American Studies Commons^™

Characterization Of L-Cysteine Thin Films Via Photoemission Spectroscopy, Roy Gargagliano

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using photoemission spectroscopy (PES) the interface between the amino acid Lcysteine and a Au substrate was characterized to determine its electronic and chemical structure. L-cysteine was deposited on a Au substrate in several experiments via dipping into solution or via evaporation. The depositions were performed in several steps. Between deposition steps x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) measurements were taken. XPS was used to characterize the chemical interaction at the interface while UPS was used to determine the orbital line-up at the interface and the highest molecular orbital (HOMO) structure of L-cysteine. The results indicate the formation …

Performance Oriented Scheduling With Power Constraints, Brian C. Hayes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current technology trends continue to increase the power density of modern processors at an exponential rate. The increasing transistor density has significantly impacted cooling and power requirements and if left unchecked, the power barrier will adversely affect performance gains in the near future. In this work, we investigate the problem of instruction reordering for improving both performance and power requirements. Recently, a new scheduling technique, called Forced Directed Instruction Scheduling, or FDIS, has been proposed in the literature for use in high level synthesis as well as instruction reordering [15, 16, 6]. This thesis extends the FDIS algorithm by adding …

Rational Fraction Approximations For Passive Network Functions, William Joel Dietmar Johnson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In electrical engineering, the designer is often presented with the problem of synthesizing a circuit for which the mathematical specifications are unsuitable for physical realization. Hence, the engineer must approximate as well as possible the prescribed network function by another function which is realizable. This paper describes a new approximation method for solving the problem of realizing passive network transfer functions, where the realization is carried out through the use of passive, reciprocal, lumped, linear, and time-invariant elements.

Optical Response Of Polycrystalline Mercuric Iodide Photoconductive Detectors, Prashant Chegoor

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mercuric Iodide in its tetragonal form has received a lot of attention for many years as a prospective room temperature X-ray and y-ray detector. Its basic properties are well suited for this purpose. Its wide band gap of 2.1eV contributes to a high dark resistivity of 10¹²ohm-cm or higher. A high atomic number of its constituent atoms (Hg-80, I -53) and a density of 6.3g/cm³ result in its efficient interaction with incident X-ray or y-ray radiation. Single crystalline mercuric iodide has been thoroughly studied and successfully utilized in commercial radiation detectors. But with the urgent need for …

Leakage Power Driven Behavioral Synthesis Of Pipelined Asics, Ranganath Gopalan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Traditional approaches for power optimization during high level synthesis, have targetted single-cycle designs where only one input is being processed by the datapath at any given time. Throughput of large single-cycle designs can be improved by means of pipelining. In this work, we present a framework for the high-level synthesis of pipelined datapaths with low leakage power dissipation. We explore the effect of pipelining on the leakage power dissipation of data-flow intensive designs. An algorithm for minimization of leakage power during behavioral pipelining is presented. The transistor level leakage reduction technique employed here is based on Multi-Threshold CMOS (MTCMOS) technology. …

Flood Forecasting Using Time Series Data Mining, Chaitanya Damle

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Earthquakes, floods, rainfall represent a class of nonlinear systems termed chaotic, in which the relationships between variables in a system are dynamic and disproportionate, however completely deterministic. Classical linear time series models have proved inadequate in analysis and prediction of complex geophysical phenomena. Nonlinear approaches such as Artificial Neural Networks, Hidden Markov Models and Nonlinear Prediction are useful in forecasting of daily discharge values in a river. The focus of these methods is on forecasting magnitudes of future discharge values and not the prediction of floods. Chaos theory provides a structured explanation for irregular behavior and anomalies in systems that …

Process Development And Characterization Of Sol-Gel Lead Zirconate Titanate Films For Fabrication Of Flexural Plate Wave Devices, Praveen Kumar Sekhar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, research on development of chemical, biological and hazardous gas sensors for homeland security have attracted great deal of interest. Actuators possessing high sensitivity, easy fabrication techniques and excellent integration compatibility are in great demand. Towards this need, the development and characterization of improved solgel processing for in-house fabrication of highly sensitive and reliable Flexural Plate Wave (FPW) device was pursued

This work focuses on an experimental design approach to improve texture and morphology of PZT thin film by systematically controlling the spin, pyrolysis and anneal cycles. The process alterations resulted in an 8-fold increase in the relative …

Self-Guided Micro Vehicle: An Autonomous Vehicle With Gps Navigation And 802.11b Communications, Roberto J. Guerra

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To facilitate the learning of automatic navigation systems by engineering students an easy to obtain platform is useful. The topic of this thesis is the design and implementation of a basic self-guided vehicle that can be programmed and expanded by anyone possessing basic experience with the C programming language. The Self-Guided Micro Vehicle, (SGMV), uses off-the-shelf easy to obtain parts such as a toy R/C truck and the Handyboard to maximize availability of this technology to students.

This thesis divides the SGMV design process by functionality. It starts by documenting the locomotion system, which was a modified R/C toy truck. …

Molybdenum As A Back Contact For Cucl Treated Cds/Cdte Solar Cells, Matheshkumar Jayabal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

CdTe is one of the most promising absorbers for use in inexpensive semiconductor solar cells having achieved a high efficiency of 16.4% in small area cells [1]. One of the most important technological problems in obtaining high efficiencies is to have a good ohmic contact on the CdTe, which is characterized by a very high work function [2]. Cu is used as a dopant in CdTe at the contact to promote quantum mechanical tunneling [3]. But the oversupply of Cu causes the diffusion of Cu through CdTe to the underlying CdS layer resulting in the degradation of the cell performance. …

Concerted Evolution In Sm50, A Gene With Unusual Repeat Structure, Sofia Hussain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Genes present in multiple copies and genes that contain regions of repetitive sequences can undergo concerted evolution, which results in homogenization of the nucleotide sequence of the genes or repetitive regions. In regions of tandem repeats, this occurs through misalignment of repeat units followed by unequal crossover, which generates two products with differing numbers of repeat units. Gene conversion is thought to lead to one of these products becoming fixed in a species. The homogenous sequence of previously studied genes that have been thought to undergo this process has made it difficult to determine the exact models involved. Here I …

Opportunistic Maintenance Policy Of A Multi-Unit System Under Transient State, Sulabh Jain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Most modern systems are equipped with very complex, expensive, and high technology components whose maintenance costs have become an increasingly large portion of the total operating cost of these systems. Thus, the efficacy of the maintenance policy for these and related systems has become a major concern to both manufacturing and design engineers. Different kinds of maintenance strategies have been proposed to solve the problem. While some of these have proven effective, there is yet no definitive approach that has been found that support the maintainability requirements of transient systems or systems that exhibit transient behavior. Transient behavior is the …

A Generalized Decision Model For Naval Weapon Procurement: Multi-Attribute Decision Making, Jin O. Chang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For any given reason, every year many countries spend a lot of money purchasing at least one weapon. Due to the secret character of the military, the decision process for specific weapon procurement is shrouded. Moreover, there are several funds loss cases due to mistakes in weapon contractions. Weapon procurement requires very large amounts of money which comes from tax payers. Therefore, an effort to reduce a possible monetary loss is needed.

A decision process based on an analytic model can present a better chance to decision makers for better weapon decisions. In general, weapon procurement decision is a multi …

Development Of Interactive Web-Based Tutorials For Chemical Engineering Undergraduates, Stefan Cular

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents the design, creation, and testing of a web-based tool for generating interactive web-based problem set assignments. In prior research (Stetka, 2001) it was shown that students enjoyed interactive problems. In this research, multiple programming languages were used to provide a web-based, fully interactive, problem solving environment for the students. Sample problem sets were written by the author and a few chemical engineering students.

These web pages were then used as a basis to test the effectiveness of the webbased interactive problem sets for two engineering courses. Initial findings are presented illustrating the student’s results along with results …

A Geographic Information System For Dynamic Ridematching, Sasha Dos-Santos

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Online Transportation Option System (OTOS) is a Geographic Information System (GIS) that addresses many of the limitations associated with traditional dynamic ridematching applications. The main improvements are in the areas of trip scheduling and match searching. OTOS is unique in its ability to accept trips with schedules that can not be expressed in terms of a regular weekly trip. OTOS also distinguishes itself in its use of spatial analysis techniques to locate matches. Specifically, the use of a shortest path solver enables the ridematching algorithm to perform a search along the path of a user’s trip, in addition to …

Re-Engineering Graduate Medical Education: An Analysis Of The Contribution Of Residents To Teaching Hospitals Utilizing A Model Of An Internal Medicine Residency Program, Ian M. Elius

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the U.S. health care delivery system does not provide consistent, high-quality medical care to all people all the time. As a significant component of the health care delivery system, the state of Graduate Medical Education in the United States has prompted much analysis in recent years due to the general view that desired and actua l outcomes are increasingly at variance with each other. One area of focus has been the implications of change for provider credentialing and funding of graduate medical education.

With this research we test the hypothesis that residents perform …

An Integrated Optimal Design Method For Utility Power Distribution Systems, Ralph E. Fehr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a comprehensive and integrated design methodology to optimize both the electrical and the economic performance of a utility power distribution system. The proposal is structured to facilitate its adoption and incorporation into the existing utility infrastructure by allowing the various portions of the new design to be implemented gradually into the existing infrastructure without the need to abandon the portions of the existing system that are performing satisfactorily.

The topology of the substation plays a vital role in determining both the reliability and the economy of the distribution system. The ring bus topology is offered as the …

Development Of A Ctd System For Environmental Measurements Using Novel Pcb Mems Fabrication Techniques, Heather Allison Broadbent

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The development of environmental continuous monitoring of physicochemical parameters via portable small and inexpensive instrumentation is an active field of research as it presents distinct challenges. The development of a PCB MEMS-based inexpensive CTD system intended for the measurement of environmental parameters in natural waters, is presented in this work. Novel PCB MEMS fabrication techniques have also been developed to construct the conductivity and temperature transducers. The design and fabrication processes are based on PCB MEMS technology that combines Cu-clad liquid crystal polymer (LCP) thin-film material with a direct write photolithography tool, chemical etching and metallization of layers of electroless …

Hope And Quality Of Life In Hospice Patients With Cancer, Cynthia Brown

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hope is considered to have a positive influence upon health. Cancer patients may enter hospice care after a rigorous course of medical treatment, having hoped for a cure or long remission. While the hope for cure is important, hope is no less important at the end of life when the goal of care is quality of life. This study examined the relationship between hope and quality of life in hospice patients with cancer.

Thirty-one patients with cancer, who were alert, oriented, living with a caregiver, and aware of their diagnosis were sampled from a hospice program. The instruments used were …

The Relationship Between Caregiving And Bereavement: A Series Of Three Studies, Allison Burton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Spousal bereavement has been consistently demonstrated in the literature to be one of the most highly stressful experiences in an individual’s lifetime. In addition many deaths in the United States are preceded by a period of caregiving, which is also believed to be highly stressful and have a profound impact on bereavement. However the literature has been inconsistent as to the exact nature of the relationship between caregiving and bereavement and there has been some debate as to whether or not positive and negative affect variables are mutually exclusive.

This dissertation sought to further address the issue of the relationship …

The Impact Of Privatization Of Primary Care Programs In Large County Health Departments In Florida, Arlesia Lynn Brock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the mid-1970s, top managers, politicians, and officials in both public and private institutions have promoted contracting-out services (privatization) as a means of increasing efficiency, flexibility, and quality. The privatization trend has occurred in many public sector organizations particularly in city services and prisons. Public health services are not immune to this trend. Today many county health departments have contracted the provision of public health services like womens health, primary care, and laboratory services. However, very few studies have analyzed the impact of these privatizations on cost, access, and health outcomes. Proponents favoring the private provision of these services argue …

The Assessment Of Appearance Factors Related To Intentional Uv Exposure, Guy Cafri

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the motives for sunbathing and indoor tanning is an extremely important public health issue. Skin cancer rates have increased dramatically in recent years and UV exposure via sunbathing and utilization of sun lamps and tanning beds are considered important risk factors. Motives for sunbathing and tanning salon use have been thought to be related to appearance concerns, yet little research has examined the specific tan appearance attitudes that may contribute to use of these behaviors. Two studies were conducted with the aim of assessing distinct attitudes related to a tan appearance. In the first study items were created based …

Distribution Of Clionid Sponges In The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Fknms), 2001-2003, Michael K. Callahan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 2001, the Coral Reef Evaluation and Monitoring Program (CREMP) began monitoring the abundance and area covered by three clionid sponges (Cliona delitrix, C. lampa, and C. caribbaea). Subsequently, monitoring has been conducted annually at all 40 CREMP sites throughout the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and the Dry Tortugas. Between 2001 and 2002, mean clionid area decreased significantly from 7.6 cm2 /m2 to 4.6 cm2 /m2 (Wilcoxon; p= 0.035). Between 2002 and 2003, the decline to 4.5 cm2 /m2 was not significant. Approximately 80% of all clionid colonies recorded at the CREMP stations covered less than 50 cm2 …

Mapping The Major Axis Of Tephra Dispersion With A Mesoscale Atmospheric Model: Cerro Negro Volcano, Nicaragua, Marc A. Byrne

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Models of tephra fallout are used to assess volcanic hazards in advance of eruptions and in near-real-time. Current models often approximate the wind field using simplistic assumptions of the atmosphere that cannot account for typical variations in wind velocity that occur in time and three-dimensional space. Here, a widely used mesoscale atmospheric model is used to improve forecasts of the location of the major axis of dispersion for erupting plumes. The Pennsylvania State University-National Center for Atmospheric Research fifth-generation Mesoscale Model (MM5) specializes in atmospheric prediction for regions on the order of ten to hundreds of kilometers on a side. …

Eros, Paideia And Arête: The Lesson Of Plato’S Symposium, Jason St. John Oliver Campbell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Commentators of Plato’s Symposium rarely recognize the importance of traditional Greek conceptions of Eros, paideia and arête in understanding Plato’s critique of the various educational models presented in the dialogue. I will show how Plato contests these models by proposing that education should consist of philosophy. On this interpretation, ancient Greek pedagogy culminates in a philosophical education. For this new form of education, the dialogical model supplants the traditional practices of kléos and poetic mimēsis, inextricably bound to archaia paideia and traditional forms of education. Plato’s Socrates is searching for knowledge and immortality through an application of the philosophical method, …

Relationship Of Waste Characteristics To The Formation Of Mineral Deposits In Leachate Collection Systems, Antonio J. Cardoso

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Landfill leachate is generated as a result of reactions between water percolating through the landfill and wastes. Under normal conditions leachate is found at the bottom of landfills and from there, its movement can be controlled with collection systems to be treated, discharged, or recirculated. Landfill leachate collection systems are positioned above the liner and are designed to collect liquid under gravitational flow for the entire active, closure, and post-closure periods. Clogging of any portion of the system can lead to higher hydraulic heads and increase the potential for leakage through the liner.

To reduce the quantity of municipal solid …

Social Construction Of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women In Panama City, Panama, Arlene Calvo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

To learn how to address health issues specific to Hispanic cultures in an effort to address health disparities, learning from cultural aspects that affect health from the countries of origin would be most useful. Community programs built on rigorous and systematic research prove to be more powerful than ad-hoc programs. Qualitative research techniques offer powerful alternatives for public health professionals to develop adequate and directed programs at the community level, especially among underserved communities and those represented by oral/spoken traditions. The study was conducted among 132 working class single and married Mestizo women between the ages of 20-40 living in …

Trade And Plunder Networks In The Second Seminole War In Florida, 1835-1842, Toni Carrier

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Second Seminole War in Florida, 1835-1842, was a time of disruption and upheaval for all of those unfortunate enough to occupy the territory of Florida during the seven years of this protracted battle over Seminole removal to the West. Illicit trade was a major factor which enabled the Seminoles to resist removal for such an extended period. Illicit trade requires outside assistance. Documentary evidence suggests that such assistance was rendered by Spanish fishermen, English and American wreckers, slaves, free blacks, Native Americans and white American settlers. This thesis examines the evidence for plunder and illicit trade, and the possible …

The Effect Of Perceived Entitativity On Implicit Image Transfer In Multiple Sponsorships, Francoì?Is Anthony Carrillat

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation proposes that in the case of multiple sponsorships (i.e., brands sponsoring concomitantly the same event), the group constituted by the sponsoring brands and the sponsored event will be perceived as an entity; a phenomenon that Campbell (1958) called entitativity. The extent to which a group of brands and a sponsored event is seen as being entitative will result in stereotypic processing of the group members (Brewer and Harasty 1996). Information about an entitative group is abstracted and used to form judgments about every group member (McConnell, Sherman, and Hamilton 1997). Characteristics tied to one brand or to the …

Effects Of Social Skills Training On The Interpersonal Behaviors Of Elementary School Students In An After-School Program, Robert Caples

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Social skills training was investigated in an after-school program setting with four seven- and eight-year-old males. Two were Hispanic and two were African-American. Social skills training consisted of a direct instruction, behavioral learning model of skillstreaming as described by McGinnis & Goldstein (1997). There were four major components to each social skills training session: (1) an explanation of the skill being taught; (2) modeling by the researcher of the skill being taught; (3) role play by each of the participants; and (4) performance feedback regarding the role plays. Sessions lasted approximately 30 minutes and were held weekly throughout the intervention …

Effects Of Constructed Response Contingencies In Web-Based Programmed Instruction On Graphing Compared To Cued-Text Presentation Of The Same Information, Reinaldo L. Canton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Web-based lessons teaching graph construction techniques (via the internet) were presented to 144 undergraduate and graduate college students. One group experienced program-controlled tutorials requiring them to construct answers in a defined sequence. A second group experienced identical lesson material in the form of typographically cued text presentations. The programmed instruction students performed significantly better than the cued-text group on an immediate computerbased posttest assessing comprehension of the graphing lesson material. The cuedtext group performed better on an applied graphing assignment. The experiment did not account for individual’s internet study habits or the metacognitive approaches to learning employed by the study …