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An Exploratory Case Study Of Hospitality Students’ Perceptions Of Experiential Learning, Joe Askren

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how students described the curriculum in the Introduction to Food Production class and how they perceived the curriculum prepared them for their future in the hospitality industry. The exploratory questions that guided the study were how do students describe the experiential learning curriculum in the Introduction to Food Production course, what ways do students perceive the curriculum in the Introduction to Food Production course prepares them for their future in hospitality industry, and what changes in the curriculum do students think might improve the Introduction to Food Production course and why? The …

An Exploration Of Self-Compassion And Wellness Behaviors Among Practicing School Counselors, Anjanette Todd

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to the American School Counseling Association (ASCA, 2010), school counselors are charged with meeting the academic, social/emotional and career needs of all students (2010). In addition, school counselors serve as the front line in dealing with trauma and crisis in their schools. Those counselors who understand the importance of their own wellness and practice healthy lifestyle behaviors are better equipped to meet these demands.

Unfortunately, not all school counselors are practicing what they advocate for their students relative to promoting wellness in their own lives (O'Halloran & Linton, 2000). This lack of congruence, where school counselors are not modeling …

The Sustainability Of Career And Technical Education Teacher Preparation Programs In Florida, Lisa Martino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a historical trend of decline in available Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher Preparation programs and an increase in CTE course and program enrollments in Florida’s secondary school system. This contradiction in CTE teacher supply and demand raises an important question. What is going on? More specifically, what sustains the remaining programs in the face of this decline?

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore sustainability factors from past and present CTE teacher preparation program educators and administrators to gain a better understanding of this issue. The participant selection for this study was identified from four …

Acute Kidney Injury And Chronic Kidney Disease, Jin Wei

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ischemia and reperfusion are natural steps during kidney transplantation, and IRI is considered one of the most important nonspecific factors affecting allograft dysfunction. Transplanted organs experience several episodes of ischemia, in which cold ischemia occurs during allograft storage in preservation solutions.

Even though cold ischemia has been studied extensively, all of the studies have been carried out in vitro and ex vivo models. There is no in vivo model available to examine renal IRI induced solely by cold ischemia.

In the present study, we developed an in vivo mouse model to study renal IRI induced exclusively by cold ischemia through …

Poverty In The Land Of Plenty? Deconstructing Role Of Community-Based Organizations In A Small Community, John Kevin Trainor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using the lens of a community-based childhood obesity intervention, it is possible to examine the role of non-profit organizations in community development and to deconstruct the “community” in community-based research and identify the many competing interests within a community. This contextual understanding includes how the community is formed, how a community’s agenda is set, and who will complete the tasks outlined in that agenda. In applied anthropological settings and public health interventions that are community-based, it is essential to understand the context of community and which community (or communities) the researcher is working with to ensure that the data you …

Volunteer Tourism: Fulfilling The Needs For God And Medicine In Latin America, Erin Howell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to understand how short-term medical missions fulfill health needs for their recipients in Honduras, and how in turn, mission participants experience need fulfillment as well. By using the theoretical concept of co-construction of health to see how health needs are or are not met, I conducted a thematic analysis of the Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI) resulting in the following themes: 1.) Mission workers receive fulfillment from their experiences in the mission field. 2.) Mission recipients receive partial fulfillment of needs from the mission. 3). Through a calling, missions are a means to an end. …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Goal Setting And Textual Feedback Using A Wearable Technology For Increasing Running Distance, Michael Zarate

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a growing problem that has life-threatening health consequences. One way to combat obesity is by increasing physical activity levels, which has been a focus of recent applied behavioral research. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of goal setting and textual feedback without social support to increase physical activity, specifically weekly running distance. A multiple-baseline across participants design was employed with four participants using a Fitbit Flex accelerometer to collect two physical activity measures, intense steps and distance. Results showed a significant increase in weekly running distance for two out of four participants following the …

Consistency Of Structural Color Across Molts: The Effects Of Environmental Conditions And Stress On Feather Ultraviolet Reflectance, Rebecca Lynn Windsor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Across avian systems, plumage ornamentation is often considered a signal of individual fitness, condition, sex, or status, and varies due to genetics or environmental sources. In species with structural coloration, plumage variation results from differences in the amount of energy allocated to feather growth during molt, presenting a unique opportunity to study the link between individual quality and ornamentation. In cooperative breeding species, such as the Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), the role of structural color as a signal is particularly important because helpers may delay breeding for one to several years and competition for space is high. Florida Scrub-Jay juveniles …

Reducing Caregiver Burden: Fostering Healthy Aging And Social Support, Maria A. Rodriguez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over 43.5 million Americans provide informal care to a fast-growing elderly population in the United States. Informal care allows care-recipients to remain functional members of society. However, research suggests that the demands of informal care can negatively impact the health of caregivers. For example, caregiver burden increases the risk for poor health in caregivers compared to non-caregivers. Caregiving research is on the rise, but the dynamics of informal care in active retirement communities remains widely unexplored. To provide adequate services to lessen caregiver burden and improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of informal caregivers, the various settings in which informal …

Social Supports, Stress And Birth Outcomes Among Latina Mothers In Pinellas County, Florida, Maridelys Detres

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social supports are linked in public health research to improved birth outcomes. This study explored the relationship of social supports, stress and birth outcomes among pregnant Latinas in Pinellas County, Florida. A sample of 411 Healthy Start women at risk of poor birth outcomes participated in this study (99 Latinas, 142 Black, and 158 White). Study methods included ANOVA, Principal Component Analysis, multivariable regression, logistic regression, and structural equation modeling to identify significant associations between social support scores, stress scores, demographics and health risk factors with infant birth weight, preterm and small for gestational age by ethnic group. Study findings …

Neighborhood Deprivation, Food Insecurity And Gestational Weight Gain, Sabrina Luke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gestational weight gain outside the recommended ranges puts women at risk for pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. Food insecurity and environmental factors including neighborhood deprivation may influence gestational weight gain. This research 1) examines the impact of neighborhood deprivation on gestational weight gain, 2) identifies if the association varies by selected maternal characteristics, 3) examines the relationship between food insecurity and gestational weight gain, 4) determines if stress mediates the relationship between food insecurity and gestational weight gain, and 5) examines whether selected maternal characteristics mediate this relationship. The research was conducted through the analysis of the Pregnancy Risk …

The Effects Of Synthetic And Dietary Therapeutics On Learning, Memory, Motor Coordination, And Seizure In An Angelman Syndrome Mouse Model, Stephanie Lynn Ciarlone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic and neurological disorder presenting with severe developmental delay, ataxia, epilepsy, and lack of speech. AS is associated with a neuron-specific loss of function of the maternal UBE3A allele, a gene encoding an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Currently, no cure exists for this disorder; however, recent research using an AS mouse model suggests that pharmacological intervention is plausible, and can alleviate some of the detrimental phenotypes reported in AS patients.

Although there is no curative treatment for AS, seizure medication and behavioral therapies are most commonly prescribed in order to minimize symptoms. However, these options …

Constituting Agricultural And Food Policy In Malawi: The Role Of The State And International Donors In The Farm Input Subsidy Program (Fisp), Peter Rock Nkhoma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies have been undertaken on the political economy of agricultural policies in developing countries. These studies have explained agricultural policies in terms of urban bias, economic reforms, and domestic politics. Recently, the emphasis has been on explanations that reference the existence of a rational-legal and patronage element within the African state. Such explanations tend to underplay the extent to which agricultural policies are devised in a context of power asymmetries between the state and international donors or financial institutions. In the Malawian context specifically, limited attention has been paid to the possibility that policies are a negotiated outcome of …

Efficiency Of An Unbalanced Design In Collecting Time To Event Data With Interval Censoring, Peiyao Cheng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In longitudinal studies, the exact timing of an event often cannot be observed, and is usually detected at a subsequent visit, which is called interval censoring. Spacing of the visits is important when designing study with interval censored data. In a typical longitudinal study, the spacing of visits is usually the same across all subjects (balanced design). In this dissertation, I propose an unbalanced design: subjects at baseline are divided into a high risk group and a low risk group based on a risk factor, and the subjects in the high risk group are followed more frequently than those in …

Association Between Folate Levels And Preterm Birth In Tampa, Florida, Carolyn Heeraman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Preterm birth is one of the leading causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity and poses extensive economic liability. The rate of preterm births globally is approximately 11.1%, and in the US, the preterm birth rate has been estimated to be 12-13%. Folate and B₁₂ requirements increase during pregnancy as a result of increased cell division to accommodate maternal and fetal growth; inadequate levels can result in placental abnormalities and thus present implications for preterm birth.

Objective: To investigate the association between red blood cell (RBC) folate and B₁₂ concentrations with the risk of preterm birth.

Methods: Study …

Hiv/Stis And Intimate Partner Violence: Results From The Togo 2013-2014 Demographic And Health Surveys, Anthony H. Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Among clinic based studies, intimate partner violence (IPV) has been shown to contribute to HIV/AIDS among young girls and women. Results from studies among the general population have been less consistent. This study evaluated the associations between HIV infection, any sexually transmitted infections, and IPV in a population based sample of Togolese women.

Methods: Data from the Togo 2013-2014 Demographic and Health Surveys were utilized for these analyses. Women aged 15-49 who were currently married, had HIV test results and answered the Domestic Violence Module were analyzed (n = 2386). Generalized linear mixed-models adjusting for sociodemographic variables, risk behaviors, …

Contextual Factors And The Syndemic Of Alcohol Use And Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men, Humberto López Castillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 1990s with the AIDS pandemic, there has been an increasing interest on the importance of risky sexual behaviors, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). An important antecedent for these behaviors is alcohol use. Studies consistently show an increased frequency of both alcohol use and risky sexual behaviors in MSM populations. However, to date, there has not been a precise estimate of the effect size in these diverse populations and a consistent way to measure it. More so, the importance of context is often cited as a source of variability, but is rarely measured in …

Examining Content Validity Of The Nurse Competence Scale In The United States, Jessica B. Shearer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nursing competence is a necessity as it affects public health, safety and welfare; however there are very few reliable and valid tools that measure nursing competence. The Nurse Competence Scale has been used in many different countries outside of the United States and is based on Benner’s Novice to Expert theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the content validity of the Nurse Competence Scale using a mixed methods approach. Descriptive statistics were used to report results of the frequency of use scale and the critical to practice scale. Nursing faculty indicate Prioritizing My Activities Flexibility According to …

Emotional Self-Regulation: Voices And Perspectives Of Teachers Within Diverse Socio-Cultural Contexts, Anna Paula Peixoto Da Silva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Given the importance of emotional self-regulation to a child’s ability to develop social competence and prosocial behavior, and the significant role early childhood teachers play in supporting young children’s emotional self-regulation, it is important to explore the concept from the perspective of teachers, or from the socio-cultural context through which they (i.e., teachers) make sense of the world.

This study used an exploratory case study methodology to explore the understandings of emotional self-regulation among three Head Start teachers working with varying socio-cultural contexts and to identify the socio-cultural perspectives that influenced their ability to effectively apply their understandings.

Findings indicate …

Moderation Analysis Of Bowel Function Among Nutrients And Physical Function Or Depression, As Well As Whether Bowel Function Is Related To Cognition In Older Adults, Jessie Alwerdt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As we age, the risk for gut issues, such as smooth muscle tone, may be an underlying indirect or direct cause or risk factor for many age-related issues, such as frailty. Consequences of decreased motility and depleted epithelial barrier may result in nutrient deficiencies that may increase the risk for malnutrition (Brownie, 2006). Further, there is increasing evidence that there is a gut-brain-axis relationship that may influence cognition and mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. While there are relationships established, the interconnections of these factors have yet to be fully understood.

This dissertation examined several relationships specific to …

Antimalarial Exoerythrocytic Stage Drug Discovery And Resistance Studies, Lynn Dong Blake

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria is a devastating global health issue that affects approximately 200 million people yearly and over half a million deaths are caused by this parasitic protozoan disease. Most commercially available drugs only target the blood stage form of the parasite, but the only way to ensure proper elimination is to treat the exoerythrocytic stages of the parasite development cycle. There is a demand for the discovery of new liver stage antimalarial compounds as there are only two current FDA approved drugs for the treatment of liver stage parasites, one of which fails to eliminate dormant forms and the other inducing …

Essays In Health And Development Economics, John Bosco Oryema

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines three health and development issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. It analyzes the impact of policy changes and interventions on child mortality, household food consumption and cesarean section births. The study is motivated by the Millennium Development Goals and policies which could affect their achievement. In the first essay, I investigate the impact of debt relief on under-five mortality rate. A dynamic panel data estimator is employed in the analysis. The result shows that debt relief is associated with a statistically significant reduction in under-five mortality rate. I conclude that conditionality of debt relief or development aid can yield …

Drivers Of Immune Cost And Implications For Host Protection From Parasites, Amber Jasmine Brace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Among species, populations, and individuals, there exists a tremendous amount of variation in how hosts respond to, and are thus protected from parasites. Such variation inevitably affects host-parasite dynamics and ultimately how parasites will move through and evolve in communities. A likely factor in the diversity of immune responses seen in nature are the costs associated with activation of the immune system upon exposure to parasites. Costs can manifest in many ways, including changes in resource usage or metabolism, self-damage from inflammatory reactions, lost opportunities (e.g., foraging reproduction), and often as tradeoffs with other physiological processes. However, we do not …

Monitoring And Mitigation Of Elevated Co2 Impacts Using Microalgae, Terry-Rene Wiesner Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is arguably the greatest environmental and economic challenge of our time. There are considerable documented and projected impacts to both human and natural systems as a result of climate change. These impacts include changes in temperature, sea level, precipitation patterns, and biogeography of ecologically and economically relevant species, including pathogens. One of the main drivers of climate change is elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), a greenhouse gas. Since pre-industrial times, atmospheric CO₂ levels have increased from approximately 280 ppm to over 400 ppm, as a result of fossil fuel combustion, cement production and …

Exploring The Relationship Of Healthy Lifestyle Characteristics With Food Behaviors Of Low-Income, Food Insecure Women In The United States (Us), Kimberly Ann Wollard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) self-reported surveys from 2007-2012, this research explored the relationship between four healthy lifestyle characteristics - healthy weight, adequate daily fruit and vegetable intake, regular moderate to vigorous physical activity and not smoking - with food behaviors of low-income, food insecure women. The study examined three specific food behaviors (the use of SNAP, consumption of fast foods, and the utilization of community emergency food programs) to determine if these behaviors had a significant impact on low-income, food insecure women to follow healthy lifestyle characteristics. A secondary data analysis was conducted …

Assessment Of Prolonged Occupational Exposure To Heat Stress, Ximena Garzon-Villalba Garzon-Villalba

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress is a recognized occupational hazard present in many work environments. Its effects increase with increasing environmental heat loads. There is good evidence that exertional heat illness is associated with ambient thermal conditions in outdoor environments. Further, there is reason to believe that risk of acute injury may also increase with the ambient environment. For these reasons, the assessment of heat stress, which can be done through the characterization of the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), is designed to limit exposures to those that could be sustained for an 8-h day. The ACGIH Threshold Limit Value (TLV) for heat …

Sialylation And Cardiomyocyte Complex N -Glycosylation Protect Against Dilated Cardiomyopathy And Heart Failure, Wei Deng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the third most common cause of heart failure, often associated with arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death if not controlled. Metabolic and/or environmental factors, such as alcohol abuse, obesity, diabetes and Chagas disease, alter glycoprotein glycosylation, can lead to DCM. Inherited genetic disease, such as the human congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG), causes multi-system manifestations including DCM. Non-congenital changes in glycosylation are also occurred in humans with and in animal models of DCM and heart failure. However, mechanisms responsible for glyco-dependent DCM are not understood. Here we sought to investigate the impact of sialylation and N-glycosylation …

Social Dynamics And Ceramic Mobility Of Final Bronze Age Ceramics In Corsica (France): Elemental Analysis Using A Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer, Aurelien Tafani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Corsican Bronze Age is characterized by the erection of massive stone towers, the torre, and of stone enclosures, the casteddi. While the role of these structures is still debated, they have generally been interpreted as the sign of a hierarchical society, pervaded by martial values and fragmented into competing antagonistic groups. After several centuries of stability, a sharp demographic decline occurred at the end of the Middle Bronze Age. ca. 1350 and 1200 BC. In contrast, the Final Bronze Age, between 1200 and 950 BC, is a period of continuous expansion, characterized by the appearance of new …

Diversity And Distribution Of Diatom Endosymbionts In Amphistegina Spp. (Foraminifera) Based On Molecular And Morphological Techniques, Kwasi H. Barnes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diatoms associated with foraminifers of the genus Amphistegina were assessed using a combination of morphological and molecular techniques. These included: 1) microscopic identification of diatoms cultured from the host, 2) sequencing of portions of the small subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene (18S) and the large subunit of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase [i.e., RubisCO] gene (rbcL) from DNA extracted directly from the Amphistegina hosts and also from diatoms cultured from these hosts, and 3) denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of rbcL and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) PCR amplicons from DNA extracted directly from …

Optimizing Methods For Extraction Of Organic Compounds From Molluscan Shells, Kaydee Jo West

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mollusk shells contain proteins within and between the crystals of calcium carbonate. These organic molecules play an important role in biomineralization and shell function, and their stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen are also thought to record important ecological information about the animal's diet and nutrient sources. These proteins can be preserved for millions of years, offering potential insight into pre-anthropogenic ecological conditions. However, shell organics in older shells are typically recovered in reduced abundances due to leaching and remaining organics are often converted from insoluble proteins to soluble, free amino acids, making them difficult to detect and recover. …