Digital Commons Network^™

Jumpstart: A Biblically Based Program That Helps Reduce Recidivism, Michael Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following project was developed to enhance the materials used in the Jumpstart program by implementing a daily journal that incorporates spiritual disciplines, S.M.A.R.T Goals, and relational accountability while augmenting spiritual growth that will help reduce recidivism. This professional dissertation provides a compelling theological and theoretical justification for implementing the daily journal, along with the project's details, processes, and outcomes.

Worship And The Generational Divide: A Study Of Inclusive Worship In The Church, Willie S. Moody

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every generation has a different way of engaging in congregational worship, sometimes at odds with another generation. The current challenge for pastors and worship leaders of churches with multiple generations is planning worship services that consider the congregation's complex make-up and remain faithful to the principles of biblical worship. The purpose of this qualitative research project is to provide a worship model that facilitates the worship styles and preferences of multiple generations within a church congregation. An atmosphere of worship is desired for all persons attending weekly worship services whose hearts and minds are receptive to the move of God …

The History Of Systemic Racism In The Texas Rangers, John E. Jordan Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

White people dominated North American society from the first settlement of North America through the twentieth century and their own cultural norms dictated their actions, both good and bad. The Texas Rangers and other police officers in Texas played a major role in the discrimination of people of color, particularly the Hispanic population. Systemic racism is found in the militarizing of the police and how they interacted with people of color.

Forgiveness In Education: A Qualitative Analysis Of The Forgiveness Experience For Educators, Corinne D. Denhartog

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Forgiveness is as powerful as it is complex. Evaluating how teachers understand and practice forgiveness has potential applications within broader forgiveness theory as well as more practically in discussions of both teacher health related to practicing forgiveness and student learning of forgiveness. The present study sought to gather qualitative insights related to teacher understanding of forgiveness, teacher practice of forgiveness within their jobs, and teacher opinions on forgiveness education. A total of six semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with groups of two to four public school teachers. Results indicated that there is variety in understanding amongst teachers of what …

African Influence In The Bible: A Sub-Saharan Response To The Gospel And The Divine Prerogative Of African Incorporation In God’S Redemptive Plan, Robert Milton Bugg Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Bible presents God's magnificent divine plan, executed by chosen people for a specific purpose. There are illustrations of those from various regions impacting those worldwide throughout the Bible. While much of the Old Testament takes place in ancient Mesopotamia, the magnitude of God’s plan is global. This dissertation will examine sub-Saharan people groups in Africa, particularly the Kushites and ancient Ethiopians. The discussion will include the history of Africans in the ancient world, their migration and development parallel to recorded biblical history, and their role in the Bible. Scholars utilize many different terms when referring to Kushites, depending on …

Who Should I Trust? Dynamics Within Hitler's Inner Circle, Sarah C. Randow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Behind every leader is a team of men and women working together. These men and women help complete the leader’s objectives During the rise of Adolf Hitler and then throughout his time as Chancellor/Dictator, men came together with a clear objective. Hitler and a group of five men, known as his inner circle, developed relationships that were tested over time. Unlike previously published works that only examined the individuals within the inner circle and Hitler, this study will examine the relationships that developed and continued throughout the rise of Hitler. Heinrich Himmler, Joseph Goebbels, Rudolf Hess, Ernst Röhm, and Hermann …

An Integrated Approach To Developing Pastoral Efficacy For Addiction Crisis Ministry, Matthias Ponce-De-Leon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The current addiction epidemic has heightened human suffering in many ways globally. This action research project built and implemented a training system to prepare pastors for encounters with individuals and families in substance addiction crises. The primary focus of the training system was to integrate existing approaches to pastoral equipping while advancing the theological framing of addiction models. In doing so, pastors developed understanding and confidence for facing the logistical, personal, and theological challenges in ministry to addicts and their families. Twelve pastors participated in the designed intervention, a 3-hour training workshop, and their shifts in perspectives and strategies for …

Retaining Students After Graduation With Biblical Servanthood, Carlos Henrique De Freitas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis addresses the inadequate understanding of the biblical concept of servanthood among high school students (grades 9-12) within the congregation of Macland Baptist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia. As a result of this problem, students gradually distance themselves from their faith, discontinue church attendance, and cease participating in church service activities. The thesis of this paper is that exposing these high school students to various dimensions of biblical servanthood will significantly impact their understanding of this concept. The underlying assumption posits that a profound understanding of biblical servanthood, coupled with knowledge and service opportunities, will cultivate Christlike character in …

Sisters In Harm: A Phenomenological Study Examining Active-Duty Military Women’S Lived Experiences Of Military Sexual Assault And Trauma, Brandy R. Preston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There has been a plethora of research studies conducted on the staggering statistics surrounding military sexual trauma (MST) and how the armed forces have systematically failed to provide appropriate protections for women who experience military sexual assault (MSA). However, firsthand experiences from active-duty women who experienced MSA and the possible secondary trauma they experienced have very little documentation besides that from a quantitative research point of view. Studies surrounding survivors’ personal experiences are even more limited. Within this body of research, a phenomenological approach is used to describe the contextual and perceptual experiences surrounding active-duty women who are survivors of …

Perceived Problems And Advantages Associated With Teaching Band In Rural Northern New York, Joseph Charles Ianaconi

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teaching instrumental music in rural northern New York presents unique advantages and problems for music educators. While most research highlights obstacles to teaching in a rural area, this study identifies the unique positive aspects of working in this environment. Educators often overlook the opportunities and benefits within small, rural schools. Directors and students can define and find success in multiple ways within these rural band programs. This qualitative study examines the opinions, feelings, and experiences of those who teach band in rural northern New York. The research focuses on the perceived advantages of directing an instrumental ensemble in a rural …

The Federal Government Must Revise Public Housing Policies To Protect Vulnerable Populations From Evictions, Caroline Grabowski

Population Health Research Brief Series

Over 100,000 Americans are now dying from drug overdoses annually, signifying that the goal of the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act (ADAA) to end illicit drug use has not been achieved. What’s more, numerous statutes within the ADAA have created or worsened housing instability among people who use drugs and their families. This is because the ADAA allows public housing officials to use their own discretion when determining evictions and lease refusals and has disproportionately harmed individuals in public housing who did not participate in the drug-related activities that led to their eviction. This brief describes how the ADAA negatively affects …

Regulatory Managerialism And Inaction: A Case Study Of Bank Regulation And Climate Change, Hilary J. Allen

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

With Regard For Persons, William Boyd

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

Plasmonic Photoelectrochemical Oxidation Face Mask, Dharendra Yogi Goswami, Dilip Neeraj Goswami

USF Patents

A breathing system for removing harmful contaminants, such as microbes and volatile organic compounds, is provided. The breathing system includes a face mask, an inhalation limb, and a plasmonic device. As a contaminated gas flows through an internal chamber of the plasmonic device, the contaminates are oxidized. Specifically, the internal chamber includes a source of photons spaced apart from the nanostructure. The nanostructure is coated in a plasmonic layer, including noble metal nanoparticles. The plasmonic layer is protected from oxidation through a photocatalyst layer disposed thereon.

Integrated Detection Scheme For Fast Blood Flow Measurement, Ashwin Bharadwaj Parthasarathy, Arindam Biswas, Arash Takshi

USF Patents

Disclosed are various embodiments for integrated diffuse correlation spectroscopy. A first control signal can be sent to a switch to cause an integrator to integrate a current from a photodiode. An integrated current can be received from the integrator, and a data signal can be sent to a computing device based at least in part on the integrated current. A second control signal can be sent to a switch to cause the integrator to cease integrating the current from the photodiode.

Pkc-Delta-I Inhibitor Formulations And Uses Thereof, Niketa A. Patel, Rekha S. Patel, Robert Pleasants Sparks, Wayne Charles Guida

USF Patents

Provided herein are formulations that can contain an effective amount of a PKCδ inhibitor. Also provided herein are methods of inhibiting a PKCδ in a subject in need thereof, that can include the step of administering an effective amount of a compound that is capable of inhibiting a PKCδ.

Strategy To Increase Anti-Viral, Anti-Microbial, And Anti-Fungal Defense, Hana Totary-Jain

USF Patents

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for inducing, promoting, or enhancing an immune response in a subject. For example, the disclosed compositions and methods can be used prophylactically to prevent viral/microbial infections or therapeutically to treat acute infections. In some embodiments, the disclosed method involves administering to the subject a composition comprising in vitro transcribed (IVT) RNA comprising short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), such as Alu repeats. In some embodiments, the disclosed compositions and methods can be used to induce, promote, or enhance any immune response in a subject, including an anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, or anti-parasite response. In some embodiments, …

Autophagy Gene-Dependent Intracellular Immunity Triggered By Interferon-Γ, Michael R Mcallaster, Jaya Bhushan, Dale R Balce, Anthony Orvedahl, Arnold Park, Seungmin Hwang, Meagan E Sullender, L David Sibley, Herbert W Virgin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Interferon-γ (IFNγ) is a critical mediator of cell-intrinsic immunity to intracellular pathogens. Understanding the complex cellular mechanisms supporting robust interferon-γ-induced host defenses could aid in developing new therapeutics to treat infections. Here, we examined the impact of autophagy genes in the interferon-γ-induced host response. We demonstrate that genes within the autophagy pathway including

Advanced Structural Brain Aging In Preclinical Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer Disease, Peter R Millar, Brian A Gordon, Julie K Wisch, Tammie L.S. Benzinger, Carlos Cruchaga, Jason J Hassenstab, Laura Ibanez, Celeste Karch, Jorge J Llibre-Guerra, John C Morris, Richard J Perrin, Charlene Supnet-Bell, Chengjie Xiong, Randall J Bateman, Beau M Ances, Eric M Mcdade, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: "Brain-predicted age" estimates biological age from complex, nonlinear features in neuroimaging scans. The brain age gap (BAG) between predicted and chronological age is elevated in sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD), but is underexplored in autosomal dominant AD (ADAD), in which AD progression is highly predictable with minimal confounding age-related co-pathology.

METHODS: We modeled BAG in 257 deeply-phenotyped ADAD mutation-carriers and 179 non-carriers from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network using minimally-processed structural MRI scans. We then tested whether BAG differed as a function of mutation and cognitive status, or estimated years until symptom onset, and whether it was associated with established …

A Broadly Reactive Antibody Targeting The N-Terminal Domain Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Confers Fc-Mediated Protection, Lucas J Adams, Laura A Vanblargan, Zhuoming Liu, Pavlo Gilchuk, Haiyan Zhao, Rita E Chen, Saravanan Raju, Zhenlu Chong, Bradley M Whitener, Swathi Shrihari, Prashant N Jethva, Michael L Gross, James E Crowe Jr., Sean P J Whelan, Michael S Diamond, Daved H Fremont

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Most neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) target the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein. Here, we characterize a panel of mAbs targeting the N-terminal domain (NTD) or other non-RBD epitopes of S. A subset of NTD mAbs inhibits SARS-CoV-2 entry at a post-attachment step and avidly binds the surface of infected cells. One neutralizing NTD mAb, SARS2-57, protects K18-hACE2 mice against SARS-CoV-2 infection in an Fc-dependent manner. Structural analysis demonstrates that SARS2-57 engages an antigenic supersite that is remodeled by deletions common to emerging variants. In neutralization escape studies with SARS2-57, this NTD site accumulates mutations, including …

Quantitative Ctdna Detection In Hepatoblastoma: Implications For Precision Medicine, Smadar Kahana-Edwin, James Torpy, Lucy E Cain, Anna Mullins, Geoffrey Mccowage, Sarah E Woodfield, Sanjeev A Vasudevan, Dan P T Shea, Andre E Minoche, Andres F Espinoza, Sarah Kummerfeld, Leonard D Goldstein, Jonathan Karpelowsky

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Hepatoblastoma is characterized by driver mutations in CTNNB1, making it an attractive biomarker for a liquid biopsy approach utilizing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). This prospective observational study sought to ascertain the feasibility of ctDNA detection in patients with hepatoblastoma and explore its associations with established clinical indicators and biomarkers, including serum Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). We obtained 38 plasma samples and 17 tumor samples from 20 patients with hepatoblastoma. These samples were collected at various stages: 10 at initial diagnosis, 17 during neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 6 post-operatively, and 5 at disease recurrence. Utilizing a bespoke sequencing assay we developed called QUENCH, we …

Best Practices For Serving Lbgtq+ Students In The 21st Century: A Systematic Literature Review, Mary Elizabeth Turner

Library Faculty Publications

To best serve LGBTQ+ students in an academic library, it is necessary to develop a list of best practices. While there is ample literature on the topic of the needs of LGBTQ+ students in academic libraries and how to address those needs, there is no readily accessible list of evidence-based best practices for general implementation. To address this need, the author identified an initial pool of 210 articles published in library journals between 2000 and 2022. Of those 210 articles, 109 articles met all conditions for further review. A total of 21 articles within the review pool contained specific recommendations …

Stochastic Simulation Of Construction Methods For Multi-Purpose Utility Tunnels, Shayan Jorjam, Mohammed Mawlana, Amin Hammad

College of Architecture and the Built Environment Faculty Papers

The traditional method of installing underground utilities (e.g., water, sewer, gas pipes, electrical cables) by burying them under roads has been used for decades. However, the repeated excavations related to this method cause problems, such as traffic congestion and business disruption, which can significantly increase financial and social costs. Multi-purpose Utility Tunnels (MUTs) are a good alternative for buried utilities. Although the initial cost of MUTs is higher than that of the traditional method, social cost savings make them more feasible, especially in dense urban areas. Different factors, such as the specifications of utilities, the location of the MUTs, and …

Understanding The Origin, Evolution, And Dynamics Of Transneptunian Binaries, Benjamin C N Proudfoot

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation discusses research that focuses on understanding transneptunian objects (TNOs) using a variety of techniques and approaches. In Chapter 1, I introduce the main concepts used throughout this dissertation and discuss the current understanding of the transneptunian region. In Chapter 2, I discuss my efforts to understand how Neptune's late stages of migration affect the Haumea family, the only known collisional family in the transneptunian region. Using advanced simulations of Neptune migration, I find that the Haumea family can plausibly form before the termination of giant planet migration and show that this extensively mixes the family. The simplest explanation …

Law School News: For 30 Years: A Justice-Centered Mission 12-19-2023, Helga Melgar

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Humility And Charismatic Leadership: A Boost Or Bust For Leadership Outcomes In The Russian Context, Stern Neill, Raghuvar Dutt Pathak, Titov Sergei, Reinout E. De Vries, Vipin Gupta, Zafar Husain

Marketing

This study unpacks how leader humility and charisma are related to leader effectiveness and satisfaction with the leader and examines how the need for leadership may moderate these relationships. We used data from 252 respondents from Russian companies in a 2 (high vs. low leader charisma) × 2 (high vs. low leader humility) vignette design in which levels of charisma and humility were manipulated. While leader humility was found to have a positive effect on satisfaction with a leader, no significant link between leader humility and leader effectiveness was observed in this study. Leader charisma was positively related to leader …

Lessons Learned From The Cs Crisis, Switzerland: Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (Finma)

Documents

No abstract provided.

A Quantum Physics-Based Force Field For Biomolecular Simulation, Roseane Dos Reis Silva

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the development of a physics-based force field meticulously tailored to guide molecular dynamics simulations of biomolecules. At its core, the Hydrogen-like Intermolecular Polarizable Potential (HIPPO) force field emerges as an apex of achievement, devised to refine the precision of short-range intermolecular interactions. HIPPO's inception marks a profound stride towards heightened realism in molecular simulations, anchored in Quantum Physics theory and fortified by state-of-the-art Quantum Chemistry calculations. This force field's efficacy is attested by its systematic application in constructing models featuring diverse organic molecules, from water to benzene, and those with motifs resembling proteins and nucleic acids. HIPPO …

From Congregations To Candidates: How Religion Explains The Partisan Gender Gap In State Legislatures, Ashlan Gruwell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

While much has been said about both the gender gap and partisan gender gap in representation in Congress and state legislatures, most of this research ignores the critical role of religion as an explanatory variable. I propose a new theory where the presence of a high proportion of evangelical Protestants in the electorate explains both the gender gap in representation that has long existed as well as the emergence of a partisan gap among women in state legislatures. As evangelical Protestants became politicized and flocked to the Republican Party in the 1980s and 1990s, more Democratic women were elected and …

Nurturing Sustainable Careers: How New India’S Nep 2020 Is Driving Employability Through Skills-Based Education, Sadhna Dash, Ramakanth Tallapragada, Elizabeth Abba

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

As New India prepares to become a “developed” country by the year 2047, the strategies for managing one of the most populous economies in the world are undergoing steady and positive transformation. The country’s new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has set the context for enhanced employability for the masses and sustainable careers, potentially transforming the youngest workforce in the world not only by equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and abilities that the workplace demands but also by providing opportunities for inclusive, sustainable, and trans-disciplinary employment. However, given that the NEP 2020 will not succeed as a standalone initiative, …