Digital Commons Network^™

Borromean: Preserving Binary Node Attribute Distributions In Large Graph Generations, Clayton A. Gandy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Real graph datasets are important for many science domains, from understanding epidemics to modeling traffic congestion. To facilitate access to realistic graph datasets, researchers proposed various graph generators typically aimed at representing particular graph properties. While many such graph generators exist, there are few techniques for generating graphs where the nodes have binary attributes. Moreover, generating such graphs in which the distribution of the node attributes preserves real-world characteristics is still an open challenge. This thesis introduces Borromean, a graph generating algorithm that creates synthetic graphs with binary node attributes in which the attributes obey an attribute-specific joint degree distribution. …

Effects Of Body Temperature And General Anesthetics On Intraocular Pressure In Rats, Aditi Pillai

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ocular hypertension has been identified as the fundamental risk factor in glaucoma which is the leading cause for irreversible blindness in the world. Understanding the different factors that affect IOP is of utmost importance in clinical management as IOP is considered as the fundamental factor in assessing the efficiency of glaucoma medications. Several studies have attempted to assess factors that could affect IOP including age, body position, blood pressure, anesthetics commonly used during eye operations, etc. However, in most of these studies IOP is measured under anesthesia using rodent models and these anesthetics could affect the IOP measurements directly or …

Sr Flip-Flop Based Physically Unclonable Function (Puf) For Hardware Security, Rohith Prasad Challa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are now widely being used to uniquely identify Integrated Circuits (ICs). In this work, we propose a novel Set-Reset (SR) Flip-flop based PUF design. For a NAND gate based SR flip-flop, the input condition S (Set) = 1 and R (Reset) = 1 must be avoided as it is an inconsistent condition. When S=R=1 is applied followed by S=R=0, then the outputs Q and Q' undergo race condition and depending on the delays of the NAND gates in the feedback path, the output Q can settle at either 0 or 1. Because of process variations in …

Differences In English Language Proficiency Growth: A Possible Indicator Of Giftedness For English Learners, Myriam Lindo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The disproportionality of culturally and linguistically diverse learners in exceptional education is an ongoing issue (Bernal, 2002; Ford, 2012). One of these special populations is that of English learners (ELs), who are overrepresented in special education programs and underrepresented in gifted and talented programs (Ford, 2012).The extant literature suggests that a rapid rate of growth in English language proficiency (ELP) may be one of the characteristics used to indicate giftedness in English learners (Brulles, Castellano, & Laing, 2011; Harris, Plucker, Rapp, & Martinez, 2009). However, no studies have analyzed English Language proficiency (ELP) growth trajectories of gifted ELs. This study …

Relationship Between Vocal Fatigue And Physical/Psychological Factors In Prospective Vocal Professionals, Camille C. Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: To date, research has primarily focused on the subjective and objective measurement of vocal fatigue in professional voice users such as teachers and singers. However, these studies have not examined the effects of psychosocial factors (e.g., lack of sleep, emotional distress) leading to vocal fatigue in depth. Much like the professional voice users, students seeking to be professional voice users may face several psychosocial difficulties, may also experience similar vocal demands, and may develop vocal fatigue.

Goal: The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between psychosocial factors and vocal fatigue in students majoring in Communication Sciences …

Producing The Past: Contested Heritage And Tourism In Glastonbury And Tintagel, Vivian Beatrice Gornik

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heritage, the “present-centered” use of the past (Ashworth 2007) influences the identities of contemporary citizens (Palmer 2005, Sommer 2009). Grasping the ways in which the production and consumption of heritage takes place is becoming increasingly relevant in a post-Brexit Britain, where the national identity is constantly up for debate. This research asks: what role does heritage tourism play in (re)producing hegemonic national narratives in Glastonbury and Tintagel? And subsequently, what do these narratives say about broader conceptualizations of English identity?

Arthurian legend permeates the historical narrative in both locations. According to the legend, King Arthur was conceived and born in …

Behavioral, Affective, And Cognitive Engagement Of High School Music Students: Relation To Academic Achievement And Ensemble Performance Ratings, Joel E. Pagán

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine the relation between student engagement, academic achievement, and music ensemble performance ratings. The study was guided by two research questions: how do students’ varying degrees of student engagement relate to their academic achievement and their ensemble’s performance rating, and to what extent do behavioral, affective, and cognitive engagement predict ensemble performance ratings? Participants were 259 high school band students who completed the Classroom Engagement Inventory in Music. They were also asked to report their GPA, and the researcher recorded their ensemble’s performance rating. Results suggested that higher levels of student engagement were …

Identifying The Personal And Perceived Organizational Characteristics Associated With Job Satisfaction Among Juvenile Probation Staff, Julie M. Krupa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Satisfied employees are essential to an organization, as they are the primary means for meeting organizational needs. Employees who are more satisfied at work are less likely to leave their job or think about leaving their job, less likely to feel burnt out or stressed, and perform better at work. Job satisfaction is particularly important among criminal justice agencies, specifically probation agencies which largely rely on personnel for the supervision and rehabilitation of offenders. Yet the correlates of job satisfaction among juvenile probation staff are largely unknown. Theory suggests that organizational characteristics are influential predictors of job satisfaction across occupational …

"I'Ve Never Had That": An Exploration Of How Children Construct Belonging And Inclusion Within A Foodscape, Olivia M. Fleming

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

American consumer culture is often depicted as competitive and based on the acquisition of capital and status through goods or experiences. To date, researchers commonly exclude children from this conversation and therefore fail to wholly assess the impact consumer culture has on one’s choices or behavior. This study adds to a growing body of literature exploring the experiences and agency of children within the broader consumer culture by examining how marginalized children from a lower socioeconomic background use food as a resource for belonging among peers. Observation and interview data collected during designated lunch and snack times at a summer …

A Woman's Place In Jazz In The 21st Century, Valerie T. Simuro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women often harbor ingrained attitudes that restrain them from achieving a successful career. They retain deep-seated attitudes that confine them to a self-defined space based on internalized patriarchal standards. Some women do achieve success in spite of the challenges they face. Esperanza Spalding, a young, African-American woman jazz instrumentalist is one such success story. She defies convention, plays an unconventional musical instrument in a musical genre that is historically deemed a masculine world. My thesis discusses the difficult path she traverses between feminist ideals and commercial success. It discusses what characteristics of femininity she chooses to display. Some intentional, some …

Yet Another Ferguson Effect: An Exploratory Content Analysis Of News Stories On Police Brutality And Deadly Force Before And After The Killing Of Michael Brown, Carl Root

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examined the police-media relationship through an exploratory content analysis of news articles indexed as police brutality and/or deadly force published in six newspapers (The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Denver Post and USA Today) between August 9th, 2013 and August 9th, 2015. This timeframe was selected in order to determine whether significant differences exist between articles published in the year before the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9th, 2014 compared to those published in the year afterward. Specifically, this research examined whether and how news stories pre and …

Collaboration Among Mathematicians And Mathematics Educators: Working Together To Educate Preservice Teachers, Amanda R. Mohn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Collaboration among higher education professors who are responsible for the education of preservice teachers is one potential solution to the problem of poor teacher preparation. Specifically, collaboration among mathematics educators and mathematicians can enhance preservice teacher preparation because it provides opportunities for preservice teachers to develop pedagogical content knowledge. However, collaborative efforts are challenging, and collaborators often face obstacles and tensions arise among the collaborative group members. Learning about ways the collaborators approach their collaborative efforts, the issues and tensions that arise, the hindering and supporting factors that affect the collaboration, and the potential outcomes of collaborative efforts provides information …

Ripple Effects Of The Belo Monte Dam: A Syndemic Approach To Addressing Health Impacts For The Downstream Community Of Gurupá, Cynthia A. Pace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the public health impacts of a large dam project on a downstream community using the framework of Syndemic Theory. The particular focus is the Belo Monte Dam, located in the Brazilian Amazon, and its impact on the community of Gurupá, Pará. At the present time the Belo Monte Dam, which is nearing completion, stands out in scale as being the world’s third largest dam complex. Gurupá is a community well known (and well-studied) in the social science literature as Amazon Town. The aims of this study are to assess the pre-existing public health of Gurupá, as well …

Development Of 3-D Printed Hybrid Packaging For Gaas-Mems Oscillators Based On Piezoelectrically-Transduced Zno-On-Soi Micromechanical Resonators, Di Lan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prior research focused on CMOS-MEMS integrated oscillator has been done using various foundry compatible integration techniques. In order to compensate the integration compatibility, MEMS resonators built on standard CMOS foundry process could not take full advantage of highest achievable quality factor on chip. System-in-package (SiP) and system-on-chip (SoC) is becoming the next generation of electronic packaging due to the need of multi-functional devices and multi-sensor systems, thus wafer level hybrid integration becomes the key to enable the full assembly of dissimilar devices. In this way, every active circuit and passive component can be individually optimized, so do the MEMS resonators …

Behavior Change For Children Participating In Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: A Growth Curve Analysis, Kayla Larosa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disruptive behavior disorders including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder (CD), and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), are listed among the most common reasons youth are referred for mental health services (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention [CDC], 2016b; Kazdin, Mazurick, Siegel, & 1994). Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is one intervention that has been found to reduce clinically significant levels of disruptive behavior. The purpose of the current study was to determine the form of change, typical change trajectory, and individual variation in change for disruptive behavior across the two phases of PCIT; the Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) and Parent-Directed Interaction (PDI) phases. …

Precise, General, And Efficient Data-Flow Analysis For Security Vetting Of Android Apps, Fengguo Wei

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a new approach to static analysis for security vetting of Android apps, and a general framework called Argus-SAF. Argus-SAF determines points-to information for all objects in an Android app component in a flow and context-sensitive (user-configurable) way and performs data-flow and data dependence analysis for the component. Argus-SAF also tracks inter-component communication activities. It can stitch the component-level information into the app- level information to perform intra-app or inter-app analysis. Moreover, Argus-SAF is NDK/JNI- aware and can efficiently track precise data-flow across language boundary. This dissertation shows that, (a) the aforementioned type of comprehensive app analysis is …

Looking Beyond Patient Satisfaction: Experiences Of Spanish-Speaking Patients Seeking Non-Urgent Care In An Emergency Department, Seiichi Villalona

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory mixed-methods study examines the experiences of Spanish-speaking patients seeking non-urgent care in an emergency department setting. Emphasis is placed on understanding variables that influence patient satisfaction among this particular special patient population. This study draws from the explanatory models of illness and perspectives of clinically applied anthropology in contributing to the limited body of scholarly work that utilizes ethnographic approaches in clinical spaces to investigate how patients experience seeking emergency care services. Health-related deservingness, social determinants of health, and health literacy are used as complementary frameworks in understanding the unique experiences of these patients. The combination of methodological …

A Study Of Ghanaian Kindergarten Teachers' Use Of Bilingual And Translanguaging Practices, Joyce Esi Bronteng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The importance of mother tongue-based bilingual medium of instruction in bilingual and multilingual classrooms has been evidenced in ample studies in different parts of the world including Ghana. However, studies on how bilingualism is carried out with respect to classroom displays in bilingual education is very scant and even none, as far as I know, in Ghana. Also, there is emerging research on teachers’ translanguaging practices in other parts of the world including South Africa but research on instructional use of translanguaging is yet to be conducted in Ghana. Therefore, this study examined kindergarten teachers’ bilingual practices with regard to …

Regulatory Methodology And Unmitigated Wetland Loss In Southwest Florida, Kathleen B. Castor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research used Geographical Information System (GIS) data to estimate the acreage of wetland loss due to small-scale activities (taking into account exempt, permitted, and unauthorized activities) in the Southwest District of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) between 2006 and 2011 and compared that net loss with the unmitigated wetland net loss that DEP documented during that time for authorized activities and violations that were discovered. The comparison allowed an estimation of the extent of undocumented small-scale unmitigated wetland loss that occurred during those six years. DEP records show that 88% of non-compliance cases remain unresolved, and the net …

A Machine Learning Framework To Classify Mosquito Species From Smart-Phone Images, Mona Minakshi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mosquito borne diseases have been a constant scourge across the globe resulting in numerous diseases with debilitating consequences, and also death. To derive trends on population of mosquitoes in an area, trained personnel lay traps, and after collecting trapped specimens, they spend hours under a microscope to inspect each specimen for identifying the actual species and logging it. This is vital, because multiple species of mosquitoes can reside in any area, and the vectors that some of them carry are not the same ones carried by others. The species identification process is naturally laborious, and imposes severe cognitive burden, since …

Developing A Model To Predict Prevalence Of Compulsive Behavior In Individuals With Ocd, Lindsay D. Fields

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The most common method of diagnosing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, which measures the severity of symptoms without regard to compulsions. However, this scale is limited to only considering the quantifiable time and energy lost to compulsions. Conversely, current systems of brain imaging arrest mobility and thus make it virtually impossible to observe compulsions at all, focusing instead on neurological responses to external stimuli. There is little research which merges both approaches, to consider the neuro-physiological effects of obsessions as well as the physical response through compulsions. As such, this research is focused on developing a model …

Microbial Associations Of Four Species Of Algal Symbiont-Bearing Foraminifera From The Florida Reef Tract, Usa, Makenna May Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marine microbiome research is a rapidly expanding field of study, as scientists investigate the functions of microbial associations in eukaryotic organisms. Foraminifera are among the most abundant shelled organisms in the oceans, yet little is known of their associated microbiomes. This study investigated microbes associated with four species of Foraminifera that host three kinds of algal endosymbionts. The Order Miliolida, Family Soritidae, was represented by three species: Archaias angulatus and Cyclorbiculina compressa, which both host chlorophyte symbionts, and Sorites orbiculus, which hosts dinoflagellate symbionts. The fourth species, Amphistegina gibbosa, belongs to the Order Rotaliida and hosts diatom endosymbionts. Bacterial DNA …

Emerging Non-Volatile Memory Technologies For Computing And Security, Rekha Govindaraj

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With CMOS technology scaling reaching its limitations rigorous research of alternate and competent technologies is paramount to push the boundaries of computing. Spintronic and resistive memories have proven to be effective alternatives in terms of area, power and performance to CMOS because of their non-volatility, ability for logic computing and easy integration with CMOS. However, deeper investigations to understand their physical phenomenon and improve their properties such as writability, stability, reliability, endurance, uniformity with minimal device-device variations is necessary for deployment as memories in commercial applications. Application of these technologies beyond memory and logic are investigated in this thesis i.e. …

Contributors To And Correlates Of Loneliness In Lung Cancer Patients, Kelly A. Hyland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background

Loneliness, or the perceived discrepancy between the quantity and quality of ones’ actual social relationships and desired level of connectedness, is a potentially important psychosocial factor in lung cancer patients. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship of loneliness to depressive symptoms, quality of life, and social-cognitive variables and to explore the role of loneliness in mediating relationships between social-cognitive variables and depressive symptoms and quality of life. Finally, the study examined whether loneliness predicted change over time in depressive symptoms and quality of life.

Methods

Lung cancer patients were recruited from the Moffitt Cancer …

A Hybrid Dynamic Modeling Of Time-To-Event Processes And Applications, Emmanuel A. Appiah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the survival and reliability data analysis, parametric and nonparametric methods are used to estimate the hazard/risk rate and survival functions. A parametric approach is based on the assumption that the underlying survival distribution belongs to some specific family of closed form distributions (normal, Weibull, exponential, etc.). On the other hand, a nonparametric approach is centered around the best-fitting member of a class of survival distribution functions. Moreover, the Kaplan-Meier and Nelson-Aalen type nonparametric approach do not assume either distribution class or closed-form distributions. Historically, well-known time-to-event processes are death of living specie in populations and failure of component in …

Contingent Narratives: Exploring Facets Of Cross-Cultural Awareness In An Experiential Global Education Course, Nicholas Bardo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This narrative inquiry explores the process through which a combination of coursework, field experiences, and experiential classroom activities engaged pre-service teachers with opportunities to expand their perspective upon culturally normative conceptions of values, beliefs, and worldview. Due to the current racial and ethnic demographic gap separating the professional ranks of the teaching force and the increasingly diverse population of students in the United States, cross-cultural awareness is imperative for both teacher education programming and membership in a culturally pluralistic society.

Drawing on multiple data points, the narrative illuminates the participant voices, context, and dynamic social process of teaching and learning. …

A Behavioral Analysis Of Households Using Reclaimed Water In Irrigation: Case Of Pinellas County, Florida, Natalie Kuraya-Ziyadeh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In order to tend to the world’s dwindling freshwater supplies, sustainable alternative methods need to be integrated in order to keep up with the world’s increasing demand. Reclaimed water (RW) is one of the sustainable methods adopted by some Floridian cities such as Tampa, Tallahassee, and St. Pete that provide an alternative water source for non-potable uses. However, despite this alleviating effect RW has on freshwater supplies, it is crucial to recognize the potential harm it poses on neighboring waterbodies due to the residual contaminants it still contains, including Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P). As such, studying residents’ knowledge and …

Orthogonal Polynomials With Respect To The Measure Supported Over The Whole Complex Plane, Meng Yang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In chapter 1, we present some background knowledge about random matrices, Coulomb gas, orthogonal polynomials, asymptotics of planar orthogonal polynomials and the Riemann-Hilbert problem. In chapter 2, we consider the monic orthogonal polynomials, $\{P_{n,N}(z)\}_{n=0,1,\cdots},$ that satisfy the orthogonality condition,

\begin{equation}\nonumber \int_\mathbb{C}P_{n,N}(z)\overline{P_{m,N}(z)}e^{-N Q(z)}dA(z)=h_{n,N}\delta_{nm} \quad(n,m=0,1,2,\cdots), \end{equation}

where $h_{n,N}$ is a (positive) norming constant and the external potential is given by

$$Q(z)=|z|^2+ \frac{2c}{N}\log \frac{1}{|z-a|},\quad c>-1,\quad a>0.$$

The orthogonal polynomial is related to the interacting Coulomb particles with charge $+1$ for each, in the presence of an extra particle with charge $+c$ at $a.$ For $N$ large and a fixed ``c'' this …

Egos Gone Wild: Threat Detection And The Domains Indicative Of Toxic Leadership, Matthew S. Arbogast

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Toxic leaders are a serious problem, but shockingly, there is no standard detection tool that is both efficient and accurate. Compounding the problem are the various definitions and descriptions used to operationalize toxic leadership. This research sought to align the literature, offer a concise definition, and assess the domains indicative of toxic leadership through two conceptually compatible studies. Study 1 involved development of a toxic leader threat detection scale. Results using a variable-centered approach indicated that follower perceptions (n = 357) of leader empathy (4-item scale; α = .93) and the need for achievement recognition (4-item scale; α = .83) …

Rumination And Worry: Factor Structure And Predictive Utility, Andrew Mark Kiselica

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Criticism of discrete classification systems for mental disorders has led to a focus on identification of mechanisms that cut across symptom clusters, known as transdiagnostic factors. One such proposed factor is negative repetitive thought (NRT), or a perseverative, often uncontrollable, focus on negative information, experiences, or expectations. Worry and rumination are two major constructs thought to compose NRT. No confirmatory factor analyses have investigated whether worry and rumination might compose a general NRT factor, discrete factors, or some combination of the two. The first purpose of the current study was to use confirmatory factor analyses to uncover whether worry and …