Digital Commons Network^™

Quantification And Diversity Of A Ubiquitous Ssdna Phage Group (Gokushovirinae) In The Red Sea Through The Polony Technique, Natalie A. Sawaya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With average concentrations of 107 virus-like particles per milliliter of seawater, viruses comprise the second largest biomass in the ocean, where they are a driving force of microbial evolution and constitute important roles in Earth’s biogeochemical cycles. Bacteriophage (phage), viruses that infect bacteria, are of particular importance in the marine ecosystem as they impact the efficiency of the microbial loop, which recycles carbon in surface waters, counteracting vertical export through the biological pump. Although double-stranded DNA phage have been researched extensively, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) phage remain understudied, mostly due to methodological limitations.

The incorporation of rolling circle amplification (RCA) into …

Redefining Arctic Boundaries In A Changing Climate: Interdisciplinary Perspectives On Governance Strategies, Llucia Mascorda-Cabre

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The Arctic rapidly transforms due to global warming and increased human activities, triggering complex changes at unprecedented speeds that challenge conventional institutional responses. We analyse these changes through the lenses of social, political, and environmental boundaries and investigate their impacts on both inhabitants' livelihoods and the region's political framework. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, we highlight the complexities of understanding the interplay among global, regional, and local dynamics in an era where human and non-human aspects are entwined. Our analysis concentrates on three areas: definition of the Arctic; legal disputes concerning the waters around the Svalbard Archipelago; evolving natural hazards and …

Biological Lags And Market Dynamics In Vertically Coordinated Food Supply Chains: Hpai Impacts On U.S. Egg Prices, James L. Mitchell, Jada M. Thompson, Trey Malone

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

It is well known that livestock production involves long biological lags. Failure to account for these biological lags can result in the misspecification of supply chain relationships and adjustments to market shocks, which can have significant implications for policy decisions. An example is the 2022 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) event that caused high mortality rates in domestic poultry supply chains and reduced egg production. We use the 2022–2023 HPAI event to highlight the implications of misspecification of disease dynamics in agri-food systems. Specifically, we examine the impact of HPAI on U.S. egg prices in 2022–2023. To do this, we …

Chagas Disease In Immunocompromised Patients, Eva H Clark, Louisa A Messenger, Jeffrey D Whitman, Caryn Bern

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

As Chagas disease remains prevalent in the Americas, it is important that healthcare professionals and researchers are aware of the screening, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment recommendations for the populations of patients they care for and study. Management of Trypanosoma cruzi infection in immunocompromised hosts is challenging, particularly because, regardless of antitrypanosomal treatment status, immunocompromised patients with Chagas disease are at risk for T. cruzi reactivation, which can be lethal. Evidence-based practices to prevent and manage T. cruzi reactivation vary depending on the type of immunocompromise. Here, we review available data describing Chagas disease epidemiology, testing, and management practices for various …

Comorbid Neurotrauma Increases Neurodegenerative-Relevant Cognitive, Motor, And Autonomic Dysfunction In Patients With Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Substudy Of The North American Prodromal Synucleinopathy Consortium, Jonathan E Elliott, Jennifer Mcleland, Yo-El S Ju, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is strongly associated with phenoconversion to an overt synucleinopathy, e.g. Parkinson's disease (PD), Lewy body dementia, and related disorders. Comorbid traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-henceforth "neurotrauma" (NT)-increase the odds of RBD by ~2.5-fold and are associated with an increased rate of service-connected PD in Veterans. Thus, RBD and NT are both independently associated with PD; however, it is unclear how NT influences neurological function in patients with RBD.

METHODS: Participants ≥18 years with overnight polysomnogram-confirmed RBD were enrolled between 8/2018 to 4/2021 through the North American Prodromal …

Sars-Cov-2 Neurotropism: Understanding Effects At The Blood-Brain Barrier And Hematogenous Neuroinvasiveness, Taylor E. Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, has provisional counts of over 110 million documented cases and 1.218 million deaths (as of February 2024) in the United States since January 2020. SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne respiratory virus that primarily infects the lungs via the ACE2 receptor but has well-documented secondary target organs including the kidneys, the gastrointestinal tract, the heart, and the skin. SARS-CoV-2 also infects the brain, but the hematogenous route of viral entry to brain is still not fully characterized. Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 traverses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) as well as how it …

Development Of Biochemical And Cellular Probes To Study Ripk1 Target Engagement, Xin Yu, Hanfeng Lin, Feng Li, Jin Wang, Dong Lu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

RIPK1 inhibitors have emerged as promising candidates for treating diverse diseases, including inflammatory diseases, autoimmune disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer. However, the previously reported binding assays have limited sensitivity and stability, impeding high-throughput screening and robust characterization of the RIPK1 inhibitors. To address this challenge, we introduced two probes, T2-BDP-FL and T3-BDP-FL, derived from distinct RIPK1 inhibitors with different binding modes to establish time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) displacement assays. Employing our TR-FRET displacement assays, we quantified the biochemical binding affinities of a series of RIPK1 inhibitors with diverse structural and binding modes for human RIPK1. Consistent results were …

Applying Decolonizing Theories And Methodologies In Archaeology To Two Collaborative Cultural Resource Management Projects, Cydney K. Lanthier

Dissertations and Theses

Decolonizing theories and methods were employed during two separate graduate research projects. The methods of the initial project were informed by political ecology, the landscape-level historical ecology theory, Tribal sovereignty, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), Indigenous archaeology, and community based participatory research (CBPR). The initial project was based entirely on CBPR and purposed to gain National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nomination as a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) over a portion of the traditional landscape. This project was cancelled before completion. However, several methods involved in CBPR were employed before then. The second project took on more of the historical ecology …

Unveiling The Efficacy Of Ai-Based Algorithms In Phishing Attack Detection, Tajamul Shahzad, Kashif Aman

Journal of Informatics and Web Engineering

Phishing poses a significant challenge in an ever-evolving world. The increased usage of the Internet has resulted in the emergence of a different kind of theft referred to as cybercrime. The term cybercrime describes the act of invading privacy and illegitimately obtaining personal information using digital platform. Primarily an approach named phishing is employed, which involves the use of spoof emails or bogus websites by the attackers to get the victim's personal information like their account credentials, debit, or credit card’s number, etc. To give the brief knowledge of phishing attacks and their types of the objective of this work …

Temporal Climatic Shifts In Henan Province: A 16-Decades Perspective Through Regression, Sarima, And Nar Modeling, Lin Qing, Ang Ling Weay, Shao Yiyang, Sellappan Palaniappan

Journal of Informatics and Web Engineering

Global warming is having a significant impact on all aspects of human production and life. This study employs a cross-sectional analysis to investigate the temporal dynamics of average temperature changes in Henan Province, China, from 1851 to 2012. Utilizing the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Data and the Daily Meteorological Dataset of China National Surface Weather Station v3.0, we applied regression analysis, Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA), and Nonlinear Autoregressive Network (NAR) models to predict temperature trends. Results indicate a significant warming trend over the 160-year period, with the models demonstrating strong predictive performance, albeit with some variability. The study …

Ensemble-Smote: Mitigating Class Imbalance In Graduate On Time Detection, Theng-Jia Law, Choo-Yee Ting, Hu Ng, Hui-Ngo Goh, Albert Quek

Journal of Informatics and Web Engineering

In education, detecting students graduating on time is difficult due to high data complexity. Researchers have employed various approaches in identifying on-time graduation with Machine Learning, but it remains a challenging task due to the class imbalance in the dataset. This study has aimed to (i) compare various class imbalance treatment methods with different sampling ratios, (ii) propose an ensemble class imbalance treatment method in mitigating the problem of class imbalance, and (iii) develop and evaluate predictive models in identifying the likelihood of students graduating on time during their studies in university. The dataset is collected from 4007 graduates of …

Normative Hamstrings And Quadriceps Isometric Strength Values And Hamstrings-Quadriceps Asymmetry In Healthy Collegiate Soccer And Basketball Players, Oluwatoyosi Owoeye, Davie Mulenga, Jemma Kim, Anthony Breitbach, Jamil Neme

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(4): 768-778, 2024. The objectives of this study were to report weight-normalized, sex- and sport-stratified normative values for hamstrings and quadriceps isometric strength in collegiate soccer and basketball players using a low-cost hand-held dynamometer and assess the prevalence of “substantial” hamstrings-quadriceps (H/Q) ratio strength imbalance (<0.6) among players. Ninety-four healthy collegiate male and female soccer and basketball players (age range: 18–24 years) were examined for baseline isometric hamstrings and quadriceps strength using a handheld isometric dynamometer with standardized and valid protocols. For soccer, the mean (95%CI) weight-normalized peak isometric strength values (considering dominant limbs) were 3.29 (2.90 to 3.64) N/kg (hamstrings) and 5.48 (4.96 to 6.00) N/kg (quadriceps) in male players and 2.62 (2.39 to 2.85) N/kg (hamstrings) and 4.55 (4.14 to 4.96) N/kg (quadriceps) in female players. For basketball, the mean (95% CI) peak strength values were 2.97 (2.72 to 3.21) N/kg (hamstrings) and 4.89 (4.44 to 5.33) N/kg (quadriceps) in male players and 2.48 (2.15 to 2.80) N/kg (hamstrings) and 4.21 (3.54 to 4.87) N/kg (quadriceps) in female players. The prevalence of substantial H/Q strength imbalance was 37% (95%CI: 24% to 52%) in soccer and 44% (95%CI: 29% to 60%) in basketball players. This study is first to provide normative values for peak isometric hamstrings and quadriceps strength using a low-cost hand-held dynamometer. The normative database from this study is valuable to coaches, sports medicine professionals, exercise scientists and other stakeholders to inform injury prevention, rehabilitation progression, return to play decisions and performance goals in collegiate soccer and basketball players.

Validity Of A Heart Rate Monitor For Heart Rate Variability Analysis During An Orthostatic Challenge, Christian Soto Catalan, Alain Steve Comtois Phd, David Martin, Suzzane Leclerc

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(2): 810-818, 2024. Heart rate variability (HRV) is used as a measure of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function and is based on heart rate (HR) beat-to-beat time interval variance analysis. Various techniques are used for recording HR, however, few studies have compared Holter-type recordings vs HR monitors (HRM) during an orthostatic challenge. OBJECTIVES: Compare HRV measures from an electrocardiogram (ECG) Holter and a HRM as a tool for investigating ANS response for post-concussion rehabilitation follow-up. METHODS: Twenty-seven participants (n = 27; 15 females, 12 males), 18 to 35 years old, non-smoking, no history of …

Around The Center, 1990 June, Advocate Health - Midwest

Historical Documents - Combined

Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL: Issue of "Around the Center", an employee newsletter. This issue has staffing and departmental updates, patient letters, and features on psychiatry departments and the annual Employee Recognition Dinner.

درجة امتلاك معلمي العلوم للمرحلة الأساسية في محافظة إربد لمهارات استخدام استراتيجية التدريس العلاجي من وجهة نظر المعلمين, Nisreen Mohee Brahmeh

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف البحث التعرف على درجة امتلاك معلمي العلوم للمرحلة الأساسية في محافظة إربد لمهارات استخدام استراتيجية التدريس العلاجي من وجهة نظر المعلمين، ولتحقيق هدف البحث تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي ، وتكونت عينة البحث من (235) معلماً ومعلمة من مدارس المرحلة الأساسية في محافظة إربد , وتم تطبيق استبانة لقياس درجة امتلاك معلمي العلوم للمرحلة الأساسية لمهارات استخدام استراتيجية التدريس العلاجي. وتوصلت النتائج إلى أن مستوى ممارسة أفراد عينة الدراسة لمهارات استخدام استراتيجية التدريس العلاجي جاء بدرجة مرتفعة . وأظهرت النتائج أيضا عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية عند درجة ( ( 05.0 ≤ α بين استجابات أفراد العينة حول درجة …

مستوى التنظيم الانفعالي لدى طلبة كلية التربية الرياضية في جامعة اليرموك, Yaser Mohamad Tilfah

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف المقال الكشف عن مستوى التنظيم الانفعالي لدى طلبة كلية التربية الرياضية في جامعة اليرموك، والكشف أيضًا عن أثر متغيرات الجنس، المعدل التراكمي، والسنة الدراسية في التنظيم الأنفعالي. ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة تمَّ استخدام مقياس التنظيم الانفعالي المُعد من قبل جروس (Gross & John, 2003)، بعد التأكد من خصائصه السيكومترية، إذ تكوّنت عينة الدراسة من (153) طالبًا وطالبةً من طلبة كلية التربية الرياضية في (جامعة اليرموك)، تمَّ اختيارها بالطريقة المتيسرة؛ حيث أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أنَّ مستوى التنظيم الانفعالي لدى طلبة كلية التربية الرياضية في (جامعة اليرموك) كان متوسطًا، وأظهرت النتائج عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية في التنظيم الانفعالي تعزى لأثر …

أثر تعاطي رب الأسرة للمخدرات على العنف ضد المرأة في العاصمة عمان دراسة حالة، المركز الوطني لتأهيل المدمنين في عمان (دراسة نوعية), Khader Khalil Al Rawajfa Mr., Khaled Tamim Professor

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف المقال التعرف إلى أثر تعاطي رب الأسرة للمخدرات على العنف ضد المرأة في العاصمة عمان في المركز الوطني لتأهيل المدمنين في عمان، ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة، تم استخدام المنهج النوعي، إذ تم إجراء مقابلات مع (6) نزلاء من أصل (9) نزلاء من أرباب الأسر المتعاطين للمخدرات والمعنفين للمرأة، وقد تم سحب العينة بطريقة عشوائية بسيطة. وأظهرت نتائج الدراسة بأن جميع النزلاء تعاطوا المخدرات قبل الزواج، وقد علمت زوجاتهم عن إدمانهم بعد زواجهم منهم، وجميع النزلاء المعنفين لزوجاتهم مارسوا العنف الجسدي واللفظي والنفسي ضدهن، وجميع عينة الدراسة أكدوا أن العنف كان موجهاً ضد الزوجة فقط. وأما بالنسبة لأسباب تعاطي رب الأسرة …

Voices From The Marginalized: The Experiences Black Employees Have On Search Committees And The Role Of Institutional Racism, Jacqueline Drummer

Theses and Dissertations

The history of Black people across the globe is marred by structural racism created by colonialism. Structural racism is deeply embedded in the American culture and academia is not excluded from this phenomenon. The research demonstrates that the problem of racism is not only prevalent in four-year academic institutions but also exists in two-year colleges. Our academic institutions are a microcosm of the broader society whereby we bring our worldviews, biases, and beliefs with us into the workplace. When these views are negative towards marginalized groups, actions can be adverse and impact the experiences of these demographics. My qualitative single …

Woosah! Minoritized Student Affairs Professionals: Navigating Racial Battle Fatigue At A Predominately White Institution, Julius J. Grayson

Theses and Dissertations

Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis this study explored the rich experiences of seven racially minoritized student affairs professionals (RMSAPs) who experienced racial battle fatigue (RBF) and the impact it had on their health at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Social psychological research has identified both blatant and subtle forms of racial discrimination have adverse which lead to deleterious mental health outcomes for racially minoritized individuals. The findings indicated that these racially minoritized student affairs professionals were experiencing racial microaggressions and racial battle fatigue at their predominately white institution. In order to reclaim their wellness, participants shared the strategies they used …

The Polyaneuploid Cancer Cell State And Therapeutic Resistance: Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics In Structured Populations, Anuraag Bukkuri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I develop and apply eco-evolutionary modeling techniques to understand how the polyaneuploid cancer cell (PACC) state, entered when aneuploid cells exit the cell cycle after S phase and undergo a whole genome duplication, contributes to therapeutic resistance. Since resistance remains one of the primary causes of treatment failure in cancer patients, it is critical to understand how such demographic state transitions allow for acclimatization of cancer cells to therapeutic stressors and how they interact with evolutionary processes to promote irreversible resistance.

In Chapters Two and Three, I lay the foundation for this work. In Chapter Two, I …

A Microfluidic Approach To Study Variations In Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Alkaline Phosphatase Activity In Response To Phosphate Availability, Alireza Rahnama, Manibarathi Vaithiyanathan, Luis Briceno-Mena, Travis M. Dugas, Kelly L. Yates, Jose A. Romagnoli, Adam T. Melvin

Faculty Publications

Algal growth depends strongly on phosphorus (P) as a key nutrient, underscoring the significance of monitoring P levels. Algal species display a sensitive response to fluctuations in P availability, notably through the expression of alkaline phosphatase (AP) when challenged with P-depletion. As such, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) serves as a valuable metric for P availability, offering insights into how algae utilize and fix available P resources. However, current APA quantification methods lack single cell resolution, while also being time- and reagent consuming. Microfluidics offers a promising cost-effective solution to these limitations, providing a platform for precise single-cell analysis. In this …

Hearing Before The United States Senate Committee On The Judiciary Subcommittee On Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Actions, And Federal Rights, O. Carter Snead

Congressional Testimony

O. Carter Snead, the Charles E. Rice Professor of Law and director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, offered expert testimony on Wednesday (June 12) before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on “Crossing the Line: Abortion Bans and Interstate Travel for Care After Dobbs.”

Originally posted by the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Reflective Practices And Their Relationship To Evaluative Thinking Among History Teachers In The Middle School, Alaa Hameed Mohsen Al -Naieli

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

The current research aims to identify the "reflective practices of historical teachers and its relationship to evaluative thinking." The researcher relied on the descriptive relational approach. Teacher and school, and the researcher adopted the reflective scale, which consisted of (40) items, and put five alternatives to answer in front of each paragraph, which are (apply to me completely, apply to me often, apply to me sometimes, apply to me rarely, do not apply to me at all), and the second tool is the measure of thinking The evaluation and the number of its paragraphs reached (40) five-graded paragraphs (often, always, …

Analysing Iraqi Arabic Speakers' Voice Qualities: Gender As A Variable In Auditory-Perceptual Vpa, Narjis Abdul-Manaf Al-Salman, Wasan Alsiraih

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

This research delves into the examination of voice qualities among Iraqi Arabic speakers, encompassing both genders and age range from 20 to 45. The study employs a comprehensive auditory-perceptual analysis utilizing the Vocal Profile Analysis (VPA) scheme developed by Laver, Wirz, Beck, and Hiller (1981), later refined by Beck (2018). Data collection involves two methods: narrative pictures and open-ended responses. The findings unveil shared characteristics among Iraqi Arabic speakers: pharyngeal constriction and pronounced high nasality, particularly noticeable in females; Despite the consistent use of the advanced lingual tip/blade, the typically alveolar /l/ segment maintains a neutral position; The phonation voice …

Social Stigma Of Obesity In Neil Labute’S Fat Pig, : Rafal Thair Abdul Qadir, . Marwa Ghazi Mohammed

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

Beauty standards are often influenced by social values ​​and cultural norms. What is considered to be beautiful has evolved over time and varies across cultures. These standards play a significant role in individuals' perceptions and behaviors about beauty. In addition, society places strong pressure on women to follow unrealistic beauty ideals. In today’s society, being slim is the ideal that women should follow. On the other hand, obese women are subjected to frequent judgments based on their weight and appearance. The constant exposure to social judgments and negative comments about their bodies can lead them to have body dissatisfaction, low …

Implications Of Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder For Maternal Employment: United States Vs. Norway, Idunn Brekke, Andreea Alecu, Celestia Ohrazda, Jiwom Lee

The Lender Center for Social Justice

This cross-national comparison examines how raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder affects maternal employment in the U.S. and Norway, highlighting the role of social policies and support systems in shaping outcomes.

Understanding The Relationship Between Perceived Childhood Experiences And Relationship With God, Remaz Bahaa

Theses and Dissertations

The present study explores the relationship between perceived childhood experiences and one’s current relationship with God in an Egyptian Muslim sample. While such relationship has been researched in Western contexts, there is a notable gap in understanding these dynamics within Muslim Middle Eastern cultures. In this study, 180 participants, brought up in Muslim households, were given the following questionnaires: both versions of the Parental Acceptance Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) referring to the father and mother, Attachment to God Inventory (AGI), and Images of God (LAMBI Scale). The results presented the internal consistency of both the AGI and LAMBI scales with the …

The Inflammatory Exposome Of Major Depressive Disorder In An Egyptian Sample, Reem Deif

Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been recognized as a global public health concern affect-ing the lives of 264 million people with increasing prevalence worldwide. Inspired by the expo-somic research, this study aims to investigate the dynamic and complex interplay between dif-ferent demographic, lifestyle, environmental factors and bimolecular factors that are potentially involved in the pathology of MDD in a sample of Egyptian adults living in Cairo. This is in an attempt to acknowledge the biological underpinnings of MDD without underestimating the role of environmental influences. The context of Egypt provides richness to the current study given the national transition from …

Towards An Inclusive Media Policy Framework Targeting Adolescents In Egypt, Saja Elgredly

Theses and Dissertations

For years, adolescents have been lost between adulthood and childhood. This is even reflected in the policies that directly affect their lives and well-being. In Egypt, there has hardly been a clear political line on how the media should deal with adolescents. As this age group belongs to childhood, most of the laws and regulations are hardly dedicated to address them despite their different characteristics. Within the Egyptian context, there are children's laws concerned with basic children's rights and other laws that relate to the media. However, we notice a gap in adolescent-friendly laws, policies and regulations, especially in the …

Bridging The Gap Between Neuroscience And Education: What Are Teachers’ Perceptions Of Applying “Neuropedagogy” To High School Classrooms?, Hanan Rashwan

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers can use neurobiological explanations to evaluate students' behavior and performance and create more supportive learning settings in their school environment. There is a growing interest among educators regarding the potential benefits of incorporating neuroscience into teaching practices. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of how to effectively integrate cognitive neuroscience into teacher education programs to maximize its impact on student learning and teacher development. This study focuses on understanding teachers' views on the integration of neuroscience principles in educational settings by utilizing a questionnaire and interviews to gather data from participating teachers. The findings reveal that the …