Digital Commons Network^™

Volume-Phase Transitions In Responsive Photo-Cross-Linked Polymer Network Films, Leena Patra

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The overall thrust of this project is to gain an insight into a class of surface-tethered cross-linked thin films of poly(N-alkylacrylamides) that display a lower critical solution temperature (LCST).The structure of the alkyl group and the modification of the amide groups determine the LCST and resultant volume-phase transition behavior. The aim of this study involves synthesis and characterization of thin films and to correlate the volume-transition behavior to the structure of the alkyl group. For better understanding the volume-transition behavior, the polymer films are perturbed by the Hofmeister salt series to examine trends between different alkyl groups. While most of …

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 …

Field And Laboratory Comparison Of The Hydraulic Performance Of Two Ceramic Pot Water Filters, Duncan Peabody

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently 884 million people worldwide are living without access to an improved source of drinking water (WHO/UNICEF, 2011). Piped-water on premises is the ultimate goal of World Health Organization (WHO) due to the ability to treat all of the water and distribute it safely in pressurized pipes. However, Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) is an option for improving the quality of drinking water where that infrastructure is not yet developed, especially where there is a risk of recontamination between point of collection and point of use (Clasen, 2006).

This study analyzed one such HWTS, the ceramic pot water …

Nature's Classroom: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Environmental Education, Dorothea Jody Owens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

NATURE'S CLASSROOM: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

DOROTHEA JODY OWENS

ABSTRACT

This ethnographic case study examines the dynamic relationship between culture and environmental education within the context of a specific Florida-based public education program. The School District of Hillsborough County (SDHC) offers the program through a three-day field trip to the study site, Nature's Classroom, and accompanying classroom curriculum. The site is located in Thonotosassa on the Hillsborough River, and serves approximately 13,500 to 15,000 sixth grade students annually. The key purpose of the research was to explore public education in a local setting as a vehicle for …

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, …

Micronekton And Macrozooplankton Of The Western Antarctic Peninsula And The Eastern Ross Sea: Contrast Between Two Different Thermal Regimes, Melanie Leigh Parker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Micronekton and macrozooplankton were sampled from the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) and eastern Ross Sea regions. Samples were collected over the course of six research cruises to the Southern Ocean. Four of those cruises were conducted in the Marguerite Bay region of the WAP during the austral fall and winter of 2001 and 2002. A fifth cruise sampled faunal assemblages at nine sites, ranging from Joinville Island at the northern tip of the WAP to Charcot Island near the southern extent of the WAP, during austral fall 2010. A sixth cruise was conducted in the pack ice within the …

An Evolving Dyke-Otomy: Lesbianism And Learning, Megan Pugh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Homophobia and prejudice against the lesbian community have been argued to be consequences of lack of education within academic and non-academic spaces. This study introduces a pedagogical model of gendered lesbian identity that can act as a tool for educators to understand lesbian experiences, and thus contribute to addressing issues related to homophobia and prejudices in the classrooms and beyond. Based on thematic analysis of data generated by a qualitative online survey of 29 participants, this study argues that notions of social norms, individual agency, and importance of advocacy are critical points of emphases in the proposed educational model. Although …

Structure And Dynamics Of The P53 Transactivation Domain Binding To Mdm2 And Rpa70, Anne Terese Powell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The tumor suppressor protein, p53, is mutated or dysregulated in nearly all human cancers(1). The amino terminal domains are essential for transcriptional activation in stressed cells and play a vital role in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and senescence. The transactivation (TAD) and proline rich domains in this region are dynamic and intrinsically disordered; lacking stable secondary or tertiary structure. This region contains multiple binding sites; arguably, the most significant of these is for p53's negative regulator, the E3 ligase, MDM2. An important, but less understood interaction involving the single stranded DNA binding protein, RPA70A, is hypothesized to be involved in …

Use Of Adventitious Roots For The Determination Of Hydroperiod In Isolated Wetlands, Michael Joseph Reyes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Accurate measurement of the hydroperiod in isolated wetlands currently relies upon the installation and frequent monitoring of devices such as piezometers and staff gauges. Observations of biological indicators of the hydroperiod may be able to supplement data collected from these devices and could potentially replace them as a means of accurately determining this hydrologic interval. The study objective was to determine whether adventitious root formation and maturation on buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) could be used as a viable indicator of the hydroperiod in isolated wetlands. Buttonbush seedlings were flooded in a controlled environment over a three month period in the …

Effects Of G-Csf On Monocytes And Neurons: In Vitro And In Vivo Studies In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Amanda Renee Pennington

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

G-CSF is routinely used to treat neutropenia/leukopenia or to increase hematopoietic stem cell generation in bone marrow donors. G-CSF and its receptor, G-CSFR, are produced by various cell types both in the peripheral circulation and within brain. As a consequence, exogenous administration of G-CSF results in a broad spectrum of effects involving hematopoietic, immune and central nervous systems.

G-CSF administration in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has revealed both cognitive benefits and disease modifying effects: a) decreased Aβ plaque burden, b) increased microgliosis, c) increased neurogenesis and d) improved performance in radial arm water maze (RAWM). In clinical …

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 …

A Statically Balanced Shape-Shifting Surface, Joseph Eugene Pishnery

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a concept for producing a Statically Balanced Shape-Shifting Surface (SB-SSS). In this context, an SB-SSS is a surface that can require near-zero magnitude force changes to accomplish a change in shape while retaining effectiveness as a physical barrier. This paper focuses on how to statically balance a specifically-designed compliant mechanism and how to incorporate this mechanism into a polygonal cell.

The mechanism consists of a compliant Peaucellier-Lipkin linkage layered with a pre-stressed link as the balancer. Previous work is presented that can show how a polygonal cell can be incorporated into a surface via a tiling …

The Biomechanics Of Tongue Projection In The Frog _Rana Pipiens_: Dynamics And Temperature Effects, Paula Sandusky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ectotherms such as frogs must either function within environments with temperatures amenable to their physiological needs, or find means to reduce the impact of temperature on their activities. Recent studies on reptile and amphibian feeding have shown convergent use of elastic recoil to drive feeding movements, thereby decoupling temperature's effects on muscle from movement and allowing the animals to feed over broader temperature ranges. Rana pipiens specimens (n=5) were exposed to three ambient temperatures (10°, 15°, and 25° C) at which feeding behavior was imaged at 6000 Hz. The image sequences yielded detailed kinematic and dynamic information for jaw, tongue, …

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 …

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. …

Sugar Consumption And Cognitive Aging In The Swedish Adoption/Twin Study Of Aging, Shyam Seetharaman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Consumption of foods high in sugar content has been linked with the development of metabolic abnormalities such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes, major sources of global health concerns. Although the detrimental consequences of high intake of sugar on abnormal metabolic processes are established, it is not known how this association affects (or accelerates) cognitive aging.

The current project was based on data from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) to test the hypothesis that high refined sugar intake contributes to accelerated trajectories of cognitive decline assessed longitudinally. Trajectories of cognitive change were assessed as a function …

Statistical Estimation Of Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Models: Identifiability, Variation, And Uncertainty With An Illustration Of Chronic Exposure To Dioxin And Dioxin-Like-Compounds., Zachary John Thompson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Assessment of human exposure to environmental chemicals is inherently subject to uncertainty and variability. There are data gaps concerning the inventory, source, duration, and intensity of exposure

as well as knowledge gaps regarding pharmacokinetics in general. These gaps result in uncertainties in exposure assessment.

The uncertainties compound further with variabilities due to population variations regarding stage of life, life style, and susceptibility,

etc. Use of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models promises to reduce the uncertainties and enhance extrapolation between species, between routes, from high to low dose, and from acute to chronic exposure. However, fitting PBPK models is challenging because of …

Comparative Developmental Transcriptomics Of Echinoderms, Roy Vaughn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The gastrula stage represents the point in development at which the three primary germ layers diverge. At this point the gene regulatory networks that specify the germ layers are established and the genes that define the differentiated states of the tissues have begun to be activated. These networks have been well characterized in sea urchins, but not in other echinoderms. Embryos of the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii share a number of developmental features with sea urchin embryos, including the ingression of mesenchyme cells that give rise to an embryonic skeleton. Notable differences are that no micromeres are formed during cleavage …

Structure And Agency: An Analysis Of The Impact Of Structure On Group Agents, Elizabeth Kaye Victor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Different kinds of collectives help to coordinate between individuals and social groups to solve distribution problems, supply goods and services, and enable individuals to live fulfilling lives. Collectives, as part of the process of socialization, contribute to the normalization of behaviors, and consequently, structure our ability to be self-reflective autonomous agents. Contemporary philosophy of action models characterize collective action as the product of individuals who have the proper motivations to perform cooperative activities (bottom-up); or they begin with the social-level phenomena and explain this in terms of individual actions and the mental states that motivate them (top-down). One general goal …

Shelf-Scale Mapping Of Fish Distribution Using Active And Passive Acoustics, Carrie Christy Wall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fish sound production has been associated with courtship and spawning behavior. Acoustic recordings of fish sounds can be used to identify distribution and behavior. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can record large amounts of acoustic data in a specific area for days to years. These data can be collected in remote locations under potentially unsafe seas throughout a 24-hour period providing datasets unattainable using observer-based methods. However, the instruments must withstand the caustic ocean environment and be retrieved to obtain the recorded data. This can prove difficult due to the risk of PAMs being lost, stolen or damaged, especially in highly …

Something Is Askew In Florida's Water: Arguing For A Better Descriptive Statistic For Positively Skewed Water-Quality Data, Amie October West

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

It may be of no surprise that water quality data is right-skewed, but what appears to be overlooked by some is that the arithmetic mean and standard deviation most often fail as measures of central tendency in skewed data. When using the arithmetic mean and arithmetic standard deviation with nutrient data, one standard deviation about the arithmetic mean can capture nearly all of the data and extend into negative values. Representing nutrient data this way can be misleading to viewers who are using the statistics, and making assumptions, to understand the characteristics of those waters. Through an in-depth statistical …

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 …

Catalytic Tri-Reforming Of Biomass-Derived Syngas To Produce Desired H2:Co Ratios For Fuel Applications, Devin Mason Walker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on upgrading biomass derived syngas for the synthesis of liquid fuels using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The process includes novel gasification of biomass via a tri-reforming process which involves a synergetic combination of CO2 reforming, steam reforming, and partial oxidation of methane. Typical biomass-derived syngas H2:CO is 1:1 and contains tars that deactivate FT catalyst. This innovation allows for cost-effective one-step production of syngas in the required H2:CO of 2:1 with reduction of tars for use in the FTS. To maximize the performance of the tri-reforming catalyst, an attempt to control oxygen mobility, thermal stability, dispersion of metal, …

Evaluation Of Repeated Biomarkers: Non-Parametric Comparison Of Areas Under The Receiver Operating Curve Between Correlated Groups Using An Optimal Weighting Scheme, Ping Xu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves are often used to evaluate the prognostic performance of a continuous biomarker. In a previous research, a non-parametric ROC approach was introduced to compare two biomarkers with repeated measurements. An asymptotically normal statistic, which contains the subject-specific weights, was developed to estimate the areas under the ROC curve of biomarkers. Although two weighting schemes were suggested to be optimal when the within subject correlation is 1 or 0 by the previous study, the universal optimal weight was not determined. We modify this asymptotical statistic to compare AUCs between two correlated groups and propose a solution …

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 …

Smart Packaging: A Novel Technique For Localized Drug Delivery For Ovarian Cancer, Eva Christabel Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Localized drug delivery is emerging as an effective technique due to its ability to administer therapeutic concentrations and controlled release of drugs to cancer sites in the body. It also prevents the contact of harsh chemotherapy drugs to healthy regions in the body that otherwise would become exposed to current treatments.

This study reports on a model chemotherapy drug delivery system comprising non-ionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) packaged within a temperature-sensitive chitosan network. This smart packaging, or package-within-a package system, provides two distinct advantages. First, the gel prevents circulation of the niosomes and maintains delivery in the vicinity of a tumor. …

The Mediating Effect Of Distress Caused By Constipation On Predictors Of Quality Of Life Of Hospice Patients With Cancer., Abdel Alkhalouf

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The Mediating Effect of Distress Caused by Constipation on Predictors of Quality of Life of Hospice Patients with Cancer.

Key positive outcomes for hospice patients include the prevention and alleviation of physical and psychological distress, maintenance of physical and mental functioning and all aspects of quality of life. This research used secondary analysis of previously gathered data to answer new research questions with alternative strategies to examine relationships not previously analyzed. The researchers collected data from 717 cancer patients who had been admitted to one of two private hospices. The aim of their experimental intervention was to define the …

Resisting Criminalization Through Moses House: An Engaged Ethnography, Lance Arney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neoliberal restructuring of the state has had destructive effects on families and children living in urban poverty, compelling them to adapt to the loss of social welfare and demolition of the public sphere by submitting to new forms of surveillance and disciplining of their individual behavior. A carceral-welfare state apparatus now confines and controls the bodies of expendable laborers in urban spaces, containing their threat to the neoliberal socioeconomic order through criminalization and workfare assistance, resulting in a new symbiosis of prison and ghetto. The resulting structures of punishment, police surveillance, and criminalization primarily surround African Americans living in high …

Behavioral And Immunological Phenotypes Of Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Human Secreted Amyloid Precursor Protein Alpha: Implications For Autism, Antoinette R. Bailey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors and focused interests. In addition to the cardinal behavioral characteristics observed for diagnosis, autistic individuals exhibit a number of comorbid conditions as well as a variety of aberrant immunological features. Recent studies report that plasma from autistic children contained elevated levels of secreted amyloid precursor protein alpha (sAPP-á), the á-secretase cleavage product of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) which is ubiquitously expressed in the brain, spleen, thymus and other organs. Interestingly, the sAPP-á fragment functions as a neurotrophic …

Chemical Mechanical Planarization Of Electronic Materials, Fnu Atiquzzaman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the modern semiconductor manufacturing processes, chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) has attained important processing step because of its ability to provide global planarization. CMP is the planarization technique which is used for the removal of excess material, as left over from the previous processing steps. In addition, CMP offers a uniform surface that is essential for subsequent processing steps, especially for the high resolution photolithography processes. In simpler notation, CMP is a process where a chemical reaction enhances in obtaining a planar surface through removal of the mechanical materials from a wafer.

In this study, CMP performance of three electronic …