Digital Commons Network^™

A Passive Membrane Photobioreactor For The Isolated Cultivation Of Algal Resource Utilizing Selectivity (Icarus), With Wastewater As A Feedstock, Ivy Lea Cormier Drexler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Renewed momentum in the microalgae industry due to commercial interest in biofuels and bioproducts is driving the need to increase the economic competitiveness of large-scale microalgal production. Current knowledge of membrane systems common in other disciplines, such as environmental engineering, marine science, and biomedicine, are relevant to algae production. With pore sizes ranging from microns to angstroms, membranes provide tailored functions for solid/liquid separation (cell retention, biomass concentration and dewatering), gas/liquid separation (gas delivery and removal), and solute/liquid separation (bioproduct recovery, feedstock preparation and effluent recycling) that are problematic or not possible with other technologies. Though membranes have great potential …

Applicator Exposure To Glycol Derivatives And Total Volatile Organic Compounds During The Application Of Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation, Michael Brian Kaniuga

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is currently high demand for new building materials which are considered "environmentally friendly" or "green" for both new construction and renovations. Spray polyurethane foam (SPUF) insulation has gained significant acceptance by both consumers and the construction industry due to its high R-value, which results into significant energy savings among other things. Despite its acceptance by consumers and the construction industry, consideration must be given to potential chemical exposures to applicators installing these products.

This study sought to determine, through quantitative experimentation, if there was a release of glycol derivatives including, diethylene glycol (DEG), ethylene glycol (EG), and propylene glycol …

A Portraiture Of Leadership As Enacted By School Administrators Working In Alternative Educational Settings, Eric Shawn Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School leadership has been an evolving topic over the past several decades, with research examining the impact of leadership on school performance, school culture, and other elements in this field. However, only a few studies have examined the construct of leadership in alternative schools, where these specialized sites often serve as mid-points between traditional schools and juvenile detention centers. Considering the evidence related to the displacement rates of minority students, particularly Black males, from traditional schools to alternative settings, these specialized sites are ideal for exploring practices that perhaps can redirect students in the school-to-prison pipeline, back towards their traditional …

Photonic Crystal-Based Flow Cytometry, Justin William Stewart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Photonic crystals serve as powerful building blocks for the development of lab-on-chip devices. Currently they are used for a wide range of miniaturized optical components such as extremely compact waveguides to refractive-index based optical sensors. Here we propose a new technique for analyzing and characterizing cells through the design of a micro-flow cytometer using photonic crystals. While lab scale flow cytometers have been critical to many developments in cellular biology they are not portable, difficult to use and relatively expensive. By making a miniature sensor capable of replicating the same functionality as the large scale units with photonic crystals, we …

Characterization Of The Airborne Particulates Generated By A Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Kit, Loren Lee Foster

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spray Polyurethane Foam insulation (SPF) kits are currently being marketed and sold to do-it-yourselfers to meet various insulating needs. Like commercial SPF systems, the primary health concern with SPF kits is user overexposure to the isocyanates during product application. The potential health risk associated with SPF applications is driven by several factors including (but not limited to): the toxicity of isocyanates; the potentially high exposure intensity; the quantity of isocyanates used in the process; the enclosed nature of the environment in which the product could be applied; the potentially high exposure duration/frequency; and the limited availability of control measures to …

Creating A Mythopoeic Graphic Novel To Expand Self-Understanding, Luis De La Lama

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a study about how I produced a graphic novel to introduce a model of the self that is informed by complexity theory to an audience of comic book and graphic novel enthusiasts. Because this model of the self has the potential to preserve, extend, and/or reinforce character strengths that are operationalized as virtuous behavior, and that also function as inner resources in times of adversity, my study explores storytelling by sequential art as a communication method that some counselors and educators might use to counsel and educate large segments of popular culture. Also, more generally, I explore the …

An Exploration Of The Health Experiences Of Youth Who Were Trafficked For Sex, Christine Ann Meister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This pilot study used photovoice methodology to explore the current health needs of youth who were trafficked for sex and are now living in an alternative family care setting. The goals of this study were to add to the current literature regarding the health needs of victims of domestic minor sex trafficking and to add a qualitative aspect to the evaluation of the Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Impacted by Commercial Exploitation (CHANCE) program. Disposable cameras were distributed to a group of adolescent girls enrolled in the program who were then tasked with taking pictures of things that made them feel …

Monitoring And Use Of Social Media In Emergncy Management In Florida, Leila Martini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of mobile technologies and social media applications has led to a shift in the emergency/disaster related communication environment. Citizens are playing an increasingly important role in providing real time information to emergency organizations. This shift has resulted in an expectation by the public that emergency management (EM) organizations monitor and respond to calls for help disseminated via these applications. The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which Florida EM agencies have incorporated the monitoring of social media into their organizational processes.

The state of social media use in Florida is under researched. In this …

Estudio Y Transcripción Del Libro Declarante Atribuido A Abner De Burgos (Ms Escorial P-Ii-21), Vivian M. Mills

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Este trabajo supone un estudio y análisis, así como una transcripción semipaleográfica, del manuscrito inédito P.iii.21 de la Biblioteca del Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial, que contiene una copia del Libro declarante o el Libro de las tres creencias, una obra generalmente atribuida al converso castellano Abner de Burgos y que se cree se redactó a mediados del siglo XIV. Consiste de dos partes principales: Una introducción crítica donde se analizan la estructura y el propósito del Libro, así como varios temas que todavía generan controversia y a los que no se ha llegado a dar una …

Continuation In Us Foreign Policy: An Offensive Realist Perspective, Bledar Prifti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a study of US foreign policy that aims at maintaining its regional hegemonic status and preventing the emergence of another regional hegemon by implementing the offshore balancing strategy. US intervention during the 2003 Iraq War, strained US-Iran relationship, and the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in early 2014 compel a reevaluation of US foreign policy. Two major claims of this dissertation include: (1) US foreign policy is consistent with offensive realist theoretical claims; and (2) US foreign policy is characterized by continuity when it comes to issues related to America's strategic …

Novel Therapeutic Strategies In Lung Cancer, Courtney A. Kurtyka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death and the second most diagnosed cancer in the United States. Unfortunately, many patients either do not have any common mutations for which there are already targetable agents, or they eventually become resistant to these compounds. As such, there is a high demand for new, effective methods of treating this disease as well as predicting patient prognosis and potential benefit from chemotherapy. In this work, numerous strategies for treating lung cancer are explored.

The first method described here is through the use of a pan-early 2 factor (E2F) inhibitor, HLM006474, which is …

Understanding Factors Determining Early Termination From A Government Assistance Program For Maternal And Child Health: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants And Children (Wic), Anthony Dominic Panzera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to understand why individuals enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) fail to retrieve food vouchers, miss WIC appointments, and become inactive in program components. In Kentucky, mothers who fail to pick up food instruments for 60 days are automatically terminated from the program. The specific research questions that guided this study are: (1) Which segments of enrollees are at greatest and least risks of nonparticipation in the WIC program? (2) How do predisposing, enabling and need characteristics impact WIC nonparticipation among eligible mothers? (3) How do WIC …

A Contingency Model Of Team Leadership For Emergency Medical Teams, Andeneshea Shacardia Kemp

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emergency medical teams operate under unusual circumstances. They assemble for a singular, temporary purpose, potentially change in size and composition, and their performance can influence whether a patient lives or dies. Although leadership is a critical component to team success, it is rarely investigated in the context of emergency medical teams. This study sought to examine the relationship between directive leadership behaviors and team performance outcomes. It was hypothesized that directive leadership would be particularly effective for emergency medical teams. In addition, a contingency model was proposed. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the effectiveness of directive leadership is contingent upon …

An Analysis Of (Bad) Behavior In Online Video Games, Jeremy Blackburn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies bad behavior at large-scale using data traces from online video games. Video games provide a natural laboratory for exploring bad behavior due to their popularity, explicitly defined (programmed) rules, and a competitive nature that provides motivation for bad behavior. More specifically, we look at two forms of bad behavior: cheating and toxic behavior.

Cheating is most simply defined as breaking the rules of the game to give one player an edge over another. In video games, cheating is most often accomplished using programs, or "hacks," that circumvent the rules implemented by game code. Cheating is a threat …

"Having Our Say": Exploring The Processes And Feasibility Of A Community-Based Participatory Intergenerational Physical Activity Program For Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Tiffany Lenell Young

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past twenty years, the number of grandparents raising grandchildren has increased substantially. In many cases, raising grandchildren can be stressful and may aggravate pre-existing health conditions. Grandchildren in these kinship relationships often experience poor health outcomes as well. Typically, both grandparents and grandchildren do not engage in positive health behaviors. Thus, there is a need to develop intergenerational health promotion interventions for grandparents raising grandchildren. This study used the community-based participatory research approach to develop and implement an eight-week intergenerational program for kinship families. The specific goals of this descriptive study were to understand the process and feasibility …

Managing Regional Water Resources Amidst Rapid Urbanization In Southwest Florida: A Case Study, Nicole Owusua Caesar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Experts and organizations involved in freshwater resources management have emphasized the importance of long-term urban resource planning and management that considers the tight coupling which exists between human - nature - technology systems. The resistance of contemporary urban growth efforts to consider resource carrying capacities and ecosystem requirements has led to costly unintended consequences including the deterioration of natural capital and their associated ecosystem services, and the degradation of water resource flows. As these problems continue to worsen, resource experts have called for the development of a new water resource management paradigm inclusive of various sustainability criteria.

Historically water-rich Florida …

Four Women: An Analysis Of The Artistry Of Black Women In The Black Arts Movement, 1960s-1980s, Abney Louis Henderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project honors and recognizes the art and activism of four Black woman--Nina Simone, Nikki Giovanni, Elizabeth Catlett, and Ntozake Shange that contributed to the revolutionary movements of the 1960s through the early 1980s. This thesis examines the works and political challenges of Black women by asking what elements in their artistry/activism addressed issues specifically related to Black women's unique position in America during the Black Revolution and feminist movements? Both primary and secondary sources such as literature from advocates of the Black Arts Movements and the lyrics, poetry, and visual art of the four Black women artists were used …

Connecting Institutional Discourses And Everyday Understandings Of Climate Change: Viewpoints From A Suburban Neighborhood In Tampa, Florida, Christopher Metzger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite a general consensus regarding anthropogenic global climate change across the international scientific community, many of the major greenhouse gas producers in the world, especially the United States, are hesitant to implement strict emissions regulations. According to some prominent atmospheric scientists, such as James Hansen and Michael Mann, if industrialized countries continue to produce carbon emissions at current rates, an irreversible planetary tipping point of raising temperatures 2°C above pre-industrial levels could be reached in less than 40 years. Societies have a wealth of information from the natural sciences to understand the climate problem and currently possess the technological means …

The Accidental Motivator: Florida's Medicinal Marijuana Ballot Initiative's Impact On The Youth Vote, Robert Winsler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine single-issue voting in the youth population, specifically involving the upcoming medical marijuana ballot initiative to be voted on in Florida November, 2014. Single-issue voting is becoming a more prevalent trend in American politics. The young voter demographic has historically showed the lowest percentage of voter turnout thus giving it the highest potential to influence the outcome of an election if more voters showed up to the polls. This study sought to understand if a single issue such as medical marijuana could be that motivation to go vote. Data was gathered through conducting …

Predicting Fear Of Crime Using A Multilevel And Multi-Model Approach: A Study In Hillsborough County, Jonathan Maskaly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the 1960s, the government formed the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice to looked at the problem of crime and fear of crime in modern American society. In addition to looking at these issues, the Commission also looked at ways to potentially reduce both crime and fear of crime. One of the primary outcomes of the Commission's report was that policing agencies in the United States needed to fundamentally alter the way they served their communities, notably by transitioning to community-oriented policing (COP). Starting in the 1970s, law enforcement agencies around the nation began to embrace …

Material And Textual Spaces In The Poetry Of Montagu, Leapor, Barbauld, And Robinson, Jessica Lauren Cook

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women Poets and Place in Eighteenth-Century Poetry considers how four women poets of the long eighteenth century--Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Mary Leapor, Anna Letitia Barbauld, and Mary Robinson--construct various places in their poetry, whether the London social milieu or provincial England. I argue that the act of place making, or investing a location with meaning, through poetry is also a way of writing a place for themselves in the literary public sphere and in literary history. Despite the fact that more women wrote poetry than in any other genre in the period, women poets remain a relatively understudied area in …

A Comparison Study On Violent Video Games: Explained By The Gamers Themselves, Christopher John Kneifer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative focus groups analysis examines the harmful effects of violent video games on emotions and behavior by comparing violent video game player's responses to that of non-violent video game players of the same age group. Research on the effects of video games has been done since the 70s, yet more research is needed to better understand the potentially harmful emotional and behavioral effects of playing violent games, especially from the gamers' perspectives. This thesis presents a qualitative analysis of data obtained from focus group sessions among undergraduate college students. Results of the analysis supports the presence as well as …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Tagteach For Teaching Yoga Postures To Novice Yoga Practitioners, Jessica Sade Andrews

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Over the past few years there has been an increasing number of people practicing yoga. There also have been reports of injuries as a result of practicing yoga. Many injuries have been attributed to poor teaching which can result in improper alignment. This study utilized a teaching technology, TAGteach to aide in skill acquisition of novice yoga practitioners. The current study focused on teaching three beginner asanas (poses) to novice practitioners. The intervention included the asanas being broken down by task analysis and the steps tagged one by one. The intervention was assessed by a multiple baseline across behaviors …

Determining What Factors Affect Peoples' Perceptions Of The Use Of Reclaimed Water As A Source For Potable Water: A Study Within Hillsborough County, Florida, Susana Rebecca Alvarado Tricoche

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In response to water supply depletion challenges, countries such as Australia, the United States, and Namibia have implemented technologies that treat wastewater up to the standards permissible to use for irrigation, toilet flushing, and even drinking water. However, many of these countries have been unable to successfully implement some of their ambitious reclaimed water reuse projects due to negative public perceptions of recycling wastewater. The focus of this study was to understand which factors in risk perception theory are the most influential in shaping community perceptions of reclaimed water reuse as a future source of drinking water within Hillsborough County. …

Evaluation And Modeling Of Internal Water Storage Zone Performance In Denitrifying Bioretention Systems, Thomas Joseph Lynn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nitrate (NO3) loadings from stormwater runoff promote eutrophication in surface waters. Low Impact Development (LID) is a type of best management practice aimed at restoring the hydrologic function of watersheds and removing contaminants before they are discharged into ground and surface waters. Also known as rain gardens, a bioretention system is a LID technology that is capable of increasing infliltration, reducing runoff rates and removing pollutants. They can be planted with visually appealing vegetation, which plays a role in nutrient uptake. A modified bioretention system incorporates a submerged internal water storage zone (IWSZ) that includes an electron donor to support …

Her-Storicizing Baldness: Situating Women's Experiences With Baldness From Skin And Hair Disorders, Kasie Holmes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A general goal to my study was to promote an inclusive approach to baldness by sharing and centering women's experiences with baldness from skin and hair conditions, such as autoimmune alopecia areata conditions and monilethrix. Specifically, a main goal of my study was to her-storicize the lived experiences of women who are bald from skin and hair conditions by examining medical and cultural discourses surrounding these conditions, femininity, and female baldness. Additionally, my study considers strategies of accommodation and resistance that bald women perform in a given context, space, or time. For instance, I consider the ways participants manage their …

The Portrayal Of Immigrants In Children's And Young Adults' American Trade Books During Two Peak United States Immigration Eras (1880-1930 And 1980-2010s), Rina Roula Bousalis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Although immigrants are an integral part of the nation's founding and history, it is unclear how they have been historically portrayed in children's and young adults' American trade books, especially at the turn of the 20th century. This study offers a critical and comparative analysis focusing on the historical evolution, depiction of immigrants, and authors' perspectives of selected trade books written during two peak United States immigration eras (1880-1930 and 1980-2010s).

Utilizing a discourse analysis approach, this study examined how first-generation immigrants were portrayed in selected trade books and how various themes and representations may have affected students and …

More To Love: Obesity Histories And Romantic Relationships In The Transition To Adulthood, Hilary Morgan Dotson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggests that obesity can be stigmatizing in interpersonal relationships, including romantic relationships. Timing of obesity and weight stability are also especially important. The negative effects of obesity on interpersonal relationships appear most salient in women and Whites, while men and racial/ethnic minorities appear to experience fewer negative consequences from obesity in their relationships, suggesting that an intersectional lens is necessary in studies on the long-term effects of obesity on interpersonal relationships. In this dissertation, I employ an intersectional lens to understand how histories of obesity, gender, and racial/ethnic identity work together to influence three aspects of romantic relationships …

Individual And Partner Characteristics Associated With Genital Herpes Disclosure And The Relationship Between Disclosure Outcomes, Rejection, And Future Intentions To Disclose, Jaime L. Myers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. As genital herpes is incurable and contagious, individuals with genital herpes face the decision to disclose their status to potential sexual partners with each new relationship formed. Such disclosure places individuals with genital herpes in a position to face rejection, which is commonly reported as one of the most concerning aspects of having genital herpes. The present study seeks to further understand the nature of genital herpes disclosure by addressing two core aims: 1) to understand determinants of and reasons for disclosure and non-disclosure …

The Effects Of U.S. Middle East Foreign Policy On American Muslims: A Case Study Of Muslims In Tampa Bay, Mark G. Grzegorzewski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past thirteen years the United States has used military force against three different Muslim-majority nations. These conflicts have lead to the deaths of many Muslims, including many innocent civilians. Meanwhile, American Muslims have become conflicted about their identities as Muslims and Americans. However, this does not mean that they have become a fifth column within America. What it does mean is that they have felt anguish regarding the torment of their religious brethren, while at the same time retaining their American identity. Post-9/11, Muslim American groups have acknowledged their place in the racial ordering of America. Muslim Americans …