Digital Commons Network^™

A Collective Case Study Of The Diagnosis Of Dissociative Disorders In Children, Jacqueline J. Reycraft

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is a paucity of research on the diagnosis of dissociative disorders in children. Most children are misdiagnosed with more common mental disorders with similar symptoms. Earlier recognition of dissociative disorders can save years of pain, suffering, and cost. This qualitative collective case study examined the process of diagnosing dissociation in two children under the ages of 12 at the beginning of treatment. A concurrent focus on the training and development of the therapist/researcher is included. Archival data including progress notes, psychotherapy notes, assessments, correspondence, legal documents, school records, and medical records were analyzed using within-case and cross-case analyses to …

Insight Into The Use, Perception, And Value Surrounding Domestic Water In Peru: Envisioning Demand Management In An Intermittent, Small-City, Service Context, Merril Augusta Putnam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Population growth, urbanization, degrading water quality, and climate change are making management of scarce water resources an increasingly difficult task for the domestic sector. It is recognized that in order to manage urban water resources demand management is requisite. Demand management has been experimented with in large cities of developing countries but continued focus on expanding supply overshadows its potential benefits and ultimate success. In order to manage demand, it must be measured and understood. Intermittent water services are prevalent in developing countries, but unmetered domestic water use under such conditions has not been carefully studied. This study conducted 1,149 …

The Elimination Of Blindness: An Ethnographic Exploration Of The Fight Against Trachoma In Niger, Kelley Cosby Sams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to explore specialized and popular cultural models of trachoma, and the interaction between the trachoma elimination program and its target audience in one trachoma hyper-endemic intervention community. Eighty four million people worldwide, mainly children, are infected with active bacterial trachoma. For some, this will lead to painful and progressive corneal opacity and eventual blindness. The disease is most commonly spread by person-to-person contact or by flies, and affects very specific populations living in resource-poor areas such as rural Niger, which has one of the highest prevalence rates worldwide.

The World Health Organization formed an …

Sense Of Place In An Unincorporated Community:, Samuel Scott Sanderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Residents of communities that are at the edge of the rural-urban divide are likely to have many senses of place reflective of the changes occurring around them. As the place where they have resided in and identify with becomes transformed by changes in land use and social composition, these residents may be forced to either adapt or leave. Often overlooked, these individuals may feel as if the place where they have long resided is no longer their home. As the familiar routes, stores, and neighborhoods give way to new highways, big name stores, and exclusive subdivisions, their understanding of …

Beyond The Door: Disability And The Sibling Experience, Morgan Violeta Sanchez Taylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the experiences of adult siblings of individuals with impairments. It expands on the existing literature by exploring the complexity of the sibling experience of disability while moving beyond the concepts of burden and maladjustment that have characterized much of the previous literature. In addition, it expands upon and extends to the sibling experience an emerging view of disability by examining the ways in which themes identified in sibling narratives cross lines between the Medical and Social Models of Disability. Building on work by Mark Priestly and Tom Shakespeare, I call this emerging view the Interactional Model of …

Mass Spectrometry-Based Methods For The Detection And Characterization Of Protein-Tyrosine Nitration, Kent W. Seeley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Protein tyrosine nitration (PTN) is a posttranslational modification resulting from oxidative/nitrosative stress that has been implicated in a wide variety of disease states. Characterization of PTN is challenging due to several factors including its low abundance in a given proteome, preferential site modification, multiple target site proximity within unique peptide sequences, and analytical method and instrument limitations. Current analytical techniques are insufficiently sensitive to identify endogenous nitration sites without incorporation of either nitrotyrosine or target protein enrichment. However, enrichment proficiency can also be inadequate. Chemical derivatization of the nitro- moiety can be incomplete or result in undesirable byproduct formation, while …

Fracking Teco: Analyzing The Communication Strategies In Teco Peoples Gas Advertisements, Magdaline Southard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

TECO advertisements promote the use of natural gas as an energy source because it claims that natural gas is an environmentally responsible alternative to other sources of energy. However, these advertisements do not reveal the not-so-green process, namely hydraulic-fracturing, or fracking, by which natural gas is produced and the consequences that it can and does have on public health and the environment. Even though the conversation about fracking has been on the rise in recent years as certain companies and politicians have pushed for an increase in natural gas production, scholars have yet to examine the communicative strategies used …

Harmful Algal Blooms Of The West Florida Shelf And Campeche Bank: Visualization And Quantification Using Remote Sensing Methods, Inia Mariel Soto Ramos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) are natural phenomena that can have negative impacts on marine ecosystems on which human health and the economy of some Gulf States depends. Many of the HABs in the GOM are dominated by the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. Non-toxic phytoplankton taxa such as Scrippsiella sp. also form intense blooms off the Mexican coast that result in massive fish mortality and economic losses, particularly as they may lead to anoxia.

The main objectives of this dissertation were to (1) evaluate and improve the techniques developed for detection of Karenia spp. blooms …

Spiritual Life Review With Older Adults: Finding Meaning In Late Life Development, Alicia Margaret Stinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Spirituality has been recognized as a positive factor in the lives of older adults, especially as it influences their emotional, mental, and physical well-being. This convenience sample study included 17 older adults residing at a faith based continuing care retirement community in Florida. The sample was represented by Caucasian older adults with an average age of 84 years, highly educated, majority Protestant and mostly female. Spiritual life reviews were conducted using spiritual life maps (Hodge, 2005) and semi-structured interview questions. Erikson's epigenetic stage of ego-integrity was used along with Butler's life review process and Tornstam's gerotranscendence as a conceptual …

Descriptions Of Clinical Teaching Excellence In The First Two Years Of Medical School: The Views Of Academic And Community-Based Preceptors, Patricia Anne Stubenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The changing dynamics in patient care, along with the increasing role of early clinical experiences and community-based teaching models, can be a catalyst in furthering important research and training for clinical teaching excellence. Curricular challenges as well as limited scholarly work generate educational possibilities for study. Embracing a strong educational doctrine of teaching excellence in undergraduate medical education will help shape the future of health care and ultimately enhance patient care.

This grounded theory study (a) described and explained descriptions of teaching excellence among first and second year academic and community-based preceptors in the Longitudinal Clinical Experience (LCE) program at …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Traditions Regarding Water Consumption And Sanitary Practices Of The Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous Women In The Chiriquí Province In Panama, Natalia Vega

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: In 2007, approximately 66.2% of the population of the Comarcas (indigenous reservations) in Panama had access to potable water. However, over 50% of this population lacked access to sanitation. As a result, the leading causes of death in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé are due to severe diarrhea and gastroenteritis of infectious origin. The present project assessed the need for an in-depth understanding of the Ngäbe-Buglé women and their communities regarding their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors about water and sanitation. Methodology: In this cross-sectional exploratory study, a convenience sample of 52 women were interviewed, utilizing a questionnaire guided by the …

Anti-Parasitic And Anti-Bacterial Agents: Studies On 1,4-Dihydropyridines And 2,4-Diaminoquinazolines, Kurt Steven Van Horn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Thirty-three 1,4-dihydropyridine diastereomeric pairs were synthesized and the structure-activity relationship studied in a Plasmodium falciparum in vitro model. Twenty-nine of these derivatives contained a 6-position oxygen, with 2.31, 2.32, 2.52 and 2.53 having single and double digit nanomolar activities. This SAR study revealed some insightful information about the 1,4-dihydropyridine substitution pattern. Substitution at the 7-position other than 3,4-dimethoxy severely reduced the activity. 4-phenyl substitution with 2- or 4- halo or methyl formed active compounds while substitution at the 3-position or with methoxy or conjugated aryl systems resulted in inactive compounds. The 2-position was found to majorly affect the activity, with …

The Black Freedom Struggle And Civil Rights Labor Organizing In The Piedmont And Eastern North Carolina Tobacco Industry, Jennifer Wells

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines labor organizing in the U.S. South, specifically the Piedmont and eastern regions of North Carolina in the mid-twentieth century. It aims to uncover an often overlooked local history of civil rights labor organizing which challenged the southern status quo before America's 'mainstream' civil rights era of the 1950s and 1960s. This study argues that through labor organizing, African American tobacco workers challenged the class, gender, and race hierarchy of North Carolina's very profitable tobacco industry during the first half of the twentieth century. In doing so, the thesis contributes to the historiography of black working class protest, …

The Role Of Nature In Physiological Recovery From Stress: A Critical Examination Of Restorative Environments Theory, Kristi Elizabeth White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recently, health researchers have become interested in "eco-friendly" or "green" healthcare. One of the current trends in the green healthcare movement involves incorporating natural elements into health care settings to promote the health of patients and healthcare workers. Research based on Restorative Environments Theory (RET) provides insight into the rationale behind incorporating nature into the healthcare setting. RET posits that pleasant natural environments help promote stress recovery by increasing positive affect, decreasing negative affect, and reducing physiological arousal. However, the components of this theory have not been sufficiently tested using a controlled laboratory environment. The purpose of the present study …

The Effectiveness Of A Structured Functiona Behavior Assessment Procedure: Teacher Training As A Moderator, Bonnie Woods

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prevent-Teach-Reinforce (PTR) is a collaborative, standardized process that was developed as a way to address identified barriers to completing effective functional behavior assessments (FBAs) in public schools. Current research literature documents the effectiveness of the PTR process in decreasing problematic behaviors and increasing social skills and academic engaged time for students in kindergarten through 8th grade. In addition, PTR demonstrates high acceptability by school personnel implementing the process. While PTR has demonstrated success in schools, questions still exist regarding variables that impact the effectiveness of this process. Therefore, the current study investigated the moderating effect of prior teacher training in …

Indicators Of The Metroscape: Change In Employment, Elizabeth Morehead

Metroscape

Overview of Employment by Industry in Portland Metropolitan Statistical Area

Preparing Teachers To Apply Research To Mathematics Teaching: Using Design-Based Research To Define And Assess The Process Of Evidence-Based Practice, Sarah Van Ingen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Persistent lack of mathematics achievement and disparity in achievement has led to the publication of research findings related to equitable teaching practices. Although the publication of such research provides insights about approaches for potentially increasing equity in mathematics education, teachers must be able to apply what has been learned from these studies to their classroom teaching practices. Despite the widespread expectation that teachers use research-supported teaching strategies to meet the needs of their diverse classrooms, the research to practice gap persists. Little research is currently available to guide mathematics teacher educators in how to prepare future teachers to apply research …

Statistical Analysis And Modeling Of Prostate Cancer, Yiu Ming Chan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the present study is to address some important questions related to prostate cancer treatments and survivorship among White and African American men. It is commonly understood that the risk of developing prostate cancer is higher in African American men than the other races. However, using parametric analysis, this study demonstrates that this perception is a "myth" not a "reality". The study further identifies the existence of racial/ethnic disparities by comparing the average mean tumor size, the median of survival time, and the survival function between White and African American men. These results underline the necessity of understanding …

Prehispanic Water Management At Takalik Abaj, Guatemala, Alicia E. Alfaro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Land and water use at archaeological sites is a growing field of study within Mesoamerican archaeology. In Mesoamerica, similar to elsewhere in the world, landscapes were settled based partially upon the characteristics of the environment and the types of food and water resources available. Across Mesoamerica, landscape concepts were also important to religious beliefs and ritual activity in a manner that may have had the potential to influence the power dynamics of a site. This thesis focuses on the management of water at the site of Takalik Abaj in Guatemala during the Middle to Late Preclassic periods (c. 1000 B.C. …

The Influence Of Campus Culture On Mental Health Help-Seeking Intentions, Jason I. Chen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mental health issues are widespread on college campuses. However, the majority of these individuals do not seek help. Prior research suggests many factors which may be related to mental health help-seeking including age, gender, and prior treatment experience. There has however been little work considering the context of the college campus on mental health help-seeking, specifically the influence of campus culture. Accounting for the context of mental health help-seeking may help to determine which social groups have the greatest influence on mental health treatment processes.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between perceived peer, student body, …

The Assessment Of An In-Vitro Model For Evaluating The Role Of Parp In Ethanol-Mediated Hepatotoxicity, Jayme Coyle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This investigation assesses the role of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in ethanol-mediated hepatotoxicity using the untransfected HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma line, an established, well-characterized toxicological model. HepG2 cells were treated with ethanol at concentrations between 100 mM and 800 mM, and assessed for markers of cytotoxicity. PARP-1 activity in total cell protein lysates was quantified as a proxy of apoptotic induction at six hours. Our results demonstrated a 1.43-fold AST activity increase in culture medium isolates of cells exposed to 800 mM without significant effect on cellular viability. PARP-1 activity varied greatly and results for enzyme activity remained inconclusive. The results suggest a …

Rural Communities: How Do Individuals Perceive Change When Industry Enters The Area?, Katherine Danielle Ferrari

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the landscape of the United States changes and world resources face depletion, shale gas development has become a major social justice issue. Social workers may be called upon to help support communities undergoing change from industry as well as the environmental and social justice concerns that are arising in areas with rich natural resource supplies.

This research examines how a rural population perceives change when industry enters an area. It explores community change and social justice concerns that are occurring with shale gas development in order to help determine implications for social work practice.

Using a phenomenological approach, this …

Cd44 Containing Complexes As A Therapeutic Target In Multiple Myeloma, Anthony Gebhard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Our laboratory recently reported that treatment with the d-amino acid containing peptide HYD1 induces necrotic cell death in multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines. Due to the intriguing biological activity and promising in vivo activity of HYD1, we pursued strategies for increasing the therapeutic efficacy of the parent linear peptide. These efforts led to the development of a cyclized peptidomimetic, MTI-101, with increased in vitro activity and robust in vivo activity as a single agent using two myeloma models that consider the bone marrow microenvironment. MTI-101 treatment resulted in mechanistically similar hallmarks of HYD1 induced cell death, namely the generation of …

A Three Dimensional Scaffold For Anticancer Drug Development, Yvonne Girard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Attrition rates for anticancer drugs are much higher than any other therapeutic area. Only 5%#37; of the agents that demonstrate anticancer activity in the preclinical stages of development demonstrate clinical efficacy in phase III trials. This high attrition rate becomes alarming when we consider that the cost of research and development can amount to 1 billion dollars. To exacerbate this problem, many new cancer drugs are being discontinued, withdrawn or suspended. The reasons for this high attrition rate are complex and may be partly attributed to suboptimal preclinical strategies such as the use of two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems to …

Predictors Of The Incidence And Charges For Lumbar Spinal Fusion Surgery In Florida Hospitals During 2010, Anna Ialynychev

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past several decades rates of spine surgeries in the U.S. have increased dramatically. Spinal fusion surgery rates, in particular, have grown exponentially despite being one of the most costly, invasive, and controversial methods for treating patients suffering from back conditions. Furthermore, lumbar fusion surgeries continue to be performed at increasing rates despite a lack of scientific evidence and consensus that they are cost-effective and produce better clinical outcomes than less radical treatment of lower back pain. As a result, large amounts of healthcare dollars continue to be invested in these costly procedures which are potentially dangerous and have …

A Monte Carlo Approach To Change Point Detection In A Liver Transplant, Alexia Melissa Makris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Patient survival post liver transplant (LT) is important to both the patient and the center's accreditation, but over the years physicians have noticed that distant patients struggle with post LT care. I hypothesized that patient's distance from the transplant center had a detrimental effect on post LT survival. I suspected Hepatitis C (HCV) and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) patients would deteriorate due to their recurrent disease and there is a need for close monitoring post LT. From the current literature it was not clear if patients' distance from a transplant center affects outcomes post LT. Firozvi et al. (Firozvi AA, 2008) …

The Determinants Of Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence And The Relationship Of Healthcare Expenditures To Adherence Among Florida Medicaid-Insured Patients Diagnosed With Hiv Or Aids, Zachary Pruitt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research supports the clinical and societal benefits of antiretroviral treatment (ART) for people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA). However, factors associated with ART adherence and the relationship of ART adherence to total healthcare expenditures are not well understood.

The research data included Florida Medicaid claims for five years (July 2006 through June 2011). All subjects (n=514) were HIV-positive, adult, non-pregnant, and ART naïve for at least 12 months prior to their 24 month measurement period. Each subject was categorized as adherent (>90%#37;) or non-adherent (<90%#37;) based upon medication possession ratios (MPR). Total expenditures were payments Medicaid made to providers and pharmacies.

Objective 1 modeled the logit probability of a subject being non-adherent to ART …

Resistance And Tolerance To Trematode Parasites In Larval Anurans, Brittany Sears

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearly every species on the planet has at least one parasite, which, by definition, incurs a

cost in the host. Therefore, organisms must resist parasites - preventing or reducing infections -

or tolerate parasites - reducing the costs of infection - in order to maintain their fitness despite

the presence of parasites. Here, I investigated: 1) whether parasitic, larval trematodes (cercariae)

can detect the least resistant tadpole host species, 2) a hypothetical framework for how host life

history impacts the utilization of inflammation and thus, resistance and tolerance, 3) whether a

common anesthesia technique used in experimental infections immunocompromises tadpoles, …

Continuing Attachment Bonds To The Deceased: A Study Of Bereaved Youth And Their Caregivers, Erica Hill Sirrine

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although grief is a universal experience impacting the lives of many children and adolescents each year, not much study has been afforded to this population. In addition, the concept of a continuing attachment bond (CAB) or ongoing relationship to the deceased and its role as adaptive or maladaptive in the bereavement process is in its infancy of research among adult populations and is largely unstudied among bereaved youth. This mixed-methods study attempted to bridge the gap by examining the relationship between CABs among a sample of 50 bereaved youth (ages 11-17) and their bereaved adult caregivers. In addition, the study …

Colors And Mapping: The Right To Receive Information, Kathryn Stephanie Skupien

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Color is used in everything we see and do and it often can be used for effect and representation, particularly on maps and transportation signage. This study explores the issues that the color blind population exhibits when viewing these maps and signs. Seeing that 8%#37; of the male population is afflicted with some form of color blindness, it is pertinent that research reflect these issues and take into consideration the Right to Receive Information for this population. A qualitative method using Photovoice and interviews was used to determine whether this population considers itself having a disability and what solutions can …