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Isolating And Testing Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria From Marine And Terrestrial Samples From St. Petersburg, Fl, Arianna M. Reybitz Jun 2015

Isolating And Testing Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria From Marine And Terrestrial Samples From St. Petersburg, Fl, Arianna M. Reybitz

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Many current antibacterial agents on the market are derived from compounds naturally produced by bacteria. This experiment was conducted to isolate and assess possible antibacterial strains, namely Actinomycetes, from 50 mL of marine and terrestrial samples collected from nine locations around the St. Petersburg area. The agar plates were prepared with Jensen’s AMM agar and inoculated with bacterial samples which had been diluted by factor 1:100 and heated. Three plates were initially assigned to a sample to test against three laboratory bacteria by the overlay method. Then isolates were selected and inoculated onto TSA and BHI agar plates to test …


Floating Worlds: Western Representations And Appropriations Of Japanese Art, 1850s-1900, Hope Sewell Apr 2015

Floating Worlds: Western Representations And Appropriations Of Japanese Art, 1850s-1900, Hope Sewell

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

As the world became more globally connected in the nineteenth century, ideas began to travel. Literature, music, fashion, and art around the world were all inspired by these cultures. Movements such as Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, which are largely seen as simply French art, actually had various outside influences. The Impressionist movement was influenced by cultures far outside of France, and even Europe. Although many have heard of the influences of Spanish painters such as Francisco Goya upon the Impressionist artists, far fewer have heard about the influence of the Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, which was a much stronger influence. This …


Traumatic Brain Injury And Neurodegenerative Disease: A Literature Review, Mark C. Raiff Apr 2015

Traumatic Brain Injury And Neurodegenerative Disease: A Literature Review, Mark C. Raiff

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Through my thesis, I plan on showing that future research is needed as this is a rapidly evolving field. We are continually finding out new information on how the brain reacts to trauma both immediately following an injury as well as long term. Along with this we also are discovering new treatment methods. My hope would be that we could discover more non-pharmaceutical methods of treatment of TBI’s in both the short term and long term. I personally have suffered numerous TBI’s from wrestling professionally and suffer through many of the symptoms I will discuss. If my thesis helps even …


Fulfilling Your Wanderlust: A College Students’ Guide To Studying Abroad And Independent Travel, Elizabeth M. Roslonowski Apr 2015

Fulfilling Your Wanderlust: A College Students’ Guide To Studying Abroad And Independent Travel, Elizabeth M. Roslonowski

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The purpose of this document is to serve as a guide to studying abroad and independent travel for college students, aside from it being a required work for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Honors Program. It is a working outline for an eventual E-­‐Book. My plans with this outline are to update it annually as I gain more experience and knowledge that will contribute to develop this potential E-­‐ Book into the best version it can be. The document is divided into two parts – the first covers study abroad and all the details accompanying one, while the …


The Effects Of Elevated Temperature On The Growth And Size Of The Ribbed Mussel Geukensia Demissa, Alexandra A. Hernandez Apr 2015

The Effects Of Elevated Temperature On The Growth And Size Of The Ribbed Mussel Geukensia Demissa, Alexandra A. Hernandez

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The impact of elevated water temperatures on the growth of the ribbed mussel Geukensia demissa was examined in order to assess the effects of temperature increases due to climate change predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Fifty-seven mussels were distributed into treatments of 23°C, 27°C, and 31°C for 31 days. Measurements of weight, length, and width were compared. There was no significant impact on growth rates in varied temperatures. Mussels exposed to 31°C had the largest average shell length. Average shell length was found to be similar at 23°C and 27°C. Total change in average size was calculated …


Calculus: The Board Game, Nicholas C. Mazza Apr 2015

Calculus: The Board Game, Nicholas C. Mazza

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis explores the creation and evolution of an original calculus board game. To chart the evolution of the game, participant feedback was gathered over multiple developmental game phases. To see how well the board game could teach calculus, pre and post test data was gathered during later game development phases to see if individual participants showed any improvements in their abilities to solve calculus problems. The results showed minor improvements in calculus abilities regardless of prior calculus knowledge. Further game testing needs to be done to fully evaluate the effectiveness of this calculus board game.


Framing Abortion In The Media: A Case Study Of The Coverage Of The 2013 Wendy Davis Filibuster, Jennifer Nesslar Apr 2015

Framing Abortion In The Media: A Case Study Of The Coverage Of The 2013 Wendy Davis Filibuster, Jennifer Nesslar

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The project undertaken is an analysis of potential media bias regarding newspapers’ coverage of the Wendy Davis filibuster in 2013. This study seeks to answer the question: “Are the media biased in use of terms regarding abortion?” Grounded in framing theory, this study uses textual analysis to review the terms different newspapers use in their coverage of the Wendy Davis filibuster. Three newspapers are examined: The Austin American-Statesman, The New York Times and The Washington Times. The researcher reviews news stories related to the Wendy Davis filibuster during the 2013 Texas legislative session. On June 25, 2013, Sen. Davis filibustered …


Behind The Curtain: A Look Into Food Production In The United States, Placido Edward Martinez Apr 2015

Behind The Curtain: A Look Into Food Production In The United States, Placido Edward Martinez

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

No abstract provided.


Conservatism In Accounting, Matthew R. Garrison Apr 2015

Conservatism In Accounting, Matthew R. Garrison

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The accounting principle of conservatism has its roots with bankers and debt financing. Bankers have urged businesses to underestimate earnings and overestimate expenses in order for the investors to make safer decisions in the future. Conservatism was relatively practical during the rudimentary beginnings of business. However, due to changes in corporate finance and new users of financial statements, conservatism has no place in financial accounting. Undoubtedly judgments and estimates must be made, but conservatism is no longer an accounting principle and the most accurate figure possible should be used with no bias in either direction.


Improving Sexual Health Education Through Graphic Design, Jocelyn A. Hall Jan 2015

Improving Sexual Health Education Through Graphic Design, Jocelyn A. Hall

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

For this portion of the thesis project, I will be submitting storyboards that will later translate into web-ready materials as a click-through game, also known as a visual novel. Visual novels are designed similarly to “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, but are, as the name suggests, visually based. Ultimately, I would like to create a functioning and playable game that could serve as a teaching tool as well as entertainment, thereby filling a niche in our digital-based age. In the event that publishing the game or creating a game that functions properly is not possible, the material to be included …


The Basics: A One Week Survival Curriculum For English Language Learners, Kristin Nesslar Jan 2015

The Basics: A One Week Survival Curriculum For English Language Learners, Kristin Nesslar

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

No abstract provided.


Jury Decision-Making: Normative And Informational Influences, Daniel Brown Jul 2014

Jury Decision-Making: Normative And Informational Influences, Daniel Brown

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Juries are distinct groups in which scholars have been investigating for decades past. Members of these groups- called jurors- are key players in the court process and are susceptible to psychological concepts such as social conformity. With previous studies showing that jurors can be affected by both normative and informational influences, this calls into question the idea of being influenced through reading hypothetical scenarios instead of being present in the actual situation. This study is designed to examine the effect of one’s own decision-making about court cases during jury deliberations through knowing peer decisions. In this experiment, comprised of two …


The Influence Of Gene Transfer Agents In Symbiodinium Associated Microbial Communities And The Coral Holobiont, Kelly O'Connell May 2014

The Influence Of Gene Transfer Agents In Symbiodinium Associated Microbial Communities And The Coral Holobiont, Kelly O'Connell

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Coral reefs serve an imperative role in the formation of marine ecosystems. They act as the foundation for complex food webs by supporting fish, sponges, algae, and invertebrates. However, coral bleaching and climate change have become major concerns in the conservation of ocean species over the past few decades. As a result, new methods of restoration are necessary for the propagation of these endangered coral species. This study focuses on the critical role that the symbiotic algae Symbiodinium, as well as their associated bacteria, play in the health of coral. A specific type of bacteria, α-proteobacteria, use virus-like particles called …


Crossover: Race And The Changing Culture Of The Nba, Roger Walker Apr 2014

Crossover: Race And The Changing Culture Of The Nba, Roger Walker

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

“The game of basketball has been everything to me. My place of refuge, place I've always gone where I needed comfort and peace. It's been the site of intense pain and the most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction. It's a relationship that has evolved over time, given me the greatest respect and love for the game”-(Michael Jordan). Basketball has captivated the hearts and minds of people since its creation over 130 years ago. The sport allows players to showcase their natural athletic abilities in a unique and unprecedented way. In contemporary times the pinnacle of the sport of basketball …


Parks Of Pinellas: A Reflection, Ryan Ballogg Apr 2014

Parks Of Pinellas: A Reflection, Ryan Ballogg

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

No abstract provided.


Looting On The Digital Sea: An Economic Analysis Of Music Piracy, Jesse S. Daw Apr 2014

Looting On The Digital Sea: An Economic Analysis Of Music Piracy, Jesse S. Daw

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The development of the internet has brought about a profound shift in the music industry for both record labels and the artists they represent. This shift has come as a result of modem capabilities for music to be hosted online and available to be downloaded by consumers over the internet. These innovations have allowed record labels and independent musicians to sell their music through a new and convenient medium, and services provided by companies such as ITunes and Amazon have introduced more options for consumers purchasing music. However, the ability to access music over the internet has created a new …


Regeneration Rates Of The Brittle Star Ophiocoma Echinata Under Conditions Of Near-Future Ocean Acidification And Temperature, Steven E. Bruzek Apr 2014

Regeneration Rates Of The Brittle Star Ophiocoma Echinata Under Conditions Of Near-Future Ocean Acidification And Temperature, Steven E. Bruzek

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Ocean acidification is the result of uptake of atmospheric CO2 in the oceans. Anthropogenic CO2 emissions have increased rapidly since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Along with an increase in acidity, the ocean’s average temperature is rising from global warming. This study investigates the near-future (year 2100) effects of acidification and temperature on regeneration rates of the brittle star Ophiocoma echinata. Using HCl to induce acidification, regeneration rates for near-future conditions (pH 7.8 and temperature 30°C) did not decrease significantly from present conditions. Regeneration increased significantly with an increase in temperature alone, suggesting a complex interaction between temperature and …


An Ideal American Currency: We Can Eliminate Our National Debt, Valerie M. Gannon Apr 2014

An Ideal American Currency: We Can Eliminate Our National Debt, Valerie M. Gannon

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

A currency, as the word implies, should flow through an economy with optimum fluidity and be maintained in a quantity that facilitates trade and commerce between individuals supplying the labor used to fuel the corresponding economy. By examining the attributes of a currency, by definition and in practice throughout history, I will construct a model for an ideal currency for the U.S. This vision will raise awareness about how a currency should truly function in a democratic republic, while taking into consideration the inherent limitations of the labor supply and our natural resources. It will serve as a template for …


A Cultural And Historical Narrative Of The Titanic, Jillian Woodfield Apr 2014

A Cultural And Historical Narrative Of The Titanic, Jillian Woodfield

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Unlike the little engine that could make it up the steep hill, the Titanic could not make it across the vast Atlantic, and yet it has fascinated and inspired people for generations. By definition, the word “titanic” means monumental, gigantic, or colossal. When people hear the word, however, they do not think of its literal meaning, but associate it with the ship that suffered a tremendous tragedy. The story of the Titanic did not end the night it sank on a frigid night more than one-hundred years ago. Indeed, it is a never-ending story that has been added to and …


Socioemotional Benefits Of Animal-Assisted Occupational Therapy With Children: A Review Of The Literature And Directions For Future Research, Christine E. Bruzek Apr 2014

Socioemotional Benefits Of Animal-Assisted Occupational Therapy With Children: A Review Of The Literature And Directions For Future Research, Christine E. Bruzek

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Animal-assisted therapy has developed into a valuable tool for therapeutic interventions with children. Previous studies have targeted physical outcomes and comfort functions of animal-assisted therapy. This thesis sought to establish the extent to which evidence marshaled to date supports the hypothesis that canine and equine assisted therapy may also produce benefits in children’s mental health (socioemotional) outcomes in the areas of assertiveness, competence, and interpersonal relatedness. A review of the animal-assisted therapy literature identified a general lack of research specific to this area. This said, the very limited research base relevant to this topic did provide suggestive evidence that canine …


Unintentional Gerrymandering: Why Location Matters In Politics, Thomas P. Towzey Apr 2014

Unintentional Gerrymandering: Why Location Matters In Politics, Thomas P. Towzey

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

In the 2012 election for the United States House of Representatives, a plurality of voters voted for a Democratic candidate, but despite this, the Republican Party won a majority of the House races. There are several possible explanations for this discrepancy, most notably partisan gerrymandering. However, with this paper, I wanted to explore another explanation, one which has received little attention in comparison to partisan gerrymandering. I believe that “Unintentional Gerrymandering” is a key reason for the discrepancy between votes and seats in many elections, including in the 2012 House of Representatives election. Unintentional Gerrymandering occurs when the voters for …


The Effectiveness Of Teaching Ethics, And How Different Majors Perceive One Another’S Ethics, Sarah Smith Apr 2014

The Effectiveness Of Teaching Ethics, And How Different Majors Perceive One Another’S Ethics, Sarah Smith

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis examines the effectiveness of teaching ethics, especially to accounting and other College of Business majors. It examines what the most effective methods of teaching ethics are, and whether the current methods used by teachers at USF have the intended emphasis on the importance of ethics in business. First, it examines the literature surrounding the topic of ethics education in business, then examines the reasons that ethical behavior is necessary in business, and then it examines the results of an opinion based survey taken by students. The survey results demonstrate that, while students within the College of Business gave …


Tax Loopholes And Expenditures : An Analysis, Ed B. Bernal Apr 2014

Tax Loopholes And Expenditures : An Analysis, Ed B. Bernal

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Loophole is a term that is often misused by politicians and the general public to criticize tax incentives such as the preferential capital gains tax rate and the charitable contributions deduction. This use of the term id imprecise because of the underlying implication that those using the law as it is intended are “cheating the system.” Most of these tax incentives are actually tax expenditures passed by the government to subsidize specific groups or activities. Because both tax expenditures and loopholes reduce the tax liability of their beneficiary legally, the line separating the two seems very thin. The purpose of …


Evolution Of Maternal Investment Strategies For The Order Crocodylia, Ileisy Lobaina Apr 2014

Evolution Of Maternal Investment Strategies For The Order Crocodylia, Ileisy Lobaina

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

The order Crocodylia includes two alligators, six caimans, thirteen crocodiles and two gharials species. In this study, the maternal investments by species in the order Crocodylia in offspring number, offspring size at hatch, and female body size were determined and compared to the predictions of the Smith-Fretwell maternal investments model and an alternative maternal investment model. The findings of this study contradict the Smith-Fretwell model and support the alternative model. The Smith-Fretwell model predicts that mothers who produce a larger number of offspring must sacrifice the quality of their offspring. Results showed that hatchlings were about the same size regardless …


Halted Movements, James Foster Apr 2014

Halted Movements, James Foster

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

A window into a world; the world behind the window. Solitude spent in watching and longing, time spent exploring a world yet to force ink onto paper. An agoraphobic sharing attention between lofty musings and dreamscapes, seeking safe passage from their isolation; the thoughts which occur and the scenes envisioned. The reader following the journey through prose and visuals, the latter created with hand-drawn, etched, and printed copper plates.


Stand Your Ground: An Analysis Of Today And A Forecast Of The Future, Erica N. Beers Apr 2014

Stand Your Ground: An Analysis Of Today And A Forecast Of The Future, Erica N. Beers

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

"The law is never static; it is always changing, being interpreted or redefined, as regulators and judges strive, with varying degrees of success, to ensure that the law constantly reflects changes in society itself" Throughout the history of the United States, and even within the state of Florida, there have been numerous occasions where laws have been passed and controversy amongst society and the government has ensued. Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law has been criticized since its enactment. Since this law became effective in October of 2005, it would be hardly accurate to claim that this law made a clean …


Venerating Violence: The Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam And Post-Civil War Sri Lanka, Heather Lee Jan 2014

Venerating Violence: The Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam And Post-Civil War Sri Lanka, Heather Lee

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This thesis seeks to discover the conditions legitimizing political violence by exploring the Sri Lankan Civil War and then pairing the derived principle with theoretical justifications of violence, including just war theory. While many attest that the radically violent means employed by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam throughout the war were immoral and inexcusable acts of terrorism, this claim too quickly discredits their motives without due consideration, thus unfairly detractingfrom the legitimacy of their cause. I hope to show the fault in this tendency, both in the context of the Sri Lanka and in more general terms. Political violence …


County Level Wetland Protection In The Southwest Florida Water Management District, Dana L. Parkinson May 2013

County Level Wetland Protection In The Southwest Florida Water Management District, Dana L. Parkinson

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Wetlands provide groundwater recharge, buffer against storm surges, provide nurseries for fish, and many other ecosystem services humans depend on. Wetlands are threatened by encroaching development and other human influences. Protecting wetlands will become an increasingly important priority in the future as people deal with issues such as sea level rise. Wetlands are regulated at the federal, state, and county levels (see Appendix A). This thesis focuses on the wetland regulations of the sixteen counties that comprise the Southwest Florida Water Management District. In this thesis, public policies are compiled and inventoried to allow a general understanding of the methods …


Photosynthetic Solar Cells Using Chlorophyll And The Applications Towards Energy Sustainability, Lucas J. Hoerner May 2013

Photosynthetic Solar Cells Using Chlorophyll And The Applications Towards Energy Sustainability, Lucas J. Hoerner

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

As the population increases exponentially so does the need for a greater demand of energy. Even though renewable energy sources are available, humans still receive almost 60% of energy from non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels. Solar energy has been seen as a very promising method of energy collection for electrical use for some time now. The common silica solar cell design has been altered in many ways over the years. The main goal is to improve the absorption and conversion of sunlight into usable energy. The majority of current photosynthetic solar cells make use of non-renewable components. These materials …


Autism In The Workforce, David A. Holbrook May 2013

Autism In The Workforce, David A. Holbrook

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

Individuals with Autism have tremendous challenges set out for them. Throughout their lives these individuals are told that they cannot succeed. They cannot achieve. Growing up with this mentality, these individuals enter adulthood without an outlet to give back to society. They are unable to find employment due to trepidations and misunderstandings of this disability brought on by a misleading and dangerous medical diagnosis. Unfortunately, this leads to them fading away within the crowd. They become a forgotten statistic amongst their generation. It is time for this ongoing trend to change. In this paper, the challenges and underlying factors of …