Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of Four Portable Cooling Vests For Workers Wearing Gas Extraction Coveralls In Hot Environments, Joseph Kevin Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Excessive exposure to heat stress can cause a host of heat-related illnesses. For laborers, job specific work demands and protective garments greatly increase the risk of succumbing to the effects of heat stress. Microclimate cooling has been used to control heat stress exposure where administrative or engineering controls are not adequate. This study tested the performance of four personal cooling vests for use with insulated protective clothing (gas extraction coveralls) in warm-humid (35 ° C, 50% relative humidity) and hot-dry (40°C, 30% relative humidity) conditions. On 10 separate occasions, 5 male volunteers walked on a treadmill to elicit a target …

Spin Dependent Transport In Novel Magnetic Heterostructures, Priyanga Buddhika Jayathilaka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic oxides have become of interest source for spin transport devices due to their high spin polarization. But the real applications of these oxides remains unsatisfactory up to date, mostly due to the change of properties as a result of nano structuring. Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) is one such a material. High Curie temperature and the half metallicity of Fe₃O₄ make it a good potential candidate for spin transport devices. Studies have shown that the nano structuring Fe₃O₄ changes most of it's important properties. This includes high saturation magnetization and drop of …

Bayesian Estimation Of Panel Data Fractional Response Models With Endogeneity: An Application To Standardized Test Rates, Lawrence Kessler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this paper I propose Bayesian estimation of a nonlinear panel data model with a fractional dependent variable (bounded between 0 and 1). Specifically, I estimate a panel data fractional probit model which takes into account the bounded nature of the fractional response variable. I outline estimation under the assumption of strict exogeneity as well as when allowing for potential endogeneity. Furthermore, I illustrate how transitioning from the strictly exogenous case to the case of endogeneity only requires slight adjustments. For comparative purposes I also estimate linear specifications of these models and show how quantities of interest such as marginal …

Effect Of Solids Retention Time On The Denitrification Potential Of Anaerobically Digested Swine Waste, Maureen Njoki Kinyua

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR) were operated in semi continuous mode treating swine waste using anaerobic digestion. The reactors were used to test the effect of solid retention time (SRT) on CH4 yield, total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentrations, % volatile solids (VS), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) removal, readily biodegradable COD concentration and the denitrification potential for the effluent in a biological nutrient removal (BNR) system. During Phase I of the study, the three reactors were operated at the same 28 day SRT for 16 weeks. SRTs were then changed during the 12 week Phase …

A Rheological Examination Of Polymer Composites: Including Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes, Viable Polyurethane Alternates, And Contact Lens Hydrogels, Bernard Knudsen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

From medicine to aerospace, innovation in multiple fields will not occur without addressing current questions that still exist in polymer behavior and manipulation. This dissertation represents the research carried out over the course of three separate experiments using rheometry as the key technique to explore the behavior of polymer composites. In all three studies, polymer composites were investigated for changes to their known physical properties caused through the addition of a filler or functionalization.

Chapter Two examines the possibility of enhancing poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) through the use of soluble carbon nanotubes. In this series of experiments, carbon nanotubes were covalently functionalized using …

Ten Thousand Years Of Prehistory On Ocheesee Pond, Northwest Florida. Archaeological Investigations On The Keene Family Land, Jackson County, Caitlin Kelley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to record the private archaeological collection of the Keene family, which was previously unknown to the professional community. While at the two sites, Keene Redfield site (8Ja1847) and Keene Dog Pond site (8Ja1848), in Jackson County, northwest Florida, USF archaeologists also conducted field investigations to look for prehistoric cultural materials in undisturbed contexts.

This research was conducted at the request of the Keene family. The field crew systematically documented, cataloged and photographed each artifact in the Keene collection while at the sites. Surface survey and testing were also carried out in order to determine …

The Effects Of Caloric Preload And Dietary Restraint On Smoking And Eating Behavior, Michelle Kovacs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Rates of smoking are elevated in eating-disordered populations, especially among females (Pomerleau & Snedecor, 2008; Klesges & Klesges, 1988). Restrained eaters ignore physiological cues of satiation and hunger, and instead attempt to employ cognitive control over decisions to eat. Additionally, they are prone to eat in a disinhibited manner after a salient emotional or food cue interrupts their restraint. This eating style is also associated with increased rates of smoking compared with the general population. Although there is a great deal of literature on the relationship between smoking and eating, the role of eating in momentary decisions regarding smoking …

Monsters Under The Bed: An Analysis Of Torture Scenes In Three Pixar Films, Heidi Tilney Kramer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With background information on militarism, nationalism, and torture, this study analyzes Monsters, Inc., Toy Story 3, and The Incredibles, three Pixar films released from 2001 through 2010, for the ways in which the torture scenes are framed. These frames, state control, prisons, and 60s spy thrillers, invite laughter through intertextuality, while deflecting attention from torture of central characters in the films. The implications of this analysis are: these films present torture as deserved and normative; the tortured characters stand outside the frames of recognition for humanness; and they redefine children as threats and dangers. This study concludes that these ideologies …

Associations Of Perceived Stress, Sleep, And Human Papillomavirus In A Prospective Cohort Of Men, Stephanie Kay Kolar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Mucosal human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) and is associated with genitals warts, anogenital cancers, and oropharyngeal cancers. Most sexually active persons will become infected with HPV at some point in their lives, however few will develop HPV-related diseases such as warts, lesions, or cancer as a result of the infection. It is unclear why a minority of individuals fail to clear HPV infection and develop clinical disease. Due to initial associations with cervical lesions, much research has focused on women. Th1 type immune responses have been associated with successful response to HPV …

An Analysis Of Self-Directed Learning Of First-Year, First-Generation College Students, Patricia Lynne Linder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the reflective essays of first-year, first-generation college students for evidence of self-directed learning at the conclusion of their first semester at the university. A phenomenological qualitative method was employed and a content analysis rating rubric used to identify and code evidence related to four themes: Self Awareness, Decoding and Pattern Fit, Autonomy/Responsibility, and Academic Success.

The study findings indicated that first-year, first-generation college students have the capacity to take ownership of their learning in ways exemplified by self-directed learners. Participants demonstrated deep reflection and metacognition and their essays revealed unexpected student vulnerability …

Do Personality Tests Have A Place In Academic Preparation Of Undergradute Hospitality Students, Gunce Malan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a descriptive study that poses the questions and discussion regarding use of personality tests in prediction of future job performance of the current undergraduate hospitality students. A gap exists between the perception of the skills and competencies of high performers and the perception of hospitality students (Berezina et al., 2011; Malan, Berezina & Cobanoglu, 2012). The purpose of this study is to investigate if personality tests will help in predicting the success of students in their preferred job setting as compared to current high performers (managers).

The use of personality tests increased substantially after 1988, when the government …

Perceptual Responses To High-Intensity Interval Training In Overweight And Sedentary Individuals, Nicholas Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary aerobic exercise guidelines comprised of continuous durations and higher intensities have been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of risk factors associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has recently been examined as an advantageous protocol for producing more favorable physiological and psychological benefits in comparison to traditional continuous exercise guidelines. The dual-mode model, which examines the dose response relationship between exercise intensity and affective valence, would suggest that exercise performed well above the ventilatory threshold (VT) in the severe domain should result in negative affective valence.

Numerous investigations have confirmed …

Biochemical Aspects Of The Thermal Sensitivity And Energy Balance Of Polar, Tropical And Subtropical Teleosts, Eloy Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The maintenance of a functional energy balance in ectothermic fauna could be challenging in a thermally disparate environment. Biochemical adaptations at the enzyme and membrane levels allows for a set compensatory mechanism that allow the individual to maintain an energetic surplus, thus allocating energy for growth and reproduction. The present work describes how the energetic machinery in the cell, particularly the mitochondrion, could be affected by temperature changes. More specifically, this work aimed to determine how environmental temperature affects the mitochondria energetic performance of fishes from disparate thermal regimes.

Mitochondrial ATP production efficiency was evaluated in fishes from polar, tropical …

Parent Pathways: Recognition And Responses To Developmental Delays In Young Children, Jennifer Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The importance of early recognition and intervention for developmental delays is increasingly acknowledged, yet high rates of under-enrollment and 1-3 year delays in entry to the public early intervention system continue. Much research has examined developmental screening in health and child care settings, but less well understood is what prompts parents to identify problems and seek help for their children. This mixed methods study rooted in the Health Belief Model and Social Support Theory examined child, parent, family, and community level factors related to parent recognition (awareness and concern) and response (help-seeking and enrollment in services), including formal and informal …

Sickle Cell Disease: The Role Of Self-Care Management, Nadine Matthie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic disorder in the United States. Approximately 90% of the hospitalizations in this patient population occur due to the most common complication, pain crises. Prevention of these crises is therefore essential and requires the patient to assume an active role in his or her disease management. Studies suggest that further research is needed to examine the self-care management process and to identify factors influencing self-care behaviors. The relationships among these factors must be clearly defined before interventions to improve self-care management can be determined. The aims of the study were threefold. The …

Reaction Enthalpy And Volume Profiles For Excited State Reactions Involving Electron Transfer And Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer, William Antonio Maza

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electron transfer, ET, and proton-coupled electron transfer, PCET, reactions are central to biological reactions involving catalysis, energy conversion and energy storage. The movement of electrons and protons in either a sequential or concerted manner are coupled in a series of elementary reaction steps in respiration and photosynthesis to harvest and convert energy consumed in foodstuffs or by absorption of light into high energy chemi-cal bonds in the form of ATP. These electron transfer processes may be modulated by conformational dynamics within the protein matrix or at the protein-protein interface, the energetics of which are still not well understood. Photoacoustic calorimetry …

Pharmacological Versus Social Alcohol Expectancies: Making An Important Distinction Between The Anticipated Rewarding Effects Of Alcohol, Megan Victoria Mcmurray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite over 30 years of research investigating alcohol expectancies, they have never been examined in terms of the anticipated pharmacological versus social rewards resulting from alcohol consumption, and both appear to play a central role in drinking motivation and behavior. The purpose of this study was to develop a two-dimensional instrument designed to assess both the pharmacological alcohol expectancies of pleasurable, internal states that result from alcohol consumption, as well as the social expectancies that drinking alcohol will result in higher social status and increased effectiveness in social situations. This measure, called the Pharmacological and Social Alcohol Expectancy Scale (PSAES), …

Practices And Factors Influencing Sharps Use And Safety In A Suburban Fire Department And Among Emergency Medical Services Personnel, Christine Michelle Mcguire-Wolfe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Needlestick injuries (NSIs) are a recognized risk for occupationally-related transmission of bloodborne pathogens (BBP). The occurrence of NSIs and BBP exposures among firefighters (FFs) and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel has been documented.

The purposes of this study were: 1) to define the problem of NSI among FFs and EMS personnel in a suburban fire department (FD) and identify practices and factors that influence sharps use and safety; 2) design and implement and intervention to promote safer sharps device usage; and 3) to measure the effectiveness of the intervention among FFs and EMS personnel.

A multi-phase, mixed methods approach was …

Development Of Novel Nano-Composite Membranes As Introduction Systems For Mass Spectrometers: Contrasting Nano-Composite Membranes And Conventional Inlet Systems, Luis Miranda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the development of novel nano-composite membranes as introduction systems for mass spectrometers. These nano-composite membranes incorporate anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes as templates that can be used by themselves or modified by a variety of chemical deposition processes. Two types of nano-composite membranes are presented. The first nano-composite membrane has carbon deposited within the pores of an AAO membrane. The second nano-composite membrane is made by coating an AAO membrane with a thin polymer film. The following chapters describe the transmission properties these nano-composite membranes and compare them to conventional mass spectrometry introduction systems. The nano- composite …

Brain Electrophysiological Correlates Of Masked Picture Priming In Fluent And Stuttering Adults, Kalie B. Morris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate mechanisms of real-time language production of adults who stutter.

Method: Data were analyzed for 19 typically fluent young adults (TFA) and 19 young adults who stutter (AWS). Participants performed a masked picture priming task where priming stimuli consisted of two conditions 1) Identity- a masked printed prime word identical to the picture target label, and 2) Unrelated- a masked printed prime word unrelated to the picture target label. Brain event-related potentials (ERPs), time-locked to pictures eliciting spontaneous naming, were recorded, as well as naming accuracy and reaction times.

Results: …

Reliability Assessment Of Ion Contamination Residues On Printed Circuit Board, Minh Tam Tran Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ion contaminants from Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly processes pose a high reliability risk because they result in damaged circuits. Therefore, it is essential to understand the level of ionic species on the electronic circuitry as well as the reliability risks caused by these contaminants. There are a number of approaches available in the industry to assess the reliability risks ; for example, the water drop test (WDT) is one of the techniques used to determine the propensity of an ionic contaminant to cause electrical short failures by dendrite formation. The objective of this research is to determine the time …

A Child Distracted: Understanding The Relationship Between Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder And Subjective Well-Being, Joshua M. Nadeau

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a commonly diagnosed mental health condition among children and adolescents, with studies suggesting that OCD has the potential for significant disruption of academic and social performance. Subjective well-being (SWB) represents a non-traditional conceptualization of mental health within the dual factor model, wherein SWB and measures of psychopathology (e.g., problematic levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors) provide a more comprehensive picture of mental wellness. The current study examined the nature of the relationship between clinical characteristics of pediatric OCD and SWB within school-age youth (N=65) seeking treatment from an outpatient pediatric neuropsychiatric clinic. Additionally, the potential …

The Role Of Connectedness And Religious Factors On Bullying Participation Among Preadolescents In Puerto Rico, Melissa C. Mercado-Crespo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Relationships or connections with caring pro-social others (e.g., parents, teachers, school, friends, neighborhood, religion) serve as pro-resilience assets that may enhance children's abilities to cope with bullying. The purpose of this research study was to explore the roles of connectedness and religiosity as potential factors that could enhance resiliency against bullying among preadolescents in Puerto Rico (PR). This doctoral dissertation also addressed several gaps in the children's bullying, resilience and religiosity research literature.

A sample of 426 community-based afterschool program preadolescents (ages 10-12 years old) participated in this exploratory, cross-sectional study, by completing a quantitative questionnaire in paper and pencil …

Source Memory And Generation Effects In Parkinson's Disease, Lynn Elizabeth Oelke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to investigate source memory performance in individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD). The secondary goal was to explore how memory was impacted when subjects were asked to generate responses during encoding. Fifty idiopathic PD patients and fifty healthy control subjects completed a task measuring item memory and source memory which also included a generation manipulation. Relative to controls, PD patients exhibited deficits in source memory but not item memory. Both groups demonstrated enhanced memory performance in the generative condition of the item memory task. The PD group displayed a marginally significant trend toward …

Excellent Leadership In Public Relations: A Question Of Experience And The Pr Practitioner, Roelof Oldenbanning

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To better understand excellent leadership in public relations (PR) of developing and experienced PR practitioners, this study focuses on the important qualities and dimensions of excellent leadership practitioners. This study continues on the work of Meng, Berger, Gower, and Heyman (2012) in their attempt to advance understanding of leadership in the PR field.

According to the study's participants (N = 72): strategic decision-making capability, problem-solving ability, and communication knowledge and expertise are the three most important qualities of excellent leadership. Moreover, respondents rated that communication skills training, individual initiative and desire, and on-the-job experiences lead to excellent PR leadership. About …

Mapping Dissertation Genre Ecology, Kate Lisbeth Pantelides

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Though the pervasive rumor that the “traditional” dissertation persists because of the “I suffered, so they too should suffer” mentality — the professor revenge theory — students are often the ones eager to pin down writing genres so that they can master them. However, hopes to stabilize and thus capture the secret or equation of the dissertation genre are futile, since genres, like language, are alive: rhetorical, evolving, and flexible. Thus, to demonstrate the contemporary context of the dissertation genre, the conflicting perspectives of university stakeholders, the forces working on the genre to enact change, and the process by which …

Functional And Mutational Analysis Of Human Recq-Like Dna Helicases In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Hamed Mirzaei-Souderjani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

RecQ-like proteins are a family of DNA helicases that are evolutionary conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. A large amount of experimental evidence suggests these proteins have a major role in the maintenance of genome stability. In humans five RecQ like helicase have been identified (RecQL1, BLM, WRN, RecQL4, and RecQL5), three of which are associated with rare genetic disorders with sever chromosomal and developmental abnormalities, and an elevated predisposition to cancer. Among the disease associated RecQ-like helicases, BLM and WRN have been subject to extensive research, while our collective knowledge about the function of RecQL4 is still very limited. Similarly, …

Dynamic Processes In Network Goods: Modeling, Analysis And Applications, Arnut Paothong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The network externality function plays a very important role in the study of economic network industries. Moreover, the consumer group dynamic interactions coupled with network externality concept is going to play a dominant role in the network goods in the 21st century. The existing literature is stemmed on a choice of externality function with certain quantitative properties. The utility function coupled with the network externality function is used to investigate static properties of rational equilibrium. The aim of this work is to systematically initiate a development of quantitative effects of the concept of network externality and its influence on the …

Ecological Interactions Influencing Avicennia Germinans Propagule Dispersal And Seedling Establishment At Mangrove-Saltmarsh Boundaries, Jennifer Mcclain Peterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mangroves and saltmarshes are ecologically important coastal ecosystems; unfortunately, these low-lying coastal ecosystems are vulnerable to global climate change. As sea-levels rise, mangroves are expected to shift their distribution landward towards higher elevation sites that are occupied by other plants, including saltmarsh taxa. Therefore, mangrove recruits at the leading edge of expansion may interact with diverse assemblages of saltmarsh plants, and these interactions could influence the success of mangrove encroachment into higher tidal-elevation areas. The purpose of the research presented here was to investigate empirically the ecological interactions that may influence the recruitment of the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, …

Ineffective Assistance Of Library: The Failings And The Future Of Prison Law Libraries, Jonathan Abel

Faculty Scholarship

The prison law library has long been a potent symbol of the inmate's right to access the courts. But it has never been a practical tool for providing that access. This contradiction lies at the core of the law library doctrine. It takes little imagination to see the problem with requiring untrained inmates, many of them illiterate or non-English speakers, to navigate the world of postconviction relief and civil rights litigation with nothing more than the help of a few library books. Yet law libraries are ubiquitous in American prisons. Now, in light of a technological revolution in legal research …