Digital Commons Network^™

Contextualizing Obesity Among Latino Farmworkers: A Critical Analysis Of Structural And Cultural Processes Affecting Farmworker Health And Nutrition In Central Florida, Melissa H. Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers play a critical role in the U.S. economy, producing food for the American public, while their suffering is often rendered invisible by their existence on the margins of society. The low wages associated with farm labor combined with the largely undocumented status of this population severely limits access to food, housing, and health care, resulting in poor health outcomes. Through the use of a critical anthropological approach, this research examines the social, cultural, political, and economic context of obesity among Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Central Florida. Ethnographic research methods were used to explore perceptions …

A Retrospective Analysis Of The Potential Environmental Stressors Responsible For The Decline Of The Natural Populations Of The Florida Apple Snail (Pomacea Paludosa) In The A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Shannon Ladd

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to determine the factors that contributed to the decline of Florida apple snail (Pomacea paludosa) populations in the A.R.M. Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge with the goal of devising management recommendations to the Refuge regarding population management strategies. The factors examined that could have potentially contributed to population decline include the use of copper-based herbicides, insecticide application, the occurrence of drought, the use of other herbicides, the occurrence of fire, and non-avian predation. Annual Narrative documents produced by Refuge managers and staff members, dated from 1951 to 2007, were used to collect historical data for …

Finite Element Analysis Of Thermoelectric Systems With Applications In Self Assembly And Haptics, Patrick T. Mcknight

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Micro-scale self assembly is an attractive method for manufacturing sub-millimeter sized thermoelectric device parts. Challenges controlling assembly yield rates, however, have caused research to find novel ways to implement the process while still resulting in a working device. While a typical system uses single n-type and p-type material elements in series, one method used to increase the probability of a working device involves adding redundant parallel elements in clusters. The drawback to this technique is that thermal performance is affected in clusters which have missing elements. While one-dimensional modeling sufficiently describes overall performance in terms of average junction temperatures and …

Plasma Mediated Molecular Delivery, Richard J. Connolly

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Non-viral delivery of plasmid DNA has traditionally relied upon physical forces applied directly to target tissues. These physical methods typically involve contact between an applicator and the target tissue and often cause transient patient discomfort. To overcome the contact-dependent limitations of such delivery methodologies, an atmospheric direct current plasma source was developed to deposit ionized gas molecules onto localized treatment sites. The deposition of charged species onto a treatment site can lead to the establishment of an electric field with strengths similar to those used for traditional electroporation. In vitro experiments proved that this technology could transiently permeabilize cell membranes …

Enhancing Virus Surveillance Through Metagenomics: Water Quality And Public Health Applications, Karyna Rosario-Cora

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Monitoring viruses circulating in the human population and the environment is critical for protecting public and ecosystem health. The goal of this dissertation was to incorporate a viral metagenomic approach into virus surveillance efforts (both clinical and water quality control programs) to enhance traditional virus detection methods.

Clinical surveillance programs are designed to identify and monitor etiological agents that cause disease. However, the ability to identify viruses may be compromised when novel or unsuspected viruses are causing infection since traditional virus detection methods target specific known pathogens. Here we describe the successful application of viral metagenomics in a clinical setting …

Ernest Hemingway’S Mistresses And Wives: Exploring Their Impact On His Female Characters, Stephen E. Henrichon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Conflicted” succinctly describes Ernest Hemingway. He had a strong desire to make his parents proud of him but this was in constant conflict with his need to tell a story, warts and all. Of particular importance is his relationship with his mother and the crippling effect it has on his relationships with women. Hemingway’s life becomes a series of dysfunctional relationships that fail to meet his needs, leaving him perpetually searching for the right woman. Kert posits that Hemingway’s contempt for women is related to his inability to make the transition from lover to husband, fueled by Hemingway’s belief that …

Rethinking Ethical Naturalism: The Implications Of Developmental Systems Theory, Jared J.. Kinggard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biological research has the capacity to inform ethical discussions. There are numerous questions about the nature of sexual orientation, intelligence, gender identity, etc., and many of these questions are commonly approached with the benefit of implicit or explicit biological commitments. The answers to these sorts of questions can have a powerful impact on social, ethical, and political positions. In this project I examine the prospect of naturalizing ethics under the umbrella of developmental systems theory (DST). If one is committed to DST, then those ideas involved in DST that steer biological research will also have implications for ethics. There has …

Puerperal Fever In Britain: Failed Models Of Disease Causation, Jessica Wells

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain, a bacterial infection which we now

know to be caused primarily by a streptococcus, was killing women in childbirth at an

alarming rate. The disease, called puerperal, or childbed, fever, was being transmitted

primarily from doctor to patient by a doctor’s unwashed hands and filthy, contaminated

clothing and linens. Despite this evident and, in retrospect, obvious vector, the doctors of

this period never discovered how to prevent their patients from dying a gruesome and

painful death. Many physicians wrote extensive accounts of the illness but often ended

their works in despair, unable to find the …

Carbon Nanotube Enhanced Maldi Ms: Increasing Sensitivity Through Sample Concentration, Joshua Schumacher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is a technique used in mass spectrometry for the ionization of biomolecules. A matrix solution is mixed with the analyte molecules to be investigated, and then spotted onto a specialized MALDI plate. The solvents evaporate leaving only the re-crystallized matrix with analyte dispersed throughout the crystals. Sample ionization is accomplished with a laser in the MALDI instrument. The spot diameter of the target is usually several orders of magnitude larger than the diameter of the laser, making it necessary to perform multiple laser investigations to accurately evaluate the analyte in the target spot.

Experiments were performed …

Evaluation Of Oncology Nurses' Knowledge, Practice Behaviors, And Confidence Specific To Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Rebecca Denise Mcallister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) remains one of the most serious and challenging symptoms oncology nurses encounter in caring for patients receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy. CIPN is under-addressed, under-reported, and symptoms are minimized by healthcare providers, which adversely affect patient quality of life, physical function, and emotional well-being. There is an absence of research examining nurses’ knowledge and practice behaviors related to CIPN. The purpose of this study was to explore oncology nurses knowledge, practice behaviors, confidence, and the relationship between education, experience, and knowledge specific to CIPN.

Data was collected at Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Chapter meetings throughout central and …

Topics In Random Knots And R-Matrices From Frobenius Algebras, Enver Karadayi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, we study two areas of interest in knot theory: Random knots in the unit cube, and the Yang-Baxter solutions constructed from Frobenius algebras.

The study of random knots can be thought of as a model of DNA strings situated in confinement. A random knot with n vertices is a polygonal loop formed by selecting n distinct points in the unit cube, for a positive integer n, and connecting these points by straight line segments successively, such that the last point selected is joined with the first one. We present a step by step description of our algorithm …

Examination Of The Effect Of Child Abuse Case Characteristics On The Time A Caseworker Devotes To A Case, Christopher J. Card

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study used an explanatory research model that determined the effect on caseworker time and therefore workload caused by specific characteristics of cases assigned after the child abuse investigation is complete. The purpose of this study was to explain the relationship between child protection case characteristics and the time an assigned caseworker devotes to a case. With this knowledge an informed methodology to assess the current workload of a caseworker could be used to assure that the caseworker is able to successfully complete the tasks required for each child assigned. Further, the knowledge of the amount of time spent on …

Characterization Of The Role Of Nicotine And Delta 9-Thc In Modulation Of Neuroinflammation, Jared C. Ehrhart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neuroinflammation is a major driving force in the progression of neurodegenerative disorders. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, as well as cannabinoid CB2 receptors, have been shown to have strong anti-inflammatory properties when activated. These effects are shown, in vivo, to be a result of stimulation of α7 nAChRs and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. Microglia cells, an immune cell in the brain, are shown to express both of these receptor subtypes. The studies detailed herein, investigated the ability of two compounds, nicotine and Δ9-THC, in modulation of inflammatory processes. Stimulation of these receptors on microglia using nicotine and Δ9-THC blocked the activation of these …

The Use Of Proteomic Techniques To Study The Physiology And Virulence Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Frances Rivera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus

is a bacterial pathogen that is believed to be the most common agent of human infectious disease, causing conditions ranging from common skin lesions to life-threatening illnesses. S. aureus has also shown a remarkable ability to develop resistance to antimicrobial treatment, making infections difficult to treat. In the post-genomic era, proteomic studies analyzing the protein complement of a genome in a particular organism at any given time, have gained real significance. This result is largely due to dynamic changes in protein expression profiles which can lead wide alterations in physiology and behavior. For proteomics, it is necessary to …

Design And Fabrication Of A Membrane Integrated Microfluidic Cell Culture Device Suitable For High-Resolution Imaging, Alla A. Epshteyn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Malaria remains a serious concern for people living and traveling to warm climates in Africa, Asia, and some parts of America. Understanding the mechanism of the malaria parasite in the liver phase could lead to important discoveries for preventative and treatment therapeutics before the disease develops into the blood stage. While in vitro liver cell culture models have been explored, a device that mimics the liver cell architecture with the capability of high-resolution imaging has never been created. In this research, a cell culture microfluidic device was designed and fabricated with a membrane integrated design to mimic the architecture of …

Continuous Electrowetting Actuation Utilizing Current Rectification Properties Of Valve Metal Films, Corey M. Lynch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) is a technique for reducing the apparent contact angle of a fluid droplet, which has many promising applications in the fields of optics, digital displays, and lab-on-a-chip research. In this thesis, a design is presented for a novel single circuit device for achieving continuous droplet motion, by using the current-rectifying properties of valve metals to create diode-like behavior. This contrasts with existing designs, which require an array of individual electrodes to achieve motion in discrete steps. We are able to demonstrate continuous droplet motion across a 28mm-long test strip with an applied voltage of 303 V …

A Novel Approach To X-Ray Mirror Bending Stability And Control, Michael Weinbaum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A novel, no-contact approach to X-ray mirror bending control is presented here,

proposed for use on the beamlines of the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL)

project. A set of mirrors with tunable bending radii are desired, that will maintain their

optical properties even as the beam incidence causes local heating. Various mechanical

bending mechanisms have been proposed and used on other beamlines, which can take up

a lot of physical space, demanding more vacuum power, while using expensive high

precision servomotors. Rather than bend the mirror by mechanical means, it is proposed

to heat the mirror to produce the …

Investigating The Mode Of Action Of A Novel N-Sec-Butylthiolated Beta-Lactam Against Staphylococcus Aureus, Katherine Rose Prosen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

N-sec

-butylthioloated β-lactam (NsβL) is a novel beta-lactam antimicrobial with a mechanism of action proposed to inhibit 3-oxoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase (ACP) III (FabH), resulting in the inhibition of fatty acid synthesis. It has been suggested that NsβL inhibits FabH indirectly by inactivating coenzyme-A (CoA). CoA is an essential cofactor for numerous proteins involved in glycolysis, the citric acid cycle (TCA), and pyruvate metabolism, in addition to fatty acid biosynthesis. This study aimed to determine the effects of NsβL on a diverse array of laboratory and clinical Staphylococcus aureus isolates by analyzing the mode of resistance in spontaneous and adaptive …

The Design And Synthesis Of Functionalized Porphyrins And Their Applications In Group Transfer Reactions, Medicine, And Materials, Kimberly Bliss Fields

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Porphyrins and their analogs are a class of chemically and biologically important compounds that have found a variety of applications in different fields such as catalysis, medicine, and materials. The physical, chemical, and biological dependence of the peripheral substituents of porphyrins on their properties has prompted great effort towards the synthesis of new porphyrins with different electronic, steric, and conformational environments. To this end, porphyrins have been prepared using a modular approach from bromo- and triflate synthons. These synthons underwent palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling with chiral amines, amides, alcohols, and boronic esters to create products that were tested for biological activity.

Metalloporphyrins …

News Media Representations Of Women In The U.S. Military Post September 11, 2001, Colleen Krepstekies

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines newspaper portrayals produced by the

Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times of women in the military from Sept. 11, 2001, to Sept. 11, 2009. The purpose was to identify how the three nationally recognized U.S. newspapers depict women’s expanding combat roles on contemporary battlefields that lack definitive front lines. Because the news media are the primary vehicle to update the general public on military matters, how the news media portray military women can play a role in shaping audience perceptions of military women. In turn, this relationship can influence the …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Analysis Of In Vitro Selected Artemisinin Resistant Plasmodium Falciparum, Matthew Scott Tucker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Artemisinin and its derivatives provide faster clearance of parasitemia than any other antimalarial drugs and these drugs are part of frontline combination therapies in areas where drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum exists. Clinical resistance to artemisinins is emerging on the Thailand-Cambodia border, making it imperative to investigate mechanisms of artemisinin resistance. Previous work in our laboratory showed ring-stage parasites enter a dormant state after exposure to artemisinin. We hypothesize that this period of dormancy is directly related to recrudescence and prolonged parasite clearance times in patients, and possibly resistance. The target of artemisinin is currently unknown, and potential resistance mechanisms are not …

Gender And Cocaine Use Influence The Expression Of Urinary Markers Of Inflammation And Oxidative Stress, Marie Meagher Bourgeois

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not gender differences may be present in the expression of a number of urinary proteins which may serve as markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Males and females have different patterns of illness and different life spans, suggesting basic biological traits exert significant control on the incidence of rhabdomyolysis, renal failure, atherosclerosis, myocardial ischemia, myocardial contraction band formation, autoimmune disorders and general inflammatory diseases. Men are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease; however women, particularly elderly women, have higher fatality rates due to heart failure. Renal diseases progress far more …

An Evaluation Of The Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (Ptr) Model In A Community Preschool Setting, Laura L. Kulikowski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the use of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) model with two four-year-old children in a community preschool classroom. A multiple baseline design across activities was used to assess the teacher implementation of the behavior intervention strategies developed during the PTR team process and the changes in child problem behavior and engagement. Additional measures associated with the outcomes, such as researcher procedural integrity and social validity were assessed. The results suggest that the team of teachers were able to implement the PTR intervention with fidelity, which resulted in a decrease in the children’s problem behavior and an increase in their …

The Relationship Between Knowledge And Beliefs About Human Papillomavirus, Acceptance Of The Human Papillomavirus Vaccine, And Intentions To Practice Safer Sex Behaviors Among Female College Students, Theresa Scorcia-Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to be highly prevalent among young women, and STIs continue to be a challenging health issue on college campuses. Studies have shown that the highest prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) is among young adult women, ages 20 to 24, including female college students. While the HPV vaccine has proven to be highly effective in preventing certain high-risk types of HPV, it is not effective in preventing all types of HPV or other STIs. Practicing other safer sex behaviors, in addition to condom use, also can help individuals protect themselves and their partners from …

A Stella Model For Integrated Algal Biofuel Production And Wastewater Treatment, Ivy Cormier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Based on a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Tampa, FL, a dynamic multiple-systems model was developed on the STELLA software platform to explore algae biomass production in wastewater by incorporating two photobioreactors into the WWTP‟s treatment train. Using a mass balance approach, the model examined the synergy through algal growth and substrate removal kinetics, as well as macroeconomic-level analyses of algal biomass conversion to biodiesel, biogas, or fertilizer. A sensitivity analysis showed that biomass production is highly dependent on Monod variables and harvesting regime, and profitability was sensitive to processing costs, market prices of products, and energy environment. The …

Molecular Mechanism Of Agc Kinases In Human Malignant, Shaokun Shu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The maintenance of normal cell function and tissue homeostasis is dependent on the precise regulation of multiple signaling pathways that control cellular decisions to either proliferate, differentiate, arrest cell growth, or initiate programmed cell death (apoptosis). Cancer arises when clones of mutated cells escape this balance and proliferate inappropriately without compensatory apoptosis. Deregulated cell growth occurs as a result of perturbed signal transduction that modulates or alters cellular behavior or function to keep the critical balance between the rate of cell-cycle progression (cell division) and cell growth (cell mass) on one hand, and programmed cell death (apoptosis, autophagy) on the …

Queering Cognition: Extended Minds And Sociotechnologically Hybridized Gender, Michele Merritt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the last forty years, significant developments in neuroscience, psychology, and robotic technology have been cause for major trend changes in the philosophy of mind. One such shift has been the reallocation of focus from entirely brain-centered theories of mind to more embodied, embedded, and even extended answers to the questions,

what are cognitive processes and where do we find such phenomena? Given that hypotheses such as Clark and Chalmers‘ (1998) Extended Mind or Hutto‘s (2006) Radical Enactivism, systematically undermine the organism-bound, internal, and static pictures of minds and allow instead for the distribution of cognitive processes among brains, bodies, …

Contemporary Afro-Cuban Voices In Tampa: Reclaiming Heritage In “America’S Next Greatest City”, Linda M. Callejas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents findings from ethnographic research conducted with members of the Sociedad La Unión Martí-Maceo, established by segregated Black Cuban cigar workers in Ybor City in 1904. For decades, Tampa officials have initiated numerous urban revitalization projects aimed at developing a world-class tourist destination and metropolitan center. Often, these efforts have centered on highlighting the ethnic history of Ybor City, from which the participation of Black Cubans and the Martí-Maceo Society have been actively excluded or ignored. The main issues related to contemporary Afro- Cuban identity in Tampa and which will be examined in my dissertation, include the changing …

The Biocomplexity Of Benthic Communities Associated With A Shallow-Water Hydrothermal System In Papua New Guinea, David J. Karlen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Shallow-water hydrothermal vents occur world-wide in regions of volcanic activity. The vents located at Tutum Bay, Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea are unique in that the vent fluids and surrounding sediments contain some of the highest concentrations of arsenic in a natural system. This study addresses the effects of the vent system on the benthic communities, focusing on the eukaryotes, macrofauna, meiofauna and bacteria.

Samples were collected in November 2003 and May/June 2005. Analysis of the 2003 macrofaunal samples indicated that pH, rather than arsenic was influencing the benthic community, and that the hydrothermal influence occurred at a greater distance …

Body Depilation Among Women And Men: The Association Of Body Hair Reduction Or Removal With Body Satisfaction, Appearance Comparison, Body Image Disturbance, And Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptomatology, Michael Scott Boroughs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Body depilation, or the reduction or removal of body hair, is a relatively new area of research inquiry. Although women in many industrialized cultures have engaged in depilation for several decades, this behavior has been documented only recently among men. Though originally thought to be widely practiced by women and only a small proportion of men, including athletes or bodybuilders, recent studies suggest that more men engage in body depilation than previously hypothesized. In fact, one recent study estimated the prevalence of men's body depilation at 83.7% which suggests that men are depilating at rates similar to women. Nevertheless sparse …