Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 115 pages. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: As is seen from the work on gait recognition, there is a de-facto consensus about the silhouette of a person being the low-level representation of choice. It has been hypothesized that the performance degradation that is observed when one compares sequences taken on different surfaces, hence against different backgrounds, or when one considers outdoor sequences is due to the low silhouette quality and its variation. If only one can get better silhouettes the perfomance of gait recognition would be high. This thesis challenges that hypothesis. In the context of the HumanID Gait Challenge problem, we constructed a set of ground truth silhouttes over one gait cycles for 71 subjects, to test recognition across two conditions, shoe and surface. Using these, we show that the performance with ground truth silhouette is as good as that obtained by those obtained by a basic background subtraction algorithm. / ABSTRACT: Therefore further research into ways to enhance silhouette extraction does not appear to be the most productive way to advance gait recognition. We also show, using the manually specified part level silhouettes, that most of the gait recognition power lies in the legs and the arms. The recognition power in various static gait recognition factors as extracted from a single view image, such as gait period, cadence, body size, height, leg size, and torso length, does not seem to be adequate. Using cummulative silhouette error images, we also suggest that gait actually changes when one changes walking surface; in particular the swing phase of the gait gets effected the most. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Includes vita. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 134 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Validity generalization work over the past 25 years has called into question the veracity of the assumption that validity is situationally specific. Recent theoretical and methodological work has suggested that validity coefficients may be transportable even if true validity is not a constant. Most transportability work is based on the assumption that the distribution of rho ( ) is normal, yet, no empirical evidence exists to support this assumption. The present study used a competing model approach in which a new procedure for assessing transportability was compared with two more commonly used methods. Empirical Bayes estimation (Brannick, 2001; Brannick & Hall, 2003) was evaluated alongside both the Schmidt-Hunter multiplicative model (Hunter & Schmidt, 1990) and a corrected Hedges-Vevea (see Hall & Brannick, 2002; Hedges & Vevea, 1998) model. The purpose of the present study was two-fold. The first part of the study compared the accuracy of estimates of the mean, standard deviation, and the lower bound of 90 and 99 percent credibility intervals computed from the three different methods across 32 simulated conditions. The mean, variance, and shape of the distribution varied across the simulated conditions. The second part of the study involved comparing results of analyses of the three methods based on previously published validity coefficients. The second part of the study was used to show whether choice of method for determining whether transportability is warranted matters in practice. Results of the simulation analyses suggest that the Schmidt-Hunter method is superior to the other methods even when the distribution of true validity parameters violates the assumption of normality. Results of analyses conducted on real data show trends consistent with those evident in the analyses of the simulated data. Conclusions regarding transportability, however, did not change as a function of method used for any of the real data sets. Limitations of the present study as well as recommendations for practice and future research are provided. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Includes vita. / Document formatted into pages; contains 166 pages. / Title from PDF of title page. / Thesis (Ed.D)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: This study's purpose was to investigate the level of involvement of Florida's full-time community college faculty in institutional governance, their perceptions of the faculty governance body's role in institutional decision-making, and the characteristics of an ideal governance process. This study also explored the relation between a faculty member's level of involvement in governance activities and his or her perceptions of the desired roles of faculty in institutional governance as well as the relation between a faculty member's level of involvement and his or her gender, race, age, and years of employment. Certain factors that encourage or discourage faculty participation in governance were also studied. Research methods included a 25-item survey (Miller & Vacik, 1998) detailing the purpose of the study and asking questions regarding the faculty member's demographics and level of involvement in governance. The research also included 12 faculty interviews. The interview analysis used established inductive methods. This study has shown that Florida's full-time community college faculty do participate in institutional governance but often do not attend faculty governance body meetings. They are, however, actively involved in service on committees and are likely to attend committee meetings regularly. While Florida's community college faculty can identify the roles faculty governance bodies play in institutional governance, they agree less about the characteristics of an ideal governance process or their perceptions of the roles of their faculty governance bodies. Age does not seem to affect faculty involvement in institutional governance although the race of the faculty member may have some effect. The faculty member's years of experience do not have a major effect on the faculty member's level of involvement. The faculty interviewed desire a faculty voice in decision making and believe that governance structures and processes should enable faculty to make their opinions known to all members of the college community. The influence of the college president and the senate president is critical for shared governance. The senate president should have access to the highest level of decision-making at the college. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Includes vita. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 104 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: We studied perceptions parental differential treatment as reported by parents and children in two different settings. Perceptions of differential affection and control were examined in healthy families and in families that include a child diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Parental differential treatment was assessed using questionnaires that measured perceptions of absolute parenting for children and their siblings. Difference scores were subsequently utilized to generate perceived parental differential treatment scores. Participants were 61 parents (half with healthy children, half with one child who has diabetes) and 62 children (half comprising sibling pairs unaffected by any medical problems, half including one child with Type 1 diabetes). Children within the sibling pairs were between 11 and 18 years of age and approximately two years apart, on average. / ABSTRACT: Parents were also asked about their children's emotional/behavioral adjustment and adherence to prescribed medical regimen (in the diabetes group), and their levels of parenting stress. Children were also administered measures regarding their emotional/behavioral adjustment, average adherence (in the diabetes group), and perceptions of deservedness of parental treatment perceived. No differences in strength of correlations between ratings of parental differential treatment and child adjustment iv were detected across groups. Significant differences, however, emerged with regard to type of perceived parental differential treatment that related to child adjustment scores across groups. Relationships were also detected between perceived parental differential treatment and ratings of adherence and measures of glycemic control in the diabetes group. / ABSTRACT: Perceived deservedness as rated by children, ratings of absolute parenting, and parenting stress were observed to moderate the relationship between ratings of parental differential treatment and child adjustment. Parental differential treatment scores predicted unique variance in reported child behavior problems above and beyond that predicted by absolute parenting measures. Differences in relationships across groups, the role of gender, and the importance of context and family in studying perceptions of parental differential treatment and child adjustment are discussed. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Includes vita. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 103 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The goal of this study was to examine differences in the psychological characteristics of patients admitted to the hospital for acute or chronic Myocardial Infarction (MI) or Unstable Angina (UA). Depression, anger, anxiety, curiosity, defensiveness, social support, and coping were evaluated for 165 patients (86 MI and 79 UA), who were tested on the Cardiology Stepdown Ward of Tampa General Hospital. The following psychological measures were administered to these patients: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2), the Rationality/Emotional Defensiveness (R/ED) Scale, the Adult Form of the Coping Responses Inventory (CRI-Adult), the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL), the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ), the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI), and the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID-I) for the DSM - IV. Significantly more chronic patients than acute patients met criteria for depression as measured by the SCID following admission to the hospital, and more UA than MI patients also met these criteria. However, no differences were found between the acute and chronic MI and UA patients two weeks prior to admission. Results of this study also indicated that chronic patients and UA patients reported a greater frequency of illness symptoms and tended to cope with their heart disease through avoidant strategies. Chronic patients endorsed higher levels of state and trait anger compared with acute patients, and UA patients were less likely to believe that their illness could be cured or controlled (Control of Cure) than MI patients. Based on the results of this study, it appears that avoidance coping may be an insufficient strategy for addressing negative emotions of chronic patients and UA patients. In addition, perceived lack of control over the success of treatment may be related to depression for UA patients. These findings have important implications for the development and implementation of interventions designed to address perceived control over treatment effectiveness and coping skills for negative emotions in the treatment and rehabilitation of cardiac patients. / 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 105 pages. / Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Relative plate motion history since 30 Ma between the Pacific and the southern portion of the Nazca (Farallon) plates is examined. The history is constrained by available seafloor magnetic anomaly data and a two-minute grid of predicted bathymetry derived from satellite altimetry and shipboard sensors. These data are used to create a new plate motion reconstruction based on new magnetic anomaly identifications and finite poles of motion. The new identified magnetic isochrons and tectonic reconstruction provides greater resolution to the tectonic history between chrons 7y (24.73 Ma) and 3 (4.18 Ma) than previous interpretations. Shipboard magnetics and aeromagnetic data from over 250 expeditions were plotted and used to extrapolate magnetic anomalies picked from 2D magnetic modeling from selected cruises. Magnetic anomalies were further constrained by tectonic features evident in the predicted bathymetry. / ABSTRACT: Previously published magnetic anomaly locations consistent with this work were used where interpretation could not be constrained by 2D modeling and map extrapolation. Point locations for anomalies were used as input for calculation of finite poles of motion for chrons 10y, 7y, 6c, 5d, 5b, 5aa, 5o, 4a and 3a. An iterative process of anomaly mapping, pole calculation and anomaly point rotations was used to refine the finite poles of motion. Eleven stage poles were calculated from the nine finite poles from this study and two published instantaneous Euler vectors. Tectonic reconstructions indicate a history dominated by two major southward ridge propagation events, the first starting by 28 Ma and completed by 18 Ma. The second event initiated in association with breakup of the Farallon plate around 24 Ma and ceased by about 11 Ma. Lithosphere was transferred from Nazca to Pacific during the first event and in the opposite sense during the second. / ABSTRACT: Development of the Mendoza microplate east of the later propagator occurred at about 20 Ma and this dual spreading process appears to have lasted until about 15 Ma. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Includes vita. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 114 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine how to best motivate smokers with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to seek treatment for tobacco dependence. Smokers with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (N=78) were randomly assigned to receive a Motivational Interviewing, Psychoeducational, or Minimal Control intervention. A greater proportion of participants receiving the Motivational Interviewing intervention followed through on a referral for tobacco dependence treatment within one-week and one-month post-intervention. Mixed model Analyses of Variance found no differences between groups at one-week or at one-month with respect to tobacco use or motivation to quit. Within group analyses indicated that participants in the Motivational Interviewing and Psychoeducational groups reported significant decreases in cigarettes smoked per day. / ABSTRACT: Only participants in the Motivational Interviewing group showed significant increases in confidence in their ability to quit smoking. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Includes vita. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 97 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Alcohol expectancy theory suggests that genetically influenced personality characteristics may lead to differential acquisition of expectancy information, and that this information then may serve as one mediational pathway for alcoholism risk. Research has already shown that expectancy information can predict and even mediate risk, but it has yet to be shown that personality traits can influence the acquisition of alcohol expectancy information. To that end, personality characteristics known to be risk factors for the development of excessive alcohol use were assessed in 83 male undergraduates. In addition, each participant studied, in a paired-associate learning/cued-recall test paradigm, a list of word pairs matching alcohol content words (keg, beer), positive/arousing alcohol expectancy words (happy, fun), and neutral words (backpack, desk). / ABSTRACT: Their rate of learning the second word from each pair after being cued with the first word was then assessed across three trials of this task, and overall learning of the pairs was then assessed using free-recall. To determine whether learning rates for each type of word pair was a function of participants' status on the personality risk measures, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted for cued- and free-recall data. Results indicated that higher sensation seeking, more drinking-related problems, and a lesser degree of a family history of alcohol problems were predictive of greater recall for word pairs containing alcohol and expectancy information. Consistent with predictions, these risk indicators were also associated with a higher rate of learning for the alcohol and expectancy pairs. / ABSTRACT: These findings suggest that significant differences exist in the ability to learn alcohol to expectancy word associations, and lend support to recent theories that implicate individual difference factors as a predisposition for the development of problematic alcohol to expectancy associations in memory. / 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 119 pages. / Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Occupational slip, trip, and fall, (STF), incidents are a significant cause of traumatic occupational injuries and has been identified as NORA priority area. Objective: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in collaboration with Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health, the Finnish Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and BJC Health System is conducting a 3 year study titled "Slip and Falls Prevention in Health Care Workers". A key component of the overall study is the descriptive analysis of 72 months (1996-2001) of STF incidents. Setting: This analysis encompasses data from the James A. Haley Veteran's Administration Medical Center, (JAH). Results: Forty- five months of historical STF data from the ASISTS database was analyzed. / ABSTRACT: Of 279 STF incidents, 71.22%, (240) were female, the median age was 49 years, RN's were the most common occupational category (70 =21.74%), trips were the most common type of incident, (105 = 33.44%), the parking lot was the most common location, (75 = 23.70%), Non- specified slick surfaces (56 = 17.83%) and non- patient related objects were the most common cause (56 =17.83%), 70.85%, (192) returned to full duty, and 83.67%, (246) had no lost work time. Wilcoxon Ranked Sum test comparing those with affected work time found no significant difference in age (p= 0.4133). Analysis could not be performed using exact number of lost work days and days on light duty because of discrepancies between the ASISTS and Safety Office alternative databases. Conclusion: Efforts and resources to decrease the number of STF incidents at the JAH would be best concentrated in the following areas: Occupations, locations, and causes associated with the highest frequencies of STF incidents. / ABSTRACT: Proposed improvements in the method of data collection include: Identify what STF questions want to be answered. Decide what data is required to answer the question. Design a data collection system around this. Strive for a more integrated approach; encourage employee reporting; altering VA form 2162. Given the downward trend in the three year analysis of STF incidents, caution should be used in analyzing the results of a pre and post intervention study. / 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 70 pages. / Thesis (M.Ch.E.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: SiC is a hard man-made material and has emerged as an excellent material for a wide range of applications which are exposed to extreme conditions such as high temperatures and harsh chemical environments. These applications range from SiC being used as an abrasive, to a refractory material, to a semiconductor material for high power and high frequency electronic devices. The properties of the material for each application is different, with the semiconductor grade material for electronic devices being the most refined. SiC, with its excellent thermal properties and high resistance to harsh chemical environments, lends itself to being an ideal support for catalyst systems. / ABSTRACT: Various characterisation & analysis techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Gas Chromatography (GC) are used in this thesis to investigate the suitability of single crystal SiC for high temperature catalytic systems. Low temperature oxidation of methane was used to investigate the catalytic activity of: - Porous and standard 4H-SiC with and without Pd - Porous and Standard 6H-SiC with and without Pd. - Nanocrystalline Beta-SiC powder with and without Pd. Part of the samples were impregnated with Pd using Palladium Nitrate (Pd (NO3)2) which is a common precursor for Pd. Activation treatments which were investigated were oxidation and reduction. Oxidation was generally better in activating the catalyst, as was expected, since the PdO phase is known to be more active in oxidising methane. / ABSTRACT: A mixed set of Pd and PdO were observed by SEM and EDS which were the main characterisation techniques used to analyze the structure of the catalysts before and after the reaction. The Beta-SiC showed by far the best activity which could be attributed to the micro-crystalline powder format in which it was used, where as all other catalysts studied here were derived from crushed wafer pieces. Type II porous 4H-SiC was another of the samples which registered impressive results, vis-à-vis catalytic activity. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.