Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 76 pages. / Thesis (Ed.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research study was to analyze school psychologists' perspectives on 27 parent involvement and empowerment activities focused upon improving students' school success. A sample of 36 school psychologists from high and low minority schools in a large urban school district rated the degree to which they believed the activities should be offered to parents and the extent to which they were feasible to implement over the next five years. The activities rated highest for offer and feasibility by psychologists at both high and low minority schools were related to information dissemination and one-to-one meetings. The activities rated lowest for offer and feasibility by psychologists at both high and low minority schools were related to systems change and time-intensive programming. Psychologists' mean ratings for offer were generally higher than their mean ratings for feasibility of implementation. / ABSTRACT: However, the mean ratings for offer and feasibility at high minority schools tended not to be different from those ratings at low minority schools. Time was rated as the biggest barrier to implementation at both high and low minority schools, with current work responsibilities a close second. It is suggested that moving away from the traditional role of assessment and placement and towards prevention and intervention might reduce, if not eliminate, the time and current work responsibilities barriers and allow more school psychologists to implement home-school collaboration. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 64 pages. / Thesis (M.E.E.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The ability of Mercuric Iodide (HgI2) to function as a highly efficient radiation detector at room temperature has generated great interest and has triggered further studies on this difficult material. This property is expected to enable significant enhancements to a far-ranging variety of applications and systems. HgI2 devices have shown superior performance at room temperature compared to elemental Si or Ge devices, which require to be cooled down to liquid nitrogen temperature when used as nuclear radiation detectors. While substantial studies have been conducted on single crystal HgI2, polycrystalline HgI2 remains a comparatively less studied form of this material. The primary use of HgI2 is as a direct radiation detector. It can also be used in applications with a scintillator intermediate to generate visible light from incident nuclear radiation. Hence its response to visible light can be used to study the electronic properties of HgI2 polycrystalline films. / ABSTRACT: The films are deposited on TEC-15 LOF glass with a Tin Oxide(Sn02) coating which acts as the growth surface. It also acts as the front contact with Palladium (Pd) being the back contact. Wire leads are attached to the palladium for electrical contact. The deposited films are circular in shape with a diameter of 2.5cm with thickness ranging from 50 to 600ìm. A maximum of 7 devices are contacted at various points on every film. For the measurements documented in this thesis, a tungsten-halogen lamp and an Oriel 1/4m grating monochromator are used as a light source. The incident flux on the sample is determined using a Si photodiode as reference. Device performance for both single crystal as well as polycrystalline films is documented. We have attempted to identify a set of optimum growth parameters using these measurements. / ABSTRACT: For a film to be considered favorably, not only should the individual devices show high quantum efficiencies and low dark currents, but the response of all devices on the same film should be uniform. A number of films are studied and the optimum film deposition conditions are commented upon. A powerful semiconductor device simulation tool, MEDICItm, is used to simulate the photoresponse of these films. The simulations are compared to the measurements and the transport and light absorption parameters of the polycrystalline films are determined. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Professional research project (Au.D.)--University of South Florida, 2002. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 48 pages. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: This paper provides an overview of developmental timetables relevant to hearing and of current pediatric audiological techniques and practices. The first sections summarize structural and functional development of the auditory pathway and the development of primary auditory processing. These developmental sequences appear to follow similar paths in humans and animals. Speech and music perception involve more complex processing and are strongly influenced by experience. Hearing disorders affect the perception of complex sounds in a variety of ways, depending on the site(s) of lesions. Early onset hearing impairment, including conductive loss from chronic otitis media, can seriously impede language development. Language cannot develop normally without adequate speech stimulation. / ABSTRACT: Sensitive and inexpensive techniques are available for performing neonatal hearing screening, and early intervention has a positive effect on development of language skills in hearing-impaired children. Thus, the National Institute of Health has recommended nationwide universal newborns hearing screening. The rationale and methodology of universal screening programs is summarized in the chapter. Advances in the field of the genetics of hearing impairment are also reviewed / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 83 pages. / Thesis (M.S.I.E.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Software industry is getting very competitive in the wake of recession. In most cases, an organization that quotes a lower price and promises to deliver the product at the earliest walks away with the project. But the factor of quality of the product delivered is also very important because that in turn determines the reputation of an organization, which also plays an important role in getting the next project. Interactions in a software development are dynamic in nature and involve human factors. Models are built taking into account all possible factors so as to present a realistic picture of the development process. System dynamics methodology is used to build these models in Vensim. / ABSTRACT: Three models have been proposed to help manager estimate an approximate time and cost of the project, monitor the project once the timeline is set and monitor the project development to change various factors as the development process goes through various phases of development and testing. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 89 pages. / Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The ability of an organism to modulate its feeding behavior is an important focus of feeding ecology studies. Modulation is the ability to distinctly and consistently alter a behavior to accommodate different stimuli. The goal of this study was to examine the ability of the nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum to modulate its food capture behavior with different sizes and types of food items. This was carried out through kinematic and electromyographic analysis. Eight sub-adult specimens of G. cirratum were filmed feeding on two different food types (squid and fish) and sizes (gape size and larger than gape size). Filming consisted of high-speed videography utilizing a low-light digital video system. Kinematic variables related to lower jaw movement, mouth width, and head angle were measured from video footage. Up to twelve muscles in each of six specimens were implanted with bipolar electrodes to measure the onset and duration of motor activity. / ABSTRACT: There were no significant differences between food sizes and any of the kinematic variables. Only two muscles showed significant differences in onset time based on food size. In regards to food types, squid bites were significantly faster than fish bites, but when examined proportionately to bite duration only the time to jaw closure remained significantly different. The motor pattern of G. cirratum demonstrates an anterior to posterior sequence, which corresponds to the anterior to posterior kinematic sequence. Little cranial elevation is present during feeding sequences and is not thought to contribute significantly to feeding. Ginglymostoma cirratum is a stereotyped, inertial suction feeder. There is little evidence that there is modulation in feeding behavior based on food size or food type. If modulation does exist in the feeding behavior, it is more likely to occur after prey capture while the prey is being processed and manipulated prior to transport. / ABSTRACT: Initial observations suggested that a novel behavior termed 'spit-suck manipulation' is utilized for larger prey items. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 65 pages / Thesis (M.L.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Recently, artists have begun using digital technology to create new cultural forms in the fields of art, literature, and music, and a new cultural form known as interactive digital multimedia has emerged, which combines elements from the new artistic, literary, and musical forms. Many of these artists have produced works that explore the interactive capabilities of digital technology. These interactive digital cultural forms have encouraged collaborative efforts that would have otherwise been difficult or even impossible to achieve before the advent of digital technology. In addition, this element of interactivity has redefined the traditional relationship between artist and audience. As the line between creator and consumer becomes increasingly blurred in interactive digital cultural forms, it becomes necessary to use terms such as "source artist" and "mix artist" to better define this new artist/audience relationship. / ABSTRACT: Postmodern theorists such as Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault anticipate this new artist/audience relationship in their writings. More recent theorists, such as Margot Lovejoy, George Landow, and Paul Théberge, writing after the advent of digital technology, have suggested that interactive digital cultural forms and the changing nature of the artist/audience relationship present opportunities for cultural creation and participation that extend the opportunities afforded by traditional artistic production and consumption. Works such as the As Worlds Collide website, Stuart Moulthrop's Victory Garden, the music of the Chemical Brothers, and Peter Gabriel's multimedia CD-ROM EVE are examples of these new interactive digital cultural forms. These works present navigable constructs (often incorporating elements culled from other source artists) that can be experienced and "re-mixed" by subsequent mix artists who choose to interact with these works. / ABSTRACT: The increased agency provided by these interactive works brings with it new responsibilities for both the source artist and the mix artist. By encouraging collaboration and experimentation, redefining the artist/audience relationship, and expanding the responsibilities of the source artist and the mix artist, interactive digital media extend the possibilities for cultural creation and participation. As digital technology develops, so do the opportunities for cultural development among society as a whole. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 97 pages. / Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Computer-based multimedia offer an alternative means of providing instruction to learners in two primary, yet disparate, ways. Multimedia can be used to convey information to learners, or alternatively, learners can make use of multimedia to impart information. One example of the use of multimedia technologies at the University of South Florida is an interactive computer kiosk installed in the Anthropology Exhibit Gallery. The development of the educational program featured on the kiosk's touchscreen computer is the subject of this paper. The purpose of the kiosk's program was twofold: 1) to introduce the field of anthropology to university students and the general public who visit the Anthropology Exhibit Gallery; and 2) to incorporate training in the creation of multimedia materials into two departmental project-based courses, Museum Methods and Visual Anthropology. / ABSTRACT: Designing effective educational programs that take advantage of multimedia capabilities without losing focus on the user's needs or on the content being presented is a challenging endeavor. In this paper, I present the process of designing an interactive multimedia program, and discuss the critical issues of audience, hardware and software, programming tools and other technical and design considerations. The development of the program, furthermore, must be understood within the broader context of several areas, including anthropology and museums, the role of education in museums, and exhibitions as a form of media and communication. Finally, a summary of the project is presented, including a discussion of the problems and successes encountered and suggested areas for further development. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 60 pages. / Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The development of ideas on deinstitutionalization of mental patients has a much longer history in the United States than is commonly acknowledged. Evidence of intense discussion on the rights of the mentally disturbed, curative as opposed to control measures in their treatment, and the drawbacks of congregating the afflicted in large institutions can be found as early as the middle of the 19th century. This discussion was provoked by dissemination of knowledge about the oldest community care program of all: the colony of mental patients in Gheel, Belgium. Based on document analysis of publications in the American Journal of Insanity from 1844 to 1921, this study attempts to trace how this discussion resulted in the first wave of deinstitutionalization in the American mental health care system, and the successful implementation of the alternative of hospital treatment. / ABSTRACT: My study further documents how the development of this program was inhibited by the need of psychiatry to attain professional legitimation. In its struggle to acquire public respect and occupational authority, the profession focused on somatic explanations of disease that could justify categorization of psychiatry as a branch of medical science. While this claim was not decisively supported by laboratory findings, or the ability to cure patients, psychiatry put forward genetic explanations of mental disorder. This took the profession to the extreme of the eugenics movement, and eventually positioned it as an institution of social control instead of medical authority. Having thus failed to achieve the ultimate professional legitimation in the medical field, psychiatry was exposed to a new wave of criticism in the 1960s, which led to the second wave of deinstitutionalization. History repeated itself with the same outcome. / ABSTRACT: In the absence of overall support within psychiatric circles, and a lack of appreciation of family care as a viable alternative to hospital treatment among social scientists, deinstitutionalization could not but fail again. The contribution of the study lies in the areas of deinstitutionalization, professionalization of expert labor, and the social construction of mental illness and deviance. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 295 pages. / Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, has been described in many ways. It has been called qigong, one of many schools of physical exercises that aim at improving health and developing "supernatural abilities". Scholars and mainstream media have referred it to as a "spiritual movement" or religion, although practitioners claim it is not a religion. It has been called a cult, in the pejorative sense rather than in a sociological context, by the Chinese government and by some Western critics. In the writings of Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong, it is referred to in different ways, though primarily as a "cultivation practice". The question of how to define Falun Gong is not just an academic issue; the use of the cult label has been used to justify the persecution of practitioners in China. To a limited degree, the Chinese Government is able to extend the persecution overseas. / ABSTRACT: How society defines Falun Gong has implications for action on the level of policy, as well as the shaping of social, cultural, and personal attitudes. This research project addresses what Falun Gong is through ethnography. Research methods included participant-observation, semi-structured ethnographic interviews (both in-person and on-line), and content analysis of text and visual data from Falun Gong books, pamphlets, and websites. Research sites included Tampa, Washington D.C., and "cyberspace". In order to keep my research relevant to the issues and concerns of the Falun Gong community, I was in regular contact with the Tampa practitioners, keeping them abreast of my progress and asking for their input. My findings are contrary to the allegations made by the Chinese Government and Western anti-cultists in many ways. Practitioners are not encouraged to rely on Western medicine, but are not prohibited from using it. Child practitioners are not put at risk. / ABSTRACT: Their organizational structure is very loose. Finally, the Internet has played a vital role in Falun Gong's growth and continuation after the crackdown. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Original thesis submitted in HTML and can be accessed at http://www.lib.usf.edu/ETD-db/theses/available/etd-07252001-113744/unrestricted/default.htm / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 103 pages. / Thesis (M. Arch)--University of South Florida, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: My interest in the environment has led me to study the effects of space on people, both natural and man-made. This project explores how architects and designers can design spaces conducive to the healing process. The emphasis of this thesis is on my design methodology, with the hope that this project will help other designers in their struggle to create spaces that heal the body, soul and spirit. To develop this project, I chose a shelter for battered women as the building type. This shelter is theoretically located in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Its main goal is to create an environment in which battered women can recuperate physically, emotionally and spiritually. In order to accomplish this, I first studied my personal responses to a variety of built, as well as, natural spaces. I used two types of case studies, one looking at spaces and the other looking at the building type. / ABSTRACT: Besides utilizing traditional building analysis, I also used literature to study space, since it allows me to study human's reaction to space.These helped to shed light on why or why not certain spaces fulfill the building's purpose. Later, through a series of art workshops with women at a local shelter, I was able to better understand the user. These workshops culminated in a collaborative art installation in which their reality and mine were combined. In addition, I researched other fields that are also trying to understand why we respond to space the way we do. Some of these fields are environmental psychology, sociology, behavioral studies, and art. Their findings led me to design flexible spaces that allow each woman to shape their own space, and spaces that appeal to all six senses. Following this exploration, I developed a program to meet the user's requirements. This program described a prototypical facility that embodies ideal conditions. / ABSTRACT: I then explored this program and its spatial requirements through physical models. A series of models interacting with the site gave birth to three design concepts. From these various schemes, a final design was selected and brought to the design development phase. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.