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Effects Of Clear Speech And Linguistic Experience On Acoustic Characteristics Of Vowel Production, Michelle Bianchi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the hypothesis that later and/or early learners of English as a second language may exhibit an exaggerated or restricted degree of change in their production performance between clear and conversational speech styles for certain acoustic cues. Monolingual English talkers (MO), early Spanish-English bilinguals (EB) and late Spanish-English bilinguals (LB) were recorded using both clear and conversational speaking styles. The stimuli consisted of six target vowels /i, I, e, E, ae/ and /a/, embedded in /bVd/ context. All recorded target-word stimuli were isolated into words. Vowel duration was computed, and fundamental frequency (F0), and formant frequency values …

Improving Pediatric Cardiology Consultation Methods By Introducing Digital Interactive 3-D Heart Models: A Proof Of Concept Study, Adam Verigan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of a pediatric cardiology consultation is to inform, or educate, the patient and family of all aspects surrounding a certain congenital heart defect. Consultation education methods and materials may include verbal descriptions, two-dimensional (2-D) heart diagrams, and take-home pamphlets. Because the human heart is a complex three-dimensional (3-D) object, the problem lies within the clarity to which these methods are performed by the doctors and understood by the patients and families. Therefore, during a consultation the cardiologist must a) possess the ability to describe a defect visually as well as verbally and b) ensure that the patient and …

Understanding And Closing The Gaps: A Gap Audit Approach Linking Archaeology And Land Acquisition Strategies In Florida, Lori D. Collins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The population in Florida is projected to double over the next 50 years. Large land areas now in rural settings will become residential and urban areas. More than seven million acres of agriculture and open space will convert to housing developments, shopping malls, and business space. At stake are natural and cultural resources, which are lost or fragmented in this growth process. New planning measures are called for in order to grow in ways that minimize and least impact resources.

Archaeological value in preservation projects is often examined after priorities for natural resources have been set, relegating archaeology to a …

Parenting Style, Home-Based Involvement, And Educational Expectations Of Black Parents: Their Roles In The Development Of Pre-Literacy Readiness Of Black Children, Iravonia Rawls

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of parenting style, home-based involvement, parents’ educational expectations and pre-literacy readiness. Sixty-two preschool children and his or her parent or guardian participated in this study of: 1) The relationship between parenting style and pre-literacy readiness of Black children enrolled in Head Start programs; 2) The relationship between parents’ educational expectations of Black children enrolled in Head Start programs and preliteracy readiness; 3) The relationship between home-based involvement of Black parents and levels of pre-literacy readiness of their children enrolled in Head Start programs; and 4) The relationship between the predictor …

Identity Politics: Postcolonial Theory And Writing Instruction, Toni P. Francis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I intend to apply postcolonial theory to primary pedagogical and administrative concerns of the writing program administrator. Writing Program Administrators, or WPAs, take their responsibilities seriously, remaining cognizant of both the negative and positive repercussions of the pedagogical decisions that take shape in the scores of composition classrooms they administer. This dissertation intends to infuse the WPA position with the ethos of scholarly praxis by historicizing and contextualizing the field of composition, and by placing the teaching of writing within the historical memory of slavery and colonialism. Sound WPA research is theoretically informed, systematic, principled inquiry that …

Operational And Safety Effects Of Signage And Lighting Configurations For Public Transit Buses In Florida, Stephanie Antoinette Bromfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although public transit bus accounts for only a small percentage of the mode share for transportation in Florida, the annual passenger miles were over 1 billion with over 200 million passenger trips in 2005. These numbers warrant close attention to be paid to the safety of public transit vehicles. Despite the relatively low occurrence of fatalities and bus crashes, each crash of a high occupancy vehicle such as a public transit bus could expose more people to injury than a private automobile crash. Bus crashes also have a significant impact on the automobiles that are involved. Since a high percentage …

Prediction Of English And Spanish Early Literacy Skills Of English Language Learners In The Primary Grades, Giselle Sanchez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored how language, emergent literacy, and reading skills in both English and Spanish develop with a group of English language learners (ELLs) (n = 267). Specifically, the researcher investigated what early language and literacy skills were the most important predictors of reading abilities as indicated by the Book Task in prekindergarten through first grade. Early language and literacy skills were assessed utilizing subtest from the Woodcock Language Proficiency Batter - Revised, the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery - Revised - Spanish Form and the Phonological Awareness Task. Participants came from households where Spanish was one of the languages spoken. …

Wheelchair Positioning And Pulmonary Function In Children With Cerebral Palsy, Lee Barks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: In children with cerebral palsy (CP), poor trunk control fosters spinal deformity, pulmonary compromise (Canet, et al., 1998), increased health risks, and costs of long-term care (Braddock, 2001). Evidence links posture and pulmonary function, but influence of wheelchair parameters on pulmonary mechanics is unknown.

Objectives: 1) Determine relative contribution of five wheelchair configuration parameters to improvement in pulmonary mechanics--total airway resistance (RAW), tidal volume, minute ventilation (MV), and deadspace to tidal volume ratio; 2) Describe recruitment and retention of school-aged children with CP; and 3) Discuss response of the participants to the protocol.

Method: This within-subjects, descriptive study employed …

The Relationships Among Pain, Dyspnea, Constipation And Quality Of Life In Lung Cancer Patients Enrolled In A Hospice Program, Lisa A. Laches

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is evidence of a relationship between pain and associated symptoms, specifically constipation and dyspnea, and quality of life. Literature supports that endstage lung cancer patients suffer more symptoms than those with other types of cancers, and the course of treatment is primarily palliative, as many of these diagnosed patients cannot be cured. The purpose of this secondary analysis of data was to evaluate the relationships between pain and other common symptoms in end stage lung cancer patients in hospice care, and the relationships among pain, dyspnea, constipation and quality of life. The study sample included fifty lung cancer patients …

Effects Of Dual Language Learning On Early Language And Literacy Skills In Low Income Preschool Students, Vanessa Tápanes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a framework for literacy skill development relating to both monolingual and dual language learners. The purpose of this study was to identify the differences that may exist between monolingual and dual language learners' performance on literacy tasks, before having a significant amount of exposure to the preschool curriculum. The sample included 78 monolingual language learners and 44 dual language learners who were assessed using the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery-Revised (WLPB-R). The researcher used scoring methods that took into consideration split vocabulary in dual language learners where a conceptual scoring technique was used (Bedore, Pena, Garcia, & Cortez, …

Perceptions Of School Based Mental Health Services By Directors And Supervisors Of Student Services, Decia N. Dixon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Key stakeholders in schools must be educated about the importance of increasing access to mental health services in schools. School-based mental health services are designed to increase children's competence and help them meet the societal expectations of school success. The present study examined types of mental health services provided to students in school districts throughout Florida; the extent to which those services were provided to children and families; the beliefs of student services directors and supervisors regarding qualifications of school mental health service providers to provide mental health services; and their beliefs about the impact of mental health services on …

The Tip Of The Blade: Self-Injury Among Early Adolescents, Moya L. Alfonso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study described self-injury within a general adolescent population. This study involved secondary analysis of data gathered using the middle school Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from 1,748 sixth- and eighth-grade students in eight middle schools in a large, southeastern county in Florida. A substantial percentage of students surveyed (28.4%) had tried self-injury. The prevalence of having ever tried self-injury did not vary by race or ethnicity, grade, school attended, or age but did differ by gender. When controlling for all other variables in the multivariate model including suicide, having ever tried self-injury was associated with peer self-injury, inhalant use, …

Gate Level Dynamic Energy Estimation In Asynchronous Circuits Using Petri Nets, Ryan Mabry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces a new methodology for energy estimation in asynchronous circuits. Unlike existing probabilistic methods, this is the first simulative work for energy estimation in all types of asynchronous circuits.

The new simulative methodology is based on Petri net modeling. A real delay model is incorporated to capture both gate delays and interconnect delays. The switching activity at each gate is captured to measure the average dynamic energy consumed per request/acknowledge handshaking pair. The new type of Petri net is called Hierarchical Colored Asynchronous Hardware Petri net (HCAHPN). The HCAHPN is able to capture the temporal and spatial correlations …

Development Of Research Platform For Unmanned Vehicle Controller Design, Evaluation, And Implementation System: From Matlab To Hardware Based Embedded System, Daniel Ernst

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles, or UAVs and UGVs respectively, currently perform a large variety of missions usually centered around reconnaissance. Because the platforms may vary for a particular type of mission--everything from small unmanned airplanes and remote control vehicles to large vehicles such as the Yamaha R-MAX helicopter and Hummer--flight and navigation controllers must be changed to allow proper control of the selected platform. Currently, controllers are designed and tested in MATLAB/SIMULINK, but then rewritten in C or Assembly for a specific target platform. When designing controllers in a programming language, changes are often tedious, so …

Communication For Planetary Transformation And The Drag Of Public Conversations: The Case Of Landmark Education Corporation, Patrick Owen Cannon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study employs qualitative methods to: (1) compare and contrast public conversations about a complex social phenomenon with my experience of that phenomenon, and (2) explore the nature of those public conversations and their impact on planetary transformation.

This study is divided into two parts.

Part One of this dissertation compares my personal experience with Landmark Education Corporation, a private personal development company, with how it is characterized in public conversations. The public conversations chosen for analysis include: (1) an episode of the television show, Law and Order: Criminal Intent (Balcer, et al., 2003), (2) a Time Magazine article about …

A Study Of Academic Advising Satisfaction And Its Relationship To Student Self-Confidence And Worldviews, Jose E. Coll

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine the relationship between worldview, student academic confidence, and satisfaction with advising. More specifically, this study examines the relationship among level of advising satisfaction, worldviews of students, and the student's perceived style of advising received. The findings of this study indicate that a positive relationship exists between developmental advising and advising satisfaction. The results suggest that overall student characteristics such as gender and self-confidence are not as relevant to advising satisfaction as the style of advising used by the faculty or advisor. Furthermore, this study supports findings by Coll and Zalaquett (in …

The Validation Of A Methodology For Assessing The Impact Of Hybrid Simulation Training In The Minimization Of Adverse Outcomes In Surgery, Peter J. Fabri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Institute of Medicine report "To Err is Human," released in late 1999, raised the issue of human error in medicine to a new level of attention. This study examines the frequency, severity, and type (FST) of errors associated with postoperative surgical complications at a tertiary care, university-based medical center, addressing the intersection of three domains: patient safety, graduate medical education, and simulation-based training. The study develops and validates a classification system for medical error that is specific to surgery, affirming reliability internally and externally. Baseline data on the FST of errors is collected over a 12-month period. A hybrid, …

Low Temperature Hermetically Sealed 3-D Mems Device For Wireless Optical Communication, Rahul Agarwal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Novel processes were developed that resulted in a self-packaged device during the system integration, along with a transparent lid for inspection or optical probing. A new process was developed for improving the verticality in Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) structures using Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). A self-pattered, mask-less photolithography technique was developed to metallize these vertical structures while maintaining a transparent window, for packaging of various MEMS devices. The verticality and metallization coverage were evaluated by incorporating the MEMS structures into an optical Corner Cube Retroreflector (CCR). A low temperature, hermetic sealing technique was also developed using In-Au thermo-compression …

Florida's College Placement Test Reading Scores As An Essential Indicator For Successful Completion Of The Highest College Preparatory Course In Reading, Laura Dandar Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive validity of several variables to determine if the Florida Computerized Placement Test - Reading (CPT-R) score alone, or other variables, could determine whether or not a student would successfully pass the highest level college preparatory reading course. The study examined fall sessions 1997-2004 (n=276,079) reading scores for all forms of the CPT to determine at what standard deviation below the cutoff score of 83 a student could still successfully complete the highest level college preparatory reading course.

According to the College Board, the 83 scaled score, which exempts a student …

The Effects Of Homophobia, Legislation, And Local Policies On Heterosexual Pupil Services Professionals' Likelihood Of Incorporating Gay Affirming Behaviors In Their Professional Work With Sexual Minority Youths In Public Schools, Lance Santoro Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that non-judgmental, unbiased counseling (that includes an advocacy component) is effective in addressing the psycho-social needs of sexual minority youths--a population of students considered at-risk (Reynolds & Koski, 1994; Savin-Williams, 1994). The ability to provide such services is impeded if the clinician has not first come to terms with his or her own feelings and attitudes about homosexuality (Pederson, 1988). This study examined the attitudes and anticipated professional behaviors relevant to sexual minority youths of 309 pupil services professionals in the fields of school psychology, school social work, school nursing, and school counseling. Participants from two regions of …

Case Studies Of Trainers’ And Selected Teachers’ Perceptions Of An Early Reading Intervention Training Program, Cynthia Dianne Calderone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe and explain the characteristics of an effective professional development model in an early intervention training program. The focus of the study was on particular aspects of literacy instruction that were emphasized during training sessions and trainer and teacher perceptions of the Accelerated Literacy Learning (ALL) program. This study examined the elements of training that two teachers chose to transfer to their classrooms, as well as modifications they chose to make, in the year following training in an effort to gain further insight into successful teacher training practices. The following research …

Beauty, Objectification, And Transcendence: Modernist Aesthetics In The Picture Of Dorian Gray And Pale Fire, Deborah S. Mcleod

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study compares the relation between beauty, objectification, and transcendence in two novels: Oscar Wilde's early-modernist The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) and Vladimir Nabokov's late-modernist Pale Fire (1962). Though written over half a century apart, the works feature similar critiques of the aesthete's devotion to beauty. While Wilde's novel offers an insider's view of aristocratic Decadence in late-nineteenth-century London, Nabokov's reflects his early influence from the Russian Symbolists and recalls that tradition in the American suburbs of the mid-twentieth-century. Both novels demonstrate the trust that many modernists held in the ability of beauty to offer transcendence over the limits …

A Maslovian Approach To The Motivations Of Shakespeare’S Transvestite Heroines In The Two Gentelmen Of Verona, As You Like It, And The Merchant Of Venice, Angela Eward-Mangione

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

"Motivation" is the force that drives an individual to perform a certain action. Abraham Maslow (1908-1970), an American psychologist profoundly influenced by the existential and teleological paradigms, expounded a motivation theory that remains precise and replicable, as well as applicable to other spheres of study, including the humanities. Indeed, psychology experts and non-specialists are by and large familiar with Maslow's Pyramid of Human Needs. Moreover, despite the abundance of literary criticism that utilizes Freudian-based theory to analyze the motivations of literary characters, critics have largely neglected the use of other paradigms, including Maslow's. In this thesis, I use Maslow's texts …

Uncovering The Missing Link In Flexible Work Arrangement Utilization: An Individual Difference Perspective, Kristen M. Shockley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Changes in the workforce have led to in an increase in work-family conflict for many employed individuals. Fortunately, many organizations have recognized and responded to employees’ work-family issues through the implementation of family-friendly benefits, such as flexible work arrangements (FWA).

While offering family-friendly benefits is an important step in easing work-family conflicts, the mere availability of such initiatives may not be enough, as research shows that availability of benefits and utilization are only moderately correlated. These statistics highlight the presence of intermediating factors in the relationship between availability and utilization of family-friendly benefits. With this in mind, some researchers have …

Reconciliation In Mandrills (Mandrillus Sphinx), Pete Otovic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to examine whether mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) reconcile their conflicts. The data were collected from a captive group of nine mandrills (5 males and 4 females) at the Lowry Park Zoo that ranged in age from 3 to 16 years at the time of study. After a conflict was observed, the behavior of one of the two former opponents was documented for a period of ten minutes using continuous recording methods. On the next possible observation day, at the same time of the previous conflict, the behavior of the same individual was recorded for an additional ten minutes. …

Is All Injustice Created Equal? Exploring The Effects Of Decision Outcome And Procedural Justice On Reactions To Injustice, Gabriel E. Lopez Rivas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizational justice scholars have ignored the influence that the nature of a decision outcome has upon reactions to perceived injustice, yet research on loss aversion demonstrates that people react more strongly to situations that result in a loss than those that result in an anticipated gain failing to materialize (non-gain). Furthermore, research on regulatory focus has found that the nature of a decision outcome can itself elicit different emotions. Based on this, a cognitive appraisal model of the relationship between injustice and emotions is proposed that accounts for the effect of decision outcome. This model predicts that emotional reactions to …

Ecological Art: Ruth Wallen And Cultural Activism, Susan Birchler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Twentieth century modernity has provoked multiple problems ranging from environmental degradation to human rights violations. Globally, diverse communities of people have organized to promote, not just reactive reforms, but a fundamental alteration of the foundational worldview underlying these issues. Radical activists committed their work to promoting an alternative ethos based on egalitarian, democratic, and ecologically-wise concepts. An array of methodologies emerged from these endeavors. More radical political groups focused on cultural tools to engage people in the construction of an alternative worldview. Radical activists utilized two forms of cultural politics: prefigurative politics, the physical presentation of an envisioned future and …

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Josef Benson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rock, Paper, Scissors has developed into a story about Wren, a young man fresh out of the Navy, trying to make a name for himself in the world. Wren finds himself in Tampa, Florida because his oldest pal, Allen, has moved there, even though his younger sister has been diagnosed with leukemia back home. The problem is that Allen somewhere along the way has lost his mind. Wren finds out that Allen has recently been fired from a job as a server in a restaurant called the Bolognese, the same restaurant that Allen promised Wren a job. Wren decides to …

End Of Life Issues Among Hispanics/Latinos: Studying The Utilization Of Hospice Services By The Hispanic/Latino Community, Iraida V. Carrión

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on how terminal diagnoses impact individuals and families within the Hispanic/Latino community. Hispanic/Latino hospice caregivers, Hispanic/Latino non-hospice caregivers and physicians participated in the study, which explores the utilization of hospice by Hispanic/Latino terminally ill individuals. The data collected from 30 semi-structured interviews, ethnographic participant observations, and archival data were analyzed using structured and statistical analysis. Verbatim transcripts were examined through a combination of ethnographic and content analysis. Barriers related to language and culture, as well as immigration, are critical themes that impact access to healthcare. The physicians' discourses relate patients' responses to terminal diagnoses, including the Hispanic/Latino …

The Right To Health: Conflicting Paradigms Of Health As Commodity Vs. Health As Human Right, Robert Colin Nelson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the fact that the United States spends more per capita than any other nation on healthcare for its citizens, the quality of American health outcomes lags well behind every other developed country in the world. This paper proposes that it is no coincidence that the United States is also the only developed nation that does not guarantee the right comprehensive coverage of medical services for its citizens. Instead, we rely on a fee-for-service system which functionally denies quality health care to those without the means to pay for it. In this paper I document the experiences of various clients …