Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Urbanicity And Children With Emotional Disturbances Served In Restructuring Public Schools, Karen Monk Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Efforts to affect changes in student achievement through altering the manner in which schools operate have been countless. However, there are few empirical studies on the relationship between these reform activities and student outcomes, especially outcomes for students with emotional disturbances from geographically diverse locations.

The current study was a secondary analysis of data collected as part of the School and Community Study and the Urban School and Community Study conducted by the Research and Training Center for the Childrenís Mental Health at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida. Both studies …

A Discourse Concerning Two New Compositions, Stanley D. Harrison

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project addresses problems for theorists of writing and composition that arose in the 1990s when capital privatizes the production of internetworked writing and starts operating in the manner of a practicing compositionist. I begin by noting that capital in the 1990s converted internetworked writing machines into fixed capital and started composing its version of the cultural form of the "social" we call the Internet. Thereafter, I argue that composition theorists can best understand the Internet, internetworked writing, and internetworked subjectivities if they regard capital as a formidable compositionist, one capable of making the machinofactured internetworked composition into a privately …

The Effects Of A Comprehensive Post-Treatment Recovery Program For Breast Cancer Survivors, Keri Ann Hockett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Breast cancer and its treatment often result in side effects that persist long after treatment has ended. The increased survival rate for breast cancer has allowed for the study of the physical and psychosocial symptoms that persist into the post-treatment period. Although research has tested various interventions and demonstrated improvement in some symptoms, no standard of care exists for management of symptoms in the post- treatment period as part of the continuum of care. Objective: The aim of this research was to examine the effects of a comprehensive recovery program of education, exercise, and support for breast cancer survivors …

Development And Initial Validation Of The Work-Family Facilitation Scale, Sheila K. Holbrook

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The benefits of occupying multiple roles have typically been overlooked. One reason for this oversight is the lack of a well-established scale measuring work-family facilitation. This study developed and validated short, self-report scales of work-to-family facilitation and family-to-work facilitation. Based on conceptualizations of work and family facilitation presented in current research content domains and definitions of the constructs are presented. Work-to-family facilitation is defined as a form of role facilitation in which the experiences in the job, work skills, and emotional gratification from work makes participation in the family easier. Family-to-work facilitation is defined as a form of role facilitation …

Concerted Evolution In Sm50, A Gene With Unusual Repeat Structure, Sofia Hussain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genes present in multiple copies and genes that contain regions of repetitive sequences can undergo concerted evolution, which results in homogenization of the nucleotide sequence of the genes or repetitive regions. In regions of tandem repeats, this occurs through misalignment of repeat units followed by unequal crossover, which generates two products with differing numbers of repeat units. Gene conversion is thought to lead to one of these products becoming fixed in a species. The homogenous sequence of previously studied genes that have been thought to undergo this process has made it difficult to determine the exact models involved. Here I …

Influence Of Gender On Heart Rate And Core Temperature At Critical Wbgt For Five Clothing Ensembles At Three Levels Of Metabolic Rate, Maeen Zakaria Islam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three main factors that influence heat stress are clothing, work demands and environmental conditions. Gender may also influence the amount of heat stress an individual can tolerate. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of gender in heat stress limits (critical WBGT) and heat strain (heart rate and core temperature). The null hypothesis was that there was no gender difference among critical WBGT, heart rate and core temperature.

Fifteen subjects (11 men and 4 women) wore five different clothing ensembles (cotton work clothes, cotton coveralls, particle barrier Tyvek, water-barrier/vapor permeable NexGen LS417, and vapor barrier Tychem QC …

A Comparison Of Traditional Physical Laboratory And Computer Simulated Laboratory Experiences In Relation To Engineering Undergraduate Students’ Conceptual Understandings Of A Communication Systems Topic, Giti Javidi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate an alternative to the use of traditional physical laboratory activities in a communication systems course. Specifically, this study examined whether as an alternative, computer simulation is as effective as physical laboratory activities in teaching college-level electronics engineering education students about the concepts of signal transmission, modulation and demodulation. Eighty undergraduate engineering students participated in the study, which was conducted at a southeastern four-year university.

The students were randomly assigned to two groups. The groups were compared on understanding the concepts, remembering the concepts, completion time of the lab experiments and perception toward the laboratory …

Occupational Role Portrayals Of African-American Women On Prime-Time Television, Shani Tyhirah Jefferson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined portrayals of African-American women shown in professional careers on prime-time network television during the May 2005 sweeps month. Specifically, the study compares these portrayals to actual U.S. Department of Labor workforce statistics to observe a possible similarity. Additionally, the study identifies any behavioral and conversational stereotyped attributes ascribed to AfricanAmerican female characters shown in the workplace. A quantitative content analysis of four broadcast networks (FOX, ABC, UPN, and WB) ranked by Nielsen Media as having the highest rated prime-time television programming among minority households for 2003-2004 revealed that African-American female characters on network television are over-represented in …

The Effects Of An Education/Behavioral Intervention On Knowledge, Perceived Risk And Self-Efficacy For Sexually Transmitted Infections In Women., Versie Johnson-Mallard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to test the effects of an education/behavioral intervention on knowledge, perceived risk, and self-efficacy for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention in women. Additionally, the instruments that measured knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and perceived risk were tested for reliability. Instruments used to test the effects of the intervention at pretest and following the intervention included the Sexually Transmitted Infection Knowledge Survey (Johnson-Mallard, 2002); the Perceived Risk for Sexually Transmitted Infection Survey (Johnson-Mallard, 2002); and the Sexual Self-Efficacy Survey (Heather & Pinkerton, 1998). Participants included 89-women seeking family planning services, sexually transmitted infection services …

Shape Based Stereovision Assistance In Rehabilitation Robotics, Michael Ulrich Jurczyk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A graphical user interface program was created along with shape models, which allow persons with disabilities to set up a stereovision system with off-theshelf hardware and detect objects of interest, which can be picked up using a sensor assisted telerobotic manipulator.

A Hitachi KP-D50 CCD camera and an Imaging Source CCD camera were used along with two Imaging Source DFG/LC1 frame grabbers to set up a stereovision system. In order to use the stereovision system, the two main problems of correspondence and reconstruction are solved using subroutines of the program created for this work.

The user interface allows the user …

Polytetrahydrofuran-And Dendrimer-Based Novel Sol-Gel Coatings For Capillary Microextraction (Cme) Providing Parts Per Trillion (Ppt) And Parts Per Quadrillion (Ppq) Level Detection Limits In Conjunction With Gas Chromatography And Flame Ionization Detection (Fid), Abuzar Kabir

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sol-gel capillary microextraction (CME) is a new direction in solvent-free extraction and preconcentration of trace analytes. CME presents significant interest in environmental, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, biomedical, agricultural, food, flavor, and a host of other important areas. Sol-gel CME utilizes advanced material properties of organic-inorganic hybrid sol-gel polymers to perform efficient extraction and enrichment of target analytes from a variety of matrices. In this dissertation, two novel sol-gel coatings were developed for CME: (a) sol-gel benzyl-terminated dendrimer coating, and (b) sol-gel polytetrahydrofuran (poly-THF) coating. A detailed investigation was conducted to evaluate the performance of the newly developed sol-gel coatings in solvent-free extraction …

The Role Of Sensation Seeking In Children’S Ability To Learn Alcohol Expectancy Associations, Nicole M. Bekman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sensation seeking is a personality characteristic associated with problematic alcohol use and positive alcohol expectancies, but little research has examined the relationship between sensation seeking and the acquisition of alcohol expectancy information. In a recent study (Steinberg, 2003), sensation seeking was associated with how quickly and accurately college-aged students were able to learn alcohol-expectancy word pairs in a paired associate learning task. In this age group, however, the individuals had fully developed alcohol expectancies that may have influenced their rates of learning.

The current study sought to minimize the influence of previously held alcohol expectancies by exploring this relationship in …

The Cost Of Professionalization: A Case Study Of Osteopathic Medicine In The United States, Rochelle Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the co-optation of the heterodox medical system of osteopathic medicine by the hegemonic medical system of biomedicine and its impact on the practice of osteopathic medicine in America. The study particularly explored students (n=20), practitioners (n=5), and faculty (n=5) regarding their views of osteopathic medicine. The process of professionalization of osteopathic medicine has caused DOs to become more akin to MDs, which may have led to an identity crisis within the profession. This case study took place at a private osteopathic medical school in the Southeastern U.S. A content analysis of the …

Do Expectancies Influence Outcomes For Tailored Smoking Cessation Messages? A Placebo Tailoring Experiment, Monica S. Webb

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study was an effort to replicate and extend findings from our previous research, which suggested that the efficacy of tailored messages is influenced by high levels of content personalization within the message and by individuals trait expectancies about tailored interventions. We tested whether tailoring-related expectancies regarding smoking-cessation booklets could be altered via a brief expectancy-priming intervention, and whether this would enhance the impact of the cessation materials. A 2x2 factorial design crossed personalization level and expectancy priming on evaluation of the intervention content, readiness to quit smoking, cessation self-efficacy, cognitive processing, and progress towards quitting. Smokers (N = 205) …

Re-Engineering Graduate Medical Education: An Analysis Of The Contribution Of Residents To Teaching Hospitals Utilizing A Model Of An Internal Medicine Residency Program, Ian M. Elius

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the U.S. health care delivery system does not provide consistent, high-quality medical care to all people all the time. As a significant component of the health care delivery system, the state of Graduate Medical Education in the United States has prompted much analysis in recent years due to the general view that desired and actua l outcomes are increasingly at variance with each other. One area of focus has been the implications of change for provider credentialing and funding of graduate medical education.

With this research we test the hypothesis that residents perform …

An Integrated Optimal Design Method For Utility Power Distribution Systems, Ralph E. Fehr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a comprehensive and integrated design methodology to optimize both the electrical and the economic performance of a utility power distribution system. The proposal is structured to facilitate its adoption and incorporation into the existing utility infrastructure by allowing the various portions of the new design to be implemented gradually into the existing infrastructure without the need to abandon the portions of the existing system that are performing satisfactorily.

The topology of the substation plays a vital role in determining both the reliability and the economy of the distribution system. The ring bus topology is offered as the …

The Relationship Between Caregiving And Bereavement: A Series Of Three Studies, Allison Burton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spousal bereavement has been consistently demonstrated in the literature to be one of the most highly stressful experiences in an individual’s lifetime. In addition many deaths in the United States are preceded by a period of caregiving, which is also believed to be highly stressful and have a profound impact on bereavement. However the literature has been inconsistent as to the exact nature of the relationship between caregiving and bereavement and there has been some debate as to whether or not positive and negative affect variables are mutually exclusive.

This dissertation sought to further address the issue of the relationship …

The Analysis Of Dielectric Loss In Co-Planar Waveguide Structures Using Generalized Transverse Resonance, James William Culver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are several methods for the full-wave characterization of waveguide discontinuities; Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Difference Technique (FDT), and Method of Moments (MoM) are popular. However, these methods are not easily applied when studying the ‘modal anatomy’ of a discontinuity. Other full-wave techniques are better suited. This dissertation discusses the formulation of a technique known as Generalized Transverse Resonance (GTR), which is a subset of Method of Moments. Generalized Transverse Resonance is a hybrid method combining the Transverse Resonance Method (TRM) with the Mode Matching Technique (MMT).

The understanding of the generalized transverse resonance method starts with a discussion …

Development Of Enhanced Multiport Network Analyzer Calibrations Using Non-Ideal Standards, John Edward Daniel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An Improved Short-Open-Load-Reciprocal (SOLR) Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) calibration is developed and validated. Through the use of a more complex load model the usable frequency range of the SOLR calibration algorithm is expanded. Comparisons are made between this new calibration and existing calibration techniques that are known to be accurate at high frequencies. The Anritsu 37xxx Lightning series 65GHz VNA is used as the principle measurement tool for calibration comparison and verification. This work is built off of previous work done at USF in which it is shown that the Short-Open-Load-Thru (SOLT) calibration’s accuracy improves through the implementation of more …

Reconfigurable Wireless Sensor Platform For Training And Research In Networked Embedded Systems, Oscar V. Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ever since the University of California, Berkeley released the first commercial Wireless Sensor Network, (WSN), "mote", applications that employ the WSN technology have increased many fold. There are many kinds of prototypes and architectures for WSNs that are being developed by major communication companies. Due to the lack of a common standard for different physical and MAC layer protocols, interoperability among the wireless systems is constrained. Additionally, remote sensing capability, reconfigurability and interoperability have not yet been designed. In the current platforms hardware upgrading has to be performed on-site by replacing the old sensors with new ones. This procedure increases …

Foraminiferal Assemblages As Bioindicators Of Potentially Toxic Elements In Biscayne Bay, Florida, Elizabeth A. Carnahan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heavy-metal pollution is an issue of concern in estuaries such as Biscayne Bay that are heavily influenced by agricultural, urban, and harbor activities. The goals of this study were to provide a “state of the bay” assessment that can be used to interpret changes that have occurred over the past 60 years in Biscayne Bay, to provide a baseline to compare changes in the ecosystems during and after execution of the Comprehensive Everglades Restorations Plan (CERP), and to determine if benthic foraminiferal assemblages in Biscayne Bay reflect heavy-metal contamination in sediments.

Surficial samples were collected at 147 sites throughout the …

The Effect Of Perceived Entitativity On Implicit Image Transfer In Multiple Sponsorships, Francoì?Is Anthony Carrillat

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes that in the case of multiple sponsorships (i.e., brands sponsoring concomitantly the same event), the group constituted by the sponsoring brands and the sponsored event will be perceived as an entity; a phenomenon that Campbell (1958) called entitativity. The extent to which a group of brands and a sponsored event is seen as being entitative will result in stereotypic processing of the group members (Brewer and Harasty 1996). Information about an entitative group is abstracted and used to form judgments about every group member (McConnell, Sherman, and Hamilton 1997). Characteristics tied to one brand or to the …

Effects Of Social Skills Training On The Interpersonal Behaviors Of Elementary School Students In An After-School Program, Robert Caples

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social skills training was investigated in an after-school program setting with four seven- and eight-year-old males. Two were Hispanic and two were African-American. Social skills training consisted of a direct instruction, behavioral learning model of skillstreaming as described by McGinnis & Goldstein (1997). There were four major components to each social skills training session: (1) an explanation of the skill being taught; (2) modeling by the researcher of the skill being taught; (3) role play by each of the participants; and (4) performance feedback regarding the role plays. Sessions lasted approximately 30 minutes and were held weekly throughout the intervention …

Relationship Of Waste Characteristics To The Formation Of Mineral Deposits In Leachate Collection Systems, Antonio J. Cardoso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Landfill leachate is generated as a result of reactions between water percolating through the landfill and wastes. Under normal conditions leachate is found at the bottom of landfills and from there, its movement can be controlled with collection systems to be treated, discharged, or recirculated. Landfill leachate collection systems are positioned above the liner and are designed to collect liquid under gravitational flow for the entire active, closure, and post-closure periods. Clogging of any portion of the system can lead to higher hydraulic heads and increase the potential for leakage through the liner.

To reduce the quantity of municipal solid …

Commensal Fecal Bacteria: Population Biology, Diversity, And Usefulness As Indicator Organisms In Reclaimed Water, Vasanta Lakshmi Chivukula

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water treatment facilities have been relying on indicator bacteria to assess the quality of water for decades. The purpose of this group of studies is to investigate the predictive capabilities of conventional and alternative indicators for pathogenic microorganisms in disinfection processes and treated wastewater effluents. In addition, the possibility that diversity of indicator bacteria, as well as overall bacterial diversity, correlate with fecal contamination in water bodies has been investigated. Indicator organisms (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, enterococci, C. perfringens, and coliphages) as well as pathogens (enteroviruses, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium) were enumerated from six wastewater treatment facilities at …

Mapping The Major Axis Of Tephra Dispersion With A Mesoscale Atmospheric Model: Cerro Negro Volcano, Nicaragua, Marc A. Byrne

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Models of tephra fallout are used to assess volcanic hazards in advance of eruptions and in near-real-time. Current models often approximate the wind field using simplistic assumptions of the atmosphere that cannot account for typical variations in wind velocity that occur in time and three-dimensional space. Here, a widely used mesoscale atmospheric model is used to improve forecasts of the location of the major axis of dispersion for erupting plumes. The Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric Research fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) specializes in atmospheric prediction for regions on the order of ten to hundreds of kilometers on a side. …

Sound Localization Abilities Of Two Florida Manatees, Trichechus Manatus Latirostris, Debborah E. Colbert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) live in the shallow, often turbid inland and coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Since their vision is poor (Bauer et al., 2003), other senses probably guide orientation. Previous studies have found that manatees can hear over 40 kHz (Gerstein et al., 1999) and have the capacity for rapid auditory temporal processing (Mann et al., 2005). However, it is not known if manatees have the ability to localize underwater sounds.

Two Florida manatees were trained to identify underwater sound source locations using a four-choice discrimination paradigm. Three broad-band signals ( 0.2 - …

Promotoras Of The U.S.-Mexico Border: An Ethnographic Study Of Culture Brokerage, Agency, And Community Development, Ricardo B. Contreras

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines promotoras from the U.S.-Mexico border. Promotoras are women who live in colonias throughout the border area and who are employed by service provider and community development organizations to do health-related outreach and education with colonia residents. The role of promotoras can be seen from the perspective of culture brokerage; that is, they are mediators between local communities and external actors such as service providers and agencies of the government. As culture brokers, promotoras facilitate the relationship among the local communities, and the system of services and outside resources. The study proposes a conceptual framework through which programs …

Promoting And Preventing Alzheimer’S Disease In A Transgenic Mouse Model: Apolipoprotein E And Environmental Enrichment, David Antonio Costa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Besides age, inheritance of the apoE-ε4 allele is the main risk factor for late-onset AD. To determine the role of apoE in amyloid deposition, we studied mice expressing both mutant human amyloid ß-protein precursor (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) that were either normal or knocked-out for apoE. By 7 months, amorphous Aß deposition developed equally in both lines, indicating that Aß alone is sufficient for deposition to occur. In contrast, filamentous amyloid deposition was catalyzed at least 3000 fold by apoE. Electron micrographs further illustrate the filamentous nature of these plaques. These results and other, behavioral, data indicate that the …

The Outsider Within The Victorian Community: Nicholas Bulstrode In Middlemarch And Michael Henchard In The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Marian D. Conklin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many have written about the theme of interconnection in George Eliot’s Middlemarch, where individual lives and fates are woven into the larger life of the community, but few have written about this theme in relation to The Mayor of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy’s fictional and historical depiction of Dorchester and the larger area of Wessex. Hardy’s novel about “the life and death of a man of character,” is a complex and psychological characterization, but it also is representative of a particular province during a time of rapid change in community structure, just as Middlemarch is. I would like to …