Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Development Of Ganglioside-Based Assays For The Identification Of Botulinum And Cholera Toxins Utilizing An Evanescent Wave Biosensor, Crystal M. Bedenbaugh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An evanescent wave fiber-optic biosensor was used in an effort to develop an assay for the rapid detection of two biological toxins: cholera toxin and botulinum toxin. The Analyte 2000 fiber-optic biosensor utilizes a sandwich immunoassay format. Gangliosides or liposomes are directly adsorbed to the surface of the fiber-optic waveguide through hydrophobic interactions. The waveguide is exposed to a sample containing the toxin of interest, then subsequently exposed to a polyclonal detection antibody conjugated to the fluorophore cyanine 5. Excitation light from a 635nm laser diode is propagated through the waveguide and fluorescent molecules within approximately 100nm of the waveguide …

Community Of Practice As Community Of Learners: How Foreign Language Teachers Understand Professional And Language Identities, Ruth Ban

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to understand the transmogrification of four Mexican foreign language teachers as they participate in a teaching exchange in American schools throughout the United States. Previous research into development of competent membership in given communities of practice points to the need for mutual engagement with other community members, an understanding of the community activity, and a shared repertoire among community members. Framed within an activity theory perspective, the present study examined how the teachers's socio-historical background, cultural tools and artifacts, along with other pedagogical activities, community rules, and division of labor mediated the teachers' understanding of their professional …

Evolutionary Genetics Of The Family Placobranchidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Opisthobranchia: Sacoglossa), Anna Lee Bass

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Members of the family Placobranchidae have been the focus of numerous studies because of their interesting physiological adaptations (kleptochemistry and kleptoplasty) and ecological associations with marine algae. More than 100 species have been described since the 1800's, but no determination of phylogenetic relationships in the family has occurred. DNA sequences from two mitochondrial genes (large subunit ribosomal and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) and one nuclear gene (Histone 3) were used to reconstruct relationships among 34 nominal species within the Placobranchidae. Strong support for terminal nodes was found using Bayesian phylogenetic methods; however, a "soft" polytomy was detected at internal …

Teaching Philosophy And Practices Among Chemistry Faculty Attending Mid Project Workshops : Implications For Reform In Chemistry, Beverly Dee Barker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade over 600M in funding has been devoted to bringing about reform in science education, but little is known about who is implementing reform, the extent of reform implementation and how educational contexts differentially impact reform innovations. This dissertation explores the results of the Multi-Initiative Dissemination Project (MID Project), a national curriculum reform program that was designed to propagate reform pedagogy among undergraduate chemistry faculty in faculty development workshops. We analyzed data from surveys, in-class observations and faculty interviews to explore the relationships between the participant faculty demographic features and their pedagogy and teaching philosophy before and …

Rsvp: An Investigation Of The Effects Of Remote Shared Visual Presence On Team Process And Performance In Urban Search & Rescue Teams, Jennifer L. Burke

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This field study presents mobile rescue robots as a way of augmenting communication in distributed teams through a remote shared visual presence (RSVP) consisting of the robot's view. It examines the effects of RSVP on team mental models, team processes, and team performance in collocated and distributed Urban Search & Rescue (US&R) technical search teams, and tests two models of team performance.

Participants (n=50) were US&R task force personnel drawn from high-fidelity training exercises held in California (2004) and New Jersey (2005). Data were collected from the 25 dyadic teams as they performed a 2 x 2 repeated measures search …

School Principals’ Knowledge And Understanding Of Educator Sexual Misconduct Against Students, Sylvia Sonja Cairns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to explore what public school principals know and understand about educator sexual misconduct. This project attempted to provide a clearer picture of how administrators perceived and performed their leadership role as moral keeper of the school. In examining the literature, the researcher determined that there is a paucity of information concerning educator sexual misconduct.To accomplish the goals of this research project, the investigator paid particular attention to the study, Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature, prepared by Shakeshaft in 2004 for the U.S. Department of Education. Insights afforded by Shakeshaft's study …

Estimation Of The Particle And Gas Scavenging Contributions To Wet Deposition Of Organic And Inorganic Nitrogen, Silvia Margarita Calderã³N

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen species represents an additional nutrient source to natural environments, and can alter the nitrogen cycle by increasing nutrient levels beyond the requirements of organisms. In Tampa Bay, atmospheric deposition of dissolved inorganic nitrogen species (DIN) has been found to be the second largest nitrogen source, but little is known about dissolved organic nitrogen species (DON). The research goal was to improve the dry and wet deposition estimates by inclusion of the DON contribution. In the atmospheric chemistry field a standard method to measure DON in atmospheric samples has not been agreed upon. This research proposes the …

Certificate Of Need Regulation In The Nursing Home Industry: Has It Outlived Its Usefulness?, Barbara J. Caldwell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary goals of the National Health Planning and Resources Development Act (P.L. 93-641) of 1974 were to (1) contain health care costs and (2) increase the accessibility and quality of health services. Certificate of need (CON) regulation is one attempt to constrain health care costs by limiting the supply of certain medical care facilities. With respect to the nursing home industry, prospective nursing home owners/operators are required to demonstrate that a "need" exists for more nursing home beds. Some States also imposed a construction moratorium that prevented any expansion of existing facilities or construction of new facilities regardless of …

Investigation Of Normalized Streamflow In West Central Florida And Extrapolation To Ungaged Coastal Fringe Tributaries, Kim Beth Clayback

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Deriving accurate streamflow estimates for ungaged watersheds provides a challenging task for water resource engineers. Traditional methods include correlation to the nearest USGS streamflow station or numeric simulation of watershed rainfall-runoff processes. Mean annual flow, ten percent exceedance and other streamflow indices can be normalized and non-dimensionalized by dividing by the watershed drainage area and the mean annual precipitation rate. Obtaining non-dimensional parameters can be especially useful for extrapolation of flows to downstream, ungaged, coastal fringe regions. Florida and other states along the Gulf Coast exhibit strong variability in the magnitude of streamflow fraction of precipitation. The irregular patterns created …

Framing Requests For Parental Participation In Family Research, David Clay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on fathers and their willingness to participate in family related research studies. Traditional expectations of parental roles have hindered the inclusion of fathers in research studies despite gradual changes in cultural norms and research studies that indicate fathers have a significant influence on the developmental outcomes of children. Recent work in this area indicates that fathers are just as likely as mothers to participate in family related research. This study sought to shed light on this issue. Employees at three large Southeastern Universities were asked to participate in one of three different types of research: Academics, Athletics, …

Bacteriophage For The Elimination Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa) Colonization And Infection, Angela Clem

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is among the most important pathogens affecting the human race in our time. In spite of recent medical advances, our therapeutic choices for MRSA infections remain limited due to the propensity of this organism to develop resistance to antimicrobials. Therefore, there is a continuing need to develop newer methods of treating MRSA infections. This dissertation examines the effects of bacteriophages 88 and 92 on ten clinical isolates of MRSA from the central Florida area. . For the majority of the MRSA isolates, bacteriophages 88 and 92 were unable to induce lysis. However, bacteriophage 88 was found …

Implementing School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: Exploring The Influence Of Socio-Cultural, Academic, Behavioral, And Implementation Process Variables, Rachel Mara Cohen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the influence of academic, behavioral, and sociocultural variables on the implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS), a system intended to improve discipline in school buildings. The number of schools that are implementing SWPBS has been increasing dramatically over the years as school violence continues to rise and solutions are needed to improve school climate. This study examined the relationship between three categories of variables and the level of implementation of SWPBS in three multiple regression analyses. The categories were school demographic variables (i.e., ethnicity, socio-economic status, teacher: student ratio, percentage of teachers who are out-of-field), severity …

The Effects Of Community-Based Service-Learning On Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs About Equitable Science Teaching And Learning, Neporcha T. Cone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) and Science for all Americans (AAAS, 1989) explicitly state that all students regardless of their age, cultural or ethnic backgrounds, gender, abilities, aspirations, or interest in science should have access to equitable educational resources in science. These equitable resources also include access to efficacious teachers of all students. However, the Standards fail to explicate what practices, if any, lead to the development of these teachers. The primary purpose of this study was to identify teacher education practices that positively influenced preservice elementary teachers' self-efficacy beliefs about equitable science teaching and learning. More specifically, …

Biomechanical Evaluation Of Independent Transfers And Pressure Relief Tasks In Persons With Sci: Pilot Study, Tony J. Cresta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Persons with paraplegia who use a manual wheelchair for mobility are at high risk for overuse injuries in the upper extremities. Years of shoulder overuse performing transfers, wheelchair propulsion, dressing, bathing, and household chores, (activities of daily living or ADL) leads to an increased incidence of cumulative trauma to the shoulders. Few studies have addressed the stressful task of wheelchair transfers among SCI individuals. The goal of this pilot study is to develop valid and reliable measurement technologies to quantify shoulder musculoskeletal stressors during wheelchair transfers and pressure relief tasks among individuals with SCI. Using a standard wheelchair, 10 participants …

Reconstructing 20th Century Sst Variability In The Southwest Pacific: A Replication Study Using Multiple Coral Sr/Ca Records From New Caledonia, Kristine L. Delong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coral-based climate reconstructions typically have not used multiple cores from a region to capture and replicate a climate signal largely because of concerns focused on coral conservation, analytical expense, and time constraints. Coral Sr/Ca reproducibility through the 20th century was investigated using three intra-colony and three inter-colony coral records, from the reefs offshore of Amédée Island, New Caledonia. Different sampling resolutions were examined in coral Sr/Ca (fortnightly and monthly) and delta 18O (fortnightly, monthly, and seasonally) as well as similar scale subsampling of the daily in situ SST record. The mean coral Sr/Ca, delta 18O, and daily SST values do …

The Commodification Of Yoga In Contemporary U.S. Culture, Michelle E. Demeter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Yoga is an increasingly visible and versatile commodity in the United States health market. Though its origins stretch to pre-Vedic India and its traditional religious purpose is linked to Hinduism, it is evident that yoga has undergone much change since its transmission to U.S. culture. In its popular, widespread incarnation in the United States, yoga is not usually learned at the feet of a guru, but at exercise centers and gyms. These secular locales of yoga's practice help define the "yoga phenomenon" in contemporary America. This phenomenon has resulted in yoga's wide acceptance and high visibility in American popular culture …

Rapid Detection Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis In Lung Tissue Using A Fiber Optic Biosensor, Kimberly A. Denton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is no rapid diagnostic technique at medical examiners' offices to determine if a decedent is infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Present diagnostic testing requires at least one month for results. A biosensor-based sandwich immunoassay for the detection of M. tuberculosis was developed in this study. M. tuberculosis polyclonal antibody was used for target antigen capture and detection in the immunoassay. Live attenuated M. tuberculosis (ATCC 25177) suspended in phosphate-buffered saline with 0.1% Tween 20 was used as the antigen in the detection assay. The Analyte 2000 was the initial biosensor platform. Initial testing was of Freund's adjuvant complete. M. tuberculosis …

The Role Of Src Homology 2 Domain Containing Inositol-5’-Phosphatase 1 (Ship) In Hematopoietic Cells, Caroline Desponts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The principal isoform of Src homology (SH) 2-domain containing 5' inositol phosphatase protein 1 (SHIP) is a 145kDa protein primarily expressed by cells of the hematopoietic compartment. The enzymatic activity of SHIP is responsible for hydrolyzing the 5' phosphate of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3), and thereby preventing the recruitment of pleckstrin homology domain containing effector proteins. Furthermore, SHIP contains protein-protein interaction domains, such as an SH2 domain, two NPXY and several proline-rich motifs. All of these different domains endow SHIP with the capacity to impact signaling pathways important for proliferation, survival, differentiation and activation. Therefore, we hypothesized that SHIP-deficiency could result in …

Micronektonic Community Composition And Trophic Structure Within The Bathypelagic Zone In The Eastern Gulf Of Mexico, Scott E. Burghart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Earth's most extensive living space is found in the bathypelagic zone of the oceans, yet research in these areas is scant. The micronekton of the bathypelagic zone in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (EGOM) was investigated with the goals of comparing its community structure and trophic interactions with those of the well-studied overlying mesopelagic micronekton. Significant changes in faunal structure were found, including shifts in dominant families as well as species. Compared to the mesopelagic zone, the bathypelagic community had increased abundance and biomass contributions from the Gonostomatidae, Oplophoridae,and Eucopiidae, with a simultaneous decrease in the importance of the …

An Examination Of The Experiences Of Five African American Male Students With Regard To School Discipline Practices, Simon Yohann Earle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are numerous studies that address the issue of discipline practices in schools. Within the last decade there have been an increasing number of scholars and school district personnel who have written about discipline, and more specifically, the discipline of specific populations of students such as African Americans. Although many of these studies address the disparate disciplinary practices that occur in many school districts, little attention is devoted to how students understand these practices in the larger context of their general school experiences. This research intends to fill the void in the literature that utilizes the experiences of students to …

Evaluation Of The Long-Term Effect Of Inorganic Leachate On Geosynthetic Clay Liners, Darwish El-Hajji

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because of its low permeability and high swelling characteristics, bentonite is used in various hydraulic barrier systems and in the manufacturing of Geosynthetic Clay Liners (GCLs). Exposure to inorganic solutions containing elevated concentrations of electrolyte can significantly increase their permeability. To enhance the bentonite's chemical resistance to inorganic solutions, the manufacturers of GCL materials introduced propriety soluble polymeric compounds as an additive to bentonite. The resulting materials are referred to as polymer-treated, chemically-enhanced, or contaminant-resistant clays, and are arguably resistant to a host of inorganic chemicals. In this study, the response of both regular and polymer treated bentonite clays to …

Storm-Influenced Sediment Transport Gradients On A Nourished Beach, Nicole A. Elko

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Beach nourishment provides an excellent opportunity for the study of intensified sediment transport gradients and associated morphological changes in a natural setting. The objectives of this study are to quantify and predict longshore and cross-shore transport gradients induced by 1) beach nourishment, 2) different storm wave conditions, and 3) the annual wave climate and long-term sediment supply. The details of sediment transport rates and gradients induced by gradual processes and high-energy events are analyzed on a macro-scale. Well-planned monitoring of the 2004 Upham Beach nourishment project in west-central Florida collected high-spatial and -temporal resolution field data. Three hurricanes passed by …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between The Presence Of Critical Components Of Classroom Positive Behavior Support And Student Behavior, Gregory S. Ern

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between the presence of classroom components of positive behavior support and student behavior outcomes. Data were collected using the Tool for Assessing Classroom Level-Positive Behavior Support (TACL-PBS) developed by Ern (2004) to assess the presence or absence of critical components of positive behavior support at the classroom level. Descriptive data on the instrument including the internal consistency, interrater agreement, and concurrent validity were analyzed and are included in this report. Forty classrooms from ten diverse elementary schools in three school districts were selected to participate in this study. Office discipline …

Investigation Into The Hydrogen Gas Sensing Mechanism Of 3c-Sic Resistive Gas Sensors, Timothy J. Fawcett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The hydrogen (H2) gas sensing mechanism driving 3C-SiC resistive gas sensors is investigated in this work in which two hypotheses are proposed. One hypothesis involves the surface adsorption of H2 on the sensor surface with the adsorbed molecules influencing the flow of current in a resistive gas sensor, termed the surface adsorption detection mechanism. The second hypothesis includes the transfer of heat from the sensor to the gas, producing a change in the temperature of the device when the heat transfer characteristics of the gas change, termed the thermal detection mechanism. The heat transfer characteristics of the gas are dependent …

Asymptotes And Metaphors: Teaching Feminist Theory, Michael Eugene Gipson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As we move through our daily lives, the cogency of the world shifts and changes. Many constructs exist to explain and account for how we view and interact with our environment. Education is where our understandings become formalized and are challenged. To this end, a plethora of pedagogical tools are made available to aid educators in illuminating the world(s) around and within each student. However, there is always room for new ways of presenting information, concepts, and ideas. I put forth the mathematical trope of asymptotes as a new pedagogical tool. Asymptotes, as metaphor, work as a pedagogical tool for …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Training In Expository Text Structure Through Annotation Textmarking And Training In Vocabulary Development On Reading Comprehension Of Students Going Into Fourth Grade, Lily Janise Gentry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fifty-seven pre-fourth-graders from 14 private schools participated to determine (a) if teaching text structure with annotation produced higher comprehension scores than the method of teaching vocabulary, and (b) if the effect of instructional method on reading comprehension was the same for male and female students. Effects were measured by immediate posttest and follow-up test NCE scores of the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test, Fourth Edition (SDRT4) containing components of Comprehension and Vocabulary. The design was a true experiment using a matched comparison-group format. Participants were placed in one of two independent 3-week reading workshop sessions, then randomly assigned to one of …

A Finite Family Of Q-Orthogonal Polynomials And Resultants Of Chebyshev Polynomials, Jemal Emina Gishe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two problems related to orthogonal polynomials and special functions are considered. For q greater than 1 it is known that continuous q-Jacobi polynomials are orthogonal on the imaginary axis. The first problem is to find proper normalization to form a system of polynomials that are orthogonal on the real line. By introducing a degree reducing operator and a scalar product one can show that the normalized continuous q-Jacobi polynomials satisfies an eigenvalue equation. This implies orthogonality of the normalized continuous q-Jacobi polynomials. As a byproduct, different results related to the normalized system of polynomials, such as its closed form,three-term recurrence …

Linking Pretreatment Therapist Characteristics To The Therapeutic Alliance In Youth Treatment: An Examination Of Professional Burnout, Counseling Self-Efficacy And Gender Role Orientation, Jessica B. Handelsman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated three pretreatment therapist characteristics (professional burnout, counseling self-efficacy, and gender role orientation) in relation to the therapeutic alliance within the context of youth treatment. It was hypothesized that the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions of burnout would be negatively associated with the alliance, while the personal accomplishment dimension of burnout and counseling self-efficacy would be positively associated with the alliance. In addition, it was hypothesized that androgynous therapists would have superior alliances, relative to stereotypically masculine or feminine therapists. Participants were 42 pairs of therapists and youth clients. Prior to intake, therapists completed the Maslach Burnout …

A Study Of The Effects Of Completing An Instructor Effectivness Course On The Accountability Measures Of Adjunct Community College Faculty, Ivan Franklin Harber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of an Instructor Effectiveness Course designed specifically to retain adjunct faculty and improve their overall success in teaching. The study also investigated the "online" and "face-to-face" groups of the Instructor Effectiveness Course and compared faculty who take this course to those who do not in order to detect any significant differences. Differences were measured through students' class grade point averages, (GPA's), and course completion rates for the three groups of faculty, as well as through the faculty performance on student evaluations. This mixed method, causal/comparative study looked at the adjunct …

Using Emergent Outcome Controls To Manage Dynamic Software Development, Michael Loyd Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Control and flexibility may appear an unlikely pair. However, I propose that effective management of dynamic environments, such as systems development under conditions of uncertainty, must still provide clear control mechanisms to manage the progress and quality of the resulting products. This dissertation presents research to understand the types of control used in the context of flexible software development processes. The dynamic capabilities extension to the resource-based view of the firm is used to understand dynamic environments. Within those environments, control theory is used to understand how activities are guided and controlled to achieve management objectives. Specifically, control theory acts …