Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Feminist Activist Pedagogy: A Case Study Approach In The Women's Studies Department At The University Of South Florida, Stacy Tessier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the relationship between activism and the two introductory-level Women's Studies classes, Introduction to Women's Studies and Issues in Feminism, and the social justice mission of the Women's Studies department. These two classes are the pillars for the program and are often the first classes that draw students into the program. I propose that the Women's Studies department does promote social justice through the curriculum and there are ways that the department could do more to facilitate activism in the classroom and beyond the classroom.

The Women's Studies department at the University of South Florida is …

Intradermal Delivery Of Plasmids Encoding Angiogenic Growth Factors By Electroporation Promotes Wound Healing And Neovascularization, Bernadette Ferraro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gene therapy techniques delivering exogenous angiogenic growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), are currently being investigated as potential treatments for ischemia resulting from a variety of conditions, such as peripheral artery disease (PAD) and chronic wounds. Despite these intense efforts, a viable clinical option to promote therapeutic neovascularization remains elusive. Electroporation is a simple in vivo method to deliver normally impermeable molecules, such as plasmid DNA, to a variety of tissues including skin and muscle. This study investigated intradermal injection of plasmids encoding angiogenic growth factors with electroporation as a novel …

It Is Time To Play! Peer Implemented Pivotal Response Training With A Child With Autism During Recess, Leigh Anne Sams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children with autism, by diagnostic criteria, experience a lack of age appropriate play and social skills (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). This study evaluated three typically developing peer's ability to implement Pivotal Response Training strategies during recess with a child with autism in their third grade class. A concurrent multiple probe baseline across peers design was used to assess peers ability to implement Pivotal Response Training strategies with the target child and the effects of intervention on the play and communication behavior of the target child. Generalization measures were taken in an untrained environment. Measures of social validity in the form …

Photoluminescence Spectroscopy Of Bioconjugated Quantum Dots And Their Application For Early Cancer Detection, Ganna Chornokur

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most of the bio-applications of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) show and utilize their superior optical properties over organic fluorophores. An estimated 3-35% of all cancer deaths could be avoided through early detection, therefore, there is a critical need to develop sensitive probes.

The objectives of this work are:

Research the phenomena of "blue" photoluminescence (PL) spectral shift on the dried bioconjugated QDs and develop the relevant mechanism;

Develop a methodology that will allow successful confirmation of the bioconjugation reaction between biomolecules and QDs;

Propose a modification of an existent method or approach to employ the "blue" spectral shift of bioconjugated …

Terror Management And Self-Enhancement: The Moderating Role Of Self-Esteem And Need For Closure, Nathan A. Heflick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Terror management theory posits that self-esteem ultimately protects people from death anxiety. Much research has demonstrated that individuals reminded of death tend to self-enhance. However, more recent research suggests that need for closure and self-esteem might moderate these findings, but no research has directly tested this. It was hypothesized that for people high in self-esteem, mortality salience will not affect self-enhancement. However, for individuals low in self-esteem, it will either increase enhancement (if low in closure) or increase verification (if high in closure). These hypotheses were fully supported using Christian's perceptions of God's love as the dependent variable. Implications for …

Transformational Processes And Learner Outcomes For Online Learning: An Activity Theory Case Study Of Spanish Students, Joseph M. Terantino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the actions of online language learners from an activity theoretical perspective. It also attempted to explain how the students' learning outcomes evolved from their online learning experiences. This explanation placed an emphasis on the learners' previous experiences, defining their activity systems, the use of mediational tools, and the resolution of contradictions. Within this activity theoretical case study a background survey, four interviews, and three field observations were conducted with seven foreign language students of an online Spanish course. The students' on-screen actions were recorded and subsequently documented in a video episode …

Does Goal Generation Vary As A Function Of Depressive Status?, Lindsay Brauer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although many theories attempt to explain the manner in which deficits in goal generation may lead to an episode of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), few studies have actually described how persons with depression vulnerability generate goals for themselves. The current project used a multi-dimensional approach to examine the types, numbers, and domains in which goals are generated, comparing individuals with MDD with individuals with remitted depression, and never-depressed controls. In addition, we examined possible mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between depressive status and goal generation. Surprisingly, results suggested little group difference in the types of goals or subjective ratings …

Influence Of Temporary Inactivation Of The Prefrontal Cortex Or Hippocampus During Stress On The Subsequent Expression Of Anxiety And Memory, Joshua D. Halonen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The neural pathways underlying the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have not been fully elucidated. Intrusive memories, persistent anxiety and other cognitive deficits have been attributed to maladaptive or otherwise aberrant processing in specific brain regions, including the hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Our laboratory has developed an animal model of PTSD which results in the enhancement of memory for a place associated with exposure to a predator, anxiety-like behavior, increased startle and impaired memory in a non-aversive memory task. To better understand how the interaction of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex contribute to the different symptoms of …

Gender Trouble In Northern Ireland: An Examination Of Gender And Bodies Within The 1970s And 1980s Provisional Irish Republican Army In Northern Ireland, Jennifer Earles

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With this thesis, I will utilize both feminist and queer theory to highlight the gendered and bodily tactics used by the women of the 1970s/1980s Provisional Irish Republican Army. I will explore how women can both manipulate gender and use their bodies as a response to gender, ethnic, class, and colonial power relations and conflict discourses, the limitations of these approaches, and how these actions can work to reconfigure political movements, local cultures, and create a space for social change and a future beyond conflict which includes women. My methods will include a feminist content analysis of interviews, written records, …

Modulation Of Asic1a Function By Sigma-1 Receptors: Physiological And Pathophysiological Implications, Yelenis Herrera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASIC) are a class of ligand gated plasma membrane ion channels that are activated by low extracellular pH. During ischemia, ASIC1a are activated and contribute to the demise of neurons. Pharmacological block of ASIC1a provides neuroprotection at delayed time points. However, no endogenous receptors have been implicated in the modulation of ASIC1a activity. The hypothesis presented is that sigma receptor activation inhibits ASIC1a function and ASIC1a-induced [Ca²?]i elevations during acidosis and ischemia, which may be a mechanism by which sigma ligands provide neuroprotection following stroke. This hypothesis is based on the following observations: First, sigma receptors regulate …

Predicting The Medical Management Requirements Of Large Scale Mass Casualty Events Using Computer Simulation, Scott A. Zuerlein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent events throughout the world and in the US lend support to the belief that another terrorist attack on the US is likely, perhaps probable. Given the potential for large numbers of casualties to be produced by a blast using conventional explosives, it is imperative that health systems across the nation consider the risks in their jurisdictions and take steps to better prepare for the possibility of an attack. Computer modeling and simulation offers a viable and useful methodology to better prepare an organization or system to respond to a large scale event. The real question, given the shortage, and …

The Role Of Neuroinflammation In Regulating The Age-Related Decline In Neurogenesis, Adam D. Bachstetter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adult neurogenesis, is a lifelong process by which relatively few cells are added into two restricted regions of the brain. Integration of the cells into the existing neuronal circulatory, with the unique properties involved in the maturation of these cells, is possibly critical to the acquisition and retrieval of new memories. With the chronological aging of the organism a process of cellular senescence occurs throughout the body; a portion of which is independent of primary alterations to the stem cells; instead, it appears to be dependent on the environment where the cells reside, and is in part regulated by inflammation. …

Inositol Phospholipid And Tyrosine Phosphorylation Signaling In The Biology Of Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Amy L. Hazen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blood cells are continuously produced throughout our lifetime by a rare pluripotent cell that primarily resides in the adult bone marrow. This hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) must maintain a careful balance between self-renewal, differentiation and apoptosis in order to support hematopoiesis for such a long duration. Understanding the mechanism of balance between these fates is crucial to our understanding and clinical application of these cells.

From previous studies, we know Src homology 2 domain containing 5' inositol phosphatase 1 (SHIP) plays an important role in HSC homeostasis and function. Most interestingly SHIP impacts HSC homing to the bone marrow niche. …

Adiposity, Stress, And Stigmatization: A Biopsychosocial Approach To Cardiovascular Disease Prediction, Kristi E. White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present study was to use a biopsychosocial approach to investigate the role of body image concerns and appearance-related evaluation stress in the relationship between adiposity and cardiovascular reactivity and recovery. Participants included 106 Caucasian female undergraduates at the University of South Florida. The laboratory procedure consisted of resting baseline, speech preparation and delivery, and recovery phases. Participants also completed a variety of body image questionnaires. To manipulate appearance-related evaluation stress, participants were randomly assigned to present their speech to a video camera or an audio recorder. Overall adiposity was measured as body mass index (BMI) and …

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (Tnt) Air Concentrations, Hemoglobin Changes, And Anemia Cases In Respirator Protected Tnt Munitions Demilitarization Workers, Melville D. Bradley M.D.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene, TNT, is an explosive used in munitions production that is known to cause both aplastic and hemolytic anemia in exposed workers. Deaths have been reported secondary to both varieties of anemia. Studies have shown that TNT systemic absorption is significant by both the respiratory and dermal routes. A literature review revealed that the most recent review article on TNT exposure arguing for a TWA drop from the PEL to the TLV was in 1977 -- this article cited anemia issues in addition to other untoward effects of TNT. No studies encountered looked at hemoglobin change or anemia cases in …

Southern Black Women: Their Lived Realities, Robin M. Boylorn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Focusing on the lived experiences of ten rural black women in a familial community in central North Carolina, this project documents the mundane and extraordinary events of their lives and how they create meaningful lives through storytelling. Theoretically grounded in black feminist thought, intersectionality theory and muted group theory the investigation calls for the use of storytelling and poetry to understand how rural black women experience, live, and communicate their lives. Merging the experiences of participants with the researcher, the study also considers the ethical implications of being an insider-outsider and offers suggestions for engaging in creative scholarship. The author …

Ecological Dynamics Of Livebottom Ledges And Artificial Reefs On The Inner Central West Florida Shelf, Jennifer Maria Dupont

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The West Florida Shelf (WFS) is one of the largest and most diversely-used continental shelf/slope systems in the world. The presence of paleoshorelines and scarped hardbottom outcrops (up to 4 m in relief) along the inner shelf (10-30 m depth) provide important habitat for a variety of infaunal, epifaunal, and fish assemblages that contribute to the productivity of the region. This dissertation will present a comprehensive overview of the geological, physical, and chemical settings of the inner West Florida Shelf, with particular focus on biological and ecological community dynamics of epibenthic macroinvertebrates, algae, and fish assemblages. Baseline and comparative data …

Emergency Department Capacity Planning For A Pandemic Scenario: Nurse Allocation, Florentino Antonio Rico

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The problem considered in this research is the efficient allocation of resources in an emergency department during a large flow of patient consequent to a pandemic influenza breakout. Predicting the impact of a Pandemic Influenza is very complex due to the many unknown variables that may play a role to how severe a pandemic can be. Scenario planning is considered in this research to forecast different potential outcomes and help decision makers better understand the role of uncertainties and become prepared to make important decisions. The goal is to first create a forecast model to estimate the patient demand during …

Using Social Stories And Behavior Skills Training Involving Family Members To Increase Social Skills For A Child With Autism, Jamie Leigh Powell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study compared the effectiveness of a social story intervention with a social story plus behavior skills training intervention involving family members for a child with autism. A multiple baseline across siblings design was used to assess the impact of the intervention on social interaction of the child with autism, as well as the social interaction of the child's siblings. The siblings implemented both phases of the intervention. Social validity measures were taken from the siblings and parents, treatment integrity and generalization were assessed as well. The results indicated that the social interactions of the child with autism and the …

Synthesis Of Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting Signal Transduction Pathways, Divya Ramamoorthy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The main aim of the study described in this thesis is the development of small molecules as inhibitors targeting signal transduction pathways, thereby treating cancer. We attempted to synthesize compounds based on the hits obtained from high throughput screening of the Chemdiv diversity set compounds. Chapter One is a general introduction to cancer, history of chemotherapeutic drugs and an introduction to signal transduction pathways. The following two chapters briefly introduce the biological targets in the authors study. Chapter Two describes the role of B-cell lymphoma type xL (Bcl-xL), in apoptosis and the development of drugs targeting Bcl-xL. Examples of Bcl-xL …

Facial Skin Motion Properties From Video: Modeling And Applications, Vasant Manohar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deformable modeling of facial soft tissues have found use in application domains such as human-machine interaction for facial expression recognition. More recently, such modeling techniques have been used for tasks like age estimation and person identification. This dissertation is focused on development of novel image analysis algorithms to follow facial strain patterns observed through video recording of faces in expressions. Specifically, we use the strain pattern extracted from non-rigid facial motion as a simplified and adequate way to characterize the underlying material properties of facial soft tissues. Such an approach has several unique features. Strain pattern instead of the image …

Spanish-Specific Patterns And Nonword Repetition Performance In English Language Learners, María R. Brea-Spahn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonword repetition tasks were originally devised to assess the efficiency of the phonological loop (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974), a component of the working memory system, where verbal information is temporarily stored and translated to support activities like phonological processing during early word-recognition (Snowling, 1981; Wagner et al., 2003), speech production (McCarthy & Warrington, 1984), and articulation (Watkins, Dronkers, & Vargha-Khadem, 2002; Yoss & Darley, 1974).

From a practical perspective, there is a significant need for a systematically-designed Spanish nonword repetition measure that is equivalent to currently-available English measures. For this study, a database of nonwords that considered phonotactic and phonological …

Finding Confucianism In Scientology: A Comparative Analysis, John Albert Kieffer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scientology holds considerable interest for scholars of new religious movements. As such, this study aims to contribute new data and insight to ongoing theoretical work within this area of religious studies scholarship. Engaged in this inquiry are the similarities between Scientology, the new religious movement founded in 1951 by L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), and the Chinese religion, Confucianism, which originates with the teachings of Confucius (551-479 BCE). Though Hubbard admits being influenced by eastern thinking such as Buddhism and Daoism in shaping his worldview, he specifically discounts Confucius as relevant in this regard. However, through comparisons between Scientology and Confucianism, …

First-Principles Studies Of Shock-Induced Phenomena In Energetic Materials, Aaron Christopher Landerville

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An understanding of the atomic-scale features of chemical and physical processes taking place behind the shockwave front will help in addressing some of the major challenges in energetic materials research. The high pressure shockwave environment can be simulated using computational techniques to predict mechanical and chemical properties of a shocked material. Density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate uniaxial compressions of diamond and both hydrostatic and uniaxial compressions of TATB and NEST-1. For diamond, we calculated shear stresses for uniaxial compressions in the , , and directions and discovered the anomalous elastic regime which is responsible for the significant …

Intervention In Painting By Marlene Dumas With Titles Of Engagement: Ryman's Brides, Reinhardt's Daughter And Stern, Susan King Klinkenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marlene Dumas is known for her portraits and figurative paintings and drawings. This study focuses on three paintings by Dumas that reference male icons of art: Stern (2004), Ryman's Brides (1997), and Reinhardt's Daughter (1994). In referencing Ad Reinhardt, Robert Ryman and in the case of Stern, Gerhard Richter, Dumas engages with each artist and the history of painting in specific ways. As this thesis title indicates, I argue that Dumas uses artistic allusion pervasively throughout her oeuvre to conduct an intervention in painting. I propose that this interposition is a way to navigate and question the canon, while strengthening …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Novel Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Composites Using Copper-4, 4’- Trimethylenedipyridine Metal-Organic Framework As Fillers, Shisi Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A novel Poly (methyl methacrylate) Composites using Copper-4, 4'- Trimethylenedipyridine Metal-Organic Framework as Fillers (CTMOF) had been synthesized and analyzed. The CTMOF structure had been characterized by X-ray crystallography. The thermal and mechanical properties of CTMOF-PMMA composites had been examined via optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), microhardness, and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The results showed the increase of Glass transition temperatures and the improvement of mechanical properties of the PMMA composites as the concentration of CBMOF loading increased.

The Political Ecology Of Intestinal Parasites Among Nicaraguan Immigrants In Monteverde, Costa Rica, Jason D. Lind

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 15 years Monteverde, Costa Rica has undergone rapid economic, social, political, and environmental change due to a flourishing ecotourism economy. While the effects of ecotourism development in Monteverde are many, two important consequences have been: 1) the immigration of Nicaraguan nationals to the area seeking low-skilled wage labor; and 2) compromised water resources management due to pollution and rapid population growth. The objective of this research is to investigate and identify the inter-relationships between ecotourism development in Monteverde and its affect on infectious diseases outcomes within the context of immigration and water resources management. Specifically, this dissertation …

A New Understanding Of Sophistic Rhetoric: A Translation, With Commentary, Of Mario Untersteiner‘S ―Le Origini Sociali Della Sofistica‖, Elisabeth Lofaro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation translates an essay by Mario Untersteiner "Le origini sociali della sofistica" ("The Social Origins of Sophistry") unpublished in English, and explores its significance in terms of classical and contemporary rhetorical theory, as well as the composition classroom. In the process, I attempt to contribute to reestablishing sophistry and rhetoric within our contemporary cultural milieu. More specifically, the dissertation is organized into five main parts: The first chapter offers an introduction to and thorough background of the sophists in ancient and classical Greece; the second chapter reviews the scholarship about the sophists, as well as that on Mario Untersteiner …

Multiple Approaches To The Validation Of The Scores From The Study Anxiety Inventory, George Douglas Lunsford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Study Anxiety Inventory (SAI), consisting of the factors of worry and emotionality, was developed to measure college students' self-reported levels of anxiety while studying for an exam. Data from 2002 undergraduate students from four colleges (Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Business, and Education) at a southeastern state university were used to evaluate the validity of the scores from the 16-item Study Anxiety Inventory. Results of confirmatory factor analyses for the two factor model, conducted separately for each college, indicated marginally acceptable fit for the data (median fit measures across the four colleges: CFI =.915, SRMR=.049, RMSEA=.098), a pattern that was …

Cardiovascular Risk Factors For Mild Cognitive Impairment, Michael Malek-Ahmadi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between cardiovascular conditions and the presence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been well-documented in a number of recent studies. Generally, the presence of cardiovascular conditions such as high total cholesterol and hypertension have been shown to significantly increase the risk for the development of AD. Given the results of these studies, it is possible that these same risk factors might also increase the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI). An analysis of 216 subjects (119 cognitively normal (CN), 77 aMCI, 20 naMCI) found that after adjusting for age, education, ethnicity, and gender, only hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) showed …