Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Theoretical And Experimental Investigation Of Phase Behavior Of Polymeric Systems In Supercritical Carbon Dioxide And Their Modeling Using Saft, Ratka Damnjanovic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmentally friendly processing of materials is becoming an increasingly important consideration in a wide variety of emerging technologies. Polymer processing, in particular, has benefited tremendously in this venue from numerous advances achieved using high-pressure carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a viscosity modifier, plasticizing agent, foaming agent, and reaction medium. Polymer processing in supercritical fluids has been a major interest for a portfolio of materials processing applications including their impregnation into porous matrices. Also, SCF solvents are being examined as a media for polymerization processes, polymer purification and fractionation, and as environmentally preferable solvents for solution coatings. Pressurized CO_{2 …}

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 …

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 …

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 …

Fire And Ice In The Age Of Innocence, Alisa Mariva Deborde

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study will explore the dichotomy of culture and psychological landscape in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence. To lay the foundation for this study, I first consider how Ms. Wharton often employed dichotomy in her own life: her role as socialite and author, woman of old New York and European maverick, and her life as spouse or beloved. Compartmentalizing her life’s roles prevented her from having to compromise the distinct qualities of each paradigm. Similarly, in The Age of Innocence, Ellen and May are completely opposite representations of life and culture in the 1870’s who cannot happily coexist …

Formation Of Nanocoatings By Laser-Assisted Spray Pyrolysis And Laser Ablation On 2d Gold Nanotemplates, Gayan S. Dedigamuwa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes a new Laser-Assisted Spray Pyrolysis technique developed to grow nanoparticle coatings with controllable particle sizes. In this method, droplets of a precursor formed by a nebulizer are injected into a growth chamber using SF6 carrier gas. An experimental study and a computational model to investigate the particle size dependence on various growth parameters have been carried out. The results show that heating of 1.5µm droplets of metalorganic precursor in a carrier gas using a CO2 laser resulted in the formation of TiC and Fe3O4 particles with diameters in the range of 50- 60nm. Also the results show …

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 Effects First Language Use Phonological Difficulty Perception Foreign Accented Speech, Astrid Zerla Doty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Listener perception of accentedness has been shown to be influenced by experience with L2 (measured by length of residence in US). However, frequency of L1 use and degree of phonological difficulty (defined by the number of non-native phonetic features targeted) may provide more insight into the role of experience in the perception of accentedness.

Three groups of listeners (monolingual English and Spanish [L1] speakers divided into two groups of high and low use of English [L2]) rated the accentedness of bilingual speakers who spoke with varying degrees of accentedness. The speakers read sentences adapted from Magan (1998) to include phonological …

Autonomous Optical Measurements In Bayboro Harbor (Saint Petersburg, Florida), Chunzi Du

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Estimating with precision coastal marine properties such as primary production, particulate and dissolved carbon, and red tide concentrations is a challenging but important part of marine research. It benefits not only the local communities, but also provides an important input to various global biogeochemical modeling efforts. Due to the complexity of coastal environments resulting from temporal variability of tidal and riverine influences, it is useful to develop and deploy an automated sensor network that provides real-time feedback. It can be used to validate remote sensing models to retrieve in-water constituents, and provide calibration and validation for atmospheric correction of satellite …

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 …

Development And Validation Of A Systematically Designed Unit For Online Information Literacy And Its Effect On Student Performance For Internet Search Training, Emily K. Dunsker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As online learning increases and classroom use of print textbooks are gradually replaced by web-based instruction, what features of online instruction prove beneficial to student learning? The present study has three purposes; (1) To examine the effects of conversion of textbook content to web-based instruction for an extant Internet search course. The researcher examined performance differences of an online textbook to web tutorial compared to a second version that included interactive features found in classroom instruction. (2) To investigate students’ perceptions of material that afforded high levels of learner control and compared responses to a more structured instructional module. (3) …

Design, Construction And Testing Of A Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Arm, Kevin D. Edwards

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A wheelchair-mounted robotic arm (WMRA) was designed and built to meet the needs of mobility-impaired persons, and to exceed the capabilities of current devices of this type. The mechanical design incorporates DC servo drive, with all actuator hardware at each individual joint, allowing reconfigurable link lengths. It has seven principal degrees of freedom and uses a side mount on a power wheelchair. A simple, scalable control system allows coordinated Cartesian control, and offers expandability for future research, such as coordinated motion with the wheelchair itself. Design payload including gripper is 6 kg, and the total arm mass with controller is …

Political And Economic News During The Argentine Crisis Of 2000-2002: An Agenda-Setting Analysis Of Major Newspaper Coverage, Mariana Eberle-Blaylock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the years 2000-2002, the Republic of Argentina experienced one of the most, if not the most, devastating social/political/economic crises ever seen. President Fernando de la Rua, elected in 1999, was forced to resign on December 20, 2001, after several months of protests, public demonstrations, and a colossal economic recession. This unprecedented event in the history of the country created a state of chaos and confusion in a frantic population desperately searching for answers.

During the crisis, the media played a vital role in providing the public their daily updates. This study analyzed the newspapers’ role during the crisis using …

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 …

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. …

Oral/Written Contrast Of Mental State References In Older Children, Jeanne E. Federico

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in the use of mental state references by typically developing 9- and 11-year-old children. Following a priming task that emphasized distinctions between physical and mental acts, children watched an 11- minute textless video and then were asked to generate an oral and a written story that focused on the mental states of the multiple characters. Narratives were transcribed, and all mental state references were classified into motivational, experiential, and belief categories. Specific mental state references were also analyzed to determine levels of semantic complexity. The study attempted to answer: 1) whether …

The Use Of Electrical Charge To Produce Cell-Cell Contact Prior To Electrofusion, Jyothi Fernandes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

From previous studies it has been demonstrated that the fusion of tumor cells with antigen-presenting cells generates hybrids that are known to induce anti-tumor immunity. With the advancement of scientific research and medicine, the need to produce cell-cell hybrids for cancer immunotherapy and for various other applications is substantial.

Among the many methods used to generate these hybrid cells, electrofusion is a technique that is more widely used and recognized as a method to efficiently produce hybrids. Electrofusion requires two steps. In the first step, cells are brought into close adjacent contact either by a mechanical method like centrifugation or …

"No, We Don't Have Any T-Shirts": Identity In A (Self-Consciously) Consumerist Punk Subculture, William Force

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an ethnographic examination of a local punk subculture. Its focus is the processes of meaning construction and subcultural identity formation and maintenance. Through in-depth interviews and on-site observations, the meanings of punk emerge in acts of social co-construction. An empirical analysis of the ways by which individuals define and explore what is involved and valued in a punk identity provides insight into this subculture. The concept of punk as a social practice is investigated discursively through interviews and documented discussions. My goal is to uncover thematic ideas, beliefs, and values in these interactions that form a matrix …

Cuidate: Tourism, Drugs, Sex And Hiv Among Young People In Monteverde, Costa Rica, Andrea Lee Freidus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this thesis is to understand a community’s perceptions of the potential impact of tourism on the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/AIDS in Monteverde, Costa Rica. In particular, I examine the ways in which globalization and increased travel affect the overall health and behavioral patterns among young people from a community reliant on tourism. The impact of migration and population movement on the spread of infectious diseases has already been well documented. Moreover, there is a clear understanding of the impact of sex tourism on the spread of STIs. However, this project seeks to …

Negotiating Artistic Identity Through Satire: Subreal 1989-1999, Anca Izabel Galliera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research study is on major art works produced during the nineteen-nineties by the Romanian collective subREAL, composed of Calin Dan and Josif Kiraly. The thesis is an alternative to the literal-minded and politically biased Western view typified in two major exhibitions of art from Eastern Europe: Beyond Belief: Contemporary Art from East Central Europe (Chicago, 1995) and After the Wall: Art and Culture in Post-Communist Europe (Sweden, 1999). Both exhibitions presented Post-Communist nations as a monolithic bloc, in which art was primarily a passive reflection of political and social events. It will be demonstrated that …

The Effect Of Conducting Gesture On Expressive-Interpretive Performance Of College Music Majors, Ronald Wayne Gallops

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of non-verbal conducting gesture on musicians’ stylistic response and whether conducting gestures alone elicit consistent musical responses from musicians. Through an analysis that utilized a Gestural Response Instrument (GRI) it was determined that, even if the use of verbal and facial cues were eliminated, some experienced conductors successfully utilized non-verbal conducting gestures to communicate specific musical interpretations. It appeared that musicians responded in specific ways to the musical interpretation of conductors who had command of a variety of conducting gestures. The results illustrated the existence of a perceptual contract that …

Study Of The Roles Of Lrba In Cancer Cell Proliferation And Ship-1 In Nk Cell Function, Joshua John Gamsby

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

LRBA (LPS Responsive Beige-like Protein Kinase A anchor) gene expression is induced by the mitogen LPS and is a member of the WBW gene family member which is comprised of genes that are involved in cellular proliferation and differentiation. This work provides evidence for the over-expression of LRBA in certain cancers, and that LRBA promoter activity and endogenous LRBA mRNA levels are negatively regulated by the tumor suppressor p53 and positively regulated by E2F transactivators. Furthermore, we demonstrate that inhibition of LRBA expression or function leads to decreased proliferation of cancer cells and that LRBA plays a role in the …

A Comparison Of Two Prompting Procedures On Tacting Behavior, Kelley N. Gardner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of the current study was to determine the most effective way to teach tacts, or labels, to children with autism who have a language deficit. Two participants were included in the study, which compared two prompting procedures, the verbal prompting condition and the gestural prompting condition.

The verbal prompting condition included presenting a target picture and the verbal prompt, “What is it?” In the gestural prompting condition, a picture was presented, but rather than the verbal prompt, a pointing prompt was offered. Approximately 32 sessions were conducted 2-3 times per week. The effects of the two interventions were …

Imagination In Action: A Phenomenological Case Study Of Simulations In Two Fifth-Grade Teachers’ Classrooms, Cher N. Gauweiler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to describe how two fifth-grade teachers help students understand social studies and language arts concepts through simulations. I observed two fifth-grade teachers, Lindsey and Paula, as they conducted a simulation focused on the Lewis and Clark expedition. I spent 100 hours over a period of eight weeks in the teachers’ classrooms. The following research questions guided my inquiry:

1. Why do the two teachers use simulations?

2. How do the two teachers implement simulations?

3. How do the ten students respond to simulations?

4. What do the ten students think about simulations?

To answer …

Aortic Valve Analysis And Area Prediction Using Bayesian Modeling, Miheer S. Ghotikar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Aortic valve stenosis affects approximately 5 out of every 10,000 people in the United States. [3] This disorder causes decrease in the aortic valve opening area increasing resistance to blood flow. Detection of early stages of valve malfunction is an important area of research to enable new treatments and develop strategies in order to delay degenerative progression. Analysis of relationship between valve properties and hemodynamic factors is critical to develop and validate these strategies.

Porcine aortic valves are anatomically analogous to human aortic valves. Fixation agents modify the valves in such a manner to mimic increased leaflet stiffness due to …

The Role And Regulation Of Argininosuccinate Synthase In Endothelial Function, Bonnie L. Goodwin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While cellular levels of arginine greatly exceed the apparent Km for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), nitric oxide (NO) production is limited by availability of arginine. Results from this work have provided a unique understanding of endothelial NO production, showing that arginine regeneration, that is the recycling of citrulline back to arginine by argininosuccinate synthase (AS) and argininosuccinate lyase (AL), defines the essential source of arginine for NO production. Using RNA interference analysis, selective reduction of AS expression was shown to directly correspond with a diminished capacity of endothelial cells to produce NO, despite saturating levels of arginine in the …

Full-Page Versus Partial-Page Screen Designs In Web-Based Training: Their Effects On Learner Satisfaction And Performance, Phillip Eulon Grace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a report on research regarding the screen layout of Web-based training (WBT) programs, conducted with an eye toward providing evidence-based guidance for the design and development of WBT interfaces. Specifically, the study investigated the relative instructional benefits of two general types of WBT screen design, full-page and partial-page, in terms of both learner performance and learner satisfaction. The main hypotheses of the study were that the full-page design option would yield significantly better outcomes in both categories of interest.

The study employed a mixed-method design, generating both quantitative and qualitative data. The main phase of the study was …

Asperger Syndrome: A Case Study On One Family’S Understanding, Ben Graffam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the way members of one family understand the presence of developmental delays, especially Asperger Syndrome, in the children of that family. Specifically the study sought to glean how each parent constructed individual understanding of the presence of Asperger Syndrome in their twin, 13 year-old boys. It also sought to explore how each twin experienced the phenomenon of being labeled a child with Asperger Syndrome, and how their experiences affected their growing understanding of the syndrome. A third son, 10 years old, with PDD-NOS, was also a central focus in this study in that he also created and …

Prehistoric Human Subsistence Patterns In Northern Patagonia, Argentina: Isotopic Evidence For Reconstructing Diet, Scott Grammer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the isotopic signatures of human skeletal remains that were recovered from several sites along the coast and inland in the north-central Patagonian region of Argentina. Human skeletal remains, dating from 2500 BP through the early historic period, are examined to determine the relative significance of terrestrial and aquatic food resources and subsequently, the extent to which coastal food resources were exploited by indigenous Argentinians. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes contained within human bone collagen and apatite are measured quantitatively to determine the relative significance of marine and terrestrial foods. This study, one of the first isotopic studies of …