Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Method To Determine Vapor Pressure Data Of Low Volatile Chemicals From A Knudsen Effusion Technique, Andrew R. Harshman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vapor pressure data are vital to understanding impacts that substances, specifically pesticides, may exert on the environment. They enter into atmospheric deposition models for such chemicals which determine the fate and transport of these species in the environment. At normal application temperatures (i.e. room temperature) the vapor pressures of many of these chemicals are too low to be determined by conventional means. An isothermal Knudsen effusion technique was designed and developed in our laboratory for such measurements. The effusion mass as a function of time is measured in our technique using a thickness shear mode (TSM) acoustic wave sensor, which …

Exploring Childcare Professionals' Pedagogical Choice When Guiding Children's Social And Behavioral Development, Mary E. Harper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To date the research in the area of social emotional competence has focused on child-based intervention and outcomes. The findings cite effective approaches to assisting children in the area of social and emotional development involving promotion of appropriate social skills, explicit instruction of behavioral expectations, and support for emotional literacy and awareness (Wester --

Stratton, 1990; Hyson, 2004; Fox et al, 2003; Denham & Burton, 1996). These recommended practices requires teacher knowledge and skill, content knowledge in the area of social emotional developmental, and skills in using pedagogical techniques that support acquisition of the aforementioned areas. Educational researchers and specialists …

Marriage, Sin And The Community In The Register Of John Chandler, Dean Of Salisbury 1404-17, Byron J. Hartsfield

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Marriage is a subject of great interest to the social historian. However, the marriage of the average medieval English villager is very poorly documented, as it bears little obvious relationship to the great affairs of state. Searching for information on such difficult subjects, many social historians have recently turned to legal records, learning to sift them for the intimate details of daily life. The Register of John Chandler, Dean of Salisbury 1404-17 preserves a rich variety of cases presented to the church courts of early fifteenth-century Salisbury. The questmen, selected from the most respectable men of each village, presented to …

Examining The Evolution Of Phosphagen Kinases: A Study Of A Dimeric Arginine Kinase From Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus) Eggs, Brenda Christine Held

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The phosphagen kinases are a family of enzymes that catalyze the reversible phosphorylation of specific phosphagens using ATP as the phosphate donor. The evolutionary relationships between the enzymes in this family have been studied for over 30 years and yet aspects of the relationships remain unclear. Here, arginine kinase from Strongylocentrotus purpuratus eggs was purified to homogeneity and analyzed for physical and kinetic characteristics as well as its sequence homology with other phosphagen kinases. The results indicate that dimeric arginine kinase from S. purpuratus eggs evolved from a dimeric creatine kinase after dimeric creatine kinase evolved from a monomeric arginine …

Implementing Differentiated Instruction In Urban, Title I Schools: Effects Of Facilitated Support Groups And Program Fidelity On Student Achievement, Deborah W. Hellman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study presents the results of a mixed methodology study and pilot that investigated the effects of facilitated teacher support groups and differentiated instruction on student achievement at two urban, Title I middle schools. Both general education and students with special needs being served in a collaborative co-taught setting were included in the study. Implications for research to practice and effective inclusive strategies were addressed and the field-tested Differentiated Instruction: Fidelity Implementation Tool (DI: FIT) used to assess teacher fidelity is included. During the first year, the principal investigator developed and field-tested the DI: FIT observation tool, field-tested a facilitated …

Modeling Larval Connectivity Among Coral Habitats, Acropora Palmata Populations, And Marine Protected Areas In The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Christopher John Higham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) encompasses North America's only living coral barrier reef and the third longest barrier reef in the world, making it a unique national treasure of international notoriety (FKNMS, 2005). Recent evidence of environmental decline within the sanctuary has created a sense of urgency to understand and protect the valuable resources within. This thesis contributed to the understanding of habitat connectivity to aid managers and decision makers in the creation of additional Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the FKNMS to help prevent further environmental decline. This research specifically focused on modeling larval transport and larval …

The Effectiveness And User Perception Of 3-Dimensional Digital Human Anatomy In An Online Undergraduate Anatomy Laboratory, Amy Joanne Hilbelink

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of implementing desktop 3-dimensional (3D) stereo images of human anatomy into an undergraduate human anatomy distance laboratory. User perceptions of 2D and 3D images were gathered via questionnaire in order to determine ease of use and level of satisfaction associated with the 3D software in the online learning environment. Mayer's (2001, p. 184) principles of design were used to develop the study materials that consisted of PowerPoint presentations and AVI files accessed via Blackboard. The research design employed a mixed-methods approach. Volunteers each were administered a demographic survey and …

Numerical Modeling And Simulation For Analysis Of Convective Heat And Mass Transfer In Cryogenic Liquid Storage And Hvac&R Applications, Son Hong Ho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work presents the use of numerical modeling and simulation for the analysis of transport phenomena in engineering systems including zero boil-off (ZBO) cryogenic storage tanks for liquid hydrogen, refrigerated warehouses, and human-occupied air-conditioned spaces. Seven problems of medium large spaces in these fields are presented. Numerical models were developed and used for the simulation of fluid flow and heat and mass transfer for these problems. Governing equations representing the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy were solved numerically resulting in the solution of velocity, pressure, temperature, and species concentration(s). Numerical solutions were presented as 2-D and 3-D plots that …

The Association Between Internet Use And Characteristics Of Social Networking For Middle Aged And Older Adults, David L. Hogeboom

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that strong social networks have a positive effect on physical and psychological well-being. Research suggests that Internet use may affect social networks. However it is not clear if Internet use has a positive or negative effect on social networks. One theory suggests that Internet use displaces face-to-face contacts and off line social participation. Another theory suggests Internet use replaces high quality face-to-face ties with weaker online ties. Other studies however suggest the Internet has a positive effect on social networks. Because older adults have shrinking social networks, but may have more discretionary time than other age …

Attitudinal Factors Related To Driving Behaviors Of Young Adults In Belize: An Application Of The Precaution Adoption Process Model, Ismael A. Hoare

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Young adults' risk-taking attitudes, risk perception, and knowledge of road laws and signs influence their driving behaviors. The adoption of risky driving behaviors increases young adults' risk of motor vehicle crashes. The purpose of this study was to increase the understanding of the factors that lead to increased risks of MVC-related mortality and morbidity for young adults in Belize, to provide support for the development of evidence-based programs, and, more importantly, to investigate the relationships involving young adults' risk-taking attitudes, risk perception, and knowledge of road laws and signs and their relation to driving behaviors. The Precaution Adoption Process Model …

Antibody Targeting Of Non Ionic Surfactant Vesicles To Vascular Inflammation, Elizabeth D. Hood

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and particularly atherosclerosis is a leading cause of morbidity in the developed world. Atherosclerosis and the rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque cause 70% of deaths from CVD. The progression of atherosclerosis has been identified as a pathological inflammatory process. Targeting atherosclerotic drug therapies to inflammatory markers has emerged as an important and growing research area. The adhesion molecule CD44 has been implicated in the onset and build-up of atherosclerotic lesions throughout the course of development. The research in this dissertation is aimed at targeting anti-inflammatory therapy to activated vascular endothelium with directed with an anti-CD44 antibody, IM7, …

Raman Spectroscopy Of Inas/Gaas Quantum Dots Patterned By Nano-Indentation, Lindsay K. Hussey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Patterns of InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by the combination of nanoindentation technique and molecular beam epitaxy were studied. The resulting QDs tend to preferentially nucleate on indented areas rather than other regions. We studied the strain on the indentations, regions surrounding the indents, and non-indented areas. The QD LO mode for the patterned areas shifts by 7 cm-1 when compared to the non-patterned area. The biaxial strain in the indented areas producing this shift is four times larger than that in non-indented areas, explaining the QD preferential formation within these areas. This larger strain suggests that QDs on the …

Virtue And Inquiry, Knowledge And Ignorance: Lessons From The Theaetetus, Jennifer F. Ingle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Plato's dialogues are set in fifth century Athens but they are performed for a fourth century audience. The context of his dialogues, then is wider perhaps than other philosophers and because of the difference in periods, it is clear that it is necessary for an audience member to possess knowledge of the events of the previous generation, viz., the fifth century BCE. When its cultural context is taken into account, the Theaetetus can not be read as an attempt by Plato to establish an epistemology in the modern sense of the term. While the characters of the dialogue are searching …

Numerical Simulation Of Steady State And Transient Heat Transfer In Microchannels, Phaninder Injeti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this project we studied the effect of different parameters on heat transfer in two-dimensional microchannels, microtubes and also tube-in-block heat exchangers for various engineering applications. These included the use of flow restrictions to enhance local heat or mass transfer rate, enhancement of conjugate heat transfer with discrete heating and magnetic coolers (or heaters) associated with magnetic refrigeration system. The results of this research will help in designing the heating or cooling systems and selection of their appropriate geometrical dimensions and materials for specific applications. Types of problems studied in this project are: steady state analysis of forced convection around …

The Relationship Between Technology Integration And Achievement Using Multi-Level Modeling, Tina N. Hohlfeld

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between technology integration indicators and school level achievement. Four years of school level secondary data from publicly available databases maintained by the Florida Department of Education were combined for all public elementary, middle, and high schools in the state. This study examined approximately 2300 schools that participated each year in the Florida Innovates Survey about technology integration between 2003-04 and 2006-07. Complexity theory supported the use of multi-level modeling to examine the relationships between technology integration and outcomes. Three achievement outcomes (reading, mathematics, and writing) and two mediating behavioral …

Service With A Smile: Antecedents And Consequences Of Emotional Labor Strategies, Hazel-Ann Michelle Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizations across the United States and in many parts of the globe are increasingly focused on providing their customers with an excellent service experience by implementing organizational emotion display rules (Hochschild, 1983). These display rules dictate the requisite employee emotions for a particular encounter (Ekman, 1973). However, over the course of a work day display rules may call for expressions that contradict an employee's genuine emotions, thus prompting a discrepancy between felt emotions and required emotions -- emotional dissonance (Hochschild, 1983). Emotional labor involves employee efforts to reduce emotional dissonance in order to adhere to organizational display rules (Hochschild, 1983; …

The Principal’S Role In Building Teacher Leadership Capacity In High-Performing Elementary Schools: A Qualitative Case Study, Rahim Jamal Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how public elementary school principals develop teacher leadership capacity within their schools, as well as the effect of this effort on a school's performance. After examining a variety of sources, such as journal articles and web-based search engines, the researcher determined that there was scant information explaining the process principals undergo to create teacher leadership roles in an effort to develop a high-performing school. To accomplish the goals of this study, salient reports in the field of teacher leadership were reviewed. The insights afforded from these reports guided the researcher in developing …

Computer-Mediated Peer Response In A Level-Iv Esl Academic Writing Class: A Cultural Historical Activity Theoretical Perspective, Li Jin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Very few studies focus on how English as a second language (ESL) students' agency and their unique histories as an integral part of the social cultural environment influence his or her participation in computer-mediated peer response tasks, particularly in a multimedia-based synchronous communication environment. Considering each ESL student as an active agency with unique historical bearings, the dissertation investigated ESL students' participation in computer-mediated peer response (CMPR) tasks that used instant messenger (IM) as the communication technology between students from the cultural historical activity theoretical (CHAT) perspective, which views all human interaction as a dynamic developmental process. A case study …

My Lord Lackbeard: Enfranchisement And Expressions Of Beardlessness In Shakespeare’S Canon From 1594 To 1601, C R. Junkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

William Shakespeare employs a series of male characters specifically described as beardless in those plays performed from 1594 to 1601. Will Fisher argues that such characters reveal early modern conceptions of masculinity; the beard was used in conjunction with other forms of material such as dress and weaponry to construct gender. Mark Albert Johnston notes that beards performed as currencies of exchange, denoting not just masculinity but economic power as well. Rather than signifying a lack or deficiency, the hairless chin is an active participant in a deeply complex tangle of competing political, economic and religious ideologies. Shakespeare's commentary on …

Natural And Anthropogenic Influences On Flow Patterns And Sediment Characteristics In The Dona And Roberts Bay Estuarine System, Sarasota County, Florida, Kyle W. Kelso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Dona and Roberts Bay watershed comprises one of the five major watersheds in Sarasota County, Florida. It is connected to the Gulf of Mexico via Venice Inlet. Like many estuaries in the Florida, significant modifications have been made to the drainage basins, principally to the main tributaries. The system has undergone several anthropogenic modifications to enhance water management efforts. Creeks that comprise fresh water input into the system have been dammed in order to inhibit the upstream flow of salt water during the dry season. They are also deepened or lengthened to allow for better drainage. In addition, biogenic …

Crystallization Studies Of Epigallocatechin Gallate, Sheshanka Kesani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Flavonoids are a long and well known class of natural products. Their potential health benefits can be attributed to their antioxidant activity, and modulation of cell signaling pathways. Green tea one of the most widely consumed beverages, consist of flavonoids such as catechins and tannins. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) the major catechin of green tea exhibits multiple health benefits due to its antioxidant nature. The radical scavenging activity of EGCG is attributed to its structure. Therefore, a study on molecular features of EGCG would provide valuable information on structural modifications, which may change the physiochemical properties such as bioavailability and solubility. …

Rkem Implementation For Strain Gradient Theory In Multiple Dimensions, Abhishek Kumar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Reproducing Kernel Element Method (RKEM) implementation of the Fleck-Hutchinson phenomenological strain gradient theory in 1D, 2D and 3D is implemented in this research. Fleck-Hutchinson theory fits within the framework of Touplin- Mindlin theories and deals with first order strain gradients and associated work conjugate higher-order stress. Theories at the intrinsic or material length scales find applications in size dependent phenomena. In elasticity, length scale enters the constitutive equation through the elastic strain energy function which depends on both strain as well as the gradient of rotation and stress. The displacement formulation of the Touplin Mindlin theory involve diffrential equations …

Sol-Gel Immobilized Cyano-Polydimethylsiloxane And Short Chain Polyethylene Glycol Coatings For Capillary Microextraction Coupled To Gas Chromatography, Sameer M. Kulkarni

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two highly polar sol-gel coatings were developed for capillary microextraction (CME). One of the coatings contained cyanopropyl-polydimethylsiloxane (CN-PDMS) and the other low molecular weight polyethylene glycol. These highly polar coatings were immobilized via sol-gel chemistry allowing for direct chemical bonding to the inner surface of fused silica capillaries. These sol-gel coated microextraction capillaries were employed in CME for solvent-free microextraction and preconcentration of trace analytes (polar, moderately polar, and nonpolar) from aqueous matrices. CN-PDMS and short chain PEG extraction phases exhibit both polar and polarizable characteristics. Therefore, both sol-gel CN-PDMS and short chain sol-gel PEG coatings were able to extract …

Regulation Of Mdmx Nuclear Import And Degradation By Chk2 And 14-3-3, Cynthia Lebron

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The MDM2 homolog MDMX is an important regulator of p53 during mouse embryonic development. DNA damage promotes MDMX phosphorylation, nuclear translocation, and degradation by MDM2. Here we show that MDMX copurifies with 14-3-3, and DNA damage stimulates MDMX binding to 14-3-3. Chk2-mediated phosphorylation of MDMX on S367 is important for stimulating 14-3-3 binding, MDMX nuclear import by a cryptic NLS, and degradation by MDM2. Mutation of MDMX S367 inhibits ubiquitination and degradation by MDM2, and prevents MDMX nuclear import. Expression of 14-3-3 stimulates the degradation of phosphorylated MDMX. Chk2 and 14-3-3 cooperatively stimulate MDMX ubiquitination and overcome the inhibition of …

The Turn Of The Screw’S Debated Phantasms: The Role Of The Fantastic In The Creation Of Peter Quint And Miss Jessel, Susan Savage Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When Henry James sat down to write his "amusette" as he called The Turn of the Screw (1898), he created various ambiguities in the text as a means of confusing and surprising his readers or, in other words, catching them off guard. Over a century later, the mysterious ambiance surrounding the novella has not become any clearer. While critics from Edmund Wilson to Edna Kenton have analyzed the work from a somewhat psychoanalytical perspective, stating that the ghosts of Miss Jessel and Peter Quint are merely figments of the governess's imagination, Tzvetan Todorov and Rosemary Jackson examine James's work through …

The Chivalric Gawain, Carleigh Leffert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The principal objective of this paper is to analyze Sir Gawain's efforts to balance the conflicting requirements of the Code of Chivalry with the basic needs of human nature to develop insights into the Gawain's character. Using an amalgamated definition of chivalry as the standard, I will examine Gawain's attempts to achieve his goal of being the perfect chivalric knight, determine the nature of his obstacles, and analyze the development of his character. In trying to live up to perfection, Gawain discovers that he is not perfect.

Faust In Lolita: Composing Sins, Souls, And Rhetorical Redemption, Aurora Mackey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Goethe's Faust and Nabokov's Humbert both are erudite, middle-aged European scholars who, experiencing a convergence of academic and existential ennui, set eyes upon a young girl and instantly are consumed with lust. In both works the girls' widowed mothers die as a result of the protagonists' lustful intentions; a cross-country flight ensues; the once-respected scholars are wanted for murder; and Gretchen and Lolita each suffer from their sexual and emotional objectification. But the connections between Goethe's play and Nabokov's novel extend far beyond plot points, or even their decidedly different receptions in early 19th century Germany versus mid-20th century America. …

Achieving Sobriety: A Narrative Investigation Of Women, Identity, And Relationships, Cara T. Mackie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I explore the question of how women alcoholics achieve sobriety. Using narrative inquiry, I focus on the identity transformation that must occur in order to maintain sobriety and how a drinking self is deconstructed and reconstructed as a sober self. Today, alcoholism is still viewed as stigmatizing in our society and in all Western cultures. The stigma of alcoholism makes it difficult for alcoholics to communicate their experiences to people who have not had similar experiences. However, storytelling in the presence of supportive people has been shown to be a prominent factor in the process of recovery …

The Relationship Between Continuing Professional Development And Demographic Characteristics, Professional Practices, And Employment Conditions Of School Psychologists, Alana D. Lopez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multiple issues that impact service delivery, such as changing student demographic characteristics, educational law and policy, and an increased focus on accountability for services, require school psychologists to adapt and acquire new professional skills in order to meet the needs of students and families. Continuing professional development (CPD) could help school psychologists expand their repertoire of professional skills so that they can engage in effective service delivery. The present study examined the CPD subject areas endorsed by practicing school psychologists and the relationship of those areas with selected demographic characteristics, professional practices, and employment conditions. Secondary analyses were performed using …

Compliant Pediatric Prosthetic Knee, Sebastian Mahler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We have designed and examined a compliant knee mechanism that may offer solutions to problems that exist for infants and toddlers who are just learning to walk. Pediatric prosthetic knees on the market today are not well designed for infants and toddlers for various reasons. Children at this age need a prosthetic that is light in weight, durable, and stable during stance. Of the eleven knees on the market for children, all but three are polycentric or four-bar knees, meaning they have multiple points of movement. Polycentric knees are popular designs because they offer the added benefit of stable stance …