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Eros, Paideia And Arête: The Lesson Of Plato’S Symposium, Jason St. John Oliver Campbell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Commentators of Plato’s Symposium rarely recognize the importance of traditional Greek conceptions of Eros, paideia and arête in understanding Plato’s critique of the various educational models presented in the dialogue. I will show how Plato contests these models by proposing that education should consist of philosophy. On this interpretation, ancient Greek pedagogy culminates in a philosophical education. For this new form of education, the dialogical model supplants the traditional practices of kléos and poetic mimēsis, inextricably bound to archaia paideia and traditional forms of education. Plato’s Socrates is searching for knowledge and immortality through an application of the philosophical method, …

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 …

Social Construction Of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women In Panama City, Panama, Arlene Calvo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To learn how to address health issues specific to Hispanic cultures in an effort to address health disparities, learning from cultural aspects that affect health from the countries of origin would be most useful. Community programs built on rigorous and systematic research prove to be more powerful than ad-hoc programs. Qualitative research techniques offer powerful alternatives for public health professionals to develop adequate and directed programs at the community level, especially among underserved communities and those represented by oral/spoken traditions. The study was conducted among 132 working class single and married Mestizo women between the ages of 20-40 living in …

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 …

The Articulate Remedies Of Dolores Lolita Rodriguez, Hyatt Kellim Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For eighty-six-year-old Tampa, Florida, native Dolores Lolita Rodriguez, yard decorating was more than just decoration; it was a form of therapy. Her yard was a massive assemblage of found objects arranged into a personalized visual vocabulary that involved honoring the deceased, her Spanish identity, and local spiritual practices. The yard also upheld a unique conception of beauty. Her creations were an articulation of, and remedy for, a life of tremendous loss. They were also the cause of her stroke and confinement to rehabilitation in November 2002.

Dolores property was visually cognate with a mode of yard decoration, called the African-American …

An Evaluation Of The Dopaminergic Systems’ Response To A Natural Reinforcer: A Comparison Between Cocaine Pretreatment In Adolescent And Adult Rats, Briony Catlow

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The long-term consequences of adolescent drug use in shaping a network primed for addiction is an issue of utmost importance. The use of cocaine during adolescent development could alter the normal growth of the reward system and affect the adult mesolimbic system, however, there is scant literature aimed at finding out if animals are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of drugs during adolescence. The present study investigated whether cocaine pretreatment in adolescent and adult rats produced differences in cocaine-induced neurochemical cross-sensitization to a naturally reinforcing substance in adulthood. To evaluate the responsivity of the mesolimbic system after repeated cocaine, …

The Predictive Validity Of Four Reading Fluency Measures On A State's "High-Stakes" Outcome Assessment, Jose Michael Castillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the long-term predictive validity of four reading fluency measures on a statewide reading assessment. The reading fluency measures were administered to a group of first and second grade students and their utility for predicting outcomes on a state's reading assessment in third grade was examined. Specifically, the amount of variance accounted for on the outcome assessment by Curriculum-Based Measurement ñ Reading (R-CBM) probes from two sources, a list fluency measure, and a group measure of fluency was investigated. The extent to which each is an accurate predictor of long-term performance when considered individually and in combination with …

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 Effects Of Response Cards On The Performance And Generalization Of Parenting Skills, Bennie L. Colbert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has provided convincing evidence of the efficacy of behavior analytic interventions to improve parenting skills with biological parents, however many studies lament generalization failure from training to home settings. Previous research has also examined the effects of response card use with children at various grade levels and with post-secondary students with a sole focus on academic outcomes. This study examined the effects of color coded response cards on active student responding and parenting skills proficiency of three foster parents in a parent training program and generalization of these skills to their homes. During baseline, participants role-played their responses …

Exploring Women’S Complex Relationship With Political Violence: A Study Of The Weathermen, Radical Feminism And The New Left, Lindsey Blake Churchill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis I use the radical, pro-violent organization the Weathermen as a framework to examine women and feminisms complex relationships with violence. My thesis attempts to show the many belief systems that second wave feminists possessed concerning the role(s) of women and violence in revolutionary organizations. Hence, by using the Weathermen as a framework, I discuss various feminist essentialist and pacifist critiques of violence. I also include an analysis of feminists who, similar to the Weathermen, embraced political violence. For example, radical feminists Robin Morgan and Jane Alpert criticized the Weathermen's violent tactics while other feminists such as Ti-Grace …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Assessment Of The Community Healthcare Providers' Ability And Willingness To Respond To A Bioterrorist Attack In Florida, Jeffrey S. Crane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous findings have demonstrated that the preparedness and infrastructure of the public health system are inadequately developed for a biological and/or chemical terrorism attack. (1-4) Chen et al. reported that those primary care providers that would have to respond to such an attack do not feel prepared to diagnose and manage such an event.(5)

This research was an observational study using e-mail/web based survey to assess the levels of preparedness (PL) and willingness to respond (WTR) to a bioterrorism attack, and identify factors that predict PL and WTR of Florida community healthcare providers. The conceptual framework and questionnaire was designed …

Effects Of Hyperoxia In Alzheimer’S Transgenic Mice, April Cox

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An association between major surgery in the elderly and precipitation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been reported. Hyperoxia (100%) oxygen is commonly administered after surgery to increase the oxygen content of blood. However, hyperoxia is a potent cerebral vasoconstrictor and generator of free radicals, as is β-amyloid (Aβ). This study was aimed at examining behavioral, neuropathological, and neurochemical effects of hyperoxia treatments in APPsw transgenic mice (Tg+), which have elevated brain Aβ levels by 3-4 months of age but are not yet cognitively-impaired. At 3 months of age, Tg+ mice were pre-tested in the radial arm water maze (RAWM) task …

Dissecting Out The Contribution Of Cognitive, Social, And Physical Activities To Environmental Enrichment’S Ability To Protect Alzheimer’S Mice Against Cognitive Impairment, Jennifer R. Cracchiolo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Retrospective studies suggest that lifestyle activities may provide protection against Alzheimer s Disease (AD). However, such studies can be inaccurate and prospective longitudinal studies investigating lifestyle protection against AD are both impractical and impossible to control for. Transgenic (Tg+) AD mice offer a model in a well controlled environment for testing the potential for environmental factors to impact AD development. In an initial study, Tg+ and non-transgenic (Tg-) mice were housed in either environmentally enriched (EE) or standard housing (SH) from 2-6 months of age, with a behavioral battery given during the last 5 weeks of housing. In the Morris …

Coral Reef Assessment: An Index Utilizing Sediment Constituents, Camille A. Daniels

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Resource managers need inexpensive bioindicators to evaluate the health of coral reef ecosystems and to inform decisions on when and where to utilize more expensive assessment techniques. Following USEPA Guidelines for Evaluating Ecological Indicators, I developed the SEDCON Index (SI), a rapid-assessment protocol which utilizes reef sediment composition to assess the integrity of coral-reef communities. Key advantages of this index are that it entails non-destructive sampling and is applicable to reefs worldwide. The underlying assumption of the index is that community structure is reflected by proportions of recognizable remnants of calcareous shells and skeletal remains of mixotrophic (zooxanthellate corals and …

Communicating Collaboration And Empowerment: A Research Novel Of Relationships With Domestic Violence Workers, Elizabeth A. Curry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an experiment in thinking with the story, not about the story in order to erase the boundaries between analysis and narrative. CASA, Community Action Stops Abuse, is the context for this research on the lived realities and meaning of working with an empowerment philosophy. A University-Community Initiative (UCI) grant with CASA and the University of South Florida is the occasion to study the communicative aspects of individual and collective perceptions of empowerment. The dissertation focuses broadly on two UCI project goals: developing a collaborative relationship and producing a booklet of stories about the work of paid staff …

Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis In Hiv-Positive And Hiv-Negative Children In Haiti: A Hospital-Based Investigation, Marie F. Denis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Globally, one in four persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who are living with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) will die of tuberculosis (TB). The estimated number of HIV-infected children who die of tuberculosis, especially extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), in Haiti, is only loosely based on facts or investigation. This study proposes to describe demographics of children with EPTB in a pediatric TB hospital in Haiti. The objectives are two-fold. The first objective is to describe the population of children discharged from Grace Children’s Hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of tuberculosis overall, and broken down by whether or …

Early Learning Experiences: Education With Coaching And The Effects On The Acquisiton Of Literacy Skills In Preschool Children, Dale Lynn Cusumano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reading to learn becomes a difficult task for children if they have not become proficient at comprehending written text. It was hypothesized that, for some children, reading difficulties may have been averted had they been reared in homes or participated in early childhood settings where literacy-based activities, interactions, or materials were prevalent. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that training early childhood educators in researchbased early literacy instructional strategies (within the HeadsUp! Reading curriculum ñ HUR) had on the development of early reading skills in the preschool children they taught. Further examination also identified the impact …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Predictors Of Self- And Other Reported Marketability: Looking Beyond Human Capital, Rachel Day

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to propose and test a comprehensive model of marketability using both individual and situational predictors. Participants in this study were members of professional associations and were recruited from internet listserves. They consisted of 485 employees and 176 co-workers. This study used a matching technique to link participant and co-worker data and was the first study to assess multiple perspectives of marketability. Results demonstrated the relationships of human capital variables, positivity traits, proactive career behaviors, the environment and industry characteristics on internal and external marketability. Interestingly, not all predictors related to both internal and external …

Misogyny And (Mis)Representation: The Female Subject In The Poetry Of José De Espronceda, Cristina L. Delano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work explores the portrayal of the female subject in the work of the Spanish Romantic poet. José de Espronceda, This study will analyze the misogynistic representation of women and the denial of female subjectivity.

The first chapter discusses the biographical, historical and literary contexts of Espronceda’s work. This section will discuss Romantic notions of subjectivity, as well as the ambivalence towards the women during the 19th century. This ambivalence produced a conflict that was reflected in the representation of women as either pure angels or vile demons.

The first work that will be discussed is the poem “A Jarifa …

Investor And Worker Response To Corporate Downsizing Of Esop Companies: Wealth Effects, Productivity, And Performance, Jeanean J. Davis-Street

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Finance, economic and management literature document the reduced agency problems, increased productivity, and greater financial benefits that accrue to firms that adopt Employee Stock Ownership Plans, (ESOPs). The literature also documents the increased agency problems, decreased employee productivity, and poor operating performance that usually accompany corporate downsizing activity. To date, none of the studies have examined the effect that downsizing decisions have on companies with existing ESOP plans; this dissertation fills that empirical void. In this study, two essays are presented that examine the effect of corporate downsizing on ESOP versus non-ESOP firms.

In the first essay, I investigate the …

Evaluating Positive Behavior Support Plan Implementation In The Home Environment Of Young Children With Challenging Behavior, Michelle A. Duda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, a central focus of the field of early intervention/early childhood special education has been to investigate ways to effectively support young children with challenging behavior and their families (Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior, 2003; DEC, 1999). Positive behavior support (PBS) is one of the most promising evidence-based practices for young children with challenging behavior and their families. The central purposes of PBS are to both help people develop and engage in socially desirable behaviors and to help minimize patterns of socially stigmatizing responding (Koegel, Koegel, & Dunlap, 1996).

Research documenting the utility and …

The Impact Of Gender-Role Stereotypes And The Sex-Typing Of The Professor Job On Performance Evaluations In Higher Education, Jay M. Dorio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the influences of gender-role stereotypes, gender-role congruity, and the sex-typing of the professor job on performance evaluations of university educators in actual classroom settings. Participants used the Schein Descriptive Index (Schein, 1973) to define gender-role stereotypes, characteristics of their professor/instructor, and the characteristics of an “Effective Professor.” Participants used a behavior summary scale (BSS) formatted student assessment of instruction to evaluate their professor’s/instructor’s performance after a full semester of class participation.

It was hypothesized that a pro-male bias would exist in the sex-typing of the professor job, and that combined with the gender-role stereotypes of participants …

The Nuclear Export Of Dna Topoisomerase Iiα In Hematological Myeloma Cell Lines As A Function Of Drug Sensitivity: Clinical Implications And A Theoretical Approach For Overcoming The Observed Drug Resistance, Roxane Engel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this investigation is about DNA topoisomerases, the molecular targets of clinically important chemotherapy, and mechanisms of drug resistance in human myeloma and leukemia cell lines. The ultimate goal of this investigation was to identify mechanism(s) of drug resistance to anticancer agents so that a strategy to overcome drug resistance could be conceived. We established an in vitro cell model by using human leukemia and myeloma cell lines to investigate possible mechanisms of drug resistance that are observed in confluent cells. Plateau cell densities demonstrated de novo drug resistance to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents that was independent of …

Bottom Albedo Derivations Using Hyperspectral Spectrometry And Multispectral Video, Andrew Scott Farmer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Remote sensing reflectance data collected with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) were used to derive bottom albedo and optical properties for a shallow marine environment near Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas. Optical model inversion techniques were applied to hyperspectral measurements of remote-sensing reflectance to derive water absorption and backscatter coefficients. Using these derived water properties, path attenuation and radiance effects were removed from bottom observations to derive bottom albedos. Histograms from multispectral, hyperspatial video images were used to determine the albedo range of optical end members observed in scenes of sand and seagrass. Variations of spectral signatures for optical end members …

Immigrant Vulnerability In High-Risk Industry: A Socio-Occupational Examination Of Counties With Large Meatpacking Plants In Iowa And Nebraska, Mary Patricia Everist

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The decade of 1990-2000 saw a 53 percent increase in the number of Hispanics to 35.3 million, 20.6 million whom are of Mexican origin, signifying the fastest growing cohort in the U.S. today. This decade has also seen a surge in Hispanic migration to the Midwest region, particularly to communities with large meatpacking plants (LMPPs). Although overall literary consensus underscores the fact that this educationally disadvantaged ethnic group is over-represented in service and labor-based industries, few attempts have been made to empirically link the ir growing participation in high-risk industries like meatpacking with socioeconomic and occupational indicators of immigrant vulnerability. …

Faculty Development Practices At Florida’S Public Community Colleges: Perceptions Of Academic Administrators, Faculty Development Practitioners, And Full-Time Faculty Members, Susan Sparling Finlay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Faculty development is a means by which institutions can assist faculty in addressing the challenges they face each day in the classroom. Certainly the importance of faculty development is never more evident than within community colleges where access is provided to all students through an open-door admission policy which often produces a more diverse student body creating numerous institutional challenges. Overtime, on many campuses, faculty development practices have come to play a prominent role in attending to these challenges.

This study: (a) examined faculty development practices offered in the last three years by Florida’s 22 public community colleges and determined …