Professional research project (Au.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 37 pages. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The accurate perception of spoken English is influenced by many variables, including the listener's native language, reverberation, and background noise. Few studies of speech perception by bilingual listeners have carefully controlled for second language proficiency and even fewer have presented speech in everyday listening environments that contain noise and reverberation. In the present study, detailed language background, language proficiency information, and individual language samples were collected and the speech stimuli were presented in a variety of quiet, noisy, and reverberant listening environments. / ABSTRACT: The effects of noise and reverberation on the perception of American English monosyllabic words was examined for two groups of young listeners with normal hearing: 1) monolingual American English speakers and 2) Spanish-English bilinguals who acquired both languages prior to age 6 years, exhibited similar spoken proficiency in both languages, and spoke English without a noticeable accent. An innovative test of virtual speech perception was used to assess word recognition in two listening environments typical of everyday communication: a simulated noisy anechoic environment and a simulated noisy reverberant environment. Word recognition was also measured in quiet and in an unprocessed noisy environment. For each noisy listening environment (unprocessed, anechoic, reverberant), three signal-to-noise ratios were employed. Results indicate that early bilingualism negatively affects perception of words presented in noisy listening environments. / ABSTRACT: Significantly poorer word recognition was observed for the bilingual listeners than for the monolingual listeners in all three noisy environments and at all noise levels. Both groups exhibited similar word recognition in quiet. The results were surprising considering the high level of spoken language proficiency exhibited by all bilingual listeners. It is often assumed that highly proficient Spanish-English speakers are equally proficient at understanding English; however, these data indicate that the speech understanding of this group may be overestimated in natural listening situations. / 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 200 pages. / Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: How people pereceive the risks associated with natural hazards contributes to their willingness to take protective action. Such action may be constrained by prevailing socio-economic and place-specific conditions that restrict or inform the choice of protective measures available to the individual. Vulnerability to the impacts of extreme geophysical events increases when the range of alternatives is limited or misinformed. Many evacuees from a potentially violent volcanic eruption in Ecuador returned to their home town of Banos while it was still under an evacuation order in 2000 and considered to be a high risk area by officials. / ABSTRACT: The research examined four main questions: (1) What economic conditions confronted Baños evacuees? (2) What political or other social events occurred while they were evacuated that limited their perceived range of options? (3) What information was available about prior eruptions of the volcano and other local natural hazards? and (4) What were the characteristics of the economic base of Baños? These questions were investigated using data from interviews with evacuees, government and non-governmental officials, census and other statistical information, scholarly texts and newspaper reports. The research suggests that economic conditions made it extremely difficult for people to relocate to other communities. When a violent eruption did not occur immediately, and few direct impacts of the eruptions were experienced in Banos, many people chose to return home in an effort to reestablish themselves economically. / ABSTRACT: These people perceived the volcano hazard in Baños to be far less threatening than the economic destitution associated with evacuation. This perception may have been influenced by factors other than the socio-economic context, including efforts of political leaders and tourist business owners to effect the town's economic recovery. These efforts included an aggressive publicity campaign that minimized the risk posed by the volcano. Besides encouraging tourists to return, the campaign also encouraged evacuees to do so. Finally, among some residents, religious beliefs may have contributed to perceptions that they would not be harmed in the event of an explosive eruption. / 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 87 pages. / Thesis (M.S.M.E.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: As technology progresses towards smaller electronic packages, thermo-mechanical considerations pose a challenge to package designers. One area of difficulty is the ability to predict the fatigue life of the solder connections. To do this one must be able to accurately model the thermo-mechanical performance of the electronic package. As the solder ball size decreases, it becomes difficult to determine the performance of the package with traditional methods such as the use of strain gages. This is due to the fact that strain gages become limited in size and resolution and lack the ability to measure discreet strain fields as the solder ball size decreases. A solution to the limitations exhibited in strain gages is the use of Moiré interferometry. Moiré interferometry utilizes optical interferometry to measure small, in-plane relative displacements and strains with high sensitivity. / ABSTRACT: Moiré interferometry is a full field technique over the application area, whereas a strain gage gives an average strain for the area encompassed by the gage. This ability to measure full field strains is useful in the analysis of electronic package interconnections; especially when used to measure strains in the solder ball corners, where failure is known to originate. While the improved resolution of the data yielded by the method of Moiré interferometry results in the ability to develop more accurate models, that is not to say the process is simple and without difficulties of it's own. Moiré interferometry is inherently susceptible to error due to experimental and environmental effects; therefore, it is vital to generate a reliable experimental procedure that provides repeatable results. This was achieved in this study by emulating and modifying established procedures to meet our specific application. / ABSTRACT: The developed procedure includes the preparation of the specimen, the replication and transfer of the grids, the use of the PEMI, interpretation of results, and validation of data by finite element analysis using ANSYS software. The data obtained maintained uniformity to the extent required by the scope of this study, and potential sources of error have been identified and should be the subject of further research. / 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 204 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The goal of this research project was to contribute to the understanding of CuGaSe2/CdS photovoltaic devices, and to improve the performance of these devices. The initial part of the research dealt with the optimization of a Sequential Deposition process for CuIn(Ga)Se2 absorber formation. As an extension of this, a recipe (Type I Process) for CuGaSe2 absorber layer fabrication was developed, and the deposition parameters were optimized. Electrical characterization of the thin films and completed devices was carried out using techniques such as Two-Probe and Three-Probe Current-Voltage, Capacitance-Frequency, Capacitance-Voltage, and Spectral Response measurements. Structural/chemical characterization was done using XRD and EDS analysis. Current densities of up to 15.2 mA/cm2, and Fill Factors of up to 58% were obtained using the Type I CuGaSe2 Process. VOC's, however, were limited to less than 700 mV. / ABSTRACT: Several process variations, such as changes in the rate/order/temperature of depositions and changes in the thickness of layers, resulted in little improvement. With the aim of breaking through this VOC performance ceiling, a new absorber recipe (Type II Process) was developed. VOC's of up to 735 mV without annealing, and those of up to 775 mV after annealing, were observed. Fill Factors were comparable to those obtained with Type I Process, whereas the Current Densities were found to be reduced (typically, 10-12 mA/cm2, with the best value of 12.6 mA/cm2). This performance of Type II devices was correlated to a better intermixing of the elements during the absorber formation. To gain an understanding of the performance limitations, two simulation techniques, viz. SCAPS and AMPS, were used to model our devices. / ABSTRACT: Several processing experiments and SCAPS modeling indicate that a defective interface between CuGaSe2 and CdS, and perhaps a defective absorber layer, are the cause of the VOC limitation. AMPS simulation studies, on the other hand, suggest that the back contact is limiting the performance. Attempts to change the physical back contact, by changes in the absorber processing, were unsuccessful. Processing experiments and simulations also suggest that the CuGaSe2/CdS solar cell involves a true heterojunction between these two layers. / 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 142 pages. / Thesis (Ed.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Given that researchers estimate approximately one child in every classroom has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and that most of these students are served in the general education classroom, it is imperative that general education teachers know how to effectively teach these students. Seventy-two general education elementary school teachers completed a survey containing demographic information, a knowledge of ADHD questionnaire, and a survey on interventions for students with ADHD. Results indicated that teachers scored an average of 57% correct on the Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorders Scale (KADDS), scoring statistically significantly higher on the Symptoms/Diagnosis subscale compared to the General and Treatment subscales. / ABSTRACT: In terms of the interventions, teachers felt more knowledgeable, perceived their skill to be greater, rated as more acceptable, and rated lower barriers to the implementation of classroom management interventions such as the use of cues, prompts, and attention checks; physical arrangement; structure; and varied presentation and format of materials. Teachers felt they knew least about, had less skill, rated as less acceptable, and had more barriers to the implementation of behavior management interventions such as token economy, response cost, and time-out from positive reinforcement, as well as self-management techniques. Most demographic variables were unrelated to teachers' knowledge of ADHD, their perceived knowledge of interventions, and their ratings of acceptability of interventions. / ABSTRACT: Based on the information presented, teachers need more training and knowledge in the area of ADHD and interventions for students with ADHD in order to effectively help children with the disorder. Importantly, school psychologists and other service providers who suggest interventions for teachers to use for students with ADHD need to consider the factors that contribute to teachers' acceptability of interventions. / 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 62 pages. / Thesis (M.S.E.E.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The rapid growth of the Internet, in the last few years, has generated a need to enhance the existing IP networks in the areas of availability, dependability and scalability in order to provide a mission critical networking environment. In contemporary IP networks, data packets are routed as a function of the destination address and a single metric such as hop-count or delay. This approach tends to cause message traffic to converge onto the same link, which significantly increases congestion and leads to unbalanced network resource utilization. One solution to this problem is provided by Traffic Engineering (TE), which uses, bandwidth guaranteed, Explicitly Routed Label Switched Paths (ER-LSPs). Due to the dramatic increase in the backbone speeds, current research focuses more on traffic engineering with LSPs for clear control over the traffic distribution in the network. / ABSTRACT: However, the growing popularity of the Internet is driving the Internet Service Providers to adapt new technologies in order to support multiple classes of applications with different characteristics and performance requirements. Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), which was proposed by the IETF provides essential facilities for traffic engineering and reliable QoS services for the Internet. MPLS networks provide the required flexibility for operators to manage their traffic with ER-LSPs. Even though conventional routing algorithms support the ER-LSP setup in MPLS networks, they are not efficient in link residual capacity information updates and limit resource utilization, which eventually leads to LSP failures and unbalanced network resource utilization. This thesis proposes a new architecture with a cluster based distributed routing algorithm to setup bandwidth guaranteed ER-LSPs in MPLS backbone networks. / ABSTRACT: The proposed routing algorithm confines the route discovery region in order to reduce the routing overhead and computes all possible routes from ingress node to egress node. Based on LSP requirements and network load conditions, the egress node selects the most suitable path from the available paths in order to setup the LSP. This routing scheme optimizes network resource utilization by evenly distributing traffic throughout the network. The Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) works in conjunction with the routing protocol for resource reservation and label distribution along the LSP. / 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 78 pages. / Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: With increasing encroachment on natural communities by anthropogenic activity, it is important to understand the functions of natural ecosystems in an effort to conserve natural areas. A first-hand study of the population dynamics of South Florida Slash Pine (P. elliottii Engelm. var. densa) following a fire event provided insight to its recovery and dispersal following a fire. A natural fire (lightning-induced) occurred in the spring of 2000 at the T. Mabry Carlton, Jr. Reserve, Sarasota County, providing an opportunity to study aspects of slash pine in relation to fire. One objective of my research was to look at dispersal/recruitment conditions and slash pine dynamics in relation to fire. I looked at the varying degrees of tree mortality due to fire at different stands of slash pines. / ABSTRACT: I also looked at the stands in terms of stand composition and spatial arrangement of surviving adults. Finally, I studied how variable seedling establishment and survival was between stands. Few inferences could be drawn between fire and these individual analyses; however, all analyses revealed that at the scale of this study, pine flatwoods are patchy. I also looked at the dispersal of slash pines following a fire event. I modeled my research after Ribbens et al. (1994) and Clark et al. (1998), who took a phenomenological approach to dispersal modeling. This approach involved using distances between adults and seeds/seedlings and fecundity of adults to create dispersal models based on maximum likelihood estimates (MLE). I found that, while I could predict a model within acceptable parameters for most of the stands, more data was needed to predict models that better fit the data. / ABSTRACT: This finding, along with the fact that I recovered no seed data for analysis, suggests factors are contributing to dispersal and recruitment (e.g. cone-crop) that need to be accounted for in the future. / 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 112 pages. / Thesis (M.S.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: The Florida Keys Coral Reef Monitoring Project (CRMP) began video transect sampling in 1996 and has continuously monitored 107 Florida Keys stations through 2002. The video was downward pointing and produced images from which planar projection data were calculated to determine percent cover of living benthic organisms. An absence of data assessing correlation between octocoral percent cover and octocoral abundance motivated a study to compare octocoral percent cover with abundance data acquired from the same video transects. The methods employed to extract octocoral abundance data from videotape were validated. Temporal changes in octocoral abundance, size and taxonomic group were determined by examination of video transects of 28 randomly selected stations from 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2002. Size classes were defined as [10cm, 10-40cm, ]40cm (short, medium and tall respectively). / ABSTRACT: Taxonomic groups were Gorgonia ventalina and "other octocorals" in three size classes, and Scleraxonia. An in situ study assessed the accuracy of video-derived counts. Average densities of G. ventalina and Scleraxonia were consistently about one colony/m2. Other octocoral as a group averaged 7-9 colonies/m2. When summarized by height, short and tall averaged about 1-2 colonies/m2, while colonies between 10 and 40 cm in height consistently averaged about 6 colonies/m2. Hurricane Georges, in September 1998, impacted the octocoral assemblage. Abundance declined most at stations near the storm center and stations in shallower water. Storm impact was related to octocoral height. Tall octocorals were removed more frequently than medium, short and encrusting forms. A dramatic increase of short individuals in 2002 is indicative of successful post-hurricane recruitment. By 2002, octocoral abundance had recovered to pre-hurricane levels. / ABSTRACT: This study demonstrated that abundance data can reliably be derived from archived video data, reinforcing the value of standardized video data archives. Octocoral abundance and octocoral percent cover are not strongly correlated because tall individuals disproportionately influence percent cover estimates. Nevertheless, trends in octocoral percent cover are reliable indicators of the trends in octocoral abundance. / 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 261 pages. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: This dissertation research is a study of the anthropology of policy with welfare reform in general and charitable choice in particular as its focus. The study begins with the notion that policies work as instruments of governance and consequently have social and political implications. These policies are examined by exploring the manner in which Catholic Charities and policy makers in Florida are responding to the charitable choice mandate and how their views are shaping local policies. The study is framed within anthropological principles pertaining to economic, humanistic and philosophical tenets. The study provides a historical background of poverty, the development of the welfare state in the United States as well as some of the social, economic, and political factors that shape social policies. / ABSTRACT: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with representatives from Catholic Charities, government agencies, legislative committees, and faith-based organizations, and through document reviews. Data were analyzed qualitatively and were managed using the software Atlas.ti. Analysis of the data show that while there is increased convergence between the state and faith-based organizations (FBOs), there is some hesitancy on the part of religious organizations to assume full responsibility for the poor, particularly without having any funding guarantees. The data also suggests that through the implementation of charitable choice religious organizations face the risk of becoming highly dependent on the state and therefore loose their voice and the possibility of lobbying for the poor. / ABSTRACT: Furthermore, the data suggests that there are some aspects of the implementation of charitable choice that have not received congressional approval and may eventually jeopardize the entire faith-based initiative. / 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.A.)--University of South Florida, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: Due to the increasing demands of third-party payers to show measurable results in a decreased amount of time, mental health practitioners need new tools and techniques to quickly and efficiently assess their client's current status and progress in treatment. The goal of this study was to develop and validate a brief computerized measure of emotional states and personality traits for use as an assessment tool in a clinical setting. Adapted from the State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI; Spielberger, 1998), the computerized instrument measured state and trait anxiety, anger, depression, and curiosity. The computerized STPI was examined for equivalence with the traditional STPI and compared with therapists' ratings of their clients' emotional states and personality traits. Forty individuals (24 women, 16 men) in psychotherapy were administered either a computerized version of the STPI or the original, paper version. / ABSTRACT: Each client's therapist was asked to rate him or her on the same 4 states and 4 traits measured by the STPI. In addition, clients and therapists answered short questionnaires regarding their reactions to the STPI and the client report generated by the STPI, respectively. [BR][BR] A comparison of mean STPI scale scores between the computerized and paper administration groups showed slightly higher levels of reported state emotion for the computerized administration. There was no other evidence of differences between the two experimental groups. Therapists who had previously conducted assessment with their client demonstrated a significantly higher correlation of their ratings with the corresponding client STPI self-reported scores. Feedback from the client and therapist exit questionnaires suggested that their reactions to the procedure and the usefulness of the STPI were quite favorable. / ABSTRACT: Implications of increasing the use of computers in clinical assessment are discussed. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.