American Studies Commons^™

Analysis Of How Mobile Robots Fail In The Field, Jennifer Carlson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The considerable risk to human life associated with modern military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) and urban search and rescue (USAR) has led professionals in these domains to explore the use of robots to improve safety. Recent studies on mobile robot use in the field have shown a noticeable lack of reliability in real field conditions. Improving mobile robot reliability for applications such as USAR and MOUT requires an understanding of how mobile robots fail in field environments.

This paper provides a detailed investigation of how ground-based mobile robots fail in the field. Forty-four representative examples of failures from 13 …

The Literacy Practices Of Working Class White Women, Jody Ann Fernandez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is an accepted construct that literacy proficiency is vital to economic success in America. As well, research has shown that home literacy use, especially parental practices, is instrumental in the children's acquisition of literacy skills, and later, proficiency with school literacy tasks. While literacy research abounds regarding family literacy practice, especially that of low-income mothers and children, rarely is the concept of class specifically addressed as separate from race.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the reported home literacy practices of nine white working class women residing in a neighborhood in the Southeastern United States. …

Spatial And Temporal Chemical Variations In The Hillsborough River System, Lori A. Pillsbury

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Hillsborough River flows southwesterly through Pasco and Hillsborough counties in west central Florida. From its source at the Green Swamp to its mouth in Hillsborough Bay, the river is joined by many tributaries and man-made inputs. Spatial and temporal variations in the river's major ion and CO₂ system chemistry were examined in a two-year study between 1999 and 2001. At thirteen sampling stations along approximately 54 miles of the river, water samples were collected in surroundings that ranged from pristine to urban. Samples were collected monthly for the first year and periodically thereafter. Concentrations of major ions were …

Hypocrisy Induction To Alter Selection Decisions Among Aversive Racists: Analyzing The Role Of External Motivation To Respond Without Prejudice, Andrew Biga

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study will examine the effects of hypocrisy induction on selection decisions for two populations: Aversive Racists and truly non-prejudiced individuals. Aversive Racists are operationally defined as individuals who are low in explicit prejudice and high in implicit prejudice, whereas truly non-prejudiced individuals are defined as being low in both explicit and implicit prejudice. These two groups of people will differ on their ratings of job applicants, so that Aversive Racists will rate Black applicants lower than White applicants (with comparable job credentials) while truly non-prejudiced individuals will rate them similarly. The induction of hypocrisy will serve as a …

Brain Tumor Target Volume Determination For Radiation Therapy Treatment Planning Through The Use Of Automated Mri Segmentation, Gloria Patrika Mazzara

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Radiation therapy seeks to effectively irradiate the tumor cells while minimizing the dose to adjacent normal cells. Prior research found that the low success rates for treating brain tumors would be improved with higher radiation doses to the tumor area. This is feasible only if the target volume can be precisely identified. However, the definition of tumor volume is still based on time-intensive, highly subjective manual outlining by radiation oncologists. In this study the effectiveness of two automated Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) segmentation methods, k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) and Knowledge-Guided (KG), in determining the Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) of brain tumors …

Improved Current-Voltage Methods For Rf Transistor Characterization, Charles Passant Baylis Ii

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the development of a nonlinear transistor model, several measurements are used to extract equivalent circuit parameters. The current-voltage (IV) characteristic of a transistor is one of the measurement data sets that allows the nonlinear model parameters to be extracted. The accuracy of the IV measurement greatly influences the accuracy of the large-signal model.

Numerous works have reported the inadequacy of traditional static DC IV measurements to accurately predict radio-frequency (RF) behavior for many devices. This inaccuracy results from slow processes in the device that do not have time to completely respond to the quick changes in terminal conditions when …

Longshore Sediment Transport From Northern Maine To Tampa Bay, Florida: A Comparison Of Longshore Field Studies To Relative Potential Sediment Transport Rates Derived From Wave Information Study Hindcast Data, Joseph F. Van Gaalen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the regional longshore sediment transport pattern of the seaward coast of the United States and Gulf of Mexico from northern Maine to Tampa Bay, Florida. From previous studies it is known that along the coast there are variations in direction of sediment transport known as nodal zones as well as variations in sediment transport rate. Wave Information Study (WIS) hindcast data for the interval 1976 through 1995 (United States Army Corps of Engineers, 2003) provide a spatially continuous model of the regional longshore current directions in the study area.

In chapter one, all available published field studies …

Fault Tolerant Design Verification Through The Use Of Laser Fault Injection, Paris D. Wiley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Laser Fault Injection (LFI) testing has been demonstrated to be a useful tool in the prediction of single event upset rates in microcircuits. In addition LFI has contributed to the basic understanding of the mechanisms that cause single event upsets. However, very little research has been performed on the viability of LFI as a tool for verifying fault tolerant designs incorporated in ASICs, FPGAs, microprocessors and embedded systems. Current fault tolerant design verification techniques such as simulation and test have several significant limitations that prevent the complete verification of a fault tolerant design. However, LFI possesses spatial, temporal and financial …

Cognitive Processing Patterns Associated With Completion Of Treatment For Domestic Violence, Amina Porter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the differences in how domestically violent men processed social information before, during, and after the completion of treatment received from a Batterers Intervention Program in Florida.

Men receiving mandatory treatment for domestic violence as the result of a court order were exposed to a series of hypothetical scenarios involving their intimate partners and women with whom they were not intimately acquainted. The scenarios were sculpted to create negative feelings in the men,and cognitive processing patterns were investigated by testing their recall of social cues, their perception of intentionality and hostility, response consideration, response decisions, enactment ability, and …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Constructivism As An Organizational Change Model: A Case Study, Leanna Stohr Isaacson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research described and analyzed a single-site case study of an elementary school of 930 pupils, pre-kindergarten through grade five. The six and one-half-year longitudinal study examined teacher's perceptions of both constructivism as an educational organizational change model and of developing a constructivist philosophy in an entire elementary school. The study examined the background and steps that evolved throughout the reform process.

Specific constructs most frequently appearing in the literature relating to developing an organization were studied: (a) philosophical foundations, (b) change, (c) perception, (d) leadership, (e) teachers as leaders and (f) affect. Research on teachers' perspectives examined key elements …

Assessor Effects On The Evaluation Of The Wisc-Iii, Sherecce A. Fields

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There have been many theories about cultural differences found between groups on intelligence test scores. The main debate has been between those in favor of a genetic explanation versus those in favor of a more environmental one. When considering environmental influences, one explanation has been that there could be differential effects due to the assessor. Although there have been several studies that have considered this possibility, the results are inconclusive. The current study attempted to tease apart the assessor effects by focusing on biases in the assessor alone and by eliminating effects from the test taker. The study is an …

Exploring The Relationship Of Emotional Intelligence To Transformational Leadership Within Mentoring Relationships, Shannon Webb

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examines the extent to which emotional intelligence is related to transformational leadership within mentoring relationships. One hundred and twelve faculty members responsible for mentoring doctoral students completed the Schutte Self Report Inventory of Emotional intelligence, as well as measures of empathy, self awareness, and self confidence. Transformational leadership ratings for each professor were provided by the doctoral student(s) who were advised by him or her. Study results indicate that emotional intelligence can predict several aspects of transformational leadership, including charisma and inspirational motivation. The predictive power of emotional intelligence was, in several cases, explained by the personality …

Study Of Cu Free Back Contacts To Thin Film Cdte Solar Cells, Vijay Viswanathan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goals of this project are study Cu free back contact alternatives for CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells, and to research dry etching for CdTe surface preparation before contact application. In addition, an attempt has been made to evaluate the stability of some of the contacts researched. The contacts studied in this work include ZnTe/Cu₂Te, Sb₂Te₃, and Ni-P alloys.

The ZnTe/Cu₂Te contact system is studied as basically an extension of the earlier work done on Cu₂Te at USF. RF sputtering from a compound target of ZnTe and Cu₂Te …

Shakespeare’S Midsummer Fairies: Shadows And Shamen Of The Forest, Patricia, Roy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent interest in environmental crises has inspired literary critics to consider how the history of ideas shapes our current ecological debates. Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream sets the stage for assessing how Renaissance attitudes towards nature have influenced current ideologies. While the play appears to be a fantasy, it reveals a relationship with nature, both physically and figuratively. The play's excursion into the woods shows an attempt to heal human relationships. Shakespeare's use of the imagery of nature argues in favor of the green world, for it is a world inhabited by shadows and shamen -- or, as Shakespeare calls …

A Simple Treatise On The Origins Of Cracker Kung Fu Or Mai Violence, Mark Joseph Runge

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

My project tells the origins of the Cracker Kung-Fu system through personal narrative and government documents. The personal combat methods of the system are shown and described. The Tire Iron Form, or set of movements, is shown in its entirety, and each martial application is shown.

Connections Count: Understanding Gender And Race Differences In School-Based Problem Behavior During Adolescence, Raymond C. Santa-Lucia

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Utilization of a large, diverse sample provided a rare opportunity to advance our understanding of gender, race, and socioeconomic differences in school-based problem behavior. Yearly assessment of discipline referrals and suspensions received within the school context from 5th- through 11th-grade, as well as assessment of school dropout, provided an opportunity to examine these issues through an extended prospective longitudinal design. Results highlight the middle school transition as a time when discipline referrals and suspensions increase markedly, while student reports of connections to others, motivation, and optimism decline sharply. Results indicate that boys, African-American students, and students from low socioeconomic status …

Mechanisms Of Ss-Amyloid Clearance By Anti-Aß Antibody Therapy, Donna Marie Wilcock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimers disease (AD) is defined as a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that gradually destroys a persons memory and ability to learn. There are three pathological hallmarks of the disease which are necessary for diagnosis of AD, these are; extracellular amyloid plaques composed of [beta]-amyloid (A[beta]) protein, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and neuronal loss. Amyloid plaques exist as both compact deposits which stain with Congo red and more numerous diffuse deposits. Active immunization against A[beta] 1-42 or passive immunization with monoclonal anti-A[beta] antibodies reduces amyloid deposition and improves cognition in APP transgenic mice.

Over several studies of active immunization in APP+PS1 transgenic mice …

Identification Of The Nucleation Locus In Emulsion Polymerization Processes, Vineet Shastry

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Particle Nucleation is the forcing function in the Emulsion Polymerization processes and it plays an important role in dictating the final properties of the latex produced. Identification of the main nucleation sites and characterizing them in terms of their size and composition is important for elucidating the mechanism of particle nucleation.

This research focuses on identifying the most likely nucleation locus in emulsion polymerization processes by characterizing the initial conditions of the reaction mixture. In order to achieve this objective, a methodology was devised, which used a non-reacting model emulsion system instead of the original emulsion. The model emulsion system …

Effects Of Staffing And Expenditure Variables On After Surgery Patient Safety In Florida Hospitals, Shaila Khuspe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To investigate the association between hospital investment in human resources variables and patient safety, specifically after surgery adverse events in Florida hospitals. We performed the analysis to identify the association of after surgery complication rates with full time equivalent employees (FTEs) per admission and per patient day, expenses per admission and per patient day and, the percent of total operating expense accounted for by payroll expenses.

Design: A cross sectional analysis using inpatient hospital discharge data and financial data from seventy short-term general hospitals, both for-profit and not-for-profit.

Methods: Discharge data from year 2000 was obtained from Agency for …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perception And Knowledge Of Multicultural Education, Sharondrea R. King

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that by the year 2020, African American, Latino, Asian American, and Native American groups will comprise 40% of the population. This implies that we must be equipped to teach students from both genders and various ethnic groups efficiently through educational systems that promote diversity, equality, and empowerment. Due to the teaching force becoming more female and white, while the student population is becoming more diverse, teacher educators and pre-service teachers need to learn and accept that diversity and multicultural education goes beyond celebrating holidays and sampling ethnic dishes. Therefore, it is paramount that teachers increase their awareness …

Effect Of Intensity Increment On P300 Amplitude, Tim Skinner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of task difficulty on the amplitude and latency of the P300 by altering the intensity of the oddball stimulus. A P300 was obtained on 22 adult subjects ranging in age from 21 to 34 years of age (mean = 24 years) with normal hearing. The "frequent stimulus" was a 1000 Hz or 4000 Hz tone burst, gated with a rise and fall time of 10 msec and 20 msec plateau, presented at 75 dBn HL The "oddball stimulus" was a tone burst of the same frequency (1000 Hz or 4000 …

Mediational Tool Use And Strategic Behaviors During Collaborative Online Reading: A Microgenetic Case Study Of Beginning Students Of German, Sabine Siekmann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated collaborative online reading from a Sociocultural Theory (SCT) perspective. Building on, yet transcending, research into learning strategies, the research focused on the concepts of mediational tool use, strategic behavior, and patterns of dialogic engagement of college student dyads as they completed a series of three collaborative WebQuests in a beginning German as a Foreign Language (GFL) class.

On-screen actions and verbal interaction of six dyads of beginning GFL students were recorded during three short-term, collaborative WebQuests. Full motion screen recordings were transcribed, and relevant episodes were coded for mediational tool use and strategic behaviors.

All dyads used …

Investigation Of Spatial Filtering For Planar Range-Resolved Pulsed Laser Ablated Plume Imaging, James F. Winslow

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a study of the intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) imaging of pulsed laser ablated plumes. Two-dimensional imaging of laser ablated plumes is a very important diagnostic for PLD. ICCD array photography is a useful tool for imaging PLD. The images obtained using the standard technique are characterized and compared with ICCD images of an altered plume, ICCD images intentionally violating standard imaging procedures, and film thickness. The depth resolving properties of a pinhole was investigated with the intention of applying it to PLD plume imaging. This results in a more thorough understanding of the depth resolving property of …

Social And Behavioral Aspect Of Mother’S Health Behaviors And Neonatal Health: Risk Factor Analysis Of Neonatal Septicemia In Urban Slums Of Muntinlupa, Philippines, Chisaki Sato

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reducing neonatal mortality can contribute to the further reduction of infant mortality rates in international health as it is responsible for about half of the mortality rate for those underfive today. The situation of infant mortality in the Philippines is no exception to this global trend. This study of the social demographic aspects of sepsis neonatorum in the Philippines has explored the conditions of the urban environment, and local cultures related to newborn illnesses and the patterns of health seeking behaviors of urban poor mothers which can affect the survival of newborns. The mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods …

Apocalypth Pentagram, Matthew Alan Guest

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Altars.