Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Design And Synthesis Of Bioactive Peptidomimetics, Yaogang Hu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) play a very important role in biological functions and therefore the inhibition of specific Protein-Protein Interactions has a huge therapeutic value. The most successful small molecular PPIs inhibitors do not fit with the prevalent `Rule of Five' drug profile. To overcome the disadvantages of small molecular PPIs inhibitors, peptide based PPIs inhibitors were developed. Herein we describe the development of a new class of peptidomimetics AA-peptides. The AApeptides were designed based on chiral PNA backbone. Substitution of nucleobases yields AApeptides that are resistant to proteolysis and capable of mimicking peptides. Two types of AApeptides were discussed in …

Optimization Of Aggregating Agents And Sers Substrates For Sers Detection Of Cotinine And Trans 3'-Hydroxycotinine, Sungyub Han

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation mainly focuses on applications of Surface Enhance Raman Scattering (SERS) to detect tobacco-related biomarkers with optimized experimental conditions (pH and aggregating agents) and SERS substrates (silica core and silver shell nanoparticles). Cotinine (COT) and trans 3-hydroxycotinine (3HC), metabolized from nicotine as one of main chemicals of tobacco, have been used as tobacco biomarkers because their half-life are longer than that of nicotine, which enable to monitor the tobacco exposure. The effects of aggregating agents and pH on SERS detection of COT and 3HC were investigated. Aggregating agents play an important role in SERS detection of target molecules since …

Coherent Digital Holographic Adaptive Optics, Changgeng Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A new type of adaptive optics (AO) based on the principles of digital holography (DH) is proposed and developed for the use in wide-field and confocal retinal imaging. Digital holographic adaptive optics (DHAO) dispenses with the wavefront sensor and wavefront corrector of the conventional AO system. DH is an emergent imaging technology that gives direct numerical access to the phase of the optical field, thus allowing precise control and manipulation of the optical field. Incorporation of DH in an ophthalmic imaging system can lead to versatile imaging capabilities at substantially reduced complexity and cost of the instrument. A typical conventional …

2014 Oxford Volcano Seismology Discussion Workshop Report, Mel Rodgers, David Pyle, Tamsin Mather, Diana Roman, Mark Thomas

School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Identification And Characterization Of N-Acyltransferase Enzymes That Are Involved In The Biosynthesis Of Fatty Acid Amides, Daniel Robert Dempsey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fatty acid amides are an emerging family of bioactive lipids that consists of N-acylethanolamines, N-acylarylalkylamides, N-acylglycines, N-acyl amino acids, N-monoacylpolyamides, and primary fatty acid amides. Short chain fatty acid amides are products of inactivated biogenic amines such as dopamine, histamine, octopamine, and serotonin, whereas long chain fatty acid amides have been implicated in a number of physiological process such as the perception and inhibition of chronic pain through binding to their specific receptors. The most famous; therefore, the most studied long chain fatty acid amide is anandamide or also known as N-arachidonylethanolamine. The biosynthesis …

Review Of Naked Statistics: Stripping The Dread From Data By Charles Wheelan, Michael T. Catalano

Numeracy

Wheelan, Charles. Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from Data (New York, NY, W. W. Norton & Company, 2014). 282 pp. ISBN 978-0-393-07195-5

In his review of What Numbers Say and The Numbers Game, Rob Root (Numeracy 3(1): 9) writes “Popular books on quantitative literacy need to be easy to read, reasonably comprehensive in scope, and include examples that are thought-provoking and memorable.” Wheelan’s book certainly meets this description, and should be of interest to both the general public and those with a professional interest in numeracy. A moderately diligent learner can get a decent understanding of basic statistics …

Improving University Students' Perception Of Mathematics And Mathematics Ability, Shelly L. Wismath, Alyson Worrall

Numeracy

Although mathematical and quantitative reasoning skills are an essential part of adult life in our society, many students arrive at post-secondary education without such skills. Taking a standard mathematics course such as calculus may do little to improve those skills. Using a modification of the Tapia & Marsh questionnaire, we surveyed 62 students taking a broad quantitative reasoning course designed to develop quantitative skills, with respect to two broad attitudinal areas: students’ perception of their own ability, confidence and anxiety, and their perception of the value of mathematics in their studies and their lives. Pre- to post-course comparisons were done …

Design, Testing And Implementation Of A New Authentication Method Using Multiple Devices, Cagri Cetin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Authentication protocols are very common mechanisms to confirm the legitimacy of someone’s or something’s identity in digital and physical systems.

This thesis presents a new and robust authentication method based on users’ multiple devices. Due to the popularity of mobile devices, users are becoming more likely to have more than one device (e.g., smartwatch, smartphone, laptop, tablet, smart-car, smart-ring, etc.). The authentication system presented here takes advantage of these multiple devices to implement authentication mechanisms. In particular, the system requires the devices to collaborate with each other in order for the authentication to succeed. This new authentication protocol is robust …

Relational Agency, Networked Technology, And The Social Media Aftermath Of The Boston Marathon Bombing, Megan M. Mcintyre

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Agency is a foundational and ongoing concern for the field of Rhetoric and Composition. Long thought to be a product and possession of human action, rhetorical agency represents the most obvious connection between the educational and theoretical work of the field and the civic project of liberal arts and humanities education. Existing theories of anthropocentric rhetorical agency are insufficient, however, to account for the complex technological work of digitally enmeshed networks of humans and nonhumans. To better account for these complex networks, this project argues for the introduction of new materialist theories of distributed agency into conversations about agency within …

Reducing The Control Burden Of Legged Robotic Locomotion Through Biomimetic Consonance In Mechanical Design And Control, Caitrin Elizabeth Eaton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Terrestrial robots must be capable of negotiating rough terrain if they are to become autonomous outside of the lab. Although the control mechanism offered by wheels is attractive in its simplicity, any wheeled system is confined to relatively flat terrain. Wheels will also only ever be useful for rolling, while limbs observed in nature are highly multimodal. The robust locomotive utility of legs is evidenced by the many animals that walk, run, jump, swim, and climb in a world full of challenging terrain.

On the other hand, legs with multiple degrees of freedom (DoF) require much more complex control and …

Population Dynamics Of The Little Gulper Shark (Centrophorus Uyato) And Community Analyses Of Elasmobranch Species In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Jacquelin Joye Hipes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In chapter 1 I describe the population dynamics of an understudied species of gulper shark, Centrophorus uyato (common name, the Little Gulper), found in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Sharks in the family Centrophoridae are mid-sized, demersal fish, with seven species identified in North American waters. These deepwater species can be difficult to study due to the extreme depths at which they occur. During four longlining cruises from 2012-2014, 593 sharks were landed, predominantly in the Mississippi Canyon off the Louisiana coast. Mean depth of capture was 290 m. Supplementing these data are catch records for C. uyato from a …

Traits And Roles Of Jonas Kamlet, Pioneering Chemistry Consultant, As A Guide To Contemporary Inventors, Dean F. Martin, Autumn S. Thompson

Chemistry Faculty Publications

As state universities feel economic pinches of reduced support from state legislatures, and as sources of federal funding for supported research projects face additional challenges, other sources of support need to be found. Two sources under consideration are royalties and licensing fees for successful patents. A good example of a successful developer of patents was Jonas Kamlet, Ph.D. (1914‐1960), who was an early consultant in chemical and other matters and was the successful co-owner, with his wife Edna, of the Kamlet Laboratories. The roles that he played in his career can, we believe, provide good examples for contemporary researchers in …

Surface Science Studies Of Graphene Interfaces, Arjun Dahal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interfaces between graphene and dissimilar materials are needed for making devices, but those interfaces also modify the graphene properties due to charge transfer and/or symmetry breaking. In this dissertation we investigate the technology of preparing graphene on different substrates and how the substrate influences the electronic properties of graphene.

Synthesizing large area graphene on late transition metals by chemical vapor deposition is a promising approach for many applications of graphene. Among the transition metals, nickel has advantages because the good lattice match and strong interaction between graphene/Ni(111) enables the synthesis of a single domain of graphene on Ni(111). However, the …

Patient Populations, Clinical Associations, And System Efficiency In Healthcare Delivery System, Yazhuo Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The efforts to improve health care delivery usually involve studies and analysis of patient populations and healthcare systems. In this dissertation, I present the research conducted in the following areas: identifying patient groups, improving treatments for specific conditions by using statistical as well as data mining techniques, and developing new operation research models to increase system efficiency from the health institutes’ perspective. The results provide better understanding of high risk patient groups, more accuracy in detecting disease’ correlations and practical scheduling tools that consider uncertain operation durations and real-life constraints.

Driftless Area Karst Of Northwestern Illinois And Its Effects On Groundwater Quality, Samuel V. Panno, Walton R. Kelly

Sinkhole Conference 2015

The bedrock aquifer of the Driftless Area of northwestern Illinois is Ordovician-age Galena Dolomite. Previous work by the authors and others showed that the geology and hydrogeology of this area fall well within the definition of karst. Bedrock in the study area has been shown to be extensively fractured and creviced; karst features in the county are dominated by solution-enlarged crevices from 0.4 inches to 3 feet wide within most road cuts and quarries examined. Other karst features include cover-collapse sinkholes ranging from 3 to 25 feet in diameter overlying Galena Dolomite, karst springs and crevice caves. A preliminary evaluation …

Sound Attenuation Performance Of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Circumaural Hearing Protection Devices, Steven Christopher Augustine

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Personnel who work on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier are exposed to extreme levels of jet engine noise often in excess of 140 decibels (dB). The current circumaural hearing protective devices (CAHPD) employed by flight deck crewmen are inadequate for the level of protection required for these extreme levels of noise. Fiber-reinforced thermoset polymer composite (FRPC) materials such as aramid fibers used in body armor, have high theoretical values of acoustic impedance due to a fundamentally high modulus of elasticity and may offer a superior level of hearing protection over original equipment (OE) thermoplastic CAHPDs. The objective of …

The Use Of Textural Kinetic Habitats To Mine Diagnostic Information From Dce Mr Images Of Breast Tumors, Baishali Chaudhury

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) of the breast is a widely used non-invasive approach to gather information about the underlying physiology of breast tumors. Recent studies indicate that breast tumor heterogeneity may reflect the presence of different levels of cellular aggressiveness or habitats within the tumor. This heterogeneity has been correlated to the variations in the contrast enhancement patterns within the tumor apparent on gadolinium-enhanced DCE-MRI. Although pathological and qualitative (based on contrast enhancement patterns) studies suggest the presence of clini- cal and molecular predictive tumor sub-regions, this has not been fully investigated in the quantitative domain.

The …

Achieving Reliable Generation \& Delivery Of Energy Through Robust Optimization, Anna Danandeh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we elaborate on the inherent risks and uncertainties in power systems and associated industries, and develop practical solution methods to eliminate their adverse effects.

our research agenda consists of practice-driven problems in different stages of power generation as follows. (1) Affordable fuel procurement through developing a comprehensive fuel supply chain design and operations planning system for electricity generation companies, (2) reliable electricity generation through incorporating dynamic asset rating concept in the unit commitment problem, and (3) efficient demand management through proposing a job scheduling model for effective local generation consumption.

Since reliability cannot be compromised in energy …

Analysis Of Carbon Policies For Electricity Networks With High Penetration Of Green Generation, Felipe Feijoo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, climate change has become one of the most crucial challenges for humanity. Climate change has a direct correlation with global warming, caused mainly by the green house gas emissions (GHG). The Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S. (EPA) attributes carbon dioxide to account for approximately 82\% of the GHG emissions. Unfortunately, the energy sector is the main producer of carbon dioxide, with China and the U.S. as the highest emitters. Therefore, there is a strong (positive) correlation between energy production, global warming, and climate change. Stringent carbon emissions reduction targets have been established in order to reduce …

Effects Of Solids Retention Time And Feeding Frequency On Performance And Pathogen Fate In Semi-Continuous Mesophilic Anaerobic Digesters, Nathan Daniel Manser

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anaerobic digestion is a biochemical process in which organic carbon is biodegraded in an oxygen free environment through a microbial consortium. Engineered biological systems used for resource recovery often utilize anaerobic digestion to treat anthropogenic organic wastes by reclaiming the carbon as energy (methane gas) and a soil amendment (biosolids). Small-scale, or household, semi-continuous anaerobic digesters have been used in developed and developing countries for many decades to produce biogas from human and livestock waste, which is used for heating, lighting, and cooking. This application has been shown to improve the quality of life of the user. Although there is …

2,4-Disubstituted Quinazolines With Antileishmanial Or Antibacterial Activity, Megan Marie Barber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Herein 47 2,4-disubstituted quinazolines were synthesized and tested against Leishmania donovani intracellular amastigotes. A structure-activity relationship was conducted and lead to the identification of quinazolines with EC50s in the single digit and high nanomolar range with favorable antileishmanial selectivity indexes. Quinazoline 2.6 and 2.31 underwent in vivo efficacy studies in murine models of visceral leishmaniasis, reducing liver parasitemia by 12 % and 24 %, respectively, when given by the intraperitoneal route at 15 mg/kg/day x 5 days. The antileishmanial efficacy and easy of synthesis make the 2,4-disubstituted quinazoline compound series a suitable platform for the future development of antileishmanial agents. …

Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds: Measurement In Tampa Bay, Removal From Sewage And Development Of An Estrogen Receptor Model, Monica Mion Cook

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The significance of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in the environment has only recently come to the forefront of scientific research, policy debates, water utilities management and public awareness. EDCs have the ability to interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system of humans and other animals. Numerous chemicals are included in the class of compounds known as EDCs, and exposure is widespread. These compounds are found in a variety of environmental matrices (e.g., marine and freshwater systems, sediment, soil), transported there primarily through sewage effluent discharge and recycling of sewage sludge for topical fertilizer use. This transport to the environment …

Statistical Learning With Artificial Neural Network Applied To Health And Environmental Data, Taysseer Sharaf

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study illustrates the utilization of artificial neural network in statistical methodology. More specifically in survival analysis and time series analysis, where both holds an important and wide use in many applications in our real life. We start our discussion by utilizing artificial neural network in survival analysis. In literature there exist two important methodology of utilizing artificial neural network in survival analysis based on discrete survival time method. We illustrate the idea of discrete survival time method and show how one can estimate the discrete model using artificial neural network. We present a comparison between the two methodology …

Fabrication Of Tissue Precursors Induced By Shape-Changing Hydrogels, Olukemi O. Akintewe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scaffold based tissue reconstruction inherently limits regenerative capacity due to inflammatory response and limited cell migration. In contrast, scaffold-free methods promise formation of functional tissues with both reduced adverse host reactions and enhanced integration. Cell-sheet engineering is a well-known bottom-up tissue engineering approach that allows the release of intact cell sheet from a temperature responsive polymer such as poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAAm). pNIPAAm is an ideal template for culturing cell sheets because it undergoes a sharp volume-phase transition owing to the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interaction around its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32°C, a temperature close to physiological temperature. Compared to …

Experimental Investigation Of Encapsulated Phase Change Materials For Thermal Energy Storage, Tanvir E. Alam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thermal energy storage (TES) is one of the most attractive and cost effective solutions to the intermittent generation systems like solar, wind and other renewable sources, compared to alternatives. It creates a bridge between the power supply and demand during peak hours or at times of emergency to ensure the continuous supply of energy. Among all the TES systems, latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) draws lots of interests as it has high energy density and can store or retrieve energy isothermally. Two major technical challenges associated with the LHTES are low thermal conductivity of the phase change materials (PCMs), …

Communication Of Lava Flow Hazards At The San Francisco Volcanic Field, Flagstaff, Arizona, Catherine St. John Carter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines different methods of communicating volcanic hazards to the population of Flagstaff, Arizona using the results of a recent lava flow hazard assessment of the nearby San Francisco Volcanic Field (SFVF). Harburger (2014) determined that given a lava flow originating in the SFVF, there is a statistical probability that it will inundate the city of Flagstaff or even originate from a vent within the city limits. Based on the recurrence rates for the most recent eruptions (3 x 10-4/year), the probability of lava flow inundation in Flagstaff is 1.1 x 10-5 per year.

This study considers the effects …

Computational Investigations Of Potential Energy Function Development For Metal-Organic Framework Simulations, Metal Carbenes, And Chemical Warfare Agents, Christian R. Cioce

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are three-dimensional porous nanomaterials with a variety of applications, including catalysis, gas storage and separation, and sustainable energy. Their potential as air filtration systems is of interest for designer carbon capture materials. The chemical constituents (i.e. organic ligands) can be functionalized to create rationally designed CO2 sequestration platforms, for example. Hardware and software alike at the bleeding edge of supercomputing are utilized for designing first principles-based molecular models for the simulation of gas sorption in these frameworks. The classical potentials developed herein are named PHAST -- Potentials with High Accuracy, Speed, and Transferability, and thus are designed …

Comparison Of Isotope-Based Biomass Pathways With Groundfish Community Structure In The Eastern Gulf Of Mexico, Sheri Ann Huelster

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study compared traditional community analysis with stable-isotope trophic analysis to define process-based trophic elements of community structure in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and developed a predictive capability regarding changes to fish community structure that would be expected from increasing eutrophication. Specifically, it used an existing trawl survey program (SEAMAP) to compare invertebrate herbivore (sponge and sea urchin) isotopes with groundfish isotopes, and then compared the resulting spatial patterns with spatial variation in community structure, as identified by cluster analysis. The comparison was applied to seven NMFS survey zones that extended offshore from the Caloosahatchee River, FL northwest to …

Tornado Fatalities: An In-Depth Look At Physical And Societal Influences, Heather Joann Key

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to model and determine significant predictors of tornado death index values, and to investigate these significant predictors and what makes people vulnerable to tornado fatalities through expert interviews. This study also provides an understanding of the study participant’s perceptions of their county’s vulnerability to tornado fatality and demonstrates a true integration of methods and fields by studying geographic, meteorological, and sociological phenomena by use of quantitative and qualitative methods. The study consists of two parts: 1) A quantitative exploration of variables hypothesized to predict Tornado Death Index (TDI) values, 2) A qualitative investigation to …

Schreibersite: Synthesis, Characterization And Corrosion And Possible Implications For Origin Of Life, Nikita Latesha La Cruz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We present study of the synthesis and reactions of an analog of the meteoritic mineral schreibersite with formula (Fe,Ni)3P, believed to be a prebiotic source of reactive phosphorus that may have prompted the formation of phosphorylated biomolecules near the time of the origin of life (Pasek and Lauretta, 2005). The mineral was synthesized by mixing stoichiometric proportions of elemental iron, nickel and phosphorus and heating in a tube furnace at 820°C for approximately 235 hours under argon or under vacuum, a modification of the method of Skála and Drábek (2002). The mineral was characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron …