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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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Longtime Dynamics Of Hyperbolic Evolutionary Equations In Unbounded Domains And Lattice Systems, Djiby Fall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a contribution to the study of longtime dynamics of evolutionary equations in unbounded domains and of lattice systems. It is of particular interest to prove the existence of global attractors for solutions of such equations. To this end, one needs in general some type of asymptotical compactness. In the case that the evolutionary PDE is defined on a bounded domain Ω in space, asymptotical compactness follows from the regularity estimates and the compactness of the Sobolev embeddings and therefore the existence of attractors has been established for most of the dissipative equations of mathematical physics in a …

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 …

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 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 …

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 …

Toward Predicting Barrier Island Vulnerability: Simple Models For Dune Erosion, Laura A. Fauver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to quantify the accuracy of two engineering models for dune erosion (SBEACH and EDUNE), and to determine which of the two models is best suited for predicting barrier island vulnerability due to extreme storm events. The first model, SBEACH, computes sediment transport using empirically derived equations from two large wave tank experiments. The second model, EDUNE, theoretically relates excess wave energy dissipation in the surf zone to sediment transport. The first mechanism for model comparison is sensitivity testing, which describes the response of the model to empirical, physical, and hydrodynamic variables. Through sensitivity tests, …

"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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Automatically Determining Route And Mode Of Transport Using A Gps Enabled Phone, Himanshu Gilani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A system consisting of a GPS-enabled phone and a database has been designed and implemented. This system is capable of recording the route traveled by a user and determining the mode of transport (walk, bicycle, car or bus) used. The Java code running in the GPS-enabled phone automatically records location data, determines critical locations for the trip, and transmits the locations to a central database using the wireless capabilities of the phone. As the route information arrives at the database, it is processed by the mode detection algorithm that determines the mode of transportation being used by the individual for …

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 …

Maximizing The Benefits Of Its Deployments Based On Idas Performance Measures And B/C Ratios, Cuthbert R. Gibson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditional transportation planning models are not very sensitive to many of the benefits derived from Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies. With the recent availability of ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS), there is an opportunity to conduct detailed cost-benefit analyses of ITS Alternatives. IDAS is able to estimate the impacts, benefits, and costs resulting from the deployment of many ITS components. This is accomplished by comparing the average cost of deploying and integrating the appropriate technologies, to the estimated benefits experienced by the network. The ratio of average benefits to average costs is termed the B/C ratios. While the use of …

The Underdog Effect: Definition, Limitations, And Motivations. Why Do We Support Those At A Competitive Disadvantage?, Nadav Goldschmied

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

From politics to sports to business, people are quick to categorize those at a competitive disadvantage as ‘underdogs’. Moreover, there is ample anecdotal support that most people do not hesitate to align themselves with underdogs, a phenomenon called “the underdog effect”. A series of studies were conducted to examine the scope and limitations of the underdog effect. The first study explored the extent of the underdog effect and determined that resources play a crucial role in forming alliances with those whom we perceive to have the lower chance to succeed. A second series of experiments assessed whether participants, who demonstrated …

Vowel Identification By Monolingual And Bilingual Listeners: Use Of Spectral Change And Duration Cues, Merete Mã¸Ller Glasbrenner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have shown that even highly-proficient Spanish-English bilinguals, who acquired their second language (L2) in childhood and have little or no foreign accent in English, may require more acoustic information than monolinguals in order to identify English vowels and may have more difficulty than monolinguals in understanding speech in noise or reverberation (Mayo, Florentine, & Buus, 1997). One explanation that may account for this difference is that bilingual listeners use acoustic cues for vowel identification differently from monolinguals (Flege, 1995).

In this study, we investigated this hypothesis by comparing bilingual listeners’ use of acoustic cues to vowel identification to …

The Influence Of Pre-Existing Memories On Retrieval-Induced Forgetting, Leilani B. Goodmon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When people form episodic connections between memories that share a common retrieval cue, the tendency for those memories to interfere in later retrieval is often eliminated, and forgetting of the interfering information is reduced. For example, episodic integration protects memories from retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF), a phenomenon in which practicing retrieving some associates of a cue leads to the suppression of others that interfere with retrieval (Anderson, Green, & McCulloch, 2000). The purpose of this study was to determine whether semantic integration, as a result of pre-existing associations between practiced items and their unpracticed competitors, also moderates RIF. This research was …

Growth And Characterization Of Diamond And Diamond Like Carbon Films With Interlayer, Roja Gottimukkala

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diamond and diamond-like carbon films, with their exceptionally good mechanical, chemical, and optical properties, are the best materials as protective hard coatings for electronic devices and cutting tools. The biocompatibility of these materials makes it suitable for bone implants. The wide range applications of these films are hindered because of the high compressive stresses developed during the deposition. Use of carbide and nitride interfacial layers has emerged as one of the methods to reduce the compressive stresses.

The present research focuses on the study of different materials as the interfacial layers for diamond and tetrahedral amorphous carbon films. For tetrahedral …

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 …

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 …

Educational Outcomes For Children With Early-Onset Behavior Problems, Allison Gibson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has consistently shown a greater likelihood of negative outcomes later in life for children with early-onset behavior problems. Understanding the educational outcomes for these children is essential information that can help educators and families to provide targeted interventions in an effort to positively impact these at-risk children’s school experiences. The current study used archival data and a causal comparative research design to examine the educational outcomes (academic achievement, suspension rates, retention rates, and dropout rates/failure to complete high school) for children identified as at-risk for early-onset behavior problems in grades 1 through 3 for a cohort of children in …

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 …

Ground Penetrating Radar Response To Thin Layers: Examples From Waites Island, South Carolina, Swagata Guha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thin layers (layers that are not resolvable in terms of GPR wavelengths) are very common in sedimentary deposits. To better understand ground penetrating radar (GPR) wave behavior in sequences of thin layers with contrasting electromagnetic parameters, 1D FDTD simulations are run for simple layer distributions. Laminated (mm-scale) sequences can produce reflected energy with 10-20% of the amplitude of reflections from equivalent isolated contacts. Amplitude spectra from laminae packages are shifted toward higher frequencies. Such spectral shifts in radar profiles may potentially be used as indicators of fine-scale laminations. A comparative study of GPR records and models generated from core data …

Attenuation Of Bromobenzene-Induced Hepatotoxicity By Poly(Adp-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors, Kelly Waggoner Hall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies have shown extensive cellular damage can activate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and cause a rapid decrease in the levels of NAD+ and ATP, thereby preventing apoptosis and promoting necrosis and inflammation. The purpose of this study was to extend previous observations that inhibitors of PARP-1 could alter acetaminophen and carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity. Bromobenzene (BB) a glutathione dependent hepatotoxicant was tested. Groups of male mice were treated with a single dosage of 112mg/kg (0.075 ml/kg) BB by the intraperitoneal (ip) route. All animals were maintained in a controlled environment and provided food and water ad libitum. This dosage of BB …