Digital Commons Network^™

Exercise Barriers In Cancer Survivors: A Multi-Dimensional Approach, Morgan Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The population of cancer survivors is rapidly expanding, and promotion of health and quality of life for these individuals is a priority. Exercise confers numerous general and cancer–specific benefits, yet many cancer survivors are insufficiently active. Research on perceived exercise barriers in cancer survivors has been limited by methodological and conceptual problems. Recent research suggests barriers may be multi–dimensional, and different types of barriers may be salient depending on whether or not a person intends to engage in a given behavior. Global (i.e., abstract) barriers may be negatively associated with intention, while practical (i.e., concrete) barriers may be positively associated …

The Man Behind The Mask: A Principal's Search For A Moral Leaderhip Purpose, James Franklin Lane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this autoethnographic narrative inquiry was for the researcher to describe and explain how he discovered, constructed, and refined his sense of moral purpose as a principal during his seven-year tenure at Orange Pines Middle School. He inductively analyzed and reflected primarily on self-authored texts tied to critical professional ethical dilemmas so as to discover emergent themes, patterns, insights, and epiphanies in the development of his persona as a morally directed school leader. He then analyzed and reflected on how he applied those defined values in interactions with groups of teachers to design and implement elements of school …

Connecting Pixels To People: Management Agents And Social-Ecological Determinants Of Changes To Street Tree Distributions, Shawn Landry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Street trees are an important component of the urban forest that can provide direct and indirect benefits to social and ecological sustainability in cities. Temporal and spatial interactions between human and non-human management agents determine the distribution and health of street tree populations in urban areas. This dissertation seeks to enhance our understanding of the spatial patterns and processes affecting street trees by investigating the agents and social-ecological determinants of changes to street tree distributions in urban residential neighborhoods. The research was guided by three primary questions: (1) Are recent changes to the spatial distribution of street trees influenced by …

Modeling Nitrogen Transformations In A Pilot Scale Marine Integrated Aquaculture System, Brian Mccarthy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Integrated aquaculture systems (IAS) are a type of recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) where the wastewater is treated and returned to the fish tanks. The important difference between the two is that in an IAS, wastes from the aquaculture component are recovered as fertilizer to produce an agricultural product whereas in an RAS, waste organics, nutrients and solids are treated and discharged. A pilot marine IAS at Mote Aquaculture Research Park in Sarasota, FL was studied for this project. Water quality monitoring, measurements of fish health and growth rates of fish and plants were performed over a two-year period to determine …

The Experiences Of Mothers Of Children With Autism In Jamaica: An Exploratory Study Of Their Journey, Angela R. Mann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), also referred to as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs), are characterized by deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction, and repetitive or restricted interests and behaviors. To date, much of the literature on ASDs has been conducted from a western perspective, although interest in ASDs from a global perspective has dramatically increased in recent years. Over the last decade, there have been numerous conceptual papers attempting to explain how autism might be experienced in other parts of the world. However, in actuality, little research has been conducted in this area, and further exploration of the experiences …

Factors Associated With Fear Of Breast Cancer Recurrence Among Survivors, Jean Marie Lucas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this cross-sectional, secondary data analysis was to explore, non-modifiable (stable) trait factors and modifiable (transient) state factors associated with fear of recurrence (FOR) in breast cancer survivors. Antecedent trait factors included demographic, clinical, social/behavioral factors, postulated mediator state factors included pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, state anxiety and perceived stress, and FOR was the outcome variable. The study used baseline data from an R-21 NCI funded (grant #R21CA109168) randomized control trial that examined the effects of mindfulness based stress reduction in early stage breast cancer recovery. Instruments from this study for antecedent variables (trait factors) included a …

A Wearable Motion Analysis System To Evaluate Gait Deviations, Amanda Lynn Martori

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A Wearable Motion Analysis System (WMAS) was developed to evaluate gait, particularly parameters that are indicative of mild traumatic brain injury. The WMAS consisted on six Opal IMUs attached on the sternum, waist, left and right thigh and left and right shank. Algorithms were developed to calculate the knee flexion angle, stride length and cadence parameters during slow, normal and fast gait speeds. The WMAS was validated for repeatability using a robotic arm and accuracy using the Vicon motion capture system, the gold standard for gait analysis. The WMAS calculated the gait parameters to within a clinically acceptable range and …

Learning From Voices Of Diverse Youth: School-Based Practices To Promote Positive Psychosocial Functioning Of Lgbtq High School Students, Troy Nicholas Loker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify school-based practices that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth endorse as ways for high schools to provide social, emotional, and academic support to LGBTQ youth. A diverse sample of LGBTQ high school students (N = 18) from one large urban school district in a southeastern state participated in individual semi-structured interviews and/or small group brainstorming sessions. Eleven individual interviews were conducted to gather detailed accounts of a) supportive behaviors and policies that youth had experienced in their schools, as well as b) supportive behaviors and policies that were suggested as …

Understanding Amphibian Decline: The Role Of Pesticides And The Pathogenic Chytrid Fungus On Amphibians And Aquatic Communities, Taegan A. Mcmahon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Amphibians are the most threatened taxon on the planet. Declines have been associated with over-exploitation, habitat loss, pollution, and pathogenic diseases, but of these factors, pollution and disease have been relatively under-studied. Here, I investigated: 1) the impacts of commonly used pesticides on aquatic communities, 2) the effect of these pesticides on amphibian susceptibility to the pathogenic chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), and 3) whether there are non-amphibian hosts of Bd and 4) how to best quantify the survival of Bd through ontogeny of the host.

In my first research chapter, I quantified the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of …

Design, Manufacturing, And Assembly Of A Flexible Thermoelectric Device, Christopher Anthony Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents the design, manufacturing, and assembly of a flexible thermoelectric device. Such a device has immediate use in haptics, medical, and athletic applications. The governing theory behind the device is explained and a one dimensional heat transfer model is developed to estimate performance. This model and consideration for the manufacturing and assembly possibilities are the drivers behind the decisions made in design choices. Once the design was finalized, manufacturing methods for the various components were explored. The system was created by etching copper patterns on a copper/polyimide laminate and screen printing solder paste onto the circuits. Thermoelectric elements …

The Strong Black Woman, Depression, And Emotional Eating, Michelle Renee Offutt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Eighty percent of all black women are overweight or obese which can lead to greatly increased morbidity and mortality, increasing healthcare costs and loss of healthy years of life. While multiple factors may contribute to obesity in black women, the cultural persona of the Strong Black Woman (SBW), an ideology that promotes unflagging toughness and denial of self-needs, may be the basis for behaviors that contribute to steady state obesity in this group. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the SBW persona, depression, and emotional eating.

Two predominately black churches in Florida were approached …

Quantifying The Ergonomic Impact On Healthcare Workers Using A Needle-Free Injector Device, Humberto Jose Olivero Lara

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Jet injectors are advantageous over needle injectors by eliminating sharps hazards. The Government Accountability Office estimates 29% preventable sharp injuries with an estimated direct cost of more than $500 million out of the CDC's reported incidence of 385,000 needle stick injuries per year among US hospital healthcare workers. Yet the forces required to set and trigger devices using spring mechanisms for medication delivery have not been explored. This laboratory experiment measured forces exerted by healthcare workers (HCWs) using a particular jet injector approved by FDA in 2011.

Objectives: In order to quantify the ergonomic impact on HCWs using a …

Fertile Ground For A Social Movement: Social Capital In Direct Agriculture Marketing, Elizabeth A. Murray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Building from existing literature on anthropology of food, political economy of food and consumption, and social movement theory, I examine the direct agriculture network of Tampa Bay Florida through a mixed-method ethnography. The research consisted of one year of field-work, with 6 months and over 100 hours of active participant observation, open-ended interviews with eight local producers, and short surveys with 100 market patrons. This thesis is an analysis of the results of this rigorous qualitative and quantitative work and, perhaps more importantly, an account of my own personal struggles in joining the direct agriculture network and my ultimate commitment …

Interrogation Of Epor Fidelity In Myelodysplastic Syndrome Hematopoiesis And Stabilization By The Immunomodulatory Agent, Lenalidomide, Kathy Lynn Mcgraw

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) include a spectrum of stem cell malignancies characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) transformation. Patients are predominantly older (greater than 60 years old), with progressive cytopenias resulting from ineffective and cytologically dysplastic hematopoiesis. MDS subtypes are classified by morphologic features and bone marrow blast percentage, as well as cytogenetic pattern, as is the case for deletion 5q MDS. Interstitial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 5, del(5q), is the most common chromosomal abnormality in patients with MDS, and the 5q- syndrome, represents a distinct subset of del(5q) MDS characterized by an …

The 2008 Candlelight Protest In South Korea: Articulating The Paradox Of Resistance In Neoliberal Globalization, Huikyong Pang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation is a speculative analysis of the historical contexts of a social protest, based on the notion of "articulation" advanced in the field of cultural studies. Focusing on the 2008 candlelight protest against U.S. beef in South Korea, my goal is to explore the historical contexts of the protest, which formulate the identity of the protest. Since the U.S. beef deal was approved by the Korean government as a precondition for the Free Trade Agreement between Korea and the United States, the protest has been considered (notably by leftists in Korea) as a resistance against post-colonial overtones and fascist …

Evaluation Of Occupational Risk Factors For Nurses And Cnas: Analysis Of Florida Workers' Compensation Claims Database, Sheila Mohammed

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Musculoskeletal injuries lead to most claims even though needlestick injuries receive the most attention. In 2010, health expenditures in the United States neared $2.6 trillion. CNAs, orderlies, and attendants had the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders of all occupations with an incidence of 249 per 10,000 compared to 34 per 10,000 for all workers. The financial burden of back injuries in the healthcare industry is estimated to add up to $20 billion annually. Data was extracted for cause of injury, nature of injury and body part injured. Extracted data was analyzed both descriptively and by logistic and linear regression using …

Statistical Analysis And Modeling Of Brain Tumor Data: Histology And Regional Effects, Keshav Prasad Pokhrel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive statistical models for non-normally distributed cancerous tumor sizes are

of prime importance in epidemiological studies, whereas a long term forecasting models

can facilitate in reducing complications and uncertainties of medical progress. The statistical

forecasting models are critical for a better understanding of the disease and supply

appropriate treatments. In addition such a model can be used for the allocations of budgets,

planning, control and evaluations of ongoing efforts of prevention and early detection of

the diseases.

In the present study, we investigate the effects of age, demography, and race on primary

brain tumor sizes using quantile regression methods to …

Expectations Of Nursing Home Use, Psychosocial Characteristics And Race/Ethnicity: The Latino/A Case, Heidi Ross

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study used data from the 2008 wave of the Health and Retirement Study to examine variations in relationships among selected psychosocial characteristics, race/ethnicity and expectations of nursing home utilization in the United States, with a particular focus on Latino/a subgroups. This study sought to test a modified version of the Andersen and Newman model of health service utilization. Findings revealed that expectations of nursing home utilization remained lower among Latino/as than in the Non-Latino White sub-groups, even when levels of need, enabling, and predisposing factors were controlled for. However, for Mexican Origin respondents (who are often arbitrarily combined with …

Essays In Happiness Economics, Boris Nikolaev

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to contribute to the new field of happiness economics which over the past several decades has substantially enhanced our understanding of cognitive judgment, human behavior, and the nature of happiness. Chapter 1 starts with a discussion of the subjective approach to measuring well-being and lays the foundation for the empirical work that follows in chapters 2 and 3. This approach has a strong appeal because ancient and modern cultures, and a long tradition in philosophy, view achieving happiness as the ultimate goal of human existence. It also recognizes that humans are the best judges …

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 …

A Comparative Study: How Educational And Healthcare Preparedness Affected Marketization Of The Chinese And Indian Economies, Cindy Arjoon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this archival study, I explore reasons why India's economic takeoff into marketization in 1991 failed to meet the same success as China in 1979 when it made the same transition. I analyze the impact of education and healthcare on development and how investments in both sectors can yield significant returns privately and socially. The research in this paper seeks to answer the following question: Why was the Indian economy unable to meet the same success as China when developing a global, open market economy?

In order to answer this question, I begin by proving a solid relationship between education, …

Media And Usf Students' Perception Of Terrorism, Mamdoh Suleiman Al-Ameri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of mass media on students' perceptions of terrorism by applying the situational theory of publics (Grunig & Hunt, 1984). Behavior is the consequence of perception of reality. But perception of reality is not always consistent with the reality itself. Because of the important role of the media in shaping perceptions, terrorist organizations rely on it to spread fear and advance their political goals beyond the people directly affected by their attacks. The media not only spreads the news of an attack, it contributes significantly to formulating and disseminating the message of terrorist organizations. This study …

A Comparative Perspective Of Black College Males On The Achievement Gap: Implications For School Counselors, Detra Bethell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dominant discourse regarding Black males in America is that they are less academically successful than European American males and Black females. Similarly, Black males in the Bahamas are described as less successful than Black Bahamian females. School Counselors are in a unique position to alter the trajectory of success for Black males if they are knowledgeable of factors contributing to Black male academic success; have an awareness of the potential impact their unique roles can have; and develop and execute comprehensive, culturally responsive school counseling programs. While there is little research on the Achievement Gap in the Bahamas, much …

Environmental Effects On The Biomechanics And Motor Physiology Of Elastically Powered Movements In Chameleons, Christopher Van Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental temperature exhibits profound effects on the activity and ecology of ectotherms through its impact on muscle contractile physiology. While the performance of locomotor behaviors powered by muscle contraction directly decreases by at least 33% over a 10°C drop in body temperature, chameleons are known to feed, presumably with high performance, at body temperatures where sympatric lizard species remain inactive. I propose that ballistic movements that are powered by the recoil of preloaded elastic and collagenous tissues are less thermally dependent than movements that rely on direct muscular power. Despite the reduced thermal sensitivity of the elastic-recoil powered movement, I …

Factors Prospective Students Consider When Selecting An Mba Program, Lorie Plyler Briggs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper adds to existing literature regarding MBA selection processes and helps identify and better understand the needs that motivate consumers to pursue an MBA degree. Through a series of qualitative, one-on-one interviews with 17 brand-new MBA students or prospective students, this research found that while many people have "always wanted" to earn the advanced degree, most have toyed with the idea of a graduate business degree for many years. The most frequent reasons that people cite regarding their decision to seriously consider an MBA at a large southern university centers around four desires. These are, not surprisingly, the desire …

Evaluation Of A Pilot Land-Based Marine Integrated Aquaculture System, Suzanne Boxman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) produce aquaculture products on land with minimal discharge of waste products and minimal water loss. High costs associated with waste treatment for RAS have triggered the growth of integrated aquaculture systems (IAS) which incorporate macrophytes (aquatic plants) into the treatment train. The objective of this research was to examine a pilot scale inland marine IAS with three different methods for solids treatment: a sand filter followed by a plant bed, only a plant bed, and geotextile bags. Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) were grown along with Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), Black Needle Rush …

Factors Predicting Pap Smear Adherence In Hiv-Infected Women: Using The Health Belief Model, Crystal L. Chapman Lambert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus are at increased risk for developing cervical cancer. Current guidelines reflect that Pap smears should be performed twice during the first year after diagnosis with HIV and annually thereafter. However, women with HIV are not obtaining Pap smears per the current guidelines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate HIV-infected women's attitudes toward cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening. The research design is an exploratory, cross-sectional, quantitative design. The sample of convenience consisted of participants recruited from two ambulatory HIV clinics in Florida. Attitudes were assessed using Champion's Health Belief Model and …

The Harm Of Influence: When Exposure To Homosexuality Elicits Anger And Punishment Tendencies, Timothy Andrew Caswell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the current project, I examined the distinct elicitors and behavioral outcomes of anti-gay anger and anti-gay disgust. The CAD triad hypothesis (Rozin, Lower, Imada, & Haidt, 1999) suggests that anger and disgust are elicited by distinct moral violations and cognitive appraisals. A plethora of research has documented the strong link between disgust and sexual prejudice, but very little attention has been given to the role of anger in sexual prejudice. The biocultural framework of stigmatization (Neuberg, Smith, & Asher, 2000) suggests that people who counter-socialize against prevailing social norms are stigmatized by others. If homosexual sexual behavior does not …

Daily Recovery From Work: The Role Of Guilt, Eunae Cho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Acknowledging the critical role that occupational factors play in employee health, researchers have tried to understand ways to reduce the harmful effects of work on employee health. As the process by which individuals recharge resources that have been depleted, recovery has been recognized as important due to its potential to mitigate the negative effects of work on employee well-being. Although the recovery literature has continued to grow, many questions remain unanswered. The purpose of the present study was to expand our knowledge of recovery by examining situational (job characteristics) and individual (trait guilt) predictors of recovery and investigating psychological attributes …

Partial Characterization Of Pf13_0027: A Putative Phosphatase Of Plasmodium Falciparum, Christopher Campbell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Signal transduction and stage-specific gene expression are essential components of Plasmodium falciparum development. In this study, the putative phosphatase PF13_0027 is investigated as a critical component of intraerythrocytic development contributing to maturation of the late trophozoite. This putative phosphatase was identified during the course of a large-scale insertional mutagenesis project by insertion of the piggyBac (pB) element, containing a human dihydrofolate reductase (hDHFR) drug selection cassette into the open reading frame (ORF) preventing expression and attenuating parasite development. PF13_0027 codes for a protein with a rhodanese (RHD) and dual specificity phosphatase (DUSP) in a tandem arrangement typically identified with mitogen-activated …