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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 …

City Level Development New Key To Successful Development, Gina Herron

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Development is one of the most debated issues in political science today. There has never been a clear consensus reached on what is one successful path to developmental success for nations to follow. Organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and already developed nations have long touted a policy based on rapid privatization, which has been often referred to as shock therapy.

During this current period of globalization it has never been more important for underdeveloped nations to successfully move towards development, in order for those nations to not be left behind in an ever increasing …

The Effects Of Diameter Fluctuations And Coiling On The Sensitivity Of Sapphire Single Crystal Optical Fiber Evanescent Wave Fluorescence Sensors, Jimmy Ray Gamez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of diameter fluctuations on the sensitivity of sapphire multimode optical fibers used as evanescent wave fluorescence sensors. It was predicted that fluctuations in the diameter of the fiber would act as a series of bi-tapers converting lower order modes to higher order modes increasing the evanescent wave penetration depth thereby increasing the excitation of a cladding of fluorescent fluid. Induced fluorescence from the fluid cladding would then couple back into the fiber more efficiently increasing the sensitivity of the sensor.

The effect of coiling the fiber on the sensitivity of …

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 …

Examining The Title X Family Planning Program’S (Public Law 91-572) Legislative History Through A Feminist Lens: A Thematic Analysis And Oral Histories With Key Stakeholders In Florida, Cheryl A. Vamos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Title X Family Planning Program (Public Law 91-572), enacted by President Richard Nixon in 1970, provides federal funds for voluntary, confidential family planning services to all women, regardless of their age or economic status. This federal legislation aspired to prevent unintended pregnancies and poor birth outcomes to those in most need. However, over the past three decades, Title X has faced political, financial and social challenges. Despite its enormous success in improving the health and well-being of women and children by decreasing unintended pregnancies, the need for abortions and providing key comprehensive preventive services, without a newfound political will …

(Re)Appropriation: A Reading Of The Tempest, Kapalkundala, And Disgrace, Sunayani Bhattacharya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The thesis looks at William Shakespeare's The Tempest in conjunction with J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace and BankimChandra Chattopadhyay's Kapalkundala. In their own distinctive ways, each of these texts appropriate Shakespeare's play and are, in turn, appropriated by it while exploring the patterns of dominance and resistance inherent to the colonial/postcolonial context. The Tempest, as a play, is central to this argument owing to its experiments with power structures and their subsequent subversion. Shakespeare's text also provides an interesting point of departure because of the numerous postcolonial re-readings that it continues to provoke, creating theoretical room for discussing the status …

Identities Of Alternative Medicine Practitioners, Mychel Estevez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to collect and analyze information from massage therapists on how they construct their identities. It is meant to be a starting point in giving voice to a group of alternative health practitioners who have been marginalized and misunderstood. It also helps us to understand what it means (to them) to be massage therapists and practitioners of "alternative medicine." This study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with five licensed massage therapists in two metropolitan areas in Florida. Massage therapists work at the micro level to boost the image of themselves and their form of "alternative" …

Social Implications Of Fair Trade Coffee In Chiapas, Mexico: Toward Alternative Economic Integration, Joseph J. Torok

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The coffee trade in Chiapas, Mexico is a unique approach of sustainable development and economic integration, demonstrating that local social movements can change behaviors in international trade regimes. The Zapatista community of Chiapas, Mexico, has an impact on the global trade system, where resultant changes begin at the local level. In the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, factors contributing to the Zapatista rebellion have led actors within civil society to form new socio-political organizations capable of changing participation, norms, and economic outcomes during the post-rebellion period (1994 - present). This study explores the dilemmas facing the autonomy of actors in …

Dialectal And Developmental Influences On Real Word And Non-Word Spelling Tasks, Stephanie Joy Dickerson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spelling development is a linguistic process which involves the interaction of phonological, orthographic, and morphological knowledge (Bahr, Silliman, & Berninger, in press). It is also clear these linguistic factors are influenced by a person's dialect. Previous research has indicated that use of African American English (AAE) does influence spelling performance (Kohler, Bahr, Silliman, Bryant, Apel, & Wilkinson, 2007); however, few studies have considered how dialect use influences spelling as a function of spelling task (i.e., real vs. non-word tasks), error category (phonological, orthographic, or morphological) or grade. A secondary goal was to note if dialectal or developmental errors predominated in …

The Impact Of Wearable Weights On The Cardiovascular And Metabolic Responses To Treadmill Walking, Kristine M. Fallon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing public health burden associated with insufficient physical activity has resulted in the development of numerous health initiatives and products aimed at stabilizing and reversing the negative trends reported in epidemiological literature. A relatively novel product that has only recently made its way to the market are wearable weights called Body Togs®. These products are designed to be worn on the lower legs and arms along with regular clothing as a means to increase caloric expenditure. However, no research to date has tested the efficacy of this product. PURPOSE: Compare the physiological responses within bouts of aerobic exercise that …

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 …

Communication As A Cultural Construct At The United Nations Arabic Translation Service, Amina Iraqi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the practical challenge of constructing communication at the Arabic Translation Service (ATS) of the UN through the process of translation. Unlike in English in which "communication" has only one equivalent, in Arabic it has many depending on the context. My analysis focuses on analyzing the occurrence of two translation equivalents, namely ittissal and tawassul given that their use in translation sometimes proves to be cultural.

I conducted participant observation over the course of a two-month internship at the UN Headquarters in New York. Using grounded theory, I pieced together insights from a database of occurrences …

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 …

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of The Minimum Size Rule In The Red Grouper And Red Snapper Fisheries With Respect To J And Circle Hook Mortality And Barotrauma And The Consequences For Survival And Movement, Karen Mary Burns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although closed seasons, bag limits and quotas are used to manage fishes within the Grouper/Snapper Complex off the southeastern United States, size limits are the cornerstone of fisheries management. Because fishers must release all undersized fishes despite fish condition, this regulation has created a mandatory catch and release system. Inherent in this management strategy is the supposition that these undersized fish survive in sufficient numbers so as to justify this regulation. To satisfy this criteria fish mortality must be low and released fish must also experience minimal sub-lethal effects. Determination of sublethal effects and evaluation of their potential impairment and …

Natural Audiotopias: The Construction Of Sonic Space In Dub Reggae, John Baker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dub reggae is widely regarded as an early form of the remix. Dub artists modify previously recorded reggae songs by manipulating a song's individual tracks with a mixing board and layering them in aural effects such as reverb and echo. These effects are fundamentally spatial in quality, giving the listener an impression of vast open space. This paper is an analysis of the techniques utilized in dub's construction of sonic space as well as an investigation of the cultural meaning of those spaces. My analysis utilizes Josh Kun's theories about "audiotopias" (temporary aural spaces created through music) in order to …

Testing The Plausibility Of A Series Of Causal Minor Cyberloafing Models, Kevin Askew

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cyberloafing is the nonsanctioned recreational use of the computers/internet during work hours. Although research is increasing, the processes related to cyberloafing are not well understood. In the current studies, I developed, tested, and evaluated a series of causal minor-cyberloafing models. In Study 1, I empirically compared four minor-cyberloafing taxonomies and selected two of these models as my working taxonomies for minor cyberloafing. In Study 2, I tested and evaluated eight causal minor-cyberloafing models using structural equation modeling techniques and various model-data fit indices. Results of Study 2 indicated that the models were not plausible, bringing into question the value of …

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 …

Broadening The Spectrum: The Religious Dimensions Of The Rainbow Gatherings, Seth M. Walker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to specifically address the religious dimensions of the Rainbow Gatherings. The fundamental question directing this analysis is: "Are the Rainbow Gatherings religious in character?" This thesis specifically asks whether or not the Rainbow Gatherings satisfy certain identifiable features of religion, and if doing so, do they qualify as a form of religion? I engage this question by analyzing the Rainbow Gatherings in terms of two particular definitions of religion: Clifford Geertz's "functional" definition and Bryan R. Wilson's "substantive" definition. This allows me to analyze the Rainbow Gatherings from the perspective of the two major …

Tephra Transport, Sedimentation And Hazards, Alain C. M Volentik

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tephra deposits are one of the possible outcomes of explosive volcanic eruptions and are the result of vertical settling of volcanic particles that have been expelled from the volcanic vent into the atmosphere, following magma fragmentation within the volcanic conduit. Tephra fallout represents the main volcanic hazard to populated areas and critical facilities. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand processes that lead to tephra transport, sedimentation and hazards.

In this study, and based on detailed mapping and sampling of the tephra deposit of the 2450 BP Plinian eruption of Pululagua volcano (Ecuador), I investigate tephra deposits through a variety …

Asynchronous Cellular Automata - Special Networks Local Slowdown Produces Global Speedup, Arash Khani Ardestani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Information processing in living tissues is dramatically different from what we see in common man-made computer. The data and processing is distributed into the activity of cells which communicate only with neighboring cells. There is no clock for the global synchronization of cellular activities. There is not even one bit of central memory for globally shared data. The communication network between cells is highly irregular and may change without changing the outcome of the computation. A simple network of automata is introduced and analyzed to represent a mathematical model of special group of cells in an imaginary tissue sample. The …

Mitigating Escalation Of Commitment: An Investigation Of The Effects Of Priming And Decision-Making Setting In Capital Project Continuation Decisions, Ann C. Dzuranin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research examines escalation of commitment in capital investment decisions and the extent to which it can be mitigated using a cognitive prime. Specifically, I examine the use of a cognitive prime as a way to mitigate escalation in three decision-making settings: (1) individual, (2) face-to-face team, and (3) computer-mediated team. Continued investment in failing projects is costly for firms. The use of a cognitive prime to reduce escalation would provide a low cost way to mitigate escalation. In this study, participants are primed to think about sunk costs. The expectation is that priming individuals to think about sunk costs …

Realness And Hoodness: Authenticity In Hip Hop As Discussed By Adolescent Fans, Ginger L. Jacobson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Various forms of media penetrate our lives daily. Hip hop music has gained universal appeal and widespread success that permeates barriers of race, class, gender, age, and nationality. It is important for social service workers, parents, educators and other adults who interact with youth to understand the roles hip hop music and culture can play in the identities of those who are listening. In this study I conducted 12 open-ended interviews with adolescent hip hop fans about their music. The research presented in this thesis suggests that adolescent hip hop fans are making interpretations from the media and applying them …

Smart Grid Reliability Assessment Under Variable Weather Conditions, Arif Islam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The needs of contemporary electric utility customers and expectations regarding energy supply require dramatic changes in the way energy is transmitted and delivered. A smart grid is a concept by which the existing and aging electrical grid infrastructure is being upgraded with integration of multiple applications and technologies; such as two way power transfer, two way communication, renewable distributed generation, automated sensors, automated & advanced controls, central control, forecasting system and microgrids. This enables the grid to be more secure, reliable, efficient, self-healing, while reducing greenhouse gases. In addition, it will provide new products & services and fully optimize asset …

Aggression And Its Consequences In Nursing: A More Complete Story By Adding Its Social Context, Liu-Qin Yang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using a 471-case nursing sample, the current study examined the direct and indirect relationships between workplace aggression (including physical and psychological) against nurses and their health and safety consequences. Specifically, physical and psychological aggression nurses experienced were related to their job dissatisfaction, turnover intention, physical symptoms, injuries and exposure to contagious disease directly and/or indirectly through their emotional strain (irritation, anxiety, and depression). In addition, my findings demonstrated that stronger violence prevention climate (i.e., good prevention practices/response and low pressure for unsafe practices) was related to less frequent violence and psychological aggression incidents nurses experienced. Also, my results indicated significant …

Advanced Transceiver Algorithms For Ofdm(A) Systems, Hisham A. Mahmoud

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the increasing advancements in the digital technology, future wireless systems are promising to support higher data rates, higher mobile speeds, and wider coverage areas, among other features. While further technological developments allow systems to support higher computational complexity, lower power consumption, and employ larger memory units, other resources remain limited. One such resource, which is of great importance to wireless systems, is the available spectrum for radio communications. To be able to support high data rate wireless applications, there is a need for larger bandwidths in the spectrum. Since the spectrum cannot be expanded, studies have been concerned with …

A Course-Based Model Of Transfer Effectiveness Of Community College Students Transferring To A Large, Urban University, Elizabeth Steinhardt Stewart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida's undergraduate organization of higher education is a 2 + 2 system in which students are encouraged to complete freshmen and sophomore years at a community college and then transfer to a state university. Florida statutes provide for a highly articulated educational system to facilitate seamless transition from one public institution to another. The researcher investigated the transfer function's effectiveness among community college students subsequent to enrollment at a large, urban, doctoral/research extensive university in Florida using a course-based model of transfer success. The research explored whether differences existed in academic performance in targeted upper-division undergraduate courses between native and …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Between The Quality Of The Sport, Social, And Academic Experiences Of College Student-Athletes And Their Adjustment To College: A Qualitative Analysis, Susan L. Freeman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Intercollegiate athletics at major universities provide a variety of opportunities and challenges for student-athletes who choose to participate. This qualitative project studies the quality of interactions in the sport, the social, and the academic experiences for freshman football and male soccer student-athletes and their adjustment to college. The five research questions under review were as follows:

• Is there a relationship between the quality of the sport experience and adjustment to college as reported by freshman football and male soccer student-athletes attending a NCAA Division I-A institution?
• Is there a relationship between the quality of the social experience and adjustment to …

Politics, Journalism And Web 2.0 In The 2008 U.S. Presidential Elections, Wayne Scott Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The explosion of new political speech in digital formats in the 2008 elections, especially those involving social networking, offered new opportunities and challenges for political journalists, campaign participants and voters alike. This review of new political media in 2008 examines how these new methods of political organizing and communications work and provides insights to further understand how media can best cover and participate in them. The thesis details how 2008 was the first fully Web 2.0 election, exhibiting its characteristics of interactivity, use of databases and the "long tail" of microniche Internet websites. Three new media uses - online, database-driven …

Comparison Of Routing And Network Coding In Group Communications, Yangyang Xu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In traditional communication networks, information is delivered as a sequence of packets from source to destination by routing through intermediate nodes which only store and forward those packets. Recent research shows that routing alone is not sufficient to achieve the maximum information transmission rate across a communication network [1]. Network coding is a currently researched topic in information theory that allows the nodes to generate output data by encoding their received data. Thus, nodes may mix the input packets together and send them out as fewer packets. Potential throughput benefit is the initial motivation of the research in network coding. …

Moment-Dependent Pseudo-Rigid-Body Models For Beam Deflection And Stiffness Kinematics And Elasticity, Diego Alejandro Espinosa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces a novel parametric beam model for describing the kinematics and elastic properties of ortho-planar compliant Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) with straight beams subject to specific buckling loads. Ortho-planar MEMS have the ability to achieve motion out the plane on which they were fabricated, characteristic that can be used to integrate optical devices such as variable optical attenuators and micro-mirrors. In addition, ortho-planar MEMS with large output forces and long strokes could be used to develop new applications such as tactile displays, active Braille, and actuation of micro-mirrors. In order to analyze the kinematics and elasticity of a curved …