Digital Commons Network^™

Usa V. Eric Triplett

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Examining Childhood Trauma And Substance Use Problems Among Justice-Involved Adolescents In Florida, Skye C. Bristol

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to assess the relationship between childhood trauma and substance use problems as latent constructs among justice-involved adolescents (JIA). Additionally, racial differences and spatial analyses were examined. Previous research underscores the limitations of conceptualizing childhood trauma solely through Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). This justified integrating child welfare involvement, or out-of-home placement, as an additional indicator to develop a comprehensive scope of childhood trauma among JIA. Furthermore, current literature established that childhood trauma is a key predictor of substance misuse among JIA. However, the lack of a standardized measure of substance misuse across juvenile justice systems …

Re: Approval Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final 2024 Helehan Borrow Material Submittal #2 (Dated March 12, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

The Impacts Of Nature-Based Sediment Restoration Practices On Coastal Wetland Soil Biogeochemistry, Jacob Z. Cheng

LSU Master's Theses

Coastal marshes provide many valuable ecosystem services. However, these wetlands are threatened worldwide, being subject to sea level rise, sediment starvation, subsidence, coastal edge erosion, etc. Many efforts are being made to counteract this wetland loss and preserve the ecosystem services. Two such methods are sediment diversion and the thin layer placement (TLP) of dredged sediment.

Sediment diversion involves reconnecting the main channel of a river body to disconnected wetlands, supplying much needed soil-building materials. However, this method affects the salinity of the waters, introducing large amounts of freshwater into the system. Salinity changes can affect marsh biogeochemistry. Most ecological …

Aggressive Behaviors Related To Delirium In Hospitalized Older Adults: A Systematic Review, Julia D. Trahan

LSU Master's Theses

This is a systematic review of the aggressive behaviors related to delirium in hospitalized older adults. The objective of this study was to review relevant literature regarding the moderation of delirious related aggressive behaviors within a hospital setting and examining the extent of interventions being conducted with aggression being a main factor. The eligibility factors for studies to be included were as follows: diagnosis of delirium, aggressive behaviors or agitation present, study occurring within a hospital setting, the goal of preventing aggressive behaviors, and participants must be over the age of 65. Academic Search Complete, PsychINFO, MEDLINE, SocINDEX, CINHAL Complete …

Petition For Redress Or Telephonic Harassment? When Calling The Government Is A Crime, Daniel Caballero

Fordham Law Voting Rights and Democracy Forum

The telephone has enabled significant enhancements in communication. However, it has also brought with it abuses. One of these is telephonic harassment. The states and the federal government have passed laws that criminalize this inappropriate and psychologically harmful use of telephones. This Article assumes that these laws are constitutional when the caller harasses an ordinary citizen. But the First Amendment protects the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. So, what happens when the caller is both petitioning the government and intending to harass a government official? Does the First Amendment protect telephonic harassment of a public official? …

Iran's Nuclear Program: A Struggle For Security And Modernity, Sina Azodi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the historical evolution of Iran's nuclear program from its inception in the 1950s to the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. It examines how threat perceptions have, over the decades, influenced Iran's nuclear posture, leading the Iranian political leadership to adopt a hedging strategy that extends beyond changes in ruling regimes. This study employs the Proliferation Strategy Theory (PST) as its theoretical foundation. This framework helps in dissecting the dynamics between threat perceptions and the candidate state's adopted nuclear posture. The principal findings of this dissertation highlight the direct impact of regional …

Development Of 3d Printed Anatomically Equivalent Thermoplastic Polyurethane Conduits For Peripheral Nerve Regeneration, Allen Zennifer M

Theses and Dissertations

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging tool for creating patient-specific tissue constructs analogous to the native tissue microarchitecture. In this study, anatomically equivalent 3D nerve conduits were developed using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) by combining reverse engineering and material extrusion (i.e., fused deposition modelling) technique.

Printing parameters were optimized to fabricate nerve-equivalent TPU constructs. The TPU constructs printed with different infill densities supported the adhesion, proliferation, and gene expression of neuronal cells. Subcutaneous implantation of the TPU constructs for three months in rats showed neovascularization with negligible local tissue inflammatory reactions and was classified as a non-irritant biomaterial as per ISO …

Modeling Studies Of An Intensified Reforming/Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Process For Gas To Liquid Conversion, Brian Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite rigorous study and advancement in fields of green energy, the world's transportation industry remains poised to continue reliance on liquid hydrocarbon fuels. To date, the primary source of diesel and jet fuels is the petroleum industry; however, continuing trends in rising greenhouse gas emissions present a need for study into processes for the production of synthetic hydrocarbon fuels. The most promising technologies to meet this goal are gas-to-liquid (GtL), biomass-to-liquid (BtL) and coal-to-liquid (CtL). The commonality of these technologies is that they utilize a feedstock to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas (syngas) which becomes the building blocks of …

Older Adults Are At Greater Risk Of Opioid Use Disorder In Communities With High Social Vulnerability, Tse-Chuan Yang, Seulki Kim, Stephen A. Matthews, Carla Shoff

Population Health Research Brief Series

The prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among older adults has increased and imposes a heavy burden on the health care system in the United States. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to examine how county characteristics contributed to the prevalence of OUD among Medicare beneficiaries age 65+ in U.S. counties in 2021. They found that the prevalence of OUD among these adults is higher in counties with more place-level social vulnerability (e.g., socioeconomic disadvantage, high housing cost burden).

The George-Anne Inkwell Edition, Georgia Southern University

The Inkwell

No abstract provided.

Multiple Shots To Understanding Gun Violence, Lexi Gill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gun violence is a ubiquitous issue across the United States, and recently, gun violence surpassed the previously recorded highest rates. Each year, tens of thousands of individuals lose their lives to gun-related violence. Gun violence is the leading cause of death among youth and disparately impacts young Black men. Some suggest gun violence is a social contagion that transmits from one individual to another and circulates through certain communities, suggesting gun violence can be “cured” with the appropriate treatment. Despite the proliferation of gun violence, current research on gun violence is underdeveloped. It is imperative to assess gun violence from …

The Myths Of Plato: Socratic Kenosis And The Call Of Beauty, Daniel Edward Shirley

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

The myths of Plato have been inordinately subordinated to the “intellect” of Plato since the eighteen-thirties. The ancient Christian tradition of interpreting stories and scriptures with symbolic understanding serves as a potentially primary hermeneutical pattern that could correct the modern tendency of subconscious materialism. To restore the Platonic myths, there are two foundational arguments to be made about the myths. The first is that these myths are kenotic in function. Observing the Socratic call to self-emptying, especially in the cosmological image of the World Axis, challenges modern assumptions concerning the second goodness of Platonic myth. The second argument is the …

At-Risk Freshmen Student Retention After Stem Intervention, Edna Orozco, George Padilla

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

Background: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are one of the fastest-growing majors in the nation. Engineering is projected to add the second largest number of new jobs from 2016 to 2026 with 140,000 new jobs (Torpey, 2018).According to the National Center for Education Statistics despite all the research done throughout decades to improve the issue of retention in STEM areas about half of the students who pursue a degree in STEM will either leave or change majors.

Purpose: This study aimed to sample at-risk college freshmen students from the College of Engineering & Computer Science, to describe and …

The Invariantring Package For Macaulay2, Luigi Ferraro, Federico Galetto, Francesca Gandini, Hang Huang, Matthew Mastroeni, Xianglong Ni

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

We describe a significant update to the existing InvariantRing package for Macaulay2. In addition to expanding and improving the methods of the existing package for actions of finite groups, the updated package adds functionality for computing invariants of diagonal actions of tori and finite abelian groups, as well as invariants of arbitrary linearly reductive group actions. The implementation of the package has been completely overhauled with the aim of serving as a unified resource for invariant theory computations in Macaulay2.

Separation And Relative Quasiconvexity Criteria For Relatively Geometric Actions, Eduard Einstein

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Works

Bowditch characterized relative hyperbolicity in terms of group actions on fine hyperbolic graphs with finitely many edge orbits and finite edge stabilizers. In this paper, we define generalized fine actions on hyperbolic graphs, in which the peripheral subgroups are allowed to stabilize finite subgraphs rather than stabilizing a point. Generalized fine actions are useful for studying groups that act relatively geometrically on a CAT(0) cube complex, which were recently defined by the first two authors. Specifically, we show that any group acting relatively geometrically on a CAT(0) cube complex admits a generalized fine action on the one-skeleton of the cube …

The Effects Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Mental Health Of School-Age Children And Adolescents With The Loss Of In-Person Learning And Socialization, Sheri Harber

Student Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study highlighted the perceived mental health effects on school-age children and adolescents because of the COVI-19 pandemic. The people directly impacted by this problem were the students, with parents and educators being indirectly impacted. The study examined the perceptions of teachers who witnessed perceived mental health issues in their students. The guiding theoretical framework used for this dissertation included the social psychological theories for loneliness and interdependence. The sample of participants included elementary, middle and high school teachers who met the requirements for the study. Each teacher selected participated in an interview, which the researcher transcribed and coded …

An Examination Of Credit Accrual And Graduation Rates Through The Modalities Of Instruction In An Online Learning Environment, Jennifer L. Wilkinson

Student Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this study was the high dropout rate and the resulting low graduation rate in alternative virtual school settings. This quantitative correlational case study examined the influence of three instructional modalities on students’ credit accrual and graduation rates in one alternative education virtual high school. The three modalities of instruction included a synchronous pathway, an asynchronous pathway, and a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instructional delivery. The lens of connectivism learning theory served as the theoretical framework that supports understanding the relationships between different modalities of instruction and students’ learning outcomes (e.g., accrual rates and graduation rates) …

Influence Of Professional Learning Communities On Teachers’ Stress: A Case Study, Jason Young

Student Theses and Dissertations

Teachers are opting to exit the profession at an unprecedented rate. This trend has led to hiring shortages and the state department lowering licensure standards in the State of Arkansas. The increase in job demands placed on teachers has led to elevated stress levels among educators, ultimately driving them to abandon the field altogether. The current qualitative case study was to explore teachers’ perspectives on the influence professional learning communities (PLCs) can have in reducing job-related stress. The job-demands resource (JD-R) model, which explains how the job-demands cause teacher stress and make it possible to understand teachers’ perceptions of PLCs …

On The Subelliptic And Subparabolic Infinity Laplacian In Grushin-Type Spaces, Zachary Forrest

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis poses the ∞-Laplace equation in Grushin-type spaces. Grushin-type spaces G are defined by the vector fields which serve as a basis for their tangent spaces; by weighting the canonical (Euclidean) directional vectors {∂/∂x_i}ⁿ_i=1 by functions ρ_i that obey certain technical assumptions, we produce a class of metric spaces in which certain directions may not be accessible at all points in the space. We prove the existence and uniqueness of viscosity solutions to both Dirichlet problems and Cauchy-Dirichlet problems involving the∞-Laplacian over bounded Grushin-type domains. The main tool in proving uniqueness of …

Articulation Versus Motor Speech? Supervisor Perspectives Of Slp Graduate Students: A Qualitative Study, Maddison Verser

Student Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was to determine clinical supervisors' perceptions of graduate students’ skill set of articulation disorders compared to motor speech disorders. Participants in this study included SLP clinical supervisors of Master’s level graduate students in Communication Disorders across various pediatric settings, including private practice, school-based or outpatient clinics in north central Arkansas. Face-to-face/phone interviews were recorded with a digital recorder and transcribed using the speech-to-text transcription service at Temi.com. The data were analyzed by the primary investigator to identify concepts and themes. The results of this study showed three main themes: (1) students are perceived as more independent and …

Biological Significances Of Environmental Pollution In The New Calabar River, Southern Nigeria: A Case Study In Zooplankton Composition, Ibienebo Davies Imachrist, Francis David Sikoki, Philomina Kika, Davies Ibienebo Chris

Journal of Bioresource Management

The study was conducted for three months (May to July 2020), focusing on the physicochemical parameters and zooplankton composition in the Ogbogoro region of the New Calabar River in Nigeria. This investigation was carried out at three distinct monitoring stations. The physicochemical parameters were determined using standard ecological analytic procedures. PAST and SPSS were used for the statistical analysis. The temperature ranged between 26.5 to 33 ºC, salinity (1.23 to 1.86 %), pH (7.4 to 9.62), Total Dissolved Solids (2419 to 5,817 mg/L), conductivity (223.83 to 7,328 μS/cm), turbidity (3.415 to 15.05 NTU) and Dissolved Oxygen (3.8 to 6.8 mg/L). …

Book Review Of Hadley Vlahos. 2023. The In-Between; Unforgettable Encounters During Life’S Final Moments. Ballantine Books: New York, Roger Clark, Emily Stier Adler

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Infestation Of Flour By Stored Food Pest Insects Ephestia Kuehniella On Quality Flour: Physico-Chemical Analyses, Hadjira Bendjedid, Samira Yezli-Touiker, Asma Taffar, Amina Yezli, Nabila Souileh

Journal of Bioresource Management

The primary reason for significant post-harvest losses globally stems from the infestation of insect pests. These beetles, as they progress through their life cycle, lead to the deterioration of stored food, capable of decimating an entire inventory within a remarkably brief timeframe. Quality control is a system that monitors product quality, assuring and detecting any spoilage of a product, the impact of infestation of flour by pairs of stored food pest insects E. kuehniella on quality flour was evaluated by physicochemical analyses over time. Provoked exposure of 200 g of flour to 5, 10, and 20 couples of Ephestia keuhniella …

Usage Of Almond And Thyme Oils For The Enhancement Of Shelf Life Of Different Fish Species, Aneeza Kanwal, Roheela Yasmeen, Saima Nazir, Shumaila Usman, Bushra Nisar Khan

Journal of Bioresource Management

Fish is an important source of protein for millions of people around the globe and it's often a healthier option compared to some other meats. However, the fish industry is facing a storage challenge in the form of rapid spoilage and deterioration of freshness due to bacterial growth and enzymatic activity. The usage of oils in fish can enhance shelf life by creating a protective barrier. This research was designed to see the effects of thyme and almond oil on nutritional profile and shelf life of fish. The three fish species rohu (Labeo rohita), Mali (Wallago attu) …

Pre And Post Breeding Morphometric Profile Of European Rabbit (Oryctolagus Cuniculus), Rao Zahid Sattar, Rana Manzoor Ahmad, Abdul Majid Khan, Muhammad Altaf, Muhammad Rizwan, Sajjad Yaseen

Journal of Bioresource Management

After 1950s, a continuous decline in the population of Oryctolagus cuniculus has urged the IUCN to declare it an endangered species. There is a serious need to take conservational steps for Oryctolagus cuniculus breeds by research work on their different morphological and physiological aspects. The current study evaluates the growth of European rabbit through morphometric profile at pre breeding, post 1^st breeding and post 2^nd breeding stages in order to find out the growth trends of the European rabbits at different breeding stages. The studied sample comprised of 42 pairs for each breed (New Zealand White and American …

Hdx-Ms Finds That Partial Unfolding With Sequential Domain Activation Controls Condensation Of A Cellular Stress Marker, Julia Shangguan, Joseph R Sachleben, Joshua A Riback, D Allan Drummond, Tobin R Sosnick

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Eukaryotic cells form condensates to sense and adapt to their environment [S. F. Banani, H. O. Lee, A. A. Hyman, M. K. Rosen, Nat. Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 18, 285–298 (2017), H. Yoo, C. Triandafillou, D. A. Drummond, J. Biol. Chem. 294, 7151–7159 (2019)]. Poly(A)-binding protein (Pab1), a canonical stress granule marker, condenses upon heat shock or starvation, promoting adaptation [J. A. Riback et al., Cell 168, 1028–1040.e19 (2017)]. The molecular basis of condensation has remained elusive due to a dearth of techniques to probe structure directly in condensates. We apply hydrogen–deuterium exchange/mass spectrometry to investigate the mechanism of …

China Maritime Report No. 36: China's T-Agos: The Dongjian Class Ocean Surveillance Ship, Devin Thorne

CMSI China Maritime Reports

Since 2017, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has commissioned a new class of ocean surveillance vessel into its order of battle: the Type 927. Similar in design and function to the U.S. Navy’s Victorious and Impeccable class T-AGOS ships, the Type 927 was introduced to help remedy the PLAN’s longstanding weakness in anti-submarine warfare. The PLAN has likely built six Type 927 ships to date, most based for easy access to the South China Sea. In peacetime, these ships use their towed array sonar to collect acoustic data on foreign submarines and track their movements within and beyond the …

Increasing The Service Life Of Marine Transport Using Heat-Resistant Polymer Nanocomposites, Oleksandr Sapronov, Andriy Buketov, Boksun Kim, Pavlo Vorobiov, Lyudmila Sapronova

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

This paper presents the technological aspects of increasing the thermal stability of polymers, with epoxy binder used to form the polymer materials. Polyethylene polyamine was used to crosslink the epoxy binder. To ensure the thermal stability of the polymer, nanodispersed condensed carbon with a dispersion of 10–16 nm was used. The research into nanocomposites under the influence of elevated temperatures was carried out using the “Thermoscan-2” derivatograph. Complex studies of thermophysical properties were carried out, according to the results of which the optimal content of nanofiller (0.050 pts.wt.) was determined. At the same time, this particular polymer was characterized by …

Next Generation Microfluidics: Fulfilling The Promise Of Lab-On-A-Chip Technologies, Umut A Gurkan, Jorge Di Paola, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technologies enable the analysis and manipulation of small fluid volumes and particles at small scales and the control of fluid flow and transport processes at the microscale, leading to the development of new methods to address a broad range of scientific and medical challenges. Microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip technologies have made a noteworthy impact in basic, preclinical, and clinical research, especially in hematology and vascular biology due to the inherent ability of microfluidics to mimic physiologic flow conditions in blood vessels and capillaries. With the potential to significantly impact translational research and clinical diagnostics, technical issues and incentive mismatches …