Digital Commons Network^™

A Generalized Decision Model For Naval Weapon Procurement: Multi-Attribute Decision Making, Jin O. Chang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For any given reason, every year many countries spend a lot of money purchasing at least one weapon. Due to the secret character of the military, the decision process for specific weapon procurement is shrouded. Moreover, there are several funds loss cases due to mistakes in weapon contractions. Weapon procurement requires very large amounts of money which comes from tax payers. Therefore, an effort to reduce a possible monetary loss is needed.

A decision process based on an analytic model can present a better chance to decision makers for better weapon decisions. In general, weapon procurement decision is a multi …

A Geographic Information System For Dynamic Ridematching, Sasha Dos-Santos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Online Transportation Option System (OTOS) is a Geographic Information System (GIS) that addresses many of the limitations associated with traditional dynamic ridematching applications. The main improvements are in the areas of trip scheduling and match searching. OTOS is unique in its ability to accept trips with schedules that can not be expressed in terms of a regular weekly trip. OTOS also distinguishes itself in its use of spatial analysis techniques to locate matches. Specifically, the use of a shortest path solver enables the ridematching algorithm to perform a search along the path of a user’s trip, in addition to …

Re-Engineering Graduate Medical Education: An Analysis Of The Contribution Of Residents To Teaching Hospitals Utilizing A Model Of An Internal Medicine Residency Program, Ian M. Elius

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the U.S. health care delivery system does not provide consistent, high-quality medical care to all people all the time. As a significant component of the health care delivery system, the state of Graduate Medical Education in the United States has prompted much analysis in recent years due to the general view that desired and actua l outcomes are increasingly at variance with each other. One area of focus has been the implications of change for provider credentialing and funding of graduate medical education.

With this research we test the hypothesis that residents perform …

An Integrated Optimal Design Method For Utility Power Distribution Systems, Ralph E. Fehr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a comprehensive and integrated design methodology to optimize both the electrical and the economic performance of a utility power distribution system. The proposal is structured to facilitate its adoption and incorporation into the existing utility infrastructure by allowing the various portions of the new design to be implemented gradually into the existing infrastructure without the need to abandon the portions of the existing system that are performing satisfactorily.

The topology of the substation plays a vital role in determining both the reliability and the economy of the distribution system. The ring bus topology is offered as the …

The Relationship Between Caregiving And Bereavement: A Series Of Three Studies, Allison Burton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spousal bereavement has been consistently demonstrated in the literature to be one of the most highly stressful experiences in an individual’s lifetime. In addition many deaths in the United States are preceded by a period of caregiving, which is also believed to be highly stressful and have a profound impact on bereavement. However the literature has been inconsistent as to the exact nature of the relationship between caregiving and bereavement and there has been some debate as to whether or not positive and negative affect variables are mutually exclusive.

This dissertation sought to further address the issue of the relationship …

The Analysis Of Dielectric Loss In Co-Planar Waveguide Structures Using Generalized Transverse Resonance, James William Culver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There are several methods for the full-wave characterization of waveguide discontinuities; Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Difference Technique (FDT), and Method of Moments (MoM) are popular. However, these methods are not easily applied when studying the ‘modal anatomy’ of a discontinuity. Other full-wave techniques are better suited. This dissertation discusses the formulation of a technique known as Generalized Transverse Resonance (GTR), which is a subset of Method of Moments. Generalized Transverse Resonance is a hybrid method combining the Transverse Resonance Method (TRM) with the Mode Matching Technique (MMT).

The understanding of the generalized transverse resonance method starts with a discussion …

Development Of Enhanced Multiport Network Analyzer Calibrations Using Non-Ideal Standards, John Edward Daniel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An Improved Short-Open-Load-Reciprocal (SOLR) Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) calibration is developed and validated. Through the use of a more complex load model the usable frequency range of the SOLR calibration algorithm is expanded. Comparisons are made between this new calibration and existing calibration techniques that are known to be accurate at high frequencies. The Anritsu 37xxx Lightning series 65GHz VNA is used as the principle measurement tool for calibration comparison and verification. This work is built off of previous work done at USF in which it is shown that the Short-Open-Load-Thru (SOLT) calibration’s accuracy improves through the implementation of more …

Evaluation Of Available Bandwidth Estimation Tools (Abets) And Their Application In Improving Tcp Performance, Yegyalakshmi Easwaran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Available bandwidth is a time-dependant variable that defines the spare bandwidth in an end-toend network path. Currently, there is significant focus in the research community on the design and development of Available Bandwidth Estimation Tools (ABETs), and a few tools have resulted from this research. However, there is no comprehensive evaluation of these tools and the research work in this thesis attempts to fill that gap. A performance evaluation of important ABETs like Pathload, IGI and pathChirp in terms of their accuracy, convergence time and intrusiveness is conducted in several scenarios. A 2 k factorial design is carried out to …

Automatically Determining Route And Mode Of Transport Using A Gps Enabled Phone, Himanshu Gilani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A system consisting of a GPS-enabled phone and a database has been designed and implemented. This system is capable of recording the route traveled by a user and determining the mode of transport (walk, bicycle, car or bus) used. The Java code running in the GPS-enabled phone automatically records location data, determines critical locations for the trip, and transmits the locations to a central database using the wireless capabilities of the phone. As the route information arrives at the database, it is processed by the mode detection algorithm that determines the mode of transportation being used by the individual for …

Reconfigurable Wireless Sensor Platform For Training And Research In Networked Embedded Systems, Oscar V. Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ever since the University of California, Berkeley released the first commercial Wireless Sensor Network, (WSN), "mote", applications that employ the WSN technology have increased many fold. There are many kinds of prototypes and architectures for WSNs that are being developed by major communication companies. Due to the lack of a common standard for different physical and MAC layer protocols, interoperability among the wireless systems is constrained. Additionally, remote sensing capability, reconfigurability and interoperability have not yet been designed. In the current platforms hardware upgrading has to be performed on-site by replacing the old sensors with new ones. This procedure increases …

Foraminiferal Assemblages As Bioindicators Of Potentially Toxic Elements In Biscayne Bay, Florida, Elizabeth A. Carnahan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heavy-metal pollution is an issue of concern in estuaries such as Biscayne Bay that are heavily influenced by agricultural, urban, and harbor activities. The goals of this study were to provide a “state of the bay” assessment that can be used to interpret changes that have occurred over the past 60 years in Biscayne Bay, to provide a baseline to compare changes in the ecosystems during and after execution of the Comprehensive Everglades Restorations Plan (CERP), and to determine if benthic foraminiferal assemblages in Biscayne Bay reflect heavy-metal contamination in sediments.

Surficial samples were collected at 147 sites throughout the …

Trade And Plunder Networks In The Second Seminole War In Florida, 1835-1842, Toni Carrier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Second Seminole War in Florida, 1835-1842, was a time of disruption and upheaval for all of those unfortunate enough to occupy the territory of Florida during the seven years of this protracted battle over Seminole removal to the West. Illicit trade was a major factor which enabled the Seminoles to resist removal for such an extended period. Illicit trade requires outside assistance. Documentary evidence suggests that such assistance was rendered by Spanish fishermen, English and American wreckers, slaves, free blacks, Native Americans and white American settlers. This thesis examines the evidence for plunder and illicit trade, and the possible …

The Effect Of Perceived Entitativity On Implicit Image Transfer In Multiple Sponsorships, Francoì?Is Anthony Carrillat

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes that in the case of multiple sponsorships (i.e., brands sponsoring concomitantly the same event), the group constituted by the sponsoring brands and the sponsored event will be perceived as an entity; a phenomenon that Campbell (1958) called entitativity. The extent to which a group of brands and a sponsored event is seen as being entitative will result in stereotypic processing of the group members (Brewer and Harasty 1996). Information about an entitative group is abstracted and used to form judgments about every group member (McConnell, Sherman, and Hamilton 1997). Characteristics tied to one brand or to the …

Effects Of Social Skills Training On The Interpersonal Behaviors Of Elementary School Students In An After-School Program, Robert Caples

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social skills training was investigated in an after-school program setting with four seven- and eight-year-old males. Two were Hispanic and two were African-American. Social skills training consisted of a direct instruction, behavioral learning model of skillstreaming as described by McGinnis & Goldstein (1997). There were four major components to each social skills training session: (1) an explanation of the skill being taught; (2) modeling by the researcher of the skill being taught; (3) role play by each of the participants; and (4) performance feedback regarding the role plays. Sessions lasted approximately 30 minutes and were held weekly throughout the intervention …

Relationship Of Waste Characteristics To The Formation Of Mineral Deposits In Leachate Collection Systems, Antonio J. Cardoso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Landfill leachate is generated as a result of reactions between water percolating through the landfill and wastes. Under normal conditions leachate is found at the bottom of landfills and from there, its movement can be controlled with collection systems to be treated, discharged, or recirculated. Landfill leachate collection systems are positioned above the liner and are designed to collect liquid under gravitational flow for the entire active, closure, and post-closure periods. Clogging of any portion of the system can lead to higher hydraulic heads and increase the potential for leakage through the liner.

To reduce the quantity of municipal solid …

Commensal Fecal Bacteria: Population Biology, Diversity, And Usefulness As Indicator Organisms In Reclaimed Water, Vasanta Lakshmi Chivukula

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water treatment facilities have been relying on indicator bacteria to assess the quality of water for decades. The purpose of this group of studies is to investigate the predictive capabilities of conventional and alternative indicators for pathogenic microorganisms in disinfection processes and treated wastewater effluents. In addition, the possibility that diversity of indicator bacteria, as well as overall bacterial diversity, correlate with fecal contamination in water bodies has been investigated. Indicator organisms (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, enterococci, C. perfringens, and coliphages) as well as pathogens (enteroviruses, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium) were enumerated from six wastewater treatment facilities at …

Mapping The Major Axis Of Tephra Dispersion With A Mesoscale Atmospheric Model: Cerro Negro Volcano, Nicaragua, Marc A. Byrne

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Models of tephra fallout are used to assess volcanic hazards in advance of eruptions and in near-real-time. Current models often approximate the wind field using simplistic assumptions of the atmosphere that cannot account for typical variations in wind velocity that occur in time and three-dimensional space. Here, a widely used mesoscale atmospheric model is used to improve forecasts of the location of the major axis of dispersion for erupting plumes. The Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric Research fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) specializes in atmospheric prediction for regions on the order of ten to hundreds of kilometers on a side. …

An Examination Of The Diet And Movement Patterns Of The Atlantic Cownose Ray Rhinoptera Bonasus Within A Southwest Florida Estuary, Angela Barker Collins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cownose rays are benthic, suction feeders whose foraging activities have been implicated in severe damage to commercial shellfish industries and seagrass habitat. With jaws highly modified for durophagy, it has been assumed that they are crushing specialists, feeding primarily upon hard molluscan prey. In addition, R. bonasus are believed to be highly migratory, transient residents of coastal inshore waters. However, minimal quantitative data exist regarding R. bonasus feeding or movement patterns in the Gulf of Mexico. Stomach contents from 50 cownose rays caught within the Charlotte Harbor estuary between July 2003 and July 2004 were analyzed using the index of …

Sound Localization Abilities Of Two Florida Manatees, Trichechus Manatus Latirostris, Debborah E. Colbert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) live in the shallow, often turbid inland and coastal waters of the southeastern United States. Since their vision is poor (Bauer et al., 2003), other senses probably guide orientation. Previous studies have found that manatees can hear over 40 kHz (Gerstein et al., 1999) and have the capacity for rapid auditory temporal processing (Mann et al., 2005). However, it is not known if manatees have the ability to localize underwater sounds.

Two Florida manatees were trained to identify underwater sound source locations using a four-choice discrimination paradigm. Three broad-band signals ( 0.2 - …

Promotoras Of The U.S.-Mexico Border: An Ethnographic Study Of Culture Brokerage, Agency, And Community Development, Ricardo B. Contreras

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines promotoras from the U.S.-Mexico border. Promotoras are women who live in colonias throughout the border area and who are employed by service provider and community development organizations to do health-related outreach and education with colonia residents. The role of promotoras can be seen from the perspective of culture brokerage; that is, they are mediators between local communities and external actors such as service providers and agencies of the government. As culture brokers, promotoras facilitate the relationship among the local communities, and the system of services and outside resources. The study proposes a conceptual framework through which programs …

Promoting And Preventing Alzheimer’S Disease In A Transgenic Mouse Model: Apolipoprotein E And Environmental Enrichment, David Antonio Costa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Besides age, inheritance of the apoE-ε4 allele is the main risk factor for late-onset AD. To determine the role of apoE in amyloid deposition, we studied mice expressing both mutant human amyloid ß-protein precursor (APP) and presenilin 1 (PS1) that were either normal or knocked-out for apoE. By 7 months, amorphous Aß deposition developed equally in both lines, indicating that Aß alone is sufficient for deposition to occur. In contrast, filamentous amyloid deposition was catalyzed at least 3000 fold by apoE. Electron micrographs further illustrate the filamentous nature of these plaques. These results and other, behavioral, data indicate that the …

The Outsider Within The Victorian Community: Nicholas Bulstrode In Middlemarch And Michael Henchard In The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Marian D. Conklin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many have written about the theme of interconnection in George Eliot’s Middlemarch, where individual lives and fates are woven into the larger life of the community, but few have written about this theme in relation to The Mayor of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy’s fictional and historical depiction of Dorchester and the larger area of Wessex. Hardy’s novel about “the life and death of a man of character,” is a complex and psychological characterization, but it also is representative of a particular province during a time of rapid change in community structure, just as Middlemarch is. I would like to …

Transformational Leadership, Leader-Member Exchange (Lmx), And Ocb: The Role Of Motives, Patrick W. Connell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of employee motives regarding select leadership-OCB relationships. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that the relationships observed between transformational leadership and various dimensions of OCB would be mediated by subordinate Organizational Concern. In contrast, the relationship between LMX-quality and subordinate Altruism was predicted to be either mediated or moderated by subordinate Prosocial Values.

Two hundred and one part-time and full-time employees (subordinates and supervisors) served as participants in this study, representing a total of 13 organizations in the Southeast United States. Results were based on a final sample of …

The Effects Of Response Cards On The Performance And Generalization Of Parenting Skills, Bennie L. Colbert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has provided convincing evidence of the efficacy of behavior analytic interventions to improve parenting skills with biological parents, however many studies lament generalization failure from training to home settings. Previous research has also examined the effects of response card use with children at various grade levels and with post-secondary students with a sole focus on academic outcomes. This study examined the effects of color coded response cards on active student responding and parenting skills proficiency of three foster parents in a parent training program and generalization of these skills to their homes. During baseline, participants role-played their responses …

The Power Of The Spoken Word: Literature In The American Mass Media Of The 1990s, Codrina Cozma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 1990s saw a climax of literature representations in what Ong called the secondary orality, particularly in film, television, and radio; for instance, the film industry produced a number of adaptations of novels that had been accepted into the American literary canon, while television and radio marketed literature through book clubs and literary shows. All these literary productions mediated through film, radio, and television are referred to in this study as mediatized literature.

The argument of this dissertation is that 1990s U.S. mediatized literature constitutes a post-modern re-enactment of the traditional oral literature that initially emerged on U.S. territory …

Pacap And Vip Modulation Of Neuroexcitability In Rat Intracardiac Neurons, Wayne I. Dehaven

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autonomic control of cardiac function depends on the coordinated activity generated by neurons within the intracardiac ganglia, and intrinsic feedback loops within the ganglia provide precise control of cardiac function. Both pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) are important regulators of cell-to-cell signaling within the intracardiac ganglia, and PACAP and VIP action on these ganglia, mediated through associated receptors, play an important role in the regulation of coronary blood flow, cardiac contraction, relaxation, and heart rate. Results reported here using PACAP and VIP provide direct evidence of some of the complex signaling which occurs in neurons …

Misogyny And (Mis)Representation: The Female Subject In The Poetry Of José De Espronceda, Cristina L. Delano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work explores the portrayal of the female subject in the work of the Spanish Romantic poet. José de Espronceda, This study will analyze the misogynistic representation of women and the denial of female subjectivity.

The first chapter discusses the biographical, historical and literary contexts of Espronceda’s work. This section will discuss Romantic notions of subjectivity, as well as the ambivalence towards the women during the 19th century. This ambivalence produced a conflict that was reflected in the representation of women as either pure angels or vile demons.

The first work that will be discussed is the poem “A Jarifa …

Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis In Hiv-Positive And Hiv-Negative Children In Haiti: A Hospital-Based Investigation, Marie F. Denis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Globally, one in four persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who are living with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) will die of tuberculosis (TB). The estimated number of HIV-infected children who die of tuberculosis, especially extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), in Haiti, is only loosely based on facts or investigation. This study proposes to describe demographics of children with EPTB in a pediatric TB hospital in Haiti. The objectives are two-fold. The first objective is to describe the population of children discharged from Grace Children’s Hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of tuberculosis overall, and broken down by whether or …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Emotional Dissonance: Understanding The Relationships Among Personality, Emotional Dissonance, Job Satisfaction, Intention To Quit And Job Performance, Laurie K. Diamond

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this research was to explore the antecedents and consequences of emotional dissonance for debt collectors. The antecedents were personality factors (extraversion, anger, conscientiousness and agreeableness) and prosocial factors. The consequences of emotional dissonance were job satisfaction, intention to quit and job performance. A path model was developed to explain the relations among the studyís measures in a sample of 188 full-time debt collectors. The path analysis results failed to show strong relations between personality and emotional dissonance. However, strong relations were found between emotional dissonance, job satisfaction, intention to quit, and performance. Job satisfaction acted as …

Molecular Dynamics And Time Correlation Function Theories, Russell H. Devane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The research presented in this thesis makes use of theoretical/computational techniques to calculate nonlinear spectroscopic signals and molecular volumes. These techniques have become more practical with advances in computational resources and now are an integral part of research in these areas. Preliminary results allude to the power of these techniques when applied to relevant problems and suggest that much progress can be made in understanding the complex nature of nonlinear spectroscopic signals and molecular volume contributions. The nonlinear spectroscopy work involves writing the quantum mechanical response functions in terms of classical time correlation functions which are amenable to calculation using …