Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Low Loss Rf/Millimeter-Wave Mems Phase Shifters, Balaji Lakshminarayanan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A true time delay multi-bit MEMS phase shifter topology based on impedance-matched slow-wave CPW sections on a 500µm thick quartz substrate is presented. Design equations based on the approximate model for a distributed line is derived and used in optimization of the unit cell parameters. A semi-lumped model for the unit cell is derived and its equivalent circuit parameters are extracted from measurement and EM simulation data. This unit cell model can be cascaded to accurately predict N-section phase shifter performance. Experimental data for a 4.6mm long 4-bit device shows a maximum phase error of 5.5° and S₁₁ less …

Auction Performance Evaluation In Deregulated Electricity Markets, Vishnuteja Nanduri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a deregulated electricity market, auction serves as a primary pricing tool in various segments of the market including day-ahead, real time, ancillary services markets, and Financial Transmission Rights (FTRs) market. Deregulated power markets around the world use different auction strategies that exist in the literature, since very little comparative guidelines exist as to the relative merits of these strategies. In this thesis, a computational methodology and its solution framework are developed to evaluate the impact of an auction strategy on the equilibrium prices in a constrained network with multiple generators at nodes, and where transactions are settled using the …

Generation Of Carbon Dioxide And Mobilization Of Antimony Trioxide By Fungal Decomposition Of Building Materials, John D. Krause

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fungal contamination of buildings poses numerous challenges to researchers, building owners and occupants. Public health agencies promote prevention and remediation of mold and water damage, but lack sensitive methods to detect hidden mold growth and a complete understanding of the biological mechanisms that make occupying moldy buildings a hazard. The wide spread use of the fire retardant antimony trioxide (Sb₂O₃) on building materials and furnishings makes it inevitable that mold growth on treated materials will occur in some buildings with water damage. Several authors have speculation that microbial growth on materials treated with antimony trioxide could …

Integrated Scheduling And Information Support System For Transit Maintenance Departments, Paula Andrea Lopez Alvarado

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The projected increase of population in the United States and particularly in the state of Florida shows a clear need of improvement in mass transportation systems. To provide outstanding service to rides, well maintained fleet that ensures safety for riders and other people on the streets is imperative.

This research presents an information support system that assists maintenance managers to review and analyze data and evaluate alternatives in order to make better decisions that maximize efficiency in operations at transportation organizations. A system that consists of a mathematical scheduling model that interacts with a forecasting model and repair time standards …

Effect Of Chromium Vi On The Production And Behavior Of Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echiniodea), Jennifer Rhora

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Small amounts of chromium (VI) are carcinogenic in mammals. Concentrations of Cr in marine algae and seagrasses range from 0.06-7.17 /g DW and 0.1-30.6 g/g DW respectively. To test for an effect of these concentrations, production (change in organic material), righting response, feeding rates, absorption efficiency and fecal production were measured in Lytechinus variegatus from Sarasota fed prepared diets containing 0, 4.1, and 32g Cr/ g DW and individuals from Ft. DeSoto fed diets containing 0, 41 and 82g Cr/ g DW. The urchins were fed for 4-5 weeks, with weekly measurements of their feeding rates, absorption efficiency and fecal …

Seasonal And Spatial Trends Of Karenia Brevis Blooms And Associated Parameters Along The 10-Meter Isobath Of The West Florida Shelf, Elizabeth Singh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Karenia brevis is a toxic marine dinoflagellate species that blooms almost every year in the Gulf of Mexico. These blooms have had devastating effects on local economies, as well as on the fauna of the area. The ECOHAB:Florida project was founded to study the population dynamics and trophic impacts of K. brevis. The project included a series of monthly hydrographic offshore research cruises, as well as monthly surveys of a transect along the 10-meter isobath of the West Florida Shelf. This study focused on data from the alongshore transect over a three-year period (1999-2001). Physical parameters (temperature, salinity, and …

Effect Of Fiber Volume Fraction On Fracture Mechanics In Continuously Reinforced Fiber Composite Materials, Thomas Wasik

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The application of advanced composite materials, such as graphite/epoxy, has been on the rise for the last four decades. The mechanical advantages, such as their higher specific stiffness and strength as compared to monolithic materials, make them attractive for aerospace and automotive applications. Despite these advantages, composites with brittle fibers have lower ductility and fracture toughness than monolithic materials.

One way to increase the fracture toughness of composites is to have a weak fiber-matrix interface that would blunt crack tips by crack deflection into the interface and hence enhance fracture toughness. However, this also reduces the transverse properties of the …

Congress, Mcgwire, And Steroids, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

For those of us who spent a significant part of our professional time and energy in the study of the 1950s, the current hysteria over steroids in the House of Representatives evokes definite historical memories. For some of us it even recalls memories of childhood when "Point of Order Mr. Chairman" was shouted across the schoolyard. This is not to equate the hearings of the House Committee on steroids in baseball, with Sen. Joseph McCarthy's hearings on Communists in government. It is however meant to draw some parallels and raise some questions.

Justin Eichler, Viola, Justin Eichler

School of Music Graduate Recitals

• JUSTIN EICHLER, Viola
• Gunta Laukmane, Piano

Justin Eichler is a candidate for the Master of Music degree majoring in performance. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alaska–Fairbanks.

Performance Evaluation Of Mobile Ad Hoc Networks In Realistic Mobility And Fading Environments, Preetha Prabhakaran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) are wireless networks, which consist of a collection of mobile nodes with no fixed infrastructure, where each node acts as a router that participates in forwarding data packets. They are a new paradigm of wireless communications for mobile hosts that are resource-constrained with only limited energy, computing power and memory.

Previous studies on MANETs concentrated more on energy conservation in an idealistic environment without taking into consideration, the effects of realistic mobility, interference and fading. The definition of realistic mobility models is one of the most critical and, at the same time, difficult aspects of …

Charles W. Bolen Recital Series: Maria Stablein, Piano; March 24, 2005, Maria Stablien

School of Music Programs

Center for the Performing Arts
Thursday Evening
March 24, 2005
8:00 p.m.

Lanthorn, Vol. 39, No. 27, March 24, 2005, Grand Valley State University

Volume 39, July 15, 2004 - June 16, 2005

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Partial Evaluation Based Triple Modular Redundancy For Single Event Upset Mitigation, Sujana Kakarla

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We present a design technique, called partial evaluation triple modular redundancy for hardening combinational circuits against Single Event Upsets (SEU). The input environment is given in terms of signal probabilities of the lines. This is useful information to determine the redundant gates of the given circuit. The basic ideas of partial redundancy and temporal triple modular redundancy are used together to harden the circuit against SEUs. The concept of partial redundancy is used to eliminate the gates whose outputs can be determined in advance. This technique fails in cases when the actual inputs to the circuit are not in accordance …

Bottom-Up And Top-Down Effects On Insects Herbivores Along A Natural Salinity Gradient In A Florida Salt Marsh, Maria Teresa Albarracin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I compared the strength of bottom- up and top-down effects on insect herbivores along a natural salinity gradient in salt marsh communities in West - Central, Florida. I used a 2x2 factorial design with plots divided into four different treatments: 1) fertilizer applied to increase plant quality 2) sticky traps added to remove natural enemies (parasitoids) 3) fertilizer applied and sticky traps added and 4) control plots. These plots were placed on 7 different sites containing the salt marsh plant Borrichia frutescens along a natural stress salinity gradient. In each plot I determined the abundance of the sap sucker Pissonotus …

An Investigation Of Tio2-Znfe2O4 Nanocomposites For Visible Light Photocatalysis, Jeremy Wade

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Environmental pollution on a global scale is expected to be the greatest problem that chemical scientists will face in the 21st century, and an increasing number of these scientists are looking to new photocatalytic systems for the solution. Existing photocatalytic systems are effective for the decomposition of many unwanted organics through the use of efficient semiconductor photocatalysts activated by ultra-violet (UV) irradiation. The demand for visible light activated photocatalytic systems is increasing rapidly. Currently, however, the efficiency and availability of photocatalysts which can be activated effectively by the solar spectrum and especially indoor lighting is severely limited.

The purpose of …

Aristotle, Epistemic Exemplars, And Virtue Epistemology, Scott Rubarth

The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter

Is contemporary virtue epistemology in fact a revival of Aristotle’s theory of intellectual virtues and an appeal to Aristotelian epistemology? In this paper I will examine Linda Zagzebski's theory of virtue epistemology, the most explicitly Aristotelian version of the agent-based epistemologies. The objective of this analysis is threefold: (1) To examine to what extent Zagzebski's virtue epistemology is genuinely Aristotelian, particularly in the use of moral and epistemic exemplars. (2) To draw attention to some significant concerns regarding the use of exemplars, such as the famous phronimos, in both moral and epistemic evaluation. And finally, (3) to offer a critique …

Plato On Episteme And Propositional Knowledge, Denis Vlahovic

The Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy Newsletter

Epistêmê cannot just be a matter of knowing a logos. Knowledge, it appears, is demonstrated not in the knowledge of any particular logos, but in the ability to defend a logos against refutation. It is precisely the latter ability that is characteristic of epistêmê. This ability, furthermore, cannot be imparted by means of a logos. For, no logos suffices to endow its possessor with the ability to defend it (i.e., the logos) against refutation.

Given that Plato appears to have believed that no knowledge of a logos—no matter how elaborate the logos—is sufficient for epistêmê, one can see why he …

Novel Rectenna For Collection Of Infrared And Visible Radiation, Mohammad Sarehraz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the rectifying antennas potential for harvesting solar power, along with a novel design for a solar rectenna. The suns general features and the characteristics of solar radiation as an electromagnetic wave are treated in depth in order to determine the deficiencies of traditional rectennas as a solar cell. A closed form equation for a MIM rectifiers efficiency as a function of its input power was developed and verified by a simulated behavioral model and measurements. A unique calculation method was also developed to determine the available solar power at the terminal of a [lambda]/2 dipole antenna as …

Structural And Electrical Properties Of Barium Strontium Titanate Thin Films For Tunable Microwave Applications, Sriraj G. Manavalan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dependence of dielectric permittivity on the applied electric field, high dielectric constant and low cost makes barium strontium titanate (BST) a promising ferroelectric material for applications in tunable microwave devices. High tunability and low dielectric loss is desired for tunable microwave devices. The primary objective of this research was to optimize the tunability and dielectric loss of BST thin films at microwave frequencies with different deposition techniques. Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films were grown on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si, by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and sputtering. Parallel plate capacitor structures were designed using ADS and fabricated. The microstructural and phase …

Cds/Cdte Thin Film Solar Cells With Zinc Stannate Buffer Layer, Srilatha Bapanapalli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CdS/CdTe solar cell performance and reproducibility can be improved by integrating a ZTO buffer layer, which interdiffuses into the CdS layer during device fabrication. Reducing the thickness of CdS layer improves the QE in the blue spectral region without affecting the device performance. This buffer layer is expected to prevent the formation of localized TCO/CdTe junction during high temperature processing.

The CdS/CdTe Solar Cell was modified by introducing ZTO as a buffer layer between the window layer (CdS) and the absorber layer (CdTe). Studies were performed on different varying ZTO processing parameters like (a) Zn/Sn atomic ratios during sputtering process, …

Senior Recital: Eric Jordan, Tuba; March 23, 2005, Eric Jordan

School of Music Programs

Kemp Recital Hall
Wednesday Evening
March 23, 2005
7:00 p.m.

Sophomore Recital: Laura Israelsen, Oboe; March 23, 2005, Laura Israelsen

School of Music Programs

Kemp Recital Hall
Wednesday Evening
March 23, 2005
8:30 p.m.

Study Of Tin Oxide For Hydrogen Gas Sensor Applications, Manoj Anand

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Tin oxide (SnO₂) has been investigated and used as a gas sensing material for numerous applications from the very start of the sensor industry. Most of these sensors use semiconductors (mostly SnO₂) as the sensing material.

In this work, SnO₂ was prepared using 2 techniques: firstly the MOCVD where we dope the sample with fluorine and secondly sputtering technique where samples are undoped in our case. These samples were tested at different conditions of temperature varying from room temperature to 150 degrees C, in ambient gas atmosphere of 200 CC Nitrogen (N₂).

The …

Modification Of Mdmx By Ubiquitination And Sumoylation, Yu Pan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

MDM2 and MDMX are two major negative regulators of tumor suppressor p53. Both MDM2 and MDMX can inactivate p53 and play important roles in mouse embryonic development in a p53 dependent manner. MDM2 possesses ubiquitin E3 ligase activity and mediates self-ubiquitination as well as ubiquitination and degradation of p53 by proteasome. We identify MDMX as another ubiquitin E3 ligase substrate of MDM2. MDM2 promotes the ubiquitination and degradation of MDMX through proteasome pathway. The RING domains of both MDMX and MDM2 are required and sufficient for MDM2-mediated MDMX ubiquitination. ARF overexpression, DNA damage or MDM2 overexpression can all stimulate MDMX …

Development And Characterization Of Carbon Nanotubes For Sensor Applications, Jessica Eileen Otto

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this research was to develop, characterize, and analyze carbon nanotubes as biosensors. In particular, pH and lactate molecules were targeted in this study. The reason these analytes were chosen was twofold. Firstly, when hydrogen ions and lactate are excreted in abnormal amounts in human sweat, they may be an indicator of a separate health problem. Thus, there is a clinical need for such biosensor applications. Secondly, pH and lactate detection represent two different types of electrochemical sensing techniques.

The carbon nanotubes used in this research were single walled and existed in bundles. They were further functionalized with …

Music Integration: Educators’ Perceptions Of Implementation And Student Achievement In Public School Elementary Education, Cynthia Marie Shuck

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigated the levels and frequency of music integration being implemented at a public elementary school in central Florida, what key issues affect the successful implementation of effective music integration, and if music integration has an influence on academic achievement.

This study focused on 14 elementary school educators actively involved with music integration at one public elementary school. The multiple formats of data collection and analysis provided triangulation and increased the viability and transferability of the results. The five data collection formats that were used consisted of surveys, observations, lesson plans, interviews, and student achievement documents. Data …

Bilal Ali, Baritone, Music Department

Junior Recitals

This general and Junior recital features Bilal Ali (baritone).

Letter From The Department Of Theatre, Dance & Film To The Dominican Sisters, Department Of Theatre, Dance & Film

Playbill and Promotion

Providence College Department of Theatre, Dance & Film

Letter from the Department of Theatre, Dance & Film to the Dominican Sisters inviting them to Brigadoon.

March 22, 2005

Oñate’S Foot: Histories, Landscapes, And Contested Memories In The Southwest, Douglas Seefeldt

Department of History: Faculty Publications

In Alcade, New Mexico, in January 1998, the right foot of a bronze statue of Don Juan de Oñate (c. 1550-1626; known as “the last conquistador”) was removed by “vandals” in an effort to counterbalance the upcoming 400th anniversary of his settlement by dramatizing his infamous order to cut off the right foot of 24 Acoma Pueblo prisoners in 1599.

While Oñate's colonization of the American Southwest as an actual event is long since past, controversies surrounding its interpretation continue to occur because publicly articulated views of the past remain contested so long as dfferent groups remember different pasts and …

Charles W. Bolen Recital Series: Michael Forbes, Tuba; March 22, 2005, Michael Forbes

School of Music Programs

Center for the Performing Arts
Tuesday Evening
March 22, 2005
8:00 p.m.