Education Commons^™

Rescue Of Hearing And Protection Of Auditory Structures From Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, Reza Amanipour

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hearing loss due to exposure to high level sound is a major health problem that causes permanent hearing impairment and has a significant impact on job productivity and quality of life. A large population suffers from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), a disorder for which there is currently no FDA-approved prevention, treatment or cure. The goal of my dissertation work is to provide insights into the effects of noise trauma on hearing abilities of normal hearing subjects, and determine how a new therapeutic compound (mGlu7 modulator) can protect and/or prevent loss of, or damage to sensory cells and brain neurons, including …

Quantifying The Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale And The Functional Performance Measures, Chelsea Rene Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Friedreich Ataxia (FA) is a debilitating autosomal-recessive neurodegenerative disorder which is characterized by ataxia of all four limbs, difficulty walking, areflexia, and dysarthria. Further complications of FA include diabetes, scoliosis, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Approximately three-quarters of people with FA have onset before the age of 25 and in most instances, affected individuals will require the use of a wheelchair within ten years after symptoms emerge.

The current advancements in clinical trials have escalated the developmental demand for a scale which validates adjustments in FA. The Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS) is a disease-specific semi-qualitative assessment which includes three subscales (functional …

Steady State Hydroplaning Risk Analysis And Evaluation Of Unsteady State Effects, Menna Yassin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hydroplaning is a major concern on high speed roadways during heavy rainfall events. Hydroplaning tools are widely used by designers to reduce their roadway’s hydroplaning potential, therefore reducing the possibilities of severe crashes. This dissertation presents two methodologies for improving the prediction of hydroplaning potential.

The first phase focused on improving an existing widely used software called PAVDRN. Using multiple datasets from the Florida Department of Transportation, the author filtered the data using specific criteria to leave only truly dynamic hydroplaning crashes. The author then evaluated PAVDRN’s prediction capabilities and assessed its reliability in predicting a hydroplaning crash. Using past …