American Studies Commons^™

Speech-Language Pathologists’ Professional Efficacy Beliefs About Assessing The Language Skills Of Bilingual/Bicultural/Bidialectal Students, Karen Patricia Harris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Like educators, speech-language pathologists can anticipate working with culturally and linguistically diverse students and their families. Data reported from the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education (SPeNSE), 1999-2000, revealed that during the years 1999-2000 speech-language pathologists caseloads included students from various culturally and linguistically diverse groups (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, 2001). Furthermore, on average, more than one-fourth of students seen by speech-language pathologists were from a culturally and/or linguistically diverse group than their own and 8.8% were English language learners (U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Thus, guaranteeing a highly qualified pool of speech-language pathologists …

Three Studies Of Problem Solving In Collaborative Software Development, Madeline Ann Domino

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A potential solution to producing quality software in an acceptable time frame may be found by using the newer, innovative methods, such as collaborative software development. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the individual developer characteristics, developmental settings, collaborative methods and the processes during development that impact collaborative programming performance and satisfaction outcomes.

Understanding individual differences in performance in the collaborative development setting is important, since it may help us understand how the collaborative setting may raise the lowest level of performance to much higher levels, as well as how to select individuals for collaborative development. Exploring the …

Leadership Style And The Link With Counterproductive Work Behavior (Cwb): An Investigation Using The Job-Stress/Cwb Model, Kari Bruursema

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Relations among job stressors, leadership style, emotional reactions to work,counterproductive work behavior (CWB), and autonomy were investigated. Participants representing a wide variety of jobs were surveyed. Results indicate that transactional leadership style is related to negative emotions and occurrence of CWB. Relationships between variables were mediated by emotions.

Neuroinflammation In Alzheimer’S Disease: Characterization And Modification Of The Response Of Transgenic Mice To Intrahippocampal Lipopolysaccharide Administration, Donna Lorraine Herber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimers disease (AD) is pathologically characterized by amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, inflammation, and neurodegeneration. According to the amyloid hypothesis of AD, the central mediating event of the disease is the deposition of amyloid. The inflammation hypothesis of AD states that it is the inflammatory response to plaques and tangles, rather than the actual lesions, which causes the disease. Studies described here combine the two approaches into a single model. Four studies are presented using a basic protocol of intrahippocampal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection to stimulate inflammation in transgenic mice. The first study looked at alpha7 nicotinic receptors during the glial response …

Integrated Uv-Vis Multiangle-Multiwavelength Spectrometer For Characterization Of Micron And Sub-Micron Size Particles, Yong-Rae Kim

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Characterization of micron and sub-micron size particles requires the simultaneous measurement of the joint particle property distribution (JPPD). The JPPD is comprised of particle size, shape, orientation, composition, optical properties, and surface properties. Measurement of each of the particle properties independently is a difficult task and it has been only partially successful. To determine as many particle properties as possible using optical methods it is necessary to simultaneously measure all aspects of the interaction of the incident light with the particles of interest. This approach leads to the concept of multidimensional spectroscopy suggested by Prof. Garcia-Rubio. Dr. Bacon proved the …

The Construct Validation Of An Instrument Based On Students’ University Choice And Their Perceptions Of Professor Effectiveness And Academic Reputation At The University Of Los Andes, Josefa Maria Montilla

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the construct validation of an instrument based on students university choice and their perceptions of professor effectiveness and academic reputation at the University of Los Andes (ULA). Moreover, a comparative analysis was carried out to determine how the selected factors that influence the students decisions and perceptions differ according to student demographic factors such as: gender and university campus.

This instrument was developed with items based on the three domains formulated: university choice process, professor effectiveness, and university academic reputation. To determine the instruments appropriateness to measure the students decisions in university …

Validation Of The Functional Assessment Of Cancer Therapy Cognitive Scale With Bone Marrow Transplant Patients, Sheri R. Jacobs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research has demonstrated that cancer patients report problems with cognitive functioning related to their cancer and their cancer treatments. Cognitive complaints refer to subjective reports of problems such as decreased memory, attention, concentration, and language skills. These problems with cognitive functioning can interfere with a person’s quality of life. The current measures of cognitive complaints have poor or unknown psychometric properties. Therefore, the present study sought to examine the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure of cognitive complaints for cancer patients, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Cognitive Scale (FACT-Cog). Eighty-two patients were administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological …

The John Muir Newsletter, Winter 2004/2005, The John Muir Center For Environmental Studies

Muir Center Newsletters, 1981-2015

Newsletter UNiVfeftsnY or the Pacific, Stockton, cA Volume 15, Number 1 Winter 2004/2005 Black Sheep of the in Muir's Motivations for Yosemite National hi] Jeimij Krone ERRA: GREAT! Park (he expansive 760,000-acre Yosemite National Park consists of meadows, forests, and mountains that presently awe over three million visitors annually.1 Yosemite Valley became the second national park in 1890 after an intense nationwide conflict that most tourists neglect to acknowledge when scaling the glacial-smoothened sides of Half Dome or navigating woodlands of sugar pines and giant sequoias. John Muir, a foremost figure in the early conservation movement, spearheaded the proposal and …

A Postmodern Landscape, Thomas J. Mickey

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Family Affairs Newsletter 2004-12-01, Jean Vermette

Family Affairs newsletter (2004-2016)

FAMILY AFFAIRS was a free, twice-a-month, social activities newsletter for the GLBTQI (gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans/queer/intersex) community, sent out around the 1st and 15th of each month. It covered the State of Maine only. The list was begun and maintained for many years by Jean Vermette in Bangor, and later operated by Zack Paakkonen of Portland. Over the years it evolved from a social activities newsletter into a business directory, classified ad service, and community bulletin board.

Assessing Student Reading Progress: A Comparison Of Generic And Basal Curriculum-Based Reading Probes, Kelli S. Henson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to clarify and extend previous research on the comparibility of curriculum-based measurement oral reading fluency results using reading materials from outside of the students’ curriculum for repeated measurement over time. Specifically, this study evaluated the use of generic measurement materials for monitoring student reading growth and expected gains in words read correctly per minute over time at different grade levels. Sixty-four first through third grade students were assessed twice weekly using both AimsWeb and Open Court reading probes. The dependent variables in this study were the level, which is defined as the mean of …

American Folk, Preston Poe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This piece is a forty-five minute video utilizing the concept of liquid medium cross-pollination of media including, sound, music, video and "found" art. The piece was shot over the course of three years at a cost of twelve thousand dollars using a Sony trv950, a Mac PowerBook, a 1954 Gibson J45, and a 1971 Guild F212, edited on Final Cut Pro and conceptualized for multiple viewings.

The Thornton Biennial: The Kruszka Pavilion: The 29yr Apology, Ethan Kruszka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Thornton Biennial: The Kruszka Pavilion: The 29YR Apology document functions as a catalog for the art event of the same name that occurred in November 2004. The catalog features a director's statement detailing the organizational practices of the event as well as a curatorial statement highlighting motivations for the event. In addition the catalog features color plates and statements from the sole participant in the 2004 Thornton Biennial. Selected excerpts: -When writing, I tell myself that I will immediately delete the writing upon its completion. Not so much because I fear its contents or the repercussions of having written …

Multi-Event Crisis Management Using Non-Cooperative Repeated Games, Upavan Gupta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The optimal allocation of the resources to the emergency locations in the event of multiple crises in an urban environment is an intricate problem, especially when the available resources are limited. In such a scenario, it is important to allocate emergency response units in a fair manner based on the criticality of the crisis events and their requests. In this research, a crisis management tool is developed which incorporates a resource allocation algorithm. The problem is formulated as a game theoretic framework in which the crisis events are modeled as the players, the emergency response centers as the resource locations …

The Tampa Heights Greenprinting Initiative: An Attempt At Community Building Through Park Revitalization, Maya Marie Harper

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I discuss the Tampa Heights Greenprinting Initiative, an initiative to build community in a gentrifying neighborhood. I was primarily hired to find out what changes residents of Tampa Heights desired in their chosen park, observe the Greenprinting process, and write a report that could be used in future initiatives.

Due to my Anthropological training, I paid attention to the wider context associated with this project. I paid as much attention to who was not there as I did to who was there. The applied nature of my program enabled me to not only document the socio-economic factors …

Development Of A Generic Pda Based Control Mechanism For In-House Fabricated Miniature Sensors, Sunny Kedia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A novel method of controlling miniature sensors using Handspring Visor Prism PDA has been implemented. A generic motherboard was developed to map the data and address lines from the Visor onto a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD) to provide basic electrical signals to the sensor board. The sensor board housed the sensor and contained application specific circuitry. The PDA, the motherboard, and the sensor board completed the control mechanism for the sensor. Miniature sensors and PDA based control mechanism scaled down the size of the complete system making the unit portable. This unit facilitated a faster analysis of data on …

Evaluation Of The Current State Of Florida West Nile Surveillance Program As A Predictor For Control And Prevention Of Human West Nile Diseases, Angela E. Butler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

West Nile is an important novel virus in the United States, having spread rapidly since it was first detected in New York in 1999. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as many State Health Departments, have mandated programs for surveillance of West Nile Virus activity. These programs incorporate many different aspects including existing arboserology programs with additional testing for West Nile Virus and new plans that incorporate active and passive surveillance methods.

The objective of this study was to examine all aspects of the Florida West Nile surveillance program to determine if there was transmission in the …

Characteristics Of A Chronically, Rapidly Eroding Beach: Long Key, Pinellas County, Florida, Alyssa L. Saint John

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Long Key, on the central western coast of Florida, has been nourished repeatedly since 1975. Following nourishment, the beach has rapidly eroded. This study documents rates, processes, and mechanisms for the rapid erosion. To better understand the beach performance, it is crucial to quantify the background erosion rate when artificial beach fill is at its minimum. This year long study from February 2003 through March of 2004 provides a detailed examination of the performance of a natural beach experiencing intense erosion.

The primary objective is to analyze the performance of Long Key through detailed investigation of shoreline and beach-volume changes …

Threatening Skies, Brandon Dunlap

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Investigating Second Seminole War Sites In Florida: Identification Through Limited Testing, Christine Bell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses the results of limited testing at the Fort Dade (1836-1842) and Hope Homestead (1842-ca. 1900) archaeological sites to establish a method for quickly identifying threatened sites with minimal disturbance to surrounding areas. Artifact analysis, pattern recognition, and comparison with similar known sites are key elements. Pedestrian survey, metal detection, posthole and shovel testing, and test excavation are tools used to accomplish this. Artifact analysis is used to establish date ranges for the sites, as well as the material variation between military and homestead occupations. Artifacts used for analysis include glass, ceramics, nails, arms and personal items. Quantitative …

Images Of Naples: Class, Gender And The Southern Character In Hester Piozzi’S Observations And Reflections, Kelley A. Cason

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

On the tenth of January 1786, Mrs. Hester Lynch Piozzi recorded her entrance into the city of Naples, Italy in her travel journal Observations and Reflections Made in the Course of a Journey Through France, Italy, and Germany. She emphasized the importance of her experience in Naples by stating that: "among all the new ideas I have acquired since England lessened to my sight upon the sea, those gained at Naples will be the last to quit me." This British woman's stay in Naples was but a brief period within her three year long Grand Tour, yet it represented …

On The Color Of The Orinoco River Plume, Ana L. Odriozola

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In situ measurements were used to study the bio-optical properties of marine waters within the Gulf of Paria (GOP, Venezuela) and in the Southeastern Caribbean Sea (SEC) as they are affected by the seasonal discharge of the Orinoco River plume. The main purpose of this study was to determine the impact of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) (also known as Gelbstoff), phytoplankton, and total suspended matter (TSM) in the color of the Orinoco River plume. This information is essential for regional ocean color algorithms development.

Salinity and silica values indicate that the GOP and SEC waters were under the …

Morphodynamics Of Bunces Pass, Florida, Jack C. Wilhoit Ii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bunces Pass is an unstructured tide-dominated inlet just north of the main entrance to Tampa Bay, Florida. The inlet has been stable for at least 130 years, as the size, shape, and orientation have remained unchanged. The morphological evolution of the Bunces Pass ebb-tidal delta is influenced by adjacent inlets. Historically, the ebb tidal delta was extremely large, due to the presence of the south channel of Pass-A-Grille Pass. As the tidal prism decreased through the south channel, the sheltering effect produced by the large ebb tidal delta diminished, and large volumes of sand began migrating shoreward. Sediment from the …

Transnational Social Movements And The War On Drugs, Ben Mostyn

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the growing body of work on transnational social movement theory. Transnational social movement theory is an attempt to adapt social movement theory to the changing nature of international relations. To further this theory, I test the hypothesis that "a transnational social movement has caused drug law reforms at the local and state level".

To test this hypothesis I undertake a case study of one local and one national drug law reform. The drug laws in the state of New South Wales, Australia were reformed in 1999 to allow heroin addicts to use a medical center to inject …

An Analysis Of Key Deer Herbivory On Forest Communities In The Lower Florida Keys, Mark Allan Barrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) population has increased from less than 80 individuals in the 1950s to approximately 700 by 2000. Over two-thirds of the Key deer population resides on two islands out of a potential 26 islands within their range. The skewed distribution resulted in high deer densities on Big Pine, No Name, and Big Munson keys. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of Key deer herbivory in mangrove, buttonwood, hammock and pineland habitats between islands with low, medium, and high densities of deer. Host-plant choice trials were conducted to determine Key …

A P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface: Testing An Alternative Method Of Communication, Eric W. Sellers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study evaluates the effectiveness of a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system that operates by detecting a P300 elicited by one of four randomly presented stimuli (i.e., YES, NO, PASS, END). Two groups of participants were tested. The first group included three ALS patients that varied in degree of disability, but all retained the ability to communicate; the second group included three Non-ALS controls. Each participant participated in ten experimental sessions during a period of approximately 6 weeks. Sessions were conducted either at the participant's home or in the lab. During each run the participant's task was to attend to …

They Shoot Single People, Don't They?, Dianne J. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

They Shoot Single People, Don't They? is a romantic comedy of errors set in Boston about Lexie, a twenty-five year old pediatric nurse with still perky breasts and lightly dimpled thighs who can figure out pediatric drug dosages, but is so severely relationship-challenged that she can't make any choice at all when it comes to men. Her life becomes a convoluted mess that includes two guys and a tangled web of lies.

After Marcus dumps her with a post-it note taped to her refrigerator door, Lexie thinks that her five-year plan to get married and have a baby are back …

From Wounded To Woman: The Demasculinization Of Hemingway’S Wounded Male Characters, Myla B. Morris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During his time of service in the Italian Army in World War I, Ernest Hemingway was injured. He received a non-life-threatening wound and was forever changed. In his article, "Ernest Hemingway: The Life as Fiction and the Fiction as Life," Jackson J. Benson proposes the idea of Hemingway's "wounding what if?" that follows this course of thought: "What if I were wounded and made crazy?, what would happen if I were sent back to the front? I was only wounded in an accident, what do the really brave ones think of me? (351)" Shortly following the war, Hemingway was wounded …

Road Crack Condition Performance Modeling Using Recurrent Markov Chains And Artificial Neural Networks, Jidong Yang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Timely identification of undesirable pavement crack conditions has been a major task in pavement management. Up to date, myriads of pavement performance models have been developed for forecasting pavement crack condition with the traditional preferred techniques being the use of regression relationships developed from laboratory and/or field statistical data. However, it becomes difficult for regression techniques to predict the crack performance accurately and robustly in the presence of a variety of tributary factors, high nonlinearity, and uncertainty. With the advancement of modeling techniques, two innovative breeds of models, Artificial Neural Networks and Markov Chains, have drawn increasing attention from researchers …

Antenna Array Output Power Minimization Using Steepest Descent Adaptive Algorithm, Sandra Gomulka Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A beamforming antenna array is a set of antennas whose outputs are weighted by complex values and combined to form the array output. The effect of the complex valued weights is to steer lobes and nulls of the array pattern to desired directions. These directions may be unknown and so the antenna weights must be adjusted adaptively until some measure of array performance is improved, indicating proper lobe or null placement.

An adaptive algorithm to adjust the complex weights of an antenna array is presented that nulls high power signals while allowing reception of GPS signals as long as the …