Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Response Cards And The Number Of Teacher-Directed Questions On Classroom Behaviors, Neelam K. Khan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Active student responding increases student academic outcome and on-task behavior. Response cards are an effective and efficient strategy for increasing active student responding. This study examined the effects of response cards on student disruptive behavior, percentage of questions answered, and accuracy of questions answered while alternating the number of teacher-directed questions across sessions. An alternating treatments design was used with 5 teacher-nominated students. During baseline (BL), the teacher used her standard lecture format, having students raise their hand when responding to a question. During the response card (RC) intervention, the teacher asked students to write responses on their white boards. …

An Evaluation Of The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce Model Within A Multi-Tierred Intervention System, Sara Amanda Barnes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study assessed the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model to determine its impact on problem and replacement behaviors of three children who are typically developing with behavioral challenges in a high-need elementary school setting. Specifically, this study evaluated the use of the PTR model as an intensive individualized Tier 3 intervention within a multi-tiered intervention system. In addition, the study examined the validity and usability of the Individualized Behavior Rating Scale Tool (IBRST), which was developed as a feasible daily progress monitoring tool in conjunction with the PTR model. Social validity and fidelity of intervention implementation were also assessed. A multiple baseline …

Using Gamification To Increase Adherence To Daily Living Routines, Lisa S. Kadison

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gamification, the use of game elements in non-game contexts, is an increasingly popular way to incentivize self-management procedures. Despite the growing popularity of such programs, little objective research has been done in the area. This study evaluated the use of a web-based gamification program called HabitRPG through a multiple-baseline across participants design. HabitRPG is designed to increase the productivity of its users. Baseline procedures included parental scoring of task completion. Intervention consisted of training on using HabitRPG. Target behaviors were scored with data sheets provided to parents of the participants. The intervention increased the percentage of compliance for all participants.

How Luck And Fortune Shape Risk-Taking Behaviors, Andrea Yvonne Ranieri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study uses a lottery-based paradigm to examine how risk taking is affected by two specific types of good and bad experiences, luck and fortune. Though the terms are often used interchangeably, we suggest that they refer to two separate aspects of risk. Fortune refers to the overall positivity or negativity of the overall context, whereas luck refers to the probability of a better or worse outcome. To make the lottery context fortunate or unfortunate, a set of mixed-valence control lotteries were surrounded by all gain (good fortune) or all loss lotteries (bad fortune). To make the lotteries lucky …

Using Token Reinforcement To Increase Walking For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Haley Nicole Krentz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at risk for negative health conditions due to high levels of sedentary behavior. Walking and cycling are the most common forms of physical activity engaged in by adults with ID. Research is limited in evaluating physical activity interventions for this population. The purpose of this study will be to evaluate the effectiveness of a token reinforcement intervention to increase distance walked for adults with mild to moderate ID at adult day training centers.

Solids Accumulation Rates Of Latrines At Rural Schools In Nimba County, Liberia, Caraline M. Murphy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Access to appropriate sanitation facilities as well as access to clean drinking water are considered fundamental human rights (Carr, 2001; Bjorklund & Sjodin, 2010), yet roughly 2.5 billion people on the planet lack access to an improved form of sanitation (WHO/UNICEF, 2014). Additionally, many entities responsible for emergency excreta management and sanitation management design guidelines, specifically solids accumulation rates in latrine pits, use rates that are 30-60 years old and may be established from dated knowledge on diet and lifestyle trends (Franceys et al., 1992; Harvey et al., 2002; Harvey, 2007). Using solids accumulation rates that are dated as well …

Women's Narratives Of Confinement: Domestic Chores As Threads Of Resistance And Healing, Jacqueline Marie Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The term "narratives of confinement" redefines the parameters by which first-person, fictive and non-fictive, accounts of female captivity are classified, broadening the genre beyond Indian captivity narratives and slave narratives to include other works in which female narrators describe physical and/or psychological confinement due to tangible or non-tangible forces. Often these narratives exhibit the transformation of the drudgery of housewifery into powerful symbols of resistance and subversion, especially in reaction to traumatic events related to confinement. Needlework and food, including its preparation and distribution, frequently emerge as metaphors that express the ways in which disempowered women seek to regain control …

Secondary Band Participation And Executive Function, Dakeyan Cha' Dre' Graham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Data on standardized tests is often used to advocate for the inclusion of music programs in secondary education curriculum. There have been studies that claim to identify a relationship between music participation and higher earned test scores; however, correlation does not necessarily equate to causation. The argument between whether music instruction improves student testing ability or if higher achieving students are attracted to music courses is still prevalent within the music education domain. Executive function represents the processes within the brain that encompass a number of cognitive ability processes used in the transfer of knowledge. These processes are essential to …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Polycarbonate Polyurethane (Pcpu) Nanofibers Impregnated With Nanofillers, Hruday Chand Katakam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polycarbonate polyurethane (PCPU) has been studied as a novel polymer impregnated with nanoparticles for improved mechanical, thermal and adhesion properties [4]. This study investigates the synthesis of polycarbonate polyurethane (PCPU) polymeric nanofiber membranes by the process of electrospinning. This study further examines all the parameters associated with electrospinning a novel PCPU polymeric solution impregnated with nanofillers, such as nanoparticles, to produce fiber membranes. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) and N, N dimethylformamide (DMF) are used as solvents to dissolve PCPU polymer. One percent (1%) of nanofillers like silver and silica nanoparticles are added to PCPU polymer solution to investigate the impact on polymer …

The Encultured Mind: From Cognitive Science To Social Epistemology, David Alexander Eck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There have been monumental advances in the study of the social dimensions of knowledge in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. But it has been common within a wide variety of fields--including social philosophy, cognitive science, epistemology, and the philosophy of science--to approach the social dimensions of knowledge as simply another resource to be utilized or controlled. I call this view, in which other people's epistemic significance are only of instrumental value, manipulationism. I identify manipulationism, trace its manifestations in the aforementioned fields, and explain how to move beyond it. The principal strategy that I employ for moving beyond …

The Development Of An Adaptive Driving Simulator, Sarah Marie Tudor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The ability to drive a car is an important skill for individuals with a spinal cord injury to maintain a high quality of life, particularly their freedom and independence. However, driving with a physical disability often requires the installation of an adaptive driving system to control steering, gas, and braking. The two main types of adaptive driving controls are mechanical and electrical, also known as drive by wire (DBW). DBW controls work by converting electric signals to mechanical actuators. Driving simulators are useful tools for adaptive driving systems because they allow users to test different control devices, to practice driving …

Does Emotional Processing Mediate The Link Between Disordered Sleep And Depression?, Kimberly O'Leary

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Disordered sleep is strongly linked to depression, but reasons for this are not well understood. One possibility is that this link is partially explained by deficits in the emotional processing system. This model is substantiated based on the strong link between sleep and emotions, as well as ties between affect and depression. Therefore, this study tested whether various emotional and non-emotional deficits mediated the link between poor sleep quality and depression. Two hundred undergraduate students were recruited via an online university system. Participants completed self-report scales of depression, sleep quality, emotion recognition, and affective response to pre-tested pleasant or unpleasant …

Investigation Of Opuntia Ficus-Indica Mucilage Nanofiber Membrane Filtration For Water Systems, Rasudha Muppaneni

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates the fabrication, characterization and testing of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage nanofibers to be utilized in water filtration systems. These mucilage nanofibers are formed using different polymers through a process called electrospinning. The polymers used to promote the formation of nanofibers are poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and polystyrene (PS). The mucilage is a jelly like substance extracted from the pads of the cactus plant. It is a mixture of proteins, complex polysaccharides and monosaccharaides. It is an inexpensive, non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible material which is present in abundance. The mucilage extracted from the pads is mixed with acetic acid …

Viability Of Bismuth As A Green Substitute For Lead In Jacketed .357 Magnum Revolver Bullets, Joel A. Jenkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In seeking to develop environmentally friendly lead-free non-toxic bullets, the research ballistically evaluated the performance of copper-jacketed handgun bullets containing a pure bismuth core. The lead was first removed from 140 grain Hornady^TM XTP® bullets of 38 caliber (.357 diameter) by melting. The empty jackets were then refilled with pure bismuth, including the forming of a correctly sized hollow-point cavity. Due to the lower density of bismuth as compared to lead, the bismuth-cored bullets consistently weighed 125 gains. Conveniently this allowed direct comparison to commercially available 125 grain Hornady^TM XTP® lead-cored bullets of 38 caliber. Both bismuth-cored and …

The Relationship Between Hearing Status And Cognitive Performance And The Influence Of Depressive Symptoms In The Older Adult, Julie A. Daugherty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hearing loss and cognitive impairment are significant health problems, threatening the independent function of older adults. While there appears to be a strong relationship between the two conditions, the mechanisms underlying this association are complex and are not fully elucidated.

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore the relationship between hearing ability and cognitive performance in older adults. In addition, this study attempted to examine the role of depressive symptoms in the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive performance. Comprehensive measures of peripheral hearing, central auditory processing and cognitive performance were utilized to examine these relationships in a …

Let's Go To The Carnival: Hybridization Of Heterotopian Spaces In The Films Of Kevin Smith, Anthony L. Sylvester

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper argues against the charges of puerility in the films of Kevin Smith. I analyze Mallrats (1995), Clerks II (2006) and Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008). To illustrate my contention, I offer close readings of the director's films, particularly the protagonists' bodily/linguistic performances. My efforts will vindicate my assertion that through these specialized performances, through the forceful assertion of their marginal identities, the films' protagonists encroach upon, and finally appropriate, historically dominant spaces. As a result, the spaces they appropriate acquire a new, characteristic hybridity. Michel Foucault's concept of heterotopia provides a framework for delineating the dominant …

Low Power Real-Time Video And Audio Embedded System Design For Naturalistic Bicycle Study, Janardhan Bhima Reddy Karri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts [9], bicyclist deaths and injuries in 2013 are recorded as 732 and 48,000, respectively. In the State of Florida the safety of bicyclists is of particular concern as the bicycle fatality rates are nearly triple the national average. Further Florida ranks #1 on bicycle fatality rate in the nation for several years. To determine the cause of near-misses and crashes, a detailed study of bicyclist behavior and environmental conditions is needed. In a Florida Department of Transport (FDOT) funded project, USF CUTR has proposed naturalistic bicycle study based on ride data collected from 100 …

Improving Lidar Data Post-Processing Techniques For Archaeological Site Management And Analysis: A Case Study From Canaveral National Seashore Park, Christopher James Griesbach

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Methods used to process raw Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data can sometimes obscure the digital signatures indicative of an archaeological site. This thesis explains the negative effects that certain LiDAR data processing procedures can have on the preservation of an archaeological site. This thesis also presents methods for effectively integrating LiDAR with other forms of mapping data in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment in order to improve LiDAR archaeological signatures by examining several pre-Columbian Native American shell middens located in Canaveral National Seashore Park (CANA).

Parental Deportation And Cape Verdean Youth Experiences: A Case Study, Leila Rosa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The consistent academic underperformance of students from diverse backgrounds is a national concern and the subject of study by numerous researchers. Some scholars suggest this underperformance indicates teacher lack of preparation to address the needs of a highly diverse student population (Hollins & Guzman, 2005; Ford, 2008; Darling-Hamond, 2004). Central to the overall efforts for improving achievement outcomes should be a focus on the educational experiences of the segment of population that is underperforming, namely students of color, from diverse cultural and linguistic background. Policies of immigration are particularly relevant for the students who are immigrants to the United States …

Development Of The Self-Advocacy Measure For Youth: Initial Validation Study With Caregivers Of Elementary Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Carolyn D. Adams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-advocacy for persons with disabilities involves demonstrating knowledge of oneself and knowledge of rights afforded to individuals with disabilities through one's communication with others and leadership skills. These self-advocacy skills are significantly associated with positive outcomes after high school for students with a range of disabilities. However, knowledge of elementary students' self-advocacy skills is limited. One reason for this lack of evidence is that a psychometrically sound instrument designed to measure the cumulative skills within the self-advocacy construct did not exist. The purpose of the current study was to create a measure of self-advocacy skills that can be used with …

Thermal Fluctuations Tunneling In Doped Conjugated Polymers, Troy C. Stedman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The possibility of using conducting polymers as organic alternatives to widely used inorganic materials for thermoelectric (TE) applications has received much attention in the past few decades. Since conducting polymers are generally inefficient compared to inorganic TE materials, research into their underlying transport mechanisms is required to improve their efficiency. We use a model based on the effects of local thermal fluctuations to characterize the transport in conducting polymer composites. With this model, full linear responses for the current and electronic heat current are obtained. From these responses, the local temperature dependent conductivity, electronic contribution to the thermal conductivity, and …

Reproductive Health Seeking Behaviors Among Female University Students: An Action Oriented Exploratory Study, Robin Emily Mowson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to: 1) study the perceptions of female students attending the university Student Health Center, concerning available services, 2) learn how they describe their decisions to obtain care, and 3) identify perceived barriers to reproductive health care and contraception. This exploratory study used a mixed-methods approach that included clinic public-space observations, interviews with health care providers and staff at Student Health Services (SHS), surveys distributed to clients of the campus clinic, and in-depth interviews to contextualize emergent themes. Topics addressed included sexual health behaviors and perceptions, influence of peers and partners, the propagation of health …

Comparison Of Powerlifting Performance In Trained Males Using Traditional And Flexible Dailyundulating Periodization, Ryan James Colquhoun

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Daily undulating periodization is a growing trend in the exercise science literature. Flexible daily undulating periodization allows for athletes to have some autonomy within a periodized training cycle and is a relatively new and unstudied concept. The comparison of a flexible and traditional daily undulating periodization program using trained males has not been examined in the literature. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Flexible and Traditional Daily Undulating Periodization models on powerlifting performance in trained males.

25 resistance-trained males (23±6 years; 79±22 kg) completed a 9-week resistance-training program and were randomly assigned to one of …

A Functional Chlorophyll Biosynthesis Pathway Identified In The Kleptoplastic Sea Slug, Elysia Chlorotica, Julie A. Schwartz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The sacoglossan sea slug, Elysia chlorotica, feeds upon and sequesters plastids from the heterokont alga, Vaucheria litorea, and maintains the metabolically active organelles for up to nine months under starvation conditions while utilizing the photosynthate to survive and reproduce. The photosynthetic pigment, chlorophyll a (Chla), is found in all oxygenic photosynthetic organisms and is responsible for capturing photons of light and converting them into chemical energy. Chlorophyll and its associated proteins involved in the light capturing process are subject to photo oxidative damage and must be continually replaced for ongoing photosynthesis to continue; however, genes encoding these proteins are present …

Design And Synthesis Of Bioactive Peptidomimetics, Yaogang Hu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) play a very important role in biological functions and therefore the inhibition of specific Protein-Protein Interactions has a huge therapeutic value. The most successful small molecular PPIs inhibitors do not fit with the prevalent `Rule of Five' drug profile. To overcome the disadvantages of small molecular PPIs inhibitors, peptide based PPIs inhibitors were developed. Herein we describe the development of a new class of peptidomimetics AA-peptides. The AApeptides were designed based on chiral PNA backbone. Substitution of nucleobases yields AApeptides that are resistant to proteolysis and capable of mimicking peptides. Two types of AApeptides were discussed in …

Assessing Political Skill For Management Selection, Nneka Joseph

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Political skill has been described as using human resources and manipulating social exchanges to influence group outcomes (Mintzberg, 1983). Researchers have found that political skill has significant relationships with constructs such as contextual performance, career satisfaction and leadership. Based on these empirical findings it may be beneficial to include a measure of political skill as part of a selection process. In this study, different methods were explored for measuring political skill that may be appropriate for administrative purposes such as the self-rated questionnaire called the Political Skill Inventory (PSI), a situational judgment test (SJT) and the structured interview. A sample …

Optimization Of Aggregating Agents And Sers Substrates For Sers Detection Of Cotinine And Trans 3'-Hydroxycotinine, Sungyub Han

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation mainly focuses on applications of Surface Enhance Raman Scattering (SERS) to detect tobacco-related biomarkers with optimized experimental conditions (pH and aggregating agents) and SERS substrates (silica core and silver shell nanoparticles). Cotinine (COT) and trans 3-hydroxycotinine (3HC), metabolized from nicotine as one of main chemicals of tobacco, have been used as tobacco biomarkers because their half-life are longer than that of nicotine, which enable to monitor the tobacco exposure. The effects of aggregating agents and pH on SERS detection of COT and 3HC were investigated. Aggregating agents play an important role in SERS detection of target molecules since …

Coherent Digital Holographic Adaptive Optics, Changgeng Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A new type of adaptive optics (AO) based on the principles of digital holography (DH) is proposed and developed for the use in wide-field and confocal retinal imaging. Digital holographic adaptive optics (DHAO) dispenses with the wavefront sensor and wavefront corrector of the conventional AO system. DH is an emergent imaging technology that gives direct numerical access to the phase of the optical field, thus allowing precise control and manipulation of the optical field. Incorporation of DH in an ophthalmic imaging system can lead to versatile imaging capabilities at substantially reduced complexity and cost of the instrument. A typical conventional …

Cogs In A Cosmic Machine: A Defense Of Free Will Skepticism And Its Ethical Implications, Sacha Greer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Free will skepticism denies that humans possess the type of freedom required for moral responsibility (FMR). While not the most popular position in scientific, philosophical, or mainstream communities, I contend that this lack of acceptance is due not to flaws inherent in the position, but to misconceptions concerning its ethical and practical implications. In my dissertation, I endorse free will skepticism, beginning with a refutation of contrary positions, followed by a response to objections, and ending with a defense of social reforms necessitated by the denial of free will. Ultimately, I support Derk Pereboom's optimism that a global acceptance of …

An Analysis Of The Reported And Unreported Baccalaureate Degree Recipients In Ipeds At A Large Public Research Institution, Mary Elizabeth Wallace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One of the challenges facing higher education today is to graduate undergraduate students in a timely manner. Graduation rates are reported to students, parents, and the general public as well as academic and political leaders. The rates are derived using different methodologies. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) collects data annually by law from every institution offering federal financial aid in the United States. The "IPEDS reported" students are considered students who start in the fall semester, full-time, first-time in college, and graduate from the original institution (no transfers). The adult, part-time, returning, and transfer students, or "IPEDS unreported" …