Digital Commons Network^™

Organizational Information Markets: Conceptual Foundation And An Approach For Software Project Risk Management, Areej M. Yassin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation employs both design science and behavioral science research paradigms to investigate an emerging form of technology-enabled human collective intelligence known as information markets. This work establishes a conceptual foundation for the study of organizational information markets and the design and use processes of information markets inside organizations.

This research conceptualizes markets from an information systems perspective and presents an information systems research framework for organizational information markets. This work develops a systems theory of information markets to facilitate investigation of the relationships and interactions between markets as systems and their context of use. It proposes a structuration model …

Headline Hawai`I: Racial Aloha In Kama`Aina News, Cory J. Weaver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The front page of Hawai`i's largest-circulated newspaper - The Honolulu Star-Bulletin - was reviewed for a three-month period: March 1, 2008 - June 1, 2008, to examine representations of race in a media market where Caucasian individuals are the minority. Analysis of the newspaper seeks to present a greater understanding of ethnic portrayals in island news and examines ethical implications that have/can arise from adopting journalistic values typical of "white news" or mainstream reporting practices in areas where the mainstream is, in fact, the minority.

Measurement Of Community And Laboratory-Generated Airborne Particulates Using A New Sampling Method, Laura Farina

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project resulted from an alleged dust problem affecting the residents in a Florida community. The residents claimed that there were elevated dust levels caused by a rock quarry adjacent to their homes. The purpose of this work was to assess total particulate, respirable particulate, and the coarse content of the sampled particles through traditional NIOSH methods, and using a new, real-time instrument known as the EPAM 5000. Data from the EPAM and NIOSH methods were compared to the EPA's particulate matter standards and the OSHA permissible exposure limits for total and respirable dust. Dust levels using the NIOSH methods …

Architectural Symbiosis, Tim Kimball

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The world is facing two fundamental problems. The first problem is a rapidly increasing demand for energy. The second problem is increasing greenhouse gas emissions that are directly resulting from our energy consumption. The primary greenhouse gas in question here is carbon dioxide produced from the burning of fossil fuels. It has been demonstrated through scientific articles and studies that carbon dioxide is directly linked to rising atmospheric temperatures. Buildings represent a significant percentage of this CO2 production.

Many architectural theses and treatises have been written advocating architecture that is more energy efficient and which uses sustainable materials and processes …

Factors Affecting The Process Of Clinical Decision-Making In Pediatric Pain Management By Emergency Department Nurses, Teresa A. Russo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to describe the cognitive processes/knowledge sources used by Emergency Department (ED) nurses in decision-making activities regarding triage and pediatric pain assessment and management. Deficiencies persist in ED pediatric pain assessment, and management methods or approaches that might help resolve these deficiencies have not been identified previously. Methodology triangulation with sequential use of qualitative- quantitative methods provided a rich description of knowledge sources and cognitive processes used by ED nurses relative to pediatric pain assessment decisions. Based on qualitative results, a set of vignettes was developed to assess ED nurses. Data analysis using …

From Airport To Spaceport: Designing For An Aerospace Revolution, Paula Selvidge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

"Airports will shape business location and urban development in the 21st century as much as highways did in the 20th century, railroads in the 19th and seaports in the 18th" - John D. Kasarda, Ph.D. Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina http://www.aerotropolis.com/author.html

I say, spaceports will shape the urban development of the 21st century, more than airports, bringing about an aerospace revolution. Just as new technologies triggered the global revolutions of the past, so the invention of reusable spacecraft will revolutionize transportation.

The invention of such spacecraft suggests the need for a different kind of transportation hub: a spaceport. …

Evaluation Assessment Of Metropolitan Ministries “Uplift U™” Program And Preliminary Analysis Of Collected Data, Robert D. Bowers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using the methodology and criteria put forth by the Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center (part of the Justice Research and Statistics Association, Washington D.C.), an assessment for evaluation of the Metropolitan Ministries "Uplift U^TM" Program was conducted using review of data previously collected by Metropolitan Ministries, examination of documents provided by the organization, participant observation, and interviews with Metropolitan Ministry staff. This assessment reveals that there are significant problems in several areas that must be addressed before their program can be formally evaluated; including data collection and organization, outcomes measures, client selection standards, and how the program is portrayed …

Extending The Principal Stratification Method To Multi-Level Randomized Trials, Jing Guo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Principal Stratification method estimates a causal intervention effect by taking account of subjects' differences in participation, adherence or compliance. The current Principal Stratification method has been mostly used in randomized intervention trials with randomization at a single (individual) level with subjects who were randomly assigned to either intervention or control condition. However, randomized intervention trials have been conducted at group level instead of individual level in many scientific fields. This is so called "two-level randomization", where randomization is conducted at a group (second) level, above an individual level but outcome is often observed at individual level within each group. …

The Psychometric Validation Of The Physical Body Experiences Questionnaire, Jessie E. Menzel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Embodiment is defined as a state in which one experiences one's body as an essential and loved aspect of one's lived experiences, a potential protective factor against body image and eating disturbance. While qualitative studies have been conducted to examine the nature of embodiment, a quantitative measure has not yet been created. The Physical Body Experiences Questionnaire was rationally derived as a measure of embodiment based on focus groups, literature reviews, and expert review. These qualitative methods resulted in a 32-item scale measured on a 7-point Likert scale. Based on the results of a pilot study conducted with 670 female …

Differential Decomposition Patterns Of Human Remains In Variable Environments Of The Midwest, Melissa A. Pope

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Where do people die alone when they remain undiscovered for extended periods of time? Estimation of the postmortem interval (PMI) is critical to reconstructing the events surrounding a person's death and this is an area in which forensic anthropologists have played a leading role. This thesis applied an anthropological framework that takes a comprehensive approach to analyzing the demography of unaccompanied deaths, the relationships and timing of decomposition in multiple depositional contexts, and created a model for the prediction of accumulated degree days (ADD) for bodies within enclosures.

While there have been extensive experimental and case study reviews on decomposition …

The Waiting Unknown: Stories, James R. Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

These collected stories are a narrative exploration of a collective life in middle‐class suburbia. Here the reader is introduced to a troop of characters who share a community but yet they are adrift in the atmosphere between identity and memory. At times, as in “When to Lie” and “Afraid of the Question” we see conflict arise when the suburban religious dogma alters character identity, leaving behind haunting memories and scar tissue. Memory and identification play an important roll when, as in “Rx” the protagonist is faced with the sudden loss of his family as he struggles to keep their memories …

Empowered For Practice: The Relationship Among Perceived Autonomy Support, Competence, And Task Persistence Of Undergraduate Applied Music Students, Julie F. Troum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among undergraduate applied music students' perceptions of autonomy support, competence, and task persistence. One assumption of self-determination theory was that competence would increase when social environment supported self-organization. A motivational-cognitive framework designed to promote sustained motivation in undergraduate applied music students was proposed.

Three self-report scales administered in the form of a web survey were completed by undergraduate applied music students (N = 366) at six Florida universities. The scales were designed to measure perceived autonomy support, perceived competence, and perceived persistence in practice in the applied music studio setting. …

Functional Connectivity And Responses To Chemoreceptor Stimulation Of Medullary Ventrolateral Respiratory Column Neurons, Mackenzie M. Ott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ventrolateral medullary neurons have important roles in cardiorespiratory coordination. A rostral extension of the ventral respiratory column (RVRC), including the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN), has neurons responsive to local perturbations of CO2 / pH. Respiratory-modulated firing patterns of RVRC neurons are attributed to influences of more caudal (CVRC) neurons. These circuits remain poorly understood. This study addressed the hypothesis that both local interactions and influences from the CVRC shape rostral neuron discharge patterns and responses. Spike trains from 294 rostral and 490 caudal neurons were recorded with multi-electrode arrays along with phrenic nerve activity in 14 decerebrate, vagotomized cats. Overall, 214 …

Splicing Systems For Studying Signaling To The Spliceosome, Hercules S. Apostolatos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alternative splicing is a major contributing factor to protein diversity. The human genome project validated that there are about 25,000 genes, but over 100,000 proteins. Genes contain numerous exons that are specifically regulated; thus, elucidating alternative splicing mechanisms of pre-mRNAs is an immense undertaking. Two basic tools are used to study this mammoth task. For in vitro studies, usually in vitro transcription followed by splicing assays is used. For in vivo studies, the main technique is the construction of minigenes. These techniques enable one to study the mechanisms/conditions that explain an exon's inclusion or exclusion in the mature mRNA.

In …

Unamuno's Concept Of The Tragic, Ernesto O. Hernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses in presenting Miguel de Unamuno’s concept of the tragic. Historically this concept has suffered various changes of meaning and application. If successful the project shall provide the distinct connotation, features, and characteristics that Unamuno attributes to the tragic. His special treatment of the tragic harnesses a way for the will to become aware of its existential condition. This awakening of consciousness evokes an arousal of dichotomies that the will must confront. Faith against reason, religion against science, heart against intellect, are amongst these conflicting predicaments. The will’s constant struggle between these opposing forces constitutes for Unamuno the …

Predicting Early Adolescents’ Academic Achievement And In-School Behavior With A Dual-Factor Model Of Mental Health, Amanda L. Thalji

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A dual-factor model of mental health includes indicators of wellness (i.e., subjective well-being) and psychopathology (i.e., internalizing and externalizing behavior problems) in defining psychological wellness. The present empirical investigation examined the utility of SWB and psychopathology examined separately and together (as in a dual-factor model of mental health) in predicting students' subsequent academic achievement and in-school behavior. Specifically, it determined if SWB, psychopathology, and membership in a specific mental health group yielded by the dual-factor model (i.e., complete mental health, vulnerable, symptomatic but content, or troubled) at Time 1 was related to achievement (i.e., GPA, FCAT-math, FCAT-reading, absences, office disciplinary …

Effects Of Ingesting Fat Free And Low Fat Chocolate Milk After Resistance Training On Exercise Performance, Breanna Myers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Collegiate athletes are always looking for ways to improve their performance. Resistance training has been incorporated into most collegiate athletic programs for this very reason. In order to improve strength, lean body mass, and exercise performance, resistance exercise and timely protein ingestion must be followed. Incorporating protein ingestion into a resistance training routine has been shown to improve net protein balance. Milk protein is gaining popularity as an ergogenic aid. There has been growing interest in the potential use of bovine milk (cow’s milk) as an exercise beverage, especially during recovery from resistance training and endurance sports. No studies have …

Articulating Social Change In Puerto Rico: Environmental Education As A Model For Youth Socio-Political Development And Community-Led School Reform, Federico Cintrón-Moscoso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent attempts at developing an environmental education agenda in public schools emphasize the need to foster greater public awareness about environmental rights, issues, and solutions, while producing citizens with the knowledge and skills needed to address the ecological challenges of contemporary society. However, some scholars have argued that the attempt to integrate environmental principles into the school curricula has created a conflict between the politically-oriented goals of environmental education and the more passive practices of uncritical assimilation and reproduction found in many schools today (Stevenson 2007). Moreover, although there is a need for public schools to take on the challenge …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Behavioral Contracts That Use Function Based Reinforcers Versus Highly Preferred Items For Attention Maintained Behaviors, Dánica M. Diáz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Behavioral contracts were used to reduce the socially inappropriate and stigmatizing behaviors of adult men diagnosed with an intellectual disability. All three participants were residing in an intensive residential habilitation facility and receiving 24 hour supports due to the intensity of their problem behaviors. A multiple baseline across subjects with a series of reversals within the intervention phase was used to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of two types of behavioral contracts: one based on the function of the behavior and the other based on highly preferred items. Brief functional analyses were conducted to determine the function of the participants' …

Life In The Florida Everglades: Bioarchaeology Of The Miami One Site, Cristina Echazabal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The bioarchaeology of prehistoric south Florida has been an area of archaeological interest for the last century because of the interplay between ancient populations and the unique environment of the Everglades. The purpose of this study is to analyze the pathology, demography and mortuary practice of the ancient Southeast Florida aboriginal population at Miami One to assess the similarity of Miami One to other south Florida populations during the prehistoric period. The Miami One site (8DA11) is one of many related sites located along the shore of the Miami River. It was continuously occupied from the Late Archaic (ca.1000 B.C.) …

Effects Of Fat-Free And 2% Chocolate Milk On Strength And Body Composition Following Resistance Training, Ashley T. Forsyth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrition and recovery go hand in hand. After a resistance training workout, it is extremely important for athletes to rebuild and refuel their bodies with the proper nourishment to obtain maximal results. In doing so, they consume different recovery aids or ergogenic aids for gains in muscle mass, an aid in hydration, and a speedy recovery. Ergogenic aids can include many things (i.e., improved equipment, training program), but one of the most popular types of ergogenic aids is nutritional supplements such as protein, carbohydrates, creatine, and vitamins. A nutritional supplement that has recently grown in popularity is chocolate milk. Currently, …

Effects Of Ozone On Blood Components, Daniela Sloan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies on the medical use of ozone therapies show a very diverse array of results, from ozone reducing the amount of HIV virus in the blood, to no effect, to causing the death of several patients due to pulmonary embolism and infections. However, ozone therapies are widely used in Europe and considered medically safe. In the U.S., doctors in 28 states use ozone therapies.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of medical grade ozone at varying concentrations used in ozone therapies. These were achieved by evaluating the C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, total reduced and …

Immune Redistribution To Skin In Wild And Domesticated Songbirds, Joshua Ryan Kuhlman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Implantation of dental sponges under the skin of lab rodents has been used to evaluate whether acute stress enhances leukocyte infiltration to a surgical site. First, I replicated this technique in house sparrows to test whether transient stressors cause similar immunoredistribution (i.e., movement of immune cells out of circulation and to the periphery) in a wild animal. As placement into captivity alone may serve as a stressor to wild animals, I compared sponge infiltration over different periods of captivity. Second, I compared how domestication affects immunoredistribution by comparing results of wild sparrows to domesticated zebra finches. Zebra finches were chosen …

Patient Reported Efficacy Of Botulinum Toxin Type A In The Treatment Of Chronic Migraine Headaches, Patrick F. Whitney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To assess patient reported efficacy of Botulinum toxin type-A for the prophylaxis of migraine headaches in patients with frequent migraine headaches prior to initiation of treatment with Botulinum toxin type-A compared to post treatment. Questions addressed include is there a difference in frequency of migraine headaches following treatment with Botulinum toxin type-A, is there a difference in cost of conventional treatment versus Botulinum toxin type-A and is there a difference in quality of life.

Research Plan: Questions addressed patient status prior to the initiation of treatment as well as post treatment. Patient quality of life change, duration and frequency …

Beyond The Business: Social And Cultural Aspects Of The Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Alisha R. Winn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation research is an examination of the social and cultural dynamics of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company (ALIC) in Atlanta, GA. During the Jim Crow era (and post Jim Crow era), the ALIC provided economic mobility through employment, home loans, life insurance, and community solidarity. The company was one of the largest and most successful African-American financial institution in the country during the 20th century. It was founded in 1905 by Alonzo F. Herndon, a prosperous black barber and entrepreneur who rose from enslavement to become by 1927 the wealthiest African American in Atlanta. Renamed as the Atlanta Life …

Use Of Model Compounds To Study Potential Removal Of Pharmaceuticals Using Octolig®, Wen-Shan Chang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The existence of pharmaceuticals in the environment has some adverse effects, and may pose threat to the organisms in the environment. The possibility of removing certain pharmaceuticals from wastewater was tested using Octolig®, a commercially available material with polyethyldiamine moieties covalently attached to high-surface area silica gel. Selected drug models were subjected to column chromatography in efforts to effect removal by means of ion encapsulation, the effectiveness of which would depend upon having appropriate anionic functional groups. The experimental results suggested that the model compounds, Rose Bengal, Eosin Y, Erythrosine , ZPS, and Lissamine Green B were successfully encapsulated by …

A Case Study Of School-Based Leaders’ Perspectives Of High School Dropouts, John J. Brown Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School districts are failing to educate all of America's children. Dropout statistics reveal that almost 7,000 students leave our nation's schools everyday. At this rate 1.2 million students will not graduate on time with their prospective classes. The majority of American male students of African descent are dropping out instead of completing high school. When compared to that of their white peers, the dropout rate of American male students of African descent is significantly higher and the graduation rate much lower.

This research examines high school dropouts from the perspectives of school-based leaders in a high school located in a …

The Sunshine State's Golden Fruit: Florida And The Orange, 1930-1960, Scott D. Hussey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neither indigenous nor exclusive to Florida, the orange has nevertheless become an international symbol for the state. This connection between product and place appears in cultural materials regarding Florida. In fact and fiction the orange has operated as metaphor and synecdoche for an Edenic Florida. This thesis analyzes how the orange came to represent a "natural" Florida through the conflation of the commercial product with the state's history by way of political and marketing puffery. A litany of citrus advertisements, tourist ephemera, and historical associations regarding the state acknowledged and expanded the connections between the orange, improved health, and Florida. …

Toward An Applied Anthropology Of Gis: Spatial Analysis Of Adolescent Childbearing In Hillsborough And Pinellas Counties, Florida, Kathleen I. Maes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work investigates births to white, African American and Hispanic adolescents in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, Florida, from 1992 to 1997 in two age groups - 13 to 17 year-olds and 18 to 19 year-olds - using spatial statistical techniques along with key informant interviews to provide insights into the utility of the research findings. The research developed a method for estimating the adolescent population in inter-census years, which was used to determine denominators for calculating teen birth rates. It also developed a composite deprivation index using socioeconomic indicators at the census block group level. The index provided context for …