Digital Commons Network^™

Vegetative Responses To Hydrology And Ground Water Extraction In West-Central Florida Cypress Domes, Paul Thurman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing demand for and limited supply of fresh water necessitates an understanding of how human actions affect aquatic ecosystems. Anthropogenic impacts to these ecosystems occur in many forms including eutrophication, invasive species removals, and hydrologic alterations. Ground water extraction is one such action that can dramatically impact wetland hydrology and is increasing in occurrence globally as clean surface water resources are exhausted. Despite the importance of ground water extraction to meet human demand, little information is available concerning the response of vegetation communities to chronic ground water extraction. Over extraction is known to result in reduced water levels and …

The Crisis Of Caring: Compassion Satisfaction And Compassion Fatigue Among Student Conduct And Behavior Intervention Professionals, Cara Rachel Bernstein Chernoff

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the self-perception of compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout by student conduct administrators working in the United States of America. Additionally, this study looked at the years of experience, job responsibilities, on-call responsibilities and direct student contact hours which may impact an individual’s overall professional quality of life. To accomplish the objectives outlined in the purpose statement, the following research questions were explored:

1. What is the relationship between student conduct professionals’ compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress?

2. What is the relationship between student conduct professionals’ years of experience and …

Investigating The Mutual Effects Of Depression And Spiritual Well-Being On Quality Of Life In Hospice Patients With Cancer And Family Caregivers Using The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, Li-Ting Huang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The World Health Organization and the leading hospice organizations have emphasized the inclusion of family caregivers of hospice patients with cancer into end-of-life care, as these two dyad members may spiritually and emotionally influence each other. Given that depression and spiritual needs, which are prominent in these pairs, may impair quality of life (QOL) of hospice dyads, examining mutuality within dyads is imperative to develop a more accurate model that includes family caregivers. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to elucidate the importance of mutual effects within hospice dyads by examining the contribution of depression and unmet spiritual needs …

Costumbres, Creencias, Y “Lo Normal”: A Biocultural Study On Changing Prenatal Dietary Practices In A Rural Tourism Community In Costa Rica, Allison Rachel Cantor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the relationship between tourism, the nutrition transition, and prenatal dietary practices in the Monteverde Zone, Costa Rica. This rural tourism community, located in the central highlands of Costa Rica, has seen rapid growth and development since the tourism boom in the early 1990s, leading to changes in the local food system and increased food insecurity. This investigation added to this work by identifying the ways that prenatal dietary practices have shifted over time in the context of increased tourism and the concomitant nutrition transition, and by describing the relationship between food insecurity and nutritional status among pregnant …

Targeting Histone Deacetylases In Melanoma And T-Cells To Improve Cancer Immunotherapy, Andressa Sodre De Castro Laino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are key mediators of gene expression and, thus, major regulators of cell function. As such, HDACs play a role in orchestrating tumor biology, and the use of small inhibitors targeting theses proteins is attractive for the field of cancer therapy. Indeed, several HDAC inhibitors have received FDA-approval for the treatment of malignancies, while a myriad of these compounds continue to be evaluated in clinical trials. Besides their direct impact on tumor growth, HDAC inhibitors have been shown to increase immunogenicity of cancer cells, facilitating generation of a productive immune response against tumors. Immunotherapeutic approaches take advantage of …

The Household Water Management System In The Village Of Falifah, Gambia: A Case Study In Sustainable Local Development, Baboucar Jobe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Access to safe and clean water is a problem in many countries in the world, especially sub-Saharan Africa. The urgency of the was recognized by the United Nations through its 2008 Millennium Development Goals, which were recently replaced by the new Sustainable Development Goals. Lack or poor access to clean water not only creates conflicts and rifts among the people, but also makes them more susceptible to a wide assortment of water borne diseases.

The purpose of this dissertation is to complete a pilot study of ways of thinking and actions of a small group of people from Falifah, a …

Situated Directives In Italian L2 Service-Learning Encounters, Kristin Cardellio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interaction with local speakers of a second language (L2) in a naturalistic setting during study abroad is beneficial to language learning in many respects; particularly in the development of pragmatic competence, or the awareness and ability to use the appropriate language for a specific social context (Kinginger, 2011; Magnan & Back, 2007; Schauer, 2009; Shively, 2011). Service-learning - volunteering in the local community combined with an academic pursuit - during study abroad provides the opportunity for meaningful interaction between language learners and local speakers of the L2 in authentic and collaborative settings (Overfield, 2007). This study examines the interactions of …

Biophysical Investigation Of Amyloid Formation And Their Prion-Like Self-Replication, Mentor Mulaj

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growth and deposition of amyloid fibrils, polymers of proteins with a cross beta-sheet structure, are associated with a significant number of human pathologies including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, prion diseases, type II diabetes, and senile systematic or dialysis-related amyloidoses. The broader objective of my research is to identify the basic mechanisms regulating nucleation and growth of amyloid fibrils. There is increasing evidence that amyloid formation may proceed along at least two distinct assembly pathways for the formation of rigid fibrils. One pathway involves the nucleated polymerization of the characteristic rigid fibrils from partially denatured monomers and the other proceeds via …

The Construction Of Latino Im/Migrant Families In U.S. News Media: Parents’ Responses And Self-Representations, Jason Edward Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latino im/migrants are often portrayed in negative and stereotypical ways in mainstream U.S. media. This dissertation utilizes Ethnographic Content Analysis to analyze news segments about Latino im/migrants from Fox News, MSNBC and Univisión between 2010 and 2012 and digital storytelling with a group of Latino im/migrant parents in central Florida.

First, I questioned if a Spanish-language news media source constructed Latino im/migrant family-focused stories differently than mainstream English-language sources. Utilizing Critical Race Theory as a theoretical lens, I conclude that English and Spanish-language news stations portray Latino im/migrants in different ways. Fox News portrays Latino im/migrants in a generally neutral …

Investigating Pakistan’S Contraception Rate Plateau: A Multilevel Analysis To Understand The Association Between Community Contextual Factors And Modern Contraception Use, Mahmooda Khaliq Pasha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

South Asia has the highest absolute number of women with an unmet need for contraception in the world. The total number of women with unmet need is 142 million. Of this, Asia accounts for 84 million followed by Sub-Saharan Africa at 32 million. Within South Asia, some countries have seen unmet need decrease and the contraception rate increase; however, Pakistan remains the exception to the rule. Pakistan has a low rate of contraception use, high rate of contraception discontinuation, high unmet need and high rate of unwanted fertility.

A number of theories have hypothesized that community-level factors influence a couple’s …

Exploration Of The Pregnancy-Related Health Information Seeking Behavior Of Women Who Gave Birth In The Past Year, Laura Kathleen Merrell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Pregnancy is a significant period of time for individual women. Promoting optimal health behaviors and supporting individuals during critical periods of health (such as pregnancy) is an important aspect of public health research and practice. One way of supporting individuals in promoting positive health behaviors and outcomes is by increasing their health literacy. The ability to find appropriate health information is the first step in the health literacy process. This process of finding information in health contexts is called Health Information Seeking Behavior (HISB). Whereas, HISB has been extensively studied in chronic health contexts, little research has been conducted …

Acropora Habitat Evaluation And Restoration Site Selection Using A Species Distribution Modeling Approach, Katherine Wirt Ames

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While populations of nearly all stony coral species along the Florida reef tract have exhibited decline, the most notable decline has occurred in the once-dominant acroporid species (Acropora cervicornis, A. palmata). Both species were listed in 2006 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This listing, combined with their continued decline, has resulted in large-scale restoration efforts throughout Florida and the Western Caribbean. Currently, there is little to no information regarding spatial prioritization of sites for these restoration efforts. The primary objective of this dissertation was to utilize species distribution modeling, informed by existing data from the …

Modeling And Survival Analysis Of Breast Cancer: A Statistical, Artificial Neural Network, And Decision Tree Approach, Venkateswara Rao Mudunuru

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Survival analysis today is widely implemented in the fields of medical and biological sciences, social sciences, econometrics, and engineering. The basic principle behind the survival analysis implies to a statistical approach designed to take into account the amount of time utilized for a study period, or the study of time between entry into observation and a subsequent event. The event of interest pertains to death and the analysis consists of following the subject until death. Events or outcomes are defined by a transition from one discrete state to another at an instantaneous moment in time. In the recent years, research …

Disinhibition, Violence Exposure, And Delinquency: A Test Of How Self-Control Affects The Impact Of Exposure To Violence, Wyatt Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the role of self-control in the relationship between exposure to violence and antisocial behavior. Specifically, this study proposes that the impact of exposure to violence changes depending on internalized factors such as self-control. Individuals with high exposure to violence but greater levels of self-control may be less influenced by the impact of exposure to violence. Conversely, individuals with low levels of exposure to violence and lower levels of self-control may be more influenced by the impact of violence. The findings from this study suggest that there is some buffering effect on the impact of exposure to violence …

Media Perceptions On Sexual Assault On College Campuses, Maggie M. Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For the period of 1995-2013, females ages 18 to 24 had the highest rate of rape and sexual assault victimizations compared to females in all other age groups (Lynn & Sinozich, 2014). There is an even wider problem when among student victims, 20 percent of rape and sexual assault victimizations were reported to police, compared to 32% reported among nonstudent victims ages 18 to 24 (Lynn & Sinozich, 2014). With staggering statistics on sexual assaults, it is clear that this has become a national issue, which has further developed onto college campuses nationwide. In the last decade, sexual assault has …

Tough Guy, Sensitive Vas: Analyzing Masculinity, Male Contraceptives & The Sexual Division Of Labor, Kaeleen Kosmo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A Marxist feminist standpoint positions patriarchy and capitalism as mutually beneficial, thus interestingly situating the new market of male contraceptives (MCs). This project takes an in-depth look at the opinions of 15 young men regarding the use of MCs by examining how Western, heterosexual masculinity informs their attitudes and discusses how a new economic market of MCs may affect current social ideologies about of the sexual division of labor. Because notions of masculinity are essential in perpetuating such ideologies, understanding masculinity as it relates to a new market for MCs is imperative. During a series of focus groups men described …

Quantifying The Association Between Active Tuberculosis Incidence And Migrant Farm Worker Populations Among Florida Counties, 2009-2013: An Ecological Study, Ryan Nicolas Ortega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearly 20 studies conducted in the last 40 years indicate that tuberculosis (TB) represents a major health concern among migrant farm worker (MFW) populations, but their role in the transmission of TB within the broader community is poorly understood. To this end an ecological study was undertaken which examined 67 Florida counties between years 2009 through 2013. Its aims were as follows: (1) to describe the demographic, geographic, and temporal distribution of the incidence of active TB, (2) to examine the effect of agriculturally relevant seasonal periods on the incidence of active TB, and (3) to quantify the strength and …

The Effects Of Mission Statement Design On Behavioral Intention, Jonathan David West

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the length and readability of a mission statement contribute to stakeholder behavior regarding the mission statement. The majority of studies in the mission statement literature have not attempted to find an empirical link between mission statement design and employee behavior. This study employed a 2 (length: long v. short) x 2 (readability: low v high) post-test only factorial design to test the relationship between message design and beliefs about the mission statement. Students at a large southeastern university (n=212) were shown the one of four treatments and asked to …

“You Can Fight Logic…But You Can’T Fight God”: The Duality Of Religious Text And Church As Community For White Lesbians In Appalachian And Rural Places, Jessica Mae Altice

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much of the research conducted on lesbians and place focuses on women who live in urban areas or highlights how participants wish to live in urban areas. Knowing that there are lesbians who live in rural and Appalachian areas that do not wish to leave to urban areas, this research examines participants’ experiences living in those places. Participants discuss how religion is a socially circulating meaning system in the places they live and it dictates much of social life. I argue that religion has a two-fold meaning for participants: one, it is a religious text that is used as a …

Application Of Spatial And Descriptive Analysis Methods To Determine Relationship Between Hardware Subsidies And The Sanitation Marketplace, Danielle Devuyst

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sanitation marketing is an emerging approach of strengthening the local private sector to implement scalable and sustainable improved sanitation coverage in developing countries, specifically among the poor. It encourages the enhancement of sanitation market supply and demand by developing distribution infrastructure and stimulating consumer interest. Unlike interventions that provide hardware subsidies to initiate sanitation demand, financial support for sanitation marketing is used exclusively for the research and development of the market; this encourages the private sector to become independent and self-sufficient. Qualitative data suggests that while sanitation marketing projects have been successful at implementing replicable and sustainable sanitation coverage, they …

Development And Evaluation Of A Hypocrisy Induction Intervention For Exercise, Morgan Sophia Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hypocrisy induction is a dissonance-based intervention approach that has been successful in changing a number of health-related behaviors; however, no published studies have evaluated a hypocrisy induction intervention for exercise. The present two-stage study involved developing and subsequently evaluating a hypocrisy induction intervention for exercise in a small-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT). Outcomes of interest were intention to exercise, immediate physical activity-related behavior choice, and short-term (one-week) changes in self-reported exercise and objectively assessed physical activity. Self-esteem was evaluated as a potential moderator of intervention effects. After two rounds of pilot testing in the Development Phase, the intervention was evaluated …

Adoption Of The Sawyer Water Filter In Peru, Stephanie D. Paredes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In Peru, lack of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) results in 6,600 deaths per year that represents approximately 3.9% of total deaths. Three thousand and nine hundred of these deaths were due to diarrheal diseases (Prüss-Üstün et al., 2008). Systematic reviews suggest that interventions to improve microbial quality of drinking water are successful in reducing diarrheal diseases (Fewtrell et al., 2005; Clasen et al., 2007; Fry et al., 2013). Interventions for household water treatment and safe storage to ensure safe drinking water reduce diarrhea by 31-52% (WHO/UNICEF, 2013).

The SAWYER PointONE filter, a portable and adaptable membrane filtration device as …

Implementation Of The Bully Prevention In Positive Behavior Support (Bp-Pbs) Program In An Urban Elementary School, Amanda Lee Rudd

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to further examine the potential efficacy of the Bully Prevention in Positive Behavior Support (BP-PBS) program in addressing bullying in an urban public elementary school with a large and diverse student population, implementing school-wide positive behavior support with relatively low fidelity. Specifically, the study examined the extent to which BP-PBS could decrease target students’ bullying behavior across settings and increase appropriate active response to bullying of students being bullied. Changes in the students’ perceptions and attitudes on school safety were also examined. This study involved a multiple probe design across participants targeting multiple settings …

An Examination Of Perspectives On Community Poverty: A Case Study Of A Junior Civic Association, Monica Heimos Heimos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonprofit organizations have become a necessary staple in the lives of people and communities experiencing poverty. Many of these organizations provide services that they think their communities need. The solutions and services these organizations provide are incumbent on what the organizations think causes poverty. Although the motivations behind these organizations have good intentions, their approach to poverty could further jeopardize people and communities by not providing proper or necessary services that have the ability to help people get out of poverty. To explore how organizational values and perspectives on poverty are operationalized, I examined one nonprofit grassroots organization in Tampa …

Critical Heat Stress Evaluation In Two Ebola Ensembles, Christopher T. Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ebola, a type of filovirus that causes hemorrhagic fevers, dominated global headlines in 2014 when the largest Ebola epidemic in history took place in West Africa. Healthcare practitioners were at particular risk of contracting Ebola while taking care of patients with the disease because they were easily exposed to bodily fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, and feces, quite often in the intensive care unit (ICU). While personal protective equipment (PPE) protects the healthcare practitioner by providing an effective barrier against the virus, users were also at risk for heat stress because of the type of protective clothing. In this …

Developing Early Numeracy And Early Literacy Skills In Preschool Children Through A Shared Parent/Child Book Reading Intervention: A Multiple-Baseline Single Case Design Study, Christina Lauren Lindahl

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the effectiveness of a shared storybook reading intervention in increasing children’s early numeracy and early literacy skills through a multiple baseline single case design. Four parent-child dyads were included in the study, and children’s early numeracy and early literacy skills were measured using the eNumeracy Early Math Assessments and the Preschool Early Literacy Indicators, respectively. The study also measured mathematical dialogue to determine if an increase in children’s early numeracy skills is due to the intervention and not other confounding variables. Finally, the study measured intervention integrity, and parent ratings of social validity. Results of the …

Does Physical Fitness Predict The Reading Achievement Of Fifth-Grade Students? The Interaction With Gender, Courtney Lynn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

States across the nation are facing pressure to meet standards for high stakes testing which is resulting in a decrease in the amount of time allotted to physical education (Ennis, 2006). Although the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2008) recommends children engage in 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day, on average, children only receive 30 minutes per day of aerobic exercise (Epstein et al., 2001). Despite this decrease in physical activity, research has shown that physical activity is associated with academic achievement (Ardoy et al., 2013). In addition, physical activity is positively related to physical …

Anti-Fat Attitudes And Weight Bias Internalization: An Investigation Of How Bmi Impacts Perceptions, Opinions And Attitudes, Laurie Schrider

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Americans hold negative and judgmental attitudes towards obese and overweight individuals and these anti-fat attitudes and weight stigma have become a damaging form of discrimination. The internalization of weight bias and anti-fat attitudes contributes to negative health outcomes including: feelings of devalue, self-hate, anxiety, depression, body dissatisfaction and eating disturbances. The purpose of this study was to investigate weight bias internalization in individuals who perceive themselves as overweight as well as to examine differences in anti-fat attitudes among normal and overweight individuals. A sample of 202 male and females completed an online survey that assessed anti-fat attitudes via the Anti-Fat …

Modulation Of Whole Cell Currents In Human Neuroblastoma Cells Via The Hormone Aldosterone: An In Vitro Study, Harish Kumar Chittam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ion channels play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis by moving various ions in and out of cells. The Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl^- or NKCC1 ion channel is involved in the regulation of Na⁺, K⁺, and Cl^- across cell membranes, and plays a key role in many forms of cellular physiology. In the cochlea, NKCC1 is involved in endolymph production and maintenance of the endocochlear potential. Our hypothesis is that blocking NKCC1 channels should directly impact auditory sensitivity causing hearing loss. Our lab has also shown that the hormone aldosterone (ALD) can upregulate …

Investigating The Determinants Of Recycling Behavior In Youth By Using Theory Of Planned Behavior., Tejaswini Gadiraju

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to understand the determinants that influence the youth recycling behavior intention. In other words, this study wants to know the motivations and barriers behind university students’ recycling behavior. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which provides a theoretical framework for systematically identifying the determinants of recycling behavior, is the basis for this study. Along with the TPB variables, additional predictor variables (moral norm, past experience, knowledge of how and what to recycle, knowledge of consequences, and inconvenience) that can influence behavior intentions were tested in the study. Online survey was used to collect the …