American Studies Commons^™

Cadmium Zinc Telluride Solar Cells By Close Spaced Sublimation, Madhan Raj Ramalingam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cadmium Zinc Telluride (Cd_xZn_1-xTe or CZT) is a ternary semiconductor with a tunable bandgap of 1.44-2.26 eV. Solar cells with efficiencies of 20% or higher can be achieved by using a tandem solar cell structure which consists of a top cell and a bottom cell connected in series. In this kind of a structure, the light passes through the top cell first which has a wider bandgap to absorb light of shorter wavelengths and the remaining light passes through the bottom cell with a lower bandgap to absorb light of higher wavelengths. For a tandem cell …

The Perceived Impact Of The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (Idea), 1997 Disciplinary Mandates On The School Board Policies In Three Urban, K-12 Public School Districts, Nancy S. Zambito

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In 1990 the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) required that states provide a free and appropriate education to all children and youth with disabilities, no matter how severe the disabilities. This obligation was tied to federal funding and outlined in detail parental rights with regard to identifying and educating their child with disabilities. The 1997 reauthorization of IDEA stepped into school discipline, creating a complex process for addressing school misconduct of such students.

This study determines how the 1997 IDEA disciplinary mandates, as they existed until May 2003, were interpreted and implemented in three similar, urban, public school districts …

Improved 1/F Noise Measurements For Microwave Transistors, Clemente Toro Jr.

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Minimizing electrical noise is an increasingly important topic. New systems and modulation techniques require a lower noise threshold. Therefore, the design of RF and microwave systems using low noise devices is a consideration that the circuit design engineer must take into account. Properly measuring noise for a given device is also vital for proper characterization and modeling of device noise. In the case of an oscillator, a vital part of a wireless receiver, the phase noise that it produces affects the overall noise of the system. Factors such as biasing, selectivity of the input and output networks, and selectivity of …

The Impact Of Technology On Community College Students’ Success In Remedial/Developmental Mathematics, Mary M. Bendickson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increased institutional accountability and fiscal constraints coupled with most community college students being required to take at least one remedial/developmental course indicates a need to find the best way to deliver these classes. Institutions are expanding alternate delivery formats to meet student expectations. Is using technology best for students in remedial/developmental courses?

This study investigated effectiveness of technology-assisted instruction for remedial/developmental math in Florida community colleges. Technology has emerged as potentially enhancing student success; however, it is expensive. If research shows that students benefit from technology in remedial/developmental courses, then funds spent to provide instruction through technology are validated. However, …

Tutor Attitudes Toward Tutoring Creative Writers In Writing Centers, Leah F. Cassorla

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study concerns itself with tutor attitudes toward tutoring creative writers in writing centers. In it, I look at these attitudes and compare tutor definitions of creative writing, tutor comfort with tutoring writers, and tutor training. Tutors attitudes toward their training and their beliefs about what training to tutor creative writers should entail tell a great deal about the privileging of creative writing and creative writers in writing centers. This study is an important first step in considering that privileging, its source, and its effects.

For the study, tutors completed an online survey. They were not asked for any identifying …

Recycled Materials Relational Database: Design And Implementation Aspects, Rory Morgan Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although there has been a rise in the use of recycled materials in highway and geotechnical systems, many tons of potentially useful industrial and domestic by-products are still being discarded in the United States each year. While extensive research has been conducted to investigate the use of recycled materials in engineering applications, the dissemination of the findings is often limited. The problem is compounded by the lack of a single resource containing relevant engineering and environmental characteristics of each material; the tendency of the researchers to publish their findings in technical reports rather than archived publications; and the wide discrepancies …

Accuracy And Bias Of Tdr Measurements In Compacted Sands, Newel Kimball White

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is essential to properly monitor in-situ soil compaction properties during most earthwork construction projects. Traditional in-situ soil compaction monitoring methods are often limited in their application. As a result, new methods are being developed to more accurately measure in-situ compaction parameters. Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is one such method. Relying on the propagation of an electromagnetic wave through the soil sample, TDR can be used to measure both in-situ moisture content as well as soil dry density. Although TDR is relatively new to the field of geotechnical engineering, it has previously been implemented in other fields with success. Researchers …

Characterization Of Cadmium Zinc Telluride Solar Cells By Rf Sputtering, Senthilnathan Subramanian

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High efficiency solar cells can be attained by the development of two junctions one stacked on top of each other into tandem structures. So that, if a photon is not able to excite an electron-hole pair in the top cell can create a pair in the bottom cell, which has a smaller bandgap. For a two junction tandem device structure, the bandgap of the top cell should be 1.6-1.8eV and for the bottom cell should be 1eV to attain efficiencies in the range of 25%. Cadmium Zinc Telluride which has a tunable bandgap of 1.45- 2.2eV is a candidate for …

Processing And Characterization Of Cigs - Based Solar Cells, Venkatesh Mohanakrishnaswamy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to understand the role of the glass substrate and molybdenum (Mo) back contact on the performance of Copper Indium Gallium diselenide (CIGS) / Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) based photovoltaic devices, and to improve the performance of these devices.

The CIGS absorber layer was fabricated in a 2 stage process. In this process the metal precursors were deposited at 275^oC followed by a high temperature selenization step. The advantage of the 2 stage process is that it is manufacturing friendly.

The first step in fabrication of solar cells is to clean the substrate which …

The Role Of Intelligence And Coping Processes On Resilience In Adult Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Kelli-Lee Harford

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between intelligence as measured by the Shipley Institute of Living Scale, Coping Processes as measured by the Ways of Coping Scale and resilience as measured by Global Severity Index of the Brief Symptom Inventory, was examined in 88 individuals who had been sexually abused and 88 individuals who had not been sexually abused. The study attempted to assess whether more intelligent individuals and those who used certain coping styles would experience less distress in the face of adversity than individuals with lower levels of intelligence and who used different coping styles. The results indicated that intelligence was not …

The Quality Of Life Among Lymphedema Patients Due To Lymphatic Filariasis In Three Rural Towns In Haiti, Koji Kanda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The worldwide eradication of lymphatic filariasis has recently started with two strategies, interruption of transmission and morbidity control. One of the most endemic countries, Haiti has experienced successful interventions through national and international efforts, but the morbidity control is still hindered by a lack of adequate information on quality of life (QOL) issues among those suffering from the chronic manifestations of the disease such as lymphedema. In addition, previous interventions have been focused primarily in a single community where an established lymphedema treatment clinic serves as a national reference center, so it is critical to expand programs to other areas …

Socio-Spatial Polarization In St. Petersburg, Florida: A Critical Evaluation Of The Vision 2020 Plan, Jacqueline Salmond

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Those who are given access to develop and plan our urban areas are in possession of great power and potential. With the vast sums of both private and governmental money associated with the creation and organization of urban areas, the motivations of those constructing plans and deciding developmental strategies need to be considered. When a city has a dual identity and is socially and spatially conflicted, then the task of planning equitably for all residents becomes even more complex. The extent to which planners address the needs of their community, and the divisions which may exist, reveals the intentions of …

Smoking Cessation In A University Setting: The Efficacy Of An Experiential, Theory-Based Intervention For College Students, Vani Nath Simmons

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The college setting represents an untapped window of opportunity to target the growing number of college student smokers. To address this need the current study tested an intervention drawing upon research from social psychology and previously effective health-related interventions. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of an experiential, dissonance-enhancing smoking intervention for increasing motivation to quit smoking and reducing smoking by comparing it to two control groups, in a three-arm randomized study. Participants were 215 college student smokers randomized to an experiential smoking intervention, a traditional educational smoking intervention, or an experiential intervention on nutrition. …

Design Of A Chemical Agent Detector Based On Polymer Coated Surface Acoustic Wave (Saw) Resonator Technology, Lane Leslie Manoosingh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents the design of a unique prototype chemical agent detector which utilizes an array of polymer coated SAW resonators as the sensor elements. The design's particular embodiment is that of a testing platform for evaluating the utility of constructing a portable chemical agent detector, utilizing commercially available SAW resonators. It involves the consolidation of the sub-systems comprising a large laboratory development system, into a portable enclosure.

A combination of design techniques, utilized to achieve an overall balance between the physical dimensions of the system and its detection performance, comprises the unique nature of the overall design of this …

Inner-Shelf Bottom Boundary Layer Development And Sediment Suspension During Tropical Storm Isadore On The West Florida Shelf., Justin G. Brodersen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Observations of the bottom boundary layer on the inner West Florida Shelf were made with a downward looking pulse coherent acoustic Doppler profiler throughout the passage of Tropical Storm Isadore during September 2002. The storm passed through the Gulf of Mexico roughly 780 km offshore of the Florida study site. Significant wave heights ranged from 0 m to 2.5 m within a span of eight days. The excellent, non-invasive, 5 cm resolution of the near bed (bottom meter) mean flows were used to estimate bed shear velocity and bottom roughness using the standard log-layer approach. A unique opportunity to examine …

Hydraulic, Diffusion, And Retention Characteristics Of Inorganic Chemicals In Bentonite, Naim Muhammad

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inorganic contaminants, while transported through the bentonite layer, are chemically adsorbed onto the particle surfaces and exhibit a delay in solute breakthrough in hydraulic barriers. Transport of inorganic leachate contaminants through bentonite occurs by advection, diffusion or a combination of these two mechanisms. During the process of chemical solute transport through low permeability bentonite, the amount of cation exchange on the clay particle surface is directly related to the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of montmorillonite and other mineral constituents.

The process of diffusion and advection of various inorganic leachate contaminants through bentonite is thoroughly investigated in this study. Diffusion characteristics …

Fuzzy Ants As A Clustering Concept, Parag M. Kanade

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We present two Swarm Intelligence based approaches for data clustering. The first algorithm, Fuzzy Ants, presented in this thesis clusters data without the initial knowledge of the number of clusters. It is a two stage algorithm. In the first stage the ants cluster data to initially create raw clusters which are refined using the Fuzzy C Means algorithm. Initially, the ants move the individual objects to form heaps. The centroids of these heaps are redefined by the Fuzzy C Means algorithm. In the second stage the objects obtained from the Fuzzy C Means algorithm are hardened according to the …

Self-Determination Theory And Locus Of Control As Antecedents Of Voluntary Workplace Behaviors, Kimberly E. O'Brien

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Antecedents of organizational citizenship behaviors and counterproductive work behaviors have been studied in depth, focusing on both individual differences and environmental variables. However, motivation has been largely overlooked as a contributor to these voluntary behaviors. Self-Determination Theory, a motivational framework, posits that environmental support in the form of fulfilled basic psychological needs leads to activities geared towards growth and development, whereas a lack of environmental supports thwarts these attempts towards self-growth. It is hypothesized that environmental support will account for unique variance above and beyond previously studied antecedents of voluntary workplace behaviors. This was supported using hierarchical regression. It was …

Synthesis And Magnetic Properties Of Polymer Nanocomposites, Jessica L. Wilson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Magnetic nanoparticles embedded in polymer matrices have excellent potential for electromagnetic device applications like electromagnetic interference (EMI) suppression. Using chemical precipitation methods and Nanogen , a microwave plasma method, we have synthesized various nanoparticles including iron, polystyrene-coated iron, iron oxide (both hematite and magnetite), nickel ferrite, and manganese zinc ferrite. We have synthesized polymer nanocomposites of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), and polypyrrole (PPy) doped with varying concentrations of these nanoparticles. These nanocomposites were processed using melt blending and sonication techniques. The concentration of nanoparticles was varied in a controlled way. Although polymer processing conditions were optimized to achieve good uniform …

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 …

Discord Of The Devil: The Pueblo Revolt, The Salem Witchcraft Trials And How The Spirit World Helped Make America, John J. Kucich

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Boston Baseball Dynasties: 1872-1918, Peter De Rosa

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …