical Manufacturing Building, Elisabeth V. Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 20 years or so, the average age of the global population has slowly increased. This is due to low birth rates as well as increased life expectancy. With this global population aging, there has also been a shift in the global labor market causing a trend termed the “aging workforce.” However, with the aging workforce comes a new set of issues for the health and safety professional because they create new hazards. This is due mostly because of the body undergoing physical, psychological, and cognitive decline as someone ages which causes decreased capabilities. Thus, the purpose of …

3d Musculoskeletal Analysis Of The Rhea Americana Forelimb And Implications For The Evolution Of Avian Flight, Sarah Elizabeth Guzinski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To understand the evolutionary gain, and loss, of avian powered flight, attention must be paid to the wing morphology of species across these transitions. However, paleognaths, while being the most well-known flightless birds, have greatly understudied forelimbs. Additionally, current literature regarding their forelimb anatomy generally lacks a three-dimensional (3D), biomechanical approach. Among the flightless paleognaths, the rhea is notable in having the least reduced forelimb. Though not used for flight, the wings of rheas are used in other behaviors such as courtship and threat display, as well as nest defense. In this study, I investigate the forelimb anatomy of an …

A Psychometric Analysis Of Natural Language Inference Using Transformer Language Models, Antonio Laverghetta Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Large language models (LLMs) are poised to transform both academia and industry. But the excitement around these generative AIs has also been met with concern for the true extent of their capabilities. This dissertation helps to address these questions by examining the capabilities of LLMs using the tools of psychometrics. We focus on analyzing the capabilities of LLMs on the task of natural language inference (NLI), a foundational benchmark often used to evaluate new models. We demonstrate that LLMs can reliably predict the psychometric properties of NLI items were those items administered to humans. Through a series of experiments, we …

Entanglements Of Teenage Food Security Within High School Pantries In Pinellas County, Florida, Karen T. Díaz Serrano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity has the ability to shape an individual’s or a family’s everyday life and take emotional, psychological, and physical tolls. Among adolescents, not having access to nutritious food could lead to physical effects during growth and development. Moreover, the stress and anxiety of not knowing where their next meal is coming from and the social stigma associated with being food insecure can have negative effects on mental health. A recent solution to these issues is locating food pantries in high schools. Purpose: This exploratory study examined how high school students in Pinellas County, Florida perceive the use of a …

Damned & Damned: Examining Vexatious Litigation And The Vexatious Litigant Statute In Florida Courts, Sarah L. Harper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines self-represented litigants subjected to limitations under the Vexatious Litigant statute (F.S. 68.093) and related case law. It draws data from official records, surveys, interviews with judges, and a thematic analysis of court orders. The present research consists of two studies: Study I focuses on the application of Florida's Vexatious Litigant statute and similar sanctions, and Study II explores judges' decision-making in cases involving challenging self-represented litigants. Restrictions on litigants' court access raise concerns about due process rights, and an assessment of the use of these sanctions and litigants' practices is vital for understanding their application. The findings …

Storying The Experiences Of A First-Year Teacher’S Mathematics-Related Teacher Identity With A Communities Of Practice Lens, Kelly Jean Navas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This longitudinal narrative inquiry explores the influences on a first-year elementary teacher’s mathematics-related teacher identity, employing a community of practice lens. Identity is a complex concept. In this study, identity is viewed as socially constructed through new experiences. These social interactions can be seen as an individual participates in their communities of practice. A mathematics-related teacher identity intertwines a teacher’s mathematical identity with their teacher identity. This can influence their classroom decisions, as well as their planning and implementation of mathematics lessons. To gain insights into the evolution of this mathematics-related teacher identity, I listened to the stories of Suzie, …

A Queered Exhibition: Lgbtqia+ Artists Expressing Identity And Visibility Through Art-Based Research, Christy D. Paris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Too often museums, galleries, and art curriculum ignore or erase the lives and art of LGBTQIA+ individuals. This exhibition aimed to make the diverse lives and art from the queer community visible. Integrating queer perspectives and visibility is empowering and creates a sense of belonging. Queering the art world can present alternative perspectives, promote diversity, and provide exposure to a more inclusive experience for all. The aim of this inquiry is to inform institutional practices within museums on queer inclusivity and further scholarship on this topic by engaging with the queer art community and public during an exhibition held in …

An Examination Of Reward-Based Crowdfunding Performance And Success, Matthew Alan Grace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reward-based crowdfunding (RBCF), where fundraisers raise funds from a crowd of investors in return for a reward, has carved a niche as a proven option for not just entrepreneurs seeking early-stage funding, but also for established firms looking to presell or market a new product or service. Establishing crowdfunding performance and success factors is important for researchers and practitioners alike. Fortunately, a large portion of the RBCF academic literature is immediately applicable to entrepreneurs, with very little additional interpretation required. However, important questions about RBCF remain. The first paper in this three-part dissertation, a systematic literature review, examines some of …

Gender Differences In Episodic Memory In Later Life: The Mediating Role Of Education, Sara Robinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the United States (U.S.), 14 million individuals aged 65+ are expected to be diagnosed with dementia by 2060, and women are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed. Low education is a well-established risk factor for dementia and is hypothesized to partly explain the gender differences in late-life cognition. However, few studies have investigated education as a mediator of these gender differences. This study aims to investigate education as a mediator of gender differences in episodic memory using longitudinal data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS). I used a sample of 35,721 respondents (20,190 women and 15,531 …

Clinically Applied Anthropology: A Syndemic Intervention., Jason W. Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation demonstrates that a critical, clinically applied anthropology is possible by testing a hypothesis that a syndemic intervention, and use of a structural vulnerability assessment tool, can achieve improved healthcare outcomes. A critical, clinically applied anthropology integrates social scientists into healthcare delivery, alongside biomedical providers, through the co-creation of new diagnostic and patient care pathways that utilize anthropological methods (ethnographically informed care, syndemics, thematic/mixed methods data analysis) and advance anthropological theory (biomedicine and culture, structural violence, structural competency/vulnerability, ontology, assemblage theory, and entanglements) to decrease healthcare inequities.

Medical anthropology has previously engaged biomedicine and other attempts at a clinical …

The Social Anxiety Stigma Scale (Sass): Development, Factor Structure, And Validation, Ruba Rum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary reason people with social anxiety disorder (SAD) do not seek treatment is due to stigma concerns. Yet, our understanding of SAD stigma hinges heavily on measures that assess general mental illness stigma, which may not capture the distinct aspects of SAD. The goal of this research program was to develop and validate a measure of social anxiety stigma that assesses personal stigma towards people with SAD: the Social Anxiety Stigma Scale (SASS). The SASS was evaluated across three studies. In Study 1 (N = 221), an initial item analysis was conducted on 33 items to remove weak items …

Cervical Cancer Screening Modalities: A Study Of Decision-Making Processes, Heather N. Owens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes three studies, and the purpose was to explore cervical cancer screening adherence and factors related to screening behaviors among women.

The purpose of the first study was to examine cervical cancer screening recommendation adherence trends in a nationally representative sample using Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 1995-2018 data. Adherence rates declined for every definition of adherence evaluated over time. Social determinants of health predictors and their impacts varied based on the years of data included in and the data source.

The second study examined the hypothesized factor structure underlying multiple scales (i.e., Health Belief Model constructs and …

Cyber-Physical Multi-Robot Systems In A Smart Factory: A Networked Ai Agents Approach, Zixiang Nie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on addressing the technical challenges of non-stationarity in smart factories through the use of cyber-physical AI agents. Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing with smart factories as a central role, have a growing demand for Just-in-Time (JIT) and on-demand production, as well as mass customization—all while maintaining high productivity, resource efficiency and resilience. This research positions Multi-Robot Systems (MRS)-driven smart factories. The heterogeneous production and transportation robots in an MRS collaborate to form multiple real-time adjusted production flows achieving the flexibility to accommodate such on-demand, mass customization.

However, the implementation of MRS introduces new sets of challenges, including …

Exploration Of Corona Charge As A Novel In Vitro Human T Cell Dna Transfection Method, Molly A. Skinner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With gene-based immunotherapies on the rise to treat a multitude of diseases, the ability to genetically modify cells in a rapid and efficient fashion is necessary to keep up with demand. Gene electrotransfer (gene transfer by electroporation) is an appealing transfection method due to its low cost, high efficiency compared to other physical forms of gene delivery, and low toxicity compared to liposomal or viral vectors.

Traditional gene delivery via electroporation is done within a cuvette where the cell suspension is placed between two plate electrodes. This method requires cells to be moved from the treatment cuvette to a growth …

Void Formation In Model Liquids, Polymer Glasses, And Granular Materials, Kai Nan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Soft matter, as a subfield of condensed matter physics, has gained lots of interest from the academic and industrial communities due to its complexity and intellectual challenges. Soft materials, such as liquids, polymers, and granular materials, are widely used in real-world applications like foams, paints, and lubricants. Furthermore, their cost-effective and unique features like extreme ductility also make soft materials suitable for many advanced applications such as bioimplantable devices.

In Chapter 2, we examine thermodynamic cavitation, a transition from liquid to gas that occurs when the ambient pressure drops below the liquid’s vapor pressure. Varying the …

Determinants Of Hormonal Contraceptive Use Among Adolescent Females In The Republic Of Benin, Marlene Joannie Bewa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Globally, 17 million adolescent girls—ages 15-19-- give birth every year, which affects educational and professional outcomes such as school completion, future employment, and economic empowerment. In Benin, adolescent girls have a substantial unmet need for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services. More specifically, the need for hormonal contraceptive products and services, as well as accurate, age-appropriate, and comprehensive sexuality education, is not met universally.

Objective: This research objective is to understand personal, behavioral, and environmental barriers and facilitators to the access and uptake of modern contraceptive methods among adolescents in Benin. This will inform recommendations for improving …

The Process Of Government In Clearwater, Florida, Picot Deboisfeuillet Floyd

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Based upon participant observation as city manager, the dissertation examines political processes involved in four episodes relating to the government of the City of Clearwater, Florida: the selection of a site for a branch campus of the University of South Florida, the application of technology assessment techniques to growth issues, attempts to regulate a pornographic movie and supply store, and the arrest of the city attorney. Non-mathematical game theory is used as a model for the analysis, which demonstrates that game-like processual activity takes place in a governmental structure based upon cooperation. Such analysis can have a direct impact on …