Digital Commons Network^™

American Images Of Denmark During The Cold War, Anders Kristian Baerholm Frikke

The Bridge

The study of the past is essential for our understanding of the present day. In other words, if you want to know something about your own time, a good place to start is to study the previous historical events.

Exploring The Causality Between The Pollution Haven Hypothesis And The Environmental Kuznets Curve, Brian W. Jbara '07

Honors Projects

In recent years, increased economic development, globalization, and liberalization of international trade have been linked by economists and environmental scholars as possible causes for specific trends in pollution. One of the most studied and controversial hypotheses is the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis (EKC), which states that a country's pollution concentrations rise with development and industrialization up to a certain point, after which they fall again as the country uses its increased affluence to reduce pollution concentrations again. If true, plotting pollution concentrations against income per capita will yield an inverted V-the EKC. Another controversy is the manner in which the …

Analyzing The Relationship Between Change In Money Supply And Stock Market Prices, Biniv Maskay '07

Honors Projects

This paper examines the relationship between change in the money supply and the level of stock prices. This paper also dichotomizes change in the money supply into anticipated and unanticipated change and analyzes each of their relationships with stock market prices. Competing theories exist on how change in the money supply affects stock prices. The real activity theorists argue that change in the money supply and stock prices are positively related, where as the Keynesian economists argue otherwise. This study finds a positive relationship between change in the money supply and stock prices, agreeing with the real activity theorists. Economists …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

A Nation Of Policyholders: Governmental And Market Failure In Flood Insurance, Adam F. Scales

MC Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Best Defense: Why Elected Courts Should Lead Recusal Reform, Deborah Goldberg, James Sample, David E. Pozen

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

In recent years, we have seen an escalation of attacks on the independence of the judiciary. Government officials and citizens who have been upset by the substance of judicial decisions are increasingly seeking to rein in the courts by limiting their jurisdiction over controversial matters, soliciting pre-election commitments from judicial candidates, and drafting ballot initiatives with sanctions for judges who make unpopular rulings. Many of these efforts betray ignorance at best, or defiance at worst, of traditional principles of separation of powers and constitutional protections against tyranny of the majority.

The attacks are fueled in part by the growing influence …

Regulation Of Foxo Stability And Activity By Mdm2 E3 Ligase, Wei Fu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Members of the forkhead class O (FOXO) transcription factors are tumor suppressors and key molecules that control aging and lifespan. The stability of mammalian FOXO proteins is controlled by proteasome-mediated degradation but general ubiquitin E3 ligases for FOXO factors remain to be defined. The current studies demonstrate that MDM2 bound to FOXO1 and FOXO3A and promoted their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation, a process apparently dependent on FOXO phopshorylation at PKB sites and on the E3 ligase activity of MDM2. The binding occurred between endogenous proteins and was involved the forkhead box of FOXO1 and the region of MDM2 that controls …

Philosophy Of New Jazz: Reconstructing Adorno, Dustin Bradley Garlitz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Theodor W. Adorno, the towering twentieth century German intellectual figure and distinctive musical thinker, was legendary for being over-critical of jazz music. Through a consideration at his admiration for avant-garde chamber and symphonic music, I plan to develop a position that, surprisingly, points towards a theory of unacknowledged acceptance of jazz. The style of jazz that will be the newly constructed musical idiom of admiration for Adorno will be of the heterodox variety. My method of reconstruction will be to interrogate the inconsistencies in Adorno's critical musical writings, and negate such negations with factual evidence of affirmation found in the …

Do You See What I Mean? Measuring Consensus Of Agreement And Understanding Of A National Weather Service Informational Graphic, Lorna M. Geggis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Media use of hurricane graphics to apprise populations vulnerable to severe weather provides a persuasive demonstration of the importance and complexity of visual communication. Surprisingly little research, however, has explored how audiences interpret weather graphics. This study examined whether the general public and the National Weather Service share a common understanding of selected weather related terms and meaning of a NWS informational graphic. Using a coorientation model, general public responses to a questionnaire were compared to definitions prescribed by the NWS. Additionally, the public were asked questions to measure trust of the NWS as a credible and reliable source of …

A Paradox Of Diversity: Billions Invested, But Women Still Leave, Rebekah S. Heppner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2005, women made up 46.4 percent of the United States labor force but only 1.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs (Catalyst 2006). Although gains have been made since the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, there is clearly something stopping women from equal representation at the top. Since the late 1980s, businesses have spent billions of dollars on initiatives designed to assist them in dealing with the anticipated increase in the "diversity" of their workplaces (Lubove 1997; Stodghill II 1996; Johnston and Packer 1987). Is there potential for diversity initiatives to help women conquer the "glass ceiling?" …

Mathematical Techniques For The Estimation Of The Diffusion Coefficient And Elimination Constant Of Agents In Subcutaneous Tissue, Lawrence T. Hersh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work was to develop methods to estimate the diffusion coefficient and elimination constant for dexamethasone in subcutaneous tissue. Solutions to the diffusion equation were found for different conditions relevant to implantation and injection. These solutions were then used as models for measured autoradiography data where the unknown model parameters were the diffusion coefficient and the elimination constant. The diffusion coefficient and elimination constant were then estimated by curve fitting the measured data to these models. Having these estimates would be of practical importance since inflammation surrounding implantable glucose sensors may be controlled through local release of …

What Are The Socio-Emotional Experiences And Perceptions Of Third Grade Students With High-Stakes Testing?, Anne Marie Juola-Rushton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of third grade students with high-stakes testing. The study was designed to address this issue from the perspective of the third grade student's experience and offer a venue for them to share their stories. The following research question guides this study: What are the socio-emotional experiences and perceptions of third grade students with high-stakes testing? Data analysis employed here falls under the rubric of qualitative approaches of symbolic interaction and phenomenology written in a narrative format with the provisions of portraiture. This study uses the analytical procedures set …

The Effects Of Organizational Structure On Faculty Job Performance, Job Satisfaction, And Counterproductive Work Behavior, Stacey R. Kessler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Organizational researchers focus on group level variables such as organizational climate and organizational structure. The purpose of the current meso-level study is to examine the effects of the structure of an academic department on faculty members' job performance, job satisfaction, and prevalence of counterproductive work behavior (CWB), or harmful behaviors while at work. The sample consisted of 1135 full time faculty members working in 229 academic departments throughout the United States and Canada. Results of the study suggested that faculty members working in a more organically structured department report higher levels of job satisfaction. Additionally, productive faculty members working in …

The “Dark Side” Of Ocb: Examining The Relationship Between Citizenship Behavior And Work-To-Family Conflict, Rebecca H. Klein

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) has focused on the positive aspects of the construct, neglecting the possibility that individuals who engage in OCB may suffer negative consequences. Thus, the present study expands the literature by examining the possibility that OCB is also related to negative individual-level factors, such as work-to-family conflict (WIF). In a replication and extension of Bolino and Turnley's (2005) research, the present study offers an in-depth analysis of the relationship between OCB and WIF, examining two potential mediators (work time and role overload) and two potential moderators (gender and perceptions of OCB as discretionary). Two hundred …

Meaning Makers Make It: Ambivalence About Ambiguity In Academic Discourse, David Haldane Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a broad survey of the uses of ambiguity in academic discourse. I note the uses of ambiguity in literary criticism, linking ambiguity with epistemic relativism. Then I pose the question, is the notion of "reframing" in psychotherapy analogous to the concept of "spin" in propaganda, advertising and public relations? In a consideration of theories that posit the social construction of reality, I examine articles by Judith Butler and Ian Hacking, noting the ambiguous reception of performativity and nominalism, respectively, within academia. In 1996 a physicist named Alan Sokal published an article which argued that reality is a …

Transient Fluorescence Spectroscopy And Laser Induced Fluorescence Lifetimes Of Terbium Doped Dipicolinic Acid, Anali Makoui

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We have investigated the use of deep UV laser induced fluorescence for the sensitive detection and spectroscopic lifetime studies of terbium doped dipicolinic acid (DPA-Tb) and used this to study the optical characteristics of DPA which is a chemical surrounding most bacterial spores. Background absorption spectra, fluorescence spectra, and Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) spectra were made of the DPA-Tb complex, using both fixed 266 nm wavelength and tunable (220 nm --

280 nm) UV laser excitations. Of importance, the fluorescence lifetimes of the four main fluorescence peaks (488 nm, 543 nm, 581 nm, and 618 nm) of the DPA-Tb complex …

Using In Situ Click Chemistry To Modulate Protein-Protein Interactions: Bcl-XL As A Case, Lisa M. Malmgren

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein-protein interactions are central to most biological processes. Although in the field of drug discovery there is a great interest in targeting protein-protein interactions, the discovery and development of small-molecules, which effect these interactions has been challenging. The purpose of this project is to determine if in situ click chemistry is a practical approach towards testing whether Bcl-XL is capable of assembling it's own inhibitory compounds. Abbott laboratories developed compound ABT-737, which binds with high affinity (Ki < 1 nM) to the binding sites of Bcl-XL.³⁶. Based on ABT-737, two acetylene anchor molecules AM3 and AM4 have been synthesized. These anchor molecules are distinguished by the reactivity …

Venturesome Women: Nineteenth-Century British Women Travel Writers And Sport, Precious Mckenzie-Stearns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes the travel writings of Isabella Bird Bishop, Mary Kingsley, Florence Douglas Dixie, and Isabel Savory. While away from England, these women writers participated in cultural exchanges which led to reevaluations of British womanhood. British women travel writers operated not only within the power structures of gender but also within the structures of empire, class, and race. Women travel writers blazed the trail for the New Woman of the end of the century. Before cycling and cigarette smoking were allowed, daring women such as Isabella Bird Bishop and Mary Kingsley crisscrossed the globe in defiance of patriarchal tradition …

Perceptions Of Group Exercise Participants Based On Body Type, Appearance, And Attractiveness Of The Instructor, Jennifer Mears

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity reduces the risk for disease, improves overall health, and quality of life. Group exercise classes are large contributors for meeting physical activity recommendations. Improving long-term adherence to group exercise classes is essential in order to receive health and fitness benefits. Many contributing factors affect adherence rates including the role of the instructor. The instructor has great influence over the decision to return to a group exercise class. It is important to find out what qualities and characteristics are preferred among those who take classes to increase long-term adherence. Another important factor relating to adherence is body type, appearance …

Self Assembly Of Complex Structures, Michael Nellis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The state of the art in artificial micro self assembly concepts are reviewed. The history of assembly is presented with a comparison to macro assembly, which has been widely studied, and micro self assembly. Criteria were developed and tested to show that macro assembly is more complex in ways that micro self assembly is not. Self assembly requirements for successful and complex self assembly, which evolved from the macro and micro comparison, are also established and tested. A method to assemble complex structures in the micro scale is proposed and demonstrated at the meso scale. The basic concepts of self …

Effects Of Corrosion On Steel Reinforcement, David Ostrofsky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Corroded steel in concrete is a structural issue that plaques concrete structures in coastal regions. Traditionally corroded steel strength is calculated from a distributed area loss due to corrosion over the entire surface of the steel and reducing the capacity accordingly. In reality, corrosion attacks localized regions creating pits and reducing the cross section in a small region which amplifies the effects of corrosion. Stress concentrations at the corrosion pitting damage may further reduce the tensile capacity of the steel. A study of corrosion damage and strength associated with pitting damage can assist in understanding the ultimate tensile capacity of …

Computer Simulation Of Stand-Off Libs And Raman Lidar For Remote Sensing Of Distant Compounds, Dzianis Pliutau

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Long range stand-off Raman and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) lidar signal simulations have been carried out using a modified UV-visible atmospheric transmission program and a modified lidar equation. The Hitran-PC atmospheric transmission program which normally operates over the wavelength range of 400 nm to the far-IR was modified to provide UV atmospheric attenuation (200 nm -- 400 nm) using the optical cross section data contained in the HITRAN database. The two-way lidar equation was modified in order to simulate the one-way propagation of the Raman and LIBS spectral, and thus provide calculations of the expected Raman or LIBS signal as …

Real Challenges, Virtual Challengers: The Democracy For America Movement, Noah Porter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The project examines the effects of Internet use by the social movement organization (SMO) Dean for America/Democracy for America (DFA). This study describes the relationship between Internet usage and SMO beliefs, organization, causes, reasons for joining, strategies, reactions, and effects. Dean for America started out with few resources or supporters, and was seen as an unlikely contender for the 2004 presidential campaign. From its humble beginnings, it skyrocketed from being virtually unknown to frontrunner status in the span of a year. After Howard Dean withdrew from the race in February 2004, Dean for America transformed itself into Democracy for America, …

Factors Perceived To Contribute To Mathematics Avoidance Or Mathematics Confidence In Non-Traditional Age Women Attending A Community College, Jo Ann K Rawley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, the number of students entering postsecondary institutions immediately after high school has been decreasing, while the number of non-traditional aged students, defined as adults over 25, has substantially increased, with women making up the majority of this adult student group. Mathematics education is an area where non-traditional age women tend to have difficulty. Fifteen individual interviews were conducted with non-traditional age women enrolled in a community college, 10 identifying mathematics as the subject they would least enjoy and 5 identifying mathematics as the subject they would most enjoy. Data were analyzed by comparing the women's stories …

Determining Habitat Preferences Of The Juvenile Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus) Using Spatially Modeled Vegetation On A Central Florida Sandhill, Kristan Marie Nicole Raymond

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Public and private conservation areas are becoming increasingly important to the continued survival of the gopher tortoise, making it imperative that land managers know the specific habitat requirements of juvenile gopher tortoises because recruitment is key to species persistence. Little is currently known about environmental factors that underlie hatchling and juvenile survival and recruitment in gopher tortoise populations. Because of the short duration and distance of juvenile tortoise foraging journeys, food availability, thermoregulatory conditions, and refugia near the burrow may considerably affect juvenile growth and survival. This two-year study of a central Florida sandhill examines the spatial relationship between juvenile …

Examining The Issues Surrounding Violating The Assumption Of Independent Observations In Reliability Generalization Studies: A Simulation Study, Jeanine L. Romano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because both validity and reliability indices are a function of the scores on a given administration of a measure, their values can often vary across samples. It is a common mistake to say that a test is reliable when in fact it is not the test that is reliable but the scores on the test that are reliable. In 1998, vacha-haase proposed a fixed-effects meta-analytic method for evaluating reliability that is similar to validity generalization studies called reliability generalization (rg). This study was conducted to evaluate alternative analysis strategies for the meta-analysis method of reliability generalization when the reliability estimates …

Manifestations Of Ebenezer Howard On Disneyland, Michelle M. Rowland

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While political praise and condemnation of Disney is commonplace in the literature, my research will focus instead on the origination of Disney's design plan for Disneyland and the theoretical and physical connections between key historical figures and the finished product. I will not consider what Disneyland means to the world today---that is a subject many others have covered, some even brilliantly; instead, I will consider what social concepts contributed to the initial design in an attempt to see the underlying values at work in this post-modern utopia. In this thesis, I intend to show that Walt Disney's initial design for …

Credibility Perceptions Of Television And Online News, Charmy G. Sabigan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three major factors influence audience's credibility perception of mediated news on television and on the internet. This study found that reporters' credibility, media credibility, and news credibility had direct influence to the credibility of news presented on both media. Reporters' credibility on both media could be measured by their expertise, intelligence, education, trustworthiness, and authoritativeness. Television and the internet were evaluated differently. Television was measured by its comprehensiveness, concern for the interest of the public, and fairness. The internet was assessed on its trustworthiness, consideration of public interest, and objectivity. News credibility for both media, however, could be evaluated using …

In-Vivo Radiation Diode Dosimetry For Therapeutic Photon Beams, Amarjit Singh Saini

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In-vivo dosimetry with diode detectors is used in radiation therapy as a quality assurance tool. The diode sensitivity under radiation depends upon temperature, dose rate and SDD (source-to-detector distance), field size, beam angle, and energy. This dissertation presents the first systematic and quantitative study of dosimetric characteristics for most of the commercial radiation diodes (n-type and p-type) under different radiation beams.In the temperature dependence study, the systematic study on the dose rate dependence of svwt (sensitivity variation with temperature) was performed. It was concluded that sufficient preirradiation can eliminate dose rate dependence of svwt. However, preirradiation cannot eliminate dose rate …

Generation And Characterization Of An Attenuated Mutant In A Response-Regulator Gene Of Francisella Tularensis Live Vaccine Strain (Lvs), Wendy L. Sammons

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Francisella tularensis is a zoonotic bacterium that must exist in diverse environments ranging from arthropod vectors to mammalian hosts. To better understand how genes are regulated in these different environments, a transcriptional response- regulator gene (genome locus FTL0552) was deleted in F. tularensis live vaccine strain (LVS). The FTL0552 deletion mutant exhibited slightly reduced rates of extracellular growth but was unable to replicate or survive in mouse macrophages and was avirulent in the mouse model using either BALB/c or C57BL/6 mice. Mice infected with the FTL0552 mutant produced reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines, exhibited reduced histopathology and cleared the bacteria …