Digital Commons Network^™

Testing The Protest Paradigm And Racial Threat: Analyzing Articles Of Blm Protests In 2014 And 2020, Rebecca Angela Ruiz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study examines the media coverage of Black Lives Matter protest in years 2014 & 2020. I collected a sample of articles (n=120) from 6 national-level media outlets that varied in political leans. Using the Protest Paradigm and Racial Threat theoretical frameworks to analyze the results, findings suggest that the articles do reflect upon the Protest Paradigm through overall negative sentiment and significant references to looting. I also argue that articles may also reflect racial threat due to a lack of transparency of protesters’ racial makeup or diversity attending demonstrations.

Antimicrobial Activity Of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Compared To Silver Nanoparticles Administered Towards Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilms, Kevin Núño

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and chitosan nanoparticles have strong antibacterial activity as a broad-spectrum antibiotic against multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. MDR bacteria have a mechanism that increases antibiotic resistance through biofilm formations. MDR methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus BAA-1720 was chosen for an in vitro assessment to calculate the biofilm reduction rate and the median effective dose (ED50) by performing biofilm quantification. Dynamic light scattering was chosen to determine the physiochemical characteristics of ZnO NPs, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and chitosan NPs. Transmission electron microscopy was conducted to verify each treatment’s physiochemical characteristics. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of broad-spectrum and …

_Las Vidas Negras_: Examining Identity Among Afro-Latinos In The Us In The Twilight Of Black Lives Matter, Victor Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work seeks to name how the Black Lives Matter movement, and related movements for Black liberation and justice, has had an effect on the self-perception and identities of US-based Afrolatinos. Using survey and interview data, I tease out issues of ethnoracial dissonance, social identity, and the ways that Afrolatinos have used the context of Black Lives Matter to make sense of the antiblackness they have faced. This is a significant investigation because it speaks to the potential for a richer tradition of pan-Africanism taking root in Latin America and among Latin Americans of African descent.

The European Super League (Esl): A Political Economy And Media Framing Analysis, Patrick Sidwell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The European Super League (ESL) offers an opportunity for research as a case study which exemplifies the potential for sports to engender seismic societal events. To try to understand the ESL and the events surrounding it, this thesis examined it through the dual frameworks of political economy and framing theory to comprehend the roles played by corporate owners and working-class fans who support the game. An overview of the political economic processes of English football was conducted to create meaningful insights. From there, using framing as a theoretical guide, a thematic media analysis was performed across 251 news articles from …

Visions Of Entanglement And Escape: In-Visible Voice In The Films Of Terrence Malick And George Lucas, Michael Lee Taber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis juxtaposes the unexpectedly parallel careers of the filmmakers George Lucas and Terrence Malick. Both popularly and academically, Lucas and Malick are typically conceived as divergent practitioners and are framed in oppositional terms. The goal of this thesis is – in part – to break down this oppositional understanding of Lucas and Malick as filmmakers. This traditional understanding of Malick and Lucas collapses when we consider their respective relationships to sensation and abstraction. Affirmations of sensation and Malick abound, as do critiques of abstraction and Lucas – all the while it is Malick who is aligned with abstraction and …

Carbon Diversion, Partial Nitritation/Anammox Enrichment, And Ammonium Capture As Initial Stages For Mainstream Ion Exchange-Deammonification Process, Sheyla Chero-Osorio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eutrophication is a concerning environmental problem worldwide that results in algae blooms, oxygen depletion, damages to aquatic life and public health, water quality issues, and loss of aesthetics in water reservoirs. Nutrient (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) discharges from wastewater, agricultural, urban, and residential runoff promote eutrophication in receiving water bodies. In terms of nitrogen removal, conventional biological nitrogen removal (BNR) is a common technique used in many wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). However, BNR requires aeration for nitrification and organic carbon input for denitrification. In WWTP, the aeration represents a considerable investment in terms of energy costs. Recent technologies involve applying …

Stitched Together: What We Learn From Secret Stories In Public Media, Sara D. Rocks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Where do you go to divulge your deepest secrets? Some may turn to journals and diaries; some turn to family and friends; some turn to religious confessionals; some turn to Twitter; and still, some take their secrets to the grave. There is at least one other way people share their secrets that has thus far received limited scholarly attention: the crowdsourced confessional. In the new media landscape, intimate stories and personal disclosures with strangers can be (and are) produced as content for a vast pool of additional strangers to consume as media. Yet, little is known about the personal narratives …

The Weekly Challenger, March 17, 2022, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The March 17, 2022, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Racial Differences In Perceptions Of Sanction Severity, Sarah L. Franklin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has consistently found an association between race and relative perceptions of incarceration severity. Black people view incarceration as less severe than an equivalent period of probation. However, few studies have examined why this relationship exists. The present study surveys a large sample of young adults to examine whether the observed relationship between race and incarceration severity can be replicated. In doing so, the study then considers whether constructs related to socioeconomic status, criminal system experiences, perceptions of legitimacy, and sanction attitudes explain the racial divide. Results indicate a significant relationship between race and incarceration severity, such that Black people, …

Development Of Membrane Assisted Recovery Of Solids (Mars) Technology For Nutrient Management In Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems, Itzé Alejandra Kenney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing global populations will result in a rise of eutrophic wastewater and an increased need in food supply. Both problems share a commonality: nutrients. Not all communities are equipped to handle one or both of those challenges, considering that typical solutions require large and energy intensive technologies. Wastewater treatment in most major cities is done through centralized treatment plants, which is not feasible for places with limited resources. Decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DWTS) have been developed as an alternative solution for those communities, but they still struggle to sustainably treat nutrients such as ammonium (NH4) and phosphate (PO4^(3-)). Zeolite has …

Using Fine-Scale Aquatic Habitat Data To Construct Dreissenid Sdms In The Laurentian Great Lakes, Grace C. Henderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The invasion of the Laurentian Great Lakes by aquatic invasive species (AIS) has been the subject of investigation for decades, due to their dramatic alterations to the ecosystem and high economic costs. Two AIS with the largest impacts are dreissenid zebra and quagga mussels, and though these species have been studied extensively, questions remain about what factors control their distributions, and whether lake warming will alter these distributions. Species distribution models (SDMs) offer a powerful tool to examine the relationship between species presences and environmental variables, which are typically bioclimactic data. The creation of the Aquatic Habitat (AqHab) dataset containing …

An Exercise In Exceptions: Personhood, Divergency, And Ableism In The Star Trek Franchise, Jessica A. Blackman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1987, more than two decades after Star Trek: The Original Series aired on television for the first time, the Enterprise returned to delight audiences with an all-new crew in Star Trek: The Next Generation. With the new generation came new issues and adventures for the crew and the audience to explore, and the popularity of the show lead to the production of three successful spin-offs. These four new shows in the Star Trek franchise dealt with more complex plots and commentaries than the original series before them; three characters in particular – Lt. Commander Data, Dr. Julian Bashir, and …

Assessing Reported Use Of Clinical Genetic Counseling Skills, Nicole M. Wright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genetic Counseling (GC) is striving to become a more evidence-based field, but the absence of a clearly defined taxonomy of clinical skills is impeding efforts to systematically study and compare GC processes. Several frameworks such as the Reciprocal Engagement Model (REM) and FOCUS-GC have outlined strategies and behaviors used to meet patient needs, but neither include comprehensive descriptions of existing skills or delineate which are actually being used most commonly in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to compile a large list of demonstrable genetic counseling skills and determine how often clinical genetic counselors (GCs) report using them …

Evaluating Behavioral Skills Training To Train Online Gaming Safety Skills, Henry Chovet Santa Cruz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the growing concern of caregivers as their children spend an increasing amount of time on the internet interacting with strangers, there is a limited body of research that focuses on online safety skills training. Behavioral skills training has been used by researchers to teach children firearm safety skills, poison safety skills, and abduction prevention skills. Given that the skills taught in abduction-prevention training are also to relevant online safety, the researcher assessed the use of behavioral skills training for teaching online safety skills to a 9-year-old, Clark. In-situ assessments took place while playing the popular online game, Among Us, …

Transnational Perspectives On The #Metoo And Anti-Base Movements In Japan, Alisha Romano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the connections between the #MeToo movement and the anti-base movement in Japan regarding transnational activism and Japanese feminist activism. As both movements have focused on sexual violence and the impacts on victims, the movements are strongly linked in their goals. While the anti-base movement in Okinawa has a long history, the #MeToo movement is a relatively new movement, therefore these connections aid in establishing the #MeToo movement as a part of a history of feminist activism in Japan. There is a limited amount of English language scholarly work done on the #MeToo movement in Japan and the …

Making A Way: An Auto/Ethnographic Exploration Of Narratives Of Citizenship, Identity, (Un)Belonging And Home For Black Trinidadian[-]American Women, Anjuliet G. Woodruffe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research study is to gather, convey and explore the lived experience related to transnational identity construction for Black Trinidadian[-]American women. I adopt an interdisciplinary approach to better understand what it means to live as, and be, a Black Trinidadian[-]American. Using auto/ethnography and interviews, I seek to answer the following research questions: (1) How do Black Trinidadian[-]American women describe their negotiation of cultural identity in Trinidad and the United States? (2) How do Black Trinidadian[-]American women describe “in-between” homeplaces within the intersectional context of gender, race, class, and culture? (3) How do Black, Trinidadian[-]American women describe transnational, …

Assessing Changes In Actual Air Quality And Public Perceptions Of Air Quality In Kathmandu Valley Nepal Pre And Post Covid-19 Lockdown, Robin Margherita Rives

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Air pollution is a global concern. Cities around the world fail to meet air quality standards set by the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines, which has a significant impact on public health. As the capital city and largest metropolitan region of Nepal, Kathmandu is a hotspot for urban pollution in South Asia. Nepal faces emissions from both internal and external sources. External sources include emissions from Nepal’s neighboring countries of India and China and emissions resulting from tourism. Internal sources of pollution in the country include brick and cement factories, consumption of energy from traditional sources such as biomass, …

Complex Identities: Putting Casey Plett’S Fiction In A Trans And Religious Studies Context, Catherine Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The work of Casey Plett is a prime place to discuss the experiences of being transgender and a Mennonite. However, her writing has received little discussion in the field of trans and religious studies, simply because fiction is rarely the focus of analysis in the field. This thesis argues that not only does fiction have a place in the field, but that there are unique analytic tools, such as trans standpoint theory, that can be used in the analysis of works of fiction to heighten what is gained and found in the endeavor. And so, this thesis not only argues …

Elements Of Instagram Influencer Posts That Drive Follower Engagement, Yishan Li

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Influencers are now becoming more popular on social media as a way for brands to promote products and services. The relationship between influencers’ post content and follower engagement deserves more attention. Through a content analysis, this research examines how influencer posts drive follower engagement. The results showed that emojis, campaign hashtags, frequency, and sponsored tags had a significant relationship with follower engagement. The present study sheds light on future research to explore other content variables of influencers’ posts.

“Fast Policy” And “Rule By Aesthetics”: A Preliminary Study Of Water Street Tampa –The “Worlding” Of An Aspiring “Icon Project”, Nousheen Rahman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the age of “global urbanism” (Sheppard et al 2015; Chen and Kanna 2013), we are witnessing a markedly increased preference for mega-gentrification policies and projects by public officials seeking to revitalize deindustrialized and abandoned landscapes within their cities. The goal of this study is to describe how neoliberal public and private actors and institutions in the City of Tampa, specifically along the newly minted “Water Street” near the old Channel District of downtown, have adopted the discourses and practices of “fast policy” (Peck and Theodore 2015), “rule by aesthetics” (Ghertner 2010) and “worlding” (Ong and Roy 2011). To that …

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (Art): A Review Of Treatments For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Henry B. Burns Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the past, patients diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were treated with medications that masked their conditions or through the use of various mental health treatments like Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) with limited success. Each of these treatments, lasting weeks or months, are mentally exhausting for the patient, and, over time, contribute to burn-out for the practitioner as well. The purpose of the study was to compare mental health treatments from the practitioner’s point of view regarding burn out. Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a new form of …

Reconceptualizing Global Citizenship: Experiences From Women Who Have Studied Abroad, Jessica L. Colston

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study used self-curated photo elicitation to express students’ awareness of power, privilege, and identity. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how female undergraduate students interacted with their environment and conceptualized a critical understanding of global citizenship. As such, this inquiry asked: (1) To what extent do female undergraduate students from the United States who have participated in a study abroad program develop a critical understanding of global citizenship? (2) How are students’ awareness of power, privilege, and identity reflected in their documentation and narration of their experiences abroad?

Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory and transnational feminism explained …

Crow's Nest, March 7, 2022, Crow's Nest Staff

Crow's Nest

The March 7, 2022, issue of the Crow's Nest.

Anthropocene Fiction: Empathy, Kinship, And The Troubled Waters At The End Of The World, Megan Mandell Stowe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anthropocene literature features characters and environments grappling with the devastation of climate change. Donna Haraway’s term Chthulucene narrows this category further by exposing the tentacular connections between overpopulation, dependence on material goods, species loss, and other facets of global warming—such as water as a resource. Three novels of the Chthulucene exhibit these connections, centering on the importance of water to both ecologies and personal identity. As seen in the novels, place attachment brings ecology and identity together by forging a stewardship between person and location, often resulting in efforts to defend and preserve a place. In Octavia Butler’s Parable of …

The Weekly Challenger, March 3, 2022, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The March 3, 2022, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

‘Surest Guaranty Of Peace’: Rhetoric, Consumer Culture, And The Popularization Of American Naval Power, 1883 - 1909, Charles B. Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project a cultural history of the U.S. Navy during an era of a major institutional and technological transformation. In it, I trace the ways that Gilded Age and Progressive Era naval advocates successfully pitched the idea of modernizing the U.S. Navy to the American people. These military promoters justified technological advancement as societal progress, arguing for a more pronounced presence for the United States on the world stage. Marketing experts then seized on the people’s increasing fascination with naval power to rekindle a sense of patriotism by sensationalizing militarism. Riding this wave of popularity and public awareness of naval …

Transfer Students And The Excess Credit Hour Surcharge: A Program Evaluation Of An Excess Credit Hour Surcharge Training, Chandra Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The transfer student population is rising on college campuses in the United States. Consequently, higher education institutions want to better understand how to support this growing and diverse population. Faced with increased demand for accountability, colleges and universities have developed various initiatives to increase college graduation rates. One such initiative is the Excess Credit Hour Surcharge. The Florida state statute, commonly known as the Excess Credit Hour Surcharge, was introduced by legislators in 2009. The Florida legislature incentivizes state university students to graduate promptly and efficiently to avoid a surcharge. However, the legislation affects transfer students in a unique way …

Movements Of An Allen’S Hummingbird Banded In Lincoln County, Tennessee, Cynthia Routledge, Fred Bassett, Bob Ford

The Migrant - Tennessee Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Lgbtq+ Studies: Business & Implementation Plan, Sydney Jordan, Tomaro Taylor

Special Collections Reports & Documents

No abstract provided.

A User-Generated Content Analysis On The Quality Of Restaurants Using The Tourqual Model, Tiago S. Mondo, Andre R. C. Perinotto, Valerio Souza-Neto

Journal of Global Business Insights

The restaurant market is becoming more competitive, and businesses are challenged to differentiate themselves in this sector in terms of quality of services. This research aimed to identify the specific indicators for measuring the quality of restaurant service in Brazil. Based on a quantitative paradigm, we adopted a user-generated content analysis with a sample of 1,143,631 customer reviews from 35,611 restaurants in seven Brazilian cities available on the TripAdvisor platform. We collected and registered the data in text and analyzed the results with the support of T-LAB software. Moreover, we adopted TOURQUAL Protocol (Mondo, 2014) to identify the main requirements …