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2006

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West Tampa: Economic Development And Community Engagement Within An Urban Neighborhood, Jenna Holzberg Jan 2006

West Tampa: Economic Development And Community Engagement Within An Urban Neighborhood, Jenna Holzberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a critical evaluation of the methods of community engagement used by the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission during the creation and implementation of the West Tampa Economic Development Plan. Data for this research was conducted in West Tampa, a neighborhood in Tampa, Florida. In the spring of 2005, the Planning Commission began working with the residents, business and property owners in West Tampa to develop the neighborhood's economic development plan. Using the community engagement methods of surveys, mailed and posted community announcements, community meetings, focus groups and interviews, the Planning Commission created an economic development plan which …


Brain-Compatible Research: Using Brain-Based Techniques To Positively Impact Student Learning, Laurie A. Herson Jan 2006

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 …


Gold Mining In A Tropical Rainforest: Mercury Sorption To Soils In The Mining Region Of Arakaka-Matthew's Ridge, Guyana, Joniqua A'Ja Howard Jan 2006

Gold Mining In A Tropical Rainforest: Mercury Sorption To Soils In The Mining Region Of Arakaka-Matthew's Ridge, Guyana, Joniqua A'Ja Howard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gold mining by artisinal (small-medium scale) miners causes an immense amount of damage to the environment (i.e. soil erosion, mobilization of heavy metals, etc.).1, 2 One of the most popular gold mining techniques employed by artisinal miners in Guyana is mercury amalgamation. During the amalgamation process approximately 300 metric tons/yr 11, 12 of mercury is used. Mercury once in the environment can be transported through the air, soil, and water column. It is estimated that 90-99% of total mercury (THg) is associated with the sediment. An understanding of the geochemical conditions that affect the fate of mercury in soils, which …


The Relationship Between Nurses' Anxiety And Attitude Related To Pediatric Hospice, Teresa Lyn Hoover Jan 2006

The Relationship Between Nurses' Anxiety And Attitude Related To Pediatric Hospice, Teresa Lyn Hoover

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To lose a child is a profoundly emotional experience. Even if it is not your own, the experience involves deeply held beliefs about death, the quality of death, ethics, and perhaps personal experience. Left unexplored, these beliefs and the anxiety they may produce, can become barriers to providing quality end-of-life care for children with life limiting conditions and their families. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between hospice nurses' attitudes toward providing pediatric hospice care and the level of anxiety they may experience related to pediatric hospice care. A self administered questionnaire was completed by 30 …


Tyrosinase-Like Activity Of Several Alzheimer’S Disease Related And Model Peptides And Their Inhibition By Natural Antioxidants, Kashmir Singh Juneja Jan 2006

Tyrosinase-Like Activity Of Several Alzheimer’S Disease Related And Model Peptides And Their Inhibition By Natural Antioxidants, Kashmir Singh Juneja

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with loss of neurons ultimately leading to a decline in brain function. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is considered one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders that affects 16 million people worldwide. The cause of the disease remains unknown, although significant evidence proposes the amyloid Beta-peptide (A-Beta) as a potential culprit. The binding of Cu2+ by the soluble fragments of A-Beta have shown to form Type-3 copper centers and catalyze the oxidation of catechol-containing neurotransmitters. Furthermore, the use of flavonoids as antioxidants to slow or inhibit the neurotransmitter oxidation has suggested further health benefits with their consumption. A …


Spring Break: Image, Identity, And Consumer Culture In A Florida Rite Of Passage, Meeghan Kane Jan 2006

Spring Break: Image, Identity, And Consumer Culture In A Florida Rite Of Passage, Meeghan Kane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a social history of spring break, examining the economic and social aspects of this youth culture phenomenon in Florida. Spring break follows the evolution of youth culture's increasingly complex relationship with an expanding consumer culture. I am exploring its many manifestations in music, film, and popular fiction, but also its rebellious expressions in the riots and arrests on Florida's beaches. I intend to focus on the small beach communities that were transformed by spring break, particularly Fort Lauderdale.Spring break in Florida dates back to the late 1920s in Palm Beach. Wealthy New England families spent their winters …


Tampa’S Lafayette Street Bridge: Building A New South City, Lucy D. Jones Jan 2006

Tampa’S Lafayette Street Bridge: Building A New South City, Lucy D. Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The late nineteenth and early twentieth century was a time of dynamic social and political change for Tampa, a growing city on Florida's west coast. These changes led Tampa's commercial-civic elite to look beyond the law, the militia, and the church for ways to maintain their sense of order. This thesis illustrates non-violent enforcement of the status quo via public works, specifically bridge construction over the Hillsborough River. Over a period of three decades, three different bridges were built at the same place, at Lafayette Street. Each time the bridge was built or replaced, it was ostensibly for a different …


Measurement And Modeling Of Oxides Of Nitrogen From Vehicular Contributors, Kerstin Lesley Kenty Jan 2006

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 …


Vigilance In African Americans: Cardiovascular Reactivity And Phasic Heart Period Reactions To Cued Threat And Nonthreat Stimuli, Thomas Starr King Jan 2006

Vigilance In African Americans: Cardiovascular Reactivity And Phasic Heart Period Reactions To Cued Threat And Nonthreat Stimuli, Thomas Starr King

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

African Americans are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors than are Whites, and recent research has suggested that the effects of racial discrimination are a significant contributor to this disparity. Thus, a preattentive bias and vigilance for threat might serve as a mechanism through which experienced racial discrimination would negatively impact cardiovascular health. A study was conducted to investigate the physiological and attentional underpinnings of vigilance for discriminatory threat via examination of phasic heart period (HP) responses to cued threat and nonthreat stimuli. Thirty African American and forty-two European American undergraduate students from a …


Predictors And Outcomes Of Hospice Use Among Medicare And Medicaid Dual-Eligible Nursing Home Residents In Florida: A Comparison Of Non-Hispanic Blacks And Non-Hispanic Whites, Jung, Kwak Jan 2006

Predictors And Outcomes Of Hospice Use Among Medicare And Medicaid Dual-Eligible Nursing Home Residents In Florida: A Comparison Of Non-Hispanic Blacks And Non-Hispanic Whites, Jung, Kwak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated the racial/ethnic differences in hospice utilization and the effect of hospice in reducing the risk of hospital death at the end of life among non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White dual-eligible (Medicare and Medicaid) older adults residing in a nursing home setting. The final study population included 30,765 non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White nursing home residents who died between state fiscal years 2000-2002 in Florida.The behavioral model of health services use successfully predicted group membership in hospice use. In the full model, seven variables - female gender, non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity, being married, urban area of residence, and cancer …


Laboratory Analysis Of Staphylococcus Aureus In Florida From January 1, 2003 To December 31, 2005 With An Emphasis On Methicillin Resistance, Stephanie Kolar Jan 2006

Laboratory Analysis Of Staphylococcus Aureus In Florida From January 1, 2003 To December 31, 2005 With An Emphasis On Methicillin Resistance, Stephanie Kolar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Staphylococci are gram-positive bacteria that cause infections in humans and can produce severe morbidity and mortality. Methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA) isolates are resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics, such as methicillin, and cephalosporins making treatment of these infections more difficult. MRSA has become prevalent throughout the United States, spreading in the health care setting and the community.The purpose of this study is to examine methicillin resistance among S. aureus isolates in an outpatient population in the state of Florida and asses possible associations between methicillin resistance and age group, gender, and geographic area. It is important to define methicillin …


Novel Sol-Gel Titania-Based Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Coatings For On-Line Capillary Microextraction Coupled To High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Tae-Young Kim Jan 2006

Novel Sol-Gel Titania-Based Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Coatings For On-Line Capillary Microextraction Coupled To High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Tae-Young Kim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Novel sol-gel titania-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (TiO2-PDMS) and titania-silica-N-(triethoxysilylpropyl)-O-polyethylene oxide urethane (TiO2-SiO2-TESP-PEO) coatings were developed for capillary microextraction (CME) to perform on-line preconcentration and HPLC analysis of trace impurities in aqueous samples. Due to chemical inertness of titania, effective covalent binding of a suitable organic ligand to its surface is difficult via conventional surface modification methods. In this research, sol-gel chemistry was employed to chemically bind hydroxy-terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and N-(triethoxysilylpropyl)-O-polyethylene oxide urethane (TESP-PEO) to sol-gel titania and sol-gel titania-silica network, respectively. A method is presented describing in situ preparation of the titania-based sol-gel PDMS and TESP-PEO coatings and their immobilization on the …


Be Active!: An Examination Of Social Support's Role In Individual Vs. Team Competition In Worksite Health Promotion, Lauren Kriz Jan 2006

Be Active!: An Examination Of Social Support's Role In Individual Vs. Team Competition In Worksite Health Promotion, Lauren Kriz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Millions of dollars are being spent on health care claims. To try and reduce these claims, corporations are implementing worksite health promotion programs. Some success has been associated with these programs. Many programs implement different types of incentives and competitions. Some incentives and competitions are based on individual participation while others are based on team participation. The purpose of the study was to determine the role social support plays in individual and team health promotion programs and discover if social support was the key factor for the differences in such programs. All participants of the study were responsible for keeping …


Part-Time Faculty Job Satisfaction: A Study Of The Influence Of Instructional Technology On Part-Time Faculty In Post-Secondary Institutions, John P. Kurnik Jan 2006

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 …


An Evaluation Of A Pedagogical Reform Designed For College Chemistry Teaching With Large Classes, Scott Edwin Lewis Jan 2006

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 …


Variation In Pediatric Gastroenteritis Admissions Among Florida Counties, 1995-2002, Jean Lee Jan 2006

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 …


Measuring Social Stressors In Organizations: The Development Of The Interpersonal Conflict In Organizations Scale (Icos), Valentina Bruk Lee Jan 2006

Measuring Social Stressors In Organizations: The Development Of The Interpersonal Conflict In Organizations Scale (Icos), Valentina Bruk Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Interpersonal conflict in organizations has been recognized as a leading social stressor across occupations with detrimental effects on employee well-being and organizational outcomes. However, reliable and valid measures of conflict are scarce and even the most widely used scales are limited by weaknesses in construct definition. In order to address the need for an improved measurement tool, the 63-item Interpersonal Conflict in Organizations Scale (ICOS) was developed. The ICOS was based on a comprehensive conceptualization of conflict that defines the construct on the basis of three definitional components: disagreement, interference, and negative emotion (Barki & Hartwick, 2004). In addition, the …


Saharan Dust And Phosphatic Fidelity: A Three Dimensional Biogeochemical Model Of Trichodesmium On The West Florida Shelf, Jason M. Lenes Jan 2006

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 …


Cannabinoids Suppress Dendritic Cell-Induced T Helper Cell Polarization, Tangying (Lily) Lu Jan 2006

Cannabinoids Suppress Dendritic Cell-Induced T Helper Cell Polarization, Tangying (Lily) Lu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cannabinoids suppress Th1 immunity in a variety of models including infection with the intracellular pathogen Legionella pneumophila (Lp). To examine the cellular mechanism of this effect, mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) were studied following infection and drug treatment. DCs produced high levels of IL-12p40 following Lp infection. THC suppressed this cytokine response in a concentration-dependent manner and the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoyolglycerol and virodhamine less potently suppressed cytokine production. DCs expressed mRNA for cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), CB2, and transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1); furthermore, inhibition of Gi signaling by adding pertussis toxin completely attenuated the suppression induced by …


Gender Differences During Heat Strain At Critical Wbgt, Christina L. Luecke Jan 2006

Gender Differences During Heat Strain At Critical Wbgt, Christina L. Luecke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress is influenced by environmental conditions, workload and clothing. A critical environment is the upper limit of compensable heat stress for a given metabolic rate and clothing ensemble. The physiological strains associated with heat stress are core and skin temperatures, heart rate and physiological strain index (PSI). Because heat dissipation mechanisms may differ between men and women, there may be gender differences in the critical environment and the associated physiological variables. Gender differences were explored between acclimated men (n = 20) and women (n = 9) at the upper limit of compensable heat stress. Participants walked on a motorized …


Virginia Woolf And The Persistent Question Of Class: The Protean Nature Of Class And Self, Mary C. Madden Jan 2006

Virginia Woolf And The Persistent Question Of Class: The Protean Nature Of Class And Self, Mary C. Madden

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

From the beginning of her career, Virginia Woolf moves beyond the perspective of her inherited class position to challenge a damaging class system. She increasingly recognizes the extent of her own complicity in the creation and maintenance of class structures supporting patriarchy, war, and British imperialism. Highlighting ambiguities inherent in the very category of class, she acknowledges the limiting "boxes" of language itself in attempts to rethink class. For Woolf, class is not monolithic but internally differentiated by gender and race. Examining Woolf's early work in relation to class theory shows that throughout her career Woolf interrogates the imbrication of …


Breathing Easier: Ethnographic Study Of Acute Respiratory Infection In Children In Rural Ecuador, John S. Luque Jan 2006

Breathing Easier: Ethnographic Study Of Acute Respiratory Infection In Children In Rural Ecuador, John S. Luque

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research utilizes anthropological methods to determine the degree to which the signs and symptoms female caregivers identify as causes of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in under-fives in rural Ecuador correspond with Western biomedical categories. By employing both a semi-structured medical history questionnaire and more open-ended ethnographic methods such as in-depth informant interviews and focus group research, the researcher identifies the factors which determine timely health care-seeking behaviors of female caregivers in this case study. Economic factors such as the cost of medications and lost work hours were determined to be the primary financial obstacles for timely health care-seeking. …


Moderating Effect Of Negative Affectivity On The Job Satisfaction-Turnover Intentions And Justice-Turnover Intentions Relationships, Joseph J. Mazzola Jan 2006

Moderating Effect Of Negative Affectivity On The Job Satisfaction-Turnover Intentions And Justice-Turnover Intentions Relationships, Joseph J. Mazzola

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although many people experiences dissatisfaction with their jobs at some time or another, not all of them quit their jobs because of it. Why do some employees simply continue to work in an unsatisfying environment? In this study, it is hypothesized that part of the reason is based on the individual's personality, specifically their scores on positive and negative affectivity. Results showed that neither NA nor PA moderated the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intentions/job search, contrary to previous literature. This study suggests that the moderation effect of personality on this relationship, either does not exist or is more …


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 Jan 2006

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 …


The Role Of Social Structural And Social Contextual Factors In Shaping Chronic Disease And Chronic Disease Risk Behavior: A Multilevel Study Of Hypertension, General Health Status, And Mental Distress, Caroline Mae Mckay Jan 2006

The Role Of Social Structural And Social Contextual Factors In Shaping Chronic Disease And Chronic Disease Risk Behavior: A Multilevel Study Of Hypertension, General Health Status, And Mental Distress, Caroline Mae Mckay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At present there is a reliance on behavioral interventions that have been limited in their effectiveness to reduce the public health burden of chronic disease, partly because the effects of social context on the initiation and maintenance of health behaviors is not incorporated into public health policy and practice. Yet current research indicates that there are macro-level structural and contextual influences on population health that cannot be reduced to individual or compositional effects. This study investigated the associations between social structural factors, community social context, individual characteristics, and self-reported correlates of disease. Distal influences included social structural inequalities such as …


The Effects Of American Diabetes Association (Ada) Diabetes Self-Management Education And Continuous Glucose Monitoring On Diabetes Health Beliefs, Behaviors And Metabolic Control, Jodee Meisenhelder-Smith Jan 2006

The Effects Of American Diabetes Association (Ada) Diabetes Self-Management Education And Continuous Glucose Monitoring On Diabetes Health Beliefs, Behaviors And Metabolic Control, Jodee Meisenhelder-Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether adults with type 2 diabetes participating in American Diabetes Association (ADA) diabetes self-management education (DSME) randomly assigned to an intensive follow-up group (IFG), utilizing continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS), or a standard follow-up group (SFG) have any significant differences in mean HgbA1c values and health belief scores over time. Baseline HgbA1c values and health beliefs were measured using the revised Expanded Health Belief Model (HBM) questionnaire. The questionnaire measured the 8 HBM domains: perceived susceptibility; severity; treatment benefit; cues to action; motivation; barriers; self-efficacy and structural elements. Twelve weeks after DSME, …


The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Satisfaction With Life After Controlling For Self-Esteem, Depression, And Locus Of Control Among Community College Students, Kevin T. Murphy Jan 2006

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Satisfaction With Life After Controlling For Self-Esteem, Depression, And Locus Of Control Among Community College Students, Kevin T. Murphy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Satisfaction with Life (SWL) among community college students. Some researchers suggest a relationship exists between EI and important outcome variables (e.g., occupational success & satisfaction with life). However, other researchers suggest measures of EI may simply assess personality variables known to predict these variables. I used the Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) to investigate how much additional variance in SWL, EI predicts after three personality variables (self-esteem,depression, and locus of control). A convenience sample of 200 Central Florida Community College Students completed the following instruments: 1) MSCEIT(Mayer, …


Goal Conflicts, Self-Regulation, And Course Completion: A Comparison Of Web-Based Learners To Traditional Classroom Learners, Barbara Moore Jan 2006

Goal Conflicts, Self-Regulation, And Course Completion: A Comparison Of Web-Based Learners To Traditional Classroom Learners, Barbara Moore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the goal conflicts, self-regulation, and course completion of post-secondary learners and to compare these factors in distance and traditional learners. Participants completed a self-report survey given on-line to those who had Internet access and administered in paper format to students in traditional classrooms. Procrastination, socializing, and employment were the most common goal conflicts reported by participants. Significantly more web-based students than traditional students were employed and were employed more average hours. Web-based students also had more children under the age of 12 than did traditional students. A significantly greater percentage of web-based …


Measurement Of Nerve Growth Factor In Induced Sputum And Exhaled Breath Condensate, Victor Maduabuchi Nwiloh Jan 2006

Measurement Of Nerve Growth Factor In Induced Sputum And Exhaled Breath Condensate, Victor Maduabuchi Nwiloh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Several tests are available for evaluation of respiratory disorders but most of them are invasive and associated with some risk or patient discomfort. Examples include bronchoscopy (bronchoalveolar lavage, BAL) [1], venopuncture [2] and sputum induction [3]. Noninvasive sampling of nongaseous substances contained in expired air, collected as exhaled breath condensate (EBC) has been used to detect inflammatory markers and by-products including nitric oxide and arachidonic acid metabolites and proteins [4]. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a protein that has been implicated in neurogenic airway inflammation and this pilot study aimed to develop a non-invasive approach for evaluation of allergic airway …


Evaluation Of Aashto Design Specifications For Cast-In-Place Continuous Bridge Deck Using Remote Sensing Technique, Ebrahim Mehranipornejad Jan 2006

Evaluation Of Aashto Design Specifications For Cast-In-Place Continuous Bridge Deck Using Remote Sensing Technique, Ebrahim Mehranipornejad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research project concerns the construction, testing, and remote health monitoring of the first smart bridge structure in Florida, the East Bay bridge in Gibsonton, Hillsborough County. The East Bay Bridge is a four span, continuous, deck-type structure with a total length of 120' and width of 55'. The superstructure consists of an 18'' cast-in-place reinforced concrete slab, and is supported on pre-stressed pile bents, each consisting of 5 piles. The smart sensors used for remote health monitoring are the newly emerged Fabry --Perot (FP) Fiber Optic Sensors, and are both surface-mounted and embedded in the concrete deck.Static and Dynamic …