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1-Deoxy-D-Xylulose-5-Phosphate Synthase (Dxs) Mechanistic Study And Its Implication In The Development Of Novel Antibiotics And Antimalarials, Sumit Handa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Isoprenoids are the largest family of biologically active compounds, synthesized by five carbon subunits namely isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP). For long time the mevalonate-dependent (MVA) pathway has been considered as the sole source of IPP and DMAPP, until recently a new non-mevalonte dependent (NMVA) pathway was discovered. This new pathway utilizes entirely different set of enzymes for isoprenoids synthesis and don't have any homologues in humans. NMVA pathway is the only source of isoprenoids for certain eubacteria, parasite and plants. Absence of the NMVA pathway in higher organisms has opened a new platform for the development of …

A Case Study Of Perspectives On Building School And Community Partnerships, Myrna Lee Hogue

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A strong partnership between a school and the surrounding community leads to school success. Schools can be more successful with community involvement and engagement than if functioning in isolation. Community engagement leads to greater academic achievement of students.

Utilizing qualitative case study methods, this study focused on the perspective of school and community partners on building relationships. The purpose of this study was to describe and explain selected participants' perspectives on how a school builds partnerships with the community. I studied the relationship between an elementary school and community partners that have been in existence for at least three years …

Shaping Identity: Male And Female Interactions In Cinema, Jonette Lauren Lagamba

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Since the inception of cinema, women have been portrayed with the typical identities of emotionally and physically weak characters; this portrayal led to their subsequent dependence on men. Men were usually the protagonists and/or the heroes, following their archetypal journey. Thus, women's position in early cinema was to exemplify what men were not, placing the former in the diminutive position of the Other. One may conclude that men were often defined by what women lacked, and the women were defined by their relationships with these heroic men. As time progressed in the history of cinema, women's images retained part …

Assessing The Microbial Consequences Of Remediation: Surrogate Microbial Screening And Native Metabolic Signatures In Tc(Vii) Contaminated Sediments, Kathryn Lafaye Bailey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The chemical and physical processes controlling contaminant fate and transport in the vadose zone limit the options for application of many remedial technologies. Foam delivery technology (FDT) has been developed as a potential solution to overcome these limitations for remediating subsurface and deep vadose zone environments using reactive amendments. Although there are many advantages to utilizing FDT for treatment in the deep vadose zone, little information is available on how the addition of these surfactants and remedial amendments affect the indigenous microbial communities in the deep vadose zone as well as the impact of biological transformations of surfactant-based foams on …

Voces Fabuladas Contra Estatuas Míticas: Francisco Herrera Luque Y Su Aproximación Literaria A La Historia Venezolana, Juan Vicente Ayala

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis postulates the narrative of Venezuelan psychiatrist and novelist Francisco Herrera Luque as one that demystifies the official historical discourse of his nation.

Our argument is developed through a two-part analysis. First, we present and examine the author's characteristic method, one that he called "fabled history", and the way it deals with elements of Venezuela's historical past. Secondly, we analyze the way Herrera Luque, while crafting an undoubtedly historical narrative, also analyzes many elements of the Venezuelan idiosyncrasy and identity through the illustration of colonial life in the nation, in particular within the oligarchic social class known as mantuanos, …

More Than Words: Rhetorical Devices In American Political Cartoons, Lawrence Ray Bush

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that literary theory applied to political cartoons shows that cartoons are reasoned arguments. The rhetorical devices used in the cartoons mimic verbal devices used by essayists. These devices, in turn, make cartoons influential in that they have the power to persuade readers while making them laugh or smile. It also gives examples of literary theorists whose works can be applied to political cartooning, including Frederick Saussure, Mikhail Bakhtin, and Wolfgang Iser. Not only do those theorists' arguments apply to text, they also apply to pictorial representations.

This thesis also discusses changes in the cartoon art form over …

Member Perceptions Of Informal Science Institutions Graduate Certificate Program: Case Study Of A Community Of Practice, Lois A. Ball

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This research attempted to understand the experiences of a cohort of informal and formal science educators and informal science institution (ISI) community representatives during and after completion of a pilot graduate certificate program. Informal science educators (ISEs) find limited opportunities for professional development and support which influence their contributions to America's science literacy and school science education. This emergent design nested case study described how an innovative program provided professional development and enabled growth in participants' abilities to contribute to science literacy. Data were collected through interviews, participant observations, and class artifacts. The program by design and constituency was …

Don't Blame It On My Ovaries: Exploring The Lived Experience Of Women With Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome And The Creation Of Discourse, Jennifer Lynn Ellerman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder among females of childbearing age, affecting between 6-8% of the population. It is also the most common cause of infertility. Females with PCOS may have two or more of a constellation of symptoms that can potentially leave them at odds in terms of normative ideals of femininity. This study examines how feminist theory interrogates and analyzes knowledge about the body and PCOS, integrating the lived experiences of women to provide a deeper, more meaningful understanding of what it means to be a woman with PCOS.

Novel Encapsulation Of Oxidizer Applied To Galvanic Cells: Aluminum / H2o2 Galvanic Cell As A Case Study, Marlyn Colon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The work presented in this thesis aims to address the obstacles that side reactions create in aluminum / H2O2 galvanic cells by proposing to control the cathodic reactant, H2O2, via encapsulation. Encapsulation of the cathodic reactant is achieved utilizing a non-ionic surfactant vesicle (i.e. niosome). Once encapsulated, a second control element over the cathodic reactant is provided. The use of a polymer will be implemented to achieve stability and render further control over the encapsulated H2O2 solution. Implementation of the proposed novel cathodic control system in aluminum / H2O2 galvanic cells aims to minimize aluminum consumption and increase cell efficiency. …

Design And Construction Of Functional Metal-Metalloporphyrin Frameworks, Le Meng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Porous metal-organic frameworks are a new type of functional materials with potential applications for gas storage, gas separation, catalysis, biomedical and chemical sensors. This thesis describes several porous metal-metalloporphyrin frameworks (MMPFs), which were synthesized with a series of transition metals and 5,15-bis(3,5-dicarboxyphenyl)-10,20-bis(2,6-dibromophenyl)porphine. Among these MMPFs, the cobalt MMPF (CoBrPTC) has a fcu structure, which represents the first porphyrin-based MOF with this topology. CoBrPTC was evaluated as heterogeneous catalyst and demonstrated interesting catalytic performances.

Development Of An Integrated Process Model For Algae Growth In A Photobioreactor, Mehregan Jalalizadeh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While understanding the kinetics of algae growth plays an important role in improving algae cultivation technology, none of the existing kinetic models are able to describe algae growth when more than three growth limiting factors are involved. A model was developed in this study to describe algae growth in a photobioreactor. Two expressions were proposed based on the Monod model to relate the specific growth rate of algae to the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus, inorganic carbon and light intensity in the culture media. Algal biomass concentration as a function of time was calculated by solving mass and energy balances around …

When Bad Things Happen To Good Mothers: Rethinking Motherhood Through The Single Mother Image In American Films From The 1930s To The 1970s, Tanna Alice Mancini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The single-mother figure shows up in myriad American film genres, and my thesis explores three of these genres, maternal melodrama, film noir, and horror. I argue there is a melodramatic mode that carries over from maternal melodrama to film noir and horror. This mode emphasizes emotional excess. In maternal melodrama, the emotional excess is pity. For film noir, the emotion is anxiety, and in horror, it is repulsion. Even though each genre has its own emotional excess, maternal melodrama still speaks to these other genres through its maternal sacrifice, non-heteronormative families and misreading of proper gender performances. For this …

Overcoming Limitations Of Serial Audio Search, Isabela Cordeiro Ribeiro Moura Hidalgo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The typical approach for finding audio recordings, such as music and sound effects, in a database is to enter some textual information into a search field. The results appear summarized in a list of textual descriptions of the audio files along with a function for playing back the recordings. Exploring such a list sequentially is a time-consuming and tedious way to search for sounds. This research evaluates whether searching for audio information can become more effective with a user interface capable of presenting multiple audio streams simultaneously.

A prototype audio player was developed with a user interface suitable for both …

Out Of Our Depth: Hyper-Extensionality And The Return Of Three-Dimensional Media, Justin Alan Brecese

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work theorizes the contemporary attraction to three-dimensional media. In doing so, it reframes ongoing debates surrounding digital three-dimensional media in order to critique the neoliberal social relations such media engender. I argue that the contemporary interest in dimensionality, especially regarding digital media, is symptomatic of a broad cultural shift, wherein millions of lives are now essentially being lived through two-dimensional, "flat" media, which have consequently generated a lack of spatial relationships and a craving or desire for "depth." This "desire for depth" has arisen in contemporary society because people are being "spread too thin" through a combination of the …

It's A Support Club, Not A Sex Club: Narration Strategies And Discourse Coalitions In High School Gay-Straight Alliance Club Controversies, Skyler Lauderdale

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School reform efforts, such as those to form high school gay-straight alliance clubs (GSAs), are often met with resistance by school personnel and local community members. Using a sample of newspaper articles related to school reform GSA controversies in two Southern states (N=83) drawn from an initial sampling frame of GSA controversies receiving newspaper coverage between January 2006 and August 2011 (N=631), I use narrative analysis-- including a discourse coalitions approach--to identify common themes of resistance in the narration of characters, plot, setting, and morals which GSA members and allies must overcome to successfully form GSAs. Substantively, I locate four …

Performances Of Gender And Sexuality In Extreme Sports Culture, Carly Michelle Gieseler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to expose the strategies through which extreme sports constitute gender through exaggeration, parody, queering, resistance, and transcendence of normative gendered binaries. I interrogate how extreme sports operate on the margins of sport, gender, media, and lived experience to better understand the processes and performances that retain, reinforce, and resist our notions of normative gender, bodies, and sexuality. Starting with the claim that performance is constitutive of gender and culture, I will focus on how extreme sporting performances create significant commentaries on mainstream assumptions surrounding sporting gender, sexuality, and corporeality.

These commentaries function in extreme …

A Novel Ultrasonic Method To Quantify Bolt Tension, Jairo Andres Martinez Garcia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The threaded fasteners are one of the most versatile methods for assembly of structural components. For example, in bridges large bolts are used to fix base columns and small bolts are used to support access ladders. Naturally not all bolts are critical for the operation of the structure. Fasteners loaded with small forces and present in large quantities do not receive the same treatment as the critical bolts. Typical maintenance operations such tension measurements, internal stress checking or monitoring of crack development are not practical due to cost and time constrains. Although failure of a single non-critical fastener is not …

Compound-Specific Stable Isotopic Analysis Of Protein Amino Acids: Ecological Applications In Modern And Ancient Systems, Greg Ellis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotopic analysis of the major biochemically important elements is an increasingly utilized tool in the study of ecology. Patterns of isotopic fractionation in carbon and nitrogen are used to determine trophic linkages, nutrient pathways, and sources of primary production in numerous contexts. Traditional techniques rely on measurements made of bulk samples such as tissue, but emerging methods using individual chemical compounds provide a means of achieving deeper understanding in a variety of inquiries.

Amino acids, as the building blocks of proteins, are the dominant nitrogen-bearing biomolecules and are a major constituent of all life. Patterns of isotopic fractionation during …

Hurricane Preparedness Of Community-Dwelling Dementia Caregivers In South Florida, Janelle J. Christensen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation is to explore how informal caregivers for people with dementia (PWD), who are community dwelling (i.e., not in nursing homes), prepare and plan for disasters. The research site is a particularly hurricane-prone region of Florida, second only to New Orleans in its vulnerability. An underlying assumption of this research is that caregivers for PWD have to plan and anticipate problems that are unique to their role. The rationale for the study described here is that disaster planning and mitigation save lives (Tengs et al. 1995), but there is little or no literature on disaster planning …

Evaluation Of Urinary Pesticide Biomarkers Among A Sample Of The Population In The United States, Alex Lance Lebeau

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pesticide use in the United States continues to attract negative public attention. In recent years, this attention has focused on the effects that chronic, low-level pesticides may have, especially on children and various sub-populations. Over the past decade, studies have attempted to correlate negative health effects with detections of pesticide biomarkers in biological media. The current research investigates biomarker of exposure levels in a sample of the United States population. Data from the 2001-2002 NHANES dataset (n=11,039) was evaluated. The detection frequency of urinary biomarkers of exposure and the geometric mean from the NHANES pesticide dataset (n=3,152) were determined. Of …

Water Quality Monitoring In A Pilot Marine Integrated Aquaculture System, Alex W. Kruglick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Land based aquaculture systems are growing in popularity, and there is a drive to improve the efficiency of their energy and water systems for both economic and environmental benefit. Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) generally refer to systems that recycle their wastewater streams to be more or less a zero discharge facility. A more sustainable approach is emerging in the form of Integrated Aquaculture Systems (IAS) where maximum utility is realized from the various components so that fresh water use is reduced, water quality is improved, energy use is reduced, and new markets are created or fulfilled. Under a grant from …

The Causes And Effects Of Get Tough: A Look At How Tough-On-Crime Policies Rose To The Agenda And An Examination Of Their Effects On Prison Populations And Crime, Cheyenne Morales Harty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The paper analyzes the rise of get-tough crime legislation to the American public policy agenda and examines the effects of these policies on crime and inmate populations. Get-tough policies analyzed include sentencing reform, the War on Drugs and collateral consequences. Because there is no empirical literature on the effect of collateral consequences on crime, the paper employed an OLS regression model partly derived from institutional anomie theory to test for criminogenic effects. The study then employed OLS regression analysis to determine the affect of these independent variables on crime rates in each of the 50 states. The study concluded that …

Renegotiating Identities, Cultures And Histories: Oppositional Looking In Shelley Niro's "This Land Is Mime Land", Jennifer Danielle Mccall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My master's thesis explores the photographic series "This Land is Mime Land," which Shelley Niro made in 1992. Despite this work's complex form and structure, there are currently no sustained studies of this series alone, or books solely dedicated to Niro's art. Instead, "Mime Land" is often discussed in compilations that address a number of Native artists, Western feminist practices, or multiple works in Niro's oeuvre. My thesis fills this gap, as I closely investigate how "Mime Land" asks the viewer to look at visual culture, histories and Niro herself. Bell hooks's definition of the "oppositional gaze" - meaning a …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanocomposites For Electrochemical Capacitors, Farah Alvi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Presently there are deep concerns over the environmental consequences and the consumption of non-renewable energy sources, with the accelerated greenhouse effect, triggered enormous interest in the use of renewable energy sources e.g., solar, hydropower, wind and geothermal. However the intermittent nature of harvesting renewable energy sources has recently gained considerable attention in the alternative reliable, cost effective, and environmentally friendly energy storage devices. The supercapacitor and lithium ion batteries are considered more efficient electrical energy storage devices than conventional energy storage systems.

Both devices have many useful and important applications; they could be an excellent source for high power and …

Impact Of Bullying Prevention Training On The Knowledge, Attitude, And Behavior Of Pre-Education Majors (Future Trainers), Seriashia J. Chatters

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a persistent problem that negatively affects the academic performance, and the psychological, social, and emotional well-being of targeted students. Research indicates most bullying is prejudice-based. Bullying and prejudice reduction interventions used in school systems encourage empathy towards the target student to reduce these behaviors, and current national and international interventions recommend focusing on bullies, targets (or victims), and bystanders. Interventions are conducted by individuals (trainers) trained to implement such programs, a model known as train-the-trainer. Teachers and pre-education majors usually volunteer to become trainers. Effectiveness of interventions may depend on the trainees' knowledge, empathy, and adherence to the …

The Effects Of Oxygen On The Electrophysiology Of Co2/H+-Chemosensitive And -Insensitive Neurons Of The Solitary Complex Of The Rat, Michael Patrick Matott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study tested the hypothesis that decreasing the control O₂ level from 95% to 40% (5% CO₂ + 55% N₂) maintains viability in caudal solitary complex (cSC) neurons in transverse slices (~300-400ꝳ) prepared from neonatal rat (P2-22) maintained at 32-34°C. The underlying rationale is to reduce exposure to redox and nitrosative stimuli generated during several hours of exposure to 95% O₂ that produces a tissue O₂ tension throughout the slice which is in excess of 203 kPa (2.0 atmospheres absolute,ATA) oxygen. Whole cell recordings of cSC neurons maintained in 40% O₂ exhibited spontaneous …

Optimization Of Bio-Impedance Sensor For Enhanced Detection And Characterization Of Adherent Cells, Dorielle T. Price

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research focuses on the detection and characterization of cells using

impedance-based techniques to understand the behavior and response of cells to internal/environmental changes. In combination with impedimetric sensing techniques, the biosensors in this work allow rapid, label-free, quantitative measurements and are very sensitive to changes in environment and cell morphology. The biosensor design and measurement setup is optimized to detect and differentiate cancer cells and healthy (normal) cells. The outcome of this work will provide a foundation for enhanced 3-dimensional tumor analysis and characterization; thus creating an avenue for earlier cancer detection and reduced healthcare costs.

The magnitude of …

Influence Of Stress And Cytokinic Profiles On Cognitive Performance In Older Adults, Kerri S. Rawson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

With aging, changes in the immune system, makes cognitive performance, and the prevalence of stressors can lead to poorer overall functioning. Within the immune system, a balance should exist between cytokines regulating Th1 and Th2 immune responses; however, age-related declines in the endocrine and immune systems can disrupt this equilibrium. Several studies report higher levels of Th1 associated cytokines in inflammatory conditions of the brain, whereas fewer studies remark on Th2 associated cytokines and cognitive functioning. Declining cognitive abilities are a common concern that accompanies advancing age and some research has suggested the prevalence and impact of stressors lead …

Extraction Of Text Objects In Image And Video Documents, Jing Zhang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The popularity of digital image and video is increasing rapidly. To help users navigate libraries of image and video, Content Based Information Retrieval (CBIR) system that can automatically index image and video documents are needed. However, due to the semantic gap between low-level machine descriptors and high-level semantic descriptors, the existing CBIR systems are still far from perfect. Text embedded in multi-media data, as a well-defined model of concepts for humans' communication, contains much semantic information related to the content. This text information can provide a much truer form of content-based access to the image and video documents if it …

A Deadly Way Of Doing Business: A Case Study Of Corporate Crime In The Coal Mining Industry, Charles Nickolas Stickeler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To this point, research on corporate crime has been, for the most part, overlooked by mainstream criminology. In particular, corporate violations of safety regulations in the coal mining industry have yet to be studied within the field of criminology. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the crimes of a coal mining corporation, a corporation whose business decisions led to the worst coal mining disaster in forty years, along with the deaths of twenty-nine men. This thesis will utilize a case study format in order to illustrate the crimes committed by this corporation. Previous literature covering the history of …