Digital Commons Network^™

Proteolytic Processing Of The Amyloid Precursor Protein During Apoptosis And Cell Cycle: Implications For Alzheimer's Disease, Tina N. Fiorelli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the presence of amyloid plaques, made up primarily of Aϐ peptides, and neurofibrillary tangles, containing hyperphosphorylated tau. Aϐ is generated by sequential proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by beta and gamma secretases. The leading hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis is the amyloid cascade hypothesis, which suggests that amyloid is central to the disease process. However, tau pathology correlates more closely with cognitive dysfunction and follows a predictable anatomical course through the brain. We hypothesize that if Aϐ is upstream of tau pathology and tau pathology follows this predictable course through the brain, Aϐ …

Embodied Energy And Carbon Footprint Of Household Latrines In Rural Peru: The Impact Of Integrating Resource Recovery, Christopher M. Galvin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over seventy percent of the 2.5 billion people who still lack access to basic sanitation worldwide live in rural areas (WHO/UNICEF, 2012). Despite concerns of water scarcity, resource depletion, and climate change little research has been conducted on the environmental sustainability of household sanitation technologies common in rural areas of developing countries or the potential of resource recovery to mitigate the environmental impacts of these systems. The environmental sustainability, in terms of embodied energy and carbon footprint, was analyzed for four household sanitation systems: (1) Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine, (2) pour-flush latrine, (3) composting latrine, and (4) biodigester latrine. …

Making A Difference In The Lives Of Students: Successful Teachers Of Students Of Color With Disabilities Or Who Are At-Risk Of Identification Of Disabilities At A High-Performing High-Poverty School, Tristan L. Glenn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban settings are described in scholarly literature as areas beset with high concentrations of poverty, high incidences of crime and violence, and are typically occupied by high percentages of people of color (McKinney, Flenner, Frazier, & Abrams, 2006; Mitcham, Portman, & Dean, 2009; Vera, 2011). For many children who live in low-income urban school districts, our educational system is failing them (McKinney, Flenner, Frazier, & Abrams, 2006). Swanson-Gehrke (2005) reported that at least two-thirds of these children fail to reach basic levels of achievement in reading. Such dismal achievement results may be attributed to a myriad of issues faced by …

Ecological Diversity In Hillsborough County, Florida: Correlations Between Landscape Metrics And Socio-Demographic Variables, David Godfrey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Landscape metrics, a means of quantifying landscape attributes, are frequently used in landscape ecology to describe the spatial characteristics of a landscape, but they have been less often used in anthropology. Using geographic information system (GIS) software, this study tests a method that investigates statistical correlations between groundcover landscape metrics and socio-demographic variables in Hillsborough County, Florida. Statistically significant correlations were found, illustrating the potential utility of this exploratory method. Wealthier areas with fewer ethnic minorities tend to be more fragmented and diverse in terms of groundcover; these areas also tend to have a lower percentage of impervious surfaces. The …

Media Propaganda: A Framing Analysis Of Radio Broadcasts From U.S. To Cuba, Melissa Joy Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study is to analyze the dominant propaganda strategies that were reflected in an hour-long program of Radio Martì, a broadcast produced on behalf of Voice of America in the United States and aired to Cuba. Through propaganda techniques, a content analysis was used to determine which strategies were present in the commentator's coverage of the program, El Dia de la Prensa Libre on May 3rd, 2012. This study uncovered propaganda strategies, including testimonials, flag-waving, glittering generalities, appeal to prejudice, image manipulation, over-simplicity, assertion, and third party technique, that were utilized in an effort to present …

The Mevalonate Pathway: A Potential Therapeutic Target For Jak2-Driven Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, Lori Nicole Griner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Mevalonate Pathway: A Potential Therapeutic Target for JAK2-driven Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Lori Nicole Griner

Abstract

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are diseases of hematopoietic stem cell origin and are characterized by uncontrolled growth of cells of the myeloid compartment. The Philadelphia chromosome negative classical MPNs, including polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and myelofibrosis, are diseases of dysregulated JAK2 signaling. In fact, the majority of MPN patients have activating mutations in JAK2 (e.g JAK2-V617F), a tyrosine kinase that contributes to the growth and survival of myeloid cells. While MPNs were first described over sixty years ago, a significant need remains to develop therapeutic strategies …

An Analysis Of The Association Between Animal Exposures And The Development Of Type 1 Diabetes In The Teddy Cohort, Callyn Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on exposure to animals and risk of type 1 diabetes (T1D) has had conflicting results with some researchers finding that animal exposure reduces the risk of T1D and others finding no association between animal exposure and T1D. Previously conducted studies on the association between animal exposure and T1D are case-control studies that have been limited by recall bias. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between early life animal exposure and the risk of persistent, confirmed islet autoantibodies (IA) and T1D diagnosis among an eligible cohort of genetically high T1D risk participants enrolled in the international …

Assessment Of A Modified Double Agar Layer Method To Detect Bacteriophage For Assessing The Potential Of Wastewater Reuse In Rural Bolivia, Sakira N. Hadley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water scarcity is a global concern that impacts many developing countries, forcing people to depend on unclean water sources for domestic, agricultural, and industrial needs. Wastewater is an alternative water source that contains nutrients needed for crop growth. Wastewater reuse for agriculture can cause public health problems because of human exposure to pathogens. Pathogen monitoring is essential to evaluate the compliance of wastewater with established World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wastewater reuse guidelines. Indicator organisms are commonly used to detect pathogens in water and wastewater because they are quick and easy to measure, non-pathogenic, and …

An Exploration Of The Meaning And Consequences Of Unintended Pregnancy Among Latina Cultural Subgroups: Social, Cultural, Structural, Historical And Political Influences, Natalie Dolores Hernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, prominent racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy, abortion, and unintended births exist. Recent analysis suggests that Latinas are three times more likely to experience an unintended pregnancy than non-Latina white women. More than half of pregnancies among Latinas (53%) in the United States are unintended and have higher unintended births as they are less likely than black women to have an abortion. In addition, in 2006 the unintended pregnancy rate was highest among women aged 20-24. Little research has 0been conducted to understand unintended pregnancy particularly among young adult Latina women.

The purpose …

Evaluation Of Four Portable Cooling Vests For Workers Wearing Gas Extraction Coveralls In Hot Environments, Joseph Kevin Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Excessive exposure to heat stress can cause a host of heat-related illnesses. For laborers, job specific work demands and protective garments greatly increase the risk of succumbing to the effects of heat stress. Microclimate cooling has been used to control heat stress exposure where administrative or engineering controls are not adequate. This study tested the performance of four personal cooling vests for use with insulated protective clothing (gas extraction coveralls) in warm-humid (35 ° C, 50% relative humidity) and hot-dry (40°C, 30% relative humidity) conditions. On 10 separate occasions, 5 male volunteers walked on a treadmill to elicit a target …

The Effects Of Exercise Modality On State Body Image, Elizabeth Anne Hubbard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has shown that chronic exercise positively impacts body image in women. Research defining the modality that yields the best results following an acute session of exercise has yet to be determined. This research attempted to show the psychological benefits that exercise could have on female body image after only one bout of exercise. PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of three different modalities of acute exercise on state body image in women. This study aimed to determine which modality, if any, is more effective in increasing state body image. METHODS: Twenty-five female …

Risk And Hiv-Serodiscordant Couples In Porto Alegre, Brazil: "Normal" Life And The Semantic Quarantine, Shana Hughes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research was to develop a holistic understanding of how risk, especially the risk of HIV transmission, is constructed and negotiated in the daily lives of a group of heterosexual, HIV-serodiscordant couples in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Couples serodiscordant for HIV are those in which one partner is infected and the other is not. Data were gathered through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with serodiscordant couples, as well as key informants in HIV/AIDS-related civil society, government, and biomedical practitioners in Porto Alegre. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and relevant study materials were coded and subjected to thematic and …

Effect Of Solids Retention Time On The Denitrification Potential Of Anaerobically Digested Swine Waste, Maureen Njoki Kinyua

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR) were operated in semi continuous mode treating swine waste using anaerobic digestion. The reactors were used to test the effect of solid retention time (SRT) on CH4 yield, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentrations, % volatile solids (VS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) removal, readily biodegradable COD concentration and the denitrification potential for the effluent in a biological nutrient removal (BNR) system. During Phase I of the study, the three reactors were operated at the same 28 day SRT for 16 weeks. SRTs were then changed during the 12 week Phase …

The Effects Of Caloric Preload And Dietary Restraint On Smoking And Eating Behavior, Michelle Kovacs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Rates of smoking are elevated in eating-disordered populations, especially among females (Pomerleau & Snedecor, 2008; Klesges & Klesges, 1988). Restrained eaters ignore physiological cues of satiation and hunger, and instead attempt to employ cognitive control over decisions to eat. Additionally, they are prone to eat in a disinhibited manner after a salient emotional or food cue interrupts their restraint. This eating style is also associated with increased rates of smoking compared with the general population. Although there is a great deal of literature on the relationship between smoking and eating, the role of eating in momentary decisions regarding smoking …

Associations Of Perceived Stress, Sleep, And Human Papillomavirus In A Prospective Cohort Of Men, Stephanie Kay Kolar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Mucosal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) and is associated with genitals warts, anogenital cancers, and oropharyngeal cancers. Most sexually active persons will become infected with HPV at some point in their lives, however few will develop HPV-related diseases such as warts, lesions, or cancer as a result of the infection. It is unclear why a minority of individuals fail to clear HPV infection and develop clinical disease. Due to initial associations with cervical lesions, much research has focused on women. Th1 type immune responses have been associated with successful response to HPV …

Eschatology In A Secular Age: An Examination Of The Use Of Eschatology In The Philosophies Of Heidegger, Berdyaev And Blumenberg, John R. Lup, Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The topic of eschatology is generally confined to the field of theology. However, the subject has influenced many other fields, such as politics and history. This dissertation examines the question why eschatology remained a topic of discussion within twentieth century philosophy. Concepts associated with eschatology, such as the end of time and the hope of a utopian age to come, remained largely background assumptions among intellectuals in the modern age. Martin Heidegger, Nicolai Berdyaev, and Hans Blumenberg, however, explicitly addressed the subject in their philosophies. The impetus of this study is Heidegger's statement, "Being itself is inherently eschatological," which indicates …

Parent Pathways: Recognition And Responses To Developmental Delays In Young Children, Jennifer Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The importance of early recognition and intervention for developmental delays is increasingly acknowledged, yet high rates of under-enrollment and 1-3 year delays in entry to the public early intervention system continue. Much research has examined developmental screening in health and child care settings, but less well understood is what prompts parents to identify problems and seek help for their children. This mixed methods study rooted in the Health Belief Model and Social Support Theory examined child, parent, family, and community level factors related to parent recognition (awareness and concern) and response (help-seeking and enrollment in services), including formal and informal …

Sickle Cell Disease: The Role Of Self-Care Management, Nadine Matthie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disorder in the United States. Approximately 90% of the hospitalizations in this patient population occur due to the most common complication, pain crises. Prevention of these crises is therefore essential and requires the patient to assume an active role in his or her disease management. Studies suggest that further research is needed to examine the self-care management process and to identify factors influencing self-care behaviors. The relationships among these factors must be clearly defined before interventions to improve self-care management can be determined. The aims of the study were threefold. The …

Pharmacological Versus Social Alcohol Expectancies: Making An Important Distinction Between The Anticipated Rewarding Effects Of Alcohol, Megan Victoria Mcmurray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite over 30 years of research investigating alcohol expectancies, they have never been examined in terms of the anticipated pharmacological versus social rewards resulting from alcohol consumption, and both appear to play a central role in drinking motivation and behavior. The purpose of this study was to develop a two-dimensional instrument designed to assess both the pharmacological alcohol expectancies of pleasurable, internal states that result from alcohol consumption, as well as the social expectancies that drinking alcohol will result in higher social status and increased effectiveness in social situations. This measure, called the Pharmacological and Social Alcohol Expectancy Scale (PSAES), …

Practices And Factors Influencing Sharps Use And Safety In A Suburban Fire Department And Among Emergency Medical Services Personnel, Christine Michelle Mcguire-Wolfe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Needlestick injuries (NSIs) are a recognized risk for occupationally-related transmission of bloodborne pathogens (BBP). The occurrence of NSIs and BBP exposures among firefighters (FFs) and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel has been documented.

The purposes of this study were: 1) to define the problem of NSI among FFs and EMS personnel in a suburban fire department (FD) and identify practices and factors that influence sharps use and safety; 2) design and implement and intervention to promote safer sharps device usage; and 3) to measure the effectiveness of the intervention among FFs and EMS personnel.

A multi-phase, mixed methods approach was …

Development Of Novel Nano-Composite Membranes As Introduction Systems For Mass Spectrometers: Contrasting Nano-Composite Membranes And Conventional Inlet Systems, Luis Miranda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the development of novel nano-composite membranes as introduction systems for mass spectrometers. These nano-composite membranes incorporate anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes as templates that can be used by themselves or modified by a variety of chemical deposition processes. Two types of nano-composite membranes are presented. The first nano-composite membrane has carbon deposited within the pores of an AAO membrane. The second nano-composite membrane is made by coating an AAO membrane with a thin polymer film. The following chapters describe the transmission properties these nano-composite membranes and compare them to conventional mass spectrometry introduction systems. The nano- composite …

Brain Electrophysiological Correlates Of Masked Picture Priming In Fluent And Stuttering Adults, Kalie B. Morris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate mechanisms of real-time language production of adults who stutter.

Method: Data were analyzed for 19 typically fluent young adults (TFA) and 19 young adults who stutter (AWS). Participants performed a masked picture priming task where priming stimuli consisted of two conditions 1) Identity- a masked printed prime word identical to the picture target label, and 2) Unrelated- a masked printed prime word unrelated to the picture target label. Brain event-related potentials (ERPs), time-locked to pictures eliciting spontaneous naming, were recorded, as well as naming accuracy and reaction times.

Results: …

Metabolism In Corals From Antarctica, The Deep-Sea, And The Shallow Subtropics: Contrasts In Temperature, Depth, And Light, Lara Henry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coral habitats span the range from tropical to polar, extremely shallow to thousands of meters deep. The differences in light and temperature experienced in these varied habitats likely affect the metabolic rates of the corals residing there. The metabolism of three coral species from different habitats have been examined to elucidate the effects of these environmental parameters on metabolism, an under-studied aspect of coral biology. For all three species, measurements of oxygen uptake, ammonium excretion, and activity of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and citrate synthase (CS) were used to characterize their metabolism. Off Florida's Gulf coast, …

The Perception Of Emergency Department Physicians Regarding Economic And Regulatory Factors Impacting Management Of Drug Seeking Patients, Sharon Susanne Kelley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Physicians in the emergency department (ED) are facing a number of unique challenges in the currently changing healthcare and economic climates. Dramatic increases in ED patient volumes have been noted nationwide with visits related to prescription opioid abuse and misuse alone having increased by 111% between 2004 and 2008.

Ironically, several challenges ED physicians are facing arise from regulatory and economic initiatives which were originally designed for the protection of patients. Regulatory requirements to address pain as the fifth vital sign, along with entities utilizing patient satisfaction based reimbursement, have inadvertently created an environment conducive to exploitation by the …

Climate, Neo-Spinozism, And The Ecological Worldview, Nancy M. Kettle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The global community faces ecological problems with the natural environment and cultural impediments to solving them. Natural systems are constantly changing and so are cultural practices. Humans need to address both: the interaction between those dynamic systems, the natural and cultural, because what happens in one system changes things in the other. The changes to the ecosystems are rapid and sometimes irreversible while dealing with them has been inadequate. Environmental movements, including deep ecology, have been at the forefront of the efforts to engage the public, various groups, politicians, and world governments to address environmental problems on a coordinated large …

Ocbs And Strain: The Moderating Role Of Control, Kevin Loo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) are typically assumed to be beneficial to employees and organizations. However, research has recently questioned this assumption. This study seeks to identify when OCBs are related to various strains and are detrimental to the employee or the organization. Specifically, using a stressor-strain model, it is hypothesized that in general, OCBs will be related to work effort; however, when employees feel pressured to perform OCBs, and thereby feel less control, OCBs will be more related to various strains. The hypotheses were partially supported: under all conditions, OCBs were related to effort, but under conditions of feeling forced, …

A Case Study Of Jamaican Children's Lived Play Experiences, Carol Ann Long

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although research on children's play is abundant and considerable advances have been made in young children's play, the majority of these studies have been based in western developed countries and written from adults' perspectives rather than with children. Additionally, very little research has been done on children's play with active participants from smaller developing countries. The voices of society's youngest members have been lost or are only marginally represented.

The purpose of this qualitative research is to explore, understand, and describe young Jamaican children's lived play experiences as related through their eyes. The theoretical frameworks used to guide this study …

Efficacy Of A Dissonance-Based Intervention For Self-Objectification: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jessie Erin Menzel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-objectification is the process by which women take on a third-person perspective in evaluating their physical appearance and sexual attributes. Objectification theory states that self-objectification may lead to negative mental health outcomes in women; a growing body of cross-sectional and experimental research supports the connection between self-objectification and the experience of shame, disordered eating, depression, and sexual dysfunction. This study sought to evaluate an intervention designed to reduce self-objectification behaviors and beliefs in order to prevent the development of disordered eating, depression, and sexual dysfunction. An efficacious prevention program using cognitive dissonance induction was adapted to target self-objectification. The efficacy …

Evaluating Habitat Vulnerability And Sustainability Of Urban Seagrass Resources To Sea Level Rise, Cynthia A. Meyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The seagrass resource provides essential ecosystem functions for many marine species. This research evaluated the vulnerability and sustainability of the seagrass resource in an urbanized area to the effects of sea level rise. The assessment required analysis of information regarding the biogeography of the seagrass resource, and developing a method to model the spatial extent of the suitable habitat for seagrass, and applying the model to predict the implications of simulated sea level rise scenarios on the seagrass resource.

Examining the biogeography of the seagrass resource required the development of a seagrass monitoring and assessment field survey and a comprehensive …

Constructing A Healthcare Assets Map In Rural Appalachia: An Analysis Of Healthcare Services And Perceived Health Threats, Catherine Myers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using data gathered over the course of two months through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with health providers (n=19) and community members (n=20), this research analyzes patient access to health care resources and describes community members' and health care providers' perceptions of pressing health concerns in their area. The results of this research show the types of health care resources in the county, the similarities and differences between health providers' and community members' perceptions, and how the unique characteristics of this community influence health care access and health disparity.