Digital Commons Network^™

Defining Dad: Media Depiction Of The Modern Father In Print Advertising, John Robert Evans

LSU Master's Theses

From an advertising perspective fathers are a highly attractive consumer demographic. In order to market to this audience it is important to understand how fathers are framed. With an increase in the number of fathers identifying themselves as caregivers according to the 2012 census, effective marketers would be well-served if they understood what type of frame applies when fathers are employed vs. stay at home. This analysis used framing theory to determine how message givers use frames within their advertisements to explain which particular aspects of the father are given salience. This study is a content analysis of father frames …

Prisoner In The Darkness, Joseph Lee Morris

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis details the writing process and performance of the author’s one man show, PRISONER IN THE DARKNESS. Adapted with special permission from Naghmeh Abedini, PRISONER IN THE DARKNESS is based on the letters, correspondences, and reports of Saeed Abedini, an American citizen, imprisoned in Iran. Pastor Saeed went back to his homeland to work on humanitarian efforts; however, he was wrongfully arrested and sent to Evin Prison in September 2012. In January 2013, Saeed was sentenced to eight years in prison for conspiring to undermine the Iranian government. His crime? His Christian faith. This thesis will explain the different …

Design And Optimization Of Nanoplasmonic Waveguide Devices, Pouya Dastmalchi

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, we introduce compact absorption switches consisting of plasmonic metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) waveguides coupled to multisection cavities. The optimized multisection cavity switches lead to greatly enhanced modulation depth compared to optimized conventional Fabry-Perot cavity switches. We find that the modulation depth of the optimized multisection cavity switches is greatly enhanced compared to the optimized conventional Fabry-Perot cavity switches due to the great enhancement of the total electromagnetic field energy in the cavity region. We then investigate how to improve the computational efficiency of the design of nanoplasmonic devices. More specifically, we show that the space mapping algorithm, originally developed …

Collections Created During Conflict: Preserving The Memory Of The First World War, Rachel Gifford

LSU Master's Theses

The Great War (1914-1919) forced society to decide whether cultural heritage institutions, as a whole, had value. An examination of the types of materials gathered during the Great War, the identity of the collectors, and the intended purpose the repositories highlights the shift in the methodological practices of libraries, archives, and museums during this period. This study focuses primarily on three Allied museums created during the conflict: The Imperial War Museum in England, the Bibliothèque-Musée de La Guerre in France, and the Liberty Memorial in the United States. These institutions emphasize how types of repositories were used as they instituted …

Health Effects Of Dietary Fermentable Fiber (Resistant Starch), Diana Gabriela Carvajal-Aldaz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Resistant starch (RS) reaches the large intestine for fermentation and is considered a prebiotic. We wanted to determine if we could reduce fermentation for future mechanistic studies and how there is improved insulin sensitivity in human studies with or without increased incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Two main studies were performed. In the first main study, low potency antibiotics (Ampicillin 1g/L and Neomycin 0.5g/L) were added to the drinking water of rats to reduce fermentation of RS. Antibiotics were used either prior (first) to or during (second) feeding of RS. Results demonstrated that low potency antibiotics given prior to …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Miniaturized Components Based On Extruded Ceramic-Filled Polymer Blends, Khurshida Sharmin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this work is to develop an improved manufacturing process for microstructured ceramic components that is based on co-extrusion. Co-extrusion of structured feedrods holds promise for development of multi-layered, functionally graded and/or textured structures. However, it requires a polymer binder that is difficult to remove before structures can be sintered to full density. A two-step debinding is introduced to eliminate debinding defects that are commonly observed in thermal debinding (TD). Cracking is a major issue due to a lack of pore spaces for outgassing of pyrolysis products in traditional TD. In two-step debinding, a soluble binder is removed …

“Princes Upon Stages”: The Theatricalization Of Monarchy In The Reign Of Elizabeth I, 1558-1569, Kimberly Reynolds Rush

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The reign of Elizabeth I of England is one of the most celebrated reigns in history and is renowned for the renaissance of the arts, theater, and culture. Authors, playwrights, and artists venerated her in their art in what became known as the Cult of Gloriana. At her accession, however, her position was far from secure. Many considered her illegitimate and she was a female entering a male-dominated world. In addition, Elizabeth inherited a religiously divided nation. In response to this, Elizabeth and her councilors initiated a propaganda campaign that created an image of Elizabeth as a wise, just, and …

Work Readiness Among Graduate Students, Raymond Doe

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored work readiness among graduate program completers at a Research University (RU/VH) in the Southeastern Region of the United States. Work readiness, although a relatively new construct, is defined as the level to which graduate students are perceived as possessing attitudes and attributes that enable them to be prepared for success in the workforce. Graduate degree-seeking students in universities and colleges are projected to surpass bachelor seeking students in the future. Hiring of graduate degree holders by organizations, however, play a major role in recruitment of new employees. Increasingly, organizations report that recent graduate program completers are insufficiently …

The Baby And Infant Screen For Children With Autism Traits: A Dsm-5 Update, Matthew Jason Konst

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Interest surrounding the investigation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased exponentially since it was initially described over a half-century ago. With this passage of time our conceptualization of the ASD diagnosis has undergone multiple changes. An increasing trend in research has been an emphasis on early identification and intervention. This trend has brought about the creation and adaptation of multiple measures designed to inform early ASD diagnosis. Recently, the ASD diagnostic category underwent significant revisions. In response to revisions, it is necessary to adapt preexisting measures to reflect these significant changes in order to maintain diagnostic accuracy. The Baby …

Estimating Desirable Cattle Traits Using Latent Class And Mixed Logit Models: A Choice Modeling Application To The U.S. Grass-Fed Beef Industry, Isaac Sitienei

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines the preferences for cattle traits using mixed logit and latent class models. Choice experiment data from a 2013 mail survey of 1,052 U.S. grass-fed beef producers were used. The findings indicate that grass-fed beef producers generally preferred lower-priced, heavy animals that were small-to-medium framed and easy to handle for grass-finishing. Black animals that were retained from their own calves were preferred. Relative to intact males, steers and heifers were preferred. Except for the estimated parameter for the weight attribute, the standard deviations for the temperament, body frame, source, color, gender, and price attribute levels were significant at …

Winter 2015 Gsbms Alumni Connections, New York Medical College

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

• BioInc@NYMC is Awarded a Mid­Hudson Innovation Hot Spot Award and is Approved for START­UP NY Program
• BioInc@NYMC Welcomes Three New Tenants
• Save the Date for the School of Medicine Alumni Reunion
• NYMC Community Celebrates Alumni House 30th Anniversary
• Alumni Gather in Boca Raton
• College Launches Master of Science in Medical Ethics Program
• Pre­Internship Program Graduates Celebrate at Completion Ceremony
• NYMC Celebrates Dr. Bentivegna’s Longtime Service
• Join Us for the Meet the Doctor Lecture Series
• Dr. Miller Shares His Views On Uncertain Health in an Insecure World
• NYMC Grant News
• Check out the Online NYMC Bookstore

Promoting Professional Development For Physical Therapists In Early Intervention, Tricia A. Catalino, Lisa A. Chiarello, Toby Long, Priscilla Weaver

College of Health & Human Services (TUN) Publications and Research

Early intervention (EI) service providers are expected to form cohesive teams to build the capacity of a family to promote their child’s development. Given the differences in personnel preparation across disciplines of service providers, the Early Childhood Personnel Center (ECPC) is creating integrated and comprehensive professional development models for those who provide services for young children with disabilities and their families. To help guide this process it is important to identify inter-disciplinary competencies as well as the unique knowledge and skills that each discipline contributes to the development and implementation of effective intervention plans. This paper describes personnel preparation of …

The Extraordinary Voyage Of Kamome; A Tsunami Boat Comes Home, Lori Dengler, Amya Miller, Amy Uyeki

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

This sweet story, intended for lower elementary grades, is intended to provide a window for discussing earthquakes, tsunamis, marine debris, preparedness and cultural awareness in the classroom and within families.

On April 7, 2013, a little over two years after the magnitude 9 Tohoku-oki Japan earthquake triggered a massive tsunami off the coast of northeastern Japan, a lone boat washed up on the shores of Crescent City, California. The confirmation of the boat as belonging to a high school in Rikuzentakata was first step in an amazing story that has linked two tsunami-vulnerable communities on opposite sides of the Pacific …

Rethinking A New Domestic Violence Pedagogy, Deborah M. Weissman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The (Somewhat) False Hope Of Comprehensive Planning, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

Comprehensive planning at the municipal level, although useful in a variety of ways, is neither necessary nor sufficient to promote "smart" (that is, pedestrian and transit-oriented) growth. Comprehensive plans can be used to support sprawl as easily as to support smart growth, while smart growth may be promoted effectively through zoning reform or statewide legislation as well as through local planning.

Perceptions Of Archdiocese Of San Francisco Principals Regarding The Implementation Of "Partners In Faith: Parish, School And Family" (2000), Eileen Anne Emerson-Boles

Doctoral Dissertations

The Catholic Church consistently affirms the rights and responsibilities that parents, the Church, and its schools have in passing on the faith to children. While Church teaching holds that parents are the primary educators of their children, it also maintains an important role for parishes and schools in nurturing faith formation. The relationship among these three partners provided the focus for this study.

In 2000, the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of San Francisco published the "Partners in Faith: Parish, School and Family" report to address the relationships among parishes, schools and families in the Archdiocese’s parish schools. In …

Extracurricular Screen Time Among Idaho Youth: Prevalence And Association With Psychological Distress, Peter C. Gleason, Gary L. Hopkins, Megan Eagan, Curtis Vanderwaal, Jonathan Duffy, Duane C. Mcbride

Faculty Publications

Objectives: To measure the daily hour prevalence of informal computer and video games use among Idaho youth, and to examine the association between usage hours and selected psychological variables, including feelings of hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and past suicide attempts.

Methods: Data analyses was performed on responses obtained via anonymous questionnaires from a sample of school children ages 12-18 (n=1,678) who completed the 2011 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey at randomly selected schools in Idaho.

Results: Analysis showed that males were more likely to report three or more hours of screen time per day, while a higher percentage of females than …

Pacap And Cocaine Reinstatement: A Neuropeptide Expressed By Corticostriatal Neurons That Regulates Nucleus Accumbens Astrocytes, Linghai Kong, E. Hess, Brian Maunze, Matthew M. Hurley, Khadijah Makky, Sujean Choi, John R. Mantsch, David A. Baker

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Drug addiction involves heightened relapse vulnerability arising from persistent drug-induced neuro-adaptations, including a) hypofrontality which is thought to reflect reduced firing of cortical afferents to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and b) altered glutamate homeostasis in NAcc that likely involves reduced glutamate release and uptake by astrocytes. An important question is whether these forms of pathological plasticity are functionally linked such that reduced corticostriatal firing may result in aberrant regulation of astrocytes in the NAcc. To begin to evaluate this possibility, we first determined whether neurons regulate system xc- (Sxc) activity, a mechanism of non-vesicular glutamate release by astrocytes. We found …

An Assessment Of Retractions As A Measure Of Scientific Misconduct And Impact On Public Health Risks, Alison J. Abritis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research misconduct has been generally considered a limited issue, occurring in a small percentage of research studies. Studies of the number of article retractions use retraction percentages to perpetuate the idea that research misconduct is not a common event, and use information in the retraction notice to quantify types of research misconduct and types or research error. However, retractions appear to be the wrong variable with which to assess misconduct rates and characteristics. Using final misconduct findings in hard science research from the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) for investigations closed from 1993 through 2013, the number of publications and …

Representations Of Gatsby: Ninety Years Of Retrospective, Christine Anne Auger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous character, has starred in a variety of stage and screen adaptations in the ninety years since he was first introduced in The Great Gatsby (1925). This dissertation explores the Gatsby character as depicted in six important adaptations of the novel, including two Broadway productions, Owen Davis’ 1926 drama and John Collins’ 2010s play, Gatz, and four major motion pictures: Herbert Brenon’s 1926 lost silent film (starring Warner Baxter); Elliott Nugent’s 1949 black and white film (starring Alan Ladd); Jack Clayton’s 1974 color film (starring Robert Redford); and Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 3-D film (starring …

Exploring The Underlying Mechanisms Of Comorbid Adhd And Eating Disorders, Jennifer Rebecca Bleck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests comorbidity of ADHD and eating disorders (EDs) among females. Capitalizing on the comorbidity of ADHD and EDs and subsequent obesity could lead to improved prevention and treatment of all three conditions. However, additional information regarding the comorbidity is necessary to develop such interventions, as little is known about how or why this co-occurrence exists. A comprehensive model of the underlying mechanisms associated with comorbid ADHD and EDs is needed to improve understanding of the development of the comorbidity. Moreover, while there are gender differences within each disorder, literature is limited regarding to the comorbidity among males, leading to …

Straight Benevolence: Preserving Heterosexual Authority And White Privilege, Robb James Bruce

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes three current and popular media sites, exploring a term I coin “straight benevolence.” An ostensibly supportive and progressive attitude adopted by heterosexuals and expressed toward gay men in the United States, straight benevolence surreptitiously subordinates gayness and further entrenches white masculine heterosexual privilege. In my examination of hip-hop artist Macklemore’s “Same Love,” seven Major League Baseball “It Gets Better” gay-advocacy videos, and the “Suddenly, Last Summer” episode of ABC’s primetime U.S. television series Modern Family, I take an intersectional approach to address the interanimation of sexuality, gender, and race. I ask: In what ways is gay male …

The Relation Between Adiposity And Anxiety In Youth: Analysis Of Peer Victimization, Teasing, Sociocultural Influences, And Internalization Of Appearance Ideals As Explanatory Variables, Natasha L. Burke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to examine putative mediators and moderators in the association between adiposity and anxiety in a sample of overweight and obese youth. In addition, anxiety was examined as a potential moderator between adiposity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Participants were youth (N = 137) between 8 and 17 years old (M = 13.09, SD = 2.61) and their legal caregivers recruited from four medical clinics affiliated with the University of South Florida. Youth were primarily overweight (28.5%) or obese (64.2%) and ethnically diverse. Data were analyzed by path analysis. Weight-related teasing significantly mediated …

Latino Immigrant Workers’ Search For Justice After Occupational Injury, Carla Gabriela Castillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Latino immigrants encounter an entanglement of rights and policies after occupational injury or illness. In collaboration with an immigrant worker center, ethnographic research and a survey are used to analyze injured workers’ experiences. The center uses survey results to identify common threads and systematic problems, and to explore potential direct action. Through interviews with workers and medical and legal professionals, I investigate the barriers Latino immigrants face following occupational injury or illness, how their lived experiences relate to the greater medicolegal frameworks that demarcate most formal processes of compensation and treatment, and the experiences of professionals who mediate these structures. …

Crisis Communication And Celebrity Scandal: An Experiment On Response Strategies, Leah Champion

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent allegations surrounding Bill Cosby presented an opportunity to combine, test, and extend situational crisis communication theory typology and image repair theory response strategies for celebrity use. Because Cosby did not respond to the numerous allegations against him, it presented an opportunity to experiment with new and existing typologies using a real case, as opposed to analyzing past response attempts or using a hypothetical case. This study used a 2 X 4 factorial design to test veracity of claims, a proposed concept, and response strategies via survey. Even though none of the hypotheses were supported, the present study opened up …

Computational Investigations Of Potential Energy Function Development For Metal-Organic Framework Simulations, Metal Carbenes, And Chemical Warfare Agents, Christian R. Cioce

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are three-dimensional porous nanomaterials with a variety of applications, including catalysis, gas storage and separation, and sustainable energy. Their potential as air filtration systems is of interest for designer carbon capture materials. The chemical constituents (i.e. organic ligands) can be functionalized to create rationally designed CO2 sequestration platforms, for example. Hardware and software alike at the bleeding edge of supercomputing are utilized for designing first principles-based molecular models for the simulation of gas sorption in these frameworks. The classical potentials developed herein are named PHAST -- Potentials with High Accuracy, Speed, and Transferability, and thus are designed …

High-Throughput Screening Of Age-Related Changes In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Neil Copes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project was developed to identify novel methods for high-throughput culturing and screening of C. elegans to investigate age-related metabolic changes and to survey the proteomic and metabolomic factors associated with age-related changes. To accomplish these goals we developed a novel way to grow C. elegans in liquid culture in 96-well microplates for several weeks without suffering significant fluid loss due to evaporation and without needing to shake or unseal the plates for aeration. We also developed methods for assaying the total volume of live C. elegans in microplate cultures using a fluorescence microplate reader and for performing RNAi experiments …

Strategies For Preventing Age And Neurodegenerative Disease-Associated Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Vedad Delic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a pivotal role in the development of aging phenotypes and aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Strategies that restore mitochondrial dysfunction may rescue the deficits of central metabolism in these disorders and improve cell survival. For example, we found that modulating the mTOR signaling pathway in a tissue culture model of aging-induced mitochondrial DNA mutation enhanced mitochondrial function as evidenced by increased oxygen consumption. Our previous melatonin studies also led us to hypothesize that caloric restriction and the hormone melatonin would reverse brain mitochondrial dysfunction in animal …

The Continuum Of Ethno-Racial Socialization: Learning About Culture And Race In Middle-Class Latina/O Families, Maria D. Duenas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the discursive messages and specific practices that Latino families use to transmit messages about culture, race, and racism. Scholars have not fully explored the complexity and range of practices and discourses that are involved in Latinos’ ethno-racial socialization. The use of the phrase “ethno-racial socialization” is important because it combines the concepts of racial socialization and ethnic socialization in an effort to account for how the lived experiences of Latinos who mostly think of themselves as a racial group, are treated as one race, and thus, discuss race with family members. This research explores this process using …

Genomic Aberrations At The 3q And 14q Loci: Investigation Of Key Players In Ovarian And Renal Cancer Biology, Punashi Dutta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genomic aberrations are primary contributors to the pathophysiology of cancer [11]. Dysregulated expression of genes located within these aberrations are important predictors of chemoresistance, disease prognosis, and patient outcome [12]. This dissertation is focused on understanding the regulation and/or functions of specific genes located at dysregulated genomic regions such as 3q26 and 14q32 in the biology of ovarian and renal cancer, respectively.

Serous epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) manifest amplification at the 3q26.2 locus [2], an observation consistent with the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) [13]. The most amplified gene in this region is EVI1 which has been extensively studied in hematological …