Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Culture Learning In Spanish Companion Book Websites: An Analysis Of Tasks, Angela Cresswell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Internet with its World Wide Web feature opened up a whole new frontier for language-culture learning that foreign language textbook authors have integrated into their programs. Designing tasks that progress beyond promoting learners' passive consumerism and reiteration of facts remains a goal and a challenge. Thus, three research questions characterized this study that sought to examine the on-line tasks associated with six current Spanish textbook programs. The design focused on an analysis of these tasks in light of prevailing culture learning concepts and other pedagogical paradigms posited by reputable foreign language educators to determine if they filled the gap …

Health And Behavioral Problems Associated With Symptoms Of Pediatric Sleep Disorders, Rachel B. French

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine prevalence rates of symptoms of several sleep disorders in young children, and the relationship between symptoms of pediatric sleep disorders and other childhood problems. Two-hundred-seventy-six children aged 2 to 5 years were studied through examination of a pre-existing database. Children rated as high risk for having a sleep disorder displayed significantly more aggressive behavior and attention problems, as compared to children whose sleep was rated in the normal range. However, no relationship was found between symptoms of sleep disorders and body mass index, asthma, or allergies. In addition, no relationship was found …

Investigation Of The Validity Of The Astm Standard For Computation Of International Friction Index, Kranthi Kavuri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Runway friction testing is performed in order to enhance the safety of aircraft operation on runways. Preventative maintenance friction surveys are performed to determine if there is any deterioration of the frictional resistance on the surface over a period of time and to determine if there is a need for corrective maintenance. In addition operational performance friction surveys are performed to determine frictional properties of a pavement surface in order to provide corrective action information in maintaining safe take-off or landing performance limits. A major issue encountered in both types of friction evaluation on runways is the standardization of the …

Irradiated Single Crystal 3c-Sic As A Maximum Temperature Sensor, Viacheslav G. Kuryachiy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A neutron flux on the order of 2·10²° neutrons/cm² at 0.18 MeV induces formation of point defects (vacancies and interstitials) in single crystal 3C-SiC causing a volume lattice expansion (swelling) of over 3% that can be measured by X-Ray diffraction. The crystal lattice can be completely restored with an annealing temperature equal to or higher than the irradiation temperature. This phenomenon serves as a basis for temperature measurements and allows the determination of the maximum temperature, if the exposure time is known.

The single crystal 3C-SiC sensor is applicable to small, rotating and hard to access parts due to its …

Investigation Of Visual Fields And Visually-Mediated Behavior In The Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna Tiburo), Amy L. Osmon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation was to further examine the visual system and its importance to the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo). This species of hammerhead shark possesses the least amount of lateral cephalofoil expansion. Better understanding of their visual system and potential visually-mediated behaviors may increase understanding regarding adaptive benefits of their unique head shape. The dissertation revealed four factors regarding this species' visual system: 1) the extent of their optical visual fields span between 68-72 degrees laterally and cover their visual horizon, 2) they possess a fairly large (approximately 112 degree) blind spot directly in front of …

Prey-Size Selectivity In The Bivalve Chione In The Florida Pliocene-Pleistocene: A Reevaluation, Shubhabrata Paul

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Previous study of drilling predation on the bivalve Chione during the late Neogene of Florida suggested that prey-size selectivity of predators was disrupted by species turnover and morphological change within the prey genus. More recent experimental work, however, showed that at least some of these changes can be attributed to the confounding effects of facies shifts between naticid-dominated, muricid-dominated, and mixed predator assemblages. As muricids have the most abundant and continuous fossil record and are most responsible for predation on the Chione bivalve in modern benthic ecosystems of Florida, we use new criteria to isolate the muricid component of the …

Microsphere-Aided Characterization Of Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Networks, Carlos A. Bello

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The fabrication and characterization of surface-anchored hydrogel microstructures are described. The hydrogel structures are constructed from poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), or poly(NIPAAm), which is a well-known thermoresponsive polymer that swells and contracts with changes in temperature. When patterned on a surface, these structures can experience a variety of shape changes induced by nonuniform swelling. Depending on the aspect ratio, patterns can, for instance buckle upon swelling and form wave-like patterns. Such structural changes replicate oscillatory motion of the smooth muscle cells and can be used to transport objects in microfluidics. The work, herein, investigates methods of pattern production and introduces a new technique …

Paleoclimatic Reconstruction And Evaluation Of Sub-Centennial Climate Variability In The Late Holocene Using Records From Massive Corals (New Caledonia), Tree-Rings (New Mexico) And Speleothems (China), Kristine Lee Delong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on how the construction of a paleoclimate time series influences the interpretation in the frequency domain. Three time series are examined: a New Caledonian coral (Amedee Island), a Chinese speleothem (Dongge Cave), and New Mexican trees (El Malpais).

This study presents a monthly resolved coral Sr/Ca time series from New Caledonia that reconstructs sea surface temperature (SST; 1648-1999). The chronology is based on density-band counting, cross-correlating Sr/Ca, and ²³°Th dating. The intracolony coral Sr/Ca variations are coherent on interannual to centennial time scales and are reproducible for >300 years. The SST reconstruction reveals estimated cooling trend (~0.4°C) …

Characterizing The In-Vitro Morphology And Growth Kinetics Of Intermediate Amyloid Aggregates, Shannon E. Hill

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The mechanisms linking deposits of insoluble fibrils of amyloid proteins to the debilitating neuronal cell death characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases remain enigmatic. Recent findings suggest that transiently formed intermediate aggregates, and not the prominent neuronal plaques, represent the principal toxic agent. Evaluating the neurotoxicity of intermediate aggregates, however, requires unambiguous characterization of all aggregate structures present, their relative distributions, and how they evolve in time. Hen-egg white lysozyme represents an attractive model for studying intermediate aggregate formation since it is an extensively characterized globular protein, and its human variants can lead to systemic amyloidosis.

Combining in-situ dynamic light scattering (DLS) …

Endurance Materials For Hydrogen Sulfide Splitting In Electrolytic Cell, Jonathan Chinwendu Mbah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study describes the development of a novel thin membrane exchange assembly (MEA) from a solid acid material, cesium hydrogen sulfate (CsHSO₄), and from a composite anode electrocatalyst for electrolytic splitting of (100 %) H₂S feed content gas operating at 135 kPa and 150 °C. A new class of anode electrocatalyst with the general composition, RuO₂/CoS₂, and an improved proton conductor, CsHSO₄, have shown great stability and desired properties at typical operating conditions. This configuration demonstrated stable electrochemical operation for 24 h with a (100 %) H₂S fuel …

Application Of Remote Sensing Methods To Assess The Spatial Extent Of The Seagrass Resource In St. Joseph Sound And Clearwater Harbor, Florida, U.S.A., Cynthia A. Meyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the event of a natural or anthropogenic disturbance, environmental resource managers require a reliable tool to quickly assess the spatial extent of potential damage to the seagrass resource. The temporal availability of the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery, 16-20 days, provides a suitable option to detect and assess damage to the seagrass resource. In this study, remote sensing Landsat 5 TM imagery is used to map the spatial extent of the seagrass resource. Various classification techniques are applied to delineate the seagrass beds in Clearwater Harbor and St. Joseph Sound, FL. This study aims to determine the most …

Aging With Identity: Integrating Culture Into Senior Housing, Christine Sanchez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There is an underlying hope that those whom are elderly can exist in a place of happiness, comfort, security and familiarity; and can do so by aging in a place which complies with an understanding of their needs as older adults. However, along with aging comes a negative association of dependence and deterioration. Therefore, it is intuitive to have a connection between both the aging process and the design process. Creating a product which brings a positive association with senior housing and aging in place is the underlying goal within the project and overall design.

With the increasing population of …

An Ethologically Relevant Animal Model Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Physiological, Pharmacological And Behavioral Sequelae In Rats Exposed To Predator Stress And Social Instability, Phillip R. Zoladz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating mental illness that results from exposure to intense, life-threatening trauma. Some of the symptoms of PTSD include intrusive flashback memories, persistent anxiety, hyperarousal and cognitive impairments. The finding of reduced basal glucocorticoid levels, as well as a greater suppression of glucocorticoid levels following dexamethasone administration, has also been commonly observed in people with PTSD. Our laboratory has developed an animal model of PTSD which utilizes chronic psychosocial stress, composed of unavoidable predator exposure and daily social instability, to produce changes in rat physiology and behavior that are comparable to the symptoms observed in …

Mathematical Modeling Of Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Colleen Spiegel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fuel cells are predicted to be the power delivery devices of the future. They have many advantages such as the wide fuel selection, high energy density, high efficiency and an inherent safety which explains the immense interest in this power source. The need for advanced designs has been limited by the lack of understanding of the transport processes inside the fuel cell stack. The reactant gases undergo many processes in a fuel cell that cannot be observed. Some of these processes include convective and diffusional mass transport through various types of materials, phase change and chemical reaction. In order to …

Owss And Mimo-Stc-Ofdm: Signaling Systems For The Next Generation Of High Speed Wireless Lans, Dinesh Divakaran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current popularity of WLANs is a testament primarily to their convenience, cost efficiency and ease of integration. Even now the demand for high data rate wireless communications has increased fourfold as consumers demand better multimedia communications over the wireless medium. The next generation of high speed WLANs is expected to meet this increased demand for capacity coupled with high performance and spectral efficiency. The current generation of WLANs utilizes Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation. The next generation of WLAN standards can be made possible either by developing a different modulation technique or combining legacy OFDM with Multiple Input …

Re-Establishing Place Through Knowledge: A Facility For Earth Construction Education In Pisco, Peru, Hannah Jo Sebastian

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Human vulnerability can be characterized as people living with uncertain livelihood options, precariously settled in structurally unsafe buildings. A striking aspect of this vulnerability is the large number of people living in earthen structures within seismically active zones. This reality is exemplified by the earthquake which occurred this past summer around Pisco, Peru. The earthquake caused enormous damage to more than 80% of the adobe buildings. Although confined masonry is the preferred construction technique for families who can afford it, adobe is still the only economically viable alternative for most.

Presently reconstruction efforts are focused on encouraging residents to build …

Landscape As Urbanism, Ryan Nicholas Abraham

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have suggested that landscape become the main ordering device in the development of the built environment. Traditional methods of urban planning have categorized landscape as a cosmetic application, the purpose of which is to beautify the urban environment after the planning and development phases. The problems associated with globalization and rapid urbanization at present includes the commoditization of urban form. As a result of this trend, many cities are becoming less and less distinguishable from one another, as urban form is generated without considering the particularities of site and context. The lack of a more specific understanding of a …

Sedimentation Of Organic - Inorganic Composites By Optical Turbidity, Reshma K. Harrinauth

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sedimentation is one of many characterization tools used to test materials in nanotechnology. Characterization of settling behavior is complex as there are many variables which can affect sedimentation. In our research, we focused on sedimentation in colloidal systems with the aid of an optical turbidometer. Nanoparticles of CeO₂ (Ceria Oxide) and TiO₂ (Titanium Dioxide) are embedded onto a polymeric matrix of a thermally responsive microgel of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) and interpenetrating chains of poly(acrylic acid) to create novel composites. The composites are loaded with the inorganic oxide nanoparticles at different weight percent from a low value of 10 weight …

The Acquisition Of Procedural Skills: An Analysis Of The Worked-Example Effect Using Animated Demonstrations, David Lewis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While many educators suggest active, rather than passive learning, this is not always the best solution, especially when learners are novices. Sweller and Cooper found learners who passively studied worked examples were significantly more efficient than those who actively solved problems (Cooper & Sweller, 1987; Sweller & Cooper, 1985) later described as the "worked-example effect" (Sweller & Chandler, 1991).

The current study tested the claims of Lewis (2005) who suggested animated demonstrations act as worked examples. It compared the performance of groups of preservice teachers who: studied animated demonstrations (demo); studied animated demonstrations and practiced procedures (demo+practice & demo2+practice), or …

Reburb: Redefining The Suburban Family Unit Under A New Construction Ecology, Matthew A. Lobeck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Our structures might be machines for living in, but there was no longer much about them that was alive.”

-William McDonough, Cradle to Cradle

Home ownership is a significant driver within American culture. In Florida single-family homes represent one of the largest components of our built surroundings, significantly impacting the environment through material use and energy consumption. Currently, homes typically are built with little regard to the environmental context. By designing for the immediate goal of separation from the elements, they do not provide for convenient spatial expansion or adaptability, using material assemblies that do not lend themselves to be …

Fault-Tolerant Adaptive Model Predictive Control Using Joint Kalman Filter For Small-Scale Helicopter, Carlos L. Castillo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A novel application is presented for a fault-tolerant adaptive model predictive control system for small-scale helicopters. The use of a joint Extended Kalman Filter, (EKF), for the estimation of the states and parameters of the UAV, provided the advantage of implementation simplicity and accuracy. A linear model of a small-scale helicopter was utilized for testing the proposed control system. The results, obtained through the simulation of different fault scenarios, demonstrated that the proposed scheme was able to handle different types of actuator and system faults effectively. The types of faults considered were represented in the parameters of the mathematical representation …

Motion-Logger: An Attitude And Motion Sensing System, Andres Felipe Marquez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes a motion sensing system for wheelchairs with the main objective of determining tips, falls and risky situations. The system relies on measurements from an Inertial Measurement Unit, (IMU), consisting of a 3-axis accelerometer and a 2-axis gyroscope as the source of information. The IMU was embedded in a portable device, the "Motion Logger", which collects motion data in a Secure Digital memory card after running a real time preprocessing algorithm. The algorithm was designed to reduce energy consumption and memory usage. Actual signal analysis and attitude estimation is carried out offline.

The motion sensing system was developed …

Copper Doped Window Layer For Cdse Solar Cells, Sheetal Kumar Chanda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CdSe solar cells with ZnTe as the window layer deposited by CSS process have shown V_oc's around 630mV. However the currents were very low and also the voltages were not meeting the desired objectives. To improve the performance the contact energy at the ZnTe/Cu interface should be minimized by doping the window layer.

Thermal evaporation was used to deposit ZnTe to have more control over the composition of the film. Initial experiments were done by depositing Cu doped ZnTe films on plain glass by co-evaporating both ZnTe and Cu. The conductivity was in the order of 10e3 which …

Permanent Supportive Housing In Tampa, Florida: Facilitating Transition Through Site, Program, & Design, Nicole Lara Dodd

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid re-housing of the homeless into permanent supportive housing has proven to be cost effective. The improved quality of life and stability reduces stress on the formerly homeless and therefore increases their viability as self-sufficient individuals.

Hillsborough County (which encompasses Tampa, Florida) reported 9,532 homeless persons on any given night in the year 2007. Currently, there is not enough housing to meet the needs of every individual. While existing housing facilities contribute a great deal to this community, their locations in dilapidated urban conditions are not the most conducive environments for homeless persons to succeed. The stigma associated with the …

The Virtual Landscape Of Geological Information Topics, Methods, And Rhetoric In Modern Geology, Sarah Elizabeth Fratesi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Geology is undergoing changes that could influence its knowledge claims, reportedly becoming more laboratory-based, technology-driven, quantitative, and physics- and chemistry-rich over time. This dissertation uses techniques from information science and linguistics to examine the geologic literature of 1945-2005. It consists of two studies: an examination of the geological literature as an expanding network of related subdisciplines, and an investigation of the linguistic and graphical argumentation strategies within geological journal articles.

The first investigation is a large-scale study of topics within articles from 67 geologic journals. Clustering of subdiscipline journals based on titles and keywords reveals six major areas of geology: …

Analysis Of Water Seepage Through Earthen Structures Using The Particulate Approach, Kalyani Jeyisanker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A particulate model is developed to analyze the effects of steady state and transient seepage of water through a randomly-packed coarse-grained soil as an improvement to conventional seepage analysis based on continuum models. In the new model the soil skeleton and pore water are volumetrically coupled. In the first phase of the study, the concept of relative density has been used to define different compaction levels of the soil layers of a completely saturated pavement filter system and observe the seepage response to compaction. First, Monte-Carlo simulation is used to randomly pack discrete spherical particles from a specified Particle Size …

Discrete Linear Constrained Multivariate Optimization For Power Sources Of Mobile Systems, Stelios G. Ioannou

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned ground and aerial vehicles (UGVs and UAVs) have strict payload limitations, limited free space affecting on board power availability resulting in limited endurance and operational range. This limitation is exacerbated by the addition of sensors, actuators and other related equipment needed to accomplish mission objectives in diverse applications.

Two energy sources are mainly available for mobile applications; batteries and fuel cells. Batteries are a relatively cheap, tested technology with good performance under varying loads. On the other hand, fuel cells offer fast and easy refueling solutions. Furthermore, preliminary studies have shown that a hybrid system can combine the advantages …

Reestablishing The Neighborhood: Exploring New Relationships & Strategies In Inner City Single Family Home Development, Jeremy Michael Hughes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the end of World War II, American cities have been stuck in the development trend of urban sprawl. The suburban ideal and proliferation of the automobile have fostered this trend, as well as several other negative issues in our society including inefficient land use and isolation of lower social and economic groups. After fifty years as the model by which American cities grow, it has proven itself to be both inefficient in land use and ineffective in bridging the social gaps that have existed since its inception. A new model for city growth is necessary, one that encourages steady …

Impact Of Seizure-Related Variables And Psychopathology On Health-Related Quality Of Life In Pediatric Epilepsy, Aja M. Meyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Psychopathology typically is a lasting condition that is persistent from childhood to adulthood. Therefore, it is imperative that children with health conditions and comorbid psychiatric disorders are treated for both conditions as they are likely to have a significant negative impact on children's overall health-related quality of life (HRQL). More specifically, it is important to identify the variables that affect HRQL in children with epilepsy. Research has shown that biomedical variables such as seizure severity and frequency have only moderate relationships with HRQL; therefore, additional factors, such as depression and anxiety, must be identified so that they also may be …

Socializing Housing Phased Early Response To Impromptu Migrant Encampments In Lima, Peru, Raul E. Mayta

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Every year hundreds of people migrate from the highlands of Peru to the coastal capital of Lima searching for economic and social stability. These groups of people have similar characteristics that keep them together they come from the same city, are members of the same family, have the same religion, have similar goals, and so on. Once in Lima they take possession of the only free areas left in the city: the mountains. Due to a lack of economic resources, poor urban planning and unsuitable site conditions the settlements grow for years in a disorderly, unsafe and unsanitary way, creating …