American Studies Commons^™

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 …

Talking With Exotic Pet Owners: Exploratory Audience Research On Wildlife Television And Human-Animal Interactions, Susannah L. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative grounded study explores the potential relationship between wildlife TV viewing and human-animal interactions for exotic pet owners. The method involved 13 in-depth interviews and a qualifying open-ended questionnaire with 37 individuals. The interviews gathered viewers' interpretations of two different human-wildlife interactions on TV and served as a launching point for discussion. Findings supported the literature in that wildlife TV was an important source of information, emotion, and contradictory messages. Themes also emerged regarding participants' characterizations of their relationships with their pets. Drawing from social cognitive theory, this thesis suggests the following potential motivators for participants to model animal …

Eco_Urbanism Restitching Clearwater's Urban Fabric Through Transit And Nature, Daniel P. Uebler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Downtown Clearwater has grown to be disconnected from its surroundings due to an adjacent buffer area and the lack of a transit system to bring people into the city. The downtown core is also separated from its neighboring residential areas by an area of vacant land that holds in it the potential to become a gateway into the city. On a macro scale the city has grown to be separated from the Tampa Bay area due to the lack of a mass transit system.

The goal of this project is to create a new "new urbanism" in which transit and …

Family Affairs Newsletter 2008-11-01, Jean Vermette

Family Affairs newsletter (2004-2016)

FAMILY AFFAIRS was a free, twice-a-month, social activities newsletter for the GLBTQI (gay/lesbian/bisexual/trans/queer/intersex) community, sent out around the 1st and 15th of each month. It covered the State of Maine only. The list was begun and maintained for many years by Jean Vermette in Bangor, and later operated by Zack Paakkonen of Portland. Over the years it evolved from a social activities newsletter into a business directory, classified ad service, and community bulletin board.

Y Cortázar Ganó Por Nocaut. Realismo Posvanguardista En La Cuentística Del Cono Sur, Alicia Carolina Mercado-Harvey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis argues that a literary change occurred after the fall of the dictatorships of the Southern Cone, characterized by the emergence of markets that provoked a "mini-boom" in sales and, at the same time, a change of aesthetics which abandoned the allegorical models of the post-boom in favor of a realistic literature in dialogue with popular culture. This is the sign of postmodernity and globalization in Latin America, reflected in its literature, particularly in the short story writing of the Southern Cone, which has utilized the parody and pastiche of the postmodern era without the trivialization that occurred in …

Laser Remote Sensing Of Trace Chemical Species Using 10.6 Μm Co2 Laser Enhanced Breakdown Spectroscopy And Differential Absorption Lidar., Avishekh Pal

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Several different laser remote sensing techniques related to the detection of trace chemical species were studied. In particular, a Differential-Absorption lidar (DIAL), a Laser-Induced-Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) lidar, and a Raman lidar were studied. Several of the laser spectroscopic techniques that were used were common throughout these different studies. More precisely, 10.6 μm CO₂ laser related spectroscopy was common for the DIAL and LIBS studies, and 266 nm Nd:YAG laser related spectroscopy was used for the LIBS and Raman studies.

In the first system studied a tunable CO₂ DIAL system was developed for the first time to our knowledge …

Richards, Frances, 1893-1991 (Sc 1781), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid and scan (Click on "Additional Files" below) for Manuscripts Small Collection 1781. Paper titled "Bowling Green's Literary History," presented by WKU English teacher Frances Richards to the Samuel Davies Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 8 October 1938.

Beyond Risk Factors: The Theoretical Contextualization Of Illicit Adhd Medication Use Among High School Students, William Christopher Watkins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prescription ADHD medication has been shown to be on the rise as a drug of abuse among young people. Unlike other drugs that serve only the purpose of achieving a high, this particular substance can also be perceived as useful and beneficial by those who abuse it. It is these positive attributes given to the illicit use of these drugs that make them so dangerous, especially in the hands of youths. To date extant research has made little effort to contextualize this type of drug use within theories of deviance. This study looks to fill that void as well as …

Public Perceptions Of The Separation Of Church And State, Donald Foster

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Much of the scholarly work in the area of the separation of church and state in America has centered on such lofty goals as examining the Constitution of the United States and voluminous court documents. Others meticulously scrutinize every word ever uttered by the founding fathers on the subject. During the last two decades, there has been a considerable increase in the debate concerning the separation of church and state. The religious right has become determined to infuse our governmental institutions with a decidedly more religious tone, while the religious left prefers the separation of church and state as it …

Chemical Mechanical Planarization: Study Of Conditioner Abrasives And Synthesis Of Nano-Zirconia For Potential Slurry Applications, Chhavi Manocha

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) has emerged as the central technology for polishing wafers in the semiconductor manufacturing industry to make integrated multi-level devices. As the name suggests, both chemical and mechanical processes work simultaneously to achieve local and global planarization. In spite of extensive work done to understand the various components and parameters affecting the performance of this process, many aspects of CMP remain poorly understood. Among these aspects of CMP is the role of abrasives in the processes of conditioning and polishing. These abrasives are present in the chemical slurry between the wafer and the pad for polishing and …

High-Level Synthesis Framework For Crosstalk Minimization In Vlsi Asics, Hariharan Sankaran

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Capacitive crosstalk noise can affect the delay of a switching signal or induce a glitch on a static signal causing timing violations or chip failure. Crosstalk noise depends on coupling parasitics, driver strength, signal timing characteristics, and signal transition patterns. Layout level crosstalk analysis techniques are generally pessimistic and computationally expensive for large designs due to lack of design flexibility at lower-levels of design hierarchy. The architectural decisions such as type of interconnect architecture, number of storage and execution units, network of communicating units, data bus width, etc., have a major impact on the quality of design attributes such as …

Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of The Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool, Cindy S. Tofthagen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of several chemotherapy drugs used for the treatment of many common malignancies. CIPN is both under-assessed and underreported and few self-report tools exist that measure CIPN. Existing instruments do not evaluate all of the multi-dimensional characteristics of neuropathic symptoms; intensity, distress, timing, and characteristics. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a new self - report tool for CIPN, the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool (CIPNAT). Interviews with 15 patients with known CIPN guided development of the CIPNAT.

The CIPNAT is a 69 …

Hays, William Shakespeare, 1837-1907 (Sc 1790), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 1790. Research material, including news clippings and several letters, related to William Shakespeare Hays, a Kentucky musician and journalist. Also includes typescripts of poems written by Hays under the pseudonym Hayseed.

Reconstructions: The Contemporary Southern Landscape By Its Photographers, Natalie Kersey Gillis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the work of landscape photographers living and working in the Southern region of the United States and to explore what their images visually communicate about their relationship to the Southern land and its distinctive history. This objective is accomplished through an analysis of the work of three contemporary landscape photographers who reside in the South, and work primarily within their local hometowns.

This thesis examines the work of photographers William Christenberry, Sally Mann, and John McWilliams. Each is a photographer who is native to the American South and has used his or …

Protecting The Self: An Ethnographic Study Of Emotion Management Among Child Protective Investigators, Aaron Christopher Howell

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The question that I investigate here is what emotion work is performed by child protective investigators in order to be successful at their work, and how do they manage these emotional challenges within a community of their peers? Many different workers, from airline employees (Hochschild, 1983) to mortuary science students (Cahill, 1999) to 911 operators (Shuler & Sypher, 2000), have been studied to examine strategies and effects of emotion management. Yet scholars do not agree on whether emotion management at work is positive or negative.

For my research, I conducted interviews with ten investigators and observed a night unit of …

Developments Toward A Micro Bistable Aerial Platform: Analysis Of The Quadrantal Bistable Mechanism, Aaron A. Muñoz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Bistable Aerial Platform (BAP) has been developed in order to further enlarge the repertoire of devices available at the microscale. This novel device functions as a switch in that its platform can lock in two positions, up or down. Herein, it will be examined and explained, but a true understanding of its workings requires a better understanding of its compliant constituent parts. The Helico-Kinematic Platform (HKP), which serves as an actuator for the BAP, is currently under investigation by another researcher and will be merely touched upon here. The focus, therefore, will rest on the analysis of the Quadrantal …

Sequential Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata Design And Analysis Using Dynamic Bayesian Networks, Praveen Venkataramani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The increasing need for low power and stunningly fast devices in Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor Very large Scale Integration (CMOS VLSI) circuits, directs the stream towards scaling of the same. However scaling at sub-micro level and nano level pose quantum mechanical effects and thereby limits further scaling of CMOS circuits. Researchers look into new aspects in nano regime that could effectively resolve this quandary. One such technology that looks promising at nano-level is the quantum dot cellular automata (QCA). The basic operation of QCA is based on transfer of charge rather than the electrons itself. The wave nature of these …

Thin Film Metal-Insulator-Metal Tunnel Junctions For Millimeter Wave Detection, Subramanian Krishnan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Millimeter wave imaging systems are the next generation imaging systems being developed for security and surveillance purposes. In this work, thin film metal-insulator-metal (MIM) tunnel junction based detector using Ni-NiO-Cr has been developed for the first time for millimeter wave detection operating at 94 GHz. Extensive process development has been carried out to fabricate the MIM junctions. Arrays of MIM junctions with 1 µm² contact area and ultra-thin insulator layer of ~3 nanometer have been developed using e-beam lithography and reactive sputtering, respectively. MIM diodes were also fabricated in a bulk-micromachined diaphragm configuration to minimize surface wave loss.

DC and …

Resting Oxygen Consumption Rates In Divers Using Diver Propulsion Devices, Adam J. Smith

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Marine Corps Systems Command documented mission requirements that cannot be met by current rebreathers. They need to extend dive times without compromising the stealth and compact design of existing devices. This can be accomplished by reducing the fresh gas flow rate. The current flow rate is adequate to support a diver in heavy work. However, the diver will be utilizing a Diver Propulsion Device (DPD) during a large portion of the mission in question. The assumption, then, is that this portion of the mission will not require "hard work". Thus, a new fresh gas flow rate can be established …

Involvement Of Mesolimbic D2 Receptors And Accumbal Dopamine Levels In The Reinstatement Of Cocaine Place Preferences In Developing Rats, Kimberly A. Badanich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Psychostimulant-induced reinstatement of place preferences have been used to investigate underlying physiological mechanisms mediating drug-seeking behavior in adolescent and adult rodents; however, it is still unclear how psychostimulant exposure during adolescence affects neuronal communication in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) pathway and whether these changes would elicit enhanced drug-seeking behavior later in adulthood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of intra-ventral tegmental area (VTA) or intra-nucleus accumbens septi (NAcc) DA D2 receptor antagonist infusions on cocaine-induced reinstatement of cocaine place conditioning in high and low responders for cocaine reward. Adolescent rats were exposed to cocaine place …

The Process Of Change Experienced By Pre-Service And In-Service Social Studies Teachers In An Online Content Area Reading Course, Aimee L. Alexander-Shea

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and subsequent high-stakes tests, including the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), literacy has become top priority in the field of education (Florida Department of Education [FDOE], no date a; NCLB, 2002). Though social studies was not mentioned in NCLB, nor is it tested by the FCAT, social studies teachers are expected to teach literacy skills in their classrooms. Social studies teachers' accountability for literacy enhancement is evidenced by the fact that some states, including Florida, now require social studies teachers to complete a course in reading integration to …