Digital Commons Network^™

Sisters In Arms: A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Women Warriors In The United States Military, Carmen Teresa Stein-Mccormick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Presently there are few studies that describe the current experiences of women warriors relative to issues such as sexual hostility, sexual harassment, and other uncommon experiences during their military careers. Very little is known about how being a woman in a male-dominated military may affect women warriors' choices between making the military a career or returning to civilian life. With better understanding of women warriors' military experiences, mental health professionals, educators, and other human services professionals may have a better understanding of the issues that may affect women in the military. To date there are limited studies that have examined …

Foraminiferal Assemblages On Sediment And Reef Rubble At Conch Reef, Florida Usa, Christy Michelle Stephenson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages are widely used to interpret responses of the benthic communities to environmental stresses. This study compares epibiotic foraminiferal assemblages, collected from reef rubble, with those from reef sediments. The study site, Conch Reef, is the site of the Aquarius Underwater Habitat research facility and includes protected areas used only for scientific studies. Although a number of studies have enumerated foraminiferal taxa from the Florida reef tract, no projects have focused on the assemblages that occur at Conch Reef.

Sediment and reef rubbles samples were collected via SCUBA from a depth range of 13 to 26 m during …

The Abjection Of The Pythia, Alaina Dyann Tackitt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent academic research has garnered considerable popular interest on the matter of whether the Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, was high. Current findings aim to prove that vapors emitted from beneath the tripod on which the Pythia prophesied were intoxicating, thereby causing her frenzied state and statements. Contemporary scientists’ intense interest in proving that the Pythia was not prophetic evokes the question of why the once widely accepted, now generally rejected, idea that a female body can serve as a vessel for the words of the immortal deity holds such significance for modern science. When this curiosity is considered in …

Asymmetric Passive Dynamic Walker Used To Examine Gait Rehabilitation Methods, John Sushko

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Testing gait rehabilitation devices on humans can be a difficult task, due to the effects of the neurological controls of the human body. This thesis advances the use of a passive dynamic walker (PDW) tuned to have asymmetric gait patterns similar to those with physical impairments to test rehabilitation devices. A passive dynamic walker is a multipendulum system that has a stable gait pattern when walking down a slope without any energy inputs except the forces due to gravity. A PDW model is better suited for testing rehabilitation devices because it has been shown to resemble human gait and separates …

Simplified Methodology For Designing Parabolic Trough Solar Power Plants, Ricardo Vasquez Padilla

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The performance of parabolic trough based solar power plants over the last 25 years has proven that this technology is an excellent alternative for the commercial power industry. Compared to conventional power plants, parabolic trough solar power plants produce significantly lower levels of carbon dioxide, although additional research is required to bring the cost of concentrator solar plants to a competitive level. The cost reduction is focused on three areas: thermodynamic efficiency improvements by research and development, scaling up of the unit size, and mass production of the equipment. The optimum design, performance simulation and cost analysis of the parabolic …

Probing Molecules In Confined Space, Carissa Marie Vetromile

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the plethora of information regarding cellular crowding and its importance on modulating protein function the effects of confinement on biological molecules are often overlooked when investigating their physiological function. Recently however, the encapsulation of biomolecules in solid state matrices (NafionTM, sol-gels, zirconium phosphate,etc.) has increased in importance as a method for examining protein conformation and dynamics in confined space as well as novel applications in biotechnology. Biotechnological applications include, but are not limited to, bioremediation, biosensors, biocatalysts, etc. In order to better utilize solid state materials as substrates for biological molecules an understanding of the effects of encapsulation on …

Narratives Of Architectural Revolution In Online Christian Rhetoric, Quentin David Vieregge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how online Christian communities reconcile the democratizing, anti-hegemonic effects of dialogic web tools, such as wikis, blogs, and video-sharing sites with the authoritarian characteristics of some organized religions. In the first chapter, I discuss technodeterminism and what I call the theme of "revolutionary architectures" in digital humanities scholarship. This theme occurs in narratives that assume that a new interface, Internet tool, or type of coding will redefine the rhetorical relationship between writers, readers, and site administrators, usually in a benevolent way. I argue that scholars within the field of Computers and Composition use narratives of architectural revolution …

Dynamics Of Stony Coral Assemblages On Patch Reefs Of The Upper Florida Reef Tract, Including Biscayne National Park, Amy Wallace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The patch reefs located in Biscayne National Park (BNP) are some of the most northern reefs of the Florida reef system. The focus of my study is seven patch reefs that were first surveyed annually between 1977 and 1981, revealing 8% - 28% cover by scleractinian corals. An assessment of BNP patch reefs completed in 2000 reported that coral cover had decreased to approximately 0.4% - 10%. The once dominant species in the Florida reef tract, Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis, have rapidly declined over time and were not found in any transects during the 2000 survey.

This study is …

The Evaluation Of Hybrid Slurry Resulting From The Introduction Of Additives To Mineral Slurries, Kyle Douglas Yeasting

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drilled shaft construction often requires the use of drill slurry to maintain borehole stability during excavation and concreting. While drill slurry may be composed of fluids ranging from air to petroleum, drilled shaft construction typically makes use of water based drilling fluids. Although clean water may be utilized as a drilling fluid, a premixed slurry consisting of water, minerals, and/or polymers is more commonly used. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) specifications require the use of mineral slurry for all primary structures. The slurry resists the intrusion of groundwater, slows the outward migration of drilling fluid from the excavation, and aids …

Addressing The Decline Of Academic Performance Among First-Year Composition Students: A Usability Analysis Of Two Important Online Resources, Kate Zephyrhawke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of students entering college lack the academic skills necessary to perform well at the college level, forcing professors and academic institutions to lower standards. Students approach higher education as a commodity, and as consumers they assert their desire for easier course work by giving poor evaluations to instructors whose courses they find too demanding or difficult. Eliminating student evaluations is one necessary change that will help reverse declining standards in higher education and increase performance; providing effective venues for supplemental instruction is another. Teaching basic writing skills in freshman composition courses would waste valuable instruction time that …

An Examination Of The Impacts Of Urbanization On Green Space Access And Water Resources: A Developed And Developing World Perspective, Heather E. Wright Wendel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the impact of urbanization and land use change on the availability and accessibility of two urban amenities that are often inequitably distributed: green space and water features. Diverse methodologies were utilized in order to gain a better understanding of the role of these amenities in improving urban quality of life and integrated water management. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this research provides a unique perspective within both a developed and developing world context by evaluating aspects of urbanization to emphasize more sustainable and integrated approaches to development.

A preliminary analysis highlights potential drivers of green space revitalization in …

Portland State University's Second (R)Evolution: Partnering To Anchor The Institution In Sustainable Communities, Wim Wiewel, Kevin Kecskes, Shelia A. Martin

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland State University has become internationally known for its whole-university approach to community-university engagement. Many academic leaders from around the world are now drawing on models for engagement that originated at Portland State. As the university takes stock of its successes, of changing economic conditions, and of the increasingly urgent need to focus on sustainability, the campus with its new leadership has begun to look closely at how to expand and refine the models. This paper on Portland State's Second (R)evolution provides models and ideas that show great promise of reinvigorating community-university partnerships nationally and internationally.

The Obvious Invisibility Of The Relationship Between Technology And Social Values, Jamie P. Ross

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

We all too often assume that technology is the product of objective scientific research and that technology’s moral value lies in only the moral character of its user. To remove technology from a moral realm, we assume value and context neutrality. Yet the power of technology is a reflection of the values that exist in its developmental context. Technology’s moral realm is visible in the reciprocal relationship between culture and technology in the epidemiology of AIDS, clinical research and practice regarding heart disease, and DNA research. Cultural values decide what counts as a scientific question. When we look at the …

Management Of Acute Regurgitation In Left-Sided Cardiac Valves, Nahush A Mokadam, Karen K Stout, Edward D Verrier

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The management of acute, severe cardiac valvular regurgitation requires expeditious multidisciplinary care. Although acute, severe valvular regurgitation can be a true surgical emergency, accurate diagnosis and subsequent treatment decisions require clinical acumen, appropriate imaging, and sound judgment. An accurate and timely diagnosis is essential for successful outcomes and requires appropriate expertise and a sufficiently high degree of suspicion in a variety of settings. Whereas cardiovascular collapse is the most obvious and common presentation of acute cardiac valvular regurgitation, findings may be subtle, and the clinical presentation can often be nonspecific. Consequently, other acute conditions such as sepsis, pneumonia, or nonvalvular …

Reflections On A Heart Surgery Career With Insights For Western-Trained Medical Specialists In Developing Countries, Sami S Kabbani

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Herein, I describe my experience (spanning 40 years) in helping to develop the specialty of cardiovascular surgery in Syria. Especially in the early years, the challenges were daunting. We initially performed thoracic, vascular, and closed-heart operations while dealing with inadequate facilities, bureaucratic delays, and poorly qualified personnel. After our independent surgical center was established in early 1976, we performed 1 open-heart and 1 closed-heart procedure per day. Open-heart procedures evolved from the few and simple to the multiple and complex, and we solved difficulties as they arose. Today, our cardiac surgical center occupies an entire 6-floor building. We have 12 …

Left Atrial Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation: Creating The “Box Lesion” With A Bipolar Radiofrequency Device, Leonid Sternik, Hartzel V Schaff, David Luria, Michael Glikson, Alexander Kogan, Ateret Malachy, Maya First, Ehud Raanani

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The maze procedure is the gold standard for the ablation of atrial fibrillation, and the “box lesion” around the pulmonary veins is the most important part of this procedure. We have created this lesion with a bipolar radiofrequency ablator, abandoning the usual use of this device (to achieve bilateral epicardial isolation of the pulmonary veins).

From March 2004 through the end of May 2010, we performed surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation in 240 patients. Of this number, 205 underwent operation by a hybrid maze technique and the remaining 35 (our study cohort) underwent the creation of a box lesion around …

Sirolimus-Eluting Stents Versus Bare-Metal Stents In Routine Clinical Use, Muhammad Munir, Jonathan Aliota, Amany Ahmed, Anwarullah Mohammed, Vei Vei Lee, Macarthur A Elayda, James M Wilson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Conflicting patient outcomes have been reported after the use of sirolimus-eluting stents or bare-metal stents. In this nonrandomized study, we examine the outcomes after placement of sirolimus-eluting versus bare-metal stents in an unselected population of patients who underwent percutaneous coronary revascularization.

We used THIRD-base, a longitudinal data registry of patients who underwent revascularization at our institution, to compare demographics and outcomes in patients treated with a sirolimus-eluting or bare-metal stent from January 2001 through June 2006. Outcome measures included major acute coronary and cerebral events at 30 days, target-vessel failure at 9 months and at 3 years, and stent thrombosis. …

The Effects Of Smoking On Pregnant Women, Meir Cohen

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Smoking during pregnancy is accepted as the most significant avoidable risk factor for an unsuccessful pregnancy result. Smoking is linked with fetal growth restriction, and increasing evidence also suggests that smoking can cause stillbirth, preterm birth, placental abruption, and possibly sudden infant death syndrome. Smoking during pregnancy is also associated with enhanced risks of spontaneous abortions, ectopic pregnancies, and placenta previa, and it might increase risks of behavioral disorders in childhood. Studies have shown with randomized controlled trials, that smoking intervention during pregnancy has had limited success. Smoking during pregnancy continues to be an important risk factor for maternal and …

The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act Of 2010: Rulemaking In The Shadow Of Incentive-Based Regulation, Sam Halabi

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Efficient Contracting Between Foreign Investors And Host States: Evidence From Stabilization Clauses, Sam Halabi

Articles, Chapters in Books and Other Contributions to Scholarly Works

Bilateral investment treaties are agreements between sovereign states that give broad protections to investors and investments made within the jurisdiction of the other state. The prevailing view in the academy and practice is that developing countries sign bilateral investment treaties in order to reassure investors from developed states that their investments will be safe from changes in domestic law. Without these "credible commitments," investors would be deterred from making investments, depriving developing countries of foreign capital. This Article disputes that view by demonstrating that foreign investors and host states effectively contract around the risk of changes in the law. This …

(Editorial) A Long Term View Of Rare Plant Reintroduction. A Response To Godefroid Et Al. 2011: How Successful Are Plant Reintroductions?, Matthew A. Albrecht, Edward O. Guerrant Jr., Joyce Maschinski, Kathryn Kennedy

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

This is an editorial response to Godefroidet al. (2011). How successful are plant species reintroductions? Biological Conservation 144, 672-682.

Resemblance In Dietary Intakes Of Snacks, Sweets, Fruit, Vegetables, Energy, Macronutrients, And Selected Micronutrients Among Mother-Child Dyads From Families With Limited Incomes, Kathryn Wroten

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of these studies was to determine the association between dietary intakes of selected food groups, macronutrients, and micronutrients in mother-child dyads. This was a secondary analysis of data on low-income Black, Hispanic, and White children 3-5 years-old (y) participating in Head Start (HS) (n=650), and their mothers. Mothers served as a proxy for their child, and self-reported intake during a multiple-pass 24-hour recall interview for one weekend day. One weekend day was chosen since children attended HS during the week, and mothers may not know what their children consumed outside the home. Data were collected on children’s and …

A Study Of How Model-Centric Engineering Relates To Time-To-Market And Agility To Accommodate Customer-Required Changes, Craig A. Schroeder

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As customers increasingly demand immediate product variation, companies are required to shorten product design and manufacturing life cycles to remain competitive. The ability to respond quickly to continuous and unexpected change is the key to success in the manufacturing industry (Yu, Liu, & Chen, 2005). As a result, manufacturing firms are using model-centric engineering (MCE) in product development to remain competitive in their ever-changing global environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of model-centric engineering and a firm's competitiveness as defined by time-to-market and agility to accommodate customer-required changes. The study focused on …

An Experimental Study On Reducing The Formation Of Dross When Cutting 1018 Hr Steel Using A Cnc Plasma Cutter, Michael E. Devore

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many manufacturers who cut metal use plasma arc cutting as part of their manufacturing process. Plasma cutters use electricity and pressurized gas to produce a temperature of up to 50,000 ºF at the cutting tip. These plasma cutters can rapidly cut through metals as much as 12 inches thick. The use of computer numerical controlled (CNC) plasma cutters allow manufacturers to rapidly cut even very intricate and detailed flat parts. This process is a tremendous improvement over traditional torch cutting, saw cutting, or other machining processes for producing near net shapes. It is faster and less expensive than most of …

Towards Fpga Hardware In The Loop For Qca Simulation, Alan Olson

Theses

As transistors begin to hit raw physical limits and performance barriers, other technologies are being researched to potentially replace conventional integrated circuit technology. Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) is one such technology which executes computations using coulomb interactions and quantum-mechanical effects. Part of this research is pursuant to the design of circuits which exploit QCA technology and take advantage of what it has to offer. These circuits must be simulated to ensure their functionality and help prove the viability of QCA. These simulations, like many scientific computing applications, can take a long time to complete; hours or days, depending on their …

Food Habits Of Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina Richardii) In San Francisco Bay, California, Corinne Michele Gibble

Master's Theses

The diet of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) in San Francisco Bay (SFB) in California was examined from July 2007 to July 2008 via scat analysis. Scats were collected from five major haul-out sites; 22 species of fish and one species of crustacean were identified from 422 scats. The reliance of a non-native invasive species, Yellowfin Goby (Acanthogobius flavimanus), increased in importance in the diet. Additionally, another non-native invasive fish species, Chameleon Goby (Tridentiger trigonocephalus), was found for the first time in the diet of harbor seals in SFB. Harbor seal diet was compared between seasons, locations, and years using …

Vive La Différence: Hollywood And France, 1914-1945, Louise G. Hilton

LSU Master's Theses

France in the early decades of the 20th century underwent a profound identity crisis. Torn between tradition and modernity, the country perceived itself to be isolated internationally and threatened politically, economically, and culturally by both internal and external forces. In French eyes, the United States moved rapidly from an ally to an adversary that not only opposed France on major foreign policy issues after World War I, but threatened the European continent both economically and culturally. For broad segments of the French elite, the United States represented modernity – and everything that was wrong with it. Contributing powerfully to anti-American …

Advanced Linear Identification Techniques For Signal Processing And Digital Video Broadcasting, Xiaoyu Feng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Linear identification technique is to linearly embed a piece of unique information into digital media data for the purpose of satisfying specific demands such as identification, annotation, and copyright, etc. We need to consider the quantity and the quality of identification data to be embedded as well as the corresponding interference to the original subject signal. However, there exist no generalized computationally-efficient optimization techniques for linear identification up to now. Therefore, in this dissertation work, we try to theoretically investigate the advanced linear identification techniques and combat the tradeoff problems between the quality of the embedded identification data and the …

Application Of Satellite Remote Sensing Imagery To Bridge Scour Evaluation, Xiaoyan Zhao

LSU Master's Theses

The overall goal of this research is to evaluate the applicability of the existing HEC-18 method to Louisiana bridges that are mostly situated on cohesive soils and hence to develop a more reliable design method for scour depth and scour rate prediction. Pier research in sandy soils and cohesive soils shows that the sandy soils are known to erode particle by particle, while cohesive soils usually erode in clumps rather than individual particles, which is caused by from the different bonding mechanisms between sandy soils and cohesive soils. Because the bonding in cohesive soils is so complex, the prediction of …

Differences Across Racial Groups In Caregiver Ratings Of Symptoms In Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cindy Terlonge Graham

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A great deal of attention from local, federal, and international communities has been focused on autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). As the prevalence of these disorders rise, researchers continue to investigate various unanswered questions. The goal of this study was to examine the differences across racial/ethnic groups in caregiver ratings of symptoms of children diagnosed with ASDs. Results from such research will help determine whether cultural background can influence the recognition of behaviors indicative of an ASD. Culturally-sensitive clinical practice stemming from the significant findings of this research project can help to reduce the age at which minority children are diagnosed. …