Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of The Impact Of Pavement Characteristics On Road Traffic Safety And Pavement Management Using Statistical Heterogeneity Models, Huiqing Lyu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pavement shall accommodate current and predicted traffic needs in a safe, durable, and cost-effective manner. Among pavement surface characteristics, pavement friction is a critical factor contributing to roadway safety, as it directly impacts a driver's ability to execute steering, braking, and acceleration maneuvers safely. Ensuring an adequate level of pavement friction is essential to minimize the skidding risk for all road users. Continuous pavement friction measurement (CPFM) has recently become a proven approach, revolutionizing safety-related pavement management and skidding crash injury prevention. Meanwhile, pavement roughness has long been linked to vehicle fuel efficiency and pavement structural degradation. Perceptions of pavement …

Life History Of Men Who Experienced Childhood Maternal Absence, Renice Obure

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation project explored the impact of childhood maternal absence on the life history outcomes of adult men. An integrated theoretical model of developmental-evolutionary framework was developed to guide research design and conduct. This model combined sex-differentiated life history framework and fathering resource theory. The study consisted of three components: a scoping review of 29 relevant studies conducted in the United States between 1990-2023, a quantitative analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (Add Health) waves I and IV (n=6932), and a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with a sample of 22 fathers who experienced childhood …

Navigating Change: Youth Civic Engagement At Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, Alex R. Whitacre

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of gentrification on the Tampa Heights community in Florida, focusing on the role of Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association (THJCA) in fostering civic engagement and youth empowerment amidst urban transformation. Using a mixed-methods ethnographic approach, including participant observation, archival review, spatial analysis, surveys, and interviews, the research investigates how THJCA affiliates conceptualize and respond to gentrification, space, and community change. Employing urban place theories and social capital frameworks, the research challenges deficit-oriented narratives in examining the experiences of current and former residents, the effects of gentrification on youth educational services, and THJCA's strategies for maintaining …

Circulating Blood Circular Rna In Parkinson's Disease; From Involvement In Pathology To Diagnostic Tools In At-Risk Individuals, Aleksandra Beric, Yichen Sun, Santiago Sanchez, Charissa Martin, Tyler Powell, Ravindra Kumar, Jose Adrian Pardo, Gauri Darekar, Jessie Sanford, Devin Dikec, Bridget Phillips, Juan A Botia, Carlos Cruchaga, Laura Ibanez

2020-Current year OA Pubs

To identify circRNAs associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) we leveraged two of the largest publicly available studies with longitudinal clinical and blood transcriptomic data. We performed a cross-sectional study utilizing the last visit of each participant (N = 1848), and a longitudinal analysis that included 1166 participants with at least two time points. We identified 192 differentially expressed circRNAs, with effects that were sustained during disease, in mutation carriers, and diverse ancestry. The 192 circRNAs were leveraged to distinguish between PD and healthy participants with a ROC AUC of 0.797. Further, 71 circRNAs were sufficient to distinguish between genetic PD …

Comparative Neurofilament Light Chain Trajectories In Csf And Plasma In Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's Disease, Anna Hofmann, Jorge J Llibre-Guerra, Richard J Perrin, Laura Ibanez, Randall J Bateman, Eric Mcdade, Brian A Gordon, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are likely to be most beneficial when initiated in the presymptomatic phase. To track the benefit of such interventions, fluid biomarkers are of great importance, with neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) showing promise for monitoring neurodegeneration and predicting cognitive outcomes. Here, we update and complement previous findings from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Observational Study by using matched cross-sectional and longitudinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma samples from 567 individuals, allowing timely comparative analyses of CSF and blood trajectories across the entire disease spectrum. CSF and plasma trajectories were similar at presymptomatic stages, discriminating …

Reconstitution Of Arp2/3-Nucleated Actin Assembly With Proteins Cp, V-1, And Carmil, Olivia L Mooren, Patrick Mcconnell, James D Debrecht, Anshuman Jaysingh, John A Cooper

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Actin polymerization is often associated with membrane proteins containing capping-protein-interacting (CPI) motifs, such as capping protein, Arp2/3, myosin I linker (CARMIL), CD2AP, and WASHCAP/Fam21. CPI motifs bind directly to actin-capping protein (CP), and this interaction weakens the binding of CP to barbed ends of actin filaments, lessening the ability of CP to functionally cap those ends. The protein V-1/myotrophin binds to the F-actin-binding site on CP and sterically blocks CP from binding barbed ends. CPI-motif proteins also weaken the binding between V-1 and CP, which decreases the inhibitory effects of V-1, thereby freeing CP to cap barbed ends. Here, we …

Consensus Definition Of A Radiologically Healed Fistula On Magnetic Resonance Imaging In Perianal Crohn's Disease: An International Delphi Study, Easan Anand, Jalpa Devi, Shivani Joshi, Anna Antoniou, Michelle Doering, Jaap Stoker, Phillip Lung, Ailsa L Hart, David H Ballard, Parakkal Deepak, Phil Tozer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Perianal fistulising Crohn's disease (pfCD) is a distinct and debilitating phenotype seen in around one-third of patients with CD. Clinical trials in pfCD are increasingly using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria as a primary endpoint, but there is heterogeneity in the radiological definition of a healed perianal fistula that currently limits our ability to perform meaningful meta-analyses of studies. Our aim is to standardise outcomes through the generation of an international consensus definition of a radiologically healed fistula.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This international Delphi consensus study employs a two-part strategy.The first is a systematic review to identify a longlist …

Mobile Robot Navigation Based On User-Shared Movement Trajectories, Victor Carbune, Kevin Allekotte

Defensive Publications Series

Movement trajectories derived from timestamped location data stored locally on a user device can be a rich information source, especially for indoor spaces. However, these cannot be used on other devices such as mobile robots. Moreover, mobile robots cannot dynamically learn from user movements within the same space. This disclosure describes techniques that leverage Visual Language Models (VLMs) as a backbone to enable a device such as a mobile robot to receive historical movement trajectories of another device within the same space. The VLM backbone is utilized to transform the trajectories into lower-level actuation based on higher-level semantic interpretations related …

Earbud Design To Support Calibration Of Personalized Hrtf, Benjamin Riot, Moqian Tian, Rajeev Nongpiur

Defensive Publications Series

Head related transfer function (HRTF) calibration for earbuds or earphones is essential for enabling spatial audio to provide an immersive experience for users by tailoring sound to an individual’s unique ear shape and listening profile. This disclosure describes earbuds that enable the measurement of personalized HRTF along with earbud functions of listening or two-way communication. The earbuds include a loudspeaker and a microphone at different ends of an ear-book. For HRTF calibration, the microphone is placed at the ear entrance while the loudspeaker is far away, e.g., dangling below the ear, to reduce interference. Alternatively, a charging case can be …

Microphone Self-Calibration For Extended Reality (Xr) Devices, Rajeev Nongpiur

Defensive Publications Series

Extended reality (XR) devices rely on multiple microphones with consistent sensitivity to provide optimal audio performance. When microphone sensitivity degrades over time, in a standard calibration approach for microphones, ambient noise is used to adjust the spectral differences between microphones. However, if the noise is directional or not perfectly diffused, the calibration may have inaccuracies. This disclosure describes automatic recalibration of microphone sensitivity for XR devices by leveraging the directional nature of device loudspeakers. The techniques described herein can be utilized to detect problems with an arbitrary number of microphones. By utilizing excitation signals from the device loudspeakers and leveraging …

The Concave Shaped Composite Projection Configuration That Contains 8 Cyclically Configured Projection Configurations., Punarjeewa Abeysekera

Defensive Publications Series

This paper describes a concave shaped composite projection configuration that contains 8 cyclically configured projection configurations. The concave shaped composite projection configuration consists of 8 identical projection configurations. Each generally utilized projection configuration will contain 4 sub projection configurations. The sub projection configuration number one, will contain a video projection projecting display, a reflector, a convex lens stack and a triangular shaped beam splitter. And the sub projection configuration number two, will contain a video projection projecting display, a large reflector, a convex lens stack and a small reflector. In addition to that, the sub projection configuration number three, will …

Quickly Mounting And Disembarking Road Vehicles On And From Railcars, Mordechai Teicher

Defensive Publications Series

Road vehicles, such as autonomous vehicles, are quickly mounted on and disembark from railcars by riding over empty railcars.

Workflow To Tune The Esd Printmode, Hp Inc

Defensive Publications Series

Multi-jet fusion (MJF) parts are by default electrically insulative, meaning they have high Surface Resistance values (> 10^11 Ohms) and prevent or limit the flow of electrons across their surface or through their volume. However, the carbon black present in the Fusing Agent (FA) is conductive, and, with a sufficient drop concentration, it can create structures with lower electrical resistance and ESD or antistatic properties.

However, surface reistance values not only depend on the FA concentration, but also on the irradiance received by the part. As it is a surface property, it is very much affected by the energy received …

Redirect-And-Sync For Distributed Stateful Network Applications, Na

Defensive Publications Series

Cloud-based networking uses various stateful networking functions. There is currently no mechanism to synchronize the states of the functions across different binaries. As a result, the functions cannot be used on stateless devices that provide higher throughput or scalability. This disclosure describes techniques to synchronize states in distributed networking systems. The network function state is defined and maintained in a distributed manner and is sharded in units of flows. A shard is assigned an owner, which handles the flows in the shard. State synchronization is achieved by having the shard owner write actions for flows it owns, and by having …

Publication Misrepresentation Among Ophthalmology Residency Applicants And Its Correlation With Match Success, Paola A. Rivera, Leena Surapaneni, Sofia Miguez, Agata Mp Atayde, Christina Jayaraj, Roselyn Terrazos-Moreno, Victoria A. Marks, Ninani Kombo

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose: To determine prevalence of publication misrepresentation in SF match applications to a single US ophthalmology residency program between the 2017-2018 and 2021-2022 match cycle and its impact on match success.

Methods: Applicant characteristics and publications listed were recorded. Publications were searched and verified in PubMed, Google Scholar, and the journal or conference’s website. Applicant characteristics were compared with 2 test and t-test. Predictive factors for misrepresentation were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression that adjusted for relevant covariates.

Results: Our cohort included 1,165 applications and 4,467 publications with an average of 4.9 publications per applicant. From the …

Mr. Otto Lanier

African American Funeral Programs

Typed and Handwritten Obituary for Mr. Otto Lanier at Harmony Baptist Church

Vera Jean Mikell

African American Funeral Programs

Handwritten Obituary for Vera Jean Mikell

Walter Mikell

African American Funeral Programs

Handwritten Obituary for Walter Mikell at Tabernacle Baptist Church

Lafarr Lasseter

African American Funeral Programs

Funeral Program for LaFarr Lasseter

Nature Healing Mental Stress: What U.S. Healthcare Can Learn From Other Nations, Shannon Frank-Richter, Lindsay Gietzen

Pacific Journal of Health

The United States healthcare system lags many developed nations in healthcare access and practices, especially surrounding ecotherapy [1]. Ecotherapy is the practice of mindfulness in tandem with intentional immersion among natural spaces or with natural elements. Research from Asia, Europe and Canada indicate immense benefits from ecotherapy, or mindful nature immersion, as an effective treatment for burnout and stress. By adopting regular nature engagement, the U.S. could significantly improve mental health and reduce occupational stress. This literature review examines how nature immersion, especially with mindfulness, positively affects the brain and nervous system. Key components in nature are identified, such as …

Cover And Forewords, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

Volume 44-1 Complete Issue, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 44-1 Complete Issue

Water In The Middle East. A Geographyof Peace By A. Amery And Arron T. Wolf (Eds.)., C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Despite the image that "it is all the same" the Middle East is a paradox in context and poorly understood. Oil rich and the center of three monotheistic religions in the Middle East contrast with political disarray and the availability of resources such as water. The arid empty 61 spaces contrast with the urbanization occurring throughout the region

Principles Of Glacial Geomorphology And Geology By I. Peter Martini, Michael E. Brookfield, And Steven Sadura., C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

"Principles of Glacial Geomorphology and Geology" is different from most glacier-related textbooks. The principal difference between this text and most others is the wider range of topics covered. As in most glacial texts, the book covers glaciology and glacial sediments and landforms. Close to half of this text, however, covers permafrost and periglacial processes, dating techniques, isostasy/eustasy, migration of biota dur - ing glacial cycles, and an extensive global history of glaciation. As a result, the most positive aspect of the book is that one can design a class, using one book, that covers almost any glacier-related topic. The negative …

Seeing The Blind: Humanism And The Experience Of Place, Joshua F. J Inwood

The Geographical Bulletin

Since much of our world is visually based, many researchers question how the "non-sighted " fit into this larger framework. Whereas many geographers have looked at navigation this paper will explore how the blind ascribe a practical understanding of the world that is constructed largely by and for those with sight. Because much of the relevant data involve perceptions not easily understood, this paper relies on qualitative methods, specifically the open-ended interview, to construct personal narratives. These narratives are analyzed using a humanistic perspective.

Guyana's Border Disputes With Venezuela And Suriname, Robert Ramraj

The Geographical Bulletin

Guyana is currently actively engaged in border disputes with Venezuela on its western border, and with Suriname to its east. The first dispute involves an area of over 50,000 square miles or two-thirds of Guyana. The Surinamese claim to Guyanese territory covers over 5,000 square miles. One source of dispute is that borders were drawn when Guyana and Suriname were colonies of Britain and the Netherlands respectively. Vast proven untapped resources including minerals (oil, gold, diamonds, bauxite and manganese), tropical hardwood forests and fishing grounds are present in the disputed regions. While diplomacy and negotiations have been employed often, Suriname, …

An Analysis Of Attacks By Grizzly Bears (Ursus Arctos Horribi/Is) In Glacier National Park, Montana, Lisa M. Dechano, David R. Butler

The Geographical Bulletin

Grizzly bears inhabit several popular recreation areas in the American West, including Glacier National Park, Montana. The likelihood of a grizzly bear-human confrontation increases as annual visitation continues to increase. This study investigates grizzly bear-human confrontations for each type of attack, in Glacier National Park from 1910 to the present. The types of confrontations, and the spatial and temporal distributions of each type of attack are examined. Maulings are the most frequent type of confrontation, followed by charges and then fatalities, respectively. Spatially, most attacks occur in the central portion ofthe Park, and east of the Continental Divide. Attacks also …

The New Geography Of Conflict, Michael T. Klare

The Geographical Bulletin

During the Cold War, strategic planning focused on diverging ideological views between the United States and the Soviet blocs located in central and southeastern Europe and Northeast Asia. In the last decade these regions lost much strategic significance for the U.S. whereas other regions (e.g., Caspian Sea basin, the Gulf states, South China Sea) are receiving increased attention from Washington and other industrialized countries. A renewed concern of global resources, especially oil and natural gas, has created a new international, national and local geography of conflict. China and Russia have made their presence felt in key energy producing areas through …

Fossils On The Prairie: Abandoned Farmsteads In Southwestern Minnesota, Christopher R. Laingen

The Geographical Bulletin

Between 1935 and 1992, the number of farms in the United States decreased from approximately seven million to fewer than two million. This change left a noticeable imprint on the landscape. Working farmsteads have been reduced to idle, desolate buildings, or in some cases there are no buildings left at all. To study this transformation, black and white air photographs from 1950 were compared with 1990 air photographs. Also, plat books and ground checks in four townships in Watonwan County in southwestern Minnesota helped document changes. Farmsteads were abandoned or demolished because people began to find they could not economically …

Projections And Perceptions-Editorial Comment: A Perspective On Military Geography, Eugene J. Palka

The Geographical Bulletin

During times of conflict military geography invariably surfaces as an important problem-solving subfield of geography. Since September 11, 2001, dozens of geographers employed by the Department of Defense have focused their attention on Central Asia in general and on Afghanistan in particular. Academic geographers have also been beckoned by the government, military, and media to apply their particular systematic or regional expertise to America's recent challenge. One cannot dispute the wartime relevance of the subfield, yet since the fall of the Berlin Wall, applications during peacetime and military operations other than war (MOOTW) have become more apparent (Palka and Galgano, …