American Studies Commons^™

Vapor Cdcl2 Processing Of Cdte Solar Cells, Mursheda Hussain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polycrystalline CdS/CdTe thin film solar cells are among the leading candidates for low-cost, large scale terrestrial photovoltaic applications. CdTe has a high absorption coefficient and it can absorb the radiant energy within less than 2 µm of thickness. This makes it suitable for thin film applications. CdTe has a band gap of 1.45 eV at room temperature, which is nearly optimum for photovoltaic conversion efficiency under the AM 1.5 solar spectrum. The theoretical maximum efficiency for CdTe solar cells is 29%. However, to-date the experimental value is in the 16 % range.

In most cases CdTe cells are subjected to …

Co-Production Of Hydrogen And Sulfuric Acid By Electrolysis, Maheshkumar Chettiar

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogen gas is the cleanest fuel which produces only water as a combustion product with no greenhouse or toxic gases. The combustible hydrogen fuel is an energy carrier but not an energy source. As an element, hydrogen is widely available in nature as a component of water and of hydrocarbons. An energy source is needed to extract the element from these compounds and convert it to the combustible hydrogen gas.

Today, the energy source for nearly all hydrogen production is fossil fuel, principally natural gas. The supply of natural gas is limited and its price is increasing. Greenhouse gas and …

Fabrication Of Cigs Absorber Layers Using A Two-Step Process For Thin Film Solar Cell Applications, Harish Sankaranarayanan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Copper Indium Gallium DiSelenide absorber layers are fabricated using a two step manufacturing-friendly process. The first step involves the sequential deposition of Copper and Gallium and codeposition of Indium and Selenium, not necessarily in that order, at 275^o C. This is followed by the second stage, where the substrate is annealed in the presence of Selenium and a thin layer of Copper is deposited to neutralize the excess Indium and Gallium on the surface to form the Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide absorber layer. Elimination of the need for high degree of control and elimination of toxic gases like hydrogen …

Use Of The Power Card Strategy As An Intervention With An Elementary School Student With Asperger Syndrome: Increasing On-Task Behavior In The General Education Setting, Jane M. Devenport

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It has been slightly more than a decade since Asperger syndrome was recognized as a distinct sub-category of autism disorder and was first given a diagnostic category in the DSM-IV. An abundance of suggestions, ideas, and recommendations for treatment have been offered, yet there is only a limited amount of research that empirically evaluates these interventions. This study explores an intervention, the Power Card Strategy (PCS), previously demonstrated to be effective with improving social behaviors with a young girl with autism, by employing the student's area of special interest. An advantage to this intervention is it is relatively easy to …

Teacher Satisfaction In Public, Private, And Charter Schools: A Multi-Level Analysis, Christina Sentovich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The 1999-2000 restricted-use School and Staffing Survey (SASS) dataset was used to construct hierarchical linear models to determine to what degree administrative support, resources, collegiality, parental support, school atmosphere, credentialing requirements, professional development, classroom and school autonomy, and compensation can predict teacher satisfaction in public, private, and charter schools after controlling for teacher background and school characteristics. Variables were selected in part because it is possible for them to be manipulated by policy. The study also reports on efforts to refine and validate subscales of items chosen based on theory and literature from the SASS to represent teacher satisfaction and …

Estimation Of Switching Activity In Sequential Circuits Using Dynamic Bayesian Networks, Karthikeyan Lingasubramanian

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a novel, non-simulative, probabilistic model for switching activity in sequential circuits, capturing both spatio-temporal correlations at internal nodes and higher order temporal correlations due to feedback. Switching activity, one of the key components in dynamic power dissipation, is dependent on input streams and exhibits spatio-temporal correlation amongst the signals. One can handle dependency modeling of switching activity in a combinational circuit by Bayesian Networks [2] that encapsulates the underlying joint probability distribution function exactly.

We present the underlying switching model of a sequential circuit as the time coupled logic induced directed acyclic graph (TC-LiDAG), that can be …

Adaptation Of The State Trait Anxiety Inventory In Arabic: A Comparison With The American Stai, Qutayba A. Abdullatif

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of the present study was to develop an Arabic adaptation of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI, Form Y, Spielberger, 1983). In addition, cultural and linguistic influences on the experience and expression of anxiety were assessed. The American STAI and fifty initial Arabic items were administered to 286 university students at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. The American STAI was also administered to 336 university students at the University of South Florida.

Item and factor analyses were conducted on responses of the calibration sample to obtain the final set of Arabic items, which was validated using …

Auditors’ Performance In Computer-Mediated Fraud Assessment Brainstorming Sessions: An Investigation Of The Effects Of Anonymity And Creativity Training, Antoinette L. Lynch

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of recent corporate accounting scandals, auditors are encouraged to improve their method of fraud detection. Although Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 99 does not change the responsibility of the auditor for detecting fraud, it does provide new procedural requirements for assessing fraud risk, such as brainstorming among key team members about the potential for fraud. Using audit interns and internal auditors, this study empirically examines two interventions hypothesized to improve the quality of ideas generated by audit interns and internal auditors. In the first intervention, auditors use a computer-based group support system to brainstorm either non-anonymously …

Globalization: The Relationship Between The State And The Economy, Michael Mena

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Many people agree that we live in a changing world. It is a world transformed by globalization. I propose that changes in state policies have led to a change from an international economy to a global economy, thereby contributing to the emergence of contemporary globalization. Changes in state power/authority and policies have affected the overall economy. These changes have caused the economy to transform from a national economy to a global economy.

I test the hypothesis through a case study of Guatemala's Economy. The time period for this study is from 1982 to 2002. The economy of Guatemala is comprised …

Total Evaporative Resistance Of Selected Clothing Ensembles, Victor Caravello

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With regard to heat stress, the limiting factor inherent in clothing ensembles is the total evaporative resistance. Clothing with higher evaporative resistance impedes the ability to cool by sweat evaporation. Knowing the evaporative resistance provides a means to compare candidate ensembles. Further, a value for evaporative resistance means that a rational method can be used to assess the heat stress exposure. Evaporative resistance of five clothing ensembles (cotton work clothes, cotton coveralls, and three coveralls of particle barrier, liquid barrier and vapor barrier properties) was determined empirically from wear tests during two study phases. For Phase 1, the metabolic rate …

The Effects Of Computer Simulation And Learning Styles On Emergency Vehicle Drivers’ Competency In Training Course, Jeffrey T. Lindsey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The number of accidents over the past decade involving emergency vehicles is a major concern for emergency service providers. This study assessed the effectiveness of adding a driving simulator to a traditional training program. Potential relationships with students' learning styles using Gregorc Mind Style Delineator were also examined.

The general research design consisted of a quantitative portion (quasi-experimental) and a qualitative portion (phenomenological). The sample population consisted of Emergency Medical Technician students attending the National EMS Academy in Lafayette, LA. The didactic session was conducted first with 102 participants in attendance. The driving portion was conducted over five days. The …

Photosynthesis And Respiration In Five Species Of Benthic Foraminifera That Host Algal Symbionts, Robert A. Walker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Oxygen production and consumption were measured in five species of benthic foraminifers using a "Clark-type" oxygen electrode. Net photosynthesis and respiration were calculated and normalized to both μg Chl a and mm² upper surface area for the chlorophyte-bearing soritid foraminifers, Archaias angulatus and Cyclorbiculina compressa, and the diatom-bearing amphisteginids, Amphistegina gibbosa, A. lessonii and A. radiata. Photosynthesis/Irradiance curves were generated by fitting data to the hyperbolic tangent equation P = P_max tanh (α I/ P_max). Derived photosynthetic parameters, P_max, α, I_k were found to correspond to the general responses of …

A Comparison Of Weekend And Weekday Travel Behavior Characteristics In Urban Areas, Ashish Agarwal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Travel demand analysis has traditionally focused on exploring and modeling travel behavior on weekdays. This emphasis on weekday travel behavior analysis was largely motivated by the presence of well-defined peak periods, primarily associated with the journey to and from work. Most travel demand models are based on weekday travel characteristics and purport to estimate traffic volumes for daily or peak weekday conditions. Much of the planning and policy making that occurs in transportation arena in response to weekday travel behavior and forecasts.

More recently, there had been a growing interest in exploring, understanding, and quantifying weekend travel characteristics. The ability …

Design, Fabrication And Characterization Of Thin-Film M-I-M Diodes For Rectenna Array, Subramanian Krishnan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) diode is a high frequency device used for energy harvesting purpose in the RECTENNA. The main objective of this thesis work is to design, fabricate and characterize a thin-film MIM diode. A key issue associated in this research work is the development MIM diode with nanometer thin insulator region. The reason for the development of MIM diode is to rectify a wide spectrum of AC signal to usable DC power. In this thesis work, a planar MIM diode with Aluminum/Aluminum-Oxide/Gold has been fabricated. The thickness of the insulator region obtained was about 3nm. The Metal and insulator …

The Influence Of Amyloid-Beta, A Major Pathological Marker In Alzheimer's Disease, On Molecular Cognitive Processes Of App+Ps1 Transgenic Mice, Chad Anthony Dickey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by anterograde amnesia followed by a progressive decline in cognitive function. Post mortem examination of forebrain tissue from sufferers reveals the presence of extracellular amyloid-beta plaques, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, activation of glial cells and massive neuron loss. Transgenic mice expressing mutated forms of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin-1 (PS1) genes develop neuritic amyloid plaques, glial cell activation and memory deficits, without the formation of intracellular tangles and neurodegeneration.

The mechanisms by which these transgenic mice develop mnemonic deficiencies are unclear. Gene expression of aged memory-deficient APP+PS1 mice compared with non-transgenic littermates measured by …

Perceptions From The Principals’ Desks: African American Elementary Principals And Reading Curriculum And Instruction In A Central Florida County, Keva Latrice Mitchell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This was a collective case study of African American elementary principals in a central Florida county. The study intended to discover through qualitative means, African American elementary principals perceptions of reading curriculum and instruction. More specifically, the study was concerned with discovering and presenting the attitudes, experiences,and beliefs of this specific population of leaders. The African American principal has the unique perception of one who has grown-up and been educated in the midst of the European American dominated system of education, thus making their perceptions of reading curriculum and instruction relevant to gaining additional knowledge in the area of literacy …

What Faculty Know About Designing Online Materials In Compliance With Current U.S. Copyright And Fair Use Laws, Phyllis C. Sweeney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Digital technology has vastly increased the ability of individuals to copy, produce and distribute information, making the behavior of individuals a far more significant factor in the enforcement of copyright and fair use laws than in the past. This research investigates the resources used by university faculty and their knowledge of fair use regarding web-based course materials. Specifically, the research A) identifies prevailing trends in faculty use of resource materials in the development of web-based courses including digital images, text, video and sound; B) determines how faculty members have gained and applied their fair use knowledge; and C) interprets any …

Studies In Rhodium Catalyzed Intramolecular C-H Insertion Of Amino Acid Derived Α-Diazo-Α-(Substituted)Acetamides And Its Application To The Total Synthesis Of Clasto-Lactacystin Β-Lactone, David L. Flanigan Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lactacystin is a microbial metabolite isolated by Omura that exhibits neurotrophic activity in neuroblastoma cell lines. Lactacystin and especially its β-lactone analog are the first examples of non-polypeptide small molecules capable of specifically inhibiting the 20S proteasome. Various asymmetric total syntheses of lactacystin and its analogs have been reported. The total synthesis of clasto -lactacystin β-lactone is achieved using L-serine methyl ester as the starting material and the sole source of stereochemical induction. The success of this synthesis hinges on two featured transformations. The first key step involves formation of the γ -lactam core via rhodium (II) catalyzed intramolecular C-H …

The Organization Of The Visual System In The Bonnethead Shark (Sphyrna Tiburo), Amy L. Osmon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this project was to examine the visual system of the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo). The eyes of this shark are located at the extreme lateral ends of a broad, elongated cephalofoil. Better understanding of their visual system may aid in determining the adaptive benefits of their usual head shape. The proposed project examined one specific aspect of their visual system: the organization of retinal ganglion cells and identification of areas of increased resolution. Two experiments were conducted to realize these aims: (1) staining of retinal ganglion cells, to examine their distributional pattern, and (2) retrograde staining of …

Biomedical And Psychosocial Determinants Of Problematic Birth Outcomes, Charlan Day Kroelinger

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the associations between psychosocial stressors, urine sugar levels, and subsequent birth outcomes, specifically high birth weight babies and Caesarean section births. In a prospective cohort study, 506 Black and White women of childbearing age were followed for the duration of one pregnancy in Tuscaloosa and Mobile counties in Alabama from 1990 to 2001. Participants were interviewed twice throughout pregnancy, during the first and third trimesters, respectively, and birth outcome data were collected via medical chart reviews. Six percent (6.1%) of the women in the sample had a high birth weight baby, …

Heavenly Venus: Mary Magdalene In Renaissance Noli Me Tangere Images, Michelle Lambert-Monteleon

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mary Magdalene has fulfilled many roles since she was first mentioned in the New Testament. Some of the most popular characters she has played are as First Witness to Christ's resurrection, follower and companion of Christ, Apostle to the Apostles, penitential whore, and exemplar for Christian women. This thesis was researched and written to explore some of these personae as they appear in Renaissance images of the Noli Me Tangere scene. The Noli Me Tangere story, which describes Christ's post-resurrection appearance to Mary Magdalene, comes from the Gospel of John Chapter 20:12-15. Until the fourteenth century the Noli Me Tangere …

The Developing Nucleus Accumbens Septi: Susceptibility To Alcohol’S Effects, Rex Montgomery Philpot

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system has been implicated in providing the basis of pleasure, guiding the general mechanism of reinforcement as well as motivation. Support for these roles have grown from neurochemical research in the field of addiction. It is now well known that DA activity increases in the nucleus accumbens septi (NAcc) with exposure to addictive substances. Moreover, pharmacological manipulation of this system produces predictable changes in the administration of drugs of abuse, as well as natural reinforcers. This system is responsive to natural reinforcers and addiction may be the transference of routine mesolimbic function to environmental stimuli predictive …

Antagonistic Allies: Bridging The Abyss Between Nietzsche And Democracy, Melinda Rosenberg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the often tumultuous relationship between Friedrich Nietzsche and democracy. Nietzsche has always had an antipathy towards democracy. Nietzsche has claimed that democracy espouses a will to equality which levels the greatest men along with the most average men. For Nietzsche, his Ubermenschen must emerge from the muddle of mediocrity and similitude in order to set themselves apart from the herd. The herd is more than happy to live in a democratic society since no one will be rendered better or greater than anyone else.

I argue that Nietzsche does not realize democracy's …

The Influence Of The El Niño-Southern Oscillation On Cloud-To-Ground Lightning Activity Along The Gulf Coast Of The United States, Mark R. Lajoie

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the response of lightning to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the vicinity of the U.S. Gulf Coast region and nearby adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico, for the years 1995-2002. The Gulf Coast region was selected for this study because of its high flash density (Orville and Huffines, 2001) and because it is an area where the ENSO fingerprint is very clearly demonstrated on both temperature and precipitation patterns (CPC, 2002). Additionally, this geographic domain roughly matches the only known study on this topic (Goodman et al., 2000). Winter is the season …

A Comparative Study Of Artificial Neural Networks And Info Fuzzy Networks On Their Use In Software Testing, Deepam Agarwal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is very important that the software being delivered to the user is reliable and fault free. This makes software testing one of the most important phases in the software development life cycle. The problem being faced by everyone is the time it takes to test the software, which is normally huge. An important part of the software testing process is running and evaluating test scenarios. The objective of this part is to evaluate how well the application under test conforms to its specifications. One of the ways to achieve this is to generate the test cases and make use …

A Stable Isotopic Examination Of Particulate Organic Matter During Karenia Brevis Blooms On The Central West Florida Shelf: Hints At Nitrogen Sources In Oligotrophic Waters, Julie Ann Havens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Blooms of the red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis occur annually on the west Florida shelf. In the late summer/early fall months, background concentrations increase from 10³ cells L^-1 to excesses of 10⁶ cells L^-1. Blooms are most common between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor, and may be maintained for months. The region’s hydrography may play a role in the initiation, maintenance and termination of blooms.

The west Florida shelf is depauperate in inorganic nutrients. Inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus rarely exceed the limits of detection, whereas dissolved organic nitrogen is often present at concentrations of 15 …

A Wavelet Based Multiscale Run-By-Run Controller For Multiple Input Multiple Output (Mimo) Processes, Santosh Kothamasu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Run-by-Run (RbR) control is an online supervisory control strategy designed for the batch manufacturing industry. The objective of RbR control is to minimize process drift, shift and variability between machine runs, thereby reducing costs. The most widely used RbR controllers use the Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) filter. However, the linear nature of the EWMA filter makes these RbR controllers inefficient for processes with features at multiple frequencies (also known as multiscale processes). Recent developments in wavelet theory have enhanced the ability to analyze events in multiscale processes. New RbR control strategies have started to emerge that incorporate wavelet analysis. …

Preparation And Characterization Of Ribonucleic Acid (Rna)/Inorganic Materials Interfaces Using Photoemission Spectroscopy, Brian, Doran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this master s thesis is the preparation and characterization of ribonucleic acid (RNA)/inorganic material interfaces by electrospray deposition and photoemission spectroscopy. This was done through investigation of the chemical and electronic structure of the surface of Highly Ordered Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) and gold before and after multiple steps of RNA thin film deposition by electrospray. Great interest has been shown by researchers into RNA due to its self-assembling ability. A series of experiments was conducted depositing RNA Poly adenosine, RNA Poly cytidine, and (for control purposes) DI water on HOPG. RNA Poly adenosine was also deposited on …

Florida Bay Microalgae Blooms: Physiological Characteristics And Competitive Strategies Of Bloom Forming Cyanobacteria And Diatoms Of Florida Bay, Ralph William, Richardson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Areally expansive, persistent and recurring blooms frequently dominated by cyanobacteria have developed primarily in the north-central region of Florida Bay since approximately 1991. This part of the bay has a history of the following: periodic hypersalinity, high sediment-derived turbidity, P limitation, N limitation, light limitation and long water residence time. Clonal isolates of selected dominant bloom species of cyanobacteria (Synechococcus cf. elongatus and Synechocystis sp.) and diatoms (Chaetoceros cf. salsugineus and Thalassiosira cf. oceanica) from Florida Bay were examined in an effort to explain their relative dominance of the phytoplankton community.

The following physiological characteristics and nutrient …

Social Perception And Performance, Danyel Hancock

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When stigmatized or oppressed groups are able to protect their self-esteem by attributing a negative outcome to prejudice and/or discrimination, this has been titled "attributional ambiguity". Whereas it has been proven in many studies that attributional ambiguity does exist among the stigmatized and oppressed groups the methodological approach of these studies were bias. In these studies the evaluator(s) has always been white and/or physically able. The goal of this study was to investigate whether attributional ambiguity is utilized by any individual (stigmatized/oppressed or non-stigmatized/non-oppressed) who feels that their outcome is the result of prejudice and/or discrimination. Our methodological approach allowed …