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Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, December 15, 2013, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Regional Chancellor's Award for Civic Leadership - Honorable Rick Baker; Outstanding Graduate - Charles Matthew Hamm;

Using Hydroxyapatite From Fish Scales To Prepare Chitosan/Gelatin/Hydroxyapatite Membrane: Exploring Potential For Bone Tissue Engineering, Yi-Cheng Huang, Hao-Wen Chu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Concerns have recently been raised about the treatment and use of hydroxyapatite, an important component of fish scale. The goal of this investigation is to evaluate the feasibility of using hydroxyapatite extracted from fish scale (FHAP) for bone tissue engineering. FHAP or sintered FHAP (sFHAP) was added to chitosan/gelatin (CS/GEL) mixture to prepare membrane. The effect of FHAP and sFHAP on the physical and chemical properties of the membrane and their affinities towards MG63 cells were studied. Accordingly, the prepared CS/GEL/FHAP membrane was characterized by FTIR (ATRFTIR) and SEM. Following sintering at 800°C for 4 h, the CS/GEL/sFHAP membrane had …

The Legacy Of 1940: The Election Of Franklin D. Roosevelt To A Third Term, Kyle Lindsay

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

For my honors history thesis, I examined the decision of Franklin D. Roosevelt to run for a third presidential term in 1940. This decision was an important one, for no other President in American history had been elected to a third term. My research indicated that despite his personal wishes, Roosevelt believed that he had to run again in 1940 to guide the United States during the uncertain period leading up to World War II.

An Effective Illumination Compensation Method For Face Recognition, Yea-Shuan Huang, Chu-Yung Li

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Face recognition is very useful in many applications, such as safety and surveillance, intelligent robot, and computer login. The reliability and accuracy of such systems will be influenced by the variation of background illumination. Therefore, how to accomplish an effective illumination compensation method for human face image is a key technology for face recognition. Our study uses several computer vision techniques to develop an illumination compensation algorithm to processing the single channel (such as grey level or illumination intensity) face image. The proposed method mainly consists of three processing modules: (1) Homomorphic Filtering, (2) Ratio Image Generation, and (3) Anisotropic …

Automatic Location For Multi-Symbology And Multiple 1d And 2d Barcodes, Daw-Tung Lin, Chin-Lin Lin

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Multi-symbology barcode location is a practical and challenging issue. Image-based barcode recognition techniques are robust and extendable approaches for reading versatile one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) barcodes. Most methods may work for a single 1D or 2D barcode or rely on a unique pattern to locate a single 1D or 2D barcode. This work proposes a general localization framework for extraction of real barcodes under complex backgrounds when multiple symbology types exist in the same snapshot for 1D barcodes, 2D barcodes, or both. There are five steps of the proposed algorithm: image grayscale conversion, adaptive thresholding, application of a modified …

Physical Models For Simulating Ship Stability And Hydrostatic Motions, Shyh-Kuang Ueng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this paper, efficient physics models are presented for simulating ship hydrostatic motions caused by sea waves, cargoes and flooding water. Based on the stability theory of ship, a ship is regarded as a floating body whose stability is indicated by its gravity, buoyancy and meta centers. These stability centers are influenced by cargoes, sea waves, flooding water and the ship mass. Variations of these stability centers create torques and forces which cause the ship to heave, pitch and roll. Because of the irregularity of the ship shape, analytical solutions of these stability centers do not exist. In this work, …

Seed Bank Study Of The Effect Of Land Use On Vegetation Diversity In Carolina Bays, Maeve Snyder

Honors Theses

The intent of my honors thesis is to conduct a comparative analysis of seed banks between Carolina bays of high and low human impact. My study will use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to characterize types of land use within Carolina bays and in 250-m buffer zones. Representative bays from high-impact and low-impact classifications will be chosen as study sites, and seed bank samples will be collected and germinated. While it is beyond the scope of my study to identify a mechanism by which it occurs, I will investigate the presence of a relationship between land use and bay vegetation biodiversity.

Effectiveness Of Gaming Systems On Balance In Older Individuals, Mary E. Anderson

Honors Theses

Balance training using gaming systems, called exergaming, is a rising trend for reducing fall risk in older individuals. Previous studies have conducted research pertaining to gaming systems and traditional balance training, however there is a lack of comparison between gaming systems. This study was performed to determine the effectiveness of two gaming systems, the Wii Fit and Xbox Kinect, as compared to traditional balance training. This study was performed with subjects (N=5) over the age of 65, in good health, randomly placed in one of the three balance training groups: Wii Fit (n=2), Xbox Kinect (n=2), and Traditional balance training …

Does High Organic Matter Content Affect Polychaete Assemblages In A Shenzhen Bay Mudflat, China?, Li-Zhe Cai, Jiang-Shiou Hwang, Hans-Uwe Dahms, Su-Jing Fu, Xin-Wei Chen, Chen Wu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Coastal areas are the first marine systems being impacted by anthropogenic pollution and eutrophication. Organic matter poses a particularly negative impact on the environment due to its oxygen depleting and eutrophying effects. Shenzhen Bay mudflat contains rich organic matter. Here, we compare changes of polychaete assemblage parameters on seasonal data obtained from a Shenzhen Bay mudflat in a three-year study. The results based on the seasonal and spatial variations of polychaete species number, density and biomass, ShannonWiener diversity index, evenness index and richness index confirmed that high organic matter content impacted their distribution. A significant negative correlation between the density …

Traffic Monitoring And Event Analysis Based On Integrated Multivideo And Petri Net Process, Chang-Lung Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Decreasing traffic accidents and events are one of the most important responsibilities for all of the governments in the world. However, it is difficult to exactly measuring the traffic condition. To find out the root cause of traffic accidents and restore the occurrence of traffic events, a traffic monitor and event analysis mechanism based on multi-videos processing and Petri net analysis techniques is proposed. In which, the traffic information is collected through the deployment of cameras at intersection of heavy traffic area. After then, all of the collected information is provided for constructing multiviewpoint traffic model. The significant features are …

A Heat Island Observation Via Modis And Concurrent Helicopter-Borne Ir Imager, Tsung-Hua Kuo, Gin-Rong Liu, Tang-Huang Lin, Chia-Wen Lan, Chi-Ping Huang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, observations and aerial surveys were conducted in delineating the heat island patterns. Concurrent datasets from the satellite-borne MODIS sensor and helicopter-borne thermal IR imager were employed. The sampling data in this experiment covered an area exceeding 100 km2 in Taiwan’s western plain. A more than 10°C temperature difference between different sampling points could be observed in this area. The relationship between the surface temperature and vegetation index values was also showed. Results showed that the surface canopy and the air humidity together played an important role in the surface temperature increase.

Ninth East China Sea Conference 2013: International Conference On The Marine Biodiversity And Environmental Fisheries Science Of The East China Sea In Keelung, Taiwan, Ching-Fong Chang, Tai-Wen Hsu, I-Shiung Chen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

No abstract provided.

Overview Of The Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment In Amazonia Data Model Intercomparison Project (Lba-Dmip), Luis Gustavo Gonçalves De Gonçalves, Jordan S. Borak, Marcos Heil Costa, Scott R. Saleska, Ian Baker, Natalia Restrepo-Coupe, Michel Nobre Muza, Benjamin Poulter, Hans Verbeeck, Bradley O. Christoffersen

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

A fundamental question connecting terrestrial ecology and global climate change is the sensitivity of key terrestrial biomes to climatic variability and change. The Amazon region is such a key biome: it contains unparalleled biological diversity, a globally significant store of organic carbon, and it is a potent engine driving global cycles of water and energy. The importance of understanding how land surface dynamics of the Amazon region respond to climatic variability and change is widely appreciated, but despite significant recent advances, large gaps in our understanding remain. Understanding of energy and carbon exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere can …

Enhanced Dna Sensing Via Catalytic Aggregation Of Gold Nanoparticles, Herbert M. Huttanus, Elton Graugnard, Bernard Yurke, William B. Knowlton, Wan Kuang, William L. Hughes, Jeunghoon Lee

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A catalytic colorimetric detection scheme that incorporates a DNA-based hybridization chain reaction into gold nanoparticles was designed and tested. While direct aggregation forms an inter-particle linkagefrom only one target DNA strand, catalytic aggregation forms multiple linkages from a single target DNA strand. Gold nanoparticles were functionalized with thiol-modified DNA strands capable of undergoing hybridization chain reactions. The changes in their absorption spectra were measured at different times and target concentrations and compared against direct aggregation. Catalytic aggregation showed a multifold increase in sensitivity at low target concentrations when compared to direct aggregation. Gelelectrophoresis was performed to compare DNA hybridization reactions …

An Effective Color-Difference-Based Demosaicking Method, Yea-Shuan Huang, Sheng-Yi Cheng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This paper proposes an effective color-difference-based (ECDB) interpolation algorithm for color filter array (CFA) image demosaicking. A CFA image consists of a set of spectrally selective filters which are arranged in an interleaved pattern such that only one color component is sampled at each pixel location. To improve the quality of reconstructed fullcolor images from CFA images, the ECDB algorithm first analyzes the samples immediately around a missing green pixel to determine suitable samples for interpolating the value of this missing green pixel. After finishing the interpolation operations of all the missing green pixels, a complete green plane (i.e G …

Vehicle Counting Without Background Modeling, Cheng-Chang Lien, Cheng-Ta Hsieh, Ming-Hsiu Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In general, the vision-based methods for vehicle detection/tracking may face the problems of illumination variation, shadows, or swaying trees. In this study, we propose a novel vehicle detection method without background modeling to overcome the aforementioned problems. First, a modified block-based frame differential method is established to quickly detect the moving vehicles without the influences of rapid illumination variations. Second, the precise vehicles’ regions are extracted with the dual foregrounds fusion method. Third, a texture-based object segmentation method is proposed to segment each vehicle from the merged foreground image blob and remove the shadows. Fourth, based on the concept of …

Determining The Internal Structure Of Cement-Based Materials By Using Mri Techniques, Hsiang-Wei Chiang, Ran Huang, Chia-Jung Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The primary concerns of the internal structure of cementbased materials involve the distribution of pores, pore size, and the manner in which they are connected. Thoroughly understanding the distributive rules of pores and the approaches to breaking their links can contribute considerably to enhancing the durability of cement-based materials. Several methods are used to measure the pores of cement-based materials; however, they cannot determine the exact location of pores or structural links. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been widely applied in physical examinations and has matured to the level of being able to obtain 3D images of the organs of …

Genetic Diversity Of Filamentous Cyanobacteria From Shore Regions Of Okinawa, Shoichiro Suda, Rui Moriya, Shinpei Sumimoto, Osamu Ohno, Kiyotake Suenaga

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Benthic marine cyanobacteria are ubiquitous oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria and they form major components of various communities, including epiphytic, epilithic and microbial mats, in coral reef environments. Filamentous groups may form almost monospecific macroscopic colonies, and sometimes make potentially harmful algal blooms (HABs). HABs bring serious problems for marine tourism but marine filamentous cyanobacteria are good resource for drug discovery. However, cultivation and identification of such filamentous cyanobacteria are difficult and there are taxonomic confusions. In this study, we investigate 17 samples from coral reef area of 10 localities in Okinawa. Macroscopic mats or cushions of filamentous cyanobacteria were collected. The …

Diversity Of Crypthecodinium Spp. (Dinophyceae) From Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Danang Ambar Prabowo, Ooshi Hiraishi, Shoichiro Suda

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The genus Crypthecodinium (Dinophyceae) currently consists of only one species: C. cohnii, a heterotrophic marine dinoflagellate widely known able to produce prolific amount of DHA. However, previous studies revealed that there are morphological and genetic differences among Crypthedodinium cohnii-like strains, indicating the potential of undiscovered diversity of this dinoflagellate. Attempts of isolating heterotrophic marine dinoflagellate strains were made from submerged mangrove leaves and seaweed. A total of nine strains were established, cultured and maintained using seawater-based GTY medium for taxonomic identification and phylogenetic analyses based on SSU, ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2 and LSU rDNA. Morphological observation revealed all strains shared similar …

Genetic Diversity Of Pyramimonas From Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan (Chlorophyceae, Pyramimonadales), Shoichiro Suda, Mohammad Azmal Hossain Bhuiyan, Daphne Georgina Faria

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The genus Pyramimonas Schmarda was traditionally described on observations of its periplast and internal structure of different flagellar apparatus or eyespot orientations and currently comprises of ca. 60 species that are divided into six subgenera: Pyramimonas, Vestigifera, Trichocystis, Punctatae, Hexactis, and Macrura. In order to understand the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of genus Pyramimonas members, we analyzed nuclear SSU rDNA molecular data from 41 strains isolated from different locations of the Ryukyu Archipelago. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that strains could be segregated into six clades, four of which represented existing subgenera: Pyramimonas, Vestigifera McFadden, Trichocystis McFadden, and Punctatae McFadden, and …

The Checklist Of Inland-Water And Mangrove Fish Fauna Of Kinmen Island, Fujian Province, Taiwan With Comments On Ecological Conservation Of Native Fishes, I-Shiung Chen, Chia-Jun Weng, Yi-Ru Chen, Shih-Pin Huang, Zong-Han Wen, Nian-Hong Jang-Liaw, Tsung-Hsien Tsai

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The ecological status of the lowland freshwater and brackish fish fauna traditionally got better protected since long time for military protect region without great human and agriculture impact in last few decades. However, many human reconstruction of river habitats, pollution and overuse of irrigation from river water have become great impact for fish survival in Kinmen. So far, there are totally 27 families, 57 genera and 68 species have been collected and recorded by our intensive survey for those freshwater habitats in inlandwater of Kinmen island, Fujian Province, Taiwan in our recent field survey during 2011-2012. Totally 17 newly recorded …

Applying Best Practices To Florida Local Government Retrofit Programs, Florida Solar Energy Center, Janet Mcilvaine

FSEC Energy Research Center®

In some communities, local government and non-profit entities have funds to purchase and renovate distressed, foreclosed homes for resale in the affordable housing market. Numerous opportunities to improve whole house energy efficiency are inherent in these comprehensive renovations. BA-PIRC worked together in a multiyear field study making recommendations in individual homes, meanwhile compiling improvement costs, projected energy savings, practical challenges, and labor force factors surrounding common energy-related renovation measures. The field study, Phase 1 of this research, resulted in a set of best practices appropriate to the current labor pool and market conditions in central Florida to achieve projected annual …

Dynamic Thermal And Power Management: From Computers To Buildings, Yong Fu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Thermal and power management have become increasingly important for both computing and physical systems. Computing systems from real-time embedded systems to data centers require effective thermal and power management to prevent overheating and save energy. In the mean time, as a major consumer of energy buildings face challenges to reduce the energy consumption for air conditioning while maintaining comfort of occupants. In this dissertation we investigate dynamic thermal and power management for computer systems and buildings. (1) We present thermal control under utilization bound (TCUB), a novel control-theoretic thermal management algorithm designed for single core real-time embedded systems. A salient …

Diamondoid Diacids ('O4' Species) In Oil Sands Process‐Affected Water, Sk Lengger, Ag Scarlett, Ce West, Sj Rowland

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

RATIONALE As a by-product of oil sands extraction, large volumes of oil sands process water (OSPW) are generated, which are contaminated with a large range of water-soluble organic compounds. The acids are thought to be derived from hydrocarbons via natural biodegradation pathways such as α- and β-oxidation of alkyl substituents, which could produce mono- and diacids, for example. However, while several monoacids (‘O2’ species) have been identified, the presence of diacids (i.e. 'O4' species) has only been deduced from results obtained via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance high-resolution mass spectrometry (FTICR-HRMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance …

Inter-Annual Variability Of Carbon And Water Fluxes In Amazonian Forest, Cerrado And Pasture Sites, As Simulated By Terrestrial Biosphere Models, Celso Von Randow, Marcelo Zeri, Natalia Restrepo-Coupe, Michel N. Muza, Luis Gustavo G. De Gonçalves, Marcos H. Costa, Alessandro C. Araujo, Antonio O. Manzi, Humberto R. Da Rocha, Bradley O. Christoffersen

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

This study analyzes the inter-annual variability (IAV) of simulations of 21 different land surface model formulations, driven by meteorological conditions measured at 8 flux towers, located in rain forest, forest-savanna ecotone and pasture sites in Amazonia, and one in savanna site in Southeastern Brazil. Annual totals of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of carbon and evapotranspiration (ET), measured and simulated by each model for each site-year, were compared in terms of year-to-year variability and possible relation to climate drivers. Results have shown that most of models simulations for annual totals of NEE and ET, and IAV of these fluxes, are frequently …

Integrating Information Into The Engineering Design Process, Michael Fosmire, David Radcliffe

Purdue University Press Books

Engineering design is a fundamental problem-solving model used by the discipline. Effective problem-solving requires the ability to find and incorporate quality information sources. To teach courses in this area effectively, educators need to understand the information needs of engineers and engineering students and their information gathering habits. This book provides essential guidance for engineering faculty and librarians wishing to better integrate information competencies into their curricular offerings. The treatment of the subject matter is pragmatic, accessible, and engaging. Rather than focusing on specific resources or interfaces, the book adopts a process-driven approach that outlasts changing information technologies.

After several chapters …

The Genetic Architecture And Evolution Of Brain Cortical Folding In A Pedigreed Primate Population, Elizabeth Grace Atkinson

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Elevated neurological faculty, related to the dramatic increase in brain volume, is a hallmark of the primates. Cognitive capacity, the processing power and speed of the brain, is directly related to the number of neurons in the cerebral cortex and the connectivity network underlying information processing in the brain. Increased cortical folding (gyrification) allows for more neurons to be contained within the volume of the braincase and the arrangement of folds and ridges across the cerebral cortex is an indication of the underlying neural network connecting regions. The goal of this dissertation is to develop a better understanding of the …

Application Of Bradford's Law Of Scattering To The Literature Of Library & Information Science: A Study Of Doctoral Theses Citations Submitted To The Universities Of Maharashtra, India, Vijay Ganesh Wardikar Viju

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

ABSTRACT

Application of Bradford's Law of Scattering is one of the bibliometric law, which is used most commonly in bibliometric research. The paper gives a review of the contribution in Library & Information Science & theoretical aspects of the law. A study carried out on the data of journals cited by Ph.D. research scholars at the universities in Maharashtra for their doctoral research. To examine the applicability of Bradford's Law of Scattering, study include 798 periodical containing 5467 references collected form 138 theses during the period 1982-2010. Rank list was prepared and Annals of Library Science and Documentation took top …

Western Michigan University Commencement Exercises-3pm, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Fall Commencement Program, December 14, 2013, Coastal Carolina University

Commencement Programs

Program of Commencement Exercises at Coastal Carolina University.