Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Moderating Effect Of Negative Affectivity On The Job Satisfaction-Turnover Intentions And Justice-Turnover Intentions Relationships, Joseph J. Mazzola

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although many people experiences dissatisfaction with their jobs at some time or another, not all of them quit their jobs because of it. Why do some employees simply continue to work in an unsatisfying environment? In this study, it is hypothesized that part of the reason is based on the individual's personality, specifically their scores on positive and negative affectivity. Results showed that neither NA nor PA moderated the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intentions/job search, contrary to previous literature. This study suggests that the moderation effect of personality on this relationship, either does not exist or is more …

The Role Of The Home Literacy Environment In The Development Of Early Literacy Skills And School Readiness In Kindergarten Children From Low Socioeconomic And Minority Families, Nicole R. Martin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated the relationship between two predictor variables and children's Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Initial Sound Fluency (ISF) and Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) scores, as well as Early Screening Inventory-Kindergarten (ESI-K) scores. The two predictor variables were 1) parents' perception of their home literacy environment, and 2) parental beliefs about the importance of literacy (race had to be dropped out of the study due to the limited amount of participants per race variable). The participants were 68 kindergarten students and their parents from two schools in a school district in West Central Florida. Results showed that the …

Investigation Of The Effects Of Increased Levels Of O-Glcnac Protein Modification On Protein Kinase C And Akt, Jason Aaron Matthews

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is an abundant and ubiquitous post-translational modification that has been shown to play a role in regulating a variety of intracellular processes. The pathway responsible for generating the O-GlcNAc modification, the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), has also been shown to affect the activity and translocation of certain protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms. To investigate if the effects of HBP flux on PKC translocation observed by others is related to the O-GlcNAc modification, O-GlcNAc levels in human astroglial cells were elevated using four separate O-GlcNAc modulating agents followed by analysis of cytosol and membrane concentrations of PKC-epsilon, -alpha, …

Audience Interpretations Of The Representation Of Women In Music Videos By Women Artists, Libby Mckenna

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how young women audiences may make sense of music videos and how they relate music video messages to their own femininity. Studies of the representation of women in music videos mostly have focused on critiquing content, rather than audience interpretations. This study, using focus groups, looked at how young women interpret music videos featuring women artists and showed that young women perceive sexist and/or stereotypical depictions presented in the videos. During six focus groups, three music videos were reviewed by 49 college students, mostly consisting of young women in their early 20s. The researcher found themes emerging …

The Role Of Social Structural And Social Contextual Factors In Shaping Chronic Disease And Chronic Disease Risk Behavior: A Multilevel Study Of Hypertension, General Health Status, And Mental Distress, Caroline Mae Mckay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At present there is a reliance on behavioral interventions that have been limited in their effectiveness to reduce the public health burden of chronic disease, partly because the effects of social context on the initiation and maintenance of health behaviors is not incorporated into public health policy and practice. Yet current research indicates that there are macro-level structural and contextual influences on population health that cannot be reduced to individual or compositional effects. This study investigated the associations between social structural factors, community social context, individual characteristics, and self-reported correlates of disease. Distal influences included social structural inequalities such as …

Examining The Characteristics Of Teachers In A Master Of Arts In Teaching (Mat) Program In Varying Exceptionalities: Responding To The “Highly Qualified” Teacher Mandate, Erica Djuan Mccray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (2002) mandated that every teacher be highly qualified by the close of the 2005-2006 school year. However, the means by which newly certified teachers are prepared has been questioned. In addition to understanding how teachers enter the field, researchers have indicated a vested interest in examining who comes into the field. More specifically, the characteristics and experiences of pre-service and in-service special educators are of great interest (McKlesky & Ross, 2003; Rosenberg & Sindelar, 2001). The present study examined the characteristics of six teachers in the final internship phase of a Master …

The Ethics Of The Spirit In Galatians: Considering Paul’S Paranesis In The Interpretation Of His Theology, Steven Douglas Meigs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The faith versus works dichotomy that has been a foundation of Protestant Christianity for centuries is derived in large part from a flawed understanding of Paul's theology in the epistles to the Galatians and Romans. In the wake of WWII, scholars began reexamining Pauline theological constructs and proposing new ways of understanding Paul's arguments regarding faith and works. James D. G. Dunn dubbed this dialogue the "new perspective." This paper will contribute to one particular aspect of new perspective dialogue: understanding the relation of the paranetic material in the final two chapters of Galatians to Paul's theological arguments in the …

Crystal Engineering Of Novel Pharmaceutical Forms, Jennifer Anne Mcmahon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the context of pharmaceutical development, it is abundantly clear that there is a need for greater understanding and control of crystalline phases. The field of crystal engineering is poised to address such issues and has matured into a paradigm for the supramolecular synthesis of new compounds with desired properties. Crystal structures are unpredictable by nature, however, the interactions that lead to crystal formation are becoming much more predictable. By means of model compound studies, the delineation of the hierarchy of hydrogen bonding between complementary functional groups or supramolecular heterosynthons can be accomplished. Competitive co-crystallization studies along with data extracted …

Study Of The Ethical Values Of College Students, Victor Mercader

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on five main purposes, all of them interrelated and each focused on ethical values, virtues, or character values. The five purposes are: a) Investigate college students' perceptions of ethical values, including their importance, application, usefulness, origin, benefits, need for education, and courses proposed to be included in the curricula; b) Review literature in areas related to ethical values, virtues or character values of college students; c) Develop and pilot an instrument to assess the ethical values of college students; d) Improve and use the developed instrument to describe the status of college students' ethical values; and e) …

Cross-Dressing In Sarah Grand's The Tenor And The Boy And E.D.E.N Southworth's The Hidden Hand: Gender, Class, And Power, Marcy Wynn Murray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis concerns female cross-dressing in nineteenth-century literature and the ways in which these images challenge gender and class hierarchies. Cross-dressing abounds in nineteenth-century literature, forming a thematic that crosses national boundaries. Therefore, this thesis considers works from both the British and American traditions. The primary texts explored are The Tenor and the Boy (1893) by Sarah Grand and The Hidden Hand, or Capitola the Madcap (1888) by E. D. E. N. Southworth. When published, both of these texts were commercial successes and can therefore be considered representative of popular literature of the time.

The use of transvestite characters allows …

Molecular Simulations Of Pd Based Hydrogen Sensing Materials, Ling Miao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen sensor technology is a crucial component for safety and many other practical concerns in the hydrogen economy. To achieve a desired sensor performance, proper choice of sensing material is critical, because it directly affects the main features of a sensor, such as response time, sensitivity, and selectivity. Palladium is well-known for its ability to sorb a large amount of hydrogen. Most hydrogen sensors use Pd-based sensing materials. Since hydrogen sensing is based on surface and interfacial interactions between the sensing material and hydrogen molecules, nanomaterials, a group of low dimensional systems with large surface to volume ratio, have become …

Pediatric Healthcare Providers’ Screening Practices: Impact Of Training On Early Identification Of Autism, Aja M. Meyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the effectiveness of the Autism System of Care (ASC) trainings by measuring change in pediatric healthcare providers' method of identifying young children at-risk for autism spectrum disorders. The majority of participants were pediatricians working in either hospitals or clinics who voluntarily participated in the training. A pretest-posttest nonequivalent-groups design was used in this study. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were used to measure change in participants' screening practices. Due to a small number of participants, most findings from the study were not statistically significant. The small number of healthcare providers who participated in the ASC training was a …

The Effects Of American Diabetes Association (Ada) Diabetes Self-Management Education And Continuous Glucose Monitoring On Diabetes Health Beliefs, Behaviors And Metabolic Control, Jodee Meisenhelder-Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether adults with type 2 diabetes participating in American Diabetes Association (ADA) diabetes self-management education (DSME) randomly assigned to an intensive follow-up group (IFG), utilizing continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS), or a standard follow-up group (SFG) have any significant differences in mean HgbA1c values and health belief scores over time. Baseline HgbA1c values and health beliefs were measured using the revised Expanded Health Belief Model (HBM) questionnaire. The questionnaire measured the 8 HBM domains: perceived susceptibility; severity; treatment benefit; cues to action; motivation; barriers; self-efficacy and structural elements. Twelve weeks after DSME, …

Generalized Non-Dimensional Depth-Discharge Rating Curves Tested On Florida Streamflow, Auristela Mueses-Pã©Rez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A generalized non-dimensional mathematical expression has been developed to describe the rating relation of depth and discharge for intermediate and high streamflow of natural and controlled streams. The expressions have been tested against observations from forty-three stations in West-Central Florida. The intermediate-flow region model has also been validated using data from thirty additional stations in the study area. The proposed model for the intermediate flow is a log-linear equation with zero intercept and the proposed model for the high-flow region is a log-linear equation with a variable intercept. The models are normalized by the depth and discharge values at 10 …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Satisfaction With Life After Controlling For Self-Esteem, Depression, And Locus Of Control Among Community College Students, Kevin T. Murphy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Satisfaction with Life (SWL) among community college students. Some researchers suggest a relationship exists between EI and important outcome variables (e.g., occupational success & satisfaction with life). However, other researchers suggest measures of EI may simply assess personality variables known to predict these variables. I used the Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) to investigate how much additional variance in SWL, EI predicts after three personality variables (self-esteem,depression, and locus of control). A convenience sample of 200 Central Florida Community College Students completed the following instruments: 1) MSCEIT(Mayer, …

Goal Conflicts, Self-Regulation, And Course Completion: A Comparison Of Web-Based Learners To Traditional Classroom Learners, Barbara Moore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the goal conflicts, self-regulation, and course completion of post-secondary learners and to compare these factors in distance and traditional learners. Participants completed a self-report survey given on-line to those who had Internet access and administered in paper format to students in traditional classrooms. Procrastination, socializing, and employment were the most common goal conflicts reported by participants. Significantly more web-based students than traditional students were employed and were employed more average hours. Web-based students also had more children under the age of 12 than did traditional students. A significantly greater percentage of web-based …

Developing Culture Conditions To Study Keratocyte Phenotypes In Vitro, Kurt Musselmann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The corneal wound healing response involves the activation of keratocytes to proliferate from a quiescent phenotype. The mitogens that cause the initial transformation of the quiescent keratocytes to the active phenotype have not been identified. Even though serum is commonly used to replicate this in vitro, the cornea is avascular and therefore likely not exposed to serum. In the first part of this dissertation, a DMEM/F12 extract of corneal stromas was made and shown to stimulate keratocyte proliferation in both a dose-dependent and cell-density dependent manner. This extract contains mitogens that differ from the mitogens present in serum based on …

Regression Approach To Software Reliability Models, Abdelelah M. Mostafa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many software reliability growth models have beenanalyzed for measuring the growth of software reliability. In this dissertation, regression methods are explored to study software reliability models. First, two parametric linear models are proposed and analyzed, the simple linear regression and transformed linearregression corresponding to a power law process. Some software failure data sets do not follow the linear pattern. Analysis of popular real life data showed that these contain outliers andleverage values. Linear regression methods based on least squares are sensitive to outliers and leverage values. Even though the parametric regression methods give good results in terms of error measurement …

Multicultural Education And Cultural Competence In The High Accountability Era: A Study Of Teacher Perception, Jennifer Morley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As America's public schools become more diverse, the achievement gap between white students and students of color persists. These gaps are even more apparent in urban areas that serve large numbers of poor students of color. Because the population of aspiring teachers is increasingly white and middle class, theorists and teacher trainers often recommend multicultural education as a solution to working successfully in these schools. Multicultural education theorists claim that their suggestions for K-12 practitioners have not been infused into classrooms and schools, and so maintain that additional training opportunities should be provided for teachers. Although there is ample literature …

A Design Of Experiments Study Of Procedure For Assembling Bascule Bridge Fulcrum, Cuong Q. Nguyen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A bascule bridge is a type of movable bridge that can be opened or closed to facilitate the movement of water-borne traffic such as ships and yachts. Trunnion-Hub-Girder (THG) assembly plays a role as a fulcrum in the bascule bridge. To make the fulcrum, the trunnion is shrink-fitted into the hub, and then the trunnion-hub assembly is shrink-fitted into the girder. Hundreds of thousands of dollars could be lost due to failures during this step. Crack formations in the hubs of various Florida bascule bridges during assembly led the Florida Department of Transportation to commission a project with USF professors …

Effects Of Translocation On The Florida Burrowing Owl, Athene Cunicularia Floridana, Per Anders Nixon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

At present, the Florida Burrowing Owl is being threatened by extensive habitat development throughout their small range in the state. Unfortunately, developers are able to collapse burrowing owl burrows during the non-breeding season and flush the owls from an area. In other areas such as Arizona and British Columbia translocation is being utilized to mitigate the effects of development on burrowing owls. In March 2006, the only translocation of burrowing owls in Florida was conducted by Mosaic Phosphate Company. The purpose of this thesis was to elucidate the effects of translocation on Florida burrowing owls. Topics of research include activity …

Vocal And Instrumental Musicians: Electrophysiologic And Psychoacoustic Analysis Of Pitch Discrimination And Production, Dee Adams Nikjeh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Neurological evidence indicates that instrumental musicians experience changes in the auditory system following skill acquisition and sensory training; yet, little is known about auditory neural plasticity in formally trained vocal musicians. Furthermore, auditory pitch discrimination and laryngeal control are recognized as essential skills for vocal musicians; however, the relationship between physiological variables, perceptual abilities, and vocal production is unclear. Electrophysiologic and psychoacoustic measures were used to examine pitch production accuracy as well as pre-attentive and active pitch discrimination between nonmusicians and two classes of musicians. Participants included 40 formally trained musicians (19 vocalists/21 instrumentalists) and 21 nonmusician controls. All were …

Thermal Analyses Of Hydrophilic Polymers Used In Nanocomposites And Biocompatible Coatings, Kadine Mohomed

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSRACT: This research focuses on two hydrophilic polymers that form hydrogels when they sorb water: Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and Poly(2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PDHPMA). Present work in the field obviated the need to properly characterize the thermal and dielectric properties of these materials.The dielectric permittivity, e', and the loss factor, e", of dry poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate) were measured using a dielectric analyzer in the frequency range of 0.1Hz to 100 kHz and between the temperature range of -150 °C to 275°C. The dielectric response of the sub-Tg gamma transition of PHEMA has been widely studied before but little to no …

Measurement Of Nerve Growth Factor In Induced Sputum And Exhaled Breath Condensate, Victor Maduabuchi Nwiloh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Several tests are available for evaluation of respiratory disorders but most of them are invasive and associated with some risk or patient discomfort. Examples include bronchoscopy (bronchoalveolar lavage, BAL) [1], venopuncture [2] and sputum induction [3]. Noninvasive sampling of nongaseous substances contained in expired air, collected as exhaled breath condensate (EBC) has been used to detect inflammatory markers and by-products including nitric oxide and arachidonic acid metabolites and proteins [4]. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a protein that has been implicated in neurogenic airway inflammation and this pilot study aimed to develop a non-invasive approach for evaluation of allergic airway …

Investigating The Fouling Behavior Of Reverse Osmosis Membranes Under Different Operating Conditions, Dhananjaya P. Niriella

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation describes the investigation of the fouling of a reverse osmosis membrane under different operating conditions. A mass transfer model to predict the permeate flux decline is defined. These studies used kaolin clay and bentonite clay as the fouling particles. As the membranes, thin film Low fouling Composite 1 polyamide reverse osmosis flat sheet membranes were used. Baseline experiments using only kaolin in D.I. water were conducted. At an operating pressure of approximately 1,380 kPa, no flux decline was observed. These results established the effects of a membrane-particle interaction. For the fouling experiments with kaolin clay, experiments show a …

Evaluation Of Aashto Design Specifications For Cast-In-Place Continuous Bridge Deck Using Remote Sensing Technique, Ebrahim Mehranipornejad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research project concerns the construction, testing, and remote health monitoring of the first smart bridge structure in Florida, the East Bay bridge in Gibsonton, Hillsborough County. The East Bay Bridge is a four span, continuous, deck-type structure with a total length of 120' and width of 55'. The superstructure consists of an 18'' cast-in-place reinforced concrete slab, and is supported on pre-stressed pile bents, each consisting of 5 piles. The smart sensors used for remote health monitoring are the newly emerged Fabry --Perot (FP) Fiber Optic Sensors, and are both surface-mounted and embedded in the concrete deck.Static and Dynamic …

The Information Technology Professional’S Psychological Contract Viewed Through Their Employment Arrangement And The Relationship To Organizational Behaviors, Sandra Kay Newton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Information technology (IT) professionals are continually placed in diverse employment arrangements as organizations continually look for ways to cut costs, enhance performance and maximize organizational goals. Organizations are using strategies beyond hiring permanent employees to achieve objectives in alternative sourcing. Even though the cost differential is positive when employing non-permanent individuals instead of permanent employees, little is known about the effects on the IT professional.This field study was designed to test the effects of employment arrangements on the IT professional's psychological contract and the effects of the level of fulfillment of their psychological contract on their organizational citizenship and innovative …

Coral Reef Habitat Change And Water Clarity Assessment (1984-2002) For The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Using Landsat Satellite Data, David A. Palandro

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The decline of coral reef habitats has been witnessed on a global scale, with some of the most dramatic decline occurring in the florida keys. as remote sensing can provide a synoptic view of coral reef ecosystems, 28 landsat images (1984-2002) were utilized to study water clarity and habitat change. first, the data were used to derive the diffuse attenuation coefficient (kd, m-1), a measure of water clarity, for 29 sites throughout the florida keys national marine sanctuary (fknms). landsat-derived kd values from bands 1 (blue) and 2 (green) provided useful information for 26 of 29 sites, whereas band 3 …

Distribution And Habitat Characterization Of The Florida Burrowing Owl In Non-Urban Areas, Mark S. Mueller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The full geographic distribution and habitat use of the Florida Burrowing Owl, a state "Species of Special Concern," is not well-understood, particularly in remote, non-urban areas. This thesis aimed to expand and improve knowledge about non-urban burrowing owls. We first compiled databases of historic sighting observations. Fieldwork verified and updated existing breeding observation point records and also yielded new breeding locations. Using a GIS, we characterized observed land use, landcover, relevant soil attributes, projected future land use and managed area status for selected points. We quantified landcover within biologically-determined buffer distances around burrows from our own field-verified records. Using standard …

A Novel Approach To Manipulate Cavity Size In Resorcinarenes, Sumedh Parulekar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Intramolecular ring closing metathesis in the presence of Grubbs' catalyst has been used as an efficient approach to synthesize bridged resorcinarenes. Octaallyl cavitands may undergo conformational changes; however bridge formation by RCM of the allyl groups gives a rigid, enforced, concave cavity capable of holding neutral molecules. This is the first report describing tandem formation of the four bridges on the upper rim of resorcinarenes. Structures of bridged resorcinarenes are confirmed by spectral analysis data.This report also describes the synthesis of polyhydroxy resorcinarenes, which have been used as metal complexing agents, sensors, receptors, molecular reaction vessels and catalytic chambers. They …