Digital Commons Network^™

The Psychometric Evaluation And Validation Of A Measure Assessing Pharmacological And Social Alcohol Expectancies In Adolescents, Megan Victoria Mcmurray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Extending prior alcohol expectancy measurement research, this researcher (McMurray, 2013) recently developed the Pharmacological and Social Alcohol Expectancy Scale (PSAES). The PSAES is the only alcohol expectancy measure to date that provides adequate coverage of both social expectancies and the anticipated positive pharmacological effects resulting from alcohol consumption, and was developed and validated in a sample of young adults (aged 18-23). Research has shown that adolescents at high risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD) hold higher expectations of reward from alcohol, suggesting that expectancy patterns may help distinguish at-risk youth. Building upon the previous PSAES validation study, the primary purpose …

Secure Communication Scheme In Smart Home Environment, Hari Krishna Jonnalagadda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Internet of Things, has started to mark its existence from past few years. Right from its inception with a coke machine at Carnegie Mellon University, it has come a long way, connecting billions of devices to internet. This journey is well supported by the advancements in networking, hardware miniaturization and sensing capabilities. Diverse nature of applications of Internet of Things, has cut the communication barriers between the varieties of fields ranging from manufacturing industry to health-care industry. Smart Home is one such application of Internet of Things. Connectivity of home appliances, to achieve automation in living, defines Smart Home. Out …

Rule-Based Risk Monitoring Systems For Complex Datasets, Mona Haghighi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation we present rule-based machine learning methods for solving problems with high-dimensional or complex datasets. We are applying decision tree methods on blood-based biomarkers and neuropsychological tests to predict Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages. We are also using tree-based methods to identify disparity in dementia related biomarkers among three female ethnic groups. In another part of this research, we tried to use rule-based methods to identify homogeneous subgroups of subjects who share the same risk patterns out of a heterogeneous population. Finally, we applied a network-based method to reduce the dimensionality of a clinical dataset, while capturing …

The Role Of Peer Status In The Self And Aggression In Adolescence And Early Adulthood, Danielle Findley-Van Nostrand

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

From early on, social adjustment among peers is crucial to healthy development. Social status, a reflection of adjustment among peers, can be considered in terms of acceptance or likeability, and rejection, or dislikability, as well as popularity or reputational prestige in the peer group. Research finds meaningful links between peer status and social behaviors like aggression, but has not examined the role of dimensions of peer status in association with perceptions of the self. I conducted a set of studies examining associations among peer status (likeability, dislikability, and popularity) and self-perceptions (self-esteem and self-concept clarity), and social goals as moderators …

Impact Of Sludge Layer Geometry On The Hydraulic Performance Of A Waste Stabilization Pond, Faissal Romaric Ouedraogo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Improving the hydraulic performance of waste stabilization ponds (WSPs) is an important management strategy to not only ensure protection of public health and the environment, but also to maximize the potential reuse of valuable resources found in the treated effluent. To reuse effluent from WSPs, a better understanding of the factors that impact the hydraulic performance of the system is needed. One major factor determining the hydraulic performance of a WSP is sludge accumulation, which alters the volume of the pond.

In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis was applied to investigate the impact of sludge layer geometry on …

Social Dynamics And Ceramic Mobility Of Final Bronze Age Ceramics In Corsica (France): Elemental Analysis Using A Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer, Aurelien Tafani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Corsican Bronze Age is characterized by the erection of massive stone towers, the torre, and of stone enclosures, the casteddi. While the role of these structures is still debated, they have generally been interpreted as the sign of a hierarchical society, pervaded by martial values and fragmented into competing antagonistic groups. After several centuries of stability, a sharp demographic decline occurred at the end of the Middle Bronze Age. ca. 1350 and 1200 BC. In contrast, the Final Bronze Age, between 1200 and 950 BC, is a period of continuous expansion, characterized by the appearance of new …

Smoking Among Youth Living With Hiv: The Intersection Of Behavioral Health And Chronic Disease, Todd Wells

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Smoking amongst youth living with HIV (YLWH) has major public health implications. When combined with the complications associated with smoking such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) or heart disease, the impact of a HIV positive diagnosis increases morbidity exponentially (Nahvi & Cooperman, 2009). The purpose of this study was two-fold, to investigate the perceptions of smoking amongst YLWH aged 18-25 who received care at the CMS Clinic located at the University of South Florida and to determine factors related to cessation. A study design utilizing two components, a systematic literature review and primary qualitative data was used in this …

A Feminist Contestation Of Ableist Assumptions: Implications For Biomedical Ethics, Disability Theory, And Phenomenology, Christine Marie Wieseler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contributes to the development of philosophy of disability by drawing on disability studies, feminist philosophy, phenomenology, and philosophy of biology in order to contest epistemic and ontological assumptions about disability within biomedical ethics as well as within philosophical work on the body, demonstrating how philosophical inquiry is radically transformed when experiences of disability are taken seriously.

In the first two chapters, I focus on epistemological and ontological concerns surrounding disability within biomedical ethics. Although disabled people and their advocates have been quite vocal regarding their views on disability and in critiquing bioethicists’ approaches to issues that affect them, …

Diversity And Distribution Of Diatom Endosymbionts In Amphistegina Spp. (Foraminifera) Based On Molecular And Morphological Techniques, Kwasi H. Barnes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diatoms associated with foraminifers of the genus Amphistegina were assessed using a combination of morphological and molecular techniques. These included: 1) microscopic identification of diatoms cultured from the host, 2) sequencing of portions of the small subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene (18S) and the large subunit of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase [i.e., RubisCO] gene (rbcL) from DNA extracted directly from the Amphistegina hosts and also from diatoms cultured from these hosts, and 3) denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of rbcL and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) PCR amplicons from DNA extracted directly from …

Environmental And Community Health In South San Diego County: A Behavior Analysis Of Recreational Ocean Users Along Imperial Beach, California, Trista Brophy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Garbage & sewage runoff into the Pacific Ocean at the shoreline along the U.S./Mexico Border region poses serious health and environmental threats. The purpose of this study was to analyze the current beach users’ behavioral factors that may be linked to illness prevalence from Coronado Island to the U.S./Mexico border at Imperial Beach in San Diego County. It is a continuation of a study completed by Wildcoast and Imperial Beach Clinic in 2011. The study tried to answer the following two major questions: How have the number of illnesses reported by users along South San Diego County beaches changed in …

Video Data Collection For Continuous Identity Assurance, Janani Venkatesan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Frequently monitoring the identity of a person connected to a secure system is an important component in a cyber-security system. Identity Assurance (IA) mechanisms which continuously confirm and verify users’ identity after the initial authentication process ensure integrity and security. Such systems prevent unauthorized access and eliminate the need of an authorized user to present credentials repeatedly for verification. Very few cyber-security systems deploy such IA modules. These IA modules are typically based on computer vision and machine learning algorithms. These algorithms work effectively when trained with representative datasets. This thesis describes our effort at collecting a small dataset of …

The Development Of A Prosthetic Training Software For Upper Limb Amputees, Tyler Kayne Sullins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an intuitive software that aids in the field of prosthetic training and rehabilitation by creating an individualized visualization of joint angles. This software is titled “the prosthetic training software (PTS) for individualized joint angle representation”, and it enables the individualized portrayal of predicted or pre-recorded joint angles. The PTS is an intuitive program for clinicians and prosthesis users that produces an animation of a virtual avatar reflecting the user’s segment lengths and amputation for rehabilitation and training purposes.

The PTS consists of a graphical user interface (GUI) and a 3D visualization of …

Drop, Cover, And Hold On: Analyzing Fema's Risk Communication Through Visual Rhetoric, Samantha Jo Cosgrove

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project seeks to understand the relationship between visual rhetoric and power structure between FEMA’s Earthquake publications and their audience. Research shows images leave a longer impression on readers than text, causing more studies to focus on visuals rather than just text in technical communication. Author uses Critical Discourse Analysis to analyze the images in relation to text, design, and intended audience to determine what information is being privileged. It is determined that homeowners are being privileged with information over non-homeowners, established through a collection of images and image types. The lack of information for non-homeowners could result in injury …

Biophysical Characterization And Theoretical Analysis Of Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Cell Interactions With Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) Hydrogels, Michael C. Cross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

So-called, “Dynamic biomaterials” comprised of stimuli-responsive hydrogels are useful in a wide variety of biomedical applications including tissue engineering, drug delivery, and biomedical implants. More than 150,000 peer-reviewed articles (as of 2016) have been published on these materials, and more specifically, over 100,000 of these are on the most widely studied, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). This thermoresponsive polymer in a crosslinked hydrogel network undergoes a large volume phase transition (𝑉/𝑉₀ ~ 10 − 100) within a small temperature range (𝑇 ~ 1 − 3𝐾) making it particularly useful for tissue engineering applications because of the ability to control the topographical configuration of …

Intrinsic Disorder Where You Least Expect It: The Incidence And Functional Relevance Of Intrinsic Disorder In Enzymes And The Protein Data Bank, Shelly Deforte

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered protein regions (IDPRs) exist as interconverting conformational ensembles, without a single fixed three-dimensional structure in vivo. The focus in the literature up to this point has been primarily on IDPs that are mostly or entirely disordered. Therefore, we have an incomplete understanding of the incidence and functional relevance of IDPRs in proteins that have regions of both order and disorder. This work explores these populations, by examining IDPRs in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and in enzymes. By applying disorder prediction methods combined with an analysis of missing regions in crystal structure data, …

The Effectiveness Of An Intervention Designed To Improve Chlorhexidine (Chg) Bathing Technique In Adults Hospitalized In Medical Surgical Units, Janette Echemendia Denny

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are one of the most fatal types of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) and their economic impact is significant. Although some studies have found no signification reduction in CLABSI rates with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing; good evidence exists to support the use of CHG bathing as an intervention to reduce CLABSIs (Bleasdale et al., 2007; Climo et al., 2009; Climo et al., 2013; Montecalvo et al., 2012). CHG bathing performance may influence the effectiveness of the CHG bathing protocol.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a targeted educational approach involving …

Blind And Visually Impaired Users Adaptation To Web Environments: A Qualitative Study, Raneem Saqr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although much research exists on human behavior in online environments, research on users with disabilities is still rare. To draw more attention to this population, this dissertation explored browsing patterns and adaptive behaviors of people with visual disability across different online environments common in daily activities: social network, e-commerce, online information, and search engines’ websites. The main objective of this study is to propose a conceptual framework of how blind and visually impaired users browse and adapt to different web environments. We achieve this objective using a qualitative approach through three studies. In the first study, the researchers collect data …

Where Is The Survivor’S Voice? An Examination Of The Individual And Structural Challenges To The Reintegration Of Immigrant Human Trafficking Survivors, Michelle Cristina Angelo Dantas Rocha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States is one of the top destination countries for human trafficking, and Florida has the third highest number of reported cases of human trafficking. Despite the severity of this issue, Florida anti-trafficking legislation, reintegration programs, and awareness campaigns tend to contribute to the invisibility of the victims and undermine their recovery and reintegration into society, especially when the victims are immigrants. This project uses a multi-method approach including content analysis of anti-human trafficking campaigns to argue that portrayals of a “perfect victim” only amplify stigmatization and discrimination against immigrant victims. Through in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation highlighting the …

The Effects Of Visual Arts On Expressive Language In Participants With Dementia, Shannon Valentine Daly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Visual aids such as memory books have been shown to help increase recall of information and facilitate improved communication in people with dementia (Bourgeois, 2014). Because of the effectiveness of visual aids for people with dementia, this study aimed to determine if the type of visual stimulus would produce differences in the quality of language expressed. It was hypothesized that a more realistic picture in full color would elicit more descriptive language than a black and white line drawing. Verbal descriptions of Norman Rockwell’s realistic painting, Coming and Going and descriptions of a black and white line drawing of the …

Assessing Excessive Noise Exposure Of Music-Oriented Nightclub Employees, Aiyanna Fitzgerald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much research has gone into noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and the effects of high intensity noise levels on the hearing mechanism of individuals. A study by the National Institutes of Health has established that high intensity sounds can cause hearing damage of either a temporary, or worse, a permanent nature; regardless of the age of the person. While sound levels below 75 decibels are considered comparatively harmless and have been found not to cause any kind of permanent hearing loss; sound levels greater than 85 decibels and regular exposure of approximately 8 hours per day, on an average, has been …

A Cross-Methodological Investigation Of Emotional Reactivity In Major Depression, Vanessa Panaite

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is primarily characterized by prevalent sadness and anhedonia. Laboratory studies find that depression is characterized by reduced reactivity across emotional contexts, while a few studies using naturalistic designs find that depressed people show normative reactivity to negative life events and mood brightening in response to positive events. The current study was an investigation of emotional reactivity in depression through the use of experimental and naturalistic designs. This allowed for an investigation of sources of lab-life discrepancies in emotional functioning in depression, including negative affect (NA) regulation. We examined experiential reactivity across contexts and types of stimuli …

A New Materialist Approach To Visual Rhetoric In Photoshopbattles, Jonathan Paul Ray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to examine the visual rhetoric of one online community. Drawing heavily from the work of Laurie Gries (2015), I track the evolution of an image as it circulates through a forum of photo manipulators in the group “PhotoShopBattles.” While Gries’ work traced the evolution of the iconic Obama Hope poster and its iterations in various media, this project restricts its observations to the images posted to one webpage, focusing on one evolutionary chain. By narrowing the focus to one internet forum page that evolved over the course of one week, we can observe linear …

Statistical Analysis Of A Risk Factor In Finance And Environmental Models For Belize, Sherlene Enriquez-Savery

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of the study are to review and evaluate four basic risk models that are commonly used in investment science; statistically investigate the risk factor in Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) that is used to reflect the safety of an investment decision in stocks; explore the statistical distribution of monthly precipitation in Belize and to forecast tourist arrivals using statistical time series modelling techniques.

The risk models are the Capital Asset Pricing Model (Sharpe-Linter Version), Capital Asset Pricing Model (Conditional Version), Arbitrage Pricing Theory, and Fama–French three-factor model adopted in empirical investigations of asset pricing. The underlying assumptions of …

Assessing Occupational Noise Exposure Of Service Members In Aerospace Ground Equipment (Age) Maintenance, Brandon Dewayne Lavender

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Noise exposure is one of the most common hazards in the work force. There are multiple occupations that experience large amounts of noise exposure to its employees on a regular basis. Flight ground crews and flight maintenance personnel are among the nosiest jobs that exist. Despite the mandatory hearing protection requirements for a job of this caliber, there still remains a chance of an over exposure to noise. Most of the exposure comes from the different types of loud repair equipment and tools, but the greatest exposure comes from a jet engine that can reach 140 decibels. Flight maintenance personnel …

Do Early Elementary Teacher Ratings Of Classroom Behavior Predict Similar Outcomes Across Demographic Groups? An Examination Using The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Kindergarten Cohort (Ecls-K), Amira Conservilla Mattison

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that how teachers perceive the behavior of individual children in the early years of elementary school has important implications for the school success of those youth over time (Darney et al., 2013; Hibel et al., 2010; Jimerson et al., 1997; Reinke et al., 2008). This may be because children who are of concern to teachers are often identified for practices such as grade retention and/or special education placement. Although these practices are intended to help children, they have not been shown to be associated with long-term positive outcomes. Rather, youth who are subject to these practices experience negative …

Evaluating Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (Ptr) In A High School Setting, Kaitlin Sullivan Sullivan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current research shows that school’s behavior intervention plans are lacking in key components, indicating a need for a standardized model of assessment that sustains teacher adherence, acceptance, and feasibility. Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) is a model that combines the principles of applied behavior analysis and positive behavior support to provide a standardized approach to conducting a functional assessment and creating a behavior plan. Studies have indicated that PTR is effective in improving student behavior and academic engagement. The current study evaluated the use of PTR for three high school students classified as emotional behavioral disorder (EBD). Results indicated that teacher-implemented functional assessment …

A Power Conflict Approach To Animal Cruelty: Examining How Economic Power Influences The Creation Of Animal Cruelty Laws, Leonard J. Genco

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study examines the association of macro-level economic factors and the creation or enactment animal cruelty laws across the states at a fixed time. Criminologists have postulated that economic factors influence the legal system (Chambliss and Seidman, 1971). This thesis addresses whether state-level economic and related macro-level factors influences the amount and types of state animal cruelty legislation lawmakers enact. To do so, this thesis examined animal cruelty legislation and their association with measures of agricultural and farm production, Democratic Party, Republican Party, and pro-animal interest groups across all states of the United States for the time period (2012-2013). …

Cause Placement: A Conceptual Framework And Empirical Findings, Ream A. Shoreibah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of embedded marketing, the practice of seamlessly integrating advertising messages into entertainment vehicles, continues to grow as media consumption shifts to on-demand forms, and reaching audiences with traditional advertising becomes more challenging. This dissertation investigates cause placement, the term proposed for the social marketing equivalent of product placement, the more widely known form of embedded marketing. Cause placement is the promotion of pro-social causes by verbally and/or visually inserting related elements into entertainment programming. Cause placement merits its own stream of research, because consumers are expected to react differently to the placement of social issues than to the …

Lifted: A Thematic Analysis Of Homeless Youths’ Reflections On Their Lives Since Beginning A Multi-Faceted, Community-Based Intervention Called Starting Right, Now, Camille Ashley Randle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although interventions that take an individualized, holistic approach to service delivery have been recommended for homeless youth, few such interventions have been described in the literature. This study sought to examine a unique, multi-faceted, community-based intervention developed in 2009 in Tampa, FL to provide services to homeless adolescents who are no longer living in the custody of a parent or guardian (i.e. unaccompanied youth). The intervention, titled Starting Right, Now (SRN), has served over 100 youth to date. The program provides residential, educational, recreational, and professional development services, as well as mental and physical health care. Each youth also receives …

Sustainability At U.S. Urban Water Utilities: A Framework To Assess Key Attributes, Matthew Paul Ries

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban water utilities in the United States face challenges due to a combination of external drivers. These include urbanization and population growth, which are stressing a system of aging infrastructure. Compliance with increasing regulations is also a challenge in a fiscally-constrained economic environment. A changing climate threatens infrastructure and past assumptions for water supply and quality. Urban utilities provide clean water and sanitation services to over 80% of the country’s population and its industrial centers. Therefore, the sustainability of these water utilities are crucial to the country’s and the public’s well-being.

New operating models are emerging for a “utility of …