Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Opuntia Ficus-Indica Mucilage Nanofiber Membrane Filtration For Water Systems, Rasudha Muppaneni

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates the fabrication, characterization and testing of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage nanofibers to be utilized in water filtration systems. These mucilage nanofibers are formed using different polymers through a process called electrospinning. The polymers used to promote the formation of nanofibers are poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and polystyrene (PS). The mucilage is a jelly like substance extracted from the pads of the cactus plant. It is a mixture of proteins, complex polysaccharides and monosaccharaides. It is an inexpensive, non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible material which is present in abundance. The mucilage extracted from the pads is mixed with acetic acid …

Navigating Collective Activity Systems: An Approach Towards Rhetorical Inquiry, Katherine Jesse Royce

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this formative intervention was to design a professional and technical communications course around rhetorical inquiry. The participants, undergraduate health sciences majors (N=22 for section A, N=20 section B), were observed throughout the fall semester of the 2014-2015 academic year. A rhetorical inquiry framework was applied via activity systems, and data were collected using several methodologies including participant observations, research questionnaires, as well as participant deliverables, and were transcribed using Daisy Mwanza's Eight-Step Model. Results demonstrated students successfully used activity systems as a means of approaching rhetorical inquiry. Furthermore, students indicated a high level of engagement in the …

Speaking Their Language: Textisms In Today's Communication, Adam Lloyd Drum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study is an exploratory look into the use of text-based slang, or textisms, in modern communication. People use textisms in multiple media of communication, whether it is in text messages, emails, and various types of social media. This study asked a focus group about their uses and gratifications from textisms. The focus group delved into their appreciations as both users and receivers. Participants reflected on their personal experience and preferences with textisms for their personal communications as well as their opinion for various types of businesses using them in their larger message design efforts.

The participants were comprised of …

Viability Of Bismuth As A Green Substitute For Lead In Jacketed .357 Magnum Revolver Bullets, Joel A. Jenkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In seeking to develop environmentally friendly lead-free non-toxic bullets, the research ballistically evaluated the performance of copper-jacketed handgun bullets containing a pure bismuth core. The lead was first removed from 140 grain Hornady^TM XTP® bullets of 38 caliber (.357 diameter) by melting. The empty jackets were then refilled with pure bismuth, including the forming of a correctly sized hollow-point cavity. Due to the lower density of bismuth as compared to lead, the bismuth-cored bullets consistently weighed 125 gains. Conveniently this allowed direct comparison to commercially available 125 grain Hornady^TM XTP® lead-cored bullets of 38 caliber. Both bismuth-cored and …

The Relationship Between Hearing Status And Cognitive Performance And The Influence Of Depressive Symptoms In The Older Adult, Julie A. Daugherty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hearing loss and cognitive impairment are significant health problems, threatening the independent function of older adults. While there appears to be a strong relationship between the two conditions, the mechanisms underlying this association are complex and are not fully elucidated.

The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore the relationship between hearing ability and cognitive performance in older adults. In addition, this study attempted to examine the role of depressive symptoms in the relationship between hearing loss and cognitive performance. Comprehensive measures of peripheral hearing, central auditory processing and cognitive performance were utilized to examine these relationships in a …

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy As A Treatment For Adhd In Early Childhood: A Multiple Baseline Single-Case Design, Kendall Jeffries Deloatche

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of PCIT as an alternative to medication in managing symptoms and behavior problems of preschool-aged children with ADHD. Using a multiple baseline single-case design, the study measured the impact of PCIT on four preschool-aged children's problem behaviors and ADHD symptoms, parenting practices, and mothers' attitudes towards therapy. Outcome measures included the Child Behavior Checklist, Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, Behavior Assessment System for Children, ADHD Symptom Observation form, Dyadic Parent-Child Interaction Coding System, Parenting Practices Interview, and Therapy Attitude Inventory. Results from visual analyses, a visual permutation test, and hierarchical linear …

Parental Deportation And Cape Verdean Youth Experiences: A Case Study, Leila Rosa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The consistent academic underperformance of students from diverse backgrounds is a national concern and the subject of study by numerous researchers. Some scholars suggest this underperformance indicates teacher lack of preparation to address the needs of a highly diverse student population (Hollins & Guzman, 2005; Ford, 2008; Darling-Hamond, 2004). Central to the overall efforts for improving achievement outcomes should be a focus on the educational experiences of the segment of population that is underperforming, namely students of color, from diverse cultural and linguistic background. Policies of immigration are particularly relevant for the students who are immigrants to the United States …

Development Of The Self-Advocacy Measure For Youth: Initial Validation Study With Caregivers Of Elementary Students With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Carolyn D. Adams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-advocacy for persons with disabilities involves demonstrating knowledge of oneself and knowledge of rights afforded to individuals with disabilities through one's communication with others and leadership skills. These self-advocacy skills are significantly associated with positive outcomes after high school for students with a range of disabilities. However, knowledge of elementary students' self-advocacy skills is limited. One reason for this lack of evidence is that a psychometrically sound instrument designed to measure the cumulative skills within the self-advocacy construct did not exist. The purpose of the current study was to create a measure of self-advocacy skills that can be used with …

5-Aminolevulinate Synthase: Characterization Of The Enzymatic Mechanism, Reaction Selectivity, And Structural Plasticity, Bosko M. Stojanovski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

5-Aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS) catalyzes the pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent condensation between glycine and succinyl-CoA to generate coenzyme A (CoA), CO₂, and 5-aminolevulinate (ALA). The chemical mechanism of this reaction, which represents the first and regulated step of heme biosynthesis in mammals, involves the formation of a short-lived glycine quinonoid intermediate and an unstable 2-amino-3-ketoadipate intermediate. Using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry to analyze the products from the reaction of murine erythroid ALAS (mALAS2) with O-methylglycine and succinyl-CoA, we directly identified the chemical nature of the inherently unstable 2-amino-3-ketoadipate intermediate, which predicates the glycine quinonoid species as …

Reproductive Health Seeking Behaviors Among Female University Students: An Action Oriented Exploratory Study, Robin Emily Mowson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was to: 1) study the perceptions of female students attending the university Student Health Center, concerning available services, 2) learn how they describe their decisions to obtain care, and 3) identify perceived barriers to reproductive health care and contraception. This exploratory study used a mixed-methods approach that included clinic public-space observations, interviews with health care providers and staff at Student Health Services (SHS), surveys distributed to clients of the campus clinic, and in-depth interviews to contextualize emergent themes. Topics addressed included sexual health behaviors and perceptions, influence of peers and partners, the propagation of health …

The Association Of Cognitive Endophenotypes And Risky Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Of Alzheimer's Disease Within The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (Adni) Database, Kyle Joseph Jennette

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) previously associated with Alzheimer's disease on specific domains of cognition, when controlling for Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE), in a sample of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Methods: The data were drawn from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database, a comprehensive, longitudinal database of controls, persons with mild cognitive impairment, and persons with mild Alzheimer's disease. Each subject has a full neuropsychological assessment, neuroimaging, genetic sequencing, and physical evaluation. For the purposes of this study, individuals were selected based on the presence of the three …

Stress And Coping In High School Students In Accelerated Academic Curricula: Developmental Trends And Relationships With Student Success, Brittany V. Hearon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High school students in accelerated academic curricula including Advanced Placement (AP) courses and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs are faced with unique challenges associated with their rigorous academic demands, in addition to normative adolescent stressors. Because of the increasing popularity of AP and IB among high-achieving youth and benefits realized by students who successfully manage such curricula, there remains a need to better understand the experiences of stress and coping among this population. The current study used longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons to (a) investigate the degree to which students in accelerated curricula experience environmental stressors and employ coping strategies to manage …

Comparison Of Powerlifting Performance In Trained Males Using Traditional And Flexible Dailyundulating Periodization, Ryan James Colquhoun

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Daily undulating periodization is a growing trend in the exercise science literature. Flexible daily undulating periodization allows for athletes to have some autonomy within a periodized training cycle and is a relatively new and unstudied concept. The comparison of a flexible and traditional daily undulating periodization program using trained males has not been examined in the literature. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of Flexible and Traditional Daily Undulating Periodization models on powerlifting performance in trained males.

25 resistance-trained males (23±6 years; 79±22 kg) completed a 9-week resistance-training program and were randomly assigned to one of …

Learning Preferences Of Commercial Fishermen, Robert W. Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study surveyed 435 commercial fishermen across eight coastal regions of the United States where commercial fishing takes place. The regions of the study included: Northeast Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Southern Pacific, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. Participants were asked to complete the Commercial Fishing Worker Survey (CFWS), which is a survey instrument consisting of an approved, adapted version of the Index of Learning Styles instrument (ILS) combined with a demographic section which included questions designed to obtain data regarding the four variables of the study: age, education level, captain's license status, and method of fishing. …

Assessing Political Skill For Management Selection, Nneka Joseph

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Political skill has been described as using human resources and manipulating social exchanges to influence group outcomes (Mintzberg, 1983). Researchers have found that political skill has significant relationships with constructs such as contextual performance, career satisfaction and leadership. Based on these empirical findings it may be beneficial to include a measure of political skill as part of a selection process. In this study, different methods were explored for measuring political skill that may be appropriate for administrative purposes such as the self-rated questionnaire called the Political Skill Inventory (PSI), a situational judgment test (SJT) and the structured interview. A sample …

Identification And Characterization Of N-Acyltransferase Enzymes That Are Involved In The Biosynthesis Of Fatty Acid Amides, Daniel Robert Dempsey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fatty acid amides are an emerging family of bioactive lipids that consists of N-acylethanolamines, N-acylarylalkylamides, N-acylglycines, N-acyl amino acids, N-monoacylpolyamides, and primary fatty acid amides. Short chain fatty acid amides are products of inactivated biogenic amines such as dopamine, histamine, octopamine, and serotonin, whereas long chain fatty acid amides have been implicated in a number of physiological process such as the perception and inhibition of chronic pain through binding to their specific receptors. The most famous; therefore, the most studied long chain fatty acid amide is anandamide or also known as N-arachidonylethanolamine. The biosynthesis …

The Effects Of Repetitive Thought And Construal Level On Alcohol Consumption, Andrew Mark Kiselica

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Repetitive thought, or the recurrent, often cyclical, focus on self-relevant concerns and experiences, is one liability that may be common across internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) disorders. One particular area of interest for examining repetitive thought as a transdiagnostic process is in relation to alcohol use because alcohol abuse and dependence are the most common, and possibly most costly, EXT disorders. This study experimentally induced abstract repetitive thought, concrete repetitive thought, or distraction to test if repetitive thought and construal level have an effect on drinking behavior. It was hypothesized that individuals in both repetitive thought conditions would drink more …

An Evaluation Of An Electronic Student Response System In Improving Class-Wide Behavior, Ashley Horne

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A student response system is a technology that allows an entire classroom of students to respond to questions and receive immediate feedback from teachers during instruction. However, little research has examined the use of student response systems to support student behavior in elementary schools. This study focused on using an electronic student response system to improve class-wide behavior in two general elementary school classrooms. An ABAB and ABA reversal designs embedded within a multiple baseline design across classrooms was employed to evaluate the outcome of the intervention. Although limited, the results indicated that the classroom teachers implemented the electronic student …

Organized Crime In Insurance Fraud: An Empirical Analysis Of Staged Automobile Accident Rings, Chris Longino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing trend of insurance fraud continues to cost US consumers billions of dollars a year through increased premiums. In 2015, the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud estimated the cost of insurance fraud as being at least $80 billion dollars a year. Even though an increasing number of criminals are drawn to the low risk, high reward of insurance fraud, little criminological literature has explored this topic and the public remains relatively unaware of the extent of the problem.

One alarming aspect of insurance fraud is the involvement of organized criminal groups. These organized criminal enterprises are formed for the sole …

Keeping Up With The Grandkids: Using Tagteach To Train Baton Twirling Skills In Older Adults, Sarah Elizabeth Hester

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exercise has many physical, cognitive, and social benefits, but the majority of older adults do not meet the recommended level of physical activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). TAGteach, which combines elements of both behavioral coaching and acoustical feedback, has been demonstrated as an effective way to teach athletic skills (Fogel, Weil, & Burris, 2010; Quinn, Miltenberger, & Fogel, 2015; Stokes, Luiselli, Reed, & Fleming 2010). However, none of the current research on teaching athletic skills targeted an older population. This study evaluated TAGteach in a multiple baseline across behaviors design as a method of teaching 4 basic …

Patient Populations, Clinical Associations, And System Efficiency In Healthcare Delivery System, Yazhuo Liu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The efforts to improve health care delivery usually involve studies and analysis of patient populations and healthcare systems. In this dissertation, I present the research conducted in the following areas: identifying patient groups, improving treatments for specific conditions by using statistical as well as data mining techniques, and developing new operation research models to increase system efficiency from the health institutes’ perspective. The results provide better understanding of high risk patient groups, more accuracy in detecting disease’ correlations and practical scheduling tools that consider uncertain operation durations and real-life constraints.

Mediation And Moderation Analysis Of Nutrition, Inflammatory Biomarkers, And Cognition In Older Adults, Elizabeth Handing

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrition can be viewed as a modifiable factor related to maintaining and preserving health in older adults. Previous studies have found that nutritional factors can influence cognitive abilities, however few studies have examined macronutrients and micronutrients as they relate to cognitive functioning. Research has yet to examine the mechanisms related to nutrition, cognition and aging in an older adult population from a holistic and interactive perspective.

This dissertation examined three research questions to better understand the relationship between age, nutrition, cognition, and inflammatory biomarkers. First, is nutrition related to cognition beyond demographic factors? Do individual nutrients serve as mediators? Second, …

Using Auditory Feedback To Improve Dance Movements Of Children With Disabilities, Takema J. James

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research incorporating behavior analysis to improve sports performance has shown that various feedback types (e.g., video feedback, public posting) can increase skills. Recently, auditory feedback has been shown to be effective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of auditory feedback to improve dance movements of children with disabilities using an ABAB design embedded in a multiple baseline across participants design. The target behaviors were fundamental dance skills, individualized to each student, and scored using a task analysis to calculate the percentage of correct steps. The results showed that auditory feedback was valuable in increasing the specific …

Using Video Feedback To Increase Job Interview Skills For Young Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Jessica Lynn Moore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities often lack the skills needed to gain meaningful employment in the community. One crucial skill is interviewing as this is the first and often the only pre-job interaction an individual has with his or her employer. In a short interaction, the person must convey information about specific work history, employability, and a general impression of character. This study evaluated the effectiveness of video feedback in improving job interview behaviors for three young adults with developmental disabilities. The interview related-behaviors were appropriate greeting, responses to interview questions, and appropriate closing statement. The performance across the participants …

Evaluating The Social Control Of Banking Crimes: An Examination Of Anti-Money Laundering Deficiencies And Industry Success, Erin M. Mulligan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Money laundering is a serious crime with potentially wide ranging consequences that have numerous implications for criminological research. However, criminology rarely explores this crime, nor its potential impact on other more central crimes of interest (e.g. drug trafficking or organized crime). The present study adds to a limited body of literature examining money laundering from a criminological perspective, evaluating aspects of its regulation and social control within the banking industry. Several aspects of regulatory oversight and company dynamics such as fine/settlement size, company size, and the likelihood of non-AML/OFAC violations to predict future AML/OFAC violations were evaluated. These analyses largely …

Thirty Year Follow-Up Of Juvenile Homicide Offenders, Norair Khachatryan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Killings by juvenile offenders have been a matter of concern in the United States since the 1980s. Although the rate of juvenile-perpetrated murders has been declining since the 1990s, it remains problematic, in that juvenile offenders account for approximately 10% of all homicide arrests. Research on recidivism of juvenile homicide offenders (JHOs) is important, due to relatively short follow-up periods in prior studies and a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles convicted of murder. The present study was designed to explore long-term patterns of recidivism, and particularly violent recidivism, …

Exploring The Interactive Effects Of Social Learning Theory And Psychopathy On Serious Juvenile Delinquency, Brandy Barenna Henderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social learning theory continues to be one of the most enduring theories of crime. Psychological criminology, on the other hand, tends to explain crime in terms of behavioral propensities. This research is specifically focused on the generality of social learning theory as it varies across a measure of criminal propensity- in this case, psychopathy. Prior studies have tested various theories with the use of measures of propensity, but the theory is rarely social learning, and the measure of propensity has never been psychopathy. The current study examines three components of social learning theory (definitions, differential association, and differential reinforcement) to …

Analyzing The Effect Of Complaints, Investigation Of Allegations, And Deficiency Citations On The Quality Of Care In United States Nursing Homes (2007 – 2012), Kevin E. Hansen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The quality of care in nursing homes has been evaluated from many varying perspectives, but few studies have analyzed quality in light of complaints made to state survey agencies by residents, their family members, or other individuals interacting with the nursing home. This study analyzed complaints, investigation of complaint allegations, and complaint-related deficiency citations to determine their effect, if any, on the quality of care in nationwide nursing homes. Using the Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) survey dataset for facility characteristics and the complaint investigation dataset for outcomes of complaint investigation, analyses conducted included descriptives, correlations, conceptual mapping for …

The Role Of Social Support In The Disclosure And Recovery Process Of Rape Victims, Jessica Nicole Mitchell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women disproportionately account for a majority of all completed and attempted rape victimizations each year in the U.S. relative to men. Female college students, in particular, have been noted as a group with the highest risk for rape. Rape among women not only has a substantial public health impact, but has been linked to a number of individual mental health and substance use problems. Despite the fact that service utilization (formal help-seeking with a counselor, mental health professional, rape crisis center, and police reporting) has been shown to deter negative sequelae of rape, few victims of rape receive assistance from …

Development Of The Professional School Social Work Survey: A Valid And Reliable Tool For Assessment And Planning, Catherine E. Randall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School social workers are currently in a unique position to support and lead schools through the change process initiated by districts' adoption of a Response to Intervention model. This dissertation describes an exploratory study to develop and pilot-test a self-administered survey for use by school social workers for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of school social work practice. The survey was developed using DeVellis' 8-step process for survey design. The survey consisted of four subscales theorized to measure school social worker effectiveness as determined by a review of current literature in the field: Response to Intervention, Evidence-Based Practice, School …