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The Effects Of American Diabetes Association (Ada) Diabetes Self-Management Education And Continuous Glucose Monitoring On Diabetes Health Beliefs, Behaviors And Metabolic Control, Jodee Meisenhelder-Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether adults with type 2 diabetes participating in American Diabetes Association (ADA) diabetes self-management education (DSME) randomly assigned to an intensive follow-up group (IFG), utilizing continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS), or a standard follow-up group (SFG) have any significant differences in mean HgbA1c values and health belief scores over time. Baseline HgbA1c values and health beliefs were measured using the revised Expanded Health Belief Model (HBM) questionnaire. The questionnaire measured the 8 HBM domains: perceived susceptibility; severity; treatment benefit; cues to action; motivation; barriers; self-efficacy and structural elements. Twelve weeks after DSME, …

Group Fission-Fusion Dynamics And Communication In The Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus), Ester Quintana-Rizzo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The bottlenose dolphin exhibits a fission-fusion social structure characterized by temporary associations lasting from minutes to hours. Although social structure has been described for some dolphin communities, the selective pressures affecting fission-fusion patterns and their consequences on dolphin communication are not well understood. The goals of the present study were three-fold: 1) to quantify the rate with which fission-fusion occurred and identify the selective pressures influencing an individual's decision to leave and join a temporary group; 2) to examine the communication signals produced during temporary separations; and 3) to estimate the distances over which dolphins could remain in acoustic contact …

Correlates Of Weight In Adolescents: A Path Analysis, Angela T. Sheble

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the interrelationships between adolescent weight and several other variables thought to impact weight and obesity: physical activity, depressive symptoms, binge-eating symptoms, dieting, socio-economic status, special education status, gender, and ethnicity. The sample consisted of 251 high school students in rural Florida who completed measures of depression, binge-eating, dieting, and physical activity. Measurement instruments included the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale-2nd Edition (RADS-2), the bulimia scale of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), the dieting scale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and a physical activity questionnaire derived from the Youth Risk Behavior Scale for Students (YRBSS). The study …

Maternal Interaction Style, Reported Experiences Of Care, And Pediatric Health Care Utilization, Wendy Lauran Struchen Shellhorn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

U.S. immunization and well child-care rates are below desired levels with lower income individuals being at higher risk for receiving inadequate care. To enhance the understanding of motivating factors to health care utilization, this study explored relationships between a mother's interaction style (secure, anxious, avoidant), her reported experiences with pediatric health care and her child's utilization of pediatric health care. Participants included 126 US-born, English-speaking women with an infant 12 to18 months of age. Linear regression analyses found no bivariate associations between maternal interaction style and reported experiences of care. Poisson regression analyses measured associations of maternal interaction style, reported …

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners’ Judgments Of Coronary Heart Disease Risk, Kelly D. Stamp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the single largest killer of American males and females in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, (2005) approximately 41% of Americans that experience a coronary attack in a given year will die from it (AHA, 2005). To combat this growing problem, strategies need to be evaluated to assess how the identification of actual and potential CHD risks are made. This study utilized the Social Judgment Theory to gain insight into nurse practitioner's decision-making strategies. Sixty family or adult specialty nurse practitioners affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Religiosity And Subjective Well-Being In Older Adults: The Mediating Role Of Optimism, Teri A. Trede

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of adults aged 65 and older in the United States has been increasing steadily for years. Although most would agree that this increased longevity is a remarkable achievement, there is growing concern regarding the resources that will be necessary to provide care and services for this rapidly expanding segment of the population. From a public health perspective, simply increasing longevity is no longer the ultimate outcome sought. A more pertinent goal is increasing the quality of life years, or promoting resilience and successful aging. Strategies that assist adults in delaying the onset of disability or reducing the severity …

Charter School Type Matters When Examining Funding And Facilities: Evidence From California, Cathy Krop, Ron Zimmer

Education Policy Analysis Archives (EPAA)

Currently, charter schools represent one of the fastest growing movements of educational reform. The first charter school opened in 1992 and there are now over 3,400 charter schools nationwide. Despite this growth, we are only beginning to learn about the performance and operation of these schools. This article adds to our knowledge of charter schools both by examining the finances of charter schools in California, which has more charter students than any other state, and by highlighting their fiscal challenges. ...

Education Policy Analysis Archives 13/50 , Arizona State University, University Of South Florida

College of Education Publications

Charter school type matters when examining funding and facilities : evidence from California / Cathy Krop [and] Ron Zimmer.

Achievement Gaps And Correlates Of Early Mathematics Achievement: Evidence From The Ecls K-First Grade Sample, Madhabi Chatterji

Education Policy Analysis Archives (EPAA)

In light of the NCLB Act of 2001, this study estimated mathematics achievement gaps in different subgroups of kindergartners and first graders, and identified child- and school-level correlates and moderators of early mathematics achievement. ...

Education Policy Analysis Archives 13/46 , Arizona State University, University Of South Florida

College of Education Publications

Achievement gaps and correlates of early mathematics achievement : evidence from the ECLS K, Äìfirst grade sample / Madhabi Chatterji.

A Methodology For Developing A Nursing Education Minimum Dataset, Aziza A. Rajab

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Globally, health care professionals, administrators, educators, researchers, and informatics experts have found that minimum dataset and taxonomies can solve the problem of data standardization required in building an information system to advance disciplines body of knowledge. Disciplines continuously gather complex data, but data collected without an organizational context does not increase the knowledge-base. Therefore, a demand exists for developing minimum dataset, controlled vocabularies, taxonomies, and classification systems. To fulfill nursings needs for standardized comparable data, two minimum dataset are used in nursing for organizing, classifying, processing, and managing information for decision-making and advancing clinical nursing knowledge.

No minimum dataset in …

Ammonium Distribution And Dynamics In Relation To Biological Production And Physical Environment In The Marguerite Bay Region Of The West Antarctic Peninsula, Yulia Mikhailovna Serebrennikova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, biogeochemical regimes of Marguerite Bay and the adjacent part of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) continental shelf were delineated through integration of nutrient, hydrographic, and biological measurements obtained during the LTER and SO GLOBEC studies during austral summer, autumn, and winter of 2001 and 2002.

Marguerite Bay biogeochemical regime was found to differ from those of the adjacent WAP continental shelf. In terms of Treguer and Jacques (1992), Marguerite Bay is a combination of Coastal Continental Shelf Zone (CCSZ) and Seasonal Ice Zone (SIZ) distinguished by shallow mixing regime, high primary production and export production. At the …

Arterial Perfusion Detection Method By Synchronous Detection, Yohan Prevot

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The pressure ulcer is a well-known clinical problem that has plagued many patients in acute-care hospitals and chronic-care facilities. The pressure ulcer has the potential to diminish the quality of a patient's life by hindering the person's physical and emotional well-being. In addition, pressure ulcers are a high-cost problem. Past studies have shown that costs related to the treatment of pressure ulcers have reached 1.335 billion dollars a year in the United States alone.

A pressure ulcer is defined as a lesion created by unrelieved pressure, which causes tissue ischemia and subsequently damages the underlying tissue. This sequence of events …

The Incidence And Management Of Footrot In Dairy Cattle In Monteverde, Costa Rica, November 2005, Allison Brown

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

This study investigates the frequency of, and factors leading to or preventing, footrot in diary cattle in the Monteverde area of Costa Rica. Owners of 23 farms were interviewed about their property characteristics, management practices, and incidence of footrot. Then the farms were visually inspected. Ten farms were found to currently have infected cattle and 18 had infected cattle this year. The percent of currently infected cattle had a significant positive correlation with both herd size and hours spent in daily milking rotation. Larger herds showed a greater incidence of infection. The combined presence of rocks and mud in the …

Endosperm Loss, Seed Germination, And Early Seedling Growth In Large-Seeded Tropical Trees, November 2005, Audrey L. Quinn

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Endosperm damage was studied in Monteverde, Costa Rica to determine its frequency, extent, and effect on seed germination and early seedling growth. Endosperm damage was found to occur in 72% of seeds from Chione sylvicola (Rubiaceae) and 94% of seeds from Quercus costaricensis (Fagaceae). The extent of endosperm damage in Q. costaricensis was not related to the root and shoot weight of germinated seeds. Experimental endosperm removal was carried out in Persea americana and Cinnamomum paratriplinerve (both Lauraceae) seeds. The three week time period of the study was inadequate to yield significant C. paratriplinerve germination, but seeds with intact endosperm …

A Lesson Plan On Fungi Diversity For The Centro De Educación Creativa, November 2005, Rachel Deliz

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Fungi are integral components of a forest environment, but they are often overlooked in elementary education, despite their crucial role in nutrient cycles. Concepts pertaining to fungi diversity were researched and compiled to be part of the 5th grade curriculum of Centro de Educación Creativa. The result of this project was three PowerPoint presentations, each coupled with 2-3 visual aids, experiments and/or activities. I expect these presentations to aid in the environmental education curriculum at the C.E.C and to promote an appreciation of the Kingdom Fungi.

Selective Bromeliad Foraging In Cebus Capucinus Along A Tropical Premontane Wet Forest Edge, November 2005, Vanessa Machen

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Herbivores of the Neotropics are generally highly selective in their foraging behavior. Cebus capucinus (Primates: Cebidae), an omnivore, has been observed tearing apart and chewing on the leaves of bromeliads in the Upper San Luis valley, Costa Rica. This study examines the use of bromeliads by Cebus capucinus. Specifically, I consider the role of plant size, leaf water content and toughness in determining which bromeliads and which leaves C. capucinus selects. Comparing intact to torn bromeliads based on size, this study determined that C. capucinus selects small- and medium-sized plants. Leaves in the intermediate position of the rosette were also …

Seed Predation On Persea Americana By Dasyprocta Punctata In Monteverde, Costa Rica, November 2005, Gregory Paul Burkard Jr.

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Dasyprocta punctata (Rodentia: Dasyproctidae), a scatter-hoarding rodent, plays an important role in seedling recruitment and tropical forest composition. (Herrera and Pellmyr 2002) The purpose of this study was to see if D. punctata maximizes its fitness by behaving as a density-dependent forager, and if the scatter-hoarding caching behavior of D. punctata is aiding the fitness of Persea americana (Lauraceae). P. americana seeds were presented to D. punctata in three distinct densities at the Santuario Ecológico in Cerro Plano, Costa Rica to observe individual seed fate. No significant difference was found for the fates of P. americana seeds between the three …

Extra Extrafloral Nectaries And Anti-Herbivory Protection In Inga Sierrae (Fabaceae: Mimosaceae), November 2005, Camryn Pennington

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) in plants are known to attract insects such as ants and wasps that drink nectar and in turn protect the plant from herbivores (Bentley 1977). In this study, ten year old Inga sierrae (Fabaceae: Mimosaceae) trees planted on a fallow pasture at 1535 m in Monteverde, Costa Rica have been observed to have extra EFNs on their leaflets in addition to the normal three located on the rachis between the leaflet pairs. The leaves of 20 trees were sampled to determine the local distribution of EFN number. Percent herbivory was determined for leaves with a varying number …

Torsion-Induced Pressure Distribution Changes In Human Intervertebral Discs: An In Vitro Study, Brenda Kay Yantzer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. To test the effects of torsion torques on intradiscal pressure and disc height in human lumbar specimens.

Methods. Six human lumbar cadaveric functional spine units (FSU) were loaded in the neutral position with 600 N compression. Nucleus pressure measurements were obtained at 0 Nm, 0.5 Nm, 1.0 Nm and 2 Nm torsion torque. Posterior elements were removed and pressure measurements were repeated at the same torsion torques for the disc body unit (DBU). The pressure in the nucleus was measured by pulling a pressure probe through the disc along a straight path in the midsagittal plane.

Results …

Sialic Acid Modulation Of Cardiac Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Gating Throughout The Developing Myocardium, Patrick J. Stocker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The proper orchestration of voltage-gated ion channel gating is vital to maintaining normal heart rhythms throughout an animal's lifespan. Voltage-gated sodium channels, Na_v, are responsible for the initiation of the cardiac action potential, which leads to cardiac systole. Comparison of neonatal ventricular and atrial myocyte Na_v gating with adult indicated that the neonatal ventricular Na_v gated following a ~10 mV greater depolarization than did atrial or adult ventricular Na_v. In this study I questioned whether development- and/or chamber-dependent changes in Na_v-associated functional sialic acids could account for these differences. When desialylated with …

An Exploration Of The Lumbar Loads And Affective Responses To Lumbar Pain On Lower Limb Amputees Who Use A Prosthesis, Tracy Ann Perrotti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

80% of the American population experiences back pain and it is the most common cause of limited activity in people of age 45 and under. Determining the reasons for back pain and developing new ways to treat it have been extensively researched over the past decade. However, very little research has been done on low back pain of amputees.

There are four million existing amputees living in America and 250,000 people become new amputees each year. 70% of this group is lower limb amputees and a large number use a prosthesis of some kind to aid in the functions of …

The Weekly Challenger, August 18, 2005, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The August 18, 2005, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Stress And Cognitive Performance In Older Adults, Christopher B. Rosnick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current dissertation sought to examine stress in three different, but overlapping, ways. The first study examined how self-reported negative life events, in the aggregate and individually, are associated with cognitive performance. The results suggested that there was no significant relationship between the aggregate measures of self-reported negative life events and cognitive performance. On the other hand, several individual negative life events were associated with cognitive functioning. The findings support previous research indicating that using estimates of individual stressors rather than aggregate measures of stressors increases the predictive validity of stress measurement.

The second study assessed the cross-sectional and longitudinal …

Zooplankton Of The West Florida Shelf: Relationships With Karenia Brevis Blooms, Kristen M. Lester

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blooms of the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis are common on the West Florida Shelf (WFS), yet little is known of the relationships between zooplankton and K. brevis. A comprehensive analysis was undertaken to examine 1) perturbations in zooplankton community composition within K. brevis blooms 2) the contribution of zooplankton ammonium and phosphate excretion to K. brevis bloom nutrient requirements, and 3) the role of zooplankton grazing in K. brevis bloom termination. Prior to undertaking the first portion of the study, an examination of the perturbations in the normal zooplankton assemblage within K. brevis blooms, it was first necessary to …

The Weekly Challenger, August 4, 2005, The Weekly Challenger, Et Al

Weekly Challenger Newspaper Collection

The August 4, 2005, issue of The Weekly Challenger.

Factors Affecting Herbivory On Daphnopsis Americana (Thymelaeaceae), August 2005, Elizabeth Hunter

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Daphnopsis americana (Thymelaeaceae) is a medium-sized tree found in Monteverde, Costa Rica, that is often completely defoliated by moth caterpillars during the beginning of the rainy season. Herbivory on this tree occurs mainly in adult trees. This study determined if herbivory was greater in open and edge habitats than in interior forest habitats. This study also determined if herbivory on adult D. americana trees was related to tree diameter and distance to nearest conspecific neighbor. Herbivory was estimated as a percentage of the total tree foliage consumed. These data were compared using simple regression and ANOVA tests. Trees found in …

Macroinvertebrate Diversity In Heliconia Tortuosa Along An Elevational Gradient, August 2005, Gina E. Rozinka

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Heliconia tortuosa bracts harbor a diverse and important trophic level on which many organisms depend for their nutritional intake. The species diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrates living in the bracts of H. tortuosa were measured along an elevational gradient in premontane wet and lower montane wet forests in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Inflorescences were collected between 1370 m and 1680 m, and the macroinvertebrate contents were identified to the level of order. The data were separated into equal one hundred meter elevational bands for analysis. There was a significant difference between the diversity of macroinvertebrates in the lower elevational band and …

"A Perfect Revolution": Jared P. Kirtland On The Western Reserve, Jared P. Kirtland

Ohio Cardinal

No abstract provided.

Expanding The Science Of Successful Aging: Older Adults Living In Continuing Care Retirement Communities (Ccrcs), Kathryn H. Petrossi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rowe and Kahns theory of successful aging identifies three main components of aging successfully: reducing the risk of disease and disability, maintaining high cognitive and physical function, and engagement with life. While there is compelling evidence that suggests the legitimacy of this concept in the 50-75 year old community dwelling population, three areas of expansion are necessary: 1.) programmatic research; 2.) extending the existing research samples to include older samples and those living in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs); and 3.) the integration of data collection and analysis to move beyond investigation of just one successful aging outcome to include …