American Studies Commons^™

The Presence Of Binaural Interaction Component (Bic) In The Auditory Brainstem Response (Abr) Of Normal Hearing Adults, Man Sze Wong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of the binaural interaction component (BIC) in a large sample of normal hearing adults, and to measure the absolute latency and amplitude of the BIC as a function of the click rate of the stimulus and the electrode montage. The BIC is obtained by subtracting the auditory evoked potential waveform obtained with binaural stimulation from the waveform obtained by adding the responses from the left and right monaural stimulation. The tested hypothesis was that the recordings of the BIC vary among normal hearing individuals, and BIC latency and amplitude values …

Analysis Of States Gun Control Restrictions, Xiaofeng Cheng

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the policy effects of several state gun control restrictions in the United States. The study employs the data of gun related crimes and gun control restrictions from Statistical Abstract of Criminal Justice Handbook through five years (from 1995 to 2000). Although many scholars have studied previously gun control policy effects on crimes, they always focus on the total violence level and ignore to compare the policy effects of different gun control laws. The present study examines intensively gun related crimes and compares several gun control policies.

Pooled data is employed to access the effects of gun control …

Selection Of Clinical Trials: Knowledge Representation And Acquisition, Savvas Nikiforou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When medical researchers test a new treatment procedure, they recruit patients with appropriate health problems and medical histories. An experiment with a new procedure is called a clinical trial. The selection of patients for clinical trials has traditionally been a labor-intensive task, which involves matching of medical records with a list of eligibility criteria.

A recent project at the University of South Florida has been aimed at the automation of this task. The project has involved the development of an expert system that selects matching clinical trials for each patient. If a patient's data are not sufficient for choosing …

The Diffusion Of New Media Scholarship: Power, Innovation, And Resistance In Academe, Judith R. Edminster

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) are an evolving genre of graduate student research that is gaining widespread acceptance among universities in the international community. ETDs are also beginning to diffuse slowly among American universities; however, a number of issues continue to work against more rapid adoption among intitutions in the United States. This dissertation examines ETDs as an evolving electronic research genre by (1) historicizing the situated development of its predecessor, the traditional print dissertation, in nineteenth century German and American Universities; (2) reporting on the current state of the Networked Digital Library of Electronic Theses and Dissertations, an initiative …

The Role Of Audiology Assistants In A Clinical Setting, Joseph K. Duran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The employment of audiology assistants to relieve masters and doctoral level audiologists of routine tasks is a timely and controversial topic in our field. Berardino (2000) examined the roles of audiology assistants within Veteran’s Administration (VA) Hospitals using an e-mail survey that was sent out to VA audiologists. The results of that survey suggested that the majority of VA audiologists were in favor of the participation of audiology assistants in the clinic to varying degrees. The purpose of this survey was to determine the current attitudes of audiologists and otolaryngologists toward the role of audiology assistants in the hearing health …

The Effects Of Induced Depressed Mood On Recall Of Experiences With Racial Discrimination, Tamra Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two studies examined the relationship between reported racial discrimination and depression, and whether this relationship may be due to depressed mood induced influences. In study 1, sixty-four African American undergraduates completed measures of current depression, a racial discrimination index, and rated vignettes that were ambiguous in terms of the presence or absence of racial discrimination. A significant correlation was found between depression and reported racial discrimination. The purpose of Study 2 was to examine the effect of mood on recall of past experiences with discrimination. Groups of subjects were randomly assigned to either a sad mood induction condition or a …

Public Participation In Environmental Management: Seeking Participatory Equity Through Ethnographic Inquiry, John V. Stone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reports the activities, methods, and key findings of a doctoral research project in applied anthropology and an environmental anthropology fellowship. The research project was conducted through the Department of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, while the fellowship was sponsored jointly by the Society for Applied Anthropology and the United States Environmental Protection Agency and was conducted through the Great Lakes Fellowship Program of the Great Lakes Commission, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Together, these projects demonstrated the utility of an ethnographic approach called Risk Perception Mapping (RPM) to the public consultation and social research interests of the Commission …

Computerized Dynamic Visual Acuity With Volitional Head Movement In Patients With Vestibular Dysfunction, Erika L. Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Patients with non-compensated vestibular dysfunction frequently complain of the ability to maintain dynamic visual acuity during activities which require the movement of the head. When this occurs the patient is experiencing oscillopsia, which is the symptom resulting from a non-functional vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). To measure the presence of oscillopsia, tests of dynamic visual acuity (DVA) may be used.

A recent test of DVA has been reported which is administered while patients are walking on a treadmill. Although this test has been shown to be useful in evaluating DVA in patients, there are several disadvantages to treadmill use. These include physical …

Ammonia Sampling Using Ogawa® Passive Samplers, Paul Tate

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this research were to determine the efficacy of using the Ogawa® passive sampling device (PSD) to measure ammonia and to identify significant ammonia sources adjacent to Hillsborough and Tampa Bay. Ninety-four samplers were deployed over a 180-km² area for two weeks in October 2001. Within the area sampled were located suburbs, an urban center, major highways, port activities, fertilizer manufacturing, wastewater treatment, coal-combustion power plants, warehousing and dairy farming. The sampled locations were arranged in a triangular grid pattern spaced 1.5 km apart. The pattern was designed to locate circular hot spots with a minimum radius …

An Examination Of The Relationship Between The U-Titer Ii And Hearing Aid Benefit, Maura Koenig Kenworthy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to measure the effects of audiologic intervention on self-perceived quality of life in the elderly hearing-impaired population. The tested hypothesis was that hearing aid use would result in improved quality of life as measured by utilities. In this study, utilities were obtained using the U-Titer II, an interactive software program designed to measure an individual's health state preference or utility. This study also examined the issue of numeracy, which is described as an understanding of basic probability, and its effect with an individual's ability to accurately complete utilities.

Data from 54 individuals …

Development Of An Aural Rehabilitation Cd-Rom, Sierra Macdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A need has been established for aural rehabilitation (AR) sessions throughout the years. The literature reviewed here demonstrates that new hearing aid users do benefit from a structured follow-up AR program. However, this need is often not met for a variety of patient and audiologist related factors. Therefore, an AR program that could be viewed at home has been suggested. I have developed a prototype for a CD-ROM based aural rehabilitation (AR) program. Included in the program are communication and speechreading strategies, which are the most prevalent materials in AR. The instructional and interaction portions of the prototype were created …

The Goal Of This Study Was To Examine Differences In The Psychological Characteristics Of Patients Admitted To The Hospital For Acute Or Chronic Myocardial Infarction (Mi) Or Unstable Angina (Ua). Depression, Anger, Anxiety, Curiosity, Defensiveness, Social Support, And Coping Were Evaluated For 165 Patients (86 Mi And 79 Ua), Who Were Tested On The Cardiology Stepdown Ward Of Tampa General Hospital. The Following Psychological Measures Were Administered To These Patients: The Beck Depression Inventory (Bdi), The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Staxi-2), The Rationality/Emotional Defensiveness (R/Ed) Scale, The Adult Form Of The Coping Responses Inventory (Cri-Adult), The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (Isel), The Illness Perception Questionnaire (Ipq), The State-Trait Personality Inventory (Stpi), And The Structured Clinical Interview (Scid-I) For The Dsm - Iv. Significantly More Chronic Patients Than Acute Patients Met Criteria For Depression As Measured By The Scid Following Admission To The Hospital, And More Ua Than Mi Patients Also Met These Criteria. However, No Differences Were Found Between The Acute Vi And Chronic Mi And Ua Patients Two Weeks Prior To Admission. Results Of This Study Also Indicated That Chronic Patients And Ua Patients Reported A Greater Frequency Of Illness Symptoms And Tended To Cope With Their Heart Disease Through Avoidant Strategies. Chronic Patients Endorsed Higher Levels Of State And Trait Anger Compared With Acute Patients, And Ua Patients Were Less Likely To Believe That Their Illness Could Be Cured Or Controlled (Control Of Cure) Than Mi Patients. Based On The Results Of This Study, It Appears That Avoidance Coping May Be An Insufficient Strategy For Addressing Negative Emotions Of Chronic Patients And Ua Patients. In Addition, Perceived Lack Of Control Over The Success Of Treatment May Be Related To Depression For Ua Patients. These Findings Have Important Implications For The Development And Implementation Of Interventions Designed To Address Perceived Control Over Treatment Effectiveness And Coping Skills For Negative Emotions In The Treatment And Rehabilitation Of Cardiac Patients., Gregory J. Spirakis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stability of hearing aid benefit, as measured by the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB; Cox & Alexander, 1995), between three months post hearing aid fitting and at next the annual audiological re-evaluation. The annual re-evaluation was at least, and as close to nine months as possible, after the previous audiological. The maximum time between the two evaluations was 18 months. Thirty-six hearing aid patients participated in this study. The participants were both male and female, and were fitted monaurally or binaurally with hearing aid(s). All participants had sensorineural hearing …

The Relationship Between Self-Perceived Benefit As Measured By The Aphab, Cosi And Cphi And The Presence Of Apd In An Elderly Population, Michelle L. Bleiweiss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The self-perceived hearing aid benefit of 38 participants was examined. Of the 38 subjects, 8 were found to have an auditory processing disorder as measured by the Dichotic Sentence Identification (DSI). When compared to the non-APD subjects, there were essentially no significant differences on the APHAB or COSI outcome measures. However, two of the 5 scales of the CHPI did show significant differences. In conclusion, these results do not support the notion of APD having a negative effect on hearing aid benefit. No finding in this study was robust and although there were several trends supporting that APD may impede …

Manual Handling Workload And Musculoskeletal Discomfort In Nursing Personnel, Nancy Nivison Menzel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nursing staff members (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing aides) have one of the highest incidence rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) of all occupations. Ergonomic research has identified patient handling and movement tasks that put the caregiver at high risk for a WMSD each time they are performed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the frequency of performing the highest risk tasks, as well as certain other risk factors affecting physical workload, were related to the frequency of musculoskeletal discomfort. Also investigated was whether the manual handling workload varied by job category. The cross-sectional study …

Effects Of Deadline Contingencies In A Web-Based Course On Html, Tina L. Majchrzak

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current learner-centered trends, such as supplying students with content on demand (CoD), coupled with research findings that indicate distributed practice is superior to massed practice in terms of increased memory function and that the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) is superior to traditional instruction in terms of academic achievement, content retention, and student satisfaction, prompted an investigation merging these two lines of research. Although PSI is more feasible today based on advances in technology and students prefer its self-paced component, they often procrastinate. In fact, this problem is resurfacing in distance education courses and is reflected in low completion rates …

Safe At Home: Agoraphobia And The Discourse On Women’S Place, Suzie Siegel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My thesis explores how discourse and material practices have created agoraphobia, the fear of public places. This psychological disorder predominates among women. Throughout much of Western history, women have been encouraged to stay home for their safety and for the safety of society. I argue that agoraphobic women have internalized this discourse, expressing fears of being in public or being alone without a companion to support and protect them; losing control over their minds or their bodies; and endangering or humiliating themselves. Therapeutic discourse also has created agoraphobia by naming it, categorizing the emotions and behaviors associated with it, and …

The Gatun Structure: A Geological Assessment Of A Newly Recognized Impact Structure Near Lake Gatun In The Republic De Panama, Livio Leonardo Tornabene

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Gatun Structure (N 09º 05’ 58.1”, W 79º 47’ 21.8”, situated in the triple-canopy rainforest 10 km to the WSW of the Gamboa and about 2 km south of the Isle of Barbacoas, Republic de Panama), is a partially inundated, quasi-concentric surface feature ~3km in diameter, which appears in aerial photographs and in radar imagery as an arcuate chain of islands with a raised center. Although the structure has been heavily weathered and altered, it has retained morphology consistent with complex craters: an elevated circular central uplift 500-600 m in diameter and approximately 70 m high, and arcuate boundary …

Building Online Learning: System Insights Into Group Learning In An International Online Environment, Naomi Rose Boyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The virtual world exists as a dimension between concrete physical reality and abstract fictional fantasy. This cyber essence has become a place of commerce, social development, and educational pursuit. To build an understanding of the Kingdom of the Internet, the resulting case study sought to explore the community learning experiences of groups involved in an international online distance education program to create a tale of the process of a system. An assumption in this research was that the program under study was framed within a social learning context. Therefore, the recommendations and findings must be considered within this context and …

Development Of An Audiological Test Procedure Manual For First Year Au.D. Students, Patricia I. Carr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A student manual of audiological procedures with accompanying laboratory assignments does not presently exist at the University of South Florida (USF). In the first year of the four year Au.D. program at USF, students are enrolled in Audiology Laboratory Clinic I, II, and III, in consecutive semesters. Groups of four to six students meet weekly for a 3-1/2 hour clinical laboratory session to receive training in test instruction, test procedures, test application, and test interpretation. The purpose of the first year Audiology laboratory clinic sessions is to prepare the student for clinical experience in year two of the Au.D program …

Rainfall-Runoff Modeling In Humid Shallow Water Table Environments, Tatiana X. Hernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Simulating the processes of rainfall and runoff are at the core of hydrologic modeling. Geomorphologic features, rainfall variability, soil types, and water table depths strongly influence hydrological process in Florida ecosystems. Topographic characteristics of the terrain define the stream paths and landscape. Alteration of these characteristics as a result of urban and/or agricultural developments, for example, can highly influence wetlands and river basin response. There are two predominant landforms in Florida: wetlands, where Variable Saturated Areas form near streams causing saturation excess runoff, and uplands where runoff is mainly generated by infiltration excess. The objective of this work is to …

Creating Healing Spaces, The Process Of Designing Holistically A Battered Women Shelter, Lilian Menéndez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My interest in the environment has led me to study the effects of space on people, both natural and man-made. This project explores how architects and designers can design spaces conducive to the healing process. The emphasis of this thesis is on my design methodology, with the hope that this project will help other designers in their struggle to create spaces that heal the body, soul and spirit.

To develop this project, I chose a shelter for battered women as the building type. This shelter is theoretically located in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Its main goal is to create an environment …

Regulation Of Yy1, A Multifunctional Transcription Factor, Ya-Li Yao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor that plays an important role in development and differentiation. It activates or represses many genes during cell growth and differentiation and is also required for the normal development of the mammalian embryo. Moreover, it has been shown that YY1 may function as a transcriptional initiator. In this dissertation, regulation of human YY1 is analyzed systematically at three levels: At the genomic level, one major transcriptional initiation site of the YY1 gene was mapped to 478 bp upstream of the ATG translational start site. The YY1 promoter was localized to …

A Tutorial: Use Of The Who Icidh-2 For Determining Aural Rehabilitation Goals, Nancy Muscato Patterson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to implement the newly revised International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICIDH-2) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), to establish specific aural rehabilitation goals. Five graduate clinicians in speech language pathology and audiology interviewed ten participants with adult onset hearing loss. A modified version of the General Questions for Participation and Activities (i.e., a structured interview technique) from the ICIDH-2 Checklist, was developed. Prior to completing this checklist, the students attended a brief training session to become familiar with the major components of the ICIDH-2, specifically the ICIDH-2 Checklist. Completion of the …

A Time Study Of Audiological Practice Patterns And The Impact Of Reimbursement Changes From Third Part Payers, Melody A. Tucker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of the project was to survey audiologists in clinical practice setting to determine the amount of time taken to perform various audiologic tests using Current Procedural Terminology, (CPT) codes to define these tests and if these CPT codes were felt to be adequate. Audiologists were also asked to respond regarding possible impact and reimbursement changes in their clinical practices related to managed care. Responses of audiologists were analyzed to determine: a) adequacy of CPT codes; b)average time to perform various audiologic tests; c) impact managed care onclinical practice; and d) changes in reimbursement as a result of …

Clinical Proficiency Levels Expected At The End Of The Second And Third Years In An Au.D. Program, Karen Janine Richardson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This is a retrospective study utilizing data complied over the past two years during the formative assessment process by the University of South Florida (USF) Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) in the development of the new audiology clinical doctoral (Au.D.) program. Final adoption of the new certification standards in audiology was received in 1997 and several Au.D. programs have been implemented since that time. This study responds to the requirements of appropriate assessment and documentation of clinical skill acquisition across the academic and clinical training program.

The purpose of this review was to complete a qualitative analysis of …

A Prototypical Computer Museum, Eric Otto Ryder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Civilization seems barely able to keep up with the new information technology. Therefore, I propose a place where the technologies of the future may be interacted with like the comfortable knowledge of the past. I propose a place where technology may be interacted on as in the realm of the past with the doors of the future ahead. The Museum of Science and Industry, where the grasp of our technological history is displayed, would be an ideal site for the creation of a Prototypical Computer Museum. With its close proximity to the University of South Florida, resources and participants would …

Growth And Characterization Of Zno For The Front Contact Of Cu(In,Ga)Se2, Rita Bhatt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ZnO window layers for CIGS solar cells are grown with a DC sputtering technique instead of a conventional RF sputtering technique. Transparent window layers and buffer layers are sputtered from the Zn target in the presence of Oxygen. The window layer is doped with Aluminum in order to achieve high electrical conductivity and thermal stability. The effect of different sputtering parameters on the electrical and optical properties of the films is elaborately studied. Sets of annealing experiments are also performed. Combinations of different deposition parameters are examined to design the optimum fabrication conditions. We are able to deposit 85% transparent, …

Evaluation And Treatment Of Tinnitus, Renee Lokenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tinnitus is defined as an auditory stimulus that is unrelated to external stimulation. There are many theories as to what causes tinnitus, therefore, there are many treatment options for tinnitus. This paper attempts to increase the audiologist's knowledge of the etiology, as well as, the most appropriate treatment for tinnitus.

There are two types of tinnitus, objective and subjective. Subjective tinnitus is more common, although it is more difficult to treat than objective tinnitus. There are many theories as to what causes tinnitus. Several disorders that have tinnitus as a symptom, such as, Meniere's disease, acoustic neuroma, and dysfunction of …

Survey Of Auditory Brainstem Response Referral Criteria, Shannon N. Felder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of the project was to survey recognized “experts” in the field of neurodiagnostic audiology and practicing audiologists regarding their referral criteria and referral patterns for administering an auditory brainstem response test (ABR). For purposes of this study, “expert” was defined as any recognized audiologist with at least two or more publications and/or seminars in the field of auditory evoked potentials. Responses of experts and practicing audiologists were compared and contrasted to establish: a) if there was a standard referral pattern; b) what, if any, were the apparent critical components of referral patterns; and, c) whether or not …

Difference In Hearing Screening Failure Rates As A Function Of Ethnicity In Well Newborns Screened At Tampa General Hospital, Sybil N. Prewitt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The difference in otoacoustic emission (OAE) hearing screening failure rates as a function of ethnic category was investigated in a population of newborns at Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, Florida. Clinical observation led to a concern that due to a higher incidence of outer and middle ear dysfunction in Hispanic newborns and children, screening could result in disparate failure rates, with a larger number of these infants requiring further testing. This result would warrant changes in current protocols, as well as screener training,and parent counseling practices.

Between January and July of 2000, 1407 newborns were tested utilizing distortion product otoacoustic emission …