Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Spatial And Temporal Variations In The Air-Sea Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Of Florida Bay, Christopher Michael Dufore

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The flux of CO2 between the ocean and the atmosphere is an important measure in determining local, global, and regional, as well as short term and long term carbon budgets. In this study, air-sea CO2 fluxes measured using a floating chamber were used to examine the spatial and temporal variability of CO2 fluxes in Florida Bay. Measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity obtained concurrently with chamber measurements of CO2 flux allowed calculation of ΔpCO2 from flux measurements obtained at zero wind velocity. Floating chamber measurements of ΔpCO2 were subsequently coupled with wind speed data to provide a simple …

Investigating The Role Of The Internet In Women And Minority Stem Participation: A Case Study Of Two Florida Engineering Programs, Arland Nguema Ndong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite our awareness of the fascination modern humans have with the Internet, little is known about how and why colleges and universities create and maintain Websites. At the most general level, in this case study, I hypothesize that university Websites serve as communication and marketing tools in attracting students. At the most specific level, I postulate that civil engineering programs with Web pages depicting images of women and minorities would be more successful in recruiting and retaining women and students of color than civil engineering programs with Web pages displaying fewer or no images of women and minorities. The primary …

Quasi 3-Dimensional Electrical Resistivity Mapping Of Air-Filled Karst Conduits And Policy Implications, Charles W. Mccrackin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study assesses the capability and practical applications of quasi 3-Dimensional (3D) electrical resistivity surveying (ER) for mapping air-filled karst conduits. Vadose zone caves within the Brooksville Ridge of West Central Florida are relatively similar in architecture, with N-S elongation, and do not consist of an interconnected network of conduits. A high resolution quasi-3D ER survey was performed over two mapped cave systems on the Brooksville Ridge. The resultant survey verified the general effectiveness of quasi-3D ER in locating the two known near-surface cave features. Several other locations in the survey show similar or stronger resistivity anomalies trending in a …

Taxonomy And Geochemistry Of The Globigerinoides Ruber-Elongatus Plexus, With Paleontological Implications, Elizabeth Ann Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The reliability of foraminifera as stratigraphic index fossils, and as isotopic proxies of marine environments, is based on the assumption that the fossil concepts represent uniform species, responding consistently to their ambient environments. Understanding sources of uncertainty is, therefore, critical. In this dissertation, I explore a potential bias in the application of planktonic foraminifera utilized extensively for Cenozoic paleo-reconstruction and, to a lesser extent, biostratigraphy: the Globigerinoides ruber-elongatus plexus (‘plexus’ meaning a complex network of interconnected members). Taxonomic revisions since 1826 have resulted in the merging of multiple Globigerinoides species names under one general designation (“Globigerinoides ruber”), the implications of …

Solid-State Synthesis Of Imide Ligands For The Self-Assembly Of Metal-Organic Materials, Jason Alexander Perman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this research project, reduction or complete elimination of organic solvents is explored in the synthesis of cyclic imides using a technique that brings reagents into favorable position to react. Cocrystal Controlled Solid-State Synthesis (C³S^y3), takes advantage of supramolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking to form a cocrystal which can sequential be heated to complete the condensation reaction and produce a desirable product. Twenty-five successful condensation reactions result in high and clean yield.

C³S^y3 of cyclic imides with auxiliary hydrogen bonding moieties like carboxylic acid, carboxylate or pyridyl groups are …

Fundamental Transversals On The Complexes Of Polyhedra, Joy D'Andrea

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We present a formal description of `Face Fundamental Transversals' on the faces of the Complexes of polyhedra (meaning threedimensional polytopes). A Complex of a polyhedron is the collection of the vertex points of the polyhedron, line segment edges and polygonal faces of the polyhedron. We will prove that for the faces of any 3-dimensional complex of a polyhedron under face adjacency relations, that a `Face Fundamental Transversal' exists, and it is a union of the connected orbits of faces that are intersected exactly once. While exploring the problem of finding a face fundamental transversal, we have found a partial result …

Realizing Virtuality: Tracing The Contours Of Digital Culture, Nicholas Andrew Riggs

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

People connect digitally through social media, fusing their relationships with meaning in a non-space of relational potential--a translucent and fluctuating enclave where the self becomes elastic. This thesis explores how I have formed bonds in virtual space through ritual interaction. Looking at the ways I learned to use technology through the progression of a close personal relationship, I suggest that social media use is a performance of identity--a virtuality that exposes how people negotiate the digital enclosure of contemporary society. My story is one of digital nativity and reclaiming love through virtual performance. I show how these performances have had …

Parent Involvement In Children's Schooling: An Investigation Of Measurement Equivalence Across Ethnic Groups, Heather Marie Scott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Epstein et al.'s Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence focuses on the interaction and communication, or partnerships, among families, schools, and the community to bring the three closer together. The theory works in conjunction with Epstein's typology of parental involvement, which focuses on six types of involvement that are instrumental to a child's development and his/her school and educational success. These serve as the framework for the study and support the construct of parent's involvement in children's schooling.

The purpose of the current study was to conduct further validation analyses of an inventory designed to measure the construct of parent …

Analytical Methods To Support Risk Identification And Analysis In Healthcare Systems, Laila Nadime Cure Vellojin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare systems require continuous monitoring of risk to prevent adverse events. Risk analysis is a time consuming activity that depends on the background of analysts and available data. Patient safety data is often incomplete and biased. This research proposes systematic approaches to monitor risk in healthcare using available patient safety data. The methodologies combine traditional healthcare risk analysis methods with safety theory concepts, in an innovative manner, to allocate available evidence to potential risk sources throughout the system. We propose the use of data mining to analyze near-miss reports and guide the identification of risk sources. In addition, we propose …

Stable Isotope Studies Of Paleoenvironment And Paleoclimate From Afar, Ethiopia, Zelalem K. Bedaso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The sedimentary deposits of the Hadar Formation at Dikika and the Mount Galili Formation at Galili preserve a wealth of paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic records spanning the last 5.29 Ma. Stable carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of herbivore tooth enamel were analyzed for more than 600 specimens of 15 different taxa from 10 stratigraphic intervals. The application of carbon and oxygen isotopes here aims principally at reconstructing shifts in the relative abundance of C₄ grasses, and its implications for climate indicators including temperature, aridity, and seasonality. The full range of δ¹³C_enamel values throughout the Plio-Pleistocene signifies a …

Impacts Of Artificial Reefs On Surrounding Ecosystems, Sarine Manoukian

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Artificial reefs are becoming a popular biological and management component in shallow water environments characterized by soft seabed, representing both important marine habitats and tools to manage coastal fisheries and resources. An artificial reef in the marine environment acts as an open system with exchange of material and energy, altering the physical and biological characteristics of the surrounding area. Reef stability will depend on the balance of scour, settlement, and burial resulting from ocean conditions over time. Because of the unstable nature of sediments, they require a detailed and systematic investigation.

Acoustic systems like high-frequency multibeam sonar are efficient tools …

Improvements To A Real-Time, Satellite-Derived Surface Current Product (Oscar) And Evaluation In The Intra-American Sea, Mindy Jo Robinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A method of creating real-time height fields using available gridded altimetry data combined with extrapolated values computed using linear predictive coding for use in the Ocean Surface Currents Analysis, Real-time (OSCAR) is developed and tested. This method is implemented by Earth and Space Research (ESR) to produce operational height fields that are in turn used to calculate the geostrophic component velocity of OSCAR. The gridded altimetry product used in OSCAR is evaluated against sea level measured by tide gauges while the operational total near-surface velocity from OSCAR (geostrophic plus Ekman component velocity) is evaluated using ocean velocities from moored and …

Probing Molecules In Confined Space, Carissa Marie Vetromile

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the plethora of information regarding cellular crowding and its importance on modulating protein function the effects of confinement on biological molecules are often overlooked when investigating their physiological function. Recently however, the encapsulation of biomolecules in solid state matrices (NafionTM, sol-gels, zirconium phosphate,etc.) has increased in importance as a method for examining protein conformation and dynamics in confined space as well as novel applications in biotechnology. Biotechnological applications include, but are not limited to, bioremediation, biosensors, biocatalysts, etc. In order to better utilize solid state materials as substrates for biological molecules an understanding of the effects of encapsulation on …

Combining Natural Language Processing And Statistical Text Mining: A Study Of Specialized Versus Common Languages, Jay Jarman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on developing and evaluating hybrid approaches for analyzing free-form text in the medical domain. This research draws on natural language processing (NLP) techniques that are used to parse and extract concepts based on a controlled vocabulary. Once important concepts are extracted, additional machine learning algorithms, such as association rule mining and decision tree induction, are used to discover classification rules for specific targets. This multi-stage pipeline approach is contrasted with traditional statistical text mining (STM) methods based on term counts and term-by-document frequencies. The aim is to create effective text analytic processes by adapting and combining individual …

Device Physics Of Solution Processable Solar Cells, Jason Erik Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This Ph.D work reports the studies of photovoltaic devices produced by solution processable methods. Two material systems are of interest: one is based on organic semiconductors, and another on organic/inorganic hybrid composites. Specifically, organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices are made using photoactive materials consisted of a p-conjugated polymer [Poly(3-hexylthiophene), or P3HT] and fullerene derivative [phenyl-C60-butric acid methyl ester, or PCBM] in a bulk heterojunction (BHJ) structure of donor/acceptor network. On the other hand, hybrid photovoltaic (HPV) devices are made from blend of quantum dots and p-conjugated polymers. The QD material presented here are of the lead sulfide (PbS), and lead selenide …

Selection And Implementation Of Technologies For The Re-Engineering Of An Existing Software System, Stan William Naspinski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A major hurdle for any company to cross is the act of re-engineering software if they wish to stay relevant. With the speed that software and technology advances, it would be ignorant for any product to stagnate. With that comes the inherent difficulties of choosing which of the older technologies to keep (if any) and which newer technologies to employ in the re-engineered solution. Once that is covered, the actual implementation presents its own set of challenges to both the decision makers and developers in the process.

This thesis describes a case study, in particular the efforts put forth to …

Estimating Groundwater Discharge In The Oligohaline Ecotone Of The Everglades Using Temperature As A Tracer And Variable-Density Groundwater Models, Victora Spence

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent research suggests that brackish, marine-derived groundwater up-wells in the oligohaline ecotone of the coastal Everglades, bringing with it phosphorus to an otherwise phosphorus-poor environment. The purpose of this study is to estimate the rates and timing of the groundwater discharge by using variable-density groundwater models constructed, calibrated, and validated with field measurements of hydraulic head and surface and subsurface temperature. Modeled groundwater discharge rates ranged from 5.4E-04 mm/day in August to -1.3E-03 mm/day in June for Shark Slough and 4.8E-01 mm/day in June to -1.4E-01 mm/day in January for Taylor Slough, where positive values imply groundwater discharge and negative …

Dynamics Of Stony Coral Assemblages On Patch Reefs Of The Upper Florida Reef Tract, Including Biscayne National Park, Amy Wallace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The patch reefs located in Biscayne National Park (BNP) are some of the most northern reefs of the Florida reef system. The focus of my study is seven patch reefs that were first surveyed annually between 1977 and 1981, revealing 8% - 28% cover by scleractinian corals. An assessment of BNP patch reefs completed in 2000 reported that coral cover had decreased to approximately 0.4% - 10%. The once dominant species in the Florida reef tract, Acropora palmata and A. cervicornis, have rapidly declined over time and were not found in any transects during the 2000 survey.

This study is …

Sex And The Seas: Gene Transfer Agents, Elizabeth Young

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gene Transfer Agents (GTAs) are phage-like pthesiss that are produced by many alpha proteobacteria in late stationary growth phase and are capable of transferring chromosomal genes (termed "constitutive transduction"). Examination of alpha proteobacterial genomic sequences indicated widespread occurrence of GTA-like elements. The goal of this study was to investigate gene transfer potential of GTAs of marine alpha proteobacteria in culture as well as in natural marine environments. Another goal was to determine the potential of bacterial symbionts from zooxanthellae and coral to genetically transfer beneficial properties between symbionts. Ruegeria mobilis (ID 45A6) was isolated from cultures of the coral endosymbiotic …

Palaeoclimatic Significance Of Perennial Ice Accumulations In Caves: An Example From Scarisoara Ice Cave, Romania, Aurel Persoiu Tiritu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotopes in ice cores drilled in the polar and high-mountain region have been used intensively to reconstruct past climatic changes and atmospheric dynamics. However, no similar studies have been conducted on perennial ice accumulations in caves due to a limited understanding of the links between the external and cave environments, and the way in which the climatic signal can be recorded by the cave ice.

In this thesis, we successfully designed and build a research methodology for the reconstruction of past climatic changes based on perennial ice accumulation in caves, using as example the Scarisoara Ice Cave, Romania. The …

Cataloguing Diseases And Pests In Captive Corals, Adrienne George

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stony corals (Order Scleractinia) are susceptible to a variety of diseases, which can occur from abiotic or biotic factors, or a combination of both. Public aquaria provide opportunities to study coral disease. Because coral mucus is the first line of defense against disease, the Biolog EcoplateTM is a useful tool to detect differences in microbial assemblages in the surface mucopolysaccharide (mucus) layer when comparing healthy and diseased corals. Histological examination is essential to document structural changes in coral tissue in response to diseases. This study identifies and characterizes diseases in captive corals through visual recognition, characterization of carbon utilization by …

Statistical Analysis And Mechanistic Modeling Of Water Quality: Hillsborough Bay, Florida, Keith Hackett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient pollution has been identified as a significant threat to U.S. coastal and estuarine water quality. Though coastal and estuarine waters need nutrients to maintain a healthy, productive ecosystem, excess nutrients can lead to eutrophication. There are significant potential negative consequences associated with eutrophication, including loss of habitat, loss of economic activity, and direct threats to human health. Hillsborough Bay experienced eutrophication in the 1960s and 1970s due to a rapidly growing population and associated increases in nutrient pollution. These eutrophic conditions led to more frequent phytoplankton and macroalgae blooms and declines in seagrasses. To address these problems, a series …

A Comparison Of Ecological Conditions And Relationships In An Altered Wetland And An Unaltered Wetland, Mark Kiyoshi Hurst

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to identify and quantify the hydrologic and ecologic differences between two adjacent sections of Colt Creek; one section unaltered and one section altered by clearing and drainage. These differences were measured by monitoring water levels, groundcover vegetation in each of the two areas, and monitoring numbers and species of birds utilizing the two areas. Surface water levels were measured in three locations: in the historic Colt Creek flow way, in the ditch draining the creek, and in an adjacent wetland strand. In addition, a shallow monitor well in the creek was used to measure …

Growth And Characterization Of Thermoelectric Ba8Ga16Ge30 Type-I Clathrate Thin-Films Deposited By Pulsed Dual-Laser Ablation, Robert Harry Hyde

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The on-going interest in thermoelectric (TE) materials, in the form of bulk and films, motivates investigation of materials that exhibit low thermal conductivity and good electrical conductivity. Such materials are phonon-glass electron-crystals (PGEC), and the multi-component type-I clathrate Ba₈Ga₁₆Ge₃₀ is in this category. This work reports the first investigation of Ba₈Ga₁₆Ge₃₀ films grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD).

This dissertation details the in-situ growth of polycrystalline type-I clathrate Ba₈Ga₁₆Ge₃₀ thin-films by pulsed laser ablation. Films deposited using conventional laser ablation produced films that contained a …

Parametric And Bayesian Modeling Of Reliability And Survival Analysis, Carlos A. Molinares

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to compare Bayesian and parametric approaches to determine the best for estimating reliability in complex systems. Determining reliability is particularly important in business and medical contexts. As expected, the Bayesian method showed the best results in assessing the reliability of systems.

In the first study, the Bayesian reliability function under the Higgins-Tsokos loss function using Jeffreys as its prior performs similarly as when the Bayesian reliability function is based on the squared-error loss. In addition, the Higgins-Tsokos loss function was found to be as robust as the squared-error loss function and slightly more efficient. …

Assessment Of A Countywide Stormwater Pond Improvement Project: Impacts Of The Hillsborough County Adopt-A-Pond Program, Anthony Thomas Betts

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Comparative research was conducted to assess the environmental impacts of the Adopt-a-Pond program, which operates throughout Hillsborough County, Florida. The Adopt-a-Pond program was established in 1992 and designed to address nonpoint pollution through outreach and stormwater pond enhancement. However, the program had never been thoroughly and scientifically evaluated. Therefore, assessments of water quality and vegetative characteristics were made at ninety Adopt-a-Pond participants and eleven control ponds to explore the potential impacts of the program on measurable environmental parameters. Statistical analysis of the results failed to demonstrate any statistically significant environmental improvements associated with the Adopt-a-Pond program, and measures of program …

Geochemical Systematics Among Amphibolitic Rocks In The Central Blue Ridge Province Of Southwestern North Carolina, Nathan Collins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Central Blue Ridge sub-province of the southern Appalachian Mountains preserves an unique and complex geologic history. The Cartoogechaye terrane is the westernmost terrane of the Central Blue Ridge sub-province, and is characterized by extensive olistostromal sequences, including mafic-ultramafic massifs, isolated mafic units, and block-in-matrix structures of varying scales. This study investigates the genetic and tectonic relationships, and regional chemical and metamorphic trends of the amphibolitic rocks entrained within units of the Cartoogechaye and nearby terranes, toward constraining the origins of these regional sequences, and examining the rationale for the current Blue Ridge terrane designations.

A distinct compositional variation exists …

Microbial Landscapes Of Corals And Ctenophores, Camille Arian Daniels

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As technology and engineering allow mankind to survey nature at finer scales, the importance of bacteria has been elucidated in their metabolic diversity, ability to transfer genetic information, involvement in biogeochemical cycling, and sheer abundance. With an individual domain of life unto themselves, this diverse group of microorganisms plays an integral role in facilitating life on land and in the oceans, and is second only to viruses in abundance on Earth. They carve niches in a wide range of environments, including those inhospitable to other life forms, and reside in concert or to the detriment of other microbes and/or hosts …

Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (Anmbr) For Treatment Of Landfill Leachate And Removal Of Micropollutants, Anh Tien Do

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To date, most studies on the fate and removal of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in wastewater focus on their fate in municipal wastewater treatment plants, and mostly under aerobic condition. There are limited studies related to anaerobic condition and (to our knowledge) no study on the removal of EDCs in landfill leachate by AnMBR. Moreover, for most studies under anaerobic condition, the removal of EDCs was only reported in the liquid phase; solid phase extraction was not reported, thereby preventing mass balance in the studies.

This research was conducted to investigate the potential …

Apparent Total Evaporative Resistance Values From Human Trials Over A Range Of Metabolic And Heat Stress Levels, Matthew David Dooris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Failure to maintain thermal equilibrium can cause uncontrollable increases in body core temperature beyond critical upper limits. In selecting clothing, consideration must be given to the heat transfer properties of clothing that may restrict the cooling capacity of the human body under heat stress conditions, most importantly, apparent total evaporative resistance (R_e,T,_a). This study calculated and compared R_e,T,_a for five clothing ensembles under varying heat stress conditions, including three relative humidity (RH) levels and three stages of heat stress to determine if R_e,T,_a values varied or remained the same with …