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Structural Polarities In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings, Quincey Vierling Upshaw

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My thesis reflects an assessment of The Lord of the Rings centering on the idea of a structure of opposites. For each place, race, character and object in The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien included an element which serves as an antithesis. In addition, the style, pacing, and language of the work also contain antithetical pairs which continually engage and propel the reader to the work's conclusion. I contend that this deliberate pairing of opposing elements adds depth and verisimilitude to the work.

Tolkien was an avid student of what his contemporaries would have called "fantasy" or "fairy …

Constructing A New Nationalism From Below: The Dalit Movement, Politics And Transnational Networking, Lisa A. Daily

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examines one potential route for sub-national social movements to alter preexisting contemporary nationalisms- the transnational social movement network. When social movements "go global" they move beyond the nation where they are typically excluded from the national project and instead, become members of an alternative and inclusive transnational project. What social movements do at this level is not under examination here, but rather how they go about returning to their respective nations and challenging the hegemonic national project. Does the transnational site impact the success of sub-national social movements? Is a movement more likely to achieve its goals and …

The Influence Of Daily Social Stimulation In Ameliorating Ptsd-Like Behavioral And Physiological Changes In Rats Exposed To Chronic Psychosocial Stress, Shyam Seetharaman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals exposed to life-threatening trauma are at increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Not all people exposed to trauma, however, go on to develop PTSD. Some evidence suggests that individuals who receive social stimulation, such being involved in supportive social networks, are less likely to develop PTSD compared to those lacking social interactions. Although human research has been effective in demonstrating associations between higher levels of social stimulation and lower incidences of PTSD, there has been a lack of experimental evidence suggesting that social stimulation protects against the onset of the disorder after trauma. Here, we tested the …

Combinatorial Models For Dna Rearrangements In Ciliates, Angela Angeleska

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Motivated by genome rearrangements that take place in some species of ciliates we introduce a combinatorial model for these processes based on spatial graphs. This model builds up on two earlier models for pointer-guided DNA recombination (intramolecular model introduced in [22, 23] and intermolecular model introduced in [35, 36]) and is influenced by a molecular model for RNA guided DNA recombination (introduced in [2]).

Despite their differences, the intermolecular and intramolecular model formalize the recombination events through rewriting operations applied on formal words. Both models predict the same set of molecules as a result of correct rearrangement. Here, we give …

Recombinant Aav Gene Therapy And Delivery, Nikisha Christine Carty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD), first characterized in the early 20th century, is a common form of dementia which can occur as a result of genetic mutations in the genes encoding presenilin 1, presenilin 2, or amyloid precursor protein (APP). These genetic alterations can accelerate the pathological characteristics of AD, including the formation of extracellular neuritic plaques composed of amyloid beta peptides and the formation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles consisting of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Ultimately, AD results in gross neuron loss in the brain which is evidenced clinically as a progressive decline in mental capacity. A strong body of scientific evidence has …

Cannabinoids Induce Immunoglobulin Class Switching To Ige In B Lymphocytes, Marisela Agudelo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cannabinoid treatment increases Th2 activity and previous reports showed B cells express the highest level of CB₂ mRNA relative to other immune cells suggesting that cannabinoids play a critical role in B cell activation and maturation. To examine the direct effect of cannabinoids on B cell antibody class switching, mouse splenic B cells were purified by negative selection and cultured with IL4 and anti-CD40 in the presence or absence of the nonselective cannabinoid agonist, CP55940, or the CB1 selective agonist, methanandamide, or the CB2 selective agonist, JW015. The cultures were then analyzed at different times by flow cytometry for …

Ethnomedical And Biomedical Health Care And Healing Practices Among The Rathwa Adivasi Of Kadipani Village, Gujarat State, India, Margaret A. Karnyski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Rathwa of Kadipani village are adivasi (original inhabitants, tribe) residing in a rural part of Gujarat State, India. Primarily farmers, the Rathwa live in an area where development-related projects, such as mineral mining and damming on the Narmada River, are increasingly impacting their livelihood, health status, and quality of life. The local economy is impacted by uncertainty regarding access to water from the Narmada River, concerns related to the extraction of minerals from a mine in Kadipani, and economic issues that arise when the primary wage earner of the household becomes ill.

This dissertation addresses Rathwa health care practices, …

One Season In An Other’S: Examining Teacher Preparation In Cultural Relevance Literacy Through Intentional And Focused Teaching Case Use, Coleen E. Sams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Teacher educators need to develop better teaching methods in order to, ultimately, serve future students in classrooms that are increasing in diversity. It is vital that education majors do more than hear and read about social justice issues facing their prospective students; for them to both understand it and retain it, they need deeper interaction with the issues and alternative strategies for resolving them. This model for using teaching cases may enable teacher educators to demonstrate the relevance of their coursework to their midlevel education students, ultimately enhancing learning gains.

Of equal importance to their professional development, prospective teachers need …

Praxis And Theōria: Heidegger’S “Violent” Interpretation, Megan E. Altman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper attempts to mark out new ground in the connections between the philosophical writings of Martin Heidegger and Aristotle by posing an interesting question that has never been addressed. Both writers devote much of their early thoughts to questions concerning human beings' practical ways of understanding. However, in their later thoughts Heidegger and Aristotle suddenly seem to completely change the subject to ideal or transcendental ways of understanding. At first glance these ideal modes of human apprehension seem to have nothing to do with each other. Yet, Heidegger and Aristotle seem to have similar motives for turning away from …

Immunomodulatory Effects Of Novel Therapies For Stroke, Aaron A. Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Each year, approximately 795,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke. About 610,000 of these are first attacks, and 185,000 are recurrent attacks (Carandang et al. 2006). Currently the only FDA approved treatment for ischemic stroke is recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (Alteplase) (Marler and Goldstein 2003). Unfortunately its use is restricted to a short, 4.5 hour, time window. Two promising therapies in the treatment of stroke at delayed timepoints are human umbilical cord blood cells (HUCBC) and the sigma receptor agonist DTG

The first series of experiments were conducted to characterize the effects of sigma receptors on various aspects of …

The Preference Of Protein Powders Among Adult Males And Females: A Protein Powder Taste Study, Joshua Manter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein is essential in one's diet because it is an important component in many organs and tissues throughout the body. Athletes ingest protein in order to stimulate protein synthesis and increase lean muscle mass. In order to assist with obtaining adequate amounts of protein, athletes and bodybuilders purchase supplemental protein in the form of protein powders. Protein metabolism and digestion play key roles in this because if the protein is not metabolized or digested effectively, then those who are wishing to gain fat free mass will not be successful. A high quality protein will be digested, metabolized, and directed towards …

Ovarian Morphology, Oogenesis, And Changes Through The Annual Reproductive Cycle Of The Female Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus Rathbun, In Tampa Bay, Catalina E. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, was studied because of its high dollar value to Florida's commercial and recreational fisheries. The purpose of this study was to describe the structure of the ovary and oogenesis in the blue crab and the morphological changes in the female reproductive developmental stages over time. Histological techniques for high-resolution light microscopy were used to determine sexual maturity of female blue crabs. The ovarian morphology, oogenesis, and changes through the annual reproductive cycle of blue crabs in Tampa Bay were investigated for a period of two years, from January 2005 to January 2007. Ovarian …

Penn State: Symbol And Myth, Gary G. Desantis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will focus on the popular culture iconography of the Pennsylvania State University: the Nittany Lion-as a symbol and apolitical mascot; Happy Valley, the geographic area in which the university is located, as a kind of sacred place and utopia in the Keystone State; football-its hallowed shrines, legendary coaches, and heroic players; regional foods and delicacies-from the unique offerings of the area's diners to the University Creamery (where patrons yearly consume more than 750,000 ice cream cones); and Lion Shrine and the adjacent Nittany Lion Inn-where the faithful have made pilgrimages since the early-twentieth century. The sum of these …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Membrane Change At A Membrane Softening Water Treatment Plant, Michael Keen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At the water treatment plant in Dunedin, Florida, reverse osmosis membranes remove the hardness from groundwater sources. Reverse osmosis membranes remove salts, pathogens, and organics from the feed water but can create an aggressive permeate. The membranes strip most ions in the process and the resulting permeate, if not subjected to blending on post treatment, has a tendency to leach metals from lead and copper pipes in the distribution networks. To prevent such problems, the permeate needs to be blended with partially treated raw water or to be chemically treated to re-mineralize and add alkalinity back into the water. In …

Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy (Acts) Drug Resistance Trends In Plasmodium Falciparum Isolates In Southeast Asia, Jessica L. Schilke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plasmodium falciparum, one of the parasites that cause clinical malaria, is a continuous public health concern, especially in Asia and Africa. Unfortunately, the parasite has developed resistance to many drugs created to treat and prevent the disease. Artemisinin and its derivatives are the new gold standard for treatment of malaria, yet treatment failures in clinical studies are starting to be reported. Clearly, artemisinin resistance needs to be characterized and dealt with accordingly. In support of the Gates Foundation Artemisinin Consortium, we conducted a blinded study to elucidate the phenotypic response of artemisinin derivatives of parasites derived from patient blood …

Digging It: A Participatory Ethnography Of The Experiences At A School Garden, Branimir Cvetkovic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This case study of a school garden focuses on concepts of community that are fostered and embodied at this setting. By utilizing participatory ethnographic methodologies, this research explored gemeinschaft and gesellschaft concepts of community. Data reveals that students are able to learn mastery, belonging, generosity and independence while participating in the garden work. Teachers manage students who attempt to challenge the boundaries of this community by utilizing and ethic of care which allows teachers to de-emphasize authority and to first consider the networks of relationships and how to mend and improve them. Students are able to experience governmentality and an …

Statistical And Data Mining Methodologies For Behavioral Analysis In Transgenic Mouse Models Of Alzheimer’S Disease: Parallels With Human Ad Evaluation, Ralph E. Leighty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of human senile dementia. Alzheimer’s represents a significant public health concern, having widespread social and economic implications. Consequently, protocols for early detection and therapeutic intervention (both behavioral and pharmacologic) constitute important targets for medical investigation. Furthermore, contemporary research depends upon comprehensive neurobehavioral assessment and advanced statistical and computational analytic methodologies for characterizing AD-associated sensorimotor and cognitive impairment, as well as evaluating therapeutic efficacy. This dissertation introduces data mining-based techniques (decision trees, neural networks, support vector machines) for behavioral analysis in both nontransgenic and Alzheimer’s transgenic mice, to evaluate …

Historical Imagination In/And Literary Consciousness: The Afterlife Of The Anglo-Saxons In Middle English Literature, Richard Joseph Ellman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the afterlife and literary presence of the Anglo-Saxons in three literary works from the Middle English period. Middle English writers appropriated classical and French traditions for decidedly English purposes, but relatively few scholars have noted the way in which individuals in the Middle English period (particularly in the fourteenth century) drew upon and (re)constructed an organic English identity or essence emblematized by the Anglo-Saxons. Post-Conquest English men and women did not relate to their Anglo-Saxon forebears in an unproblematic manner; changes in language and culture, precipitated by the Norman Invasion, placed a vast, unwieldy gap between Middle …

Creek Schism: Seminole Genesis Revisited, Philip C. Hawkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work reevaluates commonly accepted interpretations of Seminole ethnogenesis in light of recent scholarship and previously ignored sources from the Spanish archives. It argues that Seminole formation was largely a bi-product of a struggle between two opposing Lower Creek factions: the Creek "nationalists" and the ostensive Creek "partisans" of the British. This factional struggle became increasingly bitter during the French and Indian War and ultimately led to a schism whereby the ostensive "partisans" of the British colonized of the Alachua savanna in the early 1760s to become recognized as the first Florida Seminoles. This work also raises questions about the …

Novel Roles For B-Raf In Mitosis And Cancer, Meghan E. K Borysova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The MAP kinase pathway is well known for its key roles in regulating cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. MAP kinases have also been implicated in mitotic functions, however these functions are less-well understood. Recent studies from our laboratory used Xenopus egg extracts to identify B-Raf as an essential activator of the MAPK cascade during mitosis. Therefore, the first objective of my dissertation research was to determine if B-Raf has functional significance during mitosis in human somatic cells.

Using RNA interference against B-Raf and various immunofluorescence techniques, I show that B-Raf: (1) localizes to and is phosphorylated at a key …

Indoor Environmental Quality Within An Elementary School Classroom: Measurements Of Felis Domesticus I, Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus I, Dermatophagoides Farinae I, And Blatella Germanica In Carpeting, Jennifer Fowler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges that indoor environments can impact the health of students and can affect concentration, attendance, and student performance (USEPA 2008). In a school year, children are required by the Florida Department of Education to be in school for a total of 180 days, which is 795 hours spent in a classroom (FLDOE 2008). In the elementary school setting, kindergarten classes typically spend a portion of the school day with floor-based activities. The American Lung Association (ALA) states that over 6.8 million children under the age of 18 are affected by asthma (ALA 2008). Allergic …

Bite Force In Two Top Predators, The Great Barracuda, Sphyraena Barracuda And Bull Shark Carcharhinus Leucas, During Ontogeny, María Laura Habegger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Functional morphologists have extensively used measurements of performance to investigate the relationship among form, function and ecology through ontogeny. Among different measurements of performance bite force play a crucial role influencing fitness. Although, bite force has been thoroughly investigated among vertebrates, the majority of the studies on fishes have been concentrated only in small species. Consequently, this is the first study that compares the bite force performance in two large marine predators, the great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). Values of posterior bite force in S. barracuda varied from 3 - 258 N …

Use Of Molecular Tools On Surveys Of Genetic Variation And Population Structure In Three Species Of Sharks, Andrey Leonardo F Castro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Molecular tools, such as sequencing of the mitochondrial DNA Control Region (CR) and genotyping of highly variable nuclear microsatellites were applied to survey the genetic diversity, population structure and phylogeography of three shark species: the whale shark, Rhincodon typus; the bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas; and the nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum. The highly migratory and pelagic whale shark exhibited the largest length variation yet reported for an elasmobranch CR (1143–1332 bp), and high haplotype (h = 0.974 ± 0.008) and nucleotide diversities(π = 0.011 ± 0.006). No geographical clustering of lineages was observed and the most common …

Nutrient Distribution Effects From Freshwater Discharge At Franklin Lock And Dam (S-79) In 2005 And 2006 On The Caloosahatchee Estuary And San Carlos Bay, Fort Myers, Florida, Kristan M. Uhlenbrock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient distribution correlates with discharge of freshwater from Franklin Lock and Dam structure (S-79) by delivery into the Caloosahatchee Estuary (CE) and out of this area, including the surrounding San Carlos Bay (SCB) and adjacent West Florida Shelf. This study analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution of nutrients along the CE waterway and illustrates the effects high freshwater discharge from S-79 has on the coastal and offshore environments, providing a potential source of nutrient input. This study consisted of a 7-station transect monitored biweekly from April 2005 thru August 2006 for nutrients, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, and salinity, along …

New Port Richey: Myth And History Of A City Built On Enchantment, Adam J. Carozza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis aims to discover, understand and appreciate the history of New Port Richey. New Port Richey's growth was affected by many of the same social changes taking place all over Florida, most notably the coming of the railroad, the popularity of the automobile, and the land boom of the 1920s. Post-World War II prosperity, pest control, air conditioning, and interstate highways attracted people to this city nicknamed the "Gateway to Tropical Florida." Unique to this area was the Legend of Chasco, an invented tradition to draw tourists and new residents to the area, and the beautiful Pithlachascotee River meandering …

Two Methodologies In Pursuit Of The Elucidation Of Copper (Ii)—Centered Bioinorganic Chemistry, William John Wagner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Copper is a widely distributed transition metal in the earth's crust and has been adopted in a variety of biological systems. In many ways the biochemical usefulness of copper stems from its positive redox potential. This positive redox potential allows copper to assist in the movement of electrons. Copper ions can be found in natural systems as either Cu^I, Cu^II or Cu^III in part due to this redox potential. While Cu^II -centered biochemistry has been studied for years, mechanistic details in certain Cu^II -centered redox reactions remain unresolved. This study presents two methodologies for …

Cooper-Hewitt Museum Of Design And Technology (C-Hmd+T): Biomimetic Architecture As Part Of Nature, Isabel Marisa Corsino Carro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

If architects are to create a sustainable world, one in which we are accountable to the needs of all future generations and living creatures, we must recognize that our present form of designing buildings is deeply flawed. Being the number one cause of emission gases, building design needs to be revolutionized to be able to surpass such climatic changes and finally harmonize with nature. To create a sustainable future and solve the global warming crisis, architects need to incorporate nature within design through the process known as biomimicry. Janine Benyus, the author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, stressed how …

Multimodal Text Designers: A Case Study Of Literacy Events In A Multicultural Context, Mary-Virginia Feger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The erasure of Latino/a adolescents' multiliteracies in school settings affects both their views of education and their entry into the community outside of school. Framed by literacy-as-social-practices perspectives and communities of practice theory, this case study explored what happened when a group of 13 Latino/a adolescents and their Latina teacher engaged in a six-week play production in an after-school program and performed the play for parents. It examined the relationship between the participants' discourse practices and their performance, and determined how they validated their performances. Data collected included observations, interviews, students' written reflective responses, a fieldwork journal, and a DVD …

Semantic And Phonological Priming Effects On N400 Activation In People Who Stutter, Jessica Lauren Huffman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To date, research on mechanistic aspects of fluency disorders has focused heavily on motor contributions to stuttering. Only recently have researchers begun to explore psycholinguistic contributions to stuttering. Psycholinguistic planning for speech heavily involves the activation and processing of lexical information. We used a neuroscience approach to compare word activation in mental lexicon while completing a picture naming task in people who stutter (PWS) versus fluent individuals (PWNS).

Twenty-eight individuals ranging in age from 19 - 52 years old participated in a picture-word priming task adopted from Jescheniak et al. (2002). Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded while participants saw black and …

Shell Abnormalities In Archaias Angulatus (Foraminifera) From The Florida Keys: An Indication Of Increasing Environmental Stress?, Heidi Lynne Souder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Historically, Archaias angulatus has been a major contributor to foraminiferal assemblages and sediments in coral-reef environments throughout the Caribbean and tropical Atlantic. A variety of anomalous features were observed in the tests of A. angulatus individuals collected live from the Florida reef tract in 2004 and 2005. Six types of anomalies were documented using scanning electron microscopy: microborings, microbial biofilm, pitted surfaces, dissolution, calcification abnormalities, and growth abnormalities. Calcification abnormalities included mineralogical projections, lacy crusts, and repair marks. These abnormalities were found among both juvenile and adult A. angulatus, and similar features were also found among Cyclorbiculina compressa and …