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‘Malaysia’ Resurveyed: From Representation And Separation To Alternative Tropical Futurities, Wai Liang Tham

Research Publications (2021 to 2025)

This essay, in the form of a literary survey,revisits the idea of “Malaysia” by examining how the interlinked practices of representation and separation have been fundamental to the reification of tropicalityin the region once known as the Malay Archipelago: contemporary maritime Southeast Asia. It suggests how the two contradictory facets of colonial-era tropicality as envisioned in British Malaya (i.e., a fecund wasteland and inescapable degradation) have become embedded in the logic of governance in postcolonial Malaysia and Singapore. The persistent effects of this discourse in the present are discussed in terms of the challenges facing mobilization over issues of climate …

Welfare In Area Of Rehabilitation In Nigerian Correctional Centers: A Study Of Ikoyi Custodial Center, Ejiroghene Lisa Numa

African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies

The Nigeria Correctional Service is an agency of the criminal justice system (CJS), saddled with the responsibility of safe custody and rehabilitation of persons remanded. This paper examined the welfare and rehabilitation of inmates in Nigeria correctional centers, focusing on the Ikoyi Custodial Center, Lagos state. For rehabilitation to occur, certain conditions must be necessary, including the welfare of inmates in recreational activities and vocational training/skill acquisition. Data was collected using structured questionnaires administered to one hundred and fifty (150) inmates and in-depth interviews. Results from the study showed a significant positive relationship between recreational activities and rehabilitation. It also …

“Smart Trap”: A Portable Device For Real-Time Mosquito Capturing And Classification Using Image-Based Analysis, Fahim Rahman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Capturing mosquitoes in real-time and taking high-quality images for classification with state-of-the-art methods is not only time-consuming but also expensive. Sometimes even carefully controlled environments and experimental setups fail to capture living mosquitoes. Catching live mosquitoes is necessary to be able to study aspects of their physiology and behavior that cannot be investigated by collections of resting mosquitoes and dead specimens, and to help estimate the local population numbers. My thesis introduces a “Smart Trap”, a small portable device that can attract mosquitoes in real-time, capture them, take high-quality images with dual cameras, and store those images in the cloud. …

Vietnam Syndrome And The Genetic Consequences Of Agent Orange Poisoning: A Materialist Approach, Moriah M. Haley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis was to propose and apply a materialist approach to “Vietnam Syndrome” found at the intersection of masculinity, disability, and state power as it manifests in modern military strategy. Through an analysis of the physical veteran body rendered infertile from Agent Orange poisoning during the Vietnam War, the material conditions of infertility are found to have threatened the hegemonic masculinity on which the military relied for its justification and continuation amongst young American men. The turn to technological warfare was intended to remedy the insufficiency of the military body, but the solution was costly and ineffective …

The Sustainability Stones: Culturally Embedded Conservation Strategies And Their Vulnerability In Maupiti, French Polynesia, Russell Fielding, Fiona Gimenez

Honors College Faculty Publications

This paper explores culturally embedded conservation strategies through the lens of the traditional agroforestry and fisheries cycles in Maupiti, French Polynesia. By pairing certain breadfruit cultivars with specific fish species, the island’s community created a culinary system that regulates the seasonal consumption of marine resources, making the sustainable use of those resources more likely. While modern pressures such as reduced breadfruit diversity, competition with imported foods, and climate change have weakened these traditional practices, they remain an example of local ecological knowledge guiding conservation. The study highlights the threat of losing sustainable resource-use practices and biodiversity as both biodiversity and …

Exploring The Mechanistic Interplay Between Chronic Inflammation And Gastrointestinal Cancer In The Gut Microbiome: A Review, Hanan Mohamed Abd Elmoneim

Saudi Toxicology Journal

There are complex and heterogeneous immunological milieus of the gastrointestinal system, so there is a high mortality rate from malignancies affecting the gastrointestinal system. The pathophysiology of cancer has long been thought to be significantly influenced by inflammation. However, several of the mechanisms underlying its tumor-promoting activities have only lately been discovered. Both beneficial and harmful microorganisms play a crucial role in controlling the host immune system and, eventually, inflammation. Furthermore, bacteria may also influence how a tumor develops through different mechanisms, including long-term inflammation activation, changes to the tumor microenvironment, and genotoxic response induction. A significant percentage of cancers …

Juvenile And Adult Survival Estimates Of American Kestrels Throughout The Full Annual Cycle In Eastern North America, Mercy Melo, Joseph M. Kolowski, Rebecca A. Mccabe, John A. Smallwood, Allison Cornell, David King, Jean François Therrien

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Measuring survival in a declining species provides the foundation for continued research, demographic modeling, and informed conservation strategies. Although American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) populations have continued to decline since the 1970s, little is known about their survival throughout the full annual cycle, making it difficult to identify factors responsible for these declines. We used radio telemetry to provide the first known-fate estimates of adult kestrel survival, and we present data across breeding stages, and between resident and migratory wintering individuals, in addition to separately modeling fledgling survival. Temporal and spatial stratification of study sites allowed for the investigation of different …

Precision Phenotyping For Curating Research Cohorts Of Patients With Unexplained Post-Acute Sequelae Of Covid-19, Alaleh Azhir, Jonas Hügel, Jiazi Tian, Jingya Cheng, Ingrid V Bassett, Douglas S Bell, Elmer V Bernstam, Maha R Farhat, Darren W Henderson, Emily S Lau, Michele Morris, Yevgeniy R Semenov, Virginia A Triant, Shyam Visweswaran, Zachary H Strasser, Jeffrey G Klann, Shawn N Murphy, Hossein Estiri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Scalable identification of patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is challenging due to a lack of reproducible precision phenotyping algorithms, which has led to suboptimal accuracy, demographic biases, and underestimation of the PASC.

METHODS: In a retrospective case-control study, we developed a precision phenotyping algorithm for identifying cohorts of patients with PASC. We used longitudinal electronic health records data from over 295,000 patients from 14 hospitals and 20 community health centers in Massachusetts. The algorithm employs an attention mechanism to simultaneously exclude sequelae that prior conditions can explain and include infection-associated chronic conditions. We performed independent chart reviews …

Machine Learning For Time Series Prediction In Psychotherapy, Ian Goodwin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The need for quality mental health care is great, but many clinics face limited resources as they work to help clients. Predictions of a client’s future mental state during a course of therapy have the potential to inform decisions by individual therapists and counseling clinics. In this paper, we use archival OQ-45 data from a large university counseling center to examine the ability of many simple, rule-of-thumb predictive methods, as well as more complex methods (ridge regression, random forests, and LSTMs), to predict the next value in a time series of distress scores based on the previous scores. Learned inference …

More Than A Vessel: Presentations Of The Mother In Lucie Delarue-Mardrus’ Marie, Fille-Mère; Pagu’S Parque Industrial; And Nella Larsen’S Quicksand, Sophie Hirtle

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores portrayals of the pregnant female mind in early 20th-century literature completed by female authors in the francophone, lusophone, and anglophone tradition. The three cited authors—Lucie Delarue-Mardrus, Pagu, and Nella Larsen—have each produced novels which include explicit references to childbirth and maternity, as well as veiled references to the mother’s mental state before, during, and after pregnancy. A close analysis of these scenes reveals an underlying discourse of the effects of pregnancy on cognition and mental health, suggesting that the contemporary discourse on the self-sacrificing mother was over-simplistic and placed women within strict categories of “good mother” or …

Should Proximal Fixation Be At C2 Or C3-C4? An Application Of The Operative Value Index For Elective Posterior Cervical Decompression And Fusion, Advith Sarikonda, D. Mitchell Self, Danyal Quraishi, Ashmal Sami, Emily L. Isch, Steven Glener, Joshua Heller, Srinivas Prasad, Ashwini Sharan, Jack Jallo, Alex R. Vaccaro, James Harrop, Ahilan Sivaganesan

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: There is clinical equipoise regarding the ideal upper instrumented vertebrae (UIV) for elective posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCDF). Instrumentation may be performed at the axial C2 level, or at the subaxial C3/C4 vertebrae. To our knowledge, a true "value" (outcomes per dollar spent) comparison axial versus subaxial UIV for PCDF has never been performed.

METHODS: We retrospectively identified 275 long-segment (≥3-levels fused) PCDFs with available Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores at baseline and at 3 months postoperatively. C2 UIV (n = 67) was compared to C3/C4 UIV (n = 208). Time-driven activity-based costing was applied to identify the …

Facial Follicular Porokeratosis Simulating Discoid Lupus Erythematosus In An African American Woman, Pritika Singh, Layna Mager, Jeffrey Y. Liu, Jason B. Lee, Sylvia Hsu

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists: Exciting Avenues Beyond Weight Loss, Lalitha Sundararaman, Divakara Gouda, Anil Kumar, Sumithra Sundararaman, Basavana Goudra

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

The last two decades have proffered many remarkable choices in managing type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Leading the list are glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs), the first of which, exenatide, was approved by the FDA in 2005. Two other major classes of drugs have also entered the market: dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, commonly known as gliptins and approved in 2006, and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, with the first approval occurring in 2013. These drugs have revolutionized the treatment of diabetes. Additionally, on the horizon, the once-weekly basal insulin analog insulin icodec and the once-weekly combination of insulin icodec …

Protracting The Immediate: Time As Form In Contemporary Horror, Kennedy Kelley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the expression and experience of temporality in horror films of the last decade. Whereas early twenty-first century horror was characterized by high-octane jump scares, current horror is marked by contemplative slowness. I argue that the elongated duration of recent horror extends an experience of indeterminate anxiety that attunes us to an expansive relationality, offering a corrective not only to contemporary logics of immediacy, but also to the frequently constricting nature of embodiment as a theoretical concept. Recent horror scholarship tends to center sensuous propinquity in response to a long history of gaze theory’s disembodied passivity. While these …

The Manosphere’S Reception Of The Women Auteurs Behind The ‘Man-Eating’ Jennifer’S Body (2009) And ‘Man-Hating’ Barbie (2023), Hilda Sheridan-Hewlett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholarship on women filmmakers has not significantly emphasized the burden women auteurs carry when bracing themselves for the reception from misogynistic community discourse online, the manosphere. Director Greta Gerwig and screenwriter Diablo Cody are not simply perceived as filmmakers but as birth mothers of their work: Barbie (2023) and Jennifer’s Body (2009) which convey inherently popular feminist narratives. I argue Cody and Gerwig faced the wrath of the men online because they are inextricably linked to their productions, the feminization of their work in the eyes of the manosphere equals personalization. Despite Cody having the freedom to write any film …

Tunneling Nanotube-Like Structures Regulate Distant Cellular Interactions During Heart Formation, Lianjie Miao, Yangyang Lu, Anika Nusrat, Guizhen Fan, Shaohua Zhang, Luqi Zhao, Chia-Ling Wu, Hongyan Guo, Trang Le Nu Huyen, Yi Zheng, Zhen-Chuan Fan, Weinian Shou, Robert J Schwartz, Yu Liu, Ashok Kumar, Haixin Sui, Irina I Serysheva, Alan R Burns, Leo Q Wan, Bin Zhou, Sylvia M Evans, Mingfu Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the developing mammalian heart, the endocardium and the myocardium are separated by so-called cardiac jelly. Communication between the endocardium and the myocardium is essential for cardiac morphogenesis. How membrane-localized receptors and ligands achieve interaction across the cardiac jelly is not understood. Working in developing mouse cardiac morphogenesis models, we used a variety of cellular, imaging, and genetic approaches to elucidate this question. We found that myocardium and endocardium interacted directly through microstructures termed tunneling nanotube-like structures (TNTLs). TNTLs extended from cardiomyocytes (CMs) to contact endocardial cells (ECs) directly. TNTLs transported cytoplasmic proteins, transduced signals between CMs and ECs, and …

A Coastal Risk Analysis For The Outermost Small Islands Of Indonesia: A Multiple Natural Hazards Approach, Rima Gusriana Harahap, Gerd Masselink, Sarah Boulton

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Coastal risk analysis is important for the sustainable development and resilience of small islands. Even though there is an increasing effort to develop risk analysis at the global scale, the integration of multi-hazard, exposure, and vulnerability for outermost small islands is still rare. This study is the first to address the coastal risk on the outermost small islands of Indonesia, located at the country's territorial edge. The methodology quantifies hazard, exposure, and vulnerability variables, and collating the indices into a risk matrix. The results identify the full range of risk levels on outermost small islands represented in the island dataset, …

Strategies To Improve Antibody-Mediated Protection Against Herpes Simplex Virus Infections, Matthew D. Slein

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

No efficacious vaccine exists for herpes simplex virus and the global burden of disease remains high. Antibodies can serve as potent therapeutics to protect high risk populations such as neonates. Although rare, neonatal HSV (nHSV) infections can result in significant mortality and lifelong neurological morbidity even with antiviral therapy. While HSV-specific maternally derived antibodies significantly reduce the risk of neonatal disease in humans, the mechanisms by which they mediate protection have yet to be described. Using a mouse model of neonatal HSV (nHSV) infections we aimed to determine the mechanisms of antibody-mediated protection using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting two of …

Expression Of A Single Inhibitory Member Of The Ly49 Receptor Family Is Sufficient To License Nk Cells For Effector Functions, Sytse J Piersma, Shasha Li, Pamela Wong, Michael D Bern, Jennifer Poursine-Laurent, Li-Ping Yang, Diana L Beckman, Bijal A Parikh, Wayne M Yokoyama

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Natural killer (NK) cells recognize target cells through germline-encoded activation and inhibitory receptors enabling effective immunity against viruses and cancer. The Ly49 receptor family in the mouse and killer immunoglobin-like receptor family in humans play a central role in NK cell immunity through recognition of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) and related molecules. Functionally, these receptor families are involved in the licensing and rejection of MHC-I-deficient cells through missing-self. The Ly49 family is highly polymorphic, making it challenging to detail the contributions of individual Ly49 receptors to NK cell function. Herein, we showed mice lacking expression of all Ly49s …

High-Throughput Repurposing Screen Reveals Compounds With Activity Against Toxoplasma Gondii Bradyzoites, Taher Uddin, Jing Xia, Yong Fu, Case W Mcnamara, Arnab K Chatterjee, L David Sibley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Proteome-Wide Analysis Of Autoantibodies In Open-Angle Glaucoma In Japanese Population: A Pilot Study, Naoko Takada, Yukitoshi Izumi, Charles F Zorumski, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

C10-Benzoate Esters Of Anhydrotetracycline Inhibit Tetracycline Destructases And Recover Tetracycline Antibacterial Activity, Emily E Williford, Yao-Peng Xue, Wai Kwan Tang, Ruihao Li, Katherine V Jones, Kevin S Blake, Helen C Blaine, Xiang Lian, Christina L Stallings, Niraj H Tolia, Gautam Dantas, Timothy A Wencewicz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Tetracyclines (TCs) are an important class of antibiotics threatened by enzymatic inactivation. These tetracycline-inactivating enzymes, also known as tetracycline destructases (TDases), are a subfamily of class A flavin monooxygenases (FMOs) that catalyze hydroxyl group transfer and oxygen insertion (Baeyer-Villiger type) reactions on TC substrate scaffolds. Semisynthetic modification of TCs (e.g., tigecycline, omadacycline, eravacycline, and sarecycline) has proven effective in evading certain resistance mechanisms, such as ribosomal protection and efflux, but does not protect against TDase-mediated resistance. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a new series of 22 semisynthetic TDase inhibitors that explore D-ring substitution of anhydrotetracycline (aTC) …

Altered Joint Forces Found In Symptomatic Dysplastic Hips In Women During Sport-Specific Activities, Molly C Shepherd, Rannon Huo, John C Clohisy, Jeffrey J Nepple, Michael Harris

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Many patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) are young and highly active but often become limited by activity-induced pain. Characterizing how the abnormal bony geometry of DDH affects hip joint loading and multiplanar kinematics during sport-specific motions relevant to active patients may provide insight into injury mechanisms and inform optimal treatment options.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to determine how hip joint loading and kinematics are altered in DDH during 2 common sport activities: running and multidirectional hop-cutting. It was hypothesized that superior and medial joint-reaction forces (JRFs) would be elevated during running and that …

Program: 2025 Featured Lecture, "Abandonment And Freedom A Philosopher Looks At The Religious Life", Zena Hitz

Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Program

Program for the Twentieth Annual Frank Pack Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecture Program with the featured lecturer Zena Hitz, tutor in the great books program at St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland.

Resonances Of Universalism In Tolkien's Legendarium, Nick Polk

Journal of Tolkien Research

Presented at the inaugural Holy Moot, a survey of a collection of passages from Tolkien's writings that demonstrate having the resonances of patristic universalism is conducted. It is then argued that all Tolkien’s writings be investigated separately in their context, comparing the location of each item under investigation with one another, and explore their connections without syncretizing them into a monolithic construct. To do this, it is argued that a hermeneutical theory rooted in the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead is necessary. Concluding is a connecting of Whitehead's understanding of the expression of language with Tolkien’s own understanding of expression …

Pain Education And Preparation Across Health Care Professions: A Scoping Review, Rodiel Kirby L. Baloy

Journal of Innovation in Health Sciences Education

Introduction: There is an ongoing evolution in the understanding of pain biology and its underlying mechanisms. Healthcare professionals’ education and preparation must adapt to continue to provide effective management for individuals experiencing pain. A review of current studies in pain education and preparation across healthcare professions was performed. This scoping review provided theories and will be part of a larger study assessing pain preparation in physical therapy.

Methods: A scoping review of articles discussing pain education and preparation of healthcare professions, including dentistry (2), medicine (8), nursing (7), occupational safety and health (1), occupational and physical therapy (2), and …

Knowledge And Attitude Towards Genetics And Genetic Testing Among Late Adolescents And Adults In Indonesia, Asyirah Mujahidah Fillah, Muh Akram, Clarissa Evangelina Hartono, Annette D'Arqom, Zakiyatul Faizah, Danti Nur Indiastuti, Nurina Hasanatuludhhiyah, Mhd Zamal Nasution, Junaidah Yusof

Journal of Health Research

Background: Despite the potential benefits, genetic testing has a negative stigma in Indonesia, leading to relatively low utilization. Without adequate knowledge, the incidence of genetic disorders could rise. Thus, a clear understanding of knowledge and attitudes towards genetics and testing among late adolescents and adults is crucial.

Method: A web-based questionnaire was administered between May and October 2022. Respondents (n= 467), composed of late adolescents (n= 332) and adults (n= 135), were recruited through social media and email. General genetic knowledge, perceptions about personal knowledge of genetic testing applications and its social implications, and the attitude toward genetic …

Ya-Hok-Sing: Bioactive Substance Components, In Vitro Toxicity, And A Case Series, Khareeyoh Asae, Oratai Neamsuvan, Nantiya Joycharat

Journal of Health Research

Background: Ya-Hok-Sing is a traditional Thai polyherbal medicine used by Singhanakhon healers, Thailand. This study aimed to provide scientific evidence supporting the traditional use of Ya-Hok-Sing as an anti-fever remedy.

Methods: The chemical fingerprinting and in vitro toxicity of Ya-Hok-Sing were investigated using the Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole time-of-flight-Mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) method and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The clinical efficacy of Ya-Hok-Sing for fever relief was examined using a case series of five patients following treatment from a traditional Thai healer.

Results: The mass-spectrometry-total ion chromatogram (MS‑TIC) for Ya-Hok-Sing revealed the presence of thirty-six compounds, including twenty-one phenolics and fifteen organic acids. …

The Supporting Role Of Physical Exercise In The Prevention And Treatment Of Neurodegenerative And Mental Diseases, Celestyna Grzywniak

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

The aim of the article is to draw attention to the possibility of using physical exercises in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, dementia as well as mental disorders, particularly depression. This article emphasizes the significance of physical exercise in stimulating the nervous system, including the glial cells, as well as their role in the production of proteins called myokines and myostatins belonging to cytokines. It briefly characterizes the most common neurotrophins in the human body including the BDNF and their role in stabilizing and treating neurodegenerative and mental diseases. It presents the secretory functions of skeletal …

Community College Science Faculty’S Perceptions On Fidelity Of Implementation Of A Strategic Plan, Allison Santillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The administration at a Mid-Atlantic regional community college in the United States created a strategic plan to increase students’ critical thinking and metacognition skills by focusing on improving students’ problem-solving skills with problem-based learning. However, the problem in this study was that the faculty’s fidelity of implementation (FOI) a strategic plan to implement metacognition instruction at a community college in the Mid-Atlantic U. S. region had not been effectively monitored. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate the FOI of metacognitive instruction to a strategic plan as perceived by the community college’s science faculty. Century et al.’s …