Digital Commons Network^™

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 Power Of The Spoken Word: Literature In The American Mass Media Of The 1990s, Codrina Cozma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 1990s saw a climax of literature representations in what Ong called the secondary orality, particularly in film, television, and radio; for instance, the film industry produced a number of adaptations of novels that had been accepted into the American literary canon, while television and radio marketed literature through book clubs and literary shows. All these literary productions mediated through film, radio, and television are referred to in this study as mediatized literature.

The argument of this dissertation is that 1990s U.S. mediatized literature constitutes a post-modern re-enactment of the traditional oral literature that initially emerged on U.S. territory …

Pacap And Vip Modulation Of Neuroexcitability In Rat Intracardiac Neurons, Wayne I. Dehaven

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autonomic control of cardiac function depends on the coordinated activity generated by neurons within the intracardiac ganglia, and intrinsic feedback loops within the ganglia provide precise control of cardiac function. Both pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) are important regulators of cell-to-cell signaling within the intracardiac ganglia, and PACAP and VIP action on these ganglia, mediated through associated receptors, play an important role in the regulation of coronary blood flow, cardiac contraction, relaxation, and heart rate. Results reported here using PACAP and VIP provide direct evidence of some of the complex signaling which occurs in neurons …

Molecular Dynamics And Time Correlation Function Theories, Russell H. Devane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The research presented in this thesis makes use of theoretical/computational techniques to calculate nonlinear spectroscopic signals and molecular volumes. These techniques have become more practical with advances in computational resources and now are an integral part of research in these areas. Preliminary results allude to the power of these techniques when applied to relevant problems and suggest that much progress can be made in understanding the complex nature of nonlinear spectroscopic signals and molecular volume contributions. The nonlinear spectroscopy work involves writing the quantum mechanical response functions in terms of classical time correlation functions which are amenable to calculation using …

Anti-Arab Hate Crimes In The Aftermath Of September 11, 2001: Assessing The Influence Of Geographic And Situational Factors, Ilir Disha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how hate crimes in general and anti-Arab hate crimes in particular were distributed across different regions of the United States during the 2001- 2002 period. The study explores how a historical event – the terrorist attacks against the U.S. on September 11, 2001 – and county population demographics affect the rates of hate crime against Arabs, Muslims or Middle Easterners. It was hypothesized that antiArab or anti-Muslim hate crimes displaced other forms of hate crime and were characterized by open acts of violence. According to the contact hypothesis, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate crimes would be more likely …

The Influence Of Stakeholder Groups On The Decision Making Process Regarding The Dead Zone Associated With The Mississippi River Discharge, Lisa M. Fairchild

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico represents the first national attempt to address this environmental issue. Hypoxia is the condition of low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in a body of water. This condition leads to a so-called “dead zone” and potentially threatens industries dependent on the living marine resources of this area. The potential impact of any policy or plan designed to combat hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico could have significant impacts on stakeholder groups, specifically the fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico, and the agriculture and fertilizer …

Self-Esteem And Academic Achievement: A Comparative Study Of African American Students In A Traditional Public School And A Magnet School, Sheresa L. T Fairclough

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated whether differences existed in the academic achievement and self-esteem of African American students in a traditional public school and a choice school. The choice school selected was a technology-focused magnet school. All of the participants were in grades 3-5 and were administered the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) during the 2003-2004 school year. The FCAT was used to assess academic achievement in reading and math while the Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventories ñ Third Edition (CFSEI-3) was used to assess their self-esteem. Demographic information was also collected to identify factors other than school type that contribute to differences …

The Invisible Handshake: Interpreting The Job-Seeking Communication Of Foreign-Born Chinese In The U.S., Hongmei Gao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Building upon Granovetter’s well-known study of the job search behaviors of white males, this research extended the degree to which his findings apply across cultures to Chinese minorities, and across time to the Internet age. Using quantitative and qualitative data collected through systematic observation, questionnaire surveys, and in-depth interviews, this research investigated the impact of culture, Internet usage, gender and age on the communication patterns of foreign-born Chinese jobseekers in the U.S.

It is found that jobseekers adopt either one or a combination of traditional (printed publications and direct application), institutional (the Internet, job fairs, and employment agencies), and personal …

“Ethnographizing” Service-Learning: Creating Politically Engaged Anthropology, Wendy Ann Hathaway

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Service-Learning is a popular teaching method that is increasingly being adopted by institutions of higher learning throughout the nation and is enthusiastically promoted as a progressive method for mediating the alleged decline in civic responsibility and ameliorating subsequent social ills. Servicelearning courses are also seen as an answer to growing student disinterest by connecting students to “real world” experiences while simultaneously providing much needed community support in the face of receding social services in this “Post-Welfare” moment (Goode and Maskovsky 2001a).

Anthropological insights, born out of a liberal humanistic tradition, can be employed to critically examine this popular educational and …

Fat Commentary And Fat Humor Presented In Visual Media: A Content Analysis, Susan Himes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In order to examine the phenomenon of fat messages presented through visual media, a content analysis was used to quantify and categorize fat-specific commentary. Fat commentary vignettes were identified using a targeted sampling procedure, and 135 scenes were excised from movies and TV shows. The material was coded by trained raters. Reliability indices were uniformly high for the seven categories (% agreement ranged from .90-.98; kappas ranged from .66-.94). Results indicated that fat commentary and fat humor is often verbal, directed toward another person, and is often presented directly in the presence of the overweight target. Results also indicated that …

Hydrogen Fluoride Method Development For The Ogawatm Passive Sampling Device, Ilsa Johansson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study tested the precision and accuracy of a triethanolamine (TEA) absorbent in the OgawaTM Passive Sampling Device (PSD) for detection of ambient hydrogen fluoride (HF). The project was initiated to develop a method to verify compliance with emissions regulations for Coronet. Field and laboratory trials were conducted.

Mixed cellulose ester filters were saturated with 70% TEA and placed in the PSDs. Aermod ISCT3 modeled ambient HF concentrations at Coronet to guide deployment of PSDs at 28 sampling stations, 3 PSDs per station, 500 – 3500 meters from Coronet. After 30 days of sampling, ambient HF concentrations were calculated from …

Systematic Study Of Amyloid Beta Peptide Conformations: Implications For Alzheimer’S Disease, Jeffy Pilar Jimenez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The amyloid beta peptide particularly the 40 and 42 amino acid residues are the responsible for plaque formation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Extra cellular plaque formation has been recognized after incessant investigations along with the formation of intracellular tau protein tangles as the hallmarks of AD. Furthermore, the plaque formation has been linked mostly as a cause of the disease and the tangles mostly as a consequence. Our investigation is focused on studying the formation of AD plaques. The amyloid beta (Aß) is a physiological peptide secreted from neurons under normal conditions, along with other soluble forms cleaved from …

Simulating The Electric Field Mediated Motion Of Ions And Molecules In Diverse Matrices, Joseph Hickey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electroporation is a methodology for the introduction of drugs and genes into cells. This technique works by reducing the exclusionary nature of the cell membrane [125, 129, 186, 189]. Electroporation has successfully been used in electrochemotherapy and electrogenetherapy [57, 68, 86, 87, 110, 112, 131]. The two major components of electroporation are an induced transmembrane potential and the motion of the deliverable through a compromised cell membrane into the target cell [38, 55, 62, 114, 131]. These two components are both dependent on the electrophoretic motion of charged species in an applied electric field [45, 64, 75, 77, 177].

Currently, …

Performativity And The Latina/O-White Hybrid Identity: Performing The Textual Self, Shane T. Moreman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study is an exploration of Latina/o-White hybrid identity for constructions and negotiations of hybridity as performed in the lives of individuals and as rearticulated in discourse. These discourses are drawn from interviews with nine individuals, stories of my own life, and three published memoirs. Despite these different forms, all the selfidentified Latina/o-White hybrid individuals speak to the difficulty of imagining and enacting a hybrid identity within today’s discourse on race and ethnicity. This study articulates these difficulties as lived experience, theory, and performance come together to argue for and against hybridity as a model for contemporary identity. The project …

Financial Innovation Patents: The Future Of The Futures Markets, Or Old Wine In New Bottles?, John Fazzio

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

Electronic exchanges and electronic trading are the future of the futures industry. Since the landmark case State Street Bank & Trust Co. v. Signature Financial Group, Inc., the volume of trading on electronic exchanges has grown at ten times the pace of open outcry trading.4 Institutions and brokerage houses have rushed to the patent office to protect business methods, and an industry of Independent Software Providers ("ISPs") has sprung up to meet the demand for new trading technologies. These developments have reshaped the commodity and futures landscape. In response, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") passed regulations regarding order …

North American Anti-Circumvention: Implementation Of The Wipo Internet Treaties In The United States, Mexico And Canada, Heather A. Sapp

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

The speed and ease with which digital formats of copyrighted works can be copied and exchanged on the Internet have given rise to "legal developments that once might have seemed unlikely or unthinkable." Although the digital era was hailed by many for the potential of providing a global marketplace for copyrighted works, many copyright holders were concerned about the ease of digital piracy. In some senses, despite the promise of new markets and increases in efficiency, the digital era signaled a copyright holder's nightmare. Works could be immediately and perfectly copied and then immediately and perfectly distributed. As a result, …

Liability Of Isps: Immunity From Liability Under The Digital Millennium Copyright Act And The Communications Decency Act, Cyrus S. J. Manekshaw

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

The Internet has so completely permeated our lives in the past ten years that often we do not fully realize how truly revolutionary this technology is or how many legal issues and problems it can present. At its most basic level, the Internet is a system of worldwide computer networks that transfer data. To the ordinary user, the Internet is an all-purpose essential tool used to do everything from checking e-mail and reading the news to playing games and sharing music, pictures, and ideas. The power to share ideas and communicate with people all around the globe is the Internet's …

Can An Inventor Continue Protecting An Expired Patented Product Via Trade Dress Protection, Daniel A. Valenzuela

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Judicial Mediator's Perspective: The Impact Of Gender On Dispute Resolution: Mediation As A Different Voice, Karen K. Klein

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Reflection On The Influence Of Women On The North Dakota Legal Community, Mary Muehlen Maring

North Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Polymerization Kinetics Of Peo-B-Pnipaam Block Copolymers, William G. Pitt, Yi Zeng

Faculty Publications

Our research in ultrasonic activated drug delivery motivated us to develop polymeric micelles that sequester hydrophobic drugs (Fig. 1) until they are sheared open by cavitation events produced by low frequency ultrasound (Fig. 2). [1] Using this type of drug delivery system, micelles sequestering drug can circulate freely without releasing their drug until they flow through a tumor or other tissue insonated by low frequency ultrasound. There they release part of their drug (Fig. 3). [2,3] This drug delivery technology was used to reduce tumors in a rat model [4] using block copolymers of PEO and PPO. However, we are …

Mechanism Of Targeted Chemotherapeutic Delivery Using Ultrasound, Thaidra A. Gaufin, Byron K. Murray, Seiga Ohmine, Kim L. O'Neill, William G. Pitt, Briant S. Stringham

Faculty Publications

Ultrasound (US) is used to enhance and target delivery of drugs and genes to cancer tissues. The advantages of focused delivery to select tissues are manifold, but the exact mechanisms are largely unknown and need clarification to optimize delivery. The present study further defined the role of collapse cavitation in US-induced permeabilization of cell membranes and subsequent drug or gene uptake by the cell. Cavitation, defined as the collapse of micro-bubbles, produces high shear stresses and shock waves that may transiently puncture cell membranes and has been suggested as the cause of increased permeability. The hypothesis that collapsing bubbles permeabilize …

Taming The Wildest: What We've Made Of Louis Prima, John J. Pauly

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Construction Of Readership In Ebony, Essence, And O, The Oprah Magazine, Lee Miller, Bonnie Brennen, Brenda Edgerton-Webster

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Miller et al examine the construction of readership in Ebony, Essence and O, The Oprah magazine, three popular magazines that purport to be a vehicle of identity and awareness for their target audience. Upon evaluation, they found that Ebony and Essence both challenge the hegemonic process with the incorporation of cultural artifacts that call upon collective memory to form reader association.

Attitudes Toward Abortion Among Religious Traditions In The United States: Change Or Continuity?, John P. Hoffmann, Sherrie Mills Johnson

Faculty Publications

Abortion continues to be a highly contentious issue in the United States, with few signs of abatement. The goal of this paper is to specify how variable positions about abortion across religious traditions have led to differential shifts in attitudes among their members. Based on culturally relevant events, position papers, and other religious media, the guiding hypotheses propose that Evangelicals have become increasingly opposed to abortion for elective reasons; yet changes in attitudes regarding abortion for traumatic reasons are due primarily to cohort shifts. Data from the cumulative General Social Surveys (1972–2002) are used to test the hypotheses. The first …

Structures For Adventist World Mission In The Twenty-First Century, Gorden R. Doss

Faculty Publications

Christian denominations and mission agencies use different structural models for doing world mission. This article discusses four models and the ecclesiological and practical implications of each for Adventist world mission. The current structural model is analyzed and suggestions are made for adjusting it to better fulfill Adventist world mission in the contemporary context.

Language Deficiency And The Occupational Attainment Of Mexican Immigrants, Elizabeth Planas '05

Undergraduate Economic Review

The number of Mexican immigrants that have entered the U.S. has greatly increased over the past decade. The occupational attainment of these immigrants provides insight into how successful they are in the host country and language deficiency has an effect on this occupational attainment. By controlling for language proficiency, human capital characteristics and other variables from the IPUMS database, this project uses probit analysis to predict the probablity that an immigrant will be employed in a favorable occupation in the U.S. Results show that language deficiency reduces the probability of attaining a favorable occupation, but having no English language skills …

Characterisation Of An Acrylamide-Based Photopolymer For Holographic Data Storage, Hosam Sherif

Masters

An acrylamide-based photopolymer, formulated in the Centre for Industrial and Engineering Optics, was investigated as a recording material for holographic data storage applications. Holographic data storage (HDS) is an optical storage technique, which theoretically allows densities as high as tens of TB/cm2 with data transfer rates of many GB/s/. HDS has unique advantages, such as the ability to perform parallel data searches (associative recall) and implement novel encryption techniques. At present, many materials have been investigated to determine their suitability for use as HDS media. As yet, no one material possesses all the properties that are required to realise the …

On The Integrability Of A Class Of Nonlinear Dispersive Wave Equations, Rossen Ivanov

Articles

We investigate the integrability of a class of 1+1 dimensional models describing nonlinear dispersive waves in continuous media, e.g. cylindrical compressible hyperelastic rods, shallow water waves, etc. The only completely integrable cases coincide with the Camassa-Holm and Degasperis-Procesi equations.

Experiences Teaching Website Engagibility To Computer Science Students., Pan Liqiang, Bryan Duggan, Ronan Fitzpatrick

Conference papers

In the second year of our degree program, DT228 students study a subject called Web Development. In this paper we describe our studio classroom based teaching approach to this subject and explain how using this approach has enabled us to expand the scope of the course to include the important concept of website engagibility. We present a summary of current theories on website engagibility and explain how we incorporated these theories into the course. We further describe an experiment which we carried out in order to encourage students to reflect on website engagibility and incorporate it into their continuous assessments.