American Studies Commons^™

A Pilot Study Of Small-Scale Spatial Variability In Aldehyde Concentrations In Hillsborough County, Florida, To Establish And Evaluate Passive Sampling And Analysis Methods, Amanda M. Evans

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde are listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) as urban air toxics. Health effects due to significant exposure to these air toxics include increased incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer, myeloid leukemia, and exacerbation of asthma. Determining the spatial variation of air toxics, such as acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, is important for improving health risk assessment and evaluating the effectiveness of source control and reduction programs.

Here, a pilot study was designed and performed to investigate small-scale spatial variability in concentrations of aldehydes using passive samplers. A literature review was first completed to select and evaluate current …

Regulatory Mechanism Of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cell Activity, Cesar Alexander Corzo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are a major component of the immune suppressive network that develops during cancer. MDSC down-regulate immune surveillance and antitumor immunity and facilitate tumor growth. The ability of MDSC to suppress T cell responses has been documented; however the mechanisms regulating this suppression remain to be understood. This work proposes a biological dichotomy of MDSC regulated by the tumor microenvironment. In peripheral lymphoid organs MDSC cause T-cell non-responsiveness that is antigen-specific. These MDSC have increased expression of NOX2, enabling them to produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species. Since the transcription factor STAT3 is substantially activated in …

Characterization And Evaluation Of Performance Of A Whole-Body Human Exposure Chamber, Luis F. Pieretti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to characterize and evaluate the performance of a whole-body human exposure chamber for controlled test atmospheres of gases and particulates. The chamber was constructed from Plexiglass, has a volume of 75 ft

3, operated at a flowrate of 33.8 CFM, and both the makeup and exhaust air are HEPA filtered. Fly ash dust was generated using a Wright Dust Feeder. An elutriator was used to eliminate particles larger 8 μm aerodynamic diameter from the airstream. A direct reading instrument, the Rupprecht and Patashnick PM-10 TEOM, was used for determination of particle concentration. Particle size …

International Society Cosmopolitan Politics And World Society, Kimberly Weaver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

How does the international system move from an anarchic system driven by power to a global community driven by the needs/wants of the community at large? Jürgen Habermas utilizes the tenets of his Communicative Action Theory to underline the importance of communicatively based repertoire in the international system between and among states and non-state actors and the citizens themselves. How does arguing and reasoning among states and international institutions bring together legitimization and order? My research aims to analyze the movement of the international system from anarchy towards a global civil society. In doing so, I will examine Communicative Action …

Clinical Decision-Making In Aphasia Therapy: A Survey Of Perceived Levels Of Evidence For Common Treatment Approaches, Erin T. Rowe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The past three decades have produced a surge of interest in the role of evidence-based practice (EBP) in the clinical decision-making of speech-language pathologists and other healthcare professionals in delivering optimally effective patient care. A review of the literature revealed several studies investigating potential barriers to EBP implementation and attitudes toward EBP. However, few studies have been designed to probe what treatment approaches to neurogenic communication disorders clinicians are currently implementing and the rationales behind their use. Furthermore, a review of the literature failed to reveal any surveys designed to probe the correlation between what clinicians perceive to be evidence …

Off-Campus Work And Its Relationship To Students’ Experiences With Faculty Using The College Student Experiences Questionnaire, Cathy J. Hakes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Statistics on college students working have shown an increase as students cope with rising costs of education, decreasing financial aid, greater personal financial commitments, and the expectation that students should contribute to the cost of their own education. These facts combined with the students' need to secure employment upon graduation contribute to why they must work while attending college.

Whereas working may provide a means to address students' financial and employment concerns, it also limits the amount of time students have to interact with faculty outside of class. This form of student engagement enables students to become more comfortable with …

Characterization Of The Structural And Magnetic Properties Of Gd Thin Films, Daryl V. Williams Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The standard material by which all materials exhibiting magnetocaloric effect are

measured is Gadnolinium. In this work we are attempting to understand how

nanostructuring can impact the magnetocaloric effect, to this end we have grown Gd in

various thin film structures. The samples made were grown via magnetron sputtering on

MgO(100) substrates. Samples of thick Gd (2000 A) were grown and sandwiched

between two layers of Cr or W and annealed at increasing temperatures to study how this

can perturb the magnetic and structural properties of the Gd. Another set of samples was

grown in which Gd (at various thicknesses) …

Hatfield-Gaines Family, 1834-1981 (Mss 2275), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 2275. Chiefy receipts, deeds, wills, and other legal and financial documents of the Hatfield and Gaines families of Simpson County, Kentucky. Includes some Civil War-era correspondence of the Hatfield family.

"American Dream" Or Global Nightmare?, Melanie E. L. Bush

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

In the United States we are witnessing a period of heightened contestation about the parameters of nationalism, patriotism, and loyalty. The oft-heard phrase "Support the Troops" now signifies the desire both to send more soldiers to war and to bring home those already in combat. This "nation of immigrants" has spawned a new generation of "minute-men" to defend national borders while mainstream discourse touts the benefits of "diversity." Dreams of upward mobility present for some during the mid-20th century seem now hazy at best as the proportional income of those at top grows while the rest of the population increasingly …

Cates, Steve Dixon, B. 1940 (Fa 526), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 526. Correspondence, programs, newsletters, and other materials collected by Steven Dixon Cates relating to Sarah Gertrude Knott and the National Folk Festival Association. Included is his correspondence about his involvement with a variety of folk festivals and program materials from several National Folk Festivals.

Scisney, Sheri L. (Fa 256), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 256. Paper: "The African-American Set on Western Kentucky University Campus" written by Sheri L. Scisney for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Alvis, Elizabeth Duncan (Stark), 1876-1959 (Mss 320), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid for Manuscripts Collection 320. Correspondence, genealogical notes, scrapbook, and photos chiefly related to the Stark family of Allen County and Warren County, Kentucky, especially Confederate veteran John William Stark. Includes a narrative of John William Stark's Civil War service written by his daughter, and World War I discharge certificate of Richard C. Stark (Click on "Additional Files" below).

An Iterative Feature Perturbation Method For Gene Selection From Microarray Data, Juana Canul Reich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gene expression microarray datasets often consist of a limited number of samples relative to a large number of expression measurements, usually on the order of thousands of genes. These characteristics pose a challenge to any classification model as they might negatively impact its prediction accuracy. Therefore, dimensionality reduction is a core process prior to any classification task.

This dissertation introduces the iterative feature perturbation method (IFP), an embedded gene selector that iteratively discards non-relevant features. IFP considers relevant features as those which after perturbation with noise cause a change in the predictive accuracy of the classification model. Non-relevant features do …

Constructed Wetland/Filter Basin System As A Prospective Pre-Treatment Option For Aquifer Storage And Recovery And A Potential Remedy For Elevated Arsenic, Olesya Lazareva

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The efficiency to improve the water quality of industrial and municipal wastewater in a constructed wetland/filter basin treatment system was investigated. The wetland system was constructed in a closed phosphate mine used for clay settling and sand tailings in Polk County, Florida. During 18-months of monitoring the chemical/microbiological composition of treated wetland water remained relatively constant, despite significant seasonal variations in temperature, rainfall and humidity. The following changes in water quality between input and output were observed: substantial decrease of water temperature (up to 10°C), reduction of As, SO₄, F, Cl, NO₃, NO₂, Br, …

Garrison, Samuel W., 1762-1833 (Sc 1216), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and full text scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 1216. Booklet (20 p.) kept by Samuel W. Garrison, Allen County, Kentucky, which includes family genealogical records, a poem titled "The Choice, etc." as well as a note of advice to his children. Also includes some biographical information assembled by the Archivist related to the Garrison family.

Bowers, Joseph P. (Fa 269), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 269. Paper: Analysis of Brooks Campbell written by Joseph P. Bowers for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Parel-Sewell, Amethel (Fa 280), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 280. Paper: "Genres of Children's Folklore Found in Advertisements of Three Popular Magazines..." written by Amethel Parel-Sewell for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Variable-Density Flow Models Of Saltwater Intrusion In Coastal Landforms In Response To Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise And A Chapter On Time-Frequency Analysis Of Ground Penetrating Radar Signals, Swagata Guha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Populations residing on and near the world’s coasts have become increasingly dependent on coastal groundwater for their supply of freshwater. Under the conditions of predicted climate changes, the expected rise in global sea level can adversely affect the quality and quantity of freshwater resources in coastal areas as a result of saltwater intrusion.

In this study, a suite of two- and three-dimensional variable-density groundwater flow models of major coastal landforms (e.g. deltas, estuaries and small islands) has been constructed to assess the effects of sea level rise (SLR), using different SLR rates of 0.5 m, 1m and 1.5 m over …

Systematic Development And Validation Of A Course Of Instruction In Prior Learning Assessment, John D. Mcnally

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many post-secondary schools across the country offer adult working students an opportunity to obtain at least partial credit for work and life experiences in their curriculum through portfolios. The primary goal of this project was to design, develop and evaluate a portfolio course for adult students at a small independent university. Design emphasized adult learning theory and incorporated instructional design best practices throughout. Also significant to the design was the implementation of the Quality Matters ™ Rubric. The project focus was to intertwine the six assumptions of adult learning theory while implementing best practices and effective instructional strategies, and to …

Passing For Black: Coon Songs And The Performance Of Race, Patricia R. Schroeder

English and Creative Writing Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Increasing Healthy Food Choices In Preschoolers Using Correspondence Training And Recruiting Natural Communities Of Reinforcement, Elyse D. Wiseman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a contributing factor to many diseases. Unhealthy food choices are a behavior that can lead to obesity. Teaching children to make healthy food choices at an early age could lead to healthy food choices throughout a lifetime, which would mitigate potential for obesity. A number of different treatments have evaluated healthy food choices in children; however, many did not evaluate or show maintenance effects. The purpose of this study was to utilize correspondence training to acquire healthy food choices in preschoolers and to evaluate of natural communities of reinforcement as a maintenance procedure. Results showed that correspondence training …

Functional Nanomaterials With An Electrochemistry-Based Approach To Sensing And Energy Applications, Jessica Eileen Weber

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the past decade, the use of nanotechnology as a tool to develop and fabricate new structures and devices for biological sensing and energy applications has become increasingly widespread. In this work, a systematic study has been performed on one-dimensional nanomaterials, with a focus on the development of miniaturized devices with a "bottom up" approach. First, members of the nano - carbon family are utilized for biosensing applications; in particular, carbon nanotubes as well as nitrogen - doped and boron - doped nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films. These carbon - based materials possess several unique electrochemical properties over other conductive materials …

A Canine Audience: The Effect Of Animal-Assisted Therapy On Reading Progress Among Students Identified With Learning Disabilities, Julie Omodio Griess

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the use of animal-assisted therapy with students identified with a learning disability and limited reading success. Initially, reading progress was defined as the participants' comprehension rate obtained from an oral Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) passage. The nature of the Informal Reading Inventory requires the introduction of more difficult reading passages as the student's comprehension rate increases, potentially masking the overall effect of the intervention. Due to this factor and erratic student performance, which is a common characteristic of students with learning disabilities, obtaining consistent comprehension rates was difficult. Therefore, progress was defined only as total amount of …

Autonomic Reactivity And Recovery In Healthy Black, White, And Hispanic Women With And Without A Family History Of Cardiovascular Disease, Mardís Sara Karlsdóttir

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity and impaired recovery to psychological stress is independently related to cardiovascular disease (CVD), and may play a causal role in its development. I examined autonomic reactivity and recovery in 136 black, white, and Hispanic women who were predisposed to CVD, as indicated by a positive family history (FH+). Pre-ejection period (PEP; sympathetic) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA; parasympathetic) were measured during public speaking, mental arithmetic, and cold pressor tasks. Overall, FH+ participants exhibited greater RSA reactivity, while black participants exhibited impaired RSA recovery. These findings suggest that a hereditary predisposition for CVD is related to altered autonomic …

Prioritizing Those Who Follow: Servant Leadership, Needs Satisfaction, And Positive Employee Outcomes, Kristin N. Saboe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Servant leaders seek to fulfill the needs of followers and promote their success and well-being through a follower-centric, generative approach to leadership. This study proposes a model to describe the mediating mechanism of follower needs satisfaction, as proposed by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), for the relationship between servant leadership (SL) behaviors and employee outcomes (e.g., job performance, job attitudes, well-being, community prosocial behavior). Supervisor-subordinate dyads (N = 147 pairs) from four diverse organizations completed surveys about the supervisors' leadership behaviors and the subordinates' job experiences. Structural equation modeling and regression analyses were conducted to determine the nature of relationships between SL, …

Examining The Relationship Between Work-To-Family Conflict And Parenting Behavior, Eunae Cho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although work-family conflict (WFC) has been of particular interest to work-family researchers, little attention has been paid to the consequences of WFC that reside in the family domain. Research on WFC and child outcomes is especially scant. The current study addresses the gap in the literature by investigating the relationship between work-interfere-with-family (WIF) and three forms of parent-child interaction behavior (PB): physical and recreational PB (PRPB), cognitive and academic-oriented PB (CAPB), and passive and maintenance-oriented PB (PMPB). The mechanism by which WIF relates to PB was further investigated by examining negative emotion as a mediator and trait guilt as a …

Contribution To And Use Of Online Knowledge Repositories: The Role Of Governance Mechanisms, Varol O. Kayhan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Drawing upon the concept of governance, this dissertation refers to the two most commonly employed mechanisms that ensure high quality knowledge in electronic repositories as expert-governance and community-governance. In three related but distinct essays, the dissertation examines the governance concept, and investigates contributing knowledge to and using knowledge from electronic repositories governed by these two mechanisms. The first essay sets the conceptual foundations of knowledge governance in repositories, and examines the salient aspects of expert- and community-governance that contribute to knowledge quality. The essay adopts an interpretive research methodology and analyzes empirical data collected from a range of organizations using …

Structural Diversity In Crystal Chemistry: Rational Design Strategies Toward The Synthesis Of Functional Metal-Organic Materials, Amy J. Cairns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metal-Organic Materials (MOMs) represent an important class of solid-state crystalline materials. Their countless attractive attributes make them uniquely suited to potentially resolve many present and future utilitarian societal challenges ranging from energy and the environment, all the way to include biology and medicine. Since the birth of coordination chemistry, the self-assembly of organic molecules with metal ions has produced a plethora of simple and complex architectures, many of which possess diverse pore and channel systems in a periodic array. In its infancy however this field was primarily fueled by burgeoning serendipitous discoveries, with no regard to a rational design approach …

Burns, Christie (Fa 524), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 524. Collection consists of material accumulated by Christie Burns for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class. Includes personal narratives, a reading of Thanksgiving editorials from the "Wall Street Journal," and video clips from a performance at the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club's 2004 gathering at Launde Abbey in Leicester, England. Also includes photographs of material culture specimens.

Jorgensen, Tim, B. 1976 (Fa 525), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 525. Collection consists of material accumlated by Tim Jorgensen for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class. The collection includes recordings and field notes from interviews with 5 individuals on jokes, songs, peronal narratives, and peach seed carvings. Also included are photogaphs and field notes from a going away party and a 2004 auction of knives, guns, and razors in Bowling Green, Kentucky and photographs of examples of material culture.