American Studies Commons^™

“The Best We Can With What We Got”: Mediating Social And Cultural Capital In A Title I School, Jarin Rachel Eisenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined teachers' perceptions and attitudes of Title I students at an urban elementary school in which over 90% of the student population receives free or reduced-priced lunch. Using participant observation and in-depth interviews, this research analyzed three avenues for Title I students to acquire cultural and social capital at school: material and non-material resources, language acquisition, and the building of positive teacher-student relationships. In order to analyze these avenues, this study explored the following questions: How do teachers talk about and perceive Title I students? Do their attitudes and the images constructed from these perceptions impact students' ability …

Historical Imagination In/And Literary Consciousness: The Afterlife Of The Anglo-Saxons In Middle English Literature, Richard Joseph Ellman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the afterlife and literary presence of the Anglo-Saxons in three literary works from the Middle English period. Middle English writers appropriated classical and French traditions for decidedly English purposes, but relatively few scholars have noted the way in which individuals in the Middle English period (particularly in the fourteenth century) drew upon and (re)constructed an organic English identity or essence emblematized by the Anglo-Saxons. Post-Conquest English men and women did not relate to their Anglo-Saxon forebears in an unproblematic manner; changes in language and culture, precipitated by the Norman Invasion, placed a vast, unwieldy gap between Middle …

The Impact Of Wearable Weights On The Cardiovascular And Metabolic Responses To Treadmill Walking, Kristine M. Fallon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing public health burden associated with insufficient physical activity has resulted in the development of numerous health initiatives and products aimed at stabilizing and reversing the negative trends reported in epidemiological literature. A relatively novel product that has only recently made its way to the market are wearable weights called Body Togs®. These products are designed to be worn on the lower legs and arms along with regular clothing as a means to increase caloric expenditure. However, no research to date has tested the efficacy of this product. PURPOSE: Compare the physiological responses within bouts of aerobic exercise that …

Creek Schism: Seminole Genesis Revisited, Philip C. Hawkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work reevaluates commonly accepted interpretations of Seminole ethnogenesis in light of recent scholarship and previously ignored sources from the Spanish archives. It argues that Seminole formation was largely a bi-product of a struggle between two opposing Lower Creek factions: the Creek "nationalists" and the ostensive Creek "partisans" of the British. This factional struggle became increasingly bitter during the French and Indian War and ultimately led to a schism whereby the ostensive "partisans" of the British colonized of the Alachua savanna in the early 1760s to become recognized as the first Florida Seminoles. This work also raises questions about the …

Communication As A Cultural Construct At The United Nations Arabic Translation Service, Amina Iraqi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I examine the practical challenge of constructing communication at the Arabic Translation Service (ATS) of the UN through the process of translation. Unlike in English in which "communication" has only one equivalent, in Arabic it has many depending on the context. My analysis focuses on analyzing the occurrence of two translation equivalents, namely ittissal and tawassul given that their use in translation sometimes proves to be cultural.

I conducted participant observation over the course of a two-month internship at the UN Headquarters in New York. Using grounded theory, I pieced together insights from a database of occurrences …

Closure Between Apparent And Inherent Optical Properties Of The Ocean With Applications To The Determination Of Spectral Bottom Reflectance, James Edward Ivey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on comparing six different marine optical models, field measurements, and laboratory measurements. Inherent Optical Properties (IOPs) of the water column depend only on the constituents within the water, not on the ambient light field. Apparent Optical Properties (AOPs) depend both on IOPs and the geometric underwater light field resulting from solar irradiance. Absorption (a) and scattering (b) are IOPs. Scattering can be partitioned into backscattering (b[subscript b]). Remote Sensing Reflectance (R[subscript rs]), the ratio of radiant light leaving the water to the light entering the water surface plane (E[subscript d]), is an AOP. R[subscript rs] is proportional …

An Assessment Of The Impacts Of Relocation On Public Housing Youth, Emily Zupo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper will explore the social and economic impacts of public housing revitalization on households with minor children. The research traces the relocations of families from two public housing complexes to other public housing complexes or market housing, using Housing Choice formerly Section 8 vouchers. We contrast and compare the socioeconomic characteristics of the original neighborhoods to the relocation sites from the census tract level, exploring changes in resources available to families.

Can Colored Dissolved Organic Material Protect Coral Reefs By Reducing Exposure To Ultraviolet Radiation?, Lore Michele Ayoub

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although mass coral bleaching events are generally triggered by high seawater temperatures, experiments have demonstrated that corals and reef-dwelling foraminifers bleach more readily when exposed to high energy, short wavelength solar radiation (blue, violet and ultraviolet [UVR]: Lambda ~ 280 - 490 nm). In seawater, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), also called gelbstoff, preferentially absorbs these shorter wavelengths, which consequently bleach and degrade the CDOM. Alteration of watersheds and destruction of coastal wetlands have reduced natural sources of CDOM to reefal waters.

I tested the null hypothesis that CDOM does not differ between reefs that differ in coral health, …

Land –Based Sources Of Pollutants To Coastal Waters Of Southern Belize – Comparison Of Predictive Model With Empirical Data, Victor Eduardo Alegria

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A Level III fugacity-type model was applied to southern Belize (Stann Creek and Toledo Districts) to predict which of the pesticides most heavily used in banana and citrus farms are most likely to end up in streams and coastal waters via surface runoff. Concentrations of all target pesticides in coastal waters of southern Belize were then measured during two sampling campaigns (dry season and rainy season) in 2008. Several pesticides were measured in significant levels, including some as far out as waters overlying coral reefs. The presence of these pesticides in the coastal waters indicates that agricultural activities in southern …

Natural Audiotopias: The Construction Of Sonic Space In Dub Reggae, John Baker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dub reggae is widely regarded as an early form of the remix. Dub artists modify previously recorded reggae songs by manipulating a song's individual tracks with a mixing board and layering them in aural effects such as reverb and echo. These effects are fundamentally spatial in quality, giving the listener an impression of vast open space. This paper is an analysis of the techniques utilized in dub's construction of sonic space as well as an investigation of the cultural meaning of those spaces. My analysis utilizes Josh Kun's theories about "audiotopias" (temporary aural spaces created through music) in order to …

Novel Roles For B-Raf In Mitosis And Cancer, Meghan E. K Borysova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The MAP kinase pathway is well known for its key roles in regulating cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. MAP kinases have also been implicated in mitotic functions, however these functions are less-well understood. Recent studies from our laboratory used Xenopus egg extracts to identify B-Raf as an essential activator of the MAPK cascade during mitosis. Therefore, the first objective of my dissertation research was to determine if B-Raf has functional significance during mitosis in human somatic cells.

Using RNA interference against B-Raf and various immunofluorescence techniques, I show that B-Raf: (1) localizes to and is phosphorylated at a key …

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of The Minimum Size Rule In The Red Grouper And Red Snapper Fisheries With Respect To J And Circle Hook Mortality And Barotrauma And The Consequences For Survival And Movement, Karen Mary Burns

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although closed seasons, bag limits and quotas are used to manage fishes within the Grouper/Snapper Complex off the southeastern United States, size limits are the cornerstone of fisheries management. Because fishers must release all undersized fishes despite fish condition, this regulation has created a mandatory catch and release system. Inherent in this management strategy is the supposition that these undersized fish survive in sufficient numbers so as to justify this regulation. To satisfy this criteria fish mortality must be low and released fish must also experience minimal sub-lethal effects. Determination of sublethal effects and evaluation of their potential impairment and …

Sacred Selves: An Ethnographic Study Of Narratives And Community Practices At A Spiritual Center, Sean E. Currie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many scholars have examined the religious phenomenon known as the New Age Movement, resulting in a large body of literature on the subject. Despite this abundance of prior research, only a small number of studies conducted in the United States investigate what it means to be a "New Ager" from the perspective of the members. In order to contribute to the academic understanding of New Age identities and communities, I conducted an ethnographic study of an alternative spiritual center in the Tampa Bay area, here called the Spirit Grove. My research includes over fifty hours of participant observations, ten in-depth …

Indoor Environmental Quality Within An Elementary School Classroom: Measurements Of Felis Domesticus I, Dermatophagoides Pteronyssinus I, Dermatophagoides Farinae I, And Blatella Germanica In Carpeting, Jennifer Fowler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges that indoor environments can impact the health of students and can affect concentration, attendance, and student performance (USEPA 2008). In a school year, children are required by the Florida Department of Education to be in school for a total of 180 days, which is 795 hours spent in a classroom (FLDOE 2008). In the elementary school setting, kindergarten classes typically spend a portion of the school day with floor-based activities. The American Lung Association (ALA) states that over 6.8 million children under the age of 18 are affected by asthma (ALA 2008). Allergic …

Assessing The Performance Of Water Bodies In Hillsborough County, Florida Using Data Envelopment Analysis (Dea), Geoffrey George Fouad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the relationship between surface water quality and land use. Water management recommendations will be divulged based upon the interaction of lake water quality and land use. The methodology developed for this research applied Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a performance measurement tool, to evaluate lake water quality in relation to surrounding land use. Lake performance ratings were generated by DEA software that assessed multiple variables describing surface water nutrient loads and surrounding land use. Results from this analysis revealed a significant trend between lake water quality and land use within the study area. …

Bite Force In Two Top Predators, The Great Barracuda, Sphyraena Barracuda And Bull Shark Carcharhinus Leucas, During Ontogeny, María Laura Habegger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Functional morphologists have extensively used measurements of performance to investigate the relationship among form, function and ecology through ontogeny. Among different measurements of performance bite force play a crucial role influencing fitness. Although, bite force has been thoroughly investigated among vertebrates, the majority of the studies on fishes have been concentrated only in small species. Consequently, this is the first study that compares the bite force performance in two large marine predators, the great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). Values of posterior bite force in S. barracuda varied from 3 - 258 N …

Detailed Geochemical Investigation Of The Mineralogic Associations Of Arsenic And Antimony Within The Avon Park Formation, Central Florida: Implications For Aquifer Storage And Recovery, Angela C. Dippold

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The mineralogic associations of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) were investigated for the Avon Park Formation (APF) in central Florida to determine its viability for aquifer storage and recovery (ASR). Rock samples were taken from fourteen different cores and samples were taken according to core length, interval samples, and based on areas suspected to contain high levels of arsenic and antimony, such as molds, dissolution fractures, pyrite, clays, and organic matter, targeted samples. Permeable samples were also taken from high permeability zones. In total 373 samples were described in hand specimen and analyzed for bulk rock chemistry. Inductively coupled plasma …

Theology, Spirituality, And The Academic Study Of Religion In Public Universities, Don Saunders

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines whether the secular institutions of American higher education should address students questions of meaning, purpose, wisdom, and human destiny. That is, it investigates the place of the normative analysis of religious experience and behavior within the public university. I use the work of Ninian Smart, Russell T. McCutcheon and Ivan Strenski to illustrate the case against the inclusion of theology and spirituality in the academic study of religion. In their view, theology is at best an artifact, like ritual or religious art and not an academic discipline. Conversely, I use the work of Paul Tillich, John Dunne, …

Reclamation: The Value Of Black Gay Writing Lgbtq Studies Panel, Lisa C. Moore

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

How gratifying to see a packed house on October 14, 2008 for a discussion of Reclamation: The Value of Black Gay Writing! Co-sponsored by CLAGS and Freedom Train Productions (www.freedomtrainproductions.org), the panel of scholars—Terry Rowden, Professor of African-American Literature, College of Staten Island (CUNY), Jafari Sinclaire Allen, Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African-American Studies/American Studies, Yale University, La Marr Jurelle Bruce, Ph.D. student, African-American/American Studies, Yale University—and me, publisher Lisa C. Moore (Redbone Press) came to discuss the impact of black gay writers on the community and academia... and to bear witness, reclaim and critique the work within the first …

Bewilderment And Illumination: Catch-22 And The Dark Humor Of The 1960s, Kirsten Staaby

Masters Theses

It is often hard to deal with certain subjects in a way that would not be offensive or painful. Dark humor is a popular and powerful way to deal with serious issues in a manner that is both edifying and enjoyable. In his novel Catch-22, Joseph Heller deals with the atrocities of war, and the subsequent effects it has on people and society as a whole. Heller's novel incorporates the dark humor that became popular in the 1960s, and that was used by this generation to deal with the tensions they faced in the political and cultural realms. There is …

Walt Whitman: A Man Of Compassion, Kaitlyn Cyr

Excellence in Research Awards

Although Walt Whitman was such a complex man, I focused on his time in the Civil War which showed what a caring, compassionate man he was and proved that he was more than a poet

Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Priscilla Finley

Library Faculty Research

A worthwhile update to the first edition (2004), this volume combines a dictionary-style thesaurus with notes, comparisons, and brief essays from notable contemporary writers and editors that clarify complexities and ruminate on points of contention.

Ant Clustering With Consensus, Yuhua Gu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Clustering is actively used in several research fields, such as pattern recognition, machine learning and data mining. This dissertation focuses on clustering algorithms in the data mining area. Clustering algorithms can be applied to solve the unsupervised learning problem, which deals with finding clusters in unlabeled data. Most clustering algorithms require the number of cluster centers be known in advance. However, this is often not suitable for real world applications, since we do not know this information in most cases. Another question becomes, once clusters are found by the algorithms, do we believe the clusters are exactly the right ones …

The Sustainability Of The Roman Forum, David Gargiulo

Grace Allen Scholars Theses

If walls could talk, what would the crumbling walls of the Curia Hostilia, the Temple of Venus and Roma, or any other structure in the Roman Forum tell us? Surely, tales of the glory of the Roman Empire that erected them would be told in their deserved splendor. However, the Forum Romanum tells the tales of thousands of others as well, the saga of the people who lived around those walls for more than 2000 years. For instance, the Forum’s loss of many of its marble and other stone taken by those in desperate need of building materials in the …

Walking The Walk: An Examination Of Āl Murrah Bedouin's Motives For Continued Nomadism, Benjamin Mehanni

Grace Allen Scholars Theses

The Āl Murrah, a Bedouin tribe in Saudi Arabia, practice nomadic pastoralism to this day. They continue to resist the pressures to settle exerted by government sponsored settlement programs, as well as the rise of a modern capitalist economy, whose growth increases the cost of living. The Āl Murrah’s motives for resisting sedentarization are based on a collectivist value system that defines a high quality of life based on accessing the desert and camels’ milk, having the freedom to decide when and where to herd their camels, and gaining the respect of their family and community. These factors are contingent …

A Proposal For A Student Office For Sustainability And Awareness, Frank Michael Malatesta

Grace Allen Scholars Theses

The environment has been neglected for too much of the history of industrialized society, Only now, after much damage has occurred, are nations beginning to support environmentally friendly policies and initiatives. Despite the effort, the need for change has not hit the all of thepopulation with a "Jolt." One of the best places to develop a sustainability mindset is at the University level. Universities must lead the example as the focal points of their respective communities and as the training grounds for the leaders of tommorrow. Currently, the University of South Florida falls short in the endeavor. The University lacks …

The Development Of Nationalism In The Indian Case, Sriram Madhusoodanan

Grace Allen Scholars Theses

Narratives, particularly historical narratives, frame our identities: they tell the story of our origins and provide us with direction to guide future action. Considering the numerous movements they have fostered in past 200 years, few identities have been as powerful a motor for social change or emerged as loudly on the world stage as national identities. In this context, India presents a unique case. In attempting to classify it, India could be labeled a multi‐nation state, due to the immense diversity of linguistic, cultural and ethnic groups that reside within it, each with its own particular historical narrative and myths …

Minnesota Mandates: County Government Fiscal Stress In An Era Of Declining State Support, Selena Krueth

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Minnesota counties are experiencing more than just financial burdens from state mandates these days. Counties and local governments currently are seeking the most effective solution of implementing state mandates; leaving behind the argument of no mandates without funding to "give us mandates that work". In my analysis I combined county budgetary and demographic data, with phone survey data gathered from Minnesota counties. I anticipate results that will show a wide variety in county administrator attitudes towards state mandates and varying local capacity to meet them. Costly state mandates, such as health services, and large county populations have proven significant in …

Family Affairs Newsletter 2009-04-01, 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.

The Effectiveness And Efficiency Of Female Chief Executive Officers, Robin Crauthers

Grace Allen Scholars Theses

Female Chief Executive Officers lead 2.4% of the top 1000 companies in the United States (Fortune). Why does such a large gender gap exist? There are many possible reasons. However, since a public company’s goal is to increase its value and maximize its profits, the only acceptable excuse for the continued gender gap is if women CEOs are not as efficient and effective as male CEOs.

Financial ratios provide a comparison measurement of efficiency and effectiveness when compared to industry standard ratios commonly computed. This study uses current and quick ratios, inventory turnover ratios, debt to equity ratio, return on …