Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Mix Design Using Chloride-Based Accelerator On Concrete Pavement Cracking Potential, Daniel Aaron Buidens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cracked pavement slabs lead to uncomfortable and eventual unsafe driving conditions for motorists. Replacement of cracked pavement slabs can interrupt traffic flow in the form of lane closures. In Florida, the traffic demands are high and pavement repairs need to be carried out swiftly typically using concrete with high cement contents and accelerators to create rapid setting and strength gain. The concrete used in these pavement replacements is usually accompanied by a high temperature rise, making the replaced slabs susceptible to cracking. Cracking is a result of developed tensile stresses in the concrete, which exceed the concrete's tensile strength capacity. …

Family Accommodation In Adults With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Psychometric Properties Of The Family Accommodation Scale - Patient Version, Monica S. Wu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Family accommodation is a salient construct within the context of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and occurs in a large majority of affected individuals and their families. Accommodating behaviors can manifest in various ways, including participation in the patient's rituals, modifying everyday routines, facilitating compulsive behaviors, or providing reassurance. It has been repeatedly linked to negative outcomes, such as attenuated treatment response, increased obsessive-compulsive symptom severity, higher levels of family distress, and lower levels of functioning. As such, it is of significant clinical importance to have a standardized measure that is able to be used in research and clinical practice.

The Family …

Perspectives Of Hiv + Women On The Mother To Child Transmission Of Hiv In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kimberly Anne Fleek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Purpose and rationale: In 2012, an estimated 9,500 infants in Ethiopia were born with HIV. Mortality for these infants is high, and preventing infection offers the best hope for reducing the childhood death rates. Effective measures exist which can reduce the likelihood of a child acquiring HIV from its mother to less than 2%, and the necessary anti-retroviral medications are free and accessible to Ethiopian women. However, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) efforts in the country have not kept pace with the global reduction in infant infections over the last decade, and the Ethiopian MTCT rate …

Using Mimic Methods To Detect And Identify Sources Of Dif Among Multiple Groups, Seokjoon Chun

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the efficacy of multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) methods in detecting uniform and nonuniform differential item functioning (DIF) among multiple groups, where the underlying causes of DIF was different. Three different implementations of MIMIC DIF detection were studied: sequential free baseline, free baseline, and constrained baseline. In addition, the robustness of the MIMIC methods against the violation of its assumption, equal factor variance across comparison groups, was investigated. We found that the sequential-free baseline methods provided similar Type I error and power rates to the free baseline method with a designated anchor, and much better Type I …

A Contingency Model Of Team Leadership For Emergency Medical Teams, Andeneshea Shacardia Kemp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emergency medical teams operate under unusual circumstances. They assemble for a singular, temporary purpose, potentially change in size and composition, and their performance can influence whether a patient lives or dies. Although leadership is a critical component to team success, it is rarely investigated in the context of emergency medical teams. This study sought to examine the relationship between directive leadership behaviors and team performance outcomes. It was hypothesized that directive leadership would be particularly effective for emergency medical teams. In addition, a contingency model was proposed. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the effectiveness of directive leadership is contingent upon …

Development Of Electroplated-Ni Structured Micromechanical Resonators For Rf Application, Mian Wei

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

On-chip vibrating MEMS resonators with high frequency-Q product on par with that of the off-chip quartz crystals have attracted lots of attention from both academia and industry for applications on sensing, signal processing, and wireless communication. Up to now, several approaches for monolithic integration of MEMS and transistors have been demonstrated. Vibrating micromechanical disk resonators which utilize electroplated nickel as the structural material along with either a solid-gap high-k dielectric capacitive transducer or a piezoelectric transducer have great potential to offer unprecedented performance and capability of seamless integration with integrated circuits.

Despite the frequency drift problems encountered in early attempts …

Validation Of The Scores Of The Instructional Pedagogical And Instructional Student Engagement Components Of Fidelity Of Implementation, Sandra F. Naoom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Students cannot benefit from what they do not experience. Multiple reasons exist for why an intervention may not be delivered as it was designed. In this era of educational accountability and limited dollars to go around, understanding how an intervention is delivered in the classroom is key to understanding program outcomes. In order to assess whether a program has been implemented as intended, an assessment of fidelity is needed. However assessing fidelity is complex given varying conceptual interpretations, which then fosters inconsistent application of methods to measure the construct. Additionally the methods for validating fidelity measures are still unclear. The …

Risk Perception And Beliefs About Volcanic Hazards: A Comparative Study Of Puna District Residents, Melanie Marie Leathers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to better understand how residents of communities located on the flanks of Kilauea, Hawai'i view the hazards associated with volcanic events taking into account hazard proximity, cultural beliefs, municipal trust, and evacuation planning. The study was conducted in the lower Puna district, an area with a rapidly growing population but limited infrastructure.

Data were collected though a questionnaire survey undertaken at venues throughout the district, including grocery markets, bakeries, farmers markets, the public pool, and other gathering places. Overall, the results indicated that people understand the natural hazards of the place but are generally …

Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis Of Pottery At The Bayshore Homes Site In Pinellas County, Florida, Rachel Nostrom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Bayshore Homes site was occupied intermittently over a period of approximately twelve hundred years, with the two main occupation periods being CE 150-550 and CE 900-1350. During those lengthy occupations a substantial amount of plain and decorated pottery was discarded at the site. A portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer was utilized to analyze the elemental composition of 133 sherds, both decorated and plain. The resulting elemental composition data were then analyzed using multivariate statistics in an attempt to discern discrete clay sources that may have been exploited by inhabitants of the Bayshore Homes site. Principal component analysis (PCA) and …

Accuracy Of /T/ Productions In Children With Cochlear Implants As Compared To Normal-Hearing, Articulation Age-Matched Peers, Terry Gier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children who receive cochlear implants (CIs) demonstrate considerable variability in speech sound production. Investigations focused on speech sound development in children with CIs have shown initial accelerated growth, followed by a plateau where consonant order of acquisition generally mirrors that of NH children, but is slower (Blamey, Barry, & Pascale, 2001; Serry & Blamey, 1999; Spencer & Guo, 2013). A notable exception to this pattern, /t/, has been shown to be acquired later-than normal in several investigations (Blamey et al., 2001; Chin, 2003; Ertmer, True Kloiber, Jongmin, Connell Kirleis, & Bradford, 2012). The primary purpose of this investigation was to …

Ontogenetic Diet Shifts And Prey Preference Of A Generalist Predatory Fish, Brittany Jalene Scharf

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marine ecosystems are highly dynamic and contain a diverse faunal assemblage that are subject to various natural and anthropogenic variability. Globally, seagrass ecosystems are located adjacent to coastal areas that are heavily impacted by human development and urbanization potentially altering the community structure within these ecosystem. Complex food webs connect many components of these systems, often in unexpected ways, and are ultimately based on one of two pathways: benthic (i.e., seagrass, epiphytes, microalgae, detritus) and planktonic (i.e., phytoplankton). Understanding the pathway which the food web is based gives further insight regarding the biological balance of the ecosystem; thus it is …

A Brain Robot Interface For Autonomous Activities Of Daily Living Tasks, Don Indika Upashantha Pathirage

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There have been substantial improvements in the area of rehabilitation robotics in the recent past. However, these advances are inaccessible to a large number of people with disabilities who are in most need of such assistance. This group includes people who are in a severely paralyzed state, that they are completely "locked-in" in their own bodies. Such persons usually retain full cognitive abilities, but have no voluntary muscle control.

For these persons, a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) is often the only way to communicate with the outside world and/or control an assistive device. One major drawback to BCI devices is …

Characterization Of The Depositional Environment Of Phreatic Overgrowths On Speleothems In The Littoral Caves Of Mallorca (Spain): A Physical, Geochemical, And Stable Isotopic Study, Liana Marie Boop

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Phreatic overgrowths on speleothems (POS) are one of many sea-level proxies available to Quaternary geologists in Mallorca; these carbonate encrustations form at the air-water interface in cave passages flooded with brackish water. POS are ideal for reconstruction of western Mediterranean sea level because they are widespread in Mallorca's caves, can be precisely dated by U-series methods, constrain sea-level stands to sub-meter elevation, and are well preserved and accessible in the subterranean environment.

This research investigates the POS depositional environment, which is relatively understudied compared to the other proxies used for sea-level reconstructions. This disparity has led to assumptions on many …

Opuntia Ficus-Indica Mucilage Potential To Remove Nuclear Active Contaminants From Water Based On A Surrogate Approach, Jose Adan Leon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Potable water is a necessity and unfortunately, it can be contaminated in many different ways. This paper specifically addresses the case scenario when, water has been contaminated by radionuclides. The mucilage of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI), has been proven to be a great flocculating agent, turbidity reducer, crude oil dispersant and an environmentally friendly substance as an absorbent of water contaminants. In this work, the OFI mucilage was investigate to evaluate its capacity to separate radioactive ions from water. The surrogate approach is modeled based on water studies performed by Willi A. Brand, who proved that radioactive isotopes behave similar to …

Spelling Of Derivationally Complex Words: The Role Of Phonological, Orthographic, And Morphological Features, Sofia Benson-Goldberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spelling ability is not static; rather, as children age, learning how to encode morphophonologically complex words in conventional ways is motivated by the increasingly complex demands imposed by academic experiences with morphologically complex words. Success requires ongoing integration of phonological (P), orthographic (O) and morphological (M) knowledge. However, current research on the development and assessment of spelling has not sufficiently accounted for the way word features and participant characteristics interact with students' POM knowledge in the spelling of derived words. This study used a linear mixed effects regression approach to provide new insights about how both word characteristics and students' …

Bayesian Models Of Sequential Dependencies In Binary And Multi-Interval Response Tasks, Jeffrey Scott Annis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A sequential dependency occurs when the response on the current trial is correlated with responses made on prior trials. Sequential dependencies have been observed in a variety of both perception and memory tasks. Thus, sequential dependencies provide a platform for relating these two cognitive processes. However, there are many issues associated with measuring sequential dependencies and therefore it is necessary to develop measurement models that directly address them. Here, several measurement models of sequential dependencies for both binary and multi-interval response tasks are described. The efficacy of the models is verified by applying them to simulated data sets with known …

Overcoming The 5th-Century Bce Epistemological Tragedy: A Productive Reading Of Protagoras Of Abdera, Ryan Alan Blank

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that the most prominent account of Protagoras in contemporary rhetorical scholarship, Edward Schiappa's Protagoras and Logos, loses critical historiographical objectivity in Platonic overdetermination of surviving historical artifacts. In the first chapter, I examine scholarship from the past thirty years to set a baseline for historiographical thought and argue that John Muckelbauer's conception of productive reading offers the best solution to the intellectual and discursive impasse in which contemporary Protagorean rhetorical theory currently resides. The second chapter explains the pitfalls of Platonic overdetermination and the ways in which Plato himself was inextricably situated within an ideological blinder, from …

A Multi-Scale Approach To Study Predator-Prey Interactions And Habitat Use Of Pinfish, Lagodon Rhomboids, Dinorah Helena Chacin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biological processes like species interactions and patterns such as abundance and distribution observed in nature can vary depending on the scale at which the subject of interest is evaluated. Knowing that there is no single natural scale at which systems should be studied, in this thesis, I conducted a series of basic and applied ecological approaches in order to examine the phenomena that can occur at different scales of space, time, and ecological organization.

Species abundances can vary over large spatial and temporal scales. By studying the habitat use of an abundant species, which uses a wide range of habitats, …

The Effect Of Music Cadence On Step Frequency In The Recreational Runner, Micaela A. Galosky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Music appears to have advantageous effects during exercise as it has been shown to increase motivation, decrease ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), and improve exercise performance. The improvement of running performance in particular, is the main effect recreational runners want to focus on as many want to improve their time in road races. Running velocity, indicated by a faster time to completion is thought to improve with an increase in step frequency, step length, or a combination of these variables. Currently, there is limited research that observes methods to help increase step frequency or step length. The manipulation of music …

Timing Of Svalbard/Barents Sea Ice Sheet Decay During The Last Glacial Termination, Tasha Snow

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arctic and North Atlantic underwent significant climactic changes since the Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 years before present (1950 AD); ka BP), but offsets in the timing of events between the two regions are poorly constrained due to age model uncertainties that arise from changing radiocarbon reservoir ages. Here, we use a relatively high-resolution, multi-proxy stable isotope and sedimentologic dataset from Eastern Fram Strait (ODP Leg 162 Site 986) marine sediments to constrain the timing of Svalbard/Barents Sea Ice Sheet decay and infer deglacial reservoir ages over the last 30 ka. We use magnetic susceptibility, inorganic and organic carbon, foraminiferal …

Forecasting Corrosion Of Steel In Concrete Introducing Chloride Threshold Dependence On Steel Potential, Andrea Nathalie Sanchez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corrosion initiates in reinforced concrete structures exposed to marine environments when the chloride ion concentration at the surface of an embedded steel reinforcing bar exceeds the chloride corrosion threshold (CT) value. The value of CT is generally assumed to have a conservative fixed value ranging from 0.2% to - 0.5 % of chloride ions by weight of cement. However, extensive experimental investigations confirmed that CT is not a fixed value and that the value of CT depends on many variables. Among those, the potential of passive steel embedded in concrete is a key influential factor on the value of CT …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Tagteach For Teaching Yoga Postures To Novice Yoga Practitioners, Jessica Sade Andrews

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Over the past few years there has been an increasing number of people practicing yoga. There also have been reports of injuries as a result of practicing yoga. Many injuries have been attributed to poor teaching which can result in improper alignment. This study utilized a teaching technology, TAGteach to aide in skill acquisition of novice yoga practitioners. The current study focused on teaching three beginner asanas (poses) to novice practitioners. The intervention included the asanas being broken down by task analysis and the steps tagged one by one. The intervention was assessed by a multiple baseline across behaviors …

Impact Of Self-Monitoring And Video Feedback On Staff Implementation Of Natural Environment Teaching For Children With Asd, Heatherann Tenowich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characteristically exhibit social communication and language deficits. Natural environment teaching (NET) is an intervention proven effective at improving social communication and language skills. Treatment fidelity is critical for an intervention to be effective. Research shows that training alone is often not sufficient to ensure proper implementation. Self-monitoring has shown to increase treatment fidelity, but performance feedback may be necessary to further improve the fidelity of individuals implementing interventions. Using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants with an ABC sequence, this study evaluated the impact of self-monitoring and video feedback on behavior therapist …

Feasibility Of Application Of Cathodic Prevention To Cracked Reinforced Concrete In Marine Service, Kevin Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corrosion can take place as chloride ions accumulate above a critical concentration (CT) at the surface of a reinforcing bar inside concrete in marine service. The initiation of corrosion can be delayed by polarizing the steel cathodically, which is known to increase the value of CT. That effect is the basis of the cathodic prevention (CPrev) method to control corrosion of reinforcing steel in concrete. However, concrete cracks are a common occurrence and at cracks, the buildup of chloride ions is accelerated to the extent that CPrev may be less effective. The findings from an ongoing investigation to determine the …

Recursive Methods In Number Theory, Combinatorial Graph Theory, And Probability, Jonathan Burns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recursion is a fundamental tool of mathematics used to define, construct, and analyze mathematical objects. This work employs induction, sieving, inversion, and other recursive methods to solve a variety of problems in the areas of algebraic number theory, topological and combinatorial graph theory, and analytic probability and statistics. A common theme of recursively defined functions, weighted sums, and cross-referencing sequences arises in all three contexts, and supplemented by sieving methods, generating functions, asymptotics, and heuristic algorithms.

In the area of number theory, this work generalizes the sieve of Eratosthenes to a sequence of polynomial values called polynomial-value sieving. In the …

Two Essays On Corporate Finance, Qiancheng Zheng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

In the first essay titled "The Value of Strategic Alliances in Acquisitions and IPOs," I investigate how firms' strategic alliance experience affects their valuations as acquisition targets or in IPOs. I propose that strategic alliance experience serves as a valuable signaling device for target and IPO firms, particularly those with more intangible assets and greater opacity. The results show that takeover targets with alliance experience receive higher premiums than those without such experience. More recent alliance experience as well as alliance experience in the same industry also contributes to a larger target gain. Similarly, IPO firms that have alliance …

Can A One-Size-Fits-All Parental Involvement Framework Be Applied To An Entire School District? A Comparative Case Study Of A District Magnet Program, Bradley Wayne Finkbiner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated a district magnet program that required high levels of actual parental involvement. The district that houses this program uses Epstein's framework of parent involvement to reach out to all families. The research sought to match parent responses with the magnet program expectations and the Epstein framework. Interviews were conducted and completed with twenty-four participants including diverse backgrounds. Particularly sought after were parents from different ethnic groups and gender within two separate middle schools. The research also endeavored to learn how the district school choice program forced parents to navigate their child's enrollment, whether at the elementary school …

Analysis And Application Of Passive Gait Rehabilitation Methods, Ismet Handzic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human gait is elegant and efficient in propelling the body forward. While a healthy human gait is symmetric, any deviation from symmetry can cause inefficiencies to the entire body. Such asymmetries may present themselves in hemiplegic patients, prosthetic users, lower limb injuries, limb height and weight discrepancies, or abnormal overground foot rolling. In this dissertation, practical passive methods to alleviate such asymmetric walking dynamics are presented. The novel concepts presented in this manuscript can all be related and applied to passive gait rehabilitation, that is, the rehabilitation of a person's gait through methods that do not require external power. One …

An Evaluation Of Florida Gulf Coast University's Residence Life Staff Member's Hurricane Preparedness, Erin Floto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) is located along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in southern Florida, in an area vulnerable to hurricane strikes. At FGCU, The Office of Housing and Residence Life (OHRL) is responsible for three locations on- and off-campus where students reside in apartment or suite-style housing. Due to the large number of students with varying backgrounds, the OHRL staff members have become essential personnel during severe weather events that may cause safety concerns for the residents living in OHRL housing locations. This study's purpose is to assess the Residence Life staff on their level of …

Using Video Modeling And Video Feedback To Improve Olympic Weightlifting Technique, Danah Mulqueen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Behavioral coaching procedures have been evaluated and enhanced over the years to find the most effective interventions for athletic performance in a variety of sports settings. Different types of feedback have been evaluated for effectiveness in teaching and improving skills. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of video modeling and video feedback to improve technique for three novice individuals in a fitness program incorporating Olympic weightlifting. Two weightlifting events, the clean and jerk and snatch, were targeted for intervention. Each lift was broken down into a task analysis, and trainers used the task analysis to score …