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Powerful Submission: Popular Texts And The Subjectivity Of Christian Right Women, Ellen L. Flournoy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Christian Right exerts considerable influence over female identity, especially through its members who have emerged as one of the most powerful voting blocks in the nation---the Christian Right woman. American Christian women, especially those considered to be on the political fringes, are virtually ignored in academic endeavors. Given their power, which defies their categorization as a "fringe" group, this academic silence is a gross oversight, especially in light of the rise of the Christian Right, which has successfully recruited millions of women to its service. This dissertation analyzes texts of Christian popular culture that contribute to the construction of …

Assessing The Role Of Filler Atoms In Skutterudites And Synthesis And Characterization Of New Filled Skutterudites, Grant E. Fowler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For the past decade interest in skutterudites has been significant as a potentially viable material for thermoelectrics. One way to improve the effectiveness of these materials is to lower their thermal conductivity. Lattice thermal conductivity of a series of La- and Yb-filled skutterudite antimonides (with varying filling fraction) has been modeled with different phonon scattering parameters using the debye approximation. It was found that filler atoms both increase point defect scattering and resonance scattering. Subsequently, the thermal conductivity of partially-filled skutterudites AxCo4Sb12, where A = La, Eu and Yb, is analyzed using the Debye model in order to correlate the …

Fuzzy Logic In Process Control: A New Fuzzy Logic Controller And An Improved Fuzzy-Internal Model Controller, Yohn E. Garcã­A Z.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two fuzzy controllers are presented. A fuzzy controller with intermediate variable designed for cascade control purposes is presented as the FCIV controller. An intermediate variable and a new set of fuzzy logic rules are added to a conventional Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) to build the Fuzzy Controller with Intermediate Variable (FCIV). The new controller was tested in the control of a nonlinear chemical process, and its performance was compared to several other controllers. The FCIV shows the best control performance regarding stability and robustness. The new controller also has an acceptable performance when noise is added to the sensor signal. …

An Attributional Analysis Of Counterproductive Work Behavior (Cwb) In Response To Occupational Stress, Angeline Goh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of hostile attribution style (HAS) on the processes linking job stressors and CWB. Self and peer data were collected via online questionnaires from employed participants recruited from undergraduate classes and non-student employees. Using data from 147 dyads of employees and coworkers, the effects of HAS on three areas were examined: the influence of HAS on the appraisal of psychosocial (incivility, interactional justice, and interpersonal conflict) and nonsocial (organizational constraints and workload) stressors; HAS as a moderator of the link between stressors and CWB; and HAS as mediator of the link …

Alcohol Expectancy Cognitions: Psychophysiological Perspective, Inna Fishman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Considerable evidence indicates that the expectations individuals hold about the effects of alcohol determine, to a degree, the amount of alcohol they drink. However, the bulk of this evidence was acquired using verbally-based measures of expectancy. The present study sought to extend the validation network by utilizing an electrophysiological measure -- the P300 component of the Event Related Potentials (ERPs) --

which is thought to index fundamental neurophysiological processes sensitive to expectancy.Previous research has demonstrated that, when presented with various outcomes of alcohol consumption, heavier drinkers endorse statements that assert positive and arousing effects of alcohol, while lighter drinkers endorse …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Perceived Feedback Accuracy On Performance, Ashley A. Gray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study built upon the theoretical feedback process of Ilgen, Fisher and Taylor (1979), as refined by Kinicki, Prussia, Wu, & Mckee-Ryan (2004), to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanism underlying an individual's response to performance feedback. The feedback model implicates source credibility and the feedback-rich environment as critical elements in the process explaining recipient accuracy perceptions and responses. Thus the sign and perceived accuracy of performance feedback were investigated in a 3 x 3 (plus control) experimental design. One hundred fifty-six undergraduate students were randomly assigned to feedback conditions, in which they performed on a three-trial …

Calling All Learners: An Explanatory Integrative Research Study Of Efl Learner-Learner Corrective Feedback Patterns Within On-Line Synchronous Environments, Annmarie Gorenc Zoran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods research study centers on learner-learner interactions; thus, contributing to the on-going investigation within negotiation and interaction, computer-mediated-communication and its role in second language learning. The specific aim was to investigate corrective feedback types, incidences, and the relationship between error and feedback type among peers within online synchronous environments in EFL classes in Slovenia, Europe. Interactional characteristics of corrective feedback with learners having a documented special need (SN) also were explored using qualitative analyses. The study encompassed 208 students that were randomly placed into 104 dyads within intact classes of Grades 7, 8, 10, and 11. There were …

Evaluating The Reliability Of Continuous Resistivity Profiling To Detect Submarine Groundwater Discharge In A Shallow Marine Environment: Sarasota Bay, Florida, Arnell Harrison

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) can be an important pathway for nutrients entering coastal systems. However SGD flow paths can be difficult to identify and flow volumes difficult to quantify. This study assesses whether geophysical techniques are potentially cost effective methods for detecting the presence or lack of SGD within an estuary environment found in Sarasota Bay, Florida. In this area, a rapid increase in urbanization has led to increased nitrogen loading into the bay, with some 10% of this loading attributed to SGD. Discharging groundwater is expected to be fresher and hence higher resistivity, than "background" surface waters. Thus resistivity …

The Early Time Course Of Smoking Withdrawal Symptoms, Peter Schuyler Hendricks

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the large volume of research on tobacco withdrawal, the vast majority of studies have focused on the onset and remission of symptoms over the course of several days and weeks, with the earliest assessment periods occurring the day after cessation. To date, there has been no systematic study of the very early time course of the tobacco withdrawal syndrome, despite its obvious relevance to the maintenance of both smoking and postcessation abstinence. The published literature contains a range of estimates about the early appearance of withdrawal symptoms, but without reference to empirical data. The main objective of the current …

Brain-Compatible Research: Using Brain-Based Techniques To Positively Impact Student Learning, Laurie A. Herson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses brain-based methodology and how educators can use brain-based techniques to impact, support, and advance cognitive growth. Current research on learning and memory is enabling educators to better understand how the brain learns and what environmental factors assist in or detract from student learning. Brain-based learning techniques are considered by brain-based researchers as one way to create a learning environment that fosters student learning at individual academic levels while concurrently challenging each student and promoting academic growth. Teachers can further student academic advancement through the direct manipulation of the classroom environment rather than by purchasing a particular program …

Improving Prostate Cancer Detection In Veterans Through The Development Of A Clinical Decision Rule For Prostate Biopsy, Owen T. Hill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the U.S., the number of prostate biopsies increases annually. This is partly due to elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) values identified during PC screening. This study's goal was improving prostate cancer (PC) detection through developing a clinical decision rule (CDR), based on an elevated PSA and laboratory biomarkers. This decision rule could be used after an elevated PSA, providing the patient and clinician information to consider prior to biopsy. This cross-sectional study evaluated men from the Tampa, Florida, James A. Haley (JH) VA (N=1,378), from January 1, 1998, through April 15, 2005. The study hypothesized that specific lab biomarkers …

Abrupt Climate Change During The Last Glacial Period: A Gulf Of Mexico Perspective, Heather W. Hill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the cause of abrupt climate change in the geologic past can help assess the potential magnitude and variability of future changes in regional and global climate. The research presented here focuses on some of the first records of hydrologic variability in the central North American continent during an interval of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (24-57 thousand years before present (ka)). Sediment core MD02-2551 from the Orca Basin, northern Gulf of Mexico, is used to document the first detailed melting history of the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) during MIS 3, and to record terrestrial inputs from …

Development And Evaluation Of An Inertial Based Pavement Roughness Measuring System, Fengxuan Hu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Roughness is an important indicator of pavement riding comfort and safety. It is a condition indicator that should be carefully considered when evaluating primary pavements. At the same time, the use of roughness measurements plays a critical role in the pavement management system.There are many devices used for roughness evaluation. The major tools used for road roughness quantify are the road profilers. In the thesis research, in order to obtain useful pavement surface condition data for pavement evaluation, an inertial based pavement roughness measuring system was developed with the combination of modern sensor technology and computer technology. The research will …

Differential Coupling Of Rgs3s And Rgs4 To Gpcr-Girk Channel Signaling Complexes, Cristina Jaén

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

'Regulators of G protein signaling' (RGS proteins) modulate the G proteincycle by enhancing the GTPase activity of Ga subunits. These changesaccelerate the kinetics of ion channel modulation by Gai/o-coupled receptors(GPCRs) such as the G protein-gated inward rectifier K+ (GIRK/Kir3) channel. Myexperiments indicate that a single cerebellar granule (CG) neuron, a cell type thatendogenously expresses GIRK channels is able to express a wide variety ofRGS proteins. I selected two of them, which are widely expressed andtranscriptionally regulated during pathophysiologic conditions, to compare theirfunctional properties. I originally described the differential modulatory effects oftwo RGS proteins, the RGS3 short isoform (RGS3s) and RGS4, …

A Comparability Analysis Of The National Nurse Aide Assessment Program, Peggy K. Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When an exam is administered across dual platforms, such as paper-and-pencil and computer-based testing simultaneously, individual items may become more or less difficult in the computer version (CBT) as compared to the paper-and-pencil (P&P) version, possibly resulting in a shift in the overall difficulty of the test (Mazzeo & Harvey, 1988). Using 38,955 examinees' response data across five forms of the National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) administered in both the CBT and P&P mode, three methods of differential item functioning (DIF) detection were used to detect item DIF across platforms. The three methods were Mantel-Haenszel (MH), Logistic Regression (LR), …

The Realism Of Hans Morgenthau, Brian A. Keaney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the life and career of Hans J. Morgenthau, commonly accepted as the father of the realist paradigm within the field of international relations. It does so by offering a dynamic revisionist account of the nature of Morgenthau's classical realism and suggests how the approach discussed might have wider application in the field of international relations. Traditional perspectives of Morgenthau suggest that in the course of his career, he changed from holding what would generally be labeled a conservative political viewpoint to a liberal political viewpoint. This thesis takes a different starting point. It does so by suggesting …

Practical Applications Of Molecular Dynamics Techniques And Time Correlation Function Theories, Christina Ridley Kasprzyk

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The original research outlined in this dissertation involves the use of novel theoretical and computational methods in the calculation of molecular volume changes and non-linear spectroscopic signals, specifically two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy. These techniques were designed and implemented to be computationally affordable, while still providing a reliable picture of the phenomena of interest. The computational results presented demonstrate the potential of these methods to accurately describe chemically interesting systems on a molecular level. Extended system isobaric-isothermal (NPT) molecular dynamics techniques were employed to calculate the thermodynamic volumes of several simple model systems, as well as the volume change associated with …

Investigations Of Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors Based On Yb:Y3Al5O12, Jermaine L. Kennedy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the development of temperature sensors which employ a fiber-optic probe consisting of single crystal YB3BAlB5BOB12B (YAG) fiber with a phosphor of short length grown directly onto one end using the laser heated pedestal growth method. The response of all the crystalline temperature sensors derives from the temperature-dependent decay time of fluorescence. Yb3+P ions served as the fluorescer, while the addition of various rare-earth codopants (i.e., NdP3+ and ErP3+) with YbP3+ provided an additional path in the form of phonon assisted energy transfer. With the additional nonradiative decay path, the temperature sensors exhibited a more desirable response. A …

Measurement And Modeling Of Oxides Of Nitrogen From Vehicular Contributors, Kerstin Lesley Kenty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research was the examination of the emission and transformation of nitrogen oxides emitted from vehicles. Measured data for this experiment were collected from May 1 thru May 31, 2002, and were compared to values modeled with CALINE4. CALINE4 is a photochemical and dispersive model used to predict concentrations of NOX (NO+NO2) from line sources. The measurement campaign was coincident with the Bay Regional Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (BRACE). An ambient air quality monitoring site was constructed adjacent to Gandy Boulevard, in Tampa, FL. When comparisons of measured and modeled NO and NO2 values were made it was …

Tropical Atlantic And Caribbean Climate Variations During The Past Eight Centuries, Kelly Halimeda Kilbourne

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Caribbean Sea is a key region from which to generate paleoclimate records because instrumental temperature data indicate that surface temperatures in the Caribbean region are correlated with global surface temperature. Heat and salt fluxes in the Caribbean have been implicated in major reorganizations in Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation on glacial time scales [Schmidt et al., 2004] and it has been proposed that the Tropical Atlantic (including the Caribbean Sea) may play a role in smaller-scale changes in the Atlantic basin [Vellinga and Wu, 2004]. A theme of past Caribbean paleoclimate research has been to hypothesize about the interaction between …

Structured Light For Three-Dimensional Microscopy, Leo G. Krzewina

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The conventional light microscope is an indispensable tool for many physical and life science applications, but is of limited usefulness for three-dimensional imaging due to its increasingly narrow depth of field at high magnifications. Focused regions may be obscured by defocused neighbors or noise from extraneous light sources and subsurface scattering. By rejecting light originating from outside the depth of focus it is possible to minimize these problems. When a contiguous series of such focused slices, or optical sections, are obtained along an axis of an extended object they may be combined to form a complete, focused three-dimensional surface image. …

Part-Time Faculty Job Satisfaction: A Study Of The Influence Of Instructional Technology On Part-Time Faculty In Post-Secondary Institutions, John P. Kurnik

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1990, two-year colleges nationwide reported that approximately 38% of their faculty were part-time. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics' (NCES) 1999 National Study of Post-Secondary Faculty (NSOPF), this percentage continues to rise, and currently exists at 40% or more in some two-year and four-year institutions. To retain competent, qualified, and successful teachers, it is critical for higher education administrators to determine factors that may contribute to part-time faculty's job satisfaction. This study investigated whether the use of instructional technology for curriculum delivery affected part-time faculty job satisfaction by investigating four specific areas that may be affected. The …

Variation In Pediatric Gastroenteritis Admissions Among Florida Counties, 1995-2002, Jean Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Hospitalizations for pediatric gastroenteritis are considered potentially avoidable and are used to monitor access and quality of primary care for children. Previous reports have found pediatric gastroenteritis admissions higher in Florida compared to the South and the nation.Purpose: The purpose of this project was to explore variation in county admission rates for pediatric gastroenteritis related to non-clinical factors in Florida during 1995-2002. Specific aims included identifying the unique contributions of county socioeconomic characteristics and availability of primary care resources to annual county pediatric gastroenteritis hospital admission rates. Method: The study was retrospective and longitudinal assessing variation in annual county …

The Signature Poetics Of Sharon Olds And John Cage, Walter E. Lewallen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation studies and applies the signature theory of Jacques Derrida to two American poets, Sharon Olds and John Cage. I begin by looking at the two texts by Derrida that most closely apply signature theory to poetics: Glas and Signsponge. Along the way, I narrow the scope of Derrida's writing somewhat by focusing on psychoanalytic aspects that relate to Jacques Lacan's ideas and to the concept of the superego. From this work I isolate some protocols for reading, which are then used to study Olds and Cage, two poets who have clearly developed their own signature styles. Here are …

An Evaluation Of A Pedagogical Reform Designed For College Chemistry Teaching With Large Classes, Scott Edwin Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work presents an evaluation of a reform teaching practice, known as peer-led guided inquiry, that combines guided inquiry and cooperative learning for college chemistry teaching. Integral to implementing the reform in a large class (greater than 100 students) was the role of peer leaders, undergraduate students who have successfully completed the target course. These peer leaders facilitated cooperative learning groups during weekly guided inquiry activities in general chemistry. The evaluation, using data collected over a 3-year period, had two main foci: effective teaching and promotion of equity in the classroom. Both of these aims were evaluated using hierarchical linear …

Saharan Dust And Phosphatic Fidelity: A Three Dimensional Biogeochemical Model Of Trichodesmium On The West Florida Shelf, Jason M. Lenes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The availability of iron within the surface waters of the broad, oligotrophic West Florida shelf (WFS) controls periodic blooms of the pelagic marine cyanobacterium Trichodesmium. Summer delivery of iron (Fe), in the form of Saharan dust, alleviates this growth constraint, shifting limitation to the efficiency of phosphorus (P) cycles. Florida's rivers drain Miocene phosphorus deposits to supply the WFS with freshwater nutrient supplies at molar dissolved inorganic nitrogen/phosphate (DIN/PO4) ratios of less than 6. These diazotrophs draw upon ubiquitous stocks of dissolved nitrogen gas, once stimulated by Fe-deposition within P-replete waters of the West Florida shelf. An extensive in situ …

Future Foreign Language Teachers' Social And Cognitive Collaboration In An Online Environment, Nike Arnold, Lara Ducate

Applied Linguistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Discussion boards provide an interactive venue where new and future language teachers can reflect, evaluate, solve problems or simply exchange ideas (e.g., Bonk, Hansen, Grabner-Hagen, Lazar, & Mirabelli, 1996; DeWert, Babinski, & Jones, 2003; Kumari, 2001; Pawan, Paulus, Yalcin, & Chang, 2003). In addition, encouraging future teachers to learn with technology before teaching with it allows them to become comfortable using various computer applications.

This article examines transcripts from a semester-long asynchronous discussion between foreign language methodology classes at two different universities. Social and cognitive presence in the discussions was analyzed using Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's Framework of a Community …

The Role Of The Home Literacy Environment In The Development Of Early Literacy Skills And School Readiness In Kindergarten Children From Low Socioeconomic And Minority Families, Nicole R. Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the relationship between two predictor variables and children's Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Initial Sound Fluency (ISF) and Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) scores, as well as Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten (ESI-K) scores. The two predictor variables were 1) parents' perception of their home literacy environment, and 2) parental beliefs about the importance of literacy (race had to be dropped out of the study due to the limited amount of participants per race variable). The participants were 68 kindergarten students and their parents from two schools in a school district in West Central Florida. Results showed that the …

Quantitative Biological Microscopy By Digital Holography, Christopher J. Mann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, improved techniques in digital holography, that have produced high-resolution, high-fidelity images, are discussed. In particular, the angular spectrum method of calculating holographic optical field is noted to have several advantages over the more commonly used Fresnel transformation or Huygens convolution method. It is observed that spurious noise and interference components can be tightly controlled through the analysis and filtering of the angular spectrum. In the angular spectrum method, the reconstruction distance does not have a lower limit, and the off-axis angle between the object and reference waves can be lower than that of the Fresnel requirement, while …

The Ethics Of The Spirit In Galatians: Considering Paul’S Paranesis In The Interpretation Of His Theology, Steven Douglas Meigs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The faith versus works dichotomy that has been a foundation of Protestant Christianity for centuries is derived in large part from a flawed understanding of Paul's theology in the epistles to the Galatians and Romans. In the wake of WWII, scholars began reexamining Pauline theological constructs and proposing new ways of understanding Paul's arguments regarding faith and works. James D. G. Dunn dubbed this dialogue the "new perspective." This paper will contribute to one particular aspect of new perspective dialogue: understanding the relation of the paranetic material in the final two chapters of Galatians to Paul's theological arguments in the …