Digital Commons Network^™

Forbidding And Enforcing Of Formal Languages, Graphs, And Partially Ordered Sets, Daniela Genova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Forbidding and enforcing systems (fe-systems) provide a new way of defining classes of structures based on boundary conditions. Forbidding and enforcing systems on formal languages were inspired by molecular reactions and DNA computing. Initially, they were used to define new classes of languages (fe-families) based on forbidden subwords and enforced words. This paper considers a metric on languages and proves that the metric space obtained is homeomorphic to the Cantor space. This work studies Chomsky classes of families as subspaces and shows they are neither closed nor open. The paper investigates the fe-families as subspaces and proves the necessary and …

Johnson’S System Of Distributions And Microarray Data Analysis, Florence George

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microarray technology permit us to study the expression levels of thousands of genes simultaneously. The technique has a wide range of applications including identification of genes that change their expression in cells due to disease or drug stimuli. The dissertation is addressing statistical methods for the selection of differentially expressed genes in two experimental conditions. We propose two different methods for the selection of differentially expressed genes. The first method is a classical approach, where we consider a common distribution for the summary measure of equally expressed genes. To estimate this common distribution, the Johnson system of distribution is used. …

Transfer Track Versus Workforce Development: Implications For Policy Change In Florida Community Colleges, Karen Griffin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Policy-makers intend community colleges to be the primary vehicles for workforce development education and training. In support of this intent, community college mission statements and curricular patterns should clearly indicate a workforce emphasis. Do these statements and curricular patterns reflect policy intent? If not, are resources being directed appropriately? This study was conducted to determine whether the current composition of the overall Florida public community college curriculum and the content of Florida public community college mission and planning statements provided evidence to support Florida leadership policy statements that portray workforce development as a primary component of the community college mission. …

Transport Characteristics Using Nor- Dihydroguaiaretic Acid (Ndga)- Polymerized Collagen Fibers As A Local Drug Delivery System, Eric Guegan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dexamethasone and dexamethasone 21-phosphate were loaded into NDGA-polymerized collagen fibers and release rate studies were performed to calculate their diffusion coefficients. Dexamethasone loaded fibers were placed in a PBS solution for specified time intervals (1, 3, 6, 7, 12, 24, 30, and 48 hours) after which the eluant was removed and analyzed by capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE). CZE is a tool that can be utilized for quantitative analysis of chemical compounds. This data was incorporated into mathematical models to determine the diffusion coefficient. The diffusion coefficient (D) for dexamethasone in NDGA-polymerized collagen fibers is D = 1.86 x 10^{-14 …}

Comprehensive School Reform In The Wake Of No Child Left Behind: Teacher Perceptions In Dodgeland, Allyson Regina Haag

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an analysis of teacher perceptions of the implementation of their school's comprehensive school reform, and the George W. Bush administration's federal educational policy, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Data were collected by a research team as a part of the National Longitudinal Evaluation of Comprehensive School Reform (NLECSR), a project under the direction of the American Institutes for Research (AIR). The thesis is a supplemental qualitative analysis by the author who was part of the NLECSR research team from 2004 through 2005. The NLECSR had a quantitative component (called the Core Study) consisting of a …

Development Of A Method To Determine Vapor Pressure Data Of Low Volatile Chemicals From A Knudsen Effusion Technique, Andrew R. Harshman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Vapor pressure data are vital to understanding impacts that substances, specifically pesticides, may exert on the environment. They enter into atmospheric deposition models for such chemicals which determine the fate and transport of these species in the environment. At normal application temperatures (i.e. room temperature) the vapor pressures of many of these chemicals are too low to be determined by conventional means. An isothermal Knudsen effusion technique was designed and developed in our laboratory for such measurements. The effusion mass as a function of time is measured in our technique using a thickness shear mode (TSM) acoustic wave sensor, which …

A Gis-Based Inventory Of Terrestrial Caves In West-Central Florida: Implications On Sensitivity, Disturbance, Ownership, And Management Priority A Gis-Based Inventory Of Terrestrial Caves In West-Central Florida: Implications On Sensitivity, Disturbance, Ownership, And Management Priority, Grant L. Harley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Active cave management, which represents any continuous action to conserve, restore, or protect a cave environment, is virtually non-existent in west-central Florida. This study focuses on developing an inventory to rank terrestrial caves in west-central Florida by management priority. A GIS-based cave inventory system, including a cave sensitivity index and cave disturbance index, were used as a tool to gain an understanding of the management priority of west-central Florida caves. The inventory was applied to 36 terrestrial caves in west-central Florida, which demonstrated a wide range of sensitivity and disturbance. The results show that by relying solely on sensitivity and …

Implementing Differentiated Instruction In Urban, Title I Schools: Effects Of Facilitated Support Groups And Program Fidelity On Student Achievement, Deborah W. Hellman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study presents the results of a mixed methodology study and pilot that investigated the effects of facilitated teacher support groups and differentiated instruction on student achievement at two urban, Title I middle schools. Both general education and students with special needs being served in a collaborative co-taught setting were included in the study. Implications for research to practice and effective inclusive strategies were addressed and the field-tested Differentiated Instruction: Fidelity Implementation Tool (DI: FIT) used to assess teacher fidelity is included. During the first year, the principal investigator developed and field-tested the DI: FIT observation tool, field-tested a facilitated …

Modeling Larval Connectivity Among Coral Habitats, Acropora Palmata Populations, And Marine Protected Areas In The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Christopher John Higham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) encompasses North America's only living coral barrier reef and the third longest barrier reef in the world, making it a unique national treasure of international notoriety (FKNMS, 2005). Recent evidence of environmental decline within the sanctuary has created a sense of urgency to understand and protect the valuable resources within. This thesis contributed to the understanding of habitat connectivity to aid managers and decision makers in the creation of additional Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the FKNMS to help prevent further environmental decline. This research specifically focused on modeling larval transport and larval …

Numerical Modeling And Simulation For Analysis Of Convective Heat And Mass Transfer In Cryogenic Liquid Storage And Hvac&R Applications, Son Hong Ho

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work presents the use of numerical modeling and simulation for the analysis of transport phenomena in engineering systems including zero boil-off (ZBO) cryogenic storage tanks for liquid hydrogen, refrigerated warehouses, and human-occupied air-conditioned spaces. Seven problems of medium large spaces in these fields are presented. Numerical models were developed and used for the simulation of fluid flow and heat and mass transfer for these problems. Governing equations representing the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy were solved numerically resulting in the solution of velocity, pressure, temperature, and species concentration(s). Numerical solutions were presented as 2-D and 3-D plots that …

High-Stakes Testing In Florida: Media Portrayals And Parental Realities, Jennifer Gilroy Hunsecker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1998, Florida implemented a system of standardized testing known as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). While initially designed as one among many tools to assess student and school progress, the FCAT has become a high-stakes test. Schools whose students fail to meet certain benchmarks are in danger of losing their students to "school choice plans" (which enable parents of children attending failing schools to choose another, more highly rated school) while parents must contend with ever broadening educational policies. The implications of this policy have been far reaching. Textbook makers now market individualized textbooks that teach FCAT content, …

Numerical Simulation Of Steady State And Transient Heat Transfer In Microchannels, Phaninder Injeti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this project we studied the effect of different parameters on heat transfer in two-dimensional microchannels, microtubes and also tube-in-block heat exchangers for various engineering applications. These included the use of flow restrictions to enhance local heat or mass transfer rate, enhancement of conjugate heat transfer with discrete heating and magnetic coolers (or heaters) associated with magnetic refrigeration system. The results of this research will help in designing the heating or cooling systems and selection of their appropriate geometrical dimensions and materials for specific applications. Types of problems studied in this project are: steady state analysis of forced convection around …

The Development Of Leadership Skills Through Diversity Of Student Organizational Leadership, Daniel M. Jenkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The steady increase of racial and ethnic diversity in public universities has provided student leaders with many challenges. However, little is known about the effects of racial and ethnic diversity on the development of these student leaders. This study aims to evaluate the effects of racial and ethnic diversity in college student organizations on the development of student leaders and the perceived value of such diversity on their development. The sample consists of 833 student leaders from Florida's ten public universities who completed online surveys. The questions asked were designed to evaluate their past and present leadership roles and skills, …

The Relationship Between Technology Integration And Achievement Using Multi-Level Modeling, Tina N. Hohlfeld

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between technology integration indicators and school level achievement. Four years of school level secondary data from publicly available databases maintained by the Florida Department of Education were combined for all public elementary, middle, and high schools in the state. This study examined approximately 2300 schools that participated each year in the Florida Innovates Survey about technology integration between 2003-04 and 2006-07. Complexity theory supported the use of multi-level modeling to examine the relationships between technology integration and outcomes. Three achievement outcomes (reading, mathematics, and writing) and two mediating behavioral …

The Principal’S Role In Building Teacher Leadership Capacity In High-Performing Elementary Schools: A Qualitative Case Study, Rahim Jamal Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how public elementary school principals develop teacher leadership capacity within their schools, as well as the effect of this effort on a school's performance. After examining a variety of sources, such as journal articles and web-based search engines, the researcher determined that there was scant information explaining the process principals undergo to create teacher leadership roles in an effort to develop a high-performing school. To accomplish the goals of this study, salient reports in the field of teacher leadership were reviewed. The insights afforded from these reports guided the researcher in developing …

Computer-Mediated Peer Response In A Level-Iv Esl Academic Writing Class: A Cultural Historical Activity Theoretical Perspective, Li Jin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Very few studies focus on how English as a second language (ESL) students' agency and their unique histories as an integral part of the social cultural environment influence his or her participation in computer-mediated peer response tasks, particularly in a multimedia-based synchronous communication environment. Considering each ESL student as an active agency with unique historical bearings, the dissertation investigated ESL students' participation in computer-mediated peer response (CMPR) tasks that used instant messenger (IM) as the communication technology between students from the cultural historical activity theoretical (CHAT) perspective, which views all human interaction as a dynamic developmental process. A case study …

Technology In Low Socio-Economic K-12 Schools: Examining Student Access And Implementation, Katherine J. Kemker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past twenty years, there has been an enormous financial investment in technology for K-12 schools to help bridge the digital divide between high and low socioeconomic (SES) students. These investments have included hardware, software, professional development, and research studies on the effectiveness of technology in the classroom. This dissertation explored the essential conditions for the integration of technology, access, student-centered learning environment, and teacher use in the curriculum. Florida's elementary schools were divided into quartiles based on free and reduced lunch to investigate differences between the top quartile of high SES schools (n=400) and the lower quartile of …

Rkem Implementation For Strain Gradient Theory In Multiple Dimensions, Abhishek Kumar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Reproducing Kernel Element Method (RKEM) implementation of the Fleck-Hutchinson phenomenological strain gradient theory in 1D, 2D and 3D is implemented in this research. Fleck-Hutchinson theory fits within the framework of Touplin- Mindlin theories and deals with first order strain gradients and associated work conjugate higher-order stress. Theories at the intrinsic or material length scales find applications in size dependent phenomena. In elasticity, length scale enters the constitutive equation through the elastic strain energy function which depends on both strain as well as the gradient of rotation and stress. The displacement formulation of the Touplin Mindlin theory involve diffrential equations …

The Relationship Between Continuing Professional Development And Demographic Characteristics, Professional Practices, And Employment Conditions Of School Psychologists, Alana D. Lopez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Multiple issues that impact service delivery, such as changing student demographic characteristics, educational law and policy, and an increased focus on accountability for services, require school psychologists to adapt and acquire new professional skills in order to meet the needs of students and families. Continuing professional development (CPD) could help school psychologists expand their repertoire of professional skills so that they can engage in effective service delivery. The present study examined the CPD subject areas endorsed by practicing school psychologists and the relationship of those areas with selected demographic characteristics, professional practices, and employment conditions. Secondary analyses were performed using …

The Baccalaureate Community Colleges In Florida: A Policy Evaluation, Nicholas Manias

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to determine if community college baccalaureate programs in Florida were fulfilling the goals that were set forth in the legislation that created them. The study examined whether the baccalaureate level education programs at three community colleges in Florida were increasing access to baccalaureate education. The study investigated enrollment trends at all public institutions in Florida, reasons why students chose the community colleges for their upper division education, alternative plans students may have had if these programs did not exist, whether the limited number of baccalaureate programs at the community colleges impacted students' choice of major, and how …

On The Theory Of Records And Applications, Alfred Kubong Mbah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Optional Real World Application Projects On Mathematics Achievement Among Undergraduate Students, David Milligan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many undergraduate students enrolled in institutions of higher learning wish to connect their learning to real life experiences. By linking reality to academics, students see first hand the practical value in their studies. The purpose of this study was to critically analyze the practice of application projects in undergraduate mathematics courses to determine if, and if so how, students benefit from optional real world application projects. The study was limited to specific courses within a non-math major's undergraduate mathematics program of study at one large research university. Until the appearance of "The Mathematics Umbrella: Modeling and Education" (Grinshpan, 2005), no …

A Three-Dimensional Biophysical Model Of Light, Nutrient, And Grazing Controls On Phytoplankton Competition Affecting Red Tide Maintenance On The West Florida Shel, Scott P. Milroy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A coupled, three-dimensional, time-dependent numerical model of water circulation, spectral light, plankton dynamics, nutrient/CDOM loadings, and zooplankton grazing provided an assessment of the factors affecting the growth and maintenance of red tides on the west Florida shelf (WFS). The coupled biophysical model consisted of state variable quantities for temperature, salinity, horizontal/vertical velocity components, turbulent diffusion, spectral light, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, particulate silica, four dissolved inorganic nutrient pools (nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and silicate), and four phytoplankton groups (diatoms, microflagellates, non-toxic dinoflagellates, and the red tide organism Karenia brevis).

The model also included a complex …

Construction And Application Of Computationally Tractable Theories Of Nonlinear Spectroscopy, Christine L. Neipert

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonlinear optical processes probe systems in unique manners. The signals obtained from nonlinear spectroscopic experiments are often significantly different than more standard linear techniques, and their intricate nature can make it difficult to interpret the experimental results. Given the complexity of many nonlinear lineshapes, it is to the benefit of both the theoretical and experimental communities to have molecularly detailed computationally amenable theories of nonlinear spectroscopy. Development of such theories, bench marked by careful experimental investigations, have the ability to understand the origins of a given spectroscopic lineshape with atomistic resolution. With this goal in mind, this manuscript details the …

Community College Transfer Students’ Experiences Of The Adjustment Process To A Four Year Institution: A Qualitative Analysis, Karen R. Owens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Today's mobile student population follows diverse paths. This research presents findings from a qualitative study investigating the perceptions of transfer students while they were actively engaged in the transfer process. Fifty-seven incoming community college transfer students (n=57) were interviewed, in a large metropolitan area, through e-journaling during fall 2006 (while students were still attending community colleges) and during spring 2007 (students' first semester of admission to the university).

The following research questions guided the study: What do transfer students perceive as a successful transfer process? From the transfer student's perspective, what supports are needed to accommodate a successful transfer process? …

An Exploration Of Three Residence Hall Types And The Academic And Social Integration Of First Year Students, Dorothy E. Paine

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Living on campus has long been an important part of many students' collegiate experience. Most research describing the benefits of living on campus was conducted in the 1960s and 1970s and was based upon students living in double rooms on double loaded corridors with community bathrooms. In recent years, the style of residence hall buildings has changed from these traditional rooms to suite and apartment-style housing offering more privacy and greater amenities to students. This study sought to examine how first year students living in three different types of residence hall environments differ on measures of social and academic integration, …

Perceptions Of Florida School Library Media Specialists Relative To The Saliency Of Collaboration, Leadership, And Technology Tasks Outlined In Information Power: Changes Since 1996, Terrell M. Pace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1988 Information Power: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (IP1) was published. Ten years later an updated version, Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning (IP2) was released. The purpose of this study was to determine if school library media specialists' perceptions had changed since 1996 and if respondents' familiarity with IP2 was a factor in the development of those perceptions. Further, 37 items that were clustered based on the three primary threads of collaboration, leadership and technology developed in IP2 were used to assess changes in perceptions. An electronic survey was developed and disseminated to the population of school …

Third Grade Retention And Florida’S Pupil Progression Plan: Individual And School Characteristics Associated With Long-Term Outcomes In Reading Performance, Heather A. Powell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Literacy is a growing national concern that has resulted in federal legislation (e.g., the No Child Left Behind Act) instituting higher accountability for states and schools with regard to reading instruction and remediation. As a result, Florida's statewide measure of achievement, the reading portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT-Reading) is now tied to retention decisions for students in the third grade as part of the pupil progression plan for the state. In its first year of implementation (2003), 23% of third-grade students failed the FCAT and over 28,000 were retained. Though failure rates are decreasing, (i.e., 6% of …

Automatic Geo-Referencing By Integrating Camera Vision And Inertial Measurements, Duminda I. B Randeniya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Importance of an alternative sensor system to an inertial measurement unit (IMU) is essential for intelligent land navigation systems when the vehicle travels in a GPS deprived environment. The sensor system that has to be used in updating the IMU for a reliable navigation solution has to be a passive sensor system which does not depend on any outside signal. This dissertation presents the results of an effort where position and orientation data from vision and inertial sensors are integrated. Information from a sequence of images captured by a monocular camera attached to a survey vehicle at a maximum frequency …

Automatic Generation Of Global Phase Equilibrium Diagram From Equation Of State, Keyurkumar S. Patel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A computational tool that uses an automated and reliable procedure for systematic generation of global phase equilibrium diagram (GPED) is developed for binary system using equation of state and its extension to the ternary system is discussed. The proposed algorithm can handle solid phase and also can predict all major six types of phase diagrams. The procedure enables automatic generation of GPED which incorporates calculations of all important landmarks such as critical endpoints, quadruple point (if any), critical line, liquid-liquid-vapor line (if any), solid-liquid-liquid line (if any) and solid-liquid-vapor line. The method is also capable of locating all azeotropic phenomena …