Digital Commons Network^™

Creating Positive Experiences: Increasing Parent Participation In A Low Income Elementary School, Krista Stinson Cayer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has examined the effectiveness of placing parents on a variety of incentive programs which would increase their likeliness to participate in school related activities. That research suggested that establishing school as a reinforcing environment for parents was vital. Due to these findings, this study examined the effects of a token economy on parent involvement at a low-income elementary school. Teachers were trained in the data collection method, and parental behavior was observed on a daily, weekly and bi-weekly schedule. Measures of social validity were obtained through teacher and parent questionnaires.

The data from the research study suggested that …

Effects Of Magnesium On Temporary Threshold Shift, Sarah Casey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous literature has demonstrated that supplemental magnesium may have a prophylactic effect on noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). The purpose of this study was to replicate the findings of a previous investigation concerning the beneficial effects of supplemental magnesium on TTS in humans. Forty participants with normal hearing were divided into two groups, experimental and control. The experimental group received a single, 150 mg dose of supplemental magnesium and the control group received a placebo. After an hour in a quiet environment, all participants were exposed to a narrowband noise centered at 2000 Hz and presented at 105 dB SPL. …

Effects Of Supplemental Magnesium On Temporary Threshold Shift: Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions, Jenifer Leonard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have shown that supplemental magnesium administered prior to exposure to noise has an alleviating effect on temporary threshold shift (TTS). These studies have only used audiometric thresholds to demonstrate changes in the auditory system. However, to help determine the effects on outer hair cells (OHCs), a more sensitive measure should be used. The purpose of this study was to determine if supplemental magnesium administration prior to noise exposure has a beneficial effect on acoustic overexposure using a double-blind research design. This was determined by measuring distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) to determine any changes in cochlear OHC function. …

Bioterrorism Syndromic Surveillance: A Dual-Use Approach With Direct Application To The Detection Of Infectious Disease Outbreaks, Kristin Broome Uhde

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The threat of bioterrorism forces the public health infrastructure to focus attention on overall issues related to challenges posed by emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. There is a crucial need to strengthen existing surveillance systems and to validate real-time approaches to surveillance that can provide timely alerts of epidemics whether they occur naturally or through a bioterrorism attack. The purpose of this study is to implement and evaluate a bioterrorism syndromic surveillance system called BioDefend™, to determine if the system could detect a potential epidemic/bioterrorism attack within 24-36 hours, more rapidly than it would be identified by routine health surveillance. …

Flat Chests And Crossed Eyes: Scrutinizing Minor Bodily Stigmas Through The Lens Of Cosmetic Surgery, Joan Ann George

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

If cosmetic surgery has become the cultural lens through which Americans look at issues of beauty and ugliness (Haiken 1997), then minor bodily stigma is the personal lens through which we scrutinize our bodies and self-diagnose our own flaws in the first place (Ellis 1998). In this dissertation, I interrogated the stories of eight women who struggled with two specific minor bodily stigmas--strabismus (crossed eyes) and micromastia (small breasts). Cosmetic surgery presents a potential "cure" for both of these conditions, however, as some of my interviewees could testify, the results are unpredictable. While some women reported being grateful that they …

Estimates Of Statistical Power And Accuracy For Latent Trajectory Class Enumeration In The Growth Mixture Model, Eric C. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study employed Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the ability of the growth mixture model (GMM) to correctly identify models based on a "true" two-class pseudo-population from alternative models consisting of "false" one- and three-latent trajectory classes. This ability was assessed in terms of statistical power, defined as the proportion of replications that correctly identified the two-class model as having optimal fit to the data compared to the one-class model, and accuracy, which was defined as the proportion of replications that correctly identified the two-class model over both one- and three-class models. Estimates of power and accuracy were …

Incidence Of Peripheral Vestibulopathy In Bppv Patients With And Without Prior Otologic History, Allison Hulslander

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The incidence data provided by previous investigations of peripheral vestibulopathy in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are quite variable. This variability may be explained, in part, by the otologic history of the patients included in these studies. Specifically, patients with a prior history of other otologic disease and BPPV should be more likely to present with peripheral vestibulopathy than patients without no prior history of otologic disease and BPPV. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of peripheral vestibulopathy in these two groups of BPPV patients. Caloric responses were analyzed for two groups of patients …

Evaluating Anger, Depression, And Anxiety In Aggressive/Homicidal And Depressive/Suicidal Children And Adolescents, Thomas Michael, Brunner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goals of this study were to evaluate anger, depression, and anxiety in children and adolescents with aggressive/homicidal (A/H) and depressive/suicidal (D/S) problems and to compare these clinical groups with each other and a normal control group. The State Trait Anger Expression Inventory for Children and Adolescents (STAXI C/A), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the Pediatric Anxiety Scale (PANX) were administered to the Clinical (N=114) and Normal (N=353) groups ranging from 9-18 years of age. The Clinical group was comprised of 18 A/H, 87 D/S, and 18 Comorbid children with both problems.

The Clinical group had significantly higher scores …

Construction Of Smoking-Relevant Risk Perceptions Among College Students: The Influence Of Need For Cognition And Message Content, Jennifer Elaine Irvin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the potential joint influence of need for cognition (NC), the dispositional preference for engaging in (or avoiding) effortful cognitive processing of information, and type of smoking risk message (i.e., factual and evaluative messages similar in message content and length) on the construction of smoking-relevant risk perceptions among college smokers. A secondary purpose was to examine potential mechanisms through which changes in risk perception might occur. 227 college smokers evaluated one of three pamphlets, (1) a factual (i.e., primarily fact-based) smoking risk pamphlet, (2) an evaluative (i.e., primarily emotion based) smoking risk …

The Forgotten History: The Deinstitutionalization Movement In The Mental Health Care System In The United States, Nana Tuntiya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The development of ideas on deinstitutionalization of mental patients has a much longer history in the United States than is commonly acknowledged. Evidence of intense discussion on the rights of the mentally disturbed, curative as opposed to control measures in their treatment, and the drawbacks of congregating the afflicted in large institutions can be found as early as the middle of the 19th century. This discussion was provoked by dissemination of knowledge about the oldest community care program of all: the colony of mental patients in Gheel, Belgium. Based on document analysis of publications in the American Journal of Insanity …

Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Imaging Of Prostate Histopathology, Daniel Celestino Fernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vibrational spectroscopic imaging techniques have emerged as powerful methods of obtaining sensitive spatially resolved molecular information from microscopic samples. The data obtained from such techniques reflect the intrinsic molecular chemistry of the sample and in particular yield a wealth of information regarding functional groups which comprise the majority of important molecules found in cells and tissue. These spectroscopic imaging techniques also have the advantage of acquisition of large numbers of spectral measurements which allow statistical analysis of spectral features which are characteristic of the normal histological state as well as different pathologic disease states. Databases of large numbers of samples …

Hearing Evaluation In Infants: An Update For Pediatricians, Janet E. Sullivan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper provides an overview of developmental timetables relevant to hearing and of current pediatric audiological techniques and practices. The first sections summarize structural and functional development of the auditory pathway and the development of primary auditory processing. These developmental sequences appear to follow similar paths in humans and animals. Speech and music perception involve more complex processing and are strongly influenced by experience. Hearing disorders affect the perception of complex sounds in a variety of ways, depending on the site(s) of lesions. Early onset hearing impairment, including conductive loss from chronic otitis media, can seriously impede language development.

Language …

"For Peace And Civic Righteousness": Blanche Armwood And The Struggle For Freedom And Racial Equality In Tampa, Florida, 1890-1939, Michele Alishahi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blanche Armwood was a remarkable black woman activist, from Tampa, Florida, who devoted her life to improving the political, social, and economic status of blacks in the Jim Crow South. Local historians have kept Armwood's legacy alive by describing her achievements and by emphasizing her dedication to the African-American population during one of the most racist periods in American history. In their efforts to understand Armwood's career, scholars depend upon race as the primary category of analysis and focus mainly on the external forces that defined Armwood's world. They argue that she became resigned to her lot in life as …

Charitable Choice In Florida: The Politics, Ethics And Implications Of Social Policy, Angela Gomez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research is a study of the anthropology of policy with welfare reform in general and charitable choice in particular as its focus. The study begins with the notion that policies work as instruments of governance and consequently have social and political implications. These policies are examined by exploring the manner in which Catholic Charities and policy makers in Florida are responding to the charitable choice mandate and how their views are shaping local policies.

The study is framed within anthropological principles pertaining to economic, humanistic and philosophical tenets. The study provides a historical background of poverty, the development …

Inhibitory Effects Of Food Matrices On Inhibition Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection Of Foodborne Viruses, Kevin Patrick Mcmullen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 23,000,000 cases of viral gastroenteritis caused by Norovirus in 2000, 40% of which were transmitted by food including: a variety of fresh produce, cake, deli meats, fruit salad, cheeses and ice. (CDC, 2003). An estimated 83,391 cases of Hepatitis A virus was reported in 2000, of which 5% was attributed to foodborne transmission (CDC, 2003). These figures underscore an urgent need for a method that can isolate virus from a variety of food matrices.

The aim of this study was to develop an overall assessment of the inhibitory effects of a variety …

Harold Frederic's The Damnation Of Theron Ware: A Study Guide With Annotated Bibliography, Robin Taylor Rogers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harold Frederic's The Damnation of Theron Ware (1896) is an important work of American fiction that deserves greater critical attention. My intention in creating a website devoted to Frederic's masterpiece is not only to promote awareness of the novel but also to provide high school and undergraduate students, as well as their teachers, with a resource that will situate The Damnation of Theron Ware within an historical as well as a literary and cultural context. Significant events and discoveries in the fields of science, technology, religion, philosophy, art, and literature shaped Frederic's thinking and writing, particularly the events and characters …

The Influence Of Air Mass Origin On The Wet Deposition Of Nitrogen To Tampa Bay, Florida, Ronald David Smith Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen has been implicated in the destruction of seagrass beds and in the decline of water quality of Tampa Bay, Florida. The objective of this research was to determine the tendency for air masses of different origins to wet-deposit nitrate and ammonium species to the bay.

Precipitation chemistry data was obtained via the NADP AIRMoN Gandy Bridge monitoring site for the period of 1 August 1996 through 31 December 2000. Rainfall events were classified by using the NOAA HYSPLIT trajectory model, precipitation chemistry data, and tropical storm history data. Average nitrate and ammonium concentrations and nitrogen fluxes …

An Analysis Of Workplace Amputation Injuries In Florida, Eve N. Hanna M.D.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nationally, 10,852 workplace amputation injuries in the US were reported in 1997. This number has been gradually decreasing over time to 9,658 amputations in 2000. In Florida, the amputation injuries have been increasing from 272 in 1997 to 417 in 2000. The reason for this increase is unclear and deserves further study. The purpose of a portion of this study was to examine the Federal and Florida BLS data to determine the characteristics of the typical worker with an amputation injury. A worker with an amputation injury was most likely to be a white male between the ages of 35 …

School Psychologists' Perspectives On Parent Involvement Activities, Michelle M. Darter-Lagos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to analyze school psychologists' perspectives on 27 parent involvement and empowerment activities focused upon improving students' school success. A sample of 36 school psychologists from high and low minority schools in a large urban school district rated the degree to which they believed the activities should be offered to parents and the extent to which they were feasible to implement over the next five years. The activities rated highest for offer and feasibility by psychologists at both high and low minority schools were related to information dissemination and one-to-one meetings. The activities rated …

Alexander Pope's Opus Magnum As Palladian Monument, Cassandra C. Pauley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overarching goal of this study is to suggest that Alexander Pope did not abandon his project for a "system of ethics in the Horatian way," but rather that in his final days he did find a way to unite the parts at hand into a viable whole. Constructing such an argument, however, requires a similar building up from the parts, and so the core focus becomes a study on the way the image of an arch can serve as a metaphor for Pope's reconciliation scheme in his Moral Essays as he "steers betwixt" seeming opposites.

To justify this approach, …

Evaluation Of Automated Ribotyping As A Tool For Bacterial Source Tracking In Aquatic Environments, Tracy L. Idocks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An Escherichia coli ribotype profile library was created for the Tampa Bay watershed for application to bacterial source tracking of human or non-human fecal contamination to the bay and surrounding rivers. Bacterial source tracking uses a variety of methods to identify the source of fecal contamination, not just the quantity of the indicator bacteria present, allowing implementation of effective management practices. The 700 confirmed E. coli isolate library was equally distributed among four sources: human, bird, dog and cow. The library was tested for applicability for source tracking within the Tampa Bay watershed. The DuPont Qualicon RiboPrinter® Microbial Characterization System, …

Assessment Of Current And New Methods For Investigating The Occurrence Of Enteric Pathogens In Ambient Waters And Water Sources For Rehydration Of A Floridan Wetland, Walter Quintero-Betancourt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water quality assessment is currently used for determining the risks from contamination with waterborne pathogenic microorganisms. The public health. significance of such microorganisms cannot be fully understood without the application of reliable environmental monitoring techniques that provide efficient recovery as well as information on the infectious potential of specific isolates. This research was carried out to assess the analytical performance of current and new methods for investigating the occurrence of waterborne Cryptosporidium oocysts in samples of surface water, groundwater and reclaimed water used for public access irrigation in the State of Florida.

Method 1623 of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency …

Perception Of Leadership Qualities In Higher Education: Impact Of Professor Gender, Professor Leader Style, Situation, And Participant Gender, Michela A. Larocca

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This experimental study used eight written vignettes to analyze the effects of professor gender, professor leadership style (democratic/autocratic), and type of situation (task/personal) and participant gender on evaluations of professorsʹ competence, likeability and masculinity characteristics. Undergraduates from the College of Arts and Science (N=932; Males=464, Females=467), and the College of Education (N=722; Males=140, Females=582) were used. Results indicated that research participants rated democratic professors significantly more competent, likeable, and more feminine than autocratic professors. Contrary to expectations derived from gender spill-over and gender congruency theories, male participants did not rate female professors more negatively than their male counterparts when they …

Copper Gallium Diselenide Solar Cells: Processing, Characterization And Simulation Studies, Pushkaraj Panse

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research project was to contribute to the understanding of CuGaSe₂/CdS photovoltaic devices, and to improve the performance of these devices.

The initial part of the research dealt with the optimization of a Sequential Deposition process for CuIn(Ga)Se₂ absorber formation. As an extension of this, a recipe (Type I Process) for CuGaSe₂ absorber layer fabrication was developed, and the deposition parameters were optimized. Electrical characterization of the thin films and completed devices was carried out using techniques such as Two-Probe and Three-Probe Current-Voltage, Capacitance-Frequency, Capacitance-Voltage, and Spectral Response measurements. Structural/chemical characterization was done …

An Analysis Of Slip, Trip, And Fall Incidents Among Workers At A Veterans Hospital, Michelle C. Eaton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Context: Occupational slip, trip, and fall, (STF), incidents are a significant cause of traumatic occupational injuries and has been identified as NORA priority area.

Objective: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in collaboration with Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health, the Finnish Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and BJC Health System is conducting a 3 year study titled "Slip and Falls Prevention in Health Care Workers". A key component of the overall study is the descriptive analysis of 72 months (1996-2001) of STF incidents.

Setting: This analysis encompasses data from the James A. Haley Veteran's …

Engaging Smokers With Schizophrenia In Treatment For Tobacco Dependence: A Brief Motivational Interviewing Intervention, Marc L. Steinberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how to best motivate smokers with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to seek treatment for tobacco dependence. Smokers with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (N=78) were randomly assigned to receive a Motivational Interviewing, Psychoeducational, or Minimal Control intervention. A greater proportion of participants receiving the Motivational Interviewing intervention followed through on a referral for tobacco dependence treatment within one-week and one-month post-intervention. Mixed model Analyses of Variance found no differences between groups at one-week or at one-month with respect to tobacco use or motivation to quit. Within group analyses indicated that participants in the …

Prepulse Inhibition And The Acoustic Startle Response In Nine Inbred Mouse Strains, Jennifer Robin O'Steen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effects of genetic background on the acoustic startle response (ASR) and its modulation by prepulse inhibition (PPI) by comparing nine inbred strains of mice. The ASR, a jerk-like motor reflex, is elicited by bursts of noise or tones with sound pressure levels of 80-90 dB and greater. PPI is a type of modulation of the ASR, requires no training, and results in observable response in both mice and humans.

Data were obtained from nine inbred mouse strains, sixteen per strain, which were shipped at approximately 3-5 weeks old from The Jackson Laboratory. In general, ASRs were …

Computerized Measurement Of Psychological Vital Signs In A Clinical Setting, Ryan K. Russon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Due to the increasing demands of third-party payers to show measurable results in a decreased amount of time, mental health practitioners need new tools and techniques to quickly and efficiently assess their client's current status and progress in treatment. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a brief computerized measure of emotional states and personality traits for use as an assessment tool in a clinical setting. Adapted from the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI; Spielberger, 1998), the computerized instrument measured state and trait anxiety, anger, depression, and curiosity. The computerized STPI was examined for equivalence with the traditional …

The Association Of Maternal Pregnancy Complications And Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Patricia D. Myers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the third leading cause of infant mortality between birth and the first year of life in the United States. Along with the identification of various maternal risk factors, the role of fetal hypoxia has been hypothesized to be one of many causal factors associated with SIDS. The purpose of this study was to develop a profile of the SIDS infant and assess whether six pregnancy complications consistent with fetal hypoxia were associated with the increased outcome of SIDS. The secondary data analysis of Florida linked birth to death certificate data specific to Hillsborough County …

Environmental Ramification Of The Fire Ecology Of Slash Pine (Pinus Elliottii): A Study Of Population Dynamics And Dispersal Following A Fire Event, Kara Elizabeth Teague

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With increasing encroachment on natural communities by anthropogenic activity, it is important to understand the functions of natural ecosystems in an effort to conserve natural areas. A first-hand study of the population dynamics of South Florida Slash Pine (P. elliottii Engelm. var. densa) following a fire event provided insight to its recovery and dispersal following a fire. A natural fire (lightning-induced) occurred in the spring of 2000 at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Reserve, Sarasota County, providing an opportunity to study aspects of slash pine in relation to fire. One objective of my research was to look at …