Digital Commons Network^™

Perceptions Of Group Exercise Participants Based On Body Type, Appearance, And Attractiveness Of The Instructor, Jennifer Mears

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity reduces the risk for disease, improves overall health, and quality of life. Group exercise classes are large contributors for meeting physical activity recommendations. Improving long-term adherence to group exercise classes is essential in order to receive health and fitness benefits. Many contributing factors affect adherence rates including the role of the instructor. The instructor has great influence over the decision to return to a group exercise class. It is important to find out what qualities and characteristics are preferred among those who take classes to increase long-term adherence. Another important factor relating to adherence is body type, appearance …

The Role Of Alternative Press In Mobilization For Political Change In Kenya 1982-1992 Society Magazine As A Case Study, Pius M. Nyamora

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of alternative press in mobilizing Kenyans to regain a multi-party political system after 29 years of one-party rule that had turned into authoritarianism. The study focused on Society magazine, and touched on two other magazines, Finance and Nairobi Law Monthly. Unlike Society, these magazines were not intended to cover politics, although they changed their role later. Finance and Nairobi Law Monthly were examined through secondary sources and the author's interactions with the publishers. Whereas Society was a weekly founded and run by journalists, Finance and Nairobi Law Monthly were monthlies …

Elisa Brune’S Le Goût Piquant De L’Univers: A Translation And Introduction, Ryan Orgera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Le Goût piquant de l'Univers is written by the Francophone Belgian writer Elisa Brune. Brune holds a Ph.D. in environmental sciences, and this novel does not stray far from her training in science. The setting of this oeuvre is that of a Provençal village of Peyresq, the premiere annual rendezvous for the world's foremost cosmologists. The vocabulary employed in this book is that of highly scientific coteries. The work's sentence structure is a mix of dialogue, and unruly compound phrases. These two aforementioned stylistic choices made the translation of this work especially difficult. In translating, I worked with Dr. Gaëtan …

Real Challenges, Virtual Challengers: The Democracy For America Movement, Noah Porter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The project examines the effects of Internet use by the social movement organization (SMO) Dean for America/Democracy for America (DFA). This study describes the relationship between Internet usage and SMO beliefs, organization, causes, reasons for joining, strategies, reactions, and effects. Dean for America started out with few resources or supporters, and was seen as an unlikely contender for the 2004 presidential campaign. From its humble beginnings, it skyrocketed from being virtually unknown to frontrunner status in the span of a year. After Howard Dean withdrew from the race in February 2004, Dean for America transformed itself into Democracy for America, …

Factors Perceived To Contribute To Mathematics Avoidance Or Mathematics Confidence In Non-Traditional Age Women Attending A Community College, Jo Ann K Rawley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, the number of students entering postsecondary institutions immediately after high school has been decreasing, while the number of non-traditional aged students, defined as adults over 25, has substantially increased, with women making up the majority of this adult student group. Mathematics education is an area where non-traditional age women tend to have difficulty. Fifteen individual interviews were conducted with non-traditional age women enrolled in a community college, 10 identifying mathematics as the subject they would least enjoy and 5 identifying mathematics as the subject they would most enjoy. Data were analyzed by comparing the women's stories …

Credibility Perceptions Of Television And Online News, Charmy G. Sabigan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three major factors influence audience's credibility perception of mediated news on television and on the internet. This study found that reporters' credibility, media credibility, and news credibility had direct influence to the credibility of news presented on both media. Reporters' credibility on both media could be measured by their expertise, intelligence, education, trustworthiness, and authoritativeness. Television and the internet were evaluated differently. Television was measured by its comprehensiveness, concern for the interest of the public, and fairness. The internet was assessed on its trustworthiness, consideration of public interest, and objectivity. News credibility for both media, however, could be evaluated using …

An Experimental Analysis Of Activist Message Strategy Effect On Receiver Variables, Andrea Schuch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Utilizing communication and activist organization perspectives, this empirical study examined activist message strategies and how they influence variables related to the receiver of activist communication. Specifically, J.E. Grunig's (1997) situational theory of publics and Fishbein and Ajzen's (1975) theory of reasoned action were used to explain the communication effects of the seven activist message strategies developed from Hazleton and Long's (1988) public relations process model. The findings of this study support the premise of situational theory of publics and contribute to the extension of the theory through the inclusion of goal compatibility as a predictor of information seeking behavior and …

Cellular Electrofusion Utilizing Corona Fields And Dc Pulse Technology, Joshua Stein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell fusion is an important technique that is used in the field of medicine and biomedical research. For instance, fusion can be used to create hybridomas and novel types of secretory hybrid cells. It may also be used to engineer cultured insulin-secreting pancreatic B-cell lines for the treatment of diabetes. Historically, the applications listed above have been accomplished by a number of methodologies including dielectrophoresis, centrifugation, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and viral fusion proteins. However, these approaches often fail to produce the desired results due to poor cell viability, lack of 1:1 fusion, and use of non-physiological environments. It is proposed …

Life As A Student At An Independent Day School, Diana R. Torres

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the interconnectedness of social class, education, and cultural capital. Considered academically elite, the independent school is be an ideal environment to find increased instances and opportunities for the acquisition and reproduction of elite, or "dominant" cultural capital. By implementing an ethnographic approach within an independent school setting, this study attempts to illuminate the student experience through adolescents' eyes. Past cultural capital studies focus on the relationship between cultural capital and academic achievement and/or social reproduction; instead, this study focuses on the everyday student experiences as they point to potential indicators of cultural capital. Results suggest that students' …

Technology And Older Faculty: A Descriptive Study Of Older Florida Community College Faculty, Christopher D. Van Der Kaay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Institutions of higher learning across the United States are experiencing an aging faculty population. A significant proportion of college and university faculty are over 55, a growth expected to continue in future years. Parallel to this growth and change has been an expanding use of technology in higher education. Despite this trend and potential implications, few studies have provided in-depth insight into older faculty and technology. The study used a quantitative descriptive design to provide a comprehensive look at older community college faculty and various aspects of technology. Areas examined included older faculty's perceptions of technology, their attitudes toward institutional …

What The Spirit Knows: Charles Williams And Kenneth Burke, Grace Veach

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

What the Spirit Knows: Charles Williams and Kenneth Burke examines the Arthurian poetry of Charles Williams using a methodology derived from Kenneth Burke. This is an experiment in literary criticism of a Christian poet using a methodology that is not specifically Christian. Key critical ideas found in Burke are utilized in reading poems from Taliessin Through Logres and Region of the Summer Stars. Burke's work on form and symbol (primarily from Counter-Statement) is addressed first. Form in an individual poem (using "Taliessin's Song of the Unicorn) and in an entire cycle is examined. Burke lists several uses for symbol in …

Online Delivery Of Career Choice Interventions: Preferences Of First-Year Students In Higher Education, Melissa Venable

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Career services professionals are increasingly involved in decisions regarding the use of technology to perform their jobs. The millennial generation, increasingly enrolling in distance education, is characterized as being comfortable with technology, expecting efficient services, and valuing convenience. Understanding the technology-related preferences of today's students is fundamental for those planning and developing student career services. Brown and Ryan Krane (2000) identified five critical interventions important to career decision-making: (a) Written Exercises, (b) Individualized Interpretations and Feedback, (c) Information on the World of Work, (d) Modeling, and (e) Attention to Building Support.

This study investigated the following questions: (1) what are …

Effect Of A Preoperative Warming Intervention On The Acute Phase Response Of Surgical Stress, Vanda Doreen Wagner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When a patient is exposed surgical stress, the endocrine system secretes hormones in response to that stress. These hormones further activate the immune system to release cytokines and other acute phase reactions. These processes are supposed to protect the body by upregulating the innate immune system and producing an inflammatory response that acts to protect and heal. However, uncontrolled surgical stress may cause a weaker immune response that may lead to delayed wound healing. The phenomenon of unplanned perioperative hypothermia is known to expose patients to additional surgical stress. The purpose of this preliminary experimental study was to determine the …

Narratives Of Lesbian Transformation: Coming-Out Stories Of Women Who Transition From Heterosexual Marriage To Lesbian Identity, Clare F. Walsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women who have transitioned to a lesbian identity from a previously heterosexual one lack a voice in the academic literature. Identity formation in this subset of women, those who chose a heterosexual marriage, had children, and later in life self identify as lesbian, has not been fully investigated. For this project, eight women were asked to answer this question: How have you negotiated the path from heterosexuality to lesbianism? Four main themes were found dealing with heteronormativity and accountability, relationship with children, transition, and acceptance by the lesbian community. Additionally, I introduce a new term---gender-normativity---to describe these women who only …

Effect Of Personal And Practice Contexts On Occupational Therapists' Assessment Practices In Geriatric Rehabilitation, Mirtha Montejo Whaley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite considerable debate surrounding an age associated cognitive decline in non-demented elders, recent studies indicate that changes attributable to normal aging affect cognitive processes and fluid abilities. Additionally, studies indicate that factors such as physical illness, depression, neurological damage, medication side effects, drug interactions, and the effects of surgery and anesthesia may also cause varying degrees of cognitive impairment. Impairment of cognitive function is known to affect treatment and rehabilitation outcomes for older persons, and increase their likelihood of institutionalization. Although proper screening and identification of cognitive deficits in geriatric patients are crucial in developing treatment plans, there is evidence …

The Influence Of Masculinity Ideology On High-Risk Sexual Behavior Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Christopher Wheldon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Epidemiologic evidence shows that the incidence of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) is on the rise. high-risk sexual behaviors are the primary mode of transmission and are responsible for increased rates of infection. a growing body of evidence suggests that endorsement of normative beliefs and values regarding manhood and masculinity, or masculinity ideology, may help to explain certain high-risk sexual behaviors. this study investigated the associations between a measure of masculinity ideology and sexual risk taking among a sample of MSM. in addition, indirect pathways in which masculinity ideology may lead to sexual risk taking were …

Evaluating The Effects Of A Reinforcement System For Students Participating In The Fast Forword Language Program, Catherine C. Wilcox

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A computer-assisted language intervention program called Fast ForWord(R) (Scientific Learning Corporation, 1998) has received a great deal of attention over the past few years. The Scientific Learning Corporation claims that the use of Fast ForWord will improve students' language, reading and learning skills, leading to improved communication skills and increased self-esteem in and out of the classroom. Researchers have explored the effects of Fast ForWord training on reading and spoken language. However, little research has examined the effects on student's reading level and FFW scores when a reinforcement system is used in conjunction with FFW. This study was conducted in …

Secondary World History Teachers’ Integration Of Technology Into The Classroom: A Mixed-Method Approach, Shelli A. Whitworth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the social studies classroom, using technology, students may gain access to expansive knowledge, broaden their exposure to diverse people and perspectives, and engage in critical thinking activities necessary for citizenship education (Berson, 1996; Berson & Balyta, 2004; Berson & Berson, 2003; Bolick, McGlinn, & Siko, 2005; NCSS, 1994, 2006; Risinger, 1996; Whitworth & Berson, 2003). 21st Century Skills are valuable for students as they examine vast amounts of content relating to historical events, figures, societies, technological growth and examine the relationship of the content to today's global interactions. Research indicates that there remains a call for documentation of exemplary …

Graduate Students/Mothers Negotiating Academia And Family Life: Discourses, Experiences, And Alternatives, Shirlan A. Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the experiences and perceptions of graduate students who are mothers. Based on discourse analysis, one-on-one interviews, and focus groups, this study argues that institutional discourses and practices place graduate students who are mothers in untenable and irreconcilable positions between "mom" and "student," between "family" and "the academy," between "self" and "success." These irreconcilable differences are created in discourse, enacted in institutional policies, and lived by the participants. The study offers action-based alternatives to the status quo policies of the university based on the self-described needs of these women. It reveals that support from all fronts--the home, the …

A Surviving Legacy: Nonviolent Resistance In The Congresssional Black Caucus 2001-2007, Rhone Sebastian Fraser

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Select members of the Congressional Black Caucus through their votes, speeches, arrests and nonviolent forms of protest practice a renewed kind of nonviolent resistance against a neoconservative political agenda advanced by the executive branch of the U.S. government in the past six years. Their practices are nonviolent according to the definition of nonviolence discussed by Martin Luther King, Jr. in his 1962 New York Times Magazine article: "we will take direct action against injustice without waiting for other agencies to act...We will try to persuade with our words---but if our words fail we will try to persuade with our acts." …

Changing The Subject: First-Person Narration In And Out Of The Classroom, Susan Friedman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness of first-person narration for self-transformation and social change is indicated by exploring connections between three emergent discourses: illness narratives and memoirs by rape survivors in which the subject speaks from a privileged yet socially marginalized position about life-altering experiences; clinical discourse that elaborates treatment methods for empowering trauma survivors and helping them reconnect with the social world; and scholarly discourse that reflects on the relationship between trauma, self-representation, witnessing, and recovery. Post-Foucauldian theories of life-writing illuminate how the author-subjects of survivor narratives discursively reconstruct their shattered subjectivity in a therapeutic relationship with themselves and their readers. Cognitive and …

Transfer Track Versus Workforce Development: Implications For Policy Change In Florida Community Colleges, Karen Griffin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Policy-makers intend community colleges to be the primary vehicles for workforce development education and training. In support of this intent, community college mission statements and curricular patterns should clearly indicate a workforce emphasis. Do these statements and curricular patterns reflect policy intent? If not, are resources being directed appropriately? This study was conducted to determine whether the current composition of the overall Florida public community college curriculum and the content of Florida public community college mission and planning statements provided evidence to support Florida leadership policy statements that portray workforce development as a primary component of the community college mission. …

Transport Characteristics Using Nor- Dihydroguaiaretic Acid (Ndga)- Polymerized Collagen Fibers As A Local Drug Delivery System, Eric Guegan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dexamethasone and dexamethasone 21-phosphate were loaded into NDGA-polymerized collagen fibers and release rate studies were performed to calculate their diffusion coefficients. Dexamethasone loaded fibers were placed in a PBS solution for specified time intervals (1, 3, 6, 7, 12, 24, 30, and 48 hours) after which the eluant was removed and analyzed by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). CZE is a tool that can be utilized for quantitative analysis of chemical compounds. This data was incorporated into mathematical models to determine the diffusion coefficient. The diffusion coefficient (D) for dexamethasone in NDGA-polymerized collagen fibers is D = 1.86 x 10^{-14 …}

Comprehensive School Reform In The Wake Of No Child Left Behind: Teacher Perceptions In Dodgeland, Allyson Regina Haag

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an analysis of teacher perceptions of the implementation of their school's comprehensive school reform, and the George W. Bush administration's federal educational policy, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Data were collected by a research team as a part of the National Longitudinal Evaluation of Comprehensive School Reform (NLECSR), a project under the direction of the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The thesis is a supplemental qualitative analysis by the author who was part of the NLECSR research team from 2004 through 2005. The NLECSR had a quantitative component (called the Core Study) consisting of a …

Essays On Multiple Identities And Motivated Consumption: Exploring The Role Of Identity Centrality On Self-Brand Connections, Tracy R. Harmon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three essays on the role of identity centrality in the formation of consumer self-brand connections. It contributes to a better understanding of how consumers negotiate multiple identities in the marketplace when making brand choices. This is significant as much of the research on the self-concept and consumer behavior has focused on isolated self-dimensions or have examined single consumer identities in isolation.

Theoretically grounded in identity process theory (Breakwell 1986), which suggests individuals construct their identity through multiple identity motives influencing identity centrality, enactment, and affect; this dissertation addresses these gaps by answering two specific questions: 1) …

Exploring Childcare Professionals' Pedagogical Choice When Guiding Children's Social And Behavioral Development, Mary E. Harper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To date the research in the area of social emotional competence has focused on child-based intervention and outcomes. The findings cite effective approaches to assisting children in the area of social and emotional development involving promotion of appropriate social skills, explicit instruction of behavioral expectations, and support for emotional literacy and awareness (Wester --

Stratton, 1990; Hyson, 2004; Fox et al, 2003; Denham & Burton, 1996). These recommended practices requires teacher knowledge and skill, content knowledge in the area of social emotional developmental, and skills in using pedagogical techniques that support acquisition of the aforementioned areas. Educational researchers and specialists …

Marriage, Sin And The Community In The Register Of John Chandler, Dean Of Salisbury 1404-17, Byron J. Hartsfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marriage is a subject of great interest to the social historian. However, the marriage of the average medieval English villager is very poorly documented, as it bears little obvious relationship to the great affairs of state. Searching for information on such difficult subjects, many social historians have recently turned to legal records, learning to sift them for the intimate details of daily life. The Register of John Chandler, Dean of Salisbury 1404-17 preserves a rich variety of cases presented to the church courts of early fifteenth-century Salisbury. The questmen, selected from the most respectable men of each village, presented to …

The Association Between Internet Use And Characteristics Of Social Networking For Middle Aged And Older Adults, David L. Hogeboom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that strong social networks have a positive effect on physical and psychological well-being. Research suggests that Internet use may affect social networks. However it is not clear if Internet use has a positive or negative effect on social networks. One theory suggests that Internet use displaces face-to-face contacts and off line social participation. Another theory suggests Internet use replaces high quality face-to-face ties with weaker online ties. Other studies however suggest the Internet has a positive effect on social networks. Because older adults have shrinking social networks, but may have more discretionary time than other age …

A Case Study Of Governance Of Higher Education In Belize: Implications For Finance And Curricula In Higher Education, Olda R. Hoare

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to understand governance of higher education in the developing country of Belize by examining how governance affects financial and curricular decision-making in higher education in Belize. The study also examined the role of the market in higher education and its effects on curricular and financial decision-making in higher education. Data were collected from higher education administrators and Ministry of Education officials through semi-structured interviews, and from review of institutional and public documents related to higher education. A major finding of this study is that although the Ministry of Education through the Tertiary and …

Virtue And Inquiry, Knowledge And Ignorance: Lessons From The Theaetetus, Jennifer F. Ingle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plato's dialogues are set in fifth century Athens but they are performed for a fourth century audience. The context of his dialogues, then is wider perhaps than other philosophers and because of the difference in periods, it is clear that it is necessary for an audience member to possess knowledge of the events of the previous generation, viz., the fifth century BCE. When its cultural context is taken into account, the Theaetetus can not be read as an attempt by Plato to establish an epistemology in the modern sense of the term. While the characters of the dialogue are searching …