Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Theoretical And Experimental Investigation Of Phase Behavior Of Polymeric Systems In Supercritical Carbon Dioxide And Their Modeling Using Saft, Ratka Damnjanovic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmentally friendly processing of materials is becoming an increasingly important consideration in a wide variety of emerging technologies. Polymer processing, in particular, has benefited tremendously in this venue from numerous advances achieved using high-pressure carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a viscosity modifier, plasticizing agent, foaming agent, and reaction medium. Polymer processing in supercritical fluids has been a major interest for a portfolio of materials processing applications including their impregnation into porous matrices. Also, SCF solvents are being examined as a media for polymerization processes, polymer purification and fractionation, and as environmentally preferable solvents for solution coatings. Pressurized CO_{2 …}

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 …

Early Learning Experiences: Education With Coaching And The Effects On The Acquisiton Of Literacy Skills In Preschool Children, Dale Lynn Cusumano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reading to learn becomes a difficult task for children if they have not become proficient at comprehending written text. It was hypothesized that, for some children, reading difficulties may have been averted had they been reared in homes or participated in early childhood settings where literacy-based activities, interactions, or materials were prevalent. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that training early childhood educators in researchbased early literacy instructional strategies (within the HeadsUp! Reading curriculum ñ HUR) had on the development of early reading skills in the preschool children they taught. Further examination also identified the impact …

Formation Of Nanocoatings By Laser-Assisted Spray Pyrolysis And Laser Ablation On 2d Gold Nanotemplates, Gayan S. Dedigamuwa

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes a new Laser-Assisted Spray Pyrolysis technique developed to grow nanoparticle coatings with controllable particle sizes. In this method, droplets of a precursor formed by a nebulizer are injected into a growth chamber using SF6 carrier gas. An experimental study and a computational model to investigate the particle size dependence on various growth parameters have been carried out. The results show that heating of 1.5µm droplets of metalorganic precursor in a carrier gas using a CO2 laser resulted in the formation of TiC and Fe3O4 particles with diameters in the range of 50- 60nm. Also the results show …

Anti-Arab Hate Crimes In The Aftermath Of September 11, 2001: Assessing The Influence Of Geographic And Situational Factors, Ilir Disha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how hate crimes in general and anti-Arab hate crimes in particular were distributed across different regions of the United States during the 2001- 2002 period. The study explores how a historical event – the terrorist attacks against the U.S. on September 11, 2001 – and county population demographics affect the rates of hate crime against Arabs, Muslims or Middle Easterners. It was hypothesized that antiArab or anti-Muslim hate crimes displaced other forms of hate crime and were characterized by open acts of violence. According to the contact hypothesis, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate crimes would be more likely …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Predictors Of Self- And Other Reported Marketability: Looking Beyond Human Capital, Rachel Day

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to propose and test a comprehensive model of marketability using both individual and situational predictors. Participants in this study were members of professional associations and were recruited from internet listserves. They consisted of 485 employees and 176 co-workers. This study used a matching technique to link participant and co-worker data and was the first study to assess multiple perspectives of marketability. Results demonstrated the relationships of human capital variables, positivity traits, proactive career behaviors, the environment and industry characteristics on internal and external marketability. Interestingly, not all predictors related to both internal and external …

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 …

Investor And Worker Response To Corporate Downsizing Of Esop Companies: Wealth Effects, Productivity, And Performance, Jeanean J. Davis-Street

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Finance, economic and management literature document the reduced agency problems, increased productivity, and greater financial benefits that accrue to firms that adopt Employee Stock Ownership Plans, (ESOPs). The literature also documents the increased agency problems, decreased employee productivity, and poor operating performance that usually accompany corporate downsizing activity. To date, none of the studies have examined the effect that downsizing decisions have on companies with existing ESOP plans; this dissertation fills that empirical void. In this study, two essays are presented that examine the effect of corporate downsizing on ESOP versus non-ESOP firms.

In the first essay, I investigate the …

Autonomous Optical Measurements In Bayboro Harbor (Saint Petersburg, Florida), Chunzi Du

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Estimating with precision coastal marine properties such as primary production, particulate and dissolved carbon, and red tide concentrations is a challenging but important part of marine research. It benefits not only the local communities, but also provides an important input to various global biogeochemical modeling efforts. Due to the complexity of coastal environments resulting from temporal variability of tidal and riverine influences, it is useful to develop and deploy an automated sensor network that provides real-time feedback. It can be used to validate remote sensing models to retrieve in-water constituents, and provide calibration and validation for atmospheric correction of satellite …

The Design, Fabrication, And Characterization Of Polymer-Carbon Nanotube Composites, Lanetra Clayton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The design, fabrication, and characterization of polymer-carbon nanotube (CNT) composites have generated a significant amount of attention in the fields of materials science and polymer chemistry. The challenge in fabricating composites that exploit the unique properties of the CNT and the ideal processing ability and low cost of the polymer is in achieving a uniform dispersion of the filler in the polymer matrix. This body of work focuses on (1) techniques employed to disperse CNTs into a polymer matrix and (2) the effects of CNTs on the mechanical and electrical properties of the polymer.

Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), an amorphous …

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 …

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 …

Evaluating Positive Behavior Support Plan Implementation In The Home Environment Of Young Children With Challenging Behavior, Michelle A. Duda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, a central focus of the field of early intervention/early childhood special education has been to investigate ways to effectively support young children with challenging behavior and their families (Center for Evidence-Based Practice: Young Children with Challenging Behavior, 2003; DEC, 1999). Positive behavior support (PBS) is one of the most promising evidence-based practices for young children with challenging behavior and their families. The central purposes of PBS are to both help people develop and engage in socially desirable behaviors and to help minimize patterns of socially stigmatizing responding (Koegel, Koegel, & Dunlap, 1996).

Research documenting the utility and …

The Effects First Language Use Phonological Difficulty Perception Foreign Accented Speech, Astrid Zerla Doty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Listener perception of accentedness has been shown to be influenced by experience with L2 (measured by length of residence in US). However, frequency of L1 use and degree of phonological difficulty (defined by the number of non-native phonetic features targeted) may provide more insight into the role of experience in the perception of accentedness.

Three groups of listeners (monolingual English and Spanish [L1] speakers divided into two groups of high and low use of English [L2]) rated the accentedness of bilingual speakers who spoke with varying degrees of accentedness. The speakers read sentences adapted from Magan (1998) to include phonological …

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 …

Development And Validation Of A Systematically Designed Unit For Online Information Literacy And Its Effect On Student Performance For Internet Search Training, Emily K. Dunsker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As online learning increases and classroom use of print textbooks are gradually replaced by web-based instruction, what features of online instruction prove beneficial to student learning? The present study has three purposes; (1) To examine the effects of conversion of textbook content to web-based instruction for an extant Internet search course. The researcher examined performance differences of an online textbook to web tutorial compared to a second version that included interactive features found in classroom instruction. (2) To investigate students’ perceptions of material that afforded high levels of learner control and compared responses to a more structured instructional module. (3) …

The Impact Of Gender-Role Stereotypes And The Sex-Typing Of The Professor Job On Performance Evaluations In Higher Education, Jay M. Dorio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined the influences of gender-role stereotypes, gender-role congruity, and the sex-typing of the professor job on performance evaluations of university educators in actual classroom settings. Participants used the Schein Descriptive Index (Schein, 1973) to define gender-role stereotypes, characteristics of their professor/instructor, and the characteristics of an “Effective Professor.” Participants used a behavior summary scale (BSS) formatted student assessment of instruction to evaluate their professor’s/instructor’s performance after a full semester of class participation.

It was hypothesized that a pro-male bias would exist in the sex-typing of the professor job, and that combined with the gender-role stereotypes of participants …

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 …

Design, Construction And Testing Of A Wheelchair-Mounted Robotic Arm, Kevin D. Edwards

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A wheelchair-mounted robotic arm (WMRA) was designed and built to meet the needs of mobility-impaired persons, and to exceed the capabilities of current devices of this type. The mechanical design incorporates DC servo drive, with all actuator hardware at each individual joint, allowing reconfigurable link lengths. It has seven principal degrees of freedom and uses a side mount on a power wheelchair. A simple, scalable control system allows coordinated Cartesian control, and offers expandability for future research, such as coordinated motion with the wheelchair itself. Design payload including gripper is 6 kg, and the total arm mass with controller is …

The Influence Of Stakeholder Groups On The Decision Making Process Regarding The Dead Zone Associated With The Mississippi River Discharge, Lisa M. Fairchild

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Action Plan for Reducing, Mitigating, and Controlling Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico represents the first national attempt to address this environmental issue. Hypoxia is the condition of low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in a body of water. This condition leads to a so-called “dead zone” and potentially threatens industries dependent on the living marine resources of this area. The potential impact of any policy or plan designed to combat hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico could have significant impacts on stakeholder groups, specifically the fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico, and the agriculture and fertilizer …

The Nuclear Export Of Dna Topoisomerase Iiα In Hematological Myeloma Cell Lines As A Function Of Drug Sensitivity: Clinical Implications And A Theoretical Approach For Overcoming The Observed Drug Resistance, Roxane Engel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this investigation is about DNA topoisomerases, the molecular targets of clinically important chemotherapy, and mechanisms of drug resistance in human myeloma and leukemia cell lines. The ultimate goal of this investigation was to identify mechanism(s) of drug resistance to anticancer agents so that a strategy to overcome drug resistance could be conceived. We established an in vitro cell model by using human leukemia and myeloma cell lines to investigate possible mechanisms of drug resistance that are observed in confluent cells. Plateau cell densities demonstrated de novo drug resistance to commonly used chemotherapeutic agents that was independent of …

Bottom Albedo Derivations Using Hyperspectral Spectrometry And Multispectral Video, Andrew Scott Farmer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Remote sensing reflectance data collected with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) were used to derive bottom albedo and optical properties for a shallow marine environment near Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas. Optical model inversion techniques were applied to hyperspectral measurements of remote-sensing reflectance to derive water absorption and backscatter coefficients. Using these derived water properties, path attenuation and radiance effects were removed from bottom observations to derive bottom albedos. Histograms from multispectral, hyperspatial video images were used to determine the albedo range of optical end members observed in scenes of sand and seagrass. Variations of spectral signatures for optical end members …

Political And Economic News During The Argentine Crisis Of 2000-2002: An Agenda-Setting Analysis Of Major Newspaper Coverage, Mariana Eberle-Blaylock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the years 2000-2002, the Republic of Argentina experienced one of the most, if not the most, devastating social/political/economic crises ever seen. President Fernando de la Rua, elected in 1999, was forced to resign on December 20, 2001, after several months of protests, public demonstrations, and a colossal economic recession. This unprecedented event in the history of the country created a state of chaos and confusion in a frantic population desperately searching for answers.

During the crisis, the media played a vital role in providing the public their daily updates. This study analyzed the newspapers’ role during the crisis using …

Immigrant Vulnerability In High-Risk Industry: A Socio-Occupational Examination Of Counties With Large Meatpacking Plants In Iowa And Nebraska, Mary Patricia Everist

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The decade of 1990-2000 saw a 53 percent increase in the number of Hispanics to 35.3 million, 20.6 million whom are of Mexican origin, signifying the fastest growing cohort in the U.S. today. This decade has also seen a surge in Hispanic migration to the Midwest region, particularly to communities with large meatpacking plants (LMPPs). Although overall literary consensus underscores the fact that this educationally disadvantaged ethnic group is over-represented in service and labor-based industries, few attempts have been made to empirically link the ir growing participation in high-risk industries like meatpacking with socioeconomic and occupational indicators of immigrant vulnerability. …

Oral/Written Contrast Of Mental State References In Older Children, Jeanne E. Federico

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in the use of mental state references by typically developing 9- and 11-year-old children. Following a priming task that emphasized distinctions between physical and mental acts, children watched an 11- minute textless video and then were asked to generate an oral and a written story that focused on the mental states of the multiple characters. Narratives were transcribed, and all mental state references were classified into motivational, experiential, and belief categories. Specific mental state references were also analyzed to determine levels of semantic complexity. The study attempted to answer: 1) whether …

Self-Esteem And Academic Achievement: A Comparative Study Of African American Students In A Traditional Public School And A Magnet School, Sheresa L. T Fairclough

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated whether differences existed in the academic achievement and self-esteem of African American students in a traditional public school and a choice school. The choice school selected was a technology-focused magnet school. All of the participants were in grades 3-5 and were administered the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) during the 2003-2004 school year. The FCAT was used to assess academic achievement in reading and math while the Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventories ñ Third Edition (CFSEI-3) was used to assess their self-esteem. Demographic information was also collected to identify factors other than school type that contribute to differences …

Longtime Dynamics Of Hyperbolic Evolutionary Equations In Unbounded Domains And Lattice Systems, Djiby Fall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a contribution to the study of longtime dynamics of evolutionary equations in unbounded domains and of lattice systems. It is of particular interest to prove the existence of global attractors for solutions of such equations. To this end, one needs in general some type of asymptotical compactness. In the case that the evolutionary PDE is defined on a bounded domain Ω in space, asymptotical compactness follows from the regularity estimates and the compactness of the Sobolev embeddings and therefore the existence of attractors has been established for most of the dissipative equations of mathematical physics in a …

Faculty Development Practices At Florida’S Public Community Colleges: Perceptions Of Academic Administrators, Faculty Development Practitioners, And Full-Time Faculty Members, Susan Sparling Finlay

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Faculty development is a means by which institutions can assist faculty in addressing the challenges they face each day in the classroom. Certainly the importance of faculty development is never more evident than within community colleges where access is provided to all students through an open-door admission policy which often produces a more diverse student body creating numerous institutional challenges. Overtime, on many campuses, faculty development practices have come to play a prominent role in attending to these challenges.

This study: (a) examined faculty development practices offered in the last three years by Florida’s 22 public community colleges and determined …

Negotiating Artistic Identity Through Satire: Subreal 1989-1999, Anca Izabel Galliera

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research study is on major art works produced during the nineteen-nineties by the Romanian collective subREAL, composed of Calin Dan and Josif Kiraly. The thesis is an alternative to the literal-minded and politically biased Western view typified in two major exhibitions of art from Eastern Europe: Beyond Belief: Contemporary Art from East Central Europe (Chicago, 1995) and After the Wall: Art and Culture in Post-Communist Europe (Sweden, 1999). Both exhibitions presented Post-Communist nations as a monolithic bloc, in which art was primarily a passive reflection of political and social events. It will be demonstrated that …