American Studies Commons^™

Flexible Urban Drainage Systems In New Land-Use Areas, Jochen Eckart

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban drainage systems are influenced by several future drivers that affect the performance as well as the costs of the systems. The uncertainties associated with future drivers and their impact creates difficulties in designing urban drainage systems sustainably. A review of the different future drivers for urban drainage systems illustrates that no sufficient future predictions for the long operational life spans of the systems are possible. This dissertation contends that to deal with future uncertainties, flexibility in urban drainage systems is necessary.

At present, profound insights about defining, measuring, and generating flexible urban drainage systems do not exist. This research …

Human Motion Tracking For Assisting Balance Training And Control Of A Humanoid Robot, Ahmad Adli Manasrah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This project illustrates the use of the human's ability to balance according to his center of gravity as demonstrated in two applications. The center of gravity of a human is explained in detail in order to use it in controlling the Aldebaran NAO robot and in the robot-assisted balance training.

The first application explains how a humanoid robot can mimic a human's movements via a three dimensional depth sensor where the sensor analyzes the position of a user's limbs and how the robot can lift one foot and balance on the other by redistributing the its body mass when …

A Study Of The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, In Tampa Bay: Effects Of Perkinsus Marinus On Reproduction And Condition, Bridgit Melora Mccrickard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Five sites in Tampa Bay, Florida, were sampled monthly from February 2006 to January 2007. These sites were located at the mouth of the Alafia River, in an inlet of Cross Bayou, on the easement of Gandy Bridge, near mangrove in Manatee County, and an inlet of Salt Creek, off Bayboro Harbor. Standard methods were used to determine shell height and Condition Index (CI). Intensity and prevalence of Perkinsus marinus were analyzed using Ray's Thioglycollate medium test, while Haplosporidium nelsoni was studied by histological examination. Histological methods were also used to determine sex ratios, reproductive phases, and egg diameters. …

Design And Synthesis Of Protein-Protein Interaction Inhibitor Scaffolds, David B. Badger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many currently relevant diseases such as cancer arise from altered biological pathways that rely on protein-protein interactions. The proteins involved in these interactions contain certain functional domains that are responsible for the protein's biological activities. These domains consist of secondary structural elements such as α-helices and Β-sheets which are at the heart of the protein's biological activity. Therefore, designing drugs that inhibit protein-protein interactions by binding to these key secondary structural elements should provide an effective treatment for many diseases. Presented in this dissertation are the designs, syntheses, and biological evaluations for both novel α-helix and novel Β-sheet mimics.

The …

Sigma Factor N (Σn): A Novel Regulator Of Extreme Acid Resistance In Enterohemorrhagic E. Coli O157:H7, Pamela Ann Fay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Extreme acid resistance contributes to the successful transmission of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) through acidic food matrices and the stomach, allowing it to gain access to the intestine and elicit disease in humans. Alternative sigma factor N (σ^N, encoded by rpoN) was previously identified as a novel regulator of extreme acid resistance in EHEC. This study investigated the role for σ^N and co-expressed products of the rpoN operon in the acid resistance phenotype of EHEC. The results revealed that σ^N primarily controls acid resistance through repression of the glutamate-dependent acid resistance (GDAR) system through control …

Harvard Cowboys: The Role Of Silas Weir Mitchell's Creative Works In Defining Western-Style American Masculinity, Becky De Oliveira

The Hilltop Review

There were probably few men better placed in the latter part of the nineteenth century to help other men create a persona of strength and vigor--based quite firmly, too, in the tradition of literature and writing--than Silas Weir Mitchell (1829-1914), a physician who "achieved great success in popularizing the idea of a correlation between mental activity and nerve strain" (Will, 293).

Cobb, Irvin Shrewsbury, 1876-1944 (Sc 2547), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 2547. Printed letter of condolence from Irvin Shrewsbury Cobb, 3 April 1942, written to Mrs. Matthew J. Carney on the death of her husband.

A Study Of Potential Risk Factors Of Depression Among Latina Breast Cancer Survivors, Claudia Ximena Aguado Loi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Women with breast cancer commonly experience depression. However, this condition often goes unrecognized, undertreated, and understudied, especially in ethnic minorities. If left untreated, co-existing depression in women with cancer can complicate cancer treatment, lead to poor treatment adherence for both conditions, and decrease survival. These negative consequences are considerably higher among Latinas. With the growing number of Latinos and diversity within the Latino community, the literature has identified the need to disaggregate Latinos by region of origin. Unfortunately, few studies account for these differences and no study to date has examined risk factors of depression among Latinas diagnosed with breast …

Hierarchy Of Supramolecular Synthons In The Of Design Multi-Component Crystals, Padmini Kavuru

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most of the biological systems in nature are sustained by molecular self-assemblies which are the finest examples of supramolecular architectures. Non-covalent interactions are key concepts which govern these molecular assemblies. Inspired by these examples crystal engineering emerged as an important tool in supramolecular chemistry which aids in the invention of new molecular structures with desired properties. Understanding of how the molecules interact at the molecular levels enables one to rationally design novel solid forms with modulated physicochemical properties. This feature of crystal engineering has heightened its position in materials chemistry and is currently one of the most well studied fields …

Assessment Of The Oxbow Morphology Of The Caloosahatchee River And Its Evolution Over Time: A Case Study In South Florida, Chloe Delhomme

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Caloosahatchee River, located in Southern Florida, was originally a meandering and relatively shallow river. During the 1920s, the Caloosahatchee River was channelized and became the C-43 canal. The channelization has significantly impacted the river ecosystem, particularly the oxbows. The oxbows are the U-shaped water bodies on each side of the river channel, which are the remnant bends of the original river. To understand how anthropogenic influence affects hydrologic systems, the proposed case study was designed to assess the geomorphic changes of the oxbows of the Caloosahatchee River, Florida. Understanding and documenting the evolution of river morphology is becoming increasingly …

On The Automatic Recognition Of Human Activities Using Heterogeneous Wearable Sensors, Oscar David Lara Yejas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Delivering accurate and opportune information on people's activities and behaviors has become one of the most important tasks within pervasive computing. Its wide spectrum of potential applications in medical, entertainment, and tactical scenarios, motivates further

research and development of new strategies to improve accuracy, pervasiveness, and eciency.

This dissertation addresses the recognition of human activities (HAR) with wearable sensors in three main regards: In the rst place, physiological signals have been incorporated as a new source of information to improve the recognition accuracy achieved by conventional approaches, which rely on accelerometer signals solely. A new HAR system, Centinela, was born …

A Location-Aware Architecture Supporting Intelligent Real-Time Mobile Applications, Sean J. Barbeau

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents LAISYC, a modular location-aware architecture for intelligent real-time mobile applications that is fully-implementable by third party mobile app developers and supports high-precision and high-accuracy positioning systems such as GPS. LAISYC significantly improves device battery life, provides location data authenticity, ensures security of location data, and significantly reduces the amount of data transferred between the phone and server. The design, implementation, and evaluation of LAISYC using real mobile phones include the following modules: the GPS Auto-Sleep module saves battery energy when using GPS, maintaining acceptable movement tracking (approximately 89% accuracy) with an approximate average doubling of battery life. …

Troubetskoy, Amelie (Rives), 1863-1945 (Sc 574), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Mansucripts Small Collection 574. Holographic letter to the editor of Harpers Magazine which concerns letter of acceptance for Amélie (Rives) Troubetskoy’s story, “Her Christmas Caddy” and revisions made under the direction of Mr. Alden.

Morton, David, 1886-1957 (Sc 550), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 550. Letter, 19 March 1949, to Marjorie Clagett, Bowling Green, Kentucky, from poet David Morton, Deerfield, Massachusetts, concerning his visit to Western Kentucky State College, Bowling Green. Also, a printed copy of one of his poems as requested. Morton was originally from Elkton, Todd County, Kentucky.

Obenchain, Lida (Calvert), 1856-1935 (Sc 578), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 578. Photocopies of a letter written by Lida (Calvert) Obenchain, author, from Dallas, Texas, to Otto Rothert, author, Louisville, Kentucky, which contains literary and family information; an article written by Mrs. Obenchain and published in McCall’s Magazine; and some biographical notes.

Wilcox, Ella (Wheeler), 1850-1919 (Sc 577), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collecction 577. Letter written by Mrs. Ella (Wheeler) Wilcox, a poet, to Mr. Bery?, replying to his inquiry about her writings. Also, holographic copy of one of her poems is included.

Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention Strategies For Pandemic Influenza Outbreaks, Dayna Lee Martinez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In case of a pandemic influenza outbreak, non-pharmaceutical interventions will likely be the only containment measure at the early stages of the pandemic when vaccines are not available. NPIs also oer an option for decreasing the probability of creating antiviral resistant viruses product of a mass prophylaxis campaign. In countries where there are not enough resources for vaccines and antivirals, NPIs may be the only mitigation actions available.

NPIs have been increasingly used in preparedness plans. We can see recommendations and guidelines regarding the use of NPIs in countries, health departments and universities. Also, researchers all around the world have …

Franz Marc As An Ethologist, Jean Carey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Keywords: Animalisierung, Einfühlung, Ethology,

Expressionism, Painting, German Modernism

In this study I deploy the perspective of ethology to examine Franz Marc's paintings of animals. To perceive animals ethologically means acknowledging that animals feel, think, experience, and imagine the world. Ethology has come to include interpretive pursuits as well as traditional field studies, and as I show, Marc's practice encompassed both aspects of this evolving discipline. To establish the presence of ethology in the humanities I give a "case study" of what I call "retroactive ethology" in the work of J.M. Coetzee. I present an account of Marc's deep …

Patient Care Provider Safety: Examining One Intervention To Reduce Hospital Violence, Paul Leslie Ford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

In the summer of 2009, Tampa General care providers met with Hospital Administration to express concern that violence on care units was a growing problem and making it difficult to provide quality care. Nurses stated that such violence was one important reason many of their peers choose to retire. Administration took this situation seriously and formed a committee to gather information and submit suggestions to reduce the violence. The committee consisted of representatives from several nursing units, human resources, risk management, security, and administration. Duties assigned included investigation of the actual number of reports on all units and trends. …

Tradition For Innovation, James K.A. Smith

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Meta-Radicalism: The Alternative Press By And For Activist Librarians, Alycia Sellie

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Social Skills Training For Adolescent Youth: Measurement Of Skill Acquisition, Shannon Koehler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a classroom based training in teaching social skills to four adolescent females between the ages of 13–17 years old and residing in foster care. The training took place over a three week period, one night a week, for three hours at a time and utilized a Behavioral Skills Training format. The assessments were conducted via role play scenarios; pre- and posttraining. The results show each participant demonstrated an overall increase in skills from pretraining to posttraining indicating that youth in foster care were capable of learning the skills taught.

America In Verse: The Laureate Project, Leah Kind, Dan Gleason, Erin Micklo, Margaret T. Cain

Understanding Poetry

The purpose of this project is to allow students to use their (developing) skills of poetic explication and close reading, combined with research and analysis, to discover and establish a solid case for a poet they will nominate as the next American Poet Laureate. Working in groups of 3-4, students will identify a published, living American poet who has not yet been designated a laureate. The project demands a wide array of skills as the students research bibliographic information on the poet: read and analyze the poet’s body of work and select one central poem to represent that poet; amass …

Cawein, Madison Julius, 1865-1914 (Sc 531), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 531. Letter from poet Madison Julius Cawein, Louisville, Kentucky, to Fred H. Day, Boston, Massachusetts, a publisher, relative to several of Cawein’s books of poetry and to a book by novelist and poet Alice Brown.

My Mark Twain: Old Man River, Amelia Tatum Grabowski

Student Publications

Flowing across his pages, the Mississippi River inextricably winds itself through Mark Twain’s canon. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that my image of Clemens, my Mark Twain, is as a personification of his beloved river. Twain draws his readers to the water’s edge, seduces readers to stare into his depths, and reflects the achievements and failings of humanity. Furthermore, like the Mississippi River, Twain embeds himself in the American psyche.

Banks, Nancy (Huston), 1850-1934 (Sc 516), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 516. Letter, 8 June 1902, from Nancy Banks, Morganfield, Kentucky, to Mr. Parker, inquiring as to whether he had received a copy of her book "Oldfield" which she sent him because of his assistance to her in the writing of it.

Implementation And Optimization Of An Inverse Photoemission Spectroscopy Setup, Ervin Gina

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPES) is utilized for determining the unoccupied electron states of materials. It is a complementary technique to the widely used photoemission spectroscopy (PES) as it analyzes what PES cannot, the states above the Fermi energy. This method is essential to investigating the structure of a solid and its states. IPES has a broad range of uses and is only recently being utilized.

This thesis describes the setup, calibration and operation of an IPES experiment. The IPES setup consists of an electron gun which emits electrons towards a sample, where photons are released, which are measured in isochromat …

Groupdrink: An Examination Of The Social Facilitation Of Reward Evaluation And Alcohol-Related Behavior, Maureen Caroline Below

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adults- youth between the ages of 18-25- experience high rates of alcohol use and drinking-related consequences, yet risky drinking in this group seems to occur in the context of adaptive developmental processes. Such risk-taking behavior is thought to result from neurobehavioral changes impacting personality, cognitive development, and social functioning beginning in early adolescence. Youth seek out stimulation that, while objectively dangerous, may provide opportunity for evolutionary pay-offs. Social environmental cues signaling such pay-offs may facilitate risky behavior. This study aimed to manipulate social context, subsequent drinking-related behavior, and related shifts in risk and reward evaluation. Participants participated in a …

Systematics Of Harrisia (Cactaceae), Alan R. Franck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The genus Harrisia Britton (Cactaceae) comprises species of columnar cacti that are united by a unique seed morphology. The species range in form from prostrate shrubs to large trees and are native to South America and the Caribbean region. Harrisia is placed in an unresolved position within subtribe Trichocereinae of tribe Cereeae of subfamily Cactoideae. Relationships among the species within Harrisia are also poorly understood. In this study, several species of Harrisia were sequenced for as many as seven different regions of nuclear and plastid DNA. Species in the Caribbean were also examined with amplified fragment length polymorphisms. The morphology …

Rice, Cale Young, 1872-1943 (Sc 459), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "additional files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 459. Letter from Cale Young Rice, Louisville, Kentucky, to Stuart McKenzie, of Florida, in which Rice discusses some of his own writings. Also printed book reviews (3).