Digital Commons Network^™

Narrative Efforts At Social Redemption By People With Aids/Hiv, Andrea Zolnier Thelen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores four narrative texts written about AIDS/HIV and evaluates each one by applying Kenneth Burke's redemption drama, consisting of guilt, purification, and redemption. The methodology is a close textual analysis using rhetorical analysis as a way to highlight the use of the redemption drama in language. The first chapter explores the history of AIDS/HIV and makes the argument for using Burke's rhetorical approach. The second chapter briefly highlights the plot of the four narratives and provides background information and context for each book. The third chapter applies the concept of guilt to all four narratives. The fourth chapter …

Thomas Hardy's Siren, Sarah A. Wray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Sirens episode in The Odyssey is comparably short, but it is one of the most memorable scenes in the epic. Sirens are trying to stop the male narrative, the male quest of Odysseus with their own female "narrative power" (Doherty 82). They are the quintessential marginalized, calling for a voice, a presence, an audience in the text of patriarchy. The knowledge they promise, though, comes with the price of death. They are covertly sexual in Classical antiquity, but since the rise of Christianity, a new Siren emerged from the depths of the sea; instead of the sexually ambiguous embodiment …

Tourist, Shopertainment, Eatertainment, Edutainment, Nature Tourism, Mass Tourism, Stephanie Tomita Wong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Predictive models for diffusion-controlled particle dissolution are important for designing advanced and efficient solid products for controlled release applications. A computer-aided modeling framework was developed to derive the effective dissolution rates of multiple particles as the solid surface material eroded gradually into the surrounding liquid phase. The mathematical models were solved with numerical methods using the computational software MATLAB. Results from the models were imported into COMSOL Script to create three-dimensional plots of the particle size data as a function of time. The release model found for the monodispersed particles was manipulated to incorporate polydisperse solids, as these are found …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Interfaces Between Naturally Derived And Synthetic Nanostructures For Biomedical Applications, Souheil Zekri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of nanotechnology to develop methods for fabrication and characterization of organized hybrid nanostructures that include integrated polymeric, biological and inorganic compounds has increased exponentially during the last decade. Such bio-nano-composite materials could be used in solving current biomedical problems spanning from nanomedicine to tissue engineering and biosensing. In this dissertation, a systematic study has been carried out on the synthesis, characterization, of two interfaces between naturally derived and synthetic nanostructures. Carbon nanotubes and porous silicon represent the synthetic nanostructures that were developed for the purpose of interfacing with the naturally derived bovine type I collagen and respiratory syncytial …

Body Image, Attitudes, And Self-Efficacy As Predictors Of Past Behavior And Future Intention To Perform Breast And Skin Self-Examinations, Sari R. Chait

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Breast self-examinations (BSE) and skin self-examinations (SSE) provide people with a cost-effective and time-efficient approach to the detection of cancer. Given the utility of these self-examination behaviors, it is important to determine who is likely to perform them regularly and why. Prior research has demonstrated a relationship of attitudes and self-efficacy with performance of and intention to practice the exams. Body image, although not previously studied, can be hypothesized to influence performance of these behaviors as well. To address these issues, the current study sought to determine if there are relationships between attitudes, self-efficacy, and body image and the practice …

A Family’S Deadly Sin: Fatal Child Abuse In Florida An Anthropological Perspective On Child Deaths Due To Abuse And Neglect, Christa A. Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines child death data in an effort to assist in prevention and intervention, as well as, to provide quantitative and qualitative analysis to improve and enhance policy development around child deaths due to abuse and neglect in Florida. The data reviewed consisted of aggregate data for all incidents of child deaths (N = 266) in Florida where the primary caregiver was the alleged perpetrator of a child fatality for children under age 18. All data examined were recorded and stored in the Department of Children and Families’ Child Safety Assessment database between 1998 and 2000.

According to national …

Low Voltage Electrochemical Hydrogen Production, Eric P. Weaver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen production is dependent on natural gas, 90% in the U.S. and 48% of the world’s production. Natural gas supply is dwindling and it’s price is increasing. Greenhouse gases and air pollutants are emitted when natural gas is used. In a single product production facility, coal is not competitive with natural gas for hydrogen production at current prices. Hydrogen production by direct electrochemical dissociation of water requires a relatively high voltage.

Techniques have been developed for manufacturing hydrogen as a lucrative byproduct of IGCC electric power generation, refinery sulfur production and sulfuric acid production for fertilizer production. Laboratory experiments have …

Small Scale Distribution Of The Sand Dollars Mellita Tenuis And Encope Spp. (Echinodermata), James P. Swigart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Small scale distributions of Mellita tenuis and Encope spp. were quantified at Fort De Soto Park on Mullet Key, off Egmont Key and off Captiva Island, Florida during 2005. Off Captiva Island, Encope spp. were aggregated in 33.3% of plots in March. Off Egmont Key, M. tenuis were aggregated in 100% of plots in March but in no plots in September. At Fort De Soto Park, M. tenuis were aggregated in 37.5% of plots in May 12.5% in July and 50.0% in September. Sand dollars in 6.3% of the plots in September at Fort De Soto had a uniform distribution. …

Assessment Of Occupational Heat Strain, Margaret Wan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Assessment of heat strain considers an individual’s tolerance and indicates the risk and physiological cost of working in hot environments. This study evaluated the discrimination ability of metrics of heat strain. The null hypotheses were that (1) the metrics individually could not discriminate between acceptable and unacceptable heat strain, (2) there were no significant differences among these metrics, and (3) there were no significant differences in the applicability of the metrics due to clothing or heat stress level.

The experimental design was a case crossover. Clothing and heat stress level were potential confounders. Two clothing ensembles were work clothes and …

Knowledge-Based Video Compression For Robots And Sensor Networks, Chris Williams Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Robot and sensor networks are needed for safety, security, and rescue applicationssuch as port security and reconnaissance during a disaster. These applications rely on realtimetransmission of images, which generally saturate the available wireless networkinfrastructure. Knowledge-based Compression is a strategy for reducing the video frametransmission rate between robots or sensors and remote operators. Because images mayneed to be archived as evidence and/or distributed to multiple applications with differentpost processing needs, lossy compression schemes, such as MPEG, H.26x, etc., are notacceptable. This work proposes a lossless video server system consisting of three classesof filters (redundancy, task, and priority) which use different levels …

A Mechanized Horseback Riding Simulator As An Aid To Physical Therapy, Jennifer Lott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Equine-assisted therapy is a nontraditional form of physical therapy that involves riding horses as a form of rehabilitation. Limited access to these riding programs justifies a need to develop a horseback riding simulator capable of simulating the gaits, bend, and collection of the horse. Research involving the development of horseback riding simulators is limited, but the available research does show promising results in the ability to aid in physical therapy.

A two-dimensional model and simulation was developed using MATLAB. Using the results from the simulation, a horseback riding simulator was designed, fabricated and tested. The physical simulator was capable of …

The Acquisition Of Functional Sign Language By Non-Hearing Impaired Infants, Kerri Haley-Garrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that young children, typically developing with no developmental delays, hearing impairments or visual impairments, can acquire sign language to communicate their wants or needs prior to their ability to communicate through spoken language. However, much of the research reviewed focused on whether it was normative for young children to use signs or symbolic gestures to represent objects, make requests, or to express other wants or needs. In addition, many of the studies reviewed lacked scientific rigor and were primarily anecdotal in that much of the data relied on parent reports of his/her child's production of signs or symbolic …

Use Of Box-Pcr Subtyping Of Escherichia Coli And Enterococcus Spp. To Determine The Source Of Microbial Contamination At A Florida Beach, Miriam J. Brownell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Siesta Key Beach, located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, is frequently mentioned among the top ten beaches in the US. In summer 2004, high levels of indicator bacteria caused health warnings to be posted, and a storm drainage system was implicated as a possible source of microbial contamination. A study was initiated to determine whether indicator bacteria that persisted in the stormwater system could contribute to high microbial loads in receiving waters. Two sampling events, one within 48 hours of a rain event and the other during dry conditions, were conducted. Water and sediment samples were taken at various …

Effect Of Tricalcium Silicate Content On Expansion In Internal Sulfate Attack, Troy T. Whitfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the cementitious parameters and placement temperature that impact internal sulfate attack in concrete. Concrete structures make up a large percentage of the infrastructure and multifamily housing. Durability is very important. Cements can be formulated to reduce the impact of external environmental exposure such as high salinity from marine environments or high sulfate levels from soils or surface waters. Concrete is also subject to internal attack such as alkali aggregate reaction, (AAR), and delayed ettringite formation, (DEF). This study focused on some of the cement chemistry issues that determine susceptibility of cement to …

Development Of Models For Understanding Causal Relationships Among Activity And Travel Variables, Xin Ye

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding joint and causal relationships among multiple endogenous variables has been of much interest to researchers in the field of activity and travel behavior modeling. Structural equation models have been widely developed for modeling and analyzing the causal relationships among travel time, activity duration, car ownership, trip frequency and activity frequency. In the model, travel time and activity duration are treated as continuous variables, while car ownership, trip frequency and activity frequency as ordered discrete variables. However, many endogenous variables of interest in travel behavior are not continuous or ordered discrete but unordered discrete in nature, such as mode choice, …

Inorganic Sorption In Polymer Modified Bentonite Clays, Melody Schwartz Nocon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1986, geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) were invented and successfully used as a replacement for the soil layer in composite lining systems. In some applications an additive (polymer) is mixed with the bentonite to increase performance, especially in those that have low concentrations of sodium bentonite (EPA 2001).Studies showing significant increases in hydraulic conductivity values for bentonite in the presence of high salt concentrations are frequently documented and there is a risk of early breakthrough due to performance failure of the GCL clay component. (Ashmawy et al, 2002). It has also been stated that sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium have …

The Influence Of Habitat Features On Selection And Use Of A Winter Refuge By Manatees (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In Charlotte Harbor, Florida, Sheri L. Barton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Investigating alternate winter refuges for Florida manatees is increasingly important

as sustained warm-water discharges from industrial and some natural sites becomes more

uncertain. This study examined habitat features of possible importance to manatees by

comparing a winter refuge in Charlotte Harbor, FL (the Matlacha Isles canal system) to

two nearby, seemingly similar sites that are not frequented by manatees during winter.

Water temperature, salinity, boat traffic, canal depth, and tidal flushing were assessed at

these sites. Additionally, this study examined when and how manatees use the Matlacha

Isles refuge by documenting movements, habitat use, and behaviors of manatees during

the …

System Optimization For Micron And Sub-Micron Particle Identification Using Spectroscopy-Based Techniques, Eduardo Zurek

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes an approach and a model for the analysis of critical parameters related to the optical and electronic components of spectroscopy systems. The model described herein enables a systematic study of the impact of these parameters on the total performance of the system; therefore, it is a tool for the design and optimization of spectrometers.

Although the physics of the optical and electronic components in spectroscopy systems are known and well established, the systemic approach to the understanding of their interactions is recent and it is an area of active research. The results from this study are at …

The Development Of Leibniz’S Substance Ontology From 1666-1688, Justin Sean Davis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leibniz’s early conception of individual substance ontology is one of the most puzzling, and fascinating, within the history of philosophy. It is the purpose of this paper to show that: 1) Leibniz did develop a coherent scheme that embodied his substance ontology, 2) the exposition of his early substance ontology is in A Specimen of the Discoveries of the Admirable Secrets of Nature in General, written in 1688 and, 3) the scheme is not sufficiently represented in the Discourse on Metaphysics.

Leibniz slowly developed a multifaceted view of substance within the twenty years previous to the writing of the Discourse. …

Animal Husbandry At Tell El Hesi (Israel): Results From Zooarchaeological And Isotopic Analysis, Shannon Marie Peck-Janssen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Located in today’s southern Israel, Tell el Hesi provides archaeologists with important clues to political and social changes in the ancient Near East. Zooarchaeological and stable isotopic analyses were conducted to evaluate shifts in animal husbandry practices during changing socioeconomic and sociopolitical conditions in the southern Levant.

During the Early Bronze Age, Tell el Hesi thrived as an agricultural grain producing center for the southern Levant. The acropolis served as both a storage and redistribution center for the inhabitants of Tell el Hesi. Coinciding with the collapse of the southern Levant, Tell el Hesi was abandoned throughout the Middle Bronze …

Modeling The 100-Year Flood Using Gis: A Flood Analysis In The Avon Park Watershed, Alan Stephen Booker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using hydraulic modeling and Geographic Information System (GIS) software, the 100-year flood was delineated for the municipality of Avon Park located in Highlands County, Florida. A detailed and rigorous approach was undertaken to first collect and develop an extensive spatial database to store the data collected that is pertinent to the model. This analysis combined ArcGIS version 8.3 and the Interconnected Channel and Pond Routing (ICPR) model version 3.02 to develop hydraulic models that assigned regulatory flood elevation within the watershed. The model results were post processed and brought into GIS to delineate the 100-year flood.The steps outlined in this …

The True Picture Of The Indian—As Jackson Viewed It: The Portrayal Of Alessandro As An Atypical Native American, Carrie. Olin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Helen Hunt Jackson wrote the sentimental novel,

Ramona, to call attention to social justice for Native Americans. This thesis presents a reconsideration and reevaluation of the novel, especially that of the Native American voice the novel presents, by recognizing the complexities of Native American literature and culture. Previous criticism of the novel focuses on the portrayal of Hispanics or the "real life" events, such as the shaping of Southern California, the "true" Ramona, or the life of Jackson. Since there is little critical debate of the text itself, this thesis initiates further exploration. An extensive review of the scholarship …

Video-Based Person Identification Using Facial Strain Maps As A Biometric, Vasant Manohar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on video-based face recognition has started getting increased attention in the past few years. Algorithms developed for video have an advantage from the availability of plentitude of frames in videos to extract information from. Despite this fact, most research in this direction has limited the scope of the problem to the application of still image-based approaches to some selected frames on which 2D algorithms are expected to perform well. It can be realized that such an approach only uses the spatial information contained in video and does not incorporate the temporal structure.Only recently has the intelligence community begun to …

Cicero And St. Augustine's Just War Theory: Classical Influences On A Christian Idea, Berit Van Neste

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The theology of Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, and the origin of his theory of Just War are subjects of serious scholarly debate. Just War involved the use of the state army to eliminate heresy by killing heretics who refused to convert to mainstream Christianity. The purpose of this paper is to argue that Augustine primarily based his theory of Just War on Cicero's own theory of Just War.

Augustine was quite heavily influenced by Cicero. He credited Cicero with his own conversion to Christianity. He drew heavily from Cicero's works as a basis for many of his own writings, …

The Enthymeme’S Role In Modern Discourse, Ryan Meehan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this paper, I wish to demonstrate how enthymemic argument pervades modern discourse. First, I will define the enthymeme in Aristotelian terms and compare its qualities to its sibling, the syllogism. Next, I will attempt to demonstrate how the enthymeme functions, paying close attention to its psychological effects as well as analyzing how the media helps promote enthymemic discourse. Finally, I will propose a way that composition instructors can harness the idea of the enthymeme to facilitate critical thinking in the classroom. The purpose of the paper is to provide evidence that a rebirth of this classical term is in …

Investigation Of Cretaceous Molluscan Shell Material For Isotopic Integrity: Examples And Implications From The Baculites Compressus/Cuneatus Biozones (Campanian) Of The Western Interior Seaway, Ashley Da Silva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Whether a global greenhouse interval is a distinct or distant future, it is important to understand the dynamics of a greenhouse system. During such intervals the oceans, in the absence of sizeable polar ice caps, flood the continental shelf. The stratification and circulation of these epicontinental seas are open to debate, because there are no Recent analogs. The carbon and oxygen stable isotope record of fossil molluscan shell from epicontinental seas has the potential to reveal their stratification and seasonal cycles. As a study sample, mollusks from the Baculites compressus and Baculites cuneatus biozones of the Western Interior Seaway of …

Image Restoration Theory: An Empirical Study Of Corporate Apology Tactics Employed By The U.S. Air Force Academy, Glen F. Roberts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adverse relationships between an individual or corporation and its publics can destroy credibility, relationships, marketability, and economic welfare. As such, a genre of discourse is needed to help individuals and organizations respond to charges of wrongdoing. Therefore, the study of image restoration is worthwhile because it provides insight into an important function of our lives. For this thesis study, a content analysis was conducted of media releases and stories produced by the U.S. Air Force regarding a series of sexual assaults at the Air Force Academy in 2002. The purpose of the study is two-fold. First, it determines the image …

Gender Differences In Age Of Onset For Delinquency:Risk Factors And Consequences, Laura M. Gulledge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The age of onset of delinquency has long been viewed as a primary indicator for further delinquency and criminality. However, studies on the risk factors for onset, and future delinquency have focused predominantly on males. The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences and similarities in risk factors for onset and frequency of arrest. The data used in these analyses were from a longitudinal study, Pathways to Adulthood: A Three Generational Urban Study, 1960-1994. Sixty-six percent (N=1,758) of the eligible children completed the final survey. Of these children, only 515 were used in this particular study because they …

The Effects Of A Parent Training Course On Coercive Interactions Between Parents And Children, Lezlee Powell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coercion within parent/child relationships can have lasting effects on the behavior

of children. The Family Safety/Applied Behavior Analysis Initiative at the University of

South Florida is part of a statewide project designed to serve foster parents and the

children in the foster care system, has developed a training program entitled .Parenting

Tools for Positive Behavior Change.. To date, the effectiveness of the parenting course

has been evaluated in two ways. First, parents have been tested in role-play situations

before and after training, and have shown improvements in their use of positive parenting

skills. Second, frequency of foster home placement disruptions …

Response Cards In The Elementary School Classroom: Effects On Student And Teacher Behavior, Shannon Mckallip-Moss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has examined the effects of response card use at various grades levels including elementary, middle, high school, and community college. These studies provide convincing evidence that incorporating response cards into group instruction helps improve learning outcomes. However, the majority of these studies focused solely on learning outcomes, typically assessed through the administration of tests and/or quizzes. The present study examined the effects of response cards on learning, and expanded the research by assessing effects on disruptive student behavior and the quantity and quality of interactions between teachers and students. A second grade teacher and two students were exposed …