Digital Commons Network^™

Migration, Education, And Health Policy: A Closer Look Into The Reasons Behind Poor Health Outcomes In Rural Ecuador, Lauren Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite an increase in the number of Ecuadorian medical professionals, health outcomes in rural areas of the country have steadily declined over the past decade. Using a political economic framework and data collected from interviews with Ecuadorian doctors, government officials, policy makers, and local rural populations, this thesis investigates how the interplay among medical migration, educational structures, and public health policy contributes to growing health disparities between urban and rural dwellers. Addressing each of these factors both individually and collectively, this thesis also outlines a series of policy recommendations that will allow the Ecuadorian healthcare system to better meet the …

Melville’S Unknown Pathology: The Humoral Theory Of Disease And Low Grade Lead Poisoning In Bartleby The Scrivener, Gerard Bogin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Melville wrote Bartleby the Scrivener as a literary portrayal of the Humoral theory of disease. Virchow disproved that theory five years after the novella was published, suggesting Melville was humanizing an unknown pathology. A clinical assessment of the text reveals low-grade lead poisoning, which best explains the strange behavior, abnormal appearance, and premature death of the character Bartleby as depicted by the author. In conjunction with the textual substantiation, historical evidence indicates that at the time Melville wrote the work, one in ten people he encountered suffered from the effects of the same disease. Informed with the identity of Melville’s …

An Assessment Of Microevolutionary Change Among Prehistoric Florida Populations Through The Analysis Of Craniometric Data, Samantha M. Seasons

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The analysis of craniometric data collected from skeletal remains, combined with

archaeological data, can provide very valuable information pertaining to biological

distance and gene flow among prehistoric populations through space and time. The goal

of this study was to examine microevolutionary change among prehistoric populations in

south Florida based on the degree of cranial variation among populations at seven

prehistoric sites. It was expected that as time progressed, microevolutionary forces

caused significant changes in the crania of the various populations based on the relative

geographic proximity of the sites and the temporal distance between sites.

A Microscribe 3-DX digitizer was …

Angiostatic Regulators In Ovarian Cancer, Christina Diane Drenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angiogenesis by either normal or neoplastic cells involves a delicate balance of both angiogenic and angiostatic regulators. In the ovary, normal physiological angiogenesis occurs around the developing follicle and corpus luteum in response to hormonal shifts. Interestingly, carcinomas arising from the ovary are usually highly vascularized and are commonly clinically observed to produce cyst fluids or ascites which contain both angiostatic and/or angiogenic regulators. However, in contrast to normal angiogenesis, angiogenesis associated with epithelial ovarian cancer usually produces aberrant vasculature that may promote neoplastic progression. Therefore, the ovary and ovarian cancers provide models to study the mechanisms governing the strict …

School Counselor Accountability Practices: A National Study, Cindy M. Topdemir

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on school counselor accountability practices. The role of the

school counselor is changing and the need to be more accountable is now here. This study

attempted to answer several critical questions regarding school counselor accountability.

It examined the degree to which school counselors use accountability measures, to what

extent they believed certain accountability practices were deemed helpful to their school

counseling program, and what they believed their barriers were. Accountability is a “hot”

topic in present school counseling literature; but little research has been done up to this

point investigating these issues related to school counselor accountability …

Nautical Knowledge: An Experimental Analysis Of The Influence Of Public Relations Strategies In Safe Boating Communication, Emily N. Guilfoil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the effect of public relations message strategies on beliefs,attitudes, and behavioral intentions of individuals regarding boater safety. An experiment was conducted using seven safety messages. Specifically, Fishbein and Ajzen’s (1975) theory of reasoned action and J.E. Grunig’s (1997) situational theory of publics were used to examine the communication effects of message strategies proposed by Hazleton and Long’s (1988) public relations process model.The findings of this study support the predictions of the theory of reasoned action—that salient beliefs predict attitude toward behavior and attitude toward behavior and subjective norm predict behavioral intent. Of the three attitude items measured—attitude …

System For Identifying Plankton From The Sipper Instrument Platform, Kurt A. Kramer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plankton imaging systems such as SIPPER produce a large quantity of data in the form of plankton images from a variety of classes. A system known as PICES was developed to quickly extract, classify and manage the millions of images produced from a single one-week research cruise. A new fast technique for parameter tuning and feature selection for Support Vector Machines using Wrappers was created. This technique allows for faster feature selection, while at the same time maintaining and sometimes improving classification accuracy. It also gives the user greater flexibility in the management of class contents in existing training libraries. …

Optimal Discrete-In-Time Inventory Control Of A Single Deteriorating Product With Partial Backlogging, Yang Tan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The implicit assumption in conventional inventory models is that the stored

products maintain the same utility forever, i.e., they can be stored for an infinite period of

time without losing their value or characteristics. However, generally speaking, almost all

products experience some sort of deterioration over time. Some products have very small

deterioration rates, and henceforth the effect of such deterioration can be neglected.

Some products may be subject to significant rates of deterioration. Fruits, vegetables,

drugs, alcohol and radioactive materials are examples that can experience significant

deterioration during storage. Therefore the effect of deterioration must be explicitly taken

into …

Finite Element Analysis Of Thermoelectric Systems With Applications In Self Assembly And Haptics, Patrick T. Mcknight

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Micro-scale self assembly is an attractive method for manufacturing sub-millimeter sized thermoelectric device parts. Challenges controlling assembly yield rates, however, have caused research to find novel ways to implement the process while still resulting in a working device. While a typical system uses single n-type and p-type material elements in series, one method used to increase the probability of a working device involves adding redundant parallel elements in clusters. The drawback to this technique is that thermal performance is affected in clusters which have missing elements. While one-dimensional modeling sufficiently describes overall performance in terms of average junction temperatures and …

Modeling And Predicting Taxi Times At Airports, Arjun Chauhan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research aims at providing methods in analyzing and estimating the taxi times of aircraft at airports, which are expected to be an important element for reducing taxiing delay and consequent excess fuel consumption and environmental costs. The proposed model involves a set of regression equations to model the taxi-out and taxi-in times at airports. The estimated results can be used to calculate the nominal taxi times, which are essential measures for evaluating the taxiing delays at airports. Given the outcomes of the regression model, an iterative algorithm is developed to predict taxi times. A case study at LGA shows …

Characterization Of The Esterification Reaction In High Free Fatty Acid Oils, Lucas Eli Porter Altic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Energy and vegetable oil prices have caused many biodiesel producers to turn to waste cooking oils as feedstocks. These oils contain high levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) which make them difficult or impossible to convert to biodiesel by conventional production methods. Esterification is required for ultra-high FFA feedstocks such as Brown Grease. In addition, ultrasonic irradiation has the potential to improve the kinetics of the esterification reaction. 2-level, multi-factor DOE experiments were conducted to characterize the esterification reaction in ultra-high FFA oils as well as determine whether ultrasonic irradiation gives any benefit besides energy input. The study determined that …

Comparison Of Risky Decision Making Processes In Dyads And Individuals, Moumita Mukherjee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The thesis compared the likelihood of taking risks in dyads and individuals in

varying situations. Patterns of risky decision making were examined in the standard risky

choice task and a novel risk management task. The relative successes of two theories of

risky decision making were assessed: Prospect Theory emphasizes perceptual and

psychophysical processes, whereas Security-Potential/Aspiration Level Theory

emphasizes dispositional and motivational processes. The thesis also examined dyads’

decision behavior in light of competing social influence perspectives regarding risky

versus cautious shifts and group polarization.

Participants, as individuals or as part of a dyad, made decisions in 23 trials about

hypothetical …

Mutual Elements And Substrate Effect Analysis On Patch Antenna Arrays, Matthew J. Wallace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There have been many different technology advancements with the invention of solid state electronics, leading to the digital era which has changed the way users employ electronic circuits. Antennas are no different; however, they are still analog devices. With the advancements in technology, antennas are being fabricated on much higher frequencies and with greater bandwidths, all while trying to keep size and weight to a minimum. Centimeter and millimeter wave technologies have evolved for many different radio frequency (RF) applications. Microstrip patch antennas have been developed, as wire and tubular antenna elements are difficult to fabricate with the tolerances required …

Ernest Hemingway’S Mistresses And Wives: Exploring Their Impact On His Female Characters, Stephen E. Henrichon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Conflicted” succinctly describes Ernest Hemingway. He had a strong desire to make his parents proud of him but this was in constant conflict with his need to tell a story, warts and all. Of particular importance is his relationship with his mother and the crippling effect it has on his relationships with women. Hemingway’s life becomes a series of dysfunctional relationships that fail to meet his needs, leaving him perpetually searching for the right woman. Kert posits that Hemingway’s contempt for women is related to his inability to make the transition from lover to husband, fueled by Hemingway’s belief that …

Evaluation Of Oncology Nurses' Knowledge, Practice Behaviors, And Confidence Specific To Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Rebecca Denise Mcallister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) remains one of the most serious and challenging symptoms oncology nurses encounter in caring for patients receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy. CIPN is under-addressed, under-reported, and symptoms are minimized by healthcare providers, which adversely affect patient quality of life, physical function, and emotional well-being. There is an absence of research examining nurses’ knowledge and practice behaviors related to CIPN. The purpose of this study was to explore oncology nurses knowledge, practice behaviors, confidence, and the relationship between education, experience, and knowledge specific to CIPN.

Data was collected at Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Chapter meetings throughout central and …

Rehabilitation Of Precast Deck Panel Bridges, Atiq H. Alvi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

USF completed a research study in 2005, which prioritized the replacement of 85 deteriorating composite precast deck panel bridges. This thesis re-evaluates the original recommendations in the wake of failures of two of these bridges in 2007. Since funding will not allow all identified bridges to be replaced, it was necessary to determine the most effective repair methods. To assess USF’s recommendations, a forensic study was undertaken in which the most current inspection and work program documents on the two failed bridges were reviewed and FDOT personnel interviewed. The best repair procedures were determined by reviewing repair plans, specifications, reports …

Consumable Process Development For Chemical Mechanical Planarization Of Bit Patterned Media For Magnetic Storage Fabrication, Joseph T. Bonivel Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the superparamagnetic limit is reached, the magnetic storage industry looks to circumvent the barrier by implementing patterned media (PM) as a viable means to store and access data. Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is a semiconductor fabrication technique used to planarize surfaces and is investigated as a method to ensure that the PM is polished to surface roughness parameters that allow the magnetic read/write head to move seamlessly across the PM. Results from this research have implications in feasibility studies of utilizing CMP as the main planarization technique for PM fabrication. Benchmark data on the output parameters of the CMP …

Capillary Self-Assembly And Its Application To Thermoelectric Coolers, James K. Tuckerman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The thermoelectric effect was discovered well over a century ago, yet performance has not shown improvement until recent years. Prior work has shown that the thermoelectric effect can be enhanced by the use of microscale pieces of thermoelectric material. Conventional assembly techniques are inadequate to deal with parts of this size, making it necessary to find a suitable alternative before these devices can be made economically. Capillary self-assembly is a promising alternative to conventional techniques. This method employs the use of preparing substrates with areas of favorable surface tension to place and align parts. Still, many obstacles have to be …

Continuous Electrowetting Actuation Utilizing Current Rectification Properties Of Valve Metal Films, Corey M. Lynch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) is a technique for reducing the apparent contact angle of a fluid droplet, which has many promising applications in the fields of optics, digital displays, and lab-on-a-chip research. In this thesis, a design is presented for a novel single circuit device for achieving continuous droplet motion, by using the current-rectifying properties of valve metals to create diode-like behavior. This contrasts with existing designs, which require an array of individual electrodes to achieve motion in discrete steps. We are able to demonstrate continuous droplet motion across a 28mm-long test strip with an applied voltage of 303 V …

The Effects Of Directional Audit Guidance And Estimation Uncertainty On Auditor Confirmation Bias And Professional Skepticism When Evaluating Fair Value Estimates, Norma R. Montague

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this study, I examine the effects of audit guidance and estimation uncertainty on auditors’ confirmation bias and professional skepticism when evaluating fair value estimates. Fair value estimation is becoming more prevalent in financial reporting frameworks, and regulators warn that fair value estimation presents higher risk of material misstatement when greater judgment in estimation is involved. In addition recent evidence from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) indicates that some auditors may not be exercising sufficient professional skepticism when performing audit procedures in higher risk areas of the audit. Martin et al. (2006) suggest that it may be the …

The Monitoring And Evaluation Of Geothermal Systems, Whitney E. Maynard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the heightened importance of green engineering in today’s society, harnessing the Earth’s internal energy has become ever more important. Specifically, the use of geothermal heat pumps as a means of heating and cooling homes and municipal buildings is on the rise. However, due to the high cost of installation and limited amount of research conducted, geothermal systems in the State of Florida have yet to meet their potential as an alternative heating and cooling source. With Florida’s relatively constant ground temperature of 72°F, an above average temperature gradient for both heating and cooling of indoor areas is provided. To …

From Night To Dawn: The Cultural Criticism Of George A. Romero, Christopher Paul Wagenheim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Analyzing George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Dawn of the Dead (1978) in relation to the early works of Marshal McLuhan, Erich Fromm, and Herbert Marcuse reveals an ideological parallel that can be explicated using Antonio Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony. While McLuhan, Marcuse, and Fromm observe, in order to critique, social manifestations of power in a consumerist system, Romero presents a model of hegemony in his films that he exposes to extreme stress thereby allowing viewers to observe such manifestations of power for themselves. These analyses are significant because although Marcuse, McLuhan, Fromm, and Romero …

Ballistic Penetration Of A Sandbagged Redoubt Using Silica Sand And Pulverized Rubber Of Various Grain Sizes, Robert Paul Cole

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The basis of this work is to find how varying the grain size of materials contained in sandbags (sand and crumb rubber) effects the ballistic penetration of the projectiles from both the 7.62x39mm (308-short), and 9mm Luger cartridges. The sandbags were stacked in a pyramidal stacking configuration according to military specifications in order to simulate a section of a sandbag barrier or redoubt as would be seen on the battlefield. The projectiles were fired at the targets, and the velocity and penetration data was recorded. The results concern both military and civilian applications alike. The 7.62x39 round was found to …

A Novel Approach To X-Ray Mirror Bending Stability And Control, Michael Weinbaum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A novel, no-contact approach to X-ray mirror bending control is presented here,

proposed for use on the beamlines of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL)

project. A set of mirrors with tunable bending radii are desired, that will maintain their

optical properties even as the beam incidence causes local heating. Various mechanical

bending mechanisms have been proposed and used on other beamlines, which can take up

a lot of physical space, demanding more vacuum power, while using expensive high

precision servomotors. Rather than bend the mirror by mechanical means, it is proposed

to heat the mirror to produce the …

Thermal Conductivity Of Soils From The Analysis Of Boring Logs, Nicole M. Pauly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent interest in "greener" geothermal heating and cooling systems as well as developments in the quality assurance of cast-in-place concrete foundations has heightened the need for properly assessing thermal properties of soils. Therein, the ability of a soil to diffuse or absorb heat is dependent on the surrounding conditions (e.g. mineralogy, saturation, density, and insitu temperature). Prior to this work, the primary thermal properties (conductivity and heat capacity) had no correlation to commonly used soil exploration methods and therefore formed the focus of this thesis.

Algorithms were developed in a spreadsheet platform that correlated input boring log information to thermal …

Using The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce Model With Families Of Children With Autism, Kacie M. Sears

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study involved families of young children with autism spectrum disorders to

examine the feasibility of implementing an adapted version of the school-based Prevent-Teach-

Reinforce (PTR) model. This research included two families who developed and implemented the

intervention for their children in collaboration with the researcher. The PTR manual was modified

for use in a family context. The PTR intervention was tested using a multiple baseline design

across routines. Procedural fidelity was assessed during training and coaching, as well as family

implementation fidelity and social validity. To examine the potential efficacy of the adapted PTR

intervention, the children’s target problem …

News Media Representations Of Women In The U.S. Military Post September 11, 2001, Colleen Krepstekies

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines newspaper portrayals produced by the

Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times of women in the military from Sept. 11, 2001, to Sept. 11, 2009. The purpose was to identify how the three nationally recognized U.S. newspapers depict women’s expanding combat roles on contemporary battlefields that lack definitive front lines. Because the news media are the primary vehicle to update the general public on military matters, how the news media portray military women can play a role in shaping audience perceptions of military women. In turn, this relationship can influence the …

The Green And Ampt Infiltration Model Accounting For Air Compression And Air Counterflow In The Shallow Water Table Environment: Laboratory Experiments, Yuliya Lukyanets

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water infiltration into the unsaturated zone especially in a shallow water table environment is affected by air compression ahead of the wetting front and air counterflow. Neglecting air compression in infiltration modeling can overestimate infiltration and infiltration rates, whereas not accounting for air counterflow can underestimate infiltration and infiltration rates due to unrealistic buildup of air pressure resistance ahead of the wetting front. A method, derived on the basis of the Green and Ampt (1911) infiltration model, is introduced to simulate air compression and air counterflow during infiltration into a shallow water table. The method retains the simplicity of the …

A Contingent Valuation Of Tampa’S Urban Forest Resource, Alec Foster

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban forests provide environmental, social, and economic benefits to urban residents. These benefits are often overlooked when making spatial and financial distributive decisions in urban areas. The City of Tampa has demonstrated interest in its urban forest resource and estimated its extent and some of the benefits provided. Estimating economic values for benefits that have not been quantified can help to ensure that resources are distributed more efficiently. Five methods to estimate urban forest benefits in the City of Tampa are reviewed, with contingent valuation being the method chosen out of this review process. A mailed, dichotomous choice contingent valuation …

An Evaluation Of The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (Ptr) Model In A Community Preschool Setting, Laura L. Kulikowski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the use of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model with two four-year-old children in a community preschool classroom. A multiple baseline design across activities was used to assess the teacher implementation of the behavior intervention strategies developed during the PTR team process and the changes in child problem behavior and engagement. Additional measures associated with the outcomes, such as researcher procedural integrity and social validity were assessed. The results suggest that the team of teachers were able to implement the PTR intervention with fidelity, which resulted in a decrease in the children’s problem behavior and an increase in their …