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Underwater Frp Repair Of Corrosion Damaged Prestressed Piles, Kwangsuk Suh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of the dissertation was to quantify the role of FRP in repairing corroded prestressed piles in a marine environment and to demonstrate the feasibility of using it for field repairs. Three laboratory studies and two field demonstration projects were undertaken to meet this goal.In the first study, corroded specimens were repaired under water and tests conducted to determine the extent of strength retained immediately after wrapping and after further accelerated corrosion. Results showed that the underwater wrap was effective in restoring and maintaining lost capacity in both situations.The second study attempted to determine the effectiveness of FRP for …

Environmental Variability In The Florida Keys: Impacts On Coral Reef Health, Inia M. Soto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I examined the hypothesis that high variability in Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and ocean color are associated with higher coral cover and slower rates of decline of coral cover within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). Synoptic SST time series maps, covering the period 1994-2005, were constructed for the FKNMS with data collected using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) satellite sensors. The SST data were compared with coral cover time series assessments at 36 sites conducted by the Coral Reef and Evaluation Monitoring Program (CREMP; 1996-2005), sponsored by the Environmental Protection …

Advancements In Rapid Load Test Data Regression, Michael Jeffrey Stokes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rate-dependent effects introduced during rapid and/or dynamic events have typically been oversimplified to compensate for deficiencies in present analyses. As load test results are generally considered as the basis of performance from which foundations can be designed, it is imperative that the analyzed load test data be as accurate as possible. In an attempt to progress the state of load test data regression, this dissertation addresses two common assumptions made during the regression process: (1) the statnamic damping coefficient is constant throughout the entire load test and (2) the concrete stress-strain relationship is linear-elastic. Also presented is a case study …

Considering Security In Florida’S Transportation Project Development Process, Phillip W. Stevens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The transportation decision-making process takes on different forms in different states. The purpose of this study was to include and move considerations for national, state, and local security needs into the transportation project development arenas with a focus on Florida. A thorough and updated literature review was completed to determine the current state of the industry regarding incorporating security considerations into the transportation planning process. A review of current Federal, State, and Local laws and regulations concerning planning requirements was conducted to outline planning parameters and limitations. An information request letter was mailed to the key planning staff members for …

Icon, Representation And Virtuality In Reading The Graphic Narrative, David Steiling

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

"Icon," "representation," and "virtuality," are key elements to consider when reading multi-modal narratives, including graphic narratives. By considering in detail how these elements are realized in various examples, the author shows how the study of the comics can lay groundwork for critical reading across the technological continuum of storytelling.The author looks at how icon, representation, and virtuality interact in a reading of William Hogarth's A Harlot's Progress. He then examines each term in more detail through readings of a variety of graphic narratives including Max Ernst's, Une Semaine de Bonte, Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland, Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of …

A Descriptive Study Of Students’ Perspectives On Controversial Issues Embedded In A College Environmental Science Course, Chyrisse P. Tabone

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study described non-science undergraduate majors' responses to controversial issues embedded in an introductory level environmental science course in a liberal arts college located in the southeastern United States. Participants enrolled in this 12-week summer course were both traditional college-age (late teens to early twenties) and non-traditional age student (thirties to fifties). Approximately 76 percent were female. Students demonstrated various lifestyles (e.g., gay, single-parent, living at home), socioeconomic statuses (e.g., middle-income, low income), employment (e.g., employed, unemployed, ex-military) and ethnicities. The structure of the environmental science course was consistent with the science education reform movement standards applied to K-12 …

The Effect Of Transportation Subsidies On Urban Sprawl, Qing Su

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates transportation subsidies as sources of urban sprawl. Apart from tolls, motorists do not pay highway user-fees, but they do pay gasoline taxes. Gasoline tax revenues are insufficient to cover the U.S. highway costs. Government, therefore, uses general tax revenues to cover highway expenditures. Since users do not pay the full cost of their travel, they have an incentive to travel longer commuting distances. Highway subsidies are, therefore, a potential contributor to urban sprawl. A similar argument applies to public transit. To capture the effects of subsidized automobile and public transit travel, we ex-tend the standard urban spatial …

The Relationship Between Anxiety And Spirituality In Persons Undergoing Chemotherapy For Cancer, Cindy Tofthagen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety is a common problem for cancer patients, especially those who must receive chemotherapy. Anxiety may have a negative effect on quality of life, interrupting sleep, causing uncomfortable physical symptoms, and inhibiting sound decision-making. This study examined the relationship between spiritual well-being and anxiety in patients on chemotherapy for cancer. The convenience sample consisted of 30 patients, 15 male and 15 female, receiving chemotherapy in a two physician private medical oncology practice in Southwest Florida. Patients completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well- Being Scale.

Participants ranged in age from 31 to 88, …

“This Is Not A Politburo, But A Madhouse,” The Post World War Ii Sovietization Of East Germany Up To The 1953 Worker’S Uprising, Rush H. Taylor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The end of World War II brought forth many problems for the allies that had not been completely resolved by the victors. One of the most important was what to do with the defeated Germany. Within the first decade after World War II, the division of the former German superpower had become the front line of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the first eight years after the war (1945-53) East Germany, the Soviet controlled sector, quickly became 'Stalin's unwanted child' and was the first communist country to rebel against the imposed Soviet style …

The Single Market And Pharmaceutical Industry In The European Union: Is There Any Evidence Of Price Convergence?, Aysegul Timur

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

During the last two decades, the European Union (EU) has experienced closer market integration through the removal of trade barriers, the establishment of a single market, and the reduction of exchange rate volatility. In addition, there have been several structural reforms in product markets designed to increase competition, monitor cross-country price differences and increase transparency. One anticipated effect of market integration is price convergence, because of the reduced potential for price discrimination across the EU. This dissertation explores market integration and price convergence in the European pharmaceutical market, which is the fifth largest industry in the EU. Since 1985, many …

An Examination Of The Interaction Between Exemplary Teachers And Struggling Writers, Betty Ruth Sylvester

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the interactions between teachers of writing and struggling writers. There were two main research questions: (1) What is the nature of the interaction between exemplary teachers of writing and struggling writers? (2) What arethe responses of struggling writers to exemplary teachers' scaffolding? To answer these questions, qualitative analysis was conducted on data. Two struggling writers were selected for the study based on their responses to the Writers Self-Perception Scale,writing samples, and teacher recommendation. Data collection included observation in two separate fourth grade classrooms during the writing block for 30 days. Data sources included audio-recording of writing instruction …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between Religiosity And Subjective Well-Being In Older Adults: The Mediating Role Of Optimism, Teri A. Trede

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The proportion of adults aged 65 and older in the United States has been increasing steadily for years. Although most would agree that this increased longevity is a remarkable achievement, there is growing concern regarding the resources that will be necessary to provide care and services for this rapidly expanding segment of the population. From a public health perspective, simply increasing longevity is no longer the ultimate outcome sought. A more pertinent goal is increasing the quality of life years, or promoting resilience and successful aging. Strategies that assist adults in delaying the onset of disability or reducing the severity …

Factors Influencing Special Educators’ Perspectives Regarding The Reintegration Of Special Education Students, Brandi L. Tanner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this investigation was to obtain information about special educators' perceptions of the reintegration of special education students into general education classrooms and factors affecting their reintegration decisions. Reintegration is the process of determining when it is appropriate to fade and eventually remove special education services for a student. Special educators often are in a good position to both initiate and facilitate this process. The current study surveyed special educators. Participants read vignettes depicting special education students with mild disabilities and answered a set of survey questions regarding their perceptions about reintegrating the students into the general education …

A Case Study Of The Perceived Decision-Making Practices And Patterns Of Secondary Administrators Using Four Scenarios, Elizabeth M. Tuten

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research study explored practitioners' perceived understanding and situational use of seven decision-making models of educational administration. In examining the extant literature of the field, the following research problem emerged to guide this study: scholars and practitioners struggle to understand how school administrators make workplace decisions, and how school leaders perceive their decision-making strategies and actions. Based upon Pettigrew's (1985) Conceptual Framework of Organizational Change and relevant literature (see chapter 2), the researcher developed a series of questions in order to explore the aforementioned purpose and problem. Specifically, three principals, three assistant principals of curriculum, and three assistant principals for …

Ventricle Slice Detection In Mr Images Using Hough Transform And Object Matching Techniques, Chintan Thakkar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The determination of the center slice, defined as a slice through the lateral ventricles in the axial plane in a volume of MR images is important to the segmentation of the image into its anatomical parts. The center or ventricle slice in a set of MR images is recognized by the shape of the ventricles in the axial plane as depicted by the cerebro-spinal fluids in the image. Currently, no technique exists to detect this slice and the purpose of this thesis is to find a slice through the lateral ventricles in the axial plane from a volume of MRI …

Perceptions Of Principals And Teachers Of Their Roles And Other Variables In School Culture In Improving Their School’S Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (Fcat) Letter Grade By Two Grade Levels, Tracey D. Tedder

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on perceptions of principals, assistant principals and teachers of their impact on student achievement scores in improving their school's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test letter grade scores. This information is of importance because we do not have information on how school reference groups (principals, teachers) perceive the grading of schools as defined by the Florida A+ Plan. Specifically, this study investigated perceptions of school principals, assistant principals and teachers on their role in improving the school's FCAT letter grade by two grade levels in a 9-month school year. This qualitative case study analyzes perceptions of factors and behaviors …

Development Of Window Layer For High Efficiency High Bandgap Cadmium Selenide Solar Cell For 4-Terminal Tandem Solar Cell Applications, Sridevi A. Vakkalanka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tandem solar cells fabricated from thin films provide promise of improved efficiency while keeping the processing costs low. CdSe as top cells are investigated in this work. CIGS has been a standardized process with lab efficiencies reaching 18% [53]. This dissertation focuses on the development of conductive window layer for the development of a high performance, high bandgap solar cell. ZnSe, Cu2-xSe, and ZnSexTe1-x are investigated as viable window layers of the top cell. ZnSe in undoped form forms a good junction with CdSe films, but the Voc from these devices could never exceed the 360mV mark, while the current …

"Mingling Incantations": Hart Crane's Neo-Symbolist Poetics, Christopher A. Tidwell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The largest impediment to appreciating Hart Crane as a symbolist modern American poet derives from the fragmentary critical attention paid to his borrowings from and familiarity with French Symbolists like Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, and Stéphane Mallarmé. Almost equally important, the early career of T. S. Eliot exerted a profound impact on Crane's poetic development and indeed served as the primary introduction to many nineteenth-century French poets for Crane and many other American poets of his generation. This dissertation initially examines contemporary critical definitions of the symbolist method and explores the extent to which Hart Crane's familiarity with the French …

Communicating Change: An Ethnography Of Women’S Sensemaking On Menopause, Hormone Replacement Therapies, And The Women’S Health Initiative, Linda Vangelis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As a result of the recent findings of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), many women who have been on hormone replacement therapies (HRT) have begun to renegotiate their understandings and strategies of this stage of their lives. The WHI findings suggested that the risks of HRT outweighed the benefits for healthy menopausal women. This study examined women's emerging sensemaking regarding HRT and menopause in light of the WHI findings. Seven women in the Tampa Bay area, who were in various stages of menopause, participated in three focus group sessions and two one-on-one interviews to discuss their lives in menopause. Based …

A Closer Look At The Work Hours And Work/Family Relationship: The Moderating And Enhancing Effects Of Fit, Matthew D. Tuttle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Managing the conflict between work and family role demands is a critical issue that has generated substantial interest for both individuals and organizations in recent decades. One factor thought to contribute to the occurrence of work-family conflict (WFC) is the amount of time committed to activities in either the family or to the work domain. Because time is a finite resource, it has been posited that when one dedicates a certain amount of time to one domain, this will invariably take away from the amount of time available for activities in the other domain. The result of this is conflict …

Ethnic Differences In Body Mass Index, Christine Anne Vaughan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The greater body mass of African American females relative to Caucasian females is a well-documented finding implicated in ethnic disparities in health outcomes. The principal aim of the current study was to evaluate a theoretical account that may explain ethnic differences in body mass index. The proposed theoretical account focused on appearance-related concerns regarding the desirability of a thin body type as motivation to engage in weight control behavior. It was hypothesized that Caucasians would evidence greater internalization of the thin ideal than African Americans, which would then be associated with greater dietary restriction and physical activity, thereby predicting lower …

Satellite Analysis Of Temporal And Spatial Chlorophyll Patterns On The West Florida Shelf (1997-2003), Lisa Anne Vanderbloemen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this dissertation is to gain a better understanding of the environmental and climatic effects on the temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton biomass along the West Florida Shelf. Chapter 1 examines temporal and spatial patterns in chlorophyll concentrations using satellite data collected between 1997 and 2003. Chlorophyll data derived from the SeaWiFS sensor are validated with in-situ data and analyzed. Wind, current, sea surface temperature, river, and rain data are used to better understand the factors responsible for the patterns observed in the satellite data. My question is whether the standard OC4 algorithm is adequate for studying …

Freedom Fighters, Freedom Haters, Martyrs, And Evildoers: The Social Construction Of Suicide Terrorism, Cã©Cile Valã©Rie Van De Voorde

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Suicide terrorism is characterized by the willingness of physically and psychologically war-trained individuals to die while destroying or attempting to annihilate enemy targets in furtherance of certain political or social objectives. Rooted in the historical, social, and psychological dimensions of international terrorism, suicide terrorism is neither a unique nor a new phenomenon. Its recent resurgence and the extensive media coverage it has received account for the misleading uniqueness of this violent, complex, and adaptive form of terrorism. This qualitative study examines the definitional and rhetorical processes by which suicide terrorism is socially constructed. Using a social constructionist theoretical framework coupled …

A Structural Approach To The Study Of Intra-Organizational Coalitions, Dean T. Walsh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Coalitions are widely associated with collective or collaborative attempts to influence organizational members, decisions, policies and events. Yet, surprisingly, relatively little is known about how coalitions develop within organizations. Employing an exploratory case study design and using social network analysis, the Rokeach Value Survey, and semi-structured interviews, this research demonstrated that it is possible to identify and study coalitions in a real organizational setting. I suggest that the inclusion and investigation of member relationships may advance the state of the art in organizational coalition research. A benefit of this study, and contrary to most coalition research, is that it used …

“Trust Yourself To God:” Friar Francisco Pareja And The Franciscans In Florida, 1595-1702, Albert William Vogt

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Friar Francisco Pareja represented the pinnacle of the achievement for the Franciscans in Florida during the Spanish colonial period. But who were the Franciscans? Why were they, and Friar Pareja in particular, so successful as missionaries? The bulk of the writing done thus far on the mission system in Florida has concentrated on retelling the lost story of the native peoples who once inhabited the land. The impact of the missions and the Spanish colony weighed heavily on native cultures and the Franciscans role in this has been discussed. However, little has been said about the religious order itself, and …

An Exploration Of Middle-Aged And Older Women's Experiences Of Bat Mitzvah Within The Framework Of Erikson's Theory Of Human Development, Keren S. Vergon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A growing number of Jewish women are participating in adult bat mitzvah ceremonies in many synagogues across the United States. Little is known about the reasons why women choose to participate in a bat mitzvah ritual as an adult. It is also unclear if women of different ages have different reasons for participating in bat mitzvah.Older women were often not given the opportunity to participate in the bat mitzvah ritual as a young adult, and it is unknown why older women choose to accept the challenge of bat mitzvah. It may be suspected that Jewish women are interested in adult …

Linkages Between Environmental Conditions And Recreational King Mackerel Catch Off West-Central Florida, Carrie C. Wall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine if fronts sustained up to three days will result in an aggregation of kingfish due to the anticipated accumulation of forage, increasing fishing success at these locations. Automated algorithms to detect frontal features in satellite-derived sea surface temperature, chlorophyll concentration, water clarity, and fluorescence images were successfully adapted for the coastal waters off west-central Florida. The surface ocean fronts were used to study the linkages between environmental conditions and recreational catch statistics of king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) during 19 seasonal tournaments held in April to May and October to November of 2004 …

A Morphometric Analysis Of The Geomorphology Of Florida’S Springs, Andrew Curtis Walker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An exploratory study of the geomorphology of Florida's springs was conducted using morphometric analysis. Spatial datasets for spring locations, elevation data, physiography, geology and hydrography were acquired for incorporation and analysis with GIS technology. ArcGIS 9 was used to measure certain morphometric parameters from the spatial data for Florida's springs. Other Parameters representing physical and dimensional characteristics of the springs were acquired from FGS Bulletin 66, Springs of Florida. All measured and collected data was compiled into a usable morphometric database. The data is described statistically and summarized according to the spatial distribution of Florida's springs with respect to geology …

Associations Between Individual, Social, And Service Factors, Recovery Expectations And Recovery Strategies For Individuals With Mental Illness, Gary W. Walby

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Clinical and consumer recovery efforts continue to advance more successful recovery agendas. Limited research into the effect of the expectation to recover and what strategies are most effective in enhancing recovery impedes coherent recovery programming. What factors are significantly associated with recovery expectancy and recovery strategies is still largely unknown. Thus, this study addresses three key gaps in the field.

First, which factors associate with the expectation of recovery and is expectation related to strategy choice? Second, what are common strategies for recovery from mental illness and what factors are associated with each strategy? Third, does recovery expectancy or severity …

Unconfined Versus Confined Speleogenetic Settings: Variations Of Solution Porosity, Alexander Klimchouk

International Journal of Speleology

Speleogenesis in confined settings generates cave morphologies that differ much from those formed in unconfined settings. Caves developed in unconfined settings are characterised by broadly dendritic patterns of channels due to highly competing development. In contrast, caves originated under confined conditions tend to form two- or three-dimensional mazes with densely packed conduits. This paper illustrates variations of solution (channel) porosity resulted from speleogenesis in unconfined and confined settings by the analysis of morphometric parameters of typical cave patterns. Two samples of typical cave systems formed in the respective settings are compared. The sample that represents unconfined speleogenesis consists of solely …