Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing Teacher Preference For Training Modalities For Behavior Intervention Plans, Laurel M. Porter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within public schools, teachers and instructors may require training to implement procedures listed in a behavior intervention plan (BIP) to support students with disabilities. It is crucial that teachers receive training that is both effective and efficient. Behavioral skills training (BST) and video modeling are two training modalities that are proven to be effective for a wide range of skills and learners. Written instructions, although they are not supported as an effective training method in the literature, can be used as task analysis for the steps that are needed to be performed for a procedure. At present, there is no …

Animal-Assisted Therapy To Increase Independent Reading Forchildren With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Taylor L. Butts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has become a popular intervention for the health and behavioral community as evidenced by media attention. The research that has been done on AAT has been mostly qualitative and anecdotal. The current study adds to the literature on AAT by collecting quantitative data on AAT. A multiple baseline design across three participants was used to evaluate the independent reading duration under a baseline condition (no dog present) and a non-contingent access to dog condition (which simulated how dog therapy is typically conducted). If reading did not increase during the non-contingent dog condition, a contingent access to …

Games For Change: High School Students’ Learning Experiences And Motivation To Learn Climate Change Science Through Educational Computer Games, Metin Besalti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore high school students’ perceptions of learning climate change science through educational computer games. Further, it is aimed to investigate what roles educational computer games play in motivating students to learn climate change science. A qualitative case research design is used in this research to better understand and describe how educational computer games influence students’ perceptions of learning the climate change science and what roles these games play in motivating them to learn climate change science in the learning environment. A purposefully selected a high school teacher and her eight students are the …

Medical Decision Making Among Individuals With A Variant Of Uncertain Significance In A Hereditary Cancer Gene And Those With A Chek2 Pathogenic Variant, Deanna J. Almanza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite national guidelines, women with a BRCA VUS or CHEK2 pathogenic variant are choosing to have risk-reducing surgeries such as bilateral mastectomies which are not aligned with their level of cancer risk based on genetic test results alone. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 6 women with a BRCA VUS and 12 with a CHEK2 pathogenic variant exploring the factors influencing their decision-making process when considering medical management options. Patients from a cancer registry agreed to a recorded telephone interview. Coding was performed using the main constructs from the Ottawa Patient Decision Guide including: knowledge, uncertainty, values, and support. Iterative …

The Peruvian Minstrel: An Analysis Of The Representations Of Blackness In The Performance Of El Negro Mama From 1995 To 2016, Ana Lucía Mosquera Rosado

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Peruvian mass media has failed in addressing and representing the cultural and ethnic diversity of its country, as the presence and representation of ethnic minorities (indigenous and Afro-Peruvian) are almost exclusively reduced to the reproduction of stereotypes in comedy shows, in which they are often racialized and the target of offenses directly related with their ethnic identities. The analysis will focus on the figure of El Negro Mama, a very popular character in Peruvian television thought to be a portrait of the Afro-Peruvian population. Through the use of textual analysis, the paper will explore of this character in order to …

Effects Of An Academic Enrichment Program On Elementary-Aged Students' Performance, Lauren E. Nieder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to develop a greater understanding of the effectiveness of enrichment programs outside of the school setting. This study was also intended to contribute to the broader understanding of the mechanism of student school-related stress, reported by parents, as it relates to student academic performance, specifically in a population which primarily consists of students and parents who are of Asian-Indian-American descent. With rising standards and intensifying pressure on students to be academically successful, it is necessary to examine the stress students experience due to their academics, as well as its effects on their academic performance. …

Water Scarcity In The Face Of Hurricanes: Improving The Resilience Of Potable Water Supplies In Selected Florida Counties, Fautemeh Sajadi Bami

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Severe storms can threaten the reliability and accessibility of drinking water supplies. The state of Florida is frequently impacted by hurricanes and is often struck more than once a year. An example of this can be found in 2017 when hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria caused much damage. Compromised utilities, well contamination, and shortages in bottled water and ice are just some of the problems that may threaten peoples’ drinking water.

Faced with these issues, preparation and response efforts must be effective in order to promote human health. Recent events like Hurricane Irma caused shortages in potable water which suggest …

Fish Communities On Natural And Artificial Reefs In The Eastern Gulf Of Mexico, Elizabeth C. Viau

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Artificial reefs have been deployed throughout the world’s oceans to act as habitat and fishing enhancement tools. To expand current research on the role of artificial reefs in the marine community, ordination and multivariate regression methods were used here to analyze survey data of natural and artificial reefs. The reefs, located in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) and on the West Florida Shelf (WFS), had been previously surveyed from 2004 to 2015 using remote operated vehicle and stationary video techniques. This study tested the hypothesis that similar functional roles are accounted for at both natural and artificial reef sites …

The Effects Of A Daily Behavior Report Card Intervention: Inclusion Of A Peer Mediator Component, Deanna Canfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that children with disabilities are more likely engage in problem behaviors and have behavioral, social, and academic deficits in a school classroom than those children without disabilities (e.g., Owens et al., 2012; Pierce, Reid, & Epstein, 2004). Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) have been found to improve disruptive behaviors, such as task refusal or calling out in class, of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, intellectual and developmental disorders and typically developing students; however, research evaluating the efficacy of DBRCs with students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is lacking. Studies also indicate that DBRCs can be effectively implemented by …

A Comparison Of Three Data Collection Procedures In Parents, Christopher Rushing

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Implementation of behavior analytic interventions has traditionally relied on professionals possessing the required skills and expertise within controlled settings. While effective, this can be both expensive and time consuming. Research has demonstrated parent’s ability to implement a variety of interventions within the natural environment. As a result, parents are increasingly involved in treatment implementation. Getting the cooperation, support, and active participation of clients is essential to successful intervention. Therefore, buy-in at the earliest stages of treatment may result in the greatest effect. One of the earliest steps in treatment is the collection of data. Data collection methodology, validity, and reliability …

An Evaluation Of A Modified Behavioral Skills Training Procedure For Teaching Poison Prevention Skills To Children With Developmental Disabilities, Paula Petit-Frere

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although household product, such as pharmaceuticals and cleaning chemicals, are part of a child’s everyday life, accidental poisonings can occur as a result of ingestion. Children diagnosed with developmental disabilities are even more susceptible to being injured when they come into contact with these poisonous agents. Behavioral approaches have been used extensively to teach safety skills to children with disabilities. However, those that targeted poison prevention skills required additional methods that were more intrusive for the child to acquire the skills. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a modified behavioral skills training package that …

Sexual Assault And Robbery Disclosure: An Examination Of Black’S Theory Of The Behavior Of Law, Caitlyn N. Muniz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research on victim decision making has focused narrowly on reporting to police neglecting other ways in which victims seek help after a victimization experience. Similarly, this research also focuses on only one crime at a time, typically sexual assault, or focuses broadly on categories of violent crime. This dissertation aims to explore variations in victim help-seeking by examining and comparing various combinations of formal disclosure. Moreover, this study compares two distinctly different yet comparable interpersonal violent crimes: sexual assault and robbery. In so doing, this study employs the Theory of the Behavior of Law to examine whether …

Nanoparticle Synthesis For Glucose-Loaded Mesoporous Silica And Sucrose Hydrolysis Strategies For Bioanalyte Detection Applications Using A Personal Glucose Meter, Xiomar Emauel Bustos Perez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Point-of-care (POC) tests are a reliable, portable, easy to use, and more affordable alternative to regular laboratory diagnostic tests. They bypass the necessity of expensive equipment, human labor, and technical expertise. The personal glucose meter (PGM) is a POC device that measures glucose levels in blood. Lately, the PGM have been used as a tool to detect other bioanalytes in different applications. There are two analytes which POC detection would be beneficial for patients: creatinine and tacrolimus. Creatinine is used to calculate glomerular filtration rate, a measurement of kidneys function that can help to diagnose kidney failure, and other nephropathies. …

Assessing Palm Decline In Florida By Using Advanced Remote Sensing With Machine Learning Technologies And Algorithms., Christopher B. Hanni

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Native palms, such as the Sabal palmetto, play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance in Florida. As a side-effect of modern globalization, new phytopathogens like Texas Phoenix Palm Decline have been introduced into forest systems that threaten native palms. This presents new challenges for forestry managers and geographers. Advances in remote sensing has assisted the practice of forestry by providing spatial metrics regarding the type, quantity, location, and the state of heath for trees for many years. This study provides spatial details regarding the general palm decline in Florida by taking advantage of the new developments in deep …

Speeding Diagnosis And Saving Money Using Point Of Care Ultrasound Rather Than Mri For Work-Related Msk Injuries, Jared A. Jeffries

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive retrospective cohort study utilized a large workers comp insurer database. All MRI's performed on peripheral joints during calendar year 2017 that were (a) 2 weeks after the initial clinic visit, or (b) greater than 6 weeks after injury, but (c) not more than 3 months after the date of injury were evaluated in this study. Individual diagnoses rendered on MRI reports for these cases were categorized as to whether ultrasound alone or ultrasound + xray could adequately provide the same diagnoses. Results showed that, ultrasound + xray would be able to provide all of the same diagnoses compared …

Complex Tripartite Hydro Politics Of River Ganges, Muttaki Bin Kamal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper studies if the Flagship Namami Gange program of Cleaning the river Ganges in India aligns with the transcendental discourse on the river. Web contents as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter along with Indian English daily newspaper reports are used here as the source of data. The study shows that the program aligns with the transcendental discourse on river Ganges as the Mother Goddess and reaching out to her devotees.

The Ability Of The U.S. Military’S Wbgt-Based Flag System To Recommend Safe Heat Stress Exposures, David R. Almario

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. military currently uses a flag system based on wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and metabolic rate to recommend heat stress exposure limits. This paper addresses the ability of the flag system to recommend safe heat exposures in a non-military population.

Two progressive heat stress studies provided data on 528 observations of safe or unsafe exposures of 4 hours over a range of WBGT conditions and metabolic rates using 29 participants wearing woven cotton clothing. For the two studies, range of WBGT conditions was 25 to 42C, and the range of metabolic rates was 100 to 650 watts. These exposures …

Investigating Air Pollution And Equity Impacts Of A Proposed Transportation Improvement Program For Tampa, Talha Kemal Kocak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Transportation infrastructure is important for human mobility and population well-being. However, it can also have detrimental impacts on health and equity, including through increased air pollution and its unequal social distribution. There is a need for better understanding of these impacts and for better approaches that improve health and equity outcomes of transportation planning programs. In this study, we are investigating the air pollution and health equity impacts of an ongoing large-scale metropolitan transportation improvement program, Tampa Bay Next (TBNext). Specific objectives are: 1) to characterize and quantify the air pollution levels and population exposures resulting from the roadway expansion …

Biochemical And Proteomic Approaches To Determine The Impact Level Of Each Step Of The Supply Chain On Tomato Fruit Quality, Robert T. Madden

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fresh fruits and vegetables (FFVs) are the most frequently wasted foods because of their perishability and handling requirements. However, there is a lack of information on how much each step of the supply chain impacts FFVs quality, particularly on tomatoes, and what measures need to be taken for an immediate and effective impact on waste reduction. There is also no information on how the supply chain affects the proteome of the tomato and what proteins are differentially regulated by the most impactful steps of the supply chain. The objectives of the work presented on this thesis were to evaluate the …

Storm Surge And Evacuations In Pinellas County, Christianne Pearce

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine evacuation decisions of residents in Pinellas County, a vulnerable area in Florida, during Hurricane Irma in 2017, and whether those decisions will impact their future decisions to evacuate. This study also examines the resident’s perception of storm surge flooding during a hurricane. To understand evacuation decisions and storm surge perceptions a survey was conducted on residents in vulnerable areas of Pinellas County. The survey examined multiple aspects including the role of media, relationships, and sociodemographic status on decision making. Another aspect examined if their decision to evacuate for Hurricane Irma will impact …

Supporting Students With Chronic Health Conditions: An Evaluation Of School Nurses’ Collaborative Practices With School Psychologists, Destiny L. Singleton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many students in primary and secondary schools are impacted by a chronic health condition. Researchers have postulated that interprofessional collaboration between medical and mental health providers can be beneficial in improving the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes of students with chronic health conditions (Drotar, Palermo, & Barry, 2003; Shapiro & Manz, 2003). An emerging area of focus is on the school-based collaboration between school nurses and school psychologists regarding supporting students with chronic health conditions. This study investigated school nurses’ perceptions of the benefit of collaborating with school psychologists, school nurses’ awareness of the roles of school psychologists, the frequency …

A Feasibility Analysis Of A Pilot Study Comparing Prenatal Genetic Service Delivery Outcomes Using The Self-Determination Theory, Lindsey N. Victoria

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genetic counselors, along with the National Society of Genetic Counselors, desire evidence-based research and data assessing the value of genetic counseling in genetic service delivery. This pilot study was designed to gather data about genetic counseling outcomes as well as analyze the feasibility of a study looking at new genetic outcome measures in the prenatal setting. Implementation of the methods used for data collection were evaluated by analysis of the appropriateness, acceptability, feasibility, fidelity, and adoption of the research protocol at three sites. We found that there is a hierarchy between implementation outcomes and it may be necessary to satisfy …

Evaluating Small-Scale Simulation Training For Teaching Firearm Safety To Children With Asd, Margaret E. Orner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Every year children are unintentionally injured or killed due to finding an unattended firearm. Although research evaluating various approaches to teach safety skills shows that behavioral skills training and in situ training are effective, limited research exists evaluating small-scale simulation training in teaching safety skills to children. Furthermore, there is no research evaluating this approach with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study evaluated the effectiveness of small-scale simulation training in teaching firearm safety to 5- to 6-year-old children with ASD. Simulation training was effective for one participant and in situ training was necessary for one participant. However, in …

Axitinib Loaded Plga Nanoparticles For Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Priya P. Narvekar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite of all the research going on for the treatment of ocular diseases, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains one of the serious vision threatening disease worldwide. Choroidal neovascularization, a pathophysiological characteristic of wet AMD, is the growth of anomalous blood vessels in the eye choroidal layer. Neovascularization is a key factor in AMD and thus anti-angiogenic therapy is beneficial in reducing the development of new abnormal blood vessels to prevent progression of AMD. Axitinib, multi-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is a small molecule that works by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR) and platelet derived growth factor receptors (PDGFR) responsible …

Design And Development Of A Wireless Eeg System Integrated Into A Football Helmet, Akshay V. Dunakhe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, approximately 2.8 million Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) occur annually. Out of these 2.8 million occurrences, 280,000 injuries are caused by sports and recreational activities. The actual number can be significantly higher since mild TBI are often unrecorded. These injuries not only cause physical damage to players, but they are also one of the leading causes of a player’s retirement from a sports career. While working with TBIs, it is vital to detect the concussion at its first occurrence, termed as a “primary concussion.” If the primary concussion goes undetected, the player may continue to play the …

Social Constructionism And Cultivation Theory In Development Of The Juvenile “Super-Predator”, Elizabeth R. Jackson-Cruz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The myth of the “super-predator” offender was adopted by newspaper media in the mid-1990s characterizing “violent”, urban, and minority juvenile offenders. The phrase originated from newspaper headlines of the 1980s and 1990s, but limited research has identified whether this con-struct predated DiIulio and Fox’s crime surge prediction. This study sampled juvenile crime news items from The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times (N=2,008) 1985-1995 with defined search criteria of juvenile actors, “violent” juvenile crime, and/or juvenile drug crime. A descriptive analysis of the data determined reporting trends sought for a “period effect” caused by the …

“The Most Muscular Woman I Have Ever Seen”: Bev Francisperformance Of Gender In Pumping Iron Ii: The Women, Cera R. Shain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The question of what constitutes femininity has been widely debated, not only in gender studies, but also in the broader social world. A venue for this debate is the 1985 documentary, Pumping Iron II: The Women, in which gender and femininity in particular become part of the central plot of the film when Bev Francis, a woman bodybuilder more muscular than any other competitor, enters the competition. While feminist scholars have analyzed gender and sport from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, little attention has been paid to female bodybuilding in particular. To fill this gap, this thesis will examine the …

Mass Shootings And Gun Sales: A Study On The Influence Of Red And Blue Power, Maria Jose Rozo Osuna

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mass shootings are one of the most discussed issues in American society. While it is evident who the main victims are, the impact of such an event reaches far beyond the lives that were directly impacted. One of the main effects mass shootings have been found to have is a spike in gun sales (Wallace, 2015; Studert et. al., 2017 ; Turchan et. al., 2017). This finding has been found time and time again by academic and non-academic researchers, and it is one of the most commonly believed ideas regarding the effects of mass shootings (Aish & Keller, 2016). The …

Self-Collected Sampling Methods For Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Screening Among College Women: Exploring Patient-Centered Intervention Characteristics, Stacey B. Griner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Young adults are disproportionately burdened by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as chlamydia and gonorrhea; however, STI screening rates are low among this population. Given the barriers associated with screening, self-sampling methods used at home may be an innovative solution to improve STI screening rates.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore factors influencing chlamydia and gonorrhea screening among college women. This study had two aims: (1) assess factors associated with STI screening among college women and (2) identify informational needs and key intervention characteristics to inform the development of a patient-centered STI screening intervention.

Methods: Guided …

Evaluation Of Clinical Practices And Needs About Variants Of Uncertain Significance Results In Inherited Cardiac Arrhythmia And Inherited Cardiomyopathy Genes, Reka D. Muller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing numbers of genetic tests in clinical settings have identified many variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in genes associated with inherited cardiac arrhythmias and inherited cardiomyopathies. Evaluation of clinical practices including counseling strategies and medical management recommendations for patients and their families is important to improve patient outcomes and prevent over- or under-treatment that may result in morbidity or fatality. The purpose of this study is to describe provider practices related to VUS results including how they conduct risk assessments and ascertain what information and medical management recommendations they provide to patients with VUS results and the patients’ family …