Digital Commons Network^™

Heat Fluxes In Tampa Bay, Florida, Kristin L. Sopkin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Meyers et al. (2007) Tampa Bay Model produces water level and three-dimensional current and salinity fields for Tampa Bay. It is capable of computing temperature but is presently run without active thermodynamics. Variations in water temperature are driven by heat exchange at the water-atmosphere boundary and advective heat flux at the mouth of the bay. The net heat exchange surface boundary condition is required for computations of three-dimensional temperature fields. Components of the surface heat budget were measured or derived at an observational tower in Middle Tampa Bay. Net heat exchange at the surface of Tampa Bay was computed …

The Role Of Rala And Ralb In Cancer, Samuel C. Falsetti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ras genes are frequently mutated in human cancers and present compelling targets for therapeutic intervention. While previous attempts to directly inhibit oncogenic Ras function have largely been unsuccessful use of targeted agents to inhibit the three primary oncogenic pathways activated by mutated Ras: RalGEF-Ral, PI3K-Akt and Raf- MEK-Erk, is an area of intense investigation. Here, we describe the ability of a novel pharmacological inhibitor of geranylgeranyltransferase I, GGTI-2417, to inhibit Ral prenylation and localization. We further used a Ral rescue system to selectively preserve RalA and RalB function and localization during GGTI-2417 treatment and determine the precise roles for inhibition …

Micro-Autoradiographic Fusion Tomography, James Merker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two-dimensional (2-D) micro-autoradiography is typically used to identify the location of a radio-labeled ligand bound to a cellular target in tissue sections. Data, such as a histological image, combined with the autoradiographic data provide a spatial relationship of the radiolabel to cellular structures. However, the disadvantage of 2-D imaging is that it only provides a local distribution of the radiolabel within a tissue slice, and not a volumetric regional distribution in the structure of interest. The development of 3-D autoradiographic/histological visualizations would provide important information not otherwise apparent, such as the ability to visualize the distribution of the labeled agents …

Impact Of West Nile Virus On The Natural History Of St. Louis Encephalitis Virus In Florida, Christy L. Ottendorfer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) has raised important questions about the capacity of the public health infrastructure to implement surveillance and control programs for WNV and other emerging or re-emerging arboviruses in the United States. Florida's mild climate supports year round enzootic transmission of WNV, St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), and Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV). It is unknown what effect the establishment of WNV (in 2001) will have on SLEV transmission in Florida, where these closely related flaviviruses share amplifying hosts, habitats, and vectors.

An Arbovirus Isolation Network was formed to obtain and characterize arbovirus strains collected …

The Influence Of Ph On Nucleation, Solubility And Structure Of Lysozyme Protein Crystals, Marc C. Apgar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

X-ray diffraction from protein crystals remains the most reliable way to determine the molecular structure of proteins, and how this structure relates to biological function. However, we still lack the ability to predict solution conditions that support the nucleation and growth of high-quality protein crystals for X-ray diffraction studies. The overall goal of this thesis is two-fold: (a) determine the nucleation behavior and solubilities for lysozyme crystals with two distinct crystal structures (orthorhombic vs. tetragonal) and (b) investigate whether these changes in crystal habit and crystal solubility correlate with any discontinuities in the liquid-liquid phase boundary of lysozyme that occurs …

Advances In Magnetic Resonance Electrical Impedance Mammography, Nataliya Kovalchuk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic Resonance Electrical Impedance Mammography (MREIM) is a new imaging technique under development by Wollin Ventures, Inc. in conjunction with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. MREIM addresses the problem of low specificity of magnetic resonance mammography and high false-positive rates, which lead to unnecessary biopsies. Because cancerous tissue has a higher electrical conductivity than benign tissue, it may serve as a biomarker for differentiation between malignant and benign lesions. The MREIM principle is based on measuring both magnetic resonance and electric properties of the breast by adding a quasi-steady-state electric field to the standard magnetic resonance …

Brca1 185delag Mutant Protein, Brat, Amplifies Caspase-Mediated Apoptosis And Maspin Expression In Ovarian Cells, Joshua D. O'Donnell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ovarian cancer is a deadly disease that kills an estimated 15,000 women annually in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 10% of ovarian cancers are due to familial inheritance. The most commonly mutated genes in familial ovarian cancer are BRCA1 and BRCA2. It has been reported that cells carrying the BRCA1 185delAG mutation undergo an enhanced caspase-3 mediated apoptotic response. Here, we report on the transfection of cDNA coding for the putative truncated protein product of the BRCA1 185delAG mutant gene into BRCA1 wild-type human immortalized ovarian surface epithelial (IOSE) cells and ovarian cancer cells. Cells transfected …

Framing Environmental Messages: Examining Audience Response To Humor, Shock, And Emotional Treatments, Kelly Diedring

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine individual reactions to environmental messages based on three message frames. The frames include shock or fear, humor, and emotional frames. The intent of the study was to document, through the use of pre- and post-questionnaires, individuals' reactions to the three types of messages by measuring attitude or perception change, credibility of the message, and importance of the issue.

In this study, baseline knowledge levels and beliefs about environmental issues were examined using a pre-questionnaire. How variable treatments affect attitudes or create perception change with regard to the environmental messages were explored. This …

Factors Influencing The Perceived Credibility Of Public Relations Message Sources, Titilola O. Epega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study establishes a link between research done in the field of public relations on source credibility, communicator gender, message strength, and source affiliation. Research has established that source credibility is one of the most important factors influencing the acceptance of a message. For this study, source credibility was measured using three main dimensions: expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness. Similar to many studies focusing on source credibility, this study focuses on the various attributes of the communicator or message source. This study uses an experimental procedure to investigate the relationships between source credibility, message strength, source affiliation, and communicator gender. Based …

Surface And Interface Magnetism In Nanostructures And Thin Films, Natalie A. Frey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nanostructured systems composed of two or more technologically important materials are useful for device applications and intriguing for the new fundamental physics they may display. Magnetism at the nanoscale is dominated by size and surface effects which combined with other media lead to new spin dynamics and interfacial coupling phenomena. These new properties may prove to be useful for optimizing sensors and devices, increasing storage density for magnetic media, as well as for biomedical applications such as drug delivery, MRI contrast enhancement, and hyperthermia treatment for cancer. In this project we have examined the surface and interface magnetism of composite …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Epidural Steroid Injections To Treat Lumbosacral Radiculopathy In Chronic Pain Patients Managed Under Workers’ Compensation, Sheila Mohammed

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No conclusive evidence exists to determine that epidural steroid injections (ESIs) provide lasting improvements in chronic pain due to herniated discs, in the Workers' Compensation population. Recently, an article by Armon et.al was published by the American Academy of Neurology, which stated that the routine use of ESIs is not recommended and that further studies are needed to elucidate this controversy (Armon, Argoff, Samuels, & Backonja, 2007).

In 1998, back pain in the United States was estimated to have incurred total health-care expenditures of $90.7 billion. Medicare part B. claims in 1999 for 40.4 million individuals amounted to $49.9 million …

Population Densities Of The Cuban Treefrog, Osteopilus Septentrionalis And Three Native Species Of Hyla (Hylidae), In Urban And Natural Habitats Of Southwest Florida, Teresa Piacenza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Cuban treefrog, Osteopilus septentrionalis, is an invasive species in Florida that may be negatively impacting adult and larval native treefrog species through competition via direct predation. The purpose of this study was to determine the abundance and distribution of O. septentrionalis in urban, semi-urban and natural habitats. The distribution and abundance of native treefrogs within the study area, Hyla cinerea, Hyla femoralis and Hyla squirella, were also estimated and compared to that of O. septentrionalis. Treefrogs were captured using PVC pipes with two internal diameters, 1.9 cm and 4.45 cm, hung on three tree types, …

Cysteine Based Pna (Cpna): Design, Synthesis And Application, Sung Wook Yi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This report mainly discusses the development of the cysteine based PNA (CPNA), which is an analogue of PNAs. Peptide nucleic acids (PNA), a pseudopeptide DNA mimic, was discovered by Nielsen and his coworker in 1991. PNA is proved to sequence-specifically form a very stable duplex with complementary DNA and RNA strands through Watson-Crick base paring, and it is also capable of binding to duplex DNA by helix invasion. These intriguing properties of PNA implicated great potential for medical and biotechnical applications. Therefore, PNA has attracted many scientists in the fields of chemistry, biology, medicine including drug discovery and genetic diagnostics, …

Cob Building: Movements And Moments Of Survival, Jeanine Marie Minge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cob, as an arts-based research process, creates movements and moments of survival. Survival is an ideological construction and an actual, local practice. Survival is also about desiring and fulfilling arts-based desires to work with the land through academic and material scavenging. Cob creates strategies for surviving, for working with our respective environments wisely. Cob building teaches people how to negotiate the natural economy and their relationships to labor and each other through an artistic and intimate practice. From a feminist poststructural lens, survival happens on the local level, between and with people. Cob building creates knowledge through creative, kinesthetic, and …

The Influence Of Valenced Images On Perceptual Learning, Noah Sulman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to determine whether the rate of perceptual learning in a vernier discrimination task could be influenced by affective images. Forty-eight (30 Female, 18 Male) subjects were instructed to indicate the direction of an offset over 620 trials. Subjects were primed with either negative, positive or neutral photographs before making the discrimination on all test trials. Feedback regarding offset performance was provided on each trial. Despite initial pilot data indicating that subjects primed with negative, arousing images improved performance over those primed with either neutral or positive images, there was ultimately no reliable advantage for any of the …

Metallopeptides As Model Systems For The Study Of Cu(Ii)-Dependent Oxidation Chemistry, William Maung Tay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Copper is one of the essential metal ions for aerobic organisms. Two well known functions of copper in the biological systems are electron transfer and molecular oxygen interaction. Thus, this metal can be found in haemocyanin, an oxygen carrier protein, and superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that involves in electron transfer. In addition, having a positive redox potential allows copper to be involved in redox chemistry. It is the redox properties of copper that are responsible for many important biochemical processes. Although the copper-containing oxidases have been well studied over the years, certain mechanistic details such as reaction intermediates remain to …

The Influence Of Apathy And Depression On Cognitive Functioning In Parkinson’S Disease, London C. Butterfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Depression and apathy are two of the most common psychiatric symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD) with prevalence estimates at higher rates than in medical populations with similar levels of disability. Several studies have provided evidence to suggest that apathy and depression are independent clinical phenomena that may differentially affect cognition. Recent research suggests that apathy may account for cognitive deficits over and above that of depression, especially in the domain of executive functioning. However, few studies have examined the independent influence of depression and apathy on cognitive abilities in patients diagnosed with PD using sensitive measures of specific cognitive domains. …

A Historical Perspective Of The Development Of Prekindergarten And The Evolution Of Quality Elements, Catherine C. Cross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a historical study of preschool nationally and partly internationally with a focus on elucidating the development of quality elements. The study will trace the beginnings of perkindergaten and how the programs have evolved to their current state.

The study contains a look at the current state of prekindergarten programs within the United States and how the differing states are measuring their programs. The use of the word quality is examined as it relates to how programs are designed and implemented. The study will also examine several different states that have been acknowledged as the front runners in prekindergarten …

Temporal And Spatial Patterns In Optical Properties Of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter On Florida’S Gulf Coast: Shelf To Stream To Aquifer, Robyn Nicole Conmy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Characterization of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) in surface and ground waters in South Florida was conducted using fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy. Waters of the West Florida Shelf are heavily influenced by many river systems on Florida's Gulf Coast that, to the first order control CDOM distributions on the shelf. Seasonal surveys revealed that changes in the underwater light field as a result of major hurricanes and resuspension events are linked closely with a number of factors prior to a storm's passing such as the presence of persistant blooms, rainfall and discharge. Additionally, storm track and wind direction were found …

Rb-Raf-1 Interaction As A Therapeutic Target For Proliferative Disorders, Rebecca Kinkade

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein, Rb, is a key regulator of the mammalian cell cycle and its inactivation facilitates S-phase entry. Rb is inactivated through multiple waves of phosphorylation, mediated mainly by kinases associated with D and E type cyclins in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Our earlier studies had shown that the signaling kinase Raf-1 (c-Raf) physically interacts with Rb upon growth factor stimulation and initiates the phosphorylation cascade. We had shown that an 8 amino acid peptide derived from Raf-1 could disrupt the Rb-Raf-1 interaction leading to an inhibition of Rb phosphorylation, cell proliferation and tumor …

Biogeochemical Cycling Of Arsenic In The Marine Shallow-Water Hydrothermal System Of Tutum Bay, Ambitle Island, Papua New Guinea, Roy E. Price

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The marine shallow-water hydrothermal vent system of Tutum Bay, Ambitle Island, PNG discharges hot, acidic, arsenic-rich, chemically reduced fluid into cool, alkaline, oxygenated seawater. Gradients in temperature, pH, total arsenic (TAs) and arsenic species, among others, are established as the two aqueous phases mix.

Hydrous ferric oxides (HFO) are precipitated around focused venting, and coat the surrounding sediments visibly to 150 m away. HFO coatings, mechanical transport and weathering of volcanoclastic sediments, as well as dissolution of carbonate sediments nearer to venting, combine to alter sediment chemistry substantially.

Tutum Bay surface sediments have a mean As concentration of 527 mg/kg. …

Brevetoxin Body Burdens In Seabirds Of Southwest Florida, Karen E. Atwood

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harmful algal blooms (HABs, or "red tides") of the brevetoxin-producing dinoflagellate Karenia brevis occur periodically along Florida's Gulf coast. Mass mortalities of marine birds have long been associated with these blooms, yet there are few data documenting the accumulation of brevetoxins (PbTx) in the tissues of birds.

Post-mortem evaluations were performed on 185 birds representing 22 species collected from October 2001 through May 2006 during red tide and non-red tide events to quantify their body burdens of brevetoxins. A variety of tissues and organs were selected for brevetoxin analysis including blood, brain, heart, fat, stomach or gut contents, intestinal contents …

Dental Hygienists' Beliefs, Norms, Attitudes, And Intentions Toward Treating Hiv/Aids Patients, Barbara Clark-Alexander

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a great demand and need for oral health care during the course of HIV disease (HIV Costs and Services Utilization Study; Marcus et. al., 2005). HIV+ patients identified three key barriers to obtaining oral health treatment: 1) beliefs and attitudes of dental health care providers (DHCPs) may have lead to their unwillingness to treat HIV/AIDS patients; 2) the existence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care in the United States, and 3) how DHCPs perceive their risk of contracting HIV. The fear and stigma associated with treating patients with HIV further compromises their access to care and …

Fashion Advertising, Men’S Magazines, And Sex In Advertising: A Critical-Interpretive Study, Jennifer Ford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines sexualized portrayals of women in fashion advertising found in metro-sexual men's magazines as visual rhetoric. Historically, studies on sexual images of women in advertising have focused on content analyses of these images and how they affect women. This study asks how sexualized imagery of women functions rhetorically as part of a branding message designed to sell products. The exemplar advertisements were chosen specifically for their sexual imagery from an earlier study by the researcher on sexual images of women in fashion advertisements found in men's magazines.

The messages interpreted within the visuals of this study reveal a …

Predator Behavior And Prey Demography In Patchy Habitats, Brian J. Halstead

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the greatest threats to biodiversity, and these threats can be exacerbated or alleviated by the presence of interacting species. The effect of habitat loss and fragmentation on predator-prey systems has received extensive theoretical attention, but empirical studies of these systems yield few clear patterns. I examined the influence of prey abundance and spatial distribution on the foraging ecology and spatial ecology of Masticophis flagellum (Coachwhip) using capture-mark-recapture and radio telemetry techniques. I also examined the influence of saurophagous snake abundance on the survival rate of Sceloporus woodi (Florida Scrub Lizard) populations. Masticophis flagellum positively …

Effects Of Zn Doping And High Energy Ball Milling On The Photocatalytic Properties Of Tio2, Paula C. Algarin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

TiO₂ photocatalysis is been widely studied for air and water purification applications; titanium dioxide is the most used semiconductor principally because its low cost, stability and chemical properties. However it only utilizes the UV portion of the solar spectrum as an energy source (less than 4% of the total sunlight energy). This behavior is due to its high band gap value of 3.2 eV. The modification of light harvesting properties of TiO₂ by doping has become an important research topic to achieve an efficient operating range under UV and visible light. In addition, the structure and surface properties …

The Getting Ready To Learn Program: An Impact Report, Rosa M. Avila

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Getting Ready to Learn (GRTL) program is an early intervention program designed to improve the developmental skills and learning capacity of Native American children in the Northwest Arctic region of Alaska. Early intervention programs have been found to decrease high school dropout rates and increase employment rates, which contribute to better health outcomes in young adulthood. The Northwest Arctic is a remote area that lacks many resources. As such, the people of this region experience various health disparities. The GRTL program was implemented in 7 of the 11 villages in the Northwest Arctic Borough of Alaska (NWABA). The purpose …

Tumor Suppressive Effects Of The Beta-2 Adrenergic Receptor And The Small Gtpase Rhob, Adam E. Carie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Receptor tyrosine kinases such as ErbB2 contribute greatly to human malignant transformation, but the role that other receptors such as ß2 adrenergic receptor (B2 AR)play in cancer is ill defined. Furthermore, while some GTPases such as Ras and RhoA promote oncogenesis, RhoB has been suggested to have tumor suppressive activity. In this thesis the tumor suppressive activity of ß2 adrenergic receptors through blockade of the Ras/Raf/Mek/Erk pathway is demonstrated. Furthermore, this thesis provides strong evidence in support of a tumor suppressive activity of RhoB, but not RhoA, in delaying EbB2 mammary oncogenesis in a transgenic mouse model.

Chapter 1 describes …

Development Of An Ecological Model To Predict Risk For Acquisition Of Clostridium Difficile-Associated Diarrhea During Acute Care Hospitalization, Susan Elaine Steele

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: The traditional model of infection control has failed to stop the spread of emerging infectious diseases such as Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in the acute care environment. Ecological models, which rely upon identification of susceptible hosts, offer an alternative to the prevention of deadly outbreaks. Previous epidemiological research has identified a number of risk factors associated with CDAD. Utilization of this body of research by nurses is limited due to methodological issues that introduce bias and confounding, and use of variables that have limited meaning to the practicing clinical nurse.

Aim: The aim of this study was to …

Emotion-Modulated Startle In Major And Minor Depression: The Role Of Mood Severity In Emotion Reactivity, April Taylor-Clift

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a disorder defined by mood disturbance, but the deficits in emotional reactivity that accompany MDD are not yet fully characterized. Researchers have utilized the emotion-modulated startle paradigm to investigate emotional responding among depressed individuals with mixed results. Inconsistent results may be due in part to the heterogeneity of mood disorders, including variation in mood severity. The current study utilized an emotion-modulated startle procedure with 33 individuals currently experiencing a major depressive episode, 25 individuals currently experiencing a minor depressive episode (mD), and 31 healthy controls. Severity of depression, anxiety, and positive and negative mood states …