Since the introduction of automobiles to Florida in the 1900s, highways have been integral to the state's economy. In the 1950s, statewide limited-access highway projects were introduced in the form of a state-operated turnpike and the national Interstate highway system. This paper traces the simultaneous development of both expressway systems, outlining the previous condition of Florida's highways, the initiatives taken by Florida's governors, and especially the role of William C. Cramer of St. Petersburg, Florida's first Republican United States Congressman since Reconstruction. In the House of Representatives, as a ranking member of the Roads Subcommittee of the Public Works Committee, Cramer played a prominent role in shaping federal highway policies, addressing corruption in highway politics, keeping Interstates toll-free, and preventing highway funds from being diverted to other programs. He battled proponents of the Sunshine State Parkway, which ran parallel to designated Interstate routes and threatened to make them unfeasible. As the capstone to his public works career, Cramer secured additional mileage to provide for the 'missing link' between Tampa Bay and Miami, which had not been authorized in the original federal outlays. The designation extended a route through St. Petersburg.

Title: Proposal for improving the game day experience in the ELH based on the NHL Objectives: The main goal of the diploma thesis is to suggest the program arrangement of the game day for the visitors of the Czech hockey league. The thesis targets on new features appropriate for the Czech environment but also for the improvement of the current ones. Another goal of the thesis is to describe the attitude of the game day management teams to the accompanying program in ELH and NHL which represent the image of the league itself. Methods: The main sources for collecting the data are as the following: a structured observation and in-depth interviews. All of the information is collected based on the questions created for the purpose of the thesis. The theoretical part of the thesis is based on the literature sources and the consultations with experts in the field of the Czech and Canadian-American icehockey. Results: The main result of the diploma thesis is the suggestion for the improvement of the gameday program of the club HC Sparta Praha. The suggestion was prepared based on the analysis using the methods stated above. The suggestion includes elements usable in front of the arena before the game starts. The other elements cover the program inside of the arena and during the game itself. Keywords: Ice...

Increasingly there has been a new model for inner-city redevelopment and revitalization, in which an urban area is commodified and turned into a festival market and an exclusive shopping district referred to as a shopertainment area. Ybor City in Tampa, Florida, is typical of this new model of redevelopment where urban entertainment and shopping with an active nightclub and dinning scene, entices new visitors to area, and most recently a growing residential population. The residential population that is developing is one of exclusivity and privilege, exceedingly far removed from Ybor City's humble beginnings as a company town or the blighted area that was sacrificed to Urban Renewal polices of the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's. Ybor City is changing into a themed city in which ethnic identity and history is being commodified and the historical and cultural capital of the area is being marketed by the city government and private developers in order to attract daytrippers, seasonal tourists, homeowners and other residents. This thesis deconstructs the gentrifying effects that Camden, Ybor City's first residential apartment complex, has had on the area by examining how the contemporary literature deals with gentrification. Additionally, this thesis will examine the demographic changes in Ybor's population as the area shifts away from residents who historically represented Ybor City, advancing the theory that Ybor City is an exclusive community that is indeed being gentrified.

Particulate nitrates play important roles in the atmosphere. They consist mainly of NH4NO3 and NaNO3, products from the reactions of gaseous HNO3 with gaseous NH3 and sea salt, respectively. The gas-to-particle phase conversion of nitrate changes its deposition characteristics and ultimately changes the transport and deposition rates of the locally produced species. Studies were conducted to develop background information on the particle concentrations and size distributions and the chemistry and kinetics behind the interactions. The predominant nitrate species in the Tampa Bay area was identified as coarse mode NaNO3. NH4NO3 was not detected as it has high volatility at ambient temperatures. Spatial distribution sampling determined a gradient of NaCl and NaNO3 with increased distance from the coastal shore and an increase in the gas-to-particle conversion of nitric acid along a predominant air mass trajectory. The EQUISOLV II thermodynamic equilibrium model was evaluated. It was determined that the model can be used to predict gas and size-distributed particulate matter concentrations. The model was also used to examine the gas-to-particle partitioning of nitric acid to nitrate by NaCl and CaCO3. Both sodium and calcium partitioned nitrate to the particle phase. The magnitude of the partitioning was directly dependent on the equilibrium coefficients. The fine mode percentage of the total nitrate was determined using two methods. The results were used to expand the current data set to account for the coarse mode nitrate, and they indicated that particle nitrate accounted for 9% of the total nitrogen deposition flux to Tampa Bay. The formation of particle nitrate was examined using a nitrate accumulation model. Results indicated that the equilibrium time for particles less than 10 um in diameter was significantly less than their atmospheric residence time, with fastest conversion occurring under the highest relative humidity conditions. This information is vital in the development of atmospheric nitrogen dry deposition estimates, which are used to assess water quality and nutrient loading. These data can be used to determine air-monitoring strategies and to develop models that account for the coarse particle nitrogen species.

A Molecular Approach to Assessing Meiofauna Diversity in Marine Sediments Heather C. Hamilton Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if a molecular approach could be applied to calculating the diversity of meiofauna in marine sediments from two sites in Tampa Bay, FL, similar to the approach of McCaig et al, 1999 in calculating the diversity of microbes in pastureland soils. The approach includes extracting total DNA directly from the sediment and amplifying the 18S rRNA gene by PCR. Clone libraries from the 18S gene would be created for each site and 300 sequences from each clone library would be obtained. These sequences would then be phylogenetically analyzed and assigned to an OTU, from which diversity indices can be calculated. The phylogenetic analysis of the sequences from the two sites revealed that of the 102 OTUs assigned from the sequences, only 7 OTUs included sequences from both sites, while 93 OTUs contained sequences from one site or from the other. Thus the sites were phylogenetically different from each other. Shannon diversity indices calculated for each site showed a difference between the two sites and paralleled diversity indices for macrofauna data for each site collected by the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission. Sequences from 30 OTUs were completely sequenced and identified by phylogenetic comparison with a metazoan reference alignment. A discrepancy between the sequence data and data collected from preserved samples taken at each site was evident upon analysis: roughly 60% of each preserved sample consisted of nematodes and 10% consisted of copepods, while roughly 30% of the identified OTUs consisted of copepods and 10% consisted of nematodes. This discrepancy could be explained if the OTUs that were not identified consisted of nematode sequences or if a primer bias were present in the PCR amplification such that the regions flanking the primer site in the nematode sequences inhibited primer annealing.

Analyzing past tropical cyclone activity enables researchers to recognize patterns of hurricane variability, estimate hurricane return periods, and assess local risk to future storms. This paleotempestology study used original primary data to make the historical record as comprehensive and accurate as possible for three major hurricanes: October 1844, October 1846, and September 1848. This thesis presents the reconstructed storm tracks, assesses the societal impacts, and evaluates the storm intensity of these three major hurricanes for the eastern U.S. and Cuba. The data utilized in this study include ship logbooks, newspapers, diaries, and instrumental meteorological records. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to construct the storm tracks of all three hurricanes and to map synoptic temperature data for the October 1846 and September 1848 storms. The estimated intensity of the tropical cyclones throughout their life cycle was included in the storm tracks, and intensity upon landfall was categorized based on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The results show that the October 1844 storm made landfall in western Cuba as a category 4 hurricane, causing substantial damages to Matanzas and the surrounding area. The October 1846 hurricane struck western Cuba with the intensity of a category 5 hurricane, producing devastating impacts in Havana before transitioning to an extratropical cyclone as it traveled northward across the eastern United States. The September 1848 storm originated in the western Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Tampa Bay, Florida as a category 4 hurricane. This detailed investigation of individual historical hurricanes is an important step towards a more complete understanding of local-level hurricane risk as well as basin-wide hurricane variability.

Includes vita. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 236 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Particulate nitrates play important roles in the atmosphere. They consist mainly of NH4NO3 and NaNO3, products from the reactions of gaseous HNO3 with gaseous NH3 and sea salt, respectively. The gas-to-particle phase conversion of nitrate changes its deposition characteristics and ultimately changes the transport and deposition rates of the locally produced species. Studies were conducted to develop background information on the particle concentrations and size distributions and the chemistry and kinetics behind the interactions. The predominant nitrate species in the Tampa Bay area was identified as coarse mode NaNO3. NH4NO3 was not detected as it has high volatility at ambient temperatures. Spatial distribution sampling determined a gradient of NaCl and NaNO3 with increased distance from the coastal shore and an increase in the gas-to-particle conversion of nitric acid along a predominant air mass trajectory. / ABSTRACT: The EQUISOLV II thermodynamic equilibrium model was evaluated. It was determined that the model can be used to predict gas and size-distributed particulate matter concentrations. The model was also used to examine the gas-to-particle partitioning of nitric acid to nitrate by NaCl and CaCO3. Both sodium and calcium partitioned nitrate to the particle phase. The magnitude of the partitioning was directly dependent on the equilibrium coefficients. The fine mode percentage of the total nitrate was determined using two methods. The results were used to expand the current data set to account for the coarse mode nitrate, and they indicated that particle nitrate accounted for 9% of the total nitrogen deposition flux to Tampa Bay. The formation of particle nitrate was examined using a nitrate accumulation model. / ABSTRACT: Results indicated that the equilibrium time for particles less than 10 um in diameter was significantly less than their atmospheric residence time, with fastest conversion occurring under the highest relative humidity conditions. This information is vital in the development of atmospheric nitrogen dry deposition estimates, which are used to assess water quality and nutrient loading. These data can be used to determine air-monitoring strategies and to develop models that account for the coarse particle nitrogen species. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Some streets tend to lack a social sense of place. Since the invention of the automotive assembly line and post World War II development, street designs have shifted from centering around people and social situations to vehicular traffi c solutions. Streets are typically not thought of as social places, but rather as a means to effi ciently move automotive traffi c. The environment of these unlivable streets discourages social interaction. The majority of buildings are disconnected from the street with often nothing more than a parking lot. A new model of streets is necessary, one that transforms streets into places that encourages social liveliness. Establishing the street as a social place through walkable conditions will regain lively interaction that is currently absent. This thesis will begin to explore the conditions of the unlivable street and establish theories to transform them into socially interactive public places. The goal is to hierarchically re-orient the street in order create a sense of place that fosters social interaction. Research by means of case studies and observation will examine the ways in which people interact within their built environment. Ideas will be derived from research and incorporated into the scheme in a way that is unique to Tampa. Ultimately, this thesis will conclude in a project that illustrates the potential of a street as a lively public place that is centered toward pedestrians rather than automobiles.

Weedon Island, a peninsula located on the western inner shoreline of Tampa Bay, Florida, is the location of a collaborative geological and archaeological project that aims to relate the present day geomorphology to natural processes and human occupational activity during the middle to late Holocene. The area is known for extensive archaeological sites, which were originally investigated in the 1920s, although they have received relatively little scientific attention during most of the last century. We hypothesize that activities associated with pre-historic human occupation of Weedon Island at various times during the last ca. 5,000 years influenced the geomorphic evolution of the peninsula. An interdisciplinary approach, including geomorphic mapping, sediment-coring, and archaeological survey and excavation, is being used to test our hypothesis and is expected to reveal the extent to which natural processes and human activities interacted to shape the present-day configuration of the peninsula. More recent human impacts on the peninsula have impeded our efforts in some areas. During the twentieth century, dredging, mosquito ditching, and road construction, have disturbed the surface and portions of the upper sediment record in many locations. Sediments below obvious disturbances or in unimpacted areas of the peninsula, along with radiocarbon dating, have helped reconstruct the mid to late Holocene paleoenvironments and paleolandscape of Weedon Island.

Phytoplankton serve as the bottom of the marine food web and therefore play an essential role in marine ecosystems. On the other hand, coastal phytoplankton communities can adversely affect the marine ecosystem and humans. A variety of techniques have been developed to measure and study phytoplankton, including in situ methods (e.g., flow cytometry) and laboratory methods (e.g., microscopic taxonomy). These provide accurate measurements of phytoplankton taxa and concentrations, yet they are limited in space and time, and synoptic information is difficult to obtain with these techniques. Optical remote sensing may provide complementary information for its synoptic nature, as demonstrated by satellite estimates of major phytoplankton taxa in major ocean basins. It has remained a challenge, however, for coastal and estuarine waters due to their optical complexity. One pioneering work relied on hyperspectral absorption spectra of phytoplankton pigments (Millie et al., 1995), from which Gymnodinium breve (i.e., Karenia brevis) blooms on the West Florida shelf could be detected and quantified in situ. However, whether a similar approach can be developed for estuarine waters where toxic blooms are often found is still unknown. Thus, the objective of this study is to test and develop an approach to classify major phytoplankton taxa found in two estuaries in Florida, U.S.A., based on optical analysis of the phytoplankton absorption spectra. In this study, over 250 surface water samples were collected on numerous cruise surveys from two Florida estuaries (Tampa Bay, ∼1000 km2 on the west coast; and the Indian River Lagoon, ∼900 km2 on the east coast). The samples were filtered and then processed using standard NASA protocols to determine 1) their spectral absorption coefficients due to phytoplankton pigments, aph (λ) (m-1), and 2) their chlorophyll a concentrations (mg m-3). aph (λ) was further normalized by Chl a, resulting in chlorophyll-specific absorption coefficient, a aph∗ (λ) (m2 mg-1). For each sample, phytoplankton cell counts were enumerated by the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) through microscopic taxonomy. The a aph∗ (λ) data were then categorized based on the dominant phytoplankton taxa, and were separated as either bloom or non-bloom using a 100,000 cell∕L threshold of the dominant taxa. Three techniques were tested for classifying phytoplankton taxa using absorption spectra; a first derivative summation, a relative height analysis, and an integration analysis. The integration technique proved to be the most successful of the three. This technique performed an integration of a aph∗ (572-600nm) against a linear baseline, and yielded an 81% success rate (13 of 16 samples) and 9% false positive rate (13 of 144 samples) in separating blooms of the dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense from other bloom and non-bloom taxa found in the Tampa Bay estuary. The same integration technique, but with the wavelength range shifted to 471 nm - 490 nm, was also applied to the samples collected in the Indian River Lagoon estuary from summer 2011 to study the green flagellate of the class Pedinophyceae.. The results showed an 80% success rate (8 of 10 samples) and a 0.5% false positive rate (1 of 156 samples) in separating the Pedinophyceae bloom taxa from other bloom and non-bloom taxa found in both the Indian River Lagoon and Tampa Bay. The number of bloom samples was relatively low (16 from Tampa Bay and 10 from IRL). Thus, the results from this study are preliminary and will require more sampling in order to further develop this technique to a practical method for field use. However, the results obtained from this study are comparable to those from other techniques for classification of phytoplankton taxa, for example, BreveBuster, SIPPER, FlowCAM, and satellite ocean color remote sensing of the open ocean. Yet this technique extends to optically complex estuarine waters, and therefore may represent a step towards the ultimate goal of applying satellite remote sensing in characterizing phytoplankton taxa in estuaries. Once confirmed with more samples from the same two estuaries as well as from other estuaries, an immediate next step may be the implementation of in situoptical instruments on either buoys (e.g., MARVIN in Tampa Bay) or flow-through systems to provide continuous characterization of major phytoplankton taxa in the two estuaries.