Digital Commons Network^™

Synthesis And Magnetic Properties Of Polymer Nanocomposites, Jessica L. Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic nanoparticles embedded in polymer matrices have excellent potential for electromagnetic device applications like electromagnetic interference (EMI) suppression. Using chemical precipitation methods and Nanogen , a microwave plasma method, we have synthesized various nanoparticles including iron, polystyrene-coated iron, iron oxide (both hematite and magnetite), nickel ferrite, and manganese zinc ferrite. We have synthesized polymer nanocomposites of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), and polypyrrole (PPy) doped with varying concentrations of these nanoparticles. These nanocomposites were processed using melt blending and sonication techniques. The concentration of nanoparticles was varied in a controlled way. Although polymer processing conditions were optimized to achieve good uniform …

Use Of The Power Card Strategy As An Intervention With An Elementary School Student With Asperger Syndrome: Increasing On-Task Behavior In The General Education Setting, Jane M. Devenport

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has been slightly more than a decade since Asperger syndrome was recognized as a distinct sub-category of autism disorder and was first given a diagnostic category in the DSM-IV. An abundance of suggestions, ideas, and recommendations for treatment have been offered, yet there is only a limited amount of research that empirically evaluates these interventions. This study explores an intervention, the Power Card Strategy (PCS), previously demonstrated to be effective with improving social behaviors with a young girl with autism, by employing the student's area of special interest. An advantage to this intervention is it is relatively easy to …

Teacher Satisfaction In Public, Private, And Charter Schools: A Multi-Level Analysis, Christina Sentovich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 1999-2000 restricted-use School and Staffing Survey (SASS) dataset was used to construct hierarchical linear models to determine to what degree administrative support, resources, collegiality, parental support, school atmosphere, credentialing requirements, professional development, classroom and school autonomy, and compensation can predict teacher satisfaction in public, private, and charter schools after controlling for teacher background and school characteristics. Variables were selected in part because it is possible for them to be manipulated by policy. The study also reports on efforts to refine and validate subscales of items chosen based on theory and literature from the SASS to represent teacher satisfaction and …

Total Evaporative Resistance Of Selected Clothing Ensembles, Victor Caravello

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With regard to heat stress, the limiting factor inherent in clothing ensembles is the total evaporative resistance. Clothing with higher evaporative resistance impedes the ability to cool by sweat evaporation. Knowing the evaporative resistance provides a means to compare candidate ensembles. Further, a value for evaporative resistance means that a rational method can be used to assess the heat stress exposure. Evaporative resistance of five clothing ensembles (cotton work clothes, cotton coveralls, and three coveralls of particle barrier, liquid barrier and vapor barrier properties) was determined empirically from wear tests during two study phases. For Phase 1, the metabolic rate …

Auditors’ Performance In Computer-Mediated Fraud Assessment Brainstorming Sessions: An Investigation Of The Effects Of Anonymity And Creativity Training, Antoinette L. Lynch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of recent corporate accounting scandals, auditors are encouraged to improve their method of fraud detection. Although Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 99 does not change the responsibility of the auditor for detecting fraud, it does provide new procedural requirements for assessing fraud risk, such as brainstorming among key team members about the potential for fraud. Using audit interns and internal auditors, this study empirically examines two interventions hypothesized to improve the quality of ideas generated by audit interns and internal auditors. In the first intervention, auditors use a computer-based group support system to brainstorm either non-anonymously …

Globalization: The Relationship Between The State And The Economy, Michael Mena

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many people agree that we live in a changing world. It is a world transformed by globalization. I propose that changes in state policies have led to a change from an international economy to a global economy, thereby contributing to the emergence of contemporary globalization. Changes in state power/authority and policies have affected the overall economy. These changes have caused the economy to transform from a national economy to a global economy.

I test the hypothesis through a case study of Guatemala's Economy. The time period for this study is from 1982 to 2002. The economy of Guatemala is comprised …

A Comparison Of Weekend And Weekday Travel Behavior Characteristics In Urban Areas, Ashish Agarwal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Travel demand analysis has traditionally focused on exploring and modeling travel behavior on weekdays. This emphasis on weekday travel behavior analysis was largely motivated by the presence of well-defined peak periods, primarily associated with the journey to and from work. Most travel demand models are based on weekday travel characteristics and purport to estimate traffic volumes for daily or peak weekday conditions. Much of the planning and policy making that occurs in transportation arena in response to weekday travel behavior and forecasts.

More recently, there had been a growing interest in exploring, understanding, and quantifying weekend travel characteristics. The ability …

The Effects Of Computer Simulation And Learning Styles On Emergency Vehicle Drivers’ Competency In Training Course, Jeffrey T. Lindsey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The number of accidents over the past decade involving emergency vehicles is a major concern for emergency service providers. This study assessed the effectiveness of adding a driving simulator to a traditional training program. Potential relationships with students' learning styles using Gregorc Mind Style Delineator were also examined.

The general research design consisted of a quantitative portion (quasi-experimental) and a qualitative portion (phenomenological). The sample population consisted of Emergency Medical Technician students attending the National EMS Academy in Lafayette, LA. The didactic session was conducted first with 102 participants in attendance. The driving portion was conducted over five days. The …

Design, Fabrication And Characterization Of Thin-Film M-I-M Diodes For Rectenna Array, Subramanian Krishnan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) diode is a high frequency device used for energy harvesting purpose in the RECTENNA. The main objective of this thesis work is to design, fabricate and characterize a thin-film MIM diode. A key issue associated in this research work is the development MIM diode with nanometer thin insulator region. The reason for the development of MIM diode is to rectify a wide spectrum of AC signal to usable DC power. In this thesis work, a planar MIM diode with Aluminum/Aluminum-Oxide/Gold has been fabricated. The thickness of the insulator region obtained was about 3nm. The Metal and insulator …

Perceptions From The Principals’ Desks: African American Elementary Principals And Reading Curriculum And Instruction In A Central Florida County, Keva Latrice Mitchell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This was a collective case study of African American elementary principals in a central Florida county. The study intended to discover through qualitative means, African American elementary principals perceptions of reading curriculum and instruction. More specifically, the study was concerned with discovering and presenting the attitudes, experiences,and beliefs of this specific population of leaders. The African American principal has the unique perception of one who has grown-up and been educated in the midst of the European American dominated system of education, thus making their perceptions of reading curriculum and instruction relevant to gaining additional knowledge in the area of literacy …

What Faculty Know About Designing Online Materials In Compliance With Current U.S. Copyright And Fair Use Laws, Phyllis C. Sweeney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Digital technology has vastly increased the ability of individuals to copy, produce and distribute information, making the behavior of individuals a far more significant factor in the enforcement of copyright and fair use laws than in the past. This research investigates the resources used by university faculty and their knowledge of fair use regarding web-based course materials. Specifically, the research A) identifies prevailing trends in faculty use of resource materials in the development of web-based courses including digital images, text, video and sound; B) determines how faculty members have gained and applied their fair use knowledge; and C) interprets any …

Studies In Rhodium Catalyzed Intramolecular C-H Insertion Of Amino Acid Derived Α-Diazo-Α-(Substituted)Acetamides And Its Application To The Total Synthesis Of Clasto-Lactacystin Β-Lactone, David L. Flanigan Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lactacystin is a microbial metabolite isolated by Omura that exhibits neurotrophic activity in neuroblastoma cell lines. Lactacystin and especially its β-lactone analog are the first examples of non-polypeptide small molecules capable of specifically inhibiting the 20S proteasome. Various asymmetric total syntheses of lactacystin and its analogs have been reported. The total synthesis of clasto -lactacystin β-lactone is achieved using L-serine methyl ester as the starting material and the sole source of stereochemical induction. The success of this synthesis hinges on two featured transformations. The first key step involves formation of the γ -lactam core via rhodium (II) catalyzed intramolecular C-H …

Biomedical And Psychosocial Determinants Of Problematic Birth Outcomes, Charlan Day Kroelinger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the associations between psychosocial stressors, urine sugar levels, and subsequent birth outcomes, specifically high birth weight babies and Caesarean section births. In a prospective cohort study, 506 Black and White women of childbearing age were followed for the duration of one pregnancy in Tuscaloosa and Mobile counties in Alabama from 1990 to 2001. Participants were interviewed twice throughout pregnancy, during the first and third trimesters, respectively, and birth outcome data were collected via medical chart reviews. Six percent (6.1%) of the women in the sample had a high birth weight baby, …

Heavenly Venus: Mary Magdalene In Renaissance Noli Me Tangere Images, Michelle Lambert-Monteleon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mary Magdalene has fulfilled many roles since she was first mentioned in the New Testament. Some of the most popular characters she has played are as First Witness to Christ's resurrection, follower and companion of Christ, Apostle to the Apostles, penitential whore, and exemplar for Christian women. This thesis was researched and written to explore some of these personae as they appear in Renaissance images of the Noli Me Tangere scene. The Noli Me Tangere story, which describes Christ's post-resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene, comes from the Gospel of John Chapter 20:12-15. Until the fourteenth century the Noli Me Tangere …

Antagonistic Allies: Bridging The Abyss Between Nietzsche And Democracy, Melinda Rosenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the often tumultuous relationship between Friedrich Nietzsche and democracy. Nietzsche has always had an antipathy towards democracy. Nietzsche has claimed that democracy espouses a will to equality which levels the greatest men along with the most average men. For Nietzsche, his Ubermenschen must emerge from the muddle of mediocrity and similitude in order to set themselves apart from the herd. The herd is more than happy to live in a democratic society since no one will be rendered better or greater than anyone else.

I argue that Nietzsche does not realize democracy's …

The Depositional History Of Three Freshwater Lakes In North Central Florida: Brooklyn Lake, Levys Prairie, And Cowpen Lake, Nancy T. Dewitt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Florida has approximately 7800 lakes that are heavily concentrated in the north-central part of the state—a mantled karst terrain. Although much research has been conducted in Florida’s lakes, there is not much information on the sedimentary infill. The focus of this research is to define the sedimentary infill of three closely spaced lakes (Brooklyn Lake, Levys Prairie, and Cowpen Lake) in north-central Florida and determine the relative importance of the various
sedimentary inputs and their associated processes. Interlake lithostratigraphy comparison helped determine if they experienced a similar depositional infilling history or a unique one.

Twenty-three vibracores were taken (12 in …

The Influence Of The El Niño-Southern Oscillation On Cloud-To-Ground Lightning Activity Along The Gulf Coast Of The United States, Mark R. Lajoie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the response of lightning to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the vicinity of the U.S. Gulf Coast region and nearby adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico, for the years 1995-2002. The Gulf Coast region was selected for this study because of its high flash density (Orville and Huffines, 2001) and because it is an area where the ENSO fingerprint is very clearly demonstrated on both temperature and precipitation patterns (CPC, 2002). Additionally, this geographic domain roughly matches the only known study on this topic (Goodman et al., 2000). Winter is the season …

Florida Bay Microalgae Blooms: Physiological Characteristics And Competitive Strategies Of Bloom Forming Cyanobacteria And Diatoms Of Florida Bay, Ralph William, Richardson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Areally expansive, persistent and recurring blooms frequently dominated by cyanobacteria have developed primarily in the north-central region of Florida Bay since approximately 1991. This part of the bay has a history of the following: periodic hypersalinity, high sediment-derived turbidity, P limitation, N limitation, light limitation and long water residence time. Clonal isolates of selected dominant bloom species of cyanobacteria (Synechococcus cf. elongatus and Synechocystis sp.) and diatoms (Chaetoceros cf. salsugineus and Thalassiosira cf. oceanica) from Florida Bay were examined in an effort to explain their relative dominance of the phytoplankton community.

The following physiological characteristics and nutrient …

Social Perception And Performance, Danyel Hancock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When stigmatized or oppressed groups are able to protect their self-esteem by attributing a negative outcome to prejudice and/or discrimination, this has been titled "attributional ambiguity". Whereas it has been proven in many studies that attributional ambiguity does exist among the stigmatized and oppressed groups the methodological approach of these studies were bias. In these studies the evaluator(s) has always been white and/or physically able. The goal of this study was to investigate whether attributional ambiguity is utilized by any individual (stigmatized/oppressed or non-stigmatized/non-oppressed) who feels that their outcome is the result of prejudice and/or discrimination. Our methodological approach allowed …

Proposal For: “University Of South Florida Pinellas County Hearing And Speech Center – Usf-Pchsc”, Mary J. Francis B.A.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The University of South Florida Pinellas County Hearing and Speech Center (USF-PCHSC) is a nonprofit 501 (C) 3 organization that will offer comprehensive audiology and speech-language pathology services to people of all ages. USF-PCHSC is a facility founded by The Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders of the University of South Florida, with Dr. Arthur M. Guilford as chairman. Researchers have determined that hearing loss is one of the three most prevalent medical conditions in the United States, affecting more than 28 million people over the age of sixty-five (Martin and Clark, 2002). According to yellowpages.com there are twenty-five hearing …

Molecular Mechanism Of Vitamin D Action And Its Implications In Ovarian Cancer Prevention And Therapy, Feng Jiang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25VD), the active form of vitamin D (VD), suppresses the growth of numerous human cancer cell lines by inhibiting cell cycle progression and inducing cell death. Genes that mediate each of these activities remain largely unidentified and there are no preclinical data for 1,25VD analogues in ovarian cancer (OCa). We hypothesize that 1,25VD and its analogues inhibit the development of OCa. In this study, we demonstrated, (a) 1,25VD causes cell cycle arrest at the G1/S and G2/M transition and induces apoptosis in OCa cells. (b) We also found that gadd45 is one of primary target genes for 1,25VD-mediated …

Operational Evaluation Of Right Turns Followed By U-Turns At Signalized Intersections As An Alternative To Direct Left Turns, Jingjing Fan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Direct left turn (DLT) movements have a lot safety and operation problems. They increase conflicts, delay and reduce capacity of the roadway. Increasing, many states and transportation agencies are considering using right-turns followed by u-turns as an alternative to direct left turns. Recently, Florida state are planning to close median openings in order to reduce the safety and operational problems caused by DLT. The left-turn egress movement would then to be made by turning right to the arterial road and then making a u-turn at an available downstream median opening or a signalized intersection. FDOT sponsored a project in 2001 …

African Costume For Artists: The Woodcuts In Book X Of Habiti Antichi Et Moderni Di Tutto Il Mondo, 1598, Laura Renee Herrmann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the woodcuts of African dress in Cesare Vecellio's 1598 costume book Habiti antichi et moderni di tutto il mondo. While Vecellio's book has been previously studied to understand its contribution to sixteenth-century conceptions of human variation across geography and Venetian identity making, I concentrate instead on the book's intended function. In doing so, I show how its woodcuts of Africans, should be understood primarily as proposals for costumes to be used in new artistic productions.

Vecellio situated his representations of African costume in a highly organized geographic framework that was shaped by travel narratives. These texts …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Mode Choice And Complexity Of Trip Chaining Patterns, Xin Ye

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the relationship between mode choice and the complexity of trip chaining patterns. An understanding of the causality between these two choice behaviors may aid in the development of tour-based travel demand modeling systems that attempt to incorporate models of trip chaining and mode choice. The relationship between these two aspects of travel behavior is represented in this thesis by considering three different causal structures: one structure in which the trip chaining pattern is determined first and influences mode choice, another structure in which mode choice is determined first and influences the complexity of the trip chaining pattern, …

A Program Evaluation Of A Support Group For Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Rachel M. Cohen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) face medical, psychosocial, and cognitive challenges, which may impede their social and academic functioning. These complications can be lessened through the implementation of comprehensive interventions. This study reviews one comprehensive intervention, a support group, for children with SCD and their families, and reviews the challenges faced by the children and family who participate in the support group as well as those who do not participate. The study has a mixed-method design because the families participated in focus groups, and they completed quantitative instruments, including a knowledge survey, a behavior rating scale, and an instrument …

Biological Indicators Of Wetland Health: Comparing Qualitative And Quantitative Vegetation Measures With Anuran Measures, Shannon M. Gonzalez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding wetland responses to human perturbations is essential to the effective management of Florida's surface and ground water resources. Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Rules (Chapter 40D-2.301(c) FAC) prohibit adverse environmental effects to wetlands, fish and wildlife caused by groundwater withdrawal. Numerous studies have documented the responses of biological attributes across taxa and regions to human disturbance. Biological assessment can provide information about ecological condition. Based on long-term monitoring conducted by the SWFWMD, the anthropogenic changes observed on the Starkey Wellfield are attributed to groundwater withdrawal.

Biological indicators are species, species assemblages, or communities whose presence, abundance, and condition …

Effects Of Gloves And Visual Acuity On Dexterity, Mehdi Pourmoghani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Work in many environments with chemical or biological agents requires the use of personal protective equipment such as gloves and respirators. It is well established that glove thickness affects finger dexterity. There is further evidence that visual constraints (e.g., visual acuity) and gender may also impede finger dexterity. Therefore, the personal protection may place a barrier to the agent, but performance or productivity will decrease. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential effects of gloves and visual acuity as well as gender and first order interactions on task performance using standard dexterity tests.

Five men and five …

Discovering The Source Of Gatsby’S Greatness: Nick’S Eulogy Of A “Great” Kierkegaardian Knight, Jaime' L. Sanders

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby has received extensive critical attention since the middle of the century, there remains an unaddressed and unanswered question that demands further exploration: what makes Gatsby "great?" It seems that the source of Gatsby's greatness, for narrator Nick Carraway, is that Gatsby has a quality that sets him apart from others: it is not a "flabby impressionability," but a "heightened sensitivity to the promises of life" and "an extraordinary gift for hope" that Nick has never seen before, nor does he expect to see again (6). I contend that what Nick sees as Gatsby's …

Sourcing Of Marble Used In Mosaics At Antioch (Turkey), Marie Jeanette Archambeault

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Artifacts made of durable materials, such as stone, can provide valuable clues to reconstruct the past. Marble sourcing, in particular,provides information about contact, trade, and other activities in the greater Mediterranean area. The Worcester Art Museum of Massachusetts (WAM) initiated a provenance study by requesting that an analysis of several marble artifacts occur at the University of South Florida's Archaeological Science Laboratory. The 55 marble samples used in this study are from the Worcester Art Museum's collection of Antioch mosaics. Positive results might reveal: 1) preferred sources of tesserae, 2) information about trade of specialized stone, 3) changes in preferred …

Mapping A Generation: Oral History Research In Sulphur Springs, Fl, Connie J. Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an analysis of the pros and cons of doing ethnographic and oral history research with elders. The subjects are women born before 1933 and residing in Sulphur Springs, Florida for most of their adolescence and adult lives. They were selected from attendees of the semiannual reunion of students who attended the Sulphur Springs School during the years it served both elementary and junior high.

This method of research, with an elder population presents specific challenges and rewards. The pros and cons of such research are discussed within the context of doing ethnography of Sulphur Springs from the …