Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Using Repeated-Latency Measures To Assess Functional Relationship, Justin B. Han

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Functional analysis (FA) is the gold standard methodology for identifying maintaining variable of a target behavior in the field of behavior analysis. Although behavior analysis generally accepts that it is the most accurate behavior assessment method, it is still underutilized in clinical settings (e.g., Oliver et al., 2015; Roscoe et al., 2015). To address this concern, previous researchers have investigated the barriers to implementation such as training (e.g., Hay-Hansson & Eldvik, 2013; Iwata et al., 2000; Wacker et al., 2013), risks involved (e.g., Call et al., 2013, 2017; John, 2019; Shabani et al., 2013), and length of assessment (Saini et …

Student Perceptions Of The Nonmedical Use Of Prescription Stimulants And Preferences For Health Education, Ana Gutierrez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NMUPS) for the purpose of improving academic performance is a growing concern among the college population. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2020, rates of NMUPS were highest among 18–25-year-olds attending college. There are several adverse health outcomes associated with NMUPS, including cardiovascular damage, seizures, psychosis, and dependence. Given the rising rates of NMUPS in this group, and the negative health outcomes associated with NMUPS, it is vital to employ health education that allows students to make informed decisions about behaviors that impact their health. The purpose of this study …

Psychological Distress, Resilience, And The Impact On Quality Of Life In Breast Cancer Survivors With Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Lauren Schwab

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation study was to longitudinally examine psychological distress (depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms), resilience, and the impact on quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors (BCS) with taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN). The specific aims were 1) to describe psychological distress (depressive and anxiety symptoms) in BCS with TIPN and the impact on QOL using a scoping review; 2) to determine the relationship between psychological distress, QOL, and resilience in BCS with TIPN over time in a 16-week randomized controlled trial (RCT); and 3) to determine if resilience moderates psychological distress and QOL in BCS with …

The Influence Of Psychosocial Factors On Opioid Decision-Making For Cancer-Related Pain Among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Method Study, Melody Nichole Chavez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most frequently reported malignancy among women in the United States. Cancer-related pain is highly prevalent occurrence and is often the most fearful side effect following curative intent treatment. Opioid pain management is considered a standard of care and can be of great benefit to treat moderate to severe pain. However, undertreatment of pain remains a significant issue affecting the patient’s physical function, psychological well-being, and overall quality of life. Barriers to adequate pain management are multifactorial and often attributed to patients’ beliefs and attitudes revolving around opioid pain management. In addition, the opioid epidemic has …

Crossing Schools, Language, And Migration Borders: The Experiences Of Latinx And Caribbean Emergent Multilingual Mothers In K-12 Public Schools, Michelle Angelo-Rocha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anti-immigrant sentiment and "English-only" ideologies have a significant impact on educational policies, practices, and processes. This includes parental engagement, the quality of education and life opportunities offered to immigrant children, and families’ well-being. The purpose of this study was to examine how Latinx and Caribbean mothers in Florida with various immigration statuses (i.e., undocumented, asylum seekers, refugees, international students, and mixed-status) and often with limited financial resources attempt to steward their children through the U.S. educational system. The research question was: How did emergent multilingual immigrant mothers experience the K-12 education system in Florida? The sub-question was: How did schools …

“I Was Doing The Best With What I Had”: Exploring Student Veterans’ Experiences With Community Reintegration, Food Insecurity, And Health Challenges, Jacquelyn N. Heuer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity is a concern for many populations, including college students and military veterans. The impacts of food insecurity on student veterans are understudied, especially in relation to community reintegration and health. Employing the theoretical frameworks of structural violence and embodiment, this dissertation explores how community reintegration, food insecurity, diet quality, and health interact and influence one another among post-9/11 student veterans in Florida. In doing so, this dissertation considers how the experiences of student veterans are shaped by social inequities (i.e., structural violence) and how these experiences become embodied, thereby shaping student veterans’ health outcomes.

Utilizing findings from surveys …

Use Of Silica Dust And Lunar Simulants For Assessing Lunar Regolith Exposure, Layzamarie Irizarry-Colon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The utilization of the lunar regolith holds immense potential for future space exploration, but the potential health risks associated with lunar regolith are a significant concern. This literature review seeks to critically assess the use of silica and lunar simulants standards and permissible exposure limits (PELs) to evaluate the adverse health effects of lunar regolith. The literature review covers an extensive analysis of existing research, health risks, toxicological properties, and physical and chemical composition associated with silica, lunar simulants, and lunar regolith by using three main sources: regulations, scholarly articles, and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) discussion. This comprehensive analysis forms …

Entanglements Of Teenage Food Security Within High School Pantries In Pinellas County, Florida, Karen T. Díaz Serrano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food insecurity has the ability to shape an individual’s or a family’s everyday life and take emotional, psychological, and physical tolls. Among adolescents, not having access to nutritious food could lead to physical effects during growth and development. Moreover, the stress and anxiety of not knowing where their next meal is coming from and the social stigma associated with being food insecure can have negative effects on mental health. A recent solution to these issues is locating food pantries in high schools. Purpose: This exploratory study examined how high school students in Pinellas County, Florida perceive the use of a …

Gender Differences In Episodic Memory In Later Life: The Mediating Role Of Education, Sara Robinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the United States (U.S.), 14 million individuals aged 65+ are expected to be diagnosed with dementia by 2060, and women are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed. Low education is a well-established risk factor for dementia and is hypothesized to partly explain the gender differences in late-life cognition. However, few studies have investigated education as a mediator of these gender differences. This study aims to investigate education as a mediator of gender differences in episodic memory using longitudinal data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS). I used a sample of 35,721 respondents (20,190 women and 15,531 …

Clinically Applied Anthropology: A Syndemic Intervention., Jason W. Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation demonstrates that a critical, clinically applied anthropology is possible by testing a hypothesis that a syndemic intervention, and use of a structural vulnerability assessment tool, can achieve improved healthcare outcomes. A critical, clinically applied anthropology integrates social scientists into healthcare delivery, alongside biomedical providers, through the co-creation of new diagnostic and patient care pathways that utilize anthropological methods (ethnographically informed care, syndemics, thematic/mixed methods data analysis) and advance anthropological theory (biomedicine and culture, structural violence, structural competency/vulnerability, ontology, assemblage theory, and entanglements) to decrease healthcare inequities.

Medical anthropology has previously engaged biomedicine and other attempts at a clinical …

The Social Anxiety Stigma Scale (Sass): Development, Factor Structure, And Validation, Ruba Rum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary reason people with social anxiety disorder (SAD) do not seek treatment is due to stigma concerns. Yet, our understanding of SAD stigma hinges heavily on measures that assess general mental illness stigma, which may not capture the distinct aspects of SAD. The goal of this research program was to develop and validate a measure of social anxiety stigma that assesses personal stigma towards people with SAD: the Social Anxiety Stigma Scale (SASS). The SASS was evaluated across three studies. In Study 1 (N = 221), an initial item analysis was conducted on 33 items to remove weak items …

Distinct Nrf2 Signaling Thresholds Mediate Lung Tumor Initiation And Progression, Janine M. Deblasi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

NRF2 is a redox-responsive transcription factor the directs the antioxidant program and several critical metabolic processes. Mutations in NRF2 or its negative regulator KEAP1 occur in up to one third of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) and are often associated with resistance to therapy and poor outcomes. In the present studies, murine alleles of the Keap1 and Nrf2 mutations found in human NSCLC were developed and I comprehensively investigated their impact on tumor initiation and progression. I observed that chronic Nrf2 stabilization by Keap1 loss-of-function or Nrf2 activating mutation was not sufficient to cause lung tumor initiation, even when p53 …

Examining Treatment Differences In Anxiety Disorders And Body-Focused Repetitive And Related Disorders In A Pediatric Clinic Sample, Katrina Scarimbolo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health concerns that affect youth. It is estimated about 9.4% of youth have an anxiety disorder such as panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder or specific phobias (CDC, 2022). The present study includes obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder as a part of the definition of anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders can be comorbid with many mental health conditions. The focus of this study was on the comorbidity between anxiety disorders and body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and related disorders. BFRBs are behaviors that involve repeated picking, …

Reframing Resistance, Resilience, And Racial Equity In Maternal Health: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Paternal Involvement And The Racial Disparity In Severe Maternal Morbidity, Marshara G. Fross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: The preventable, persistent racial inequity observed in maternal and infant death has lasting impacts on African American communities and families. Fathers, partners, and co-parents are important supports during the sensitive and vulnerable perinatal period. Emerging research has begun to demonstrate a concerted effort to move beyond the sphere of medicine and quality improvement, towards exploring and integrating social factors into targeted intervention strategies to address racial inequality in health outcomes. However, sparse literature concentrates on understanding the role of fathers and partners in peripartum care and maternal health outcomes. This study aimed to explore, understand, and describe the role …

Vascular And Auditory Changes After Repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury, Courtney Lynn Penn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects over 2.87 million people in the US each year. The large majority of these injuries can be classified as mild. However, evidence suggests that even mild TBIs can lead to long-lasting symptoms that greatly impact quality of life. This is particularly true when an individual sustains multiple TBIs (repetitive TBI, rTBI). Much of the damage caused by rTBI is due to secondary injury mechanisms that cause the initial injury site to spread and worsen over time. No therapies currently exist which can mitigate secondary injury, and monitoring this phase of rTBI is difficult. Development of …

Understanding How Cancer Adapts To Stress And Therapy Using Evolutionary Game Theory, Mariyah Pressley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adaptive responses in cancer promote disease initiation, progression, and resistance to treatment. Understanding the underlying evolutionary dynamics behind these adaptive responses is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies. Evolutionary game theory (EGT) has proven a useful tool in analyzing how different cellular behaviors and evolutionary forces shape the dynamics of tumor growth, response to therapy, and the emergence of resistance. In this dissertation, we utilize EGT to understand the adaptive responses of cancer through the lens of ecology and evolution. By employing fitness-generating models and exploring various ecological contexts, we aimed to unveil critical factors influencing aggressive cell phenotypes, treatment …

Withaferin A And Immune Checkpoint Blocker Therapy For The Treatment Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Roukiah Khalil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the first cause of cancer-related deaths in both men and women with an overall five-year survival rate of 28%. Although immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) are currently FDA-approved for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), only 17-20% of patients achieve durable responses by the induction of immunologic memory. The lack of response in most patients can be attributed to the tumor-intrinsic or tumor-extrinsic immune resistance mechanisms. A biomarker of importance is the Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1), as higher PD-L1 expression is usually associated with a better response to ICBs. Although studies have attempted to combine ICBs …

A Healthcare Claims Investigation Of Parasomnia Epidemiology, Associations With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, And Rem Sleep Behavior Disorder Correlates, Anh Thy Ha Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parasomnias, such as sleepwalking and nightmare disorder, are abnormal behaviors and emotions emanating from sleep or wake to sleep transitions. Parasomnias can lead to significant adverse outcomes – sleepwalking can result in injuries and hospitalizations, frequent nightmares are associated with self-harm and suicidal thoughts, and rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is linked to neurodegeneration. Despite a history of fascination with abnormal sleep behaviors in the general and medical communities, epidemiologic understanding of parasomnias remains limited, in part due to their amnestic nature and presumption that they are benign childhood problems. This work used the MarketScan® Commercial Claims and …

Assessment Of Iso Heart Rate Method To Estimate Metabolic Rate, Karl Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thermal equilibrium is primarily maintained by the body’s ability to dissipate internal heat generated during muscle contraction. A number of methods have been used to quantify this thermal burden such as charts and observation of workplace activities and behavior, however these have varying levels of validity. ISO 8996 defines a more accurate method of metabolic rate estimation that uses heart rate and maximal work capacity (MWC); however this requires the use of laboratory settings and equipment that are rarely available in the field. Equations such as the ACSM metabolic equation for the total energy expenditure of walking, hereafter referred to …

“I’M Still Suffering”: Mental Health Care Among Central African Refugee Populations In The Tampa Bay Area, C. Danee Ruszczyk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 500 Central African refugee families have been resettled in the Tampa Bay Area since 2002 (RPC, 2022). The cycles of trauma that they have endured place them in vulnerable positions regarding their mental health. Struggling to exist within underfunded social programs that are rigid in their expectations and with the current system of reactive care vs preventative care, the refugees in Tampa are put in a difficult situation of navigating their own health and wellbeing in lieu of having the full support of the United States government and their community. I will discuss how these refugees experience and …

Evaluation Of Two Methods To Estimate Wet Bulb Globe Temperature From Heat Index, Stephi Pofanl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is a common method to evaluate environmental factors that contribute to occupational heat stress. The Heat Index (HI) is readily available as an alternative to exposure methods. They both assess the most important contributors that are air temperature and humidity. WBGT also includes radiant heat and air motion. To account for radiant heat and/or air motion, some investigators have suggested adjustments to HI. The purpose of this study is to explore two methods to estimate the usefulness of WBGT from HI.

WBGT data were collected in a variety of locations that included direct sun …

Improving The Subjective Well-Being Of Autistic Youth Utilizing A Positive Psychology Intervention, Nicolette Bauermeister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized a single-case multiple-baseline design to analyze the effects of a ten-week multi-component positive psychology intervention, the Well-Being Promotion Program, on the subjective well-being of Autistic youth. This thesis addressed a gap in the literature regarding the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions when administered to Autistic middle schoolers. Three Autistic middle schoolers participated in this single-case design study. Dynamic decision-making was used to stagger intervention implementation across the three participants. Life satisfaction and positive/negative affect data were collected via a Qualtrics survey that was administered twice per week. Through visual analysis and Baseline Corrected Tau calculations, it was …

Development Of A Ddpcr Multiplex To Measure The Immune Response To Borrelia Burgdorferi., Kailey Marie Mccain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Zoonotic diseases account for a significant proportion of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), with their dynamics being heavily influenced by the environment. While the effects of the environment on population-level disease dynamics have been extensively studied, there is limited research investigating the impact of the environment on individual-level disease susceptibility and transmission. This study aims to fill this gap by creating a tool to examine the variation in immune response to Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease, in two competent host species, Peromyscus leucopus and Peromyscus maniculatus. Two triplex droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assays were developed to …

An Analysis Of State Sex Education Policies To Explore The Inclusiveness Of School Based Sex Education, Amarah Scott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze state policies related to sex education proposed between 2018 and 2022 to determine the extent to which sex education needs of LGBTQ youth were being addressed. Previous research has shown that, on average, both abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education curricula do not include information that is relevant to LGBTQ youth. Much of the information included in sex education curricula such as pregnancy prevention and the benefits and disadvantages of condoms are most relevant to youth who identify as heterosexual. Not receiving relevant and accurate sex education puts LGBTQ youth at risk for …

Variability Of Air Sampling Results Using Air-O-Cell Cassettes, Christina M. Haworth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No current federal or state standards for mold exposure exist, partly due to the lack of accurate methods for assessing fungal exposure. Exposure to airborne fungal spores can result in several symptoms such as allergic rhinitis, coughing, and fatigue. Non-industrial occupational settings are common and fungal exposures may occur in these environments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the meaningfulness of fungal spore trap results from samples collected in both a corporate office and a university classroom. Air-O-Cell cassettes with a Zefon Bio-Pump were used to collect one outdoor and three indoor samples at each location on three …

Contribution Of Contextual Factors And Neuropathology To Dementia, Monica E. Nelson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that has extensive biological heterogeneity. It is not clear the extent to which this heterogeneity may be detected in participants without dementia, how it relates to incident AD dementia, and whether contextual factors may change how neuropathology relates to incident AD dementia. Therefore, this dissertation was completed using data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; n = 1,703) and the Czech Brain Aging Study (CBAS; n = 385) to address the following aims: to assess biological heterogeneity in participants without dementia, to relate this heterogeneity to incident AD dementia, and to …

“They’Re Still Trying To Wrap Their Head Around Forever”: An Anatomy Of Hope For Spinal Cord Injury Patients, William A. Lucas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation draws on ethnographic data to investigate the nature of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation in Central Florida, using participant observation and interview data to understand how people with SCI (pwSCI) conceptualize their own disabilities after experiencing such radical alterations in their subjectivities. Using case studies and ethnographic vignettes, it argues that the extreme double binds in which pwSCI find themselves (where they are personally ordinarily disabled and socially extraordinarily novel; and where they are enabled resources to pursue “hopeful” therapy modalities while being designated as hopelessly disabled) is further polarized by the various legislative regimes of truth in …

Pamam- Cyclodextrin Conjugate Upregulates Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor In Arpe-19 Cells, Gopika Ashokan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major contributor to death and disability due to motorvehicle accidents, sports, physical abuse, and battlefield injuries. The primary insult to the brain leads to inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the brain as well as in the eye. This leads to loss of Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) and downregulation of Brain derived Neurotopic Factor (BDNF). BDNF is a neurotrophic factor that binds to Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase B (TrkB) receptor to promote cell growth, survival, and differentiation. Current treatment strategies do not promote neuronal regeneration. Therefore, novel treatments are needed to restore vision …

Identifying Contributors To Disproportionality: The Influence Of Perception On Student Social, Emotional, And Academic Behavior Ratings, Chelsea Salvatore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Successful implementation of the MTSS framework involves equitable assessment and decision-making. This calls for researchers to investigate the processes utilized to identify students for early behavioral support, such as multi-informant universal social-emotional behavioral screening. The current study aimed to investigate this by first examining the usability of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Subscale (SAEBRS) and the student self-report version (mySAEBRS) across Black and White students in grades seven through nine. After examining these tools for measurement invariance, the trifactor model was employed with race as a predictor variable to examine the mean difference of Black and White students’ scores …

Intimate Conversations: A Mixed-Methods Study Of African American Father-Adolescent Sexual Risk Communication, Shanda A. Vereen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Approximately 50% of African American (AA) high school students are sexually active and a large proportion of sexually active AA students report engaging in sexual risk behaviors such as not using condoms at last intercourse. Consequently, AA adolescents in the United States experience outcomes of risky sexual behaviors at high rates. Evidence shows parents have an effect on shaping adolescent attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding sex through sexual risk communication (SRC). Although parent-adolescent SRC is associated with reductions in sexual risk behaviors among AA adolescents, research has primarily focused on mothers. While parents acknowledge that SRC is traditionally viewed …