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Maternal Immune Dysregulation In The Pathogenesis Of Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Interleukin-6 As A Central Mechanism And Therapeutic Target Of Flavonoids, Ellisa Carla Parker-Athill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Activation of the maternal immune system and resultant maternal cytokine expression due to prenatal infection has been implicated as a significant contributor to the pathology of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Increased maternal interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression, observed clinically and in animal models of prenatal infection, and resultant activation of key signaling pathways, has been shown to be a biological indicator of pathology, and a central component of the pathological mechanism. In animal models of prenatal infection and clinically in pregnancy disorders hallmarked by immunological irregularities and increased IL-6 expression, inhibition of IL-6 has …

Four English Language Learners' Experiences And Strategy Use In Learning Environments Of Multiliteracies, Ho Ryong Park

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

English language learners (ELLs) develop their reading by engaging in diverse literacy activities in the learning contexts of multiliteracies. I investigated ELLs' experiences and their use of strategies when they read computer-based texts at home and in school. In addition, I identified a variety of influential factors that affected the ELLs' use of reading strategies when they read computer-based texts in both research contexts.

This research was conducted at homes and at three public elementary schools. Participants were two fourth-grade and two fifth-grade ELLs, four parents, and five classroom teachers. The study included observations, interviews, verbal reports, documents, field notes, …

Cell Adhesion And Migration On Ndga Cross-Linked Fibrillar Collagen Matrices For Tendon Tissue Engineering, Ana Ysabel Rioja

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tendons, essential tissues that connect muscles to bones, are susceptible to rupture/degeneration due to their continuous use for enabling movement. Often surgical intervention is required to repair the tendon; relieving the pain and fixing the limited mobility that occurs from the damage. Unfortunately, post-surgery immobilization techniques required to restore tendon properties frequently lead to scar formation and reduced tendon range of motion. Our ultimate goal is to create an optimal tendon prosthetic that can stabilize the damaged muscle-bone connection and then be remodeled by resident cells from the surrounding tissues over time to ensure long-term function. To achieve this, we …

Modulating The Pharmacokinetics Of Bioflavonoids, Adam John Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

One of the largest obstacles in drug development is to overcome solubility and bioavailability problems. Preformulation strategies such as nanoparticle formation are often employed but sometimes create new issues and are limited in their effectiveness and applications. Since the majority of drugs are marketed and sold as solid forms, drug delivery systems are not always desirable. This is where solid-state chemistry becomes important. Traditional solid-state chemistry approaches are often successful but are sometimes too restrictive and cannot be applied to certain compounds. Cocrystals have emerged as an alternative solid-state technique that can be applied to a broad range of compounds. …

Investigation Of Reservoirs Of Fecal Indicator Bacteria And Water Quality On The Presence Of Allochthonous Pathogens And The Ecology And Virulence Of Vibrio Vulnificus, Christopher Staley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The quality of recreational and shellfishing waters has historically been monitored using commensal, allochthonous bacteria shed in feces (fecal indicator bacteria, FIB). The fate of FIB in the environment should mimic that of bacterial, protozoan, and viral human pathogens, which may also be allochthonous (e.g. Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, or enteric viruses) or autochthonous (e.g. Vibrio spp.) to aquatic environments. FIB are contributed to water from human and animal sources; however, pollution source cannot be determined by conventional FIB measurements. Because fecal source determination is important for pollution remediation and assessment of human health risks, microbial source tracking (MST) methods are …

Musical Rhetoric And Sonic Composing Processes, Kyle D. Stedman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project is a study of musical rhetoric and music composition processes. It asks the questions, "How does the nature of music as sound-in-time affect its rhetorical functions, production, and delivery?" and "How do composers approach the task of communicating with audiences through instrumental music?" I answer these questions by turning to the history of musical rhetoric as practiced in the field of musicology and by interviewing composers themselves about their composition practices--approaches that are both underused in the rhetoric and composition community.

I frame my research participants' responses with a discussion of the different degrees to which composers try …

Monstrous Dialogues: The Host And South Korean Inverted Exile, James Lloyd Turner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bong Joon-ho‟s monster movie blockbuster, The Host (Gweomul, 2006), is the most commercially successful film in South Korean cinema history. The film‟s popularity and significance derive from its unearthing of the ambivalence concerning South Korea‟s rapid transformation from a rural dictatorship to an urban democracy with one of the strongest economies on the planet. This ambivalence is buried beneath a veneer of "progress" blanketing contemporary South Korea and constitutes a condition I call inverted exile. The Host explicitly engages life in inverted exile through my notion of aesthetic dialogue. Aesthetic dialogue, takes influence from the work of Mikhail Bakhtin and …

Competing Narratives: Hero And Ptsd Stories Told By Male Veterans Returning Home, Adam Gregory Woolf

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study seeks to extend the existing body of scholarly literature on returned veteran civilian reintegration by exploring "hero" and "Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" narratives. The character of the hero, as a social construct located within hegemonic notions of masculinity, is widely portrayed and believed to possess highly prized, extraordinary, almost superhuman personal qualities. However, this widely disseminated belief stands at odds with some of the stories returned veterans tell. This qualitative study explores and illuminates the enigmatic intersectionality of hero and PTSD narratives.

Extant hero and PTSD narratives contain paradoxical implicit meanings embedded within them. The hero is understood …

Asymmetric Intra- And Intermolecular Cyclopropanation By Co(Ii)- Based Metalloradical Catalysis, Xue Xu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal-catalyzed cyclopropanation of olefins with diazo reagents has attracted research interest because of its fundamental and practical importance. The resulting cyclopropyl units are recurrent motifs in biologically important molecules and can serve as versatile precursors in organic synthesis. Since they were first introduced in 2004, Co(II) complexes of D₂-symmetric chiral amidoporphyrins [Co(D₂-Por*)] have emerged as a new class of catalysts for asymmetric cyclopropanation. These metalloradical catalysts have been shown to be highly effective for asymmetric intermolecular cyclopropanation of a broad scope of substrates with different classes of carbene sources, particularly including electron-deficient olefins and acceptor/acceptor-substituted …

Ascension, Megan Hopkins, David Thompson, Mary Beth Spence, Betsy Nolen, Katie Stambek, Paul Czech

Research & Economic Development

editor: Betsy Nolen director: Megan Hopkins designer: photographer: Victoria Sprankel

Relación Entre La Auto-Eficacia En Estudiantes De Bajo Aprovechamiento Académico Y La Percepción Sobre La Efectividad De Las Modalidades De Instrucción En Su Aprendizaje, Esther A. Rubio Negrón

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

Esta disertación aplicada, se diseñó para determinar si la autoeficacia, en la materia de los cursos nivelatorios, modera las percepciones de los estudiantes sobre la efectividad de la instrucción en línea, híbrida y tradicional. Guiados por el interés de los estudiantes en las tecnologías y el uso de las redes sociales, la administración de la universidad donde se efectuó el estudio, autoriza la incorporación de una variedad de modalidades instruccionales en los procesos de enseñanza aprendizaje. Estos ofrecimientos pretendían servir a todos los estudiantes universitarios, incluyendo los de primer año que toman cursos nivelatorios.

El estudio se basó en la …

Generational Differences In Work Ethic: A Study Of Four Generations In The Workplace, Kathleen J. Barlow

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which differences in work ethic existed among four generations and two genders in the workplace. Data from four subsets of the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP) were examined (delay of gratification, hard work, morality/ethics, and self-reliance). Popular press has raised awareness of differences in work ethic between generations; however, scholars have disagreed about whether generational differences existed in the workplace. The writer used archival data to examine the work ethic of four generations of workers.

Two research questions guided this study:

1. What differences in work ethic, if any, …

An Evaluation Of Teaching Strategies Using Computer Technology, Anthony Griffin

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The push to integrate technology into teachers’ daily practices has met with many forms of resistance. A common approach to increasing technology integration has been to provide teachers with professional development. This applied dissertation was designed to investigate the impact of a peer-led professional development program on teachers’ ability and confidence to integrate computer technology in daily classroom practices.

The writer prepared and facilitated a peer-led professional development program on the use of computer technology for volunteer English and social studies teachers. The program was presented as a 6-hour training. At the conclusion of the training, the participants evaluated the …

An Analysis Of Teachers’ Concerns Toward The Implementation Of Instructional Technology In The Curriculum, Yaritza Gonzalez

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The purpose of this research study was to conduct an analysis of concerns experienced by teachers when it came to the implementation of instructional technology in the curriculum. As a result of a lack of technology implementation at the study site, teachers were surveyed in order to analyze concerns that could have been barriers. The theoretical foundation of this research was the concerns-based adoption model (CBAM). In addition, a literature assessment of the effectiveness of teaching with technology, barriers to technology integration, and professional development was conducted to further support the research.

Four research questions were addressed in the study: …

Can Professional Development Improve Teachers’ Perceptions About Inclusive Teaching In An Inner City School, Solomon Homidas

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation examined the question of whether professional development can improve teachers’ perceptions of inclusive teaching in an inner city school. The study drew upon survey methods to collect measurements of teachers' perceptions about inclusive teaching before and after professional development sessions. The hypothesis was that exposure to professional development would give teachers an improved impression of inclusive teaching, which in turn could make them more committed to the inclusive teaching paradigm. If the hypothesis was correct, the study would show that professional development should be considered an important component of developing teachers who work in inclusive settings, especially …

The Impact Of Selected Behavior Intervention Strategies On Achievement Of Students In Adult Basic Education, Doris J. Granberry

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to provide a better understanding of the strategies that were available to practitioners in adult education programs that were designed to improve student retention. The adult center where this dissertation was implemented experienced a large number of Adult Basic Education Program students who discontinued their studies before earning either the General Equivalency Diploma or the traditional High School Diploma. Many students exhibited aggressive behavior toward the teachers and other students. Consequently, the teachers felt helpless to alter the trend.

The writer developed lesson plans and strategies to train the students and to teach them how …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 28, Winter 2012), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman Editor

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

A Qcm-Adhering Bacillus Anthracis Soil Phage Assemblage Is Less Diverse Than A Total B. Anthracis Soil Phage Assemblage, Gabriel David Connell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Recently, phages have been used as affinity reagents in quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)-based biodetection methods. The goal of this study was to isolate and characterize a Bacillus cereus group soil-phage assemblage, which was isolated from 5 grams of local topsoil, and compare its population structure to that of a similar phage assemblage that had been additionally selected by adhering to a QCM electrode. Viruses aren't well-defined in terms of 'species', therefore operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were defined by structural protein profiles from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We were able to obtain a conservative estimate of soilphage 'species' richness …

Role Strain In Probation And Parole Work And Strategies Used To Reduce Strain, Samantha A. Shoger

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Probation and parole officers play a vital role in the operation of the correctional system. As a part of their role work in community-based corrections, probation and parole officers must act as both a client monitor and treatment counselor to not only assist in client reentry, but also to protect the public. Due to the nature of probation and parole work and the historical changes that have affected their work (i.e. the punitive turn, the New Penology, and the current correctional budgetary constraints), probation and parole officers must cope with a variety of factors in their work that can cause …

Curcumin Nanoformulations: A Future Nanomedicine For Cancer, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan

School of Medicine Publications

Curcumin, a natural diphenolic compound derived from turmeric Curcuma longa, has proven to be a modulator of intracellular signaling pathways that control cancer cell growth, inflammation, invasion, apoptosis and cell death, revealing its anticancer potential. In this review, we focus on the design and development of nanoparticles, self-assemblies, nanogels, liposomes and complex fabrication for sustained and efficient curcumin delivery. We also discuss the anticancer applications and clinical benefits of nanocurcumin formulations. Only a few novel multifunctional and composite nanosystem strategies offer simultaneous therapy as well as imaging characteristics. We also summarize the challenges to developing curcumin delivery platforms and …

La Integración De La Dimensión Ambiental En Una Institución De Educación Superior, Geralda Díaz

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

El estudio consistió en identificar los conocimientos y actitudes ambientales en los estudiantes de Psicología, a partir de los cuales se proponen estrategias de aprendizaje para la inserción de la dimensión ambiental como herramienta para aumentar el grado de conocimiento y actitud proambiental en una Institución de Educación Superior. Existen estudios que demuestran que las universidades han hecho esfuerzos por actualizar el currículo en todas las carreras, con el propósito de dotar de conocimientos y competencias a sus egresados sobre la dimensión ambiental. Sin embargo, los esfuerzos no han logrado materializarse en todas las universidades. La institución objeto de estudio …

Design Of Rankine Cycle Systems To Deliver Fuel Economy Benefits Over Cold Start Driving Cycles, Alberto A. Boretti, Azmi Osman, Ishak Aris

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Prior papers have shown the potentials of gasoline-like internal combustion engines fitted with waste heat recovery systems (WHR) to deliver Diesel-like steady state fuel conversion efficiencies recovering the exhaust and the coolant waste heat with off-the-shelf components. in addition to the pros of the technology significantly increasing steady state efficiencies - up to 5 % in absolute values and much more in relative values - these papers also mentioned the cons of the technology, increased back pressures, increased weight, more complex packaging, more complex control, troublesome transient operation, and finally the cold start issues that prevent the uptake of the …

Library Annual Report

Library Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Study On Underground Coal Gasification Combined Cycle Coupled With On-Site Carbon Capture And Storage, Peng Pei

Theses and Dissertations

The North Dakota portion of the Williston basin holds huge, but economically unmineable lignite resources in the Fort Union formation. A technology coupling the underground coal gasification with carbon capture and storage (UCG-CCS) is proposed in this study to recover these lignite resources in North Dakota. The UCG-CCS system provides a cost-effective and environment-friendly approach to convert the lignite to electricity and beneficially utilize the by-product of CO2 at the same time. The target coal seam is the Harmon lignite in the Fort Union formation in western North Dakota. The main objectives of this study are to set up the …

Honors Research Symposium Program [2012], University Honors Program Students And Staff

Honors College: News & Publications (2008-2020)

No abstract provided.

In The Valley Of The Giants: Cultivating Intentionality And Integration, Miriam Carey

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This study examines the cultivation of intentionality and integration in a foundation level General Education class: Communities and Societies. Three research tasks were set within the context of a grounded theoretical approach: codification of indicators for both intentionality and integration, and an examination of student learning logs. Intentionality was helpfully scaffolded by targeted questions for reflection while integration appeared more spontaneously, apparently as a result of the course design and delivery but also possibly as a result of the nature of free-styling journaling. Learning logs suggested students found full class discussions, continuous small groups, and journaling itself to be the …

Creating Community: From Individual Reflection To Sotl Transformation, Beau Beaudoin

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Numerous studies have demonstrated that students thrive in courses where a community environment augments their learning experience through shared empowerment and enhanced participant engagement. This essay describes the author’s originally self-directed efforts with classroom community approaches and the transition to utilizing SoTL’s six standards of clear goals, adequate preparation, appropriate methods, outstanding results, effective communication and reflective critique to transform the process from experiment to standards-based assessment. Presenting examples of community practices with two substantially different demographics, a multi-section undergraduate media ethics course and a graduate class for teachers and teacher-candidates, the author suggests that others may benefit from a …

Necessity And The Unexpected: Sotl Student-Faculty Collaboration In Writing Program Research, Kathryn Wymer, Carolyn J. Fulford, Nia Baskerville, Marisha Washington

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This essay describes how a team of faculty members and undergraduate students worked together to investigate key questions about the experiences students at our campus face as they transition from high school to college. We describe the process we employed in starting our project, and we draw some conclusions about the unexpected positive outcomes of our SoTL student-faculty partnership.

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Numerical Study Of Downhole Heat Exchanger Concept In Geothermal Energy Extraction From Saturated And Fractured Reservoirs, Yin Feng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Geothermal energy has gained a lot of attention recently due to several favorable aspects such as ubiquitously distributed, renewable, low emission resources while leveraging the advances in the associated technologies such as directional drilling and low enthalpy power generation plant. However, there are still many challenges such as the high initial capital cost of drilling and surface facilities, environmental risk of seismicity due to the induced disequilibrium in the formation, and sustainability of project over designed operational life. Traditional downhole heat exchangers (DHE) could potentially reduce the capital cost and the risk of seismicity, but they are unable to maintain …