Digital Commons Network^™

Holy Books Or Pocket Books? Class And Values In American Politics, Matthew Keaton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been much speculation recently as to the political effect that "moral values" have on Americans and much research has shown inconclusive results as far as the effect of class. This paper aims to study how class and values, including moral values and postmaterialist values, interact with politics in the United States. The analyses performed to determine these effects include crosstabulation and logistical regressions and will include data from the National Election Studies (NES). It is found that postmaterialist values have little effect on political behavior but in separate analyses, class and moral values have increasing influences on vote …

The Taino Are Still Alive, Taino Cuan Yahabo: An Example Of The Social Construction Of Race And Ethnicity, David Cintron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Definitions and boundaries of race and ethnicity are socially constructed. They are malleable inventions created by the negotiation of ascribed ideas from outside groups and asserted notions from the inside group's membership. The revitalization of Taíno identity and culture within the Puerto Rican and related communities is a classic case example of this negotiation. Although objective conditions exist to recognize the descendants of these Caribbean aboriginals as an identifiable group, their identities are contested and sometimes ridiculed. Even though Taíno heritage is accepted as an essential root of Puerto Rico's cultural and biological make-up, this group has been classified as …

Using Augmented Reality For Studying Left Turn Maneuver At Un-Signalized Intersection And Horizontal Visibility Blockage, Ghada Moussa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Augmented reality "AR" is a promising paradigm that can provide users with real-time, high-quality visualization of a wide variety of information. In AR, virtual objects are added to the real-world view in a real time. Using the AR technology can offer a very realistic environment for driving enhancement as well as driving performance testing under different scenarios. This can be achieved by adding virtual objects (people, vehicles, hazards, and other objects) to the normal view while driving in a safe controlled environment. In this dissertation, the feasibility of adapting the AR technology into traffic engineering was investigated. Two AR systems; …

Ultrawideband Indoor Location And Tracking System, Qing Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate an indoor intruder location and tracking system with UltraWideBand (UWB) technology and use data compression and Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) techniques to improve the performance of the location system. Reliable and accurate indoor positioning requires a local replacement for GPS systems since satellite signals are not available indoors. UWB systems are particularly suitable for indoor location systems due their inherent capabilities such as low-power, multi-path rejection, and wide bandwidth. In our application, we are using UWB radios as a radar system for tracking targets in indoor locations. We also use Discrete …

A Hybrid Simulation Methodology To Evaluate Network Centricdecision Making Under Extreme Events, Sergio Quijada

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Currently the network centric operation and network centric warfare have generated a new area of research focused on determining how hierarchical organizations composed by human beings and machines make decisions over collaborative environments. One of the most stressful scenarios for these kinds of organizations is the so-called extreme events. This dissertation provides a hybrid simulation methodology based on classical simulation paradigms combined with social network analysis for evaluating and improving the organizational structures and procedures, mainly the incident command systems and plans for facing those extreme events. According to this, we provide a methodology for generating hypotheses and afterwards testing …

Through The Eyes Of A Renaissance Prophet: Fra Girolamo Savonaorla And The Compendium Of Revelation, David Fear

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides the historiographical background and historical context necessary to undertake an examination of Savonarola's Compendium of Revelations and evaluate it as a work of the Italian Renaissance. It conducts such an examination and reaches the conclusion that Savonarola should be used as an example of a figure who, like the age of the Renaissance itself, represented a significant break with the medieval world while still being influenced by it. His political, social, and religious views all show both the influence of the medieval world and the underpinnings of the modern. The analysis is influenced by intellectual, religious, and …

A Fractal Analysis Of Binding And Dissociation Kinetics For Analytes Related To Various Human Diseases On Biosensor Surfaces, Atul M. Doke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Making Of A Monument : Investigating Mound Stratigraphy In The Yazoo Basin / By Erin L. Stevens, Erin L. Stevens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Organizational Change At The Service Delivery Level: An Investigation Into The Perceived Reaction To Change Initiatives In Moral, Larry Cochran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the speed of change increases, federal agencies are challenged more often to develop and implement improvements to existing programs, new programs to meet new needs, or adjustments to programs based on changed circumstances of delivery. Built on the foundation of systems theory, expectancy theory, and field theory, this research seeks to explain why some managers do not propose changes in their organizations---even when the very survival of the organization is at risk. By measuring the fields of influence encountered by managers, we find that the chain of command is supportive of change initiatives. Other organizational elements--human resources and legal …

Automated Scenario Generation System In A Simulation, Hajime Tomizawa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Developing training scenarios that induce a trainee to utilize specific skills is one of the facets of simulation-based training that requires significant effort. Simulation-based training systems have become more complex in recent years. Because of this added complexity, the amount of effort required to generate and maintain training scenarios has increased. This thesis describes an investigation into automating the scenario generation process. The Automated Scenario Generation System (ASGS) generates expected action flow as contexts in chronological order from several events and tasks with estimated time for the entire training mission. When the training objectives and conditions are defined, the ASGS …

From Condemnation To Conformity: Carter And Reagan's Foreign Policy Towards The Argentine Junta, 1977-1982., William Houston Gilbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how the administrations of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan responded to the widespread human rights abuses committed by the Argentine military during the country's Dirty War between 1977 and 1982. The objective is to gain a broader understanding of the policies pursued by both administrations. Under Carter, who brought human rights to the forefront of American foreign policy, Argentina was heavily targeted and sanctioned with the anticipation that such measures would enhance the human rights status in Argentina. Ultimately, such policies resulted in open hostility in bilateral relations, culminating in Argentina's refusal to support Carter's proposed grain …

To See Her Face, To Hear Her Voice: Profiling The Place Of Women In Early Upper East Tennessee, 1773-1810., Sσndra Lee Allen Henson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Following the Proclamation Act of 1763 growing numbers of colonists arrived in upper East Tennessee to settle and build wherever they could make arrangements with local groups of Cherokee. While these first families were occupied with survival, the British colonies continued to thrive. Concurrent with growing prosperity was the increasing determination of colonists to exercise control over their property and economic interests. Frontier exigencies affected family strategies for dividing labor and creating economic endeavors. A commonly held view asserts that where women were scarce and needed, rigid sex-role distinctions could not prevail. This thesis will present research of the earliest …

"Jack Of All Trades" : The Metamorphosis Of Armored Cavalry In Vietnam., Robert Manson Peters 1966-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a chronological historical examination of armored cavalry doctrine and execution during the Vietnam War, with a focus on comparison of the armored cavalry's doctrinal missions of reconnaissance, security, and economy of force with the reality of execution on the ground. In Vietnam, a metamorphosis occurred between these doctrinal missions and actual execution due to a series of factors, such as the nature of area warfare and a relative lack of doctrinal preparedness, the latter largely due to the doctrinal flux of the early 1960s, myths about warfare in Vietnam, and institutional resistance. The metamorphosis also occurred because …

A Solemn Assembly., John Michael Cline

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A group of oil paintings completed in partial requirement of my MFA degree is discussed. The paintings are on wood panels and are the result of a combination of old master techniques of under-painting and glazing and more contemporary approaches to the painting process. Each painting represents a particular concept or event from Mormon theology; whereas, the pictorial structure is inspired by Medieval manuscript painting. Thus, this body of work is a synthesis between two worldviews existing centuries apart, yet sharing certain core values and beliefs.

Death At Elmira: George W. Jernigan, William Hoffman, And The Union Prison System., Thomas Watson Jernigan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the interaction between the Union Prison System led by William Hoffman and the Confederate prisoners-of-war, specifically those held at Elmira, New York. By focusing on Hoffman's actions and decisions in the last year of the war, the Confederate death toll can be better understood.

The treatise relies heavily on The War Of The Rebellion: A Compilation Of The Official Records Of The Union And Confederate Armies. Two studies were indispensable for this study: Hesseltine's Civil War Prisons: A Study In War Psychology, and Leslie's Hunter's Ph.D. Disseration, Warden For The Union: William Hoffman (1807-1884). …

General Ishii Shiro: His Legacy Is That Of Genius And Madman, Gregory Dean Byrd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper covers the development of the chemical weapons division founded by Ishii Shiro, and discusses the horrible experimentation that was done by the Japanese. These experiments have been a source of controversy. The Chinese feel the Japanese should acknowledge these as war crimes. When the Japanese left Manchuria, they left the world’s largest chemical waste dump behind, and even to this day the government refuses to admit the actions of Unit 731. The information on biological warfare that the Japanese discovered during the experimentation in China later was used as a negotiation tool with the United States to secure …

Survival Songs : How Refugee And Immigrant Women Experienced Violence., Judith C. Heitzman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An interest in privileging the voices of women who are marginalized in many parts of the world coupled with knowledge of the restorative properties of music cultivated this qualitative study. Seven women, ages 20-49 years of age, from three continents were asked the following grand tour questions: What was your experience of violence? What were the residual grief and loss issues that you faced? What, if any, role did music play in helping you cope with the stress of surviving violence? Participants were required to (a) be over 18 years old, (b) currently reside in the United States, (c) have …

The Influences Of System Affiliation, Size, And Location On Bioterrorism Preparedness Among Florida Hospitals, Kourtney Scharoun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the event of a bioterrorist attack, emergency departments are considered the first line of response for all acute levels of care. This study focused on hospital emergency departments in Florida and the activities, policies, and procedures involved in preparing for a bioterrorist attack. Hospital size, location, and system affiliation were related to attaining these levels, and their impact was assessed. Through a cross-sectional survey design, the physical properties of the 77 hospitals (i.e. facilities, equipment, communication systems, etc.), and the social characteristics of the organizations (managerial functions including: planning, training, financial, and environmental characteristics) were examined. One-way analysis of …

Indoor Geo-Location And Tracking Of Mobile Autonomous Robot, Mahesh Ramamurthy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field of robotics has always been one of fascination right from the day of Terminator. Even though we still do not have robots that can actually replicate human action and intelligence, progress is being made in the right direction. Robotic applications range from defense to civilian, in public safety and fire fighting. With the increase in urban-warfare robot tracking inside buildings and in cities form a very important application. The numerous applications range from munitions tracking to replacing soldiers for reconnaissance information. Fire fighters use robots for survey of the affected area. Tracking robots has been limited to the …

Effects Of Content Augmentation Strategies In An Instructional Virtual Environment, Roger Hamilton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Content augmentation strategies (CAS) are instructional methods which specify the overlaying of content objects by content augmentation objects in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of instruction. The goals of this research were to build a comprehensive framework around CASs, determine the experimental effects of CASs in an instructional virtual environment (VE), and make recommendations regarding the employment and further study of CASs in instructional virtual environments. The VE experiment examined the effectiveness and efficiency impact of six different content augmentation strategies which overlayed different content augmentation objects onto four immersive VE scenarios. Sixty university students, 40 men and …

Analysis And Design Of Printed Butler Matrix And Rotman Lens At X-Band, Manish A. Hiranandani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Limits Of Philosophy: Plato's Sophist And Statesman, Mark Brouwer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Plato's Sophist and Statesman articulate the limits or definition of philosophy. My selective interpretation begins with a problem from Sophist 259e-260a and 252e-253e: Is it possible to express correctly (in logos) the necessary conditions of logos? This is an instance of a universal problem: Is it possible for any expertise to define itself and have expert inspired confidence in this definition? I articulate this universal problem with recourse to Kantian meta-philosophy, Chomsky's generative grammar and Schoenberg's theory of harmony. Rudolph Carnap's distinction between questions internal and external to a scientific framework is the means of addressing this universal problem. Questions …

Political Neutrality And Humanitarian Aid: Practical Implications Of Organizational Ideology, Nancy Bruni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how the different ideological interpretations of the principle of neutrality affect the practices of humanitarian aid organizations in conflict situations. Specifically, I study the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders/MSF). Additionally, I seek specific examples from the current conflict in Darfur, Sudan to illustrate my findings.

The purpose of this study is to determine how the organizations deal with delivering aid in a highly politicized environment while maintaining neutrality. It seeks to articulate the current dilemmas facing aid organizations that work to save the lives of those who suffer. …

Returning Home: Unhcr's Strategies For Repatriation For And Reintegration, Tania N. Domenech

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Under what conditions is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) able to successfully repatriate and reintegrate refugees to their country of origin? This work aims to evaluate the success of UNHCR's initiative to sponsor the repatriation and reintegration of political refugees who voluntarily chose to return to their homeland. The study of political refugees is essential in International Relations, since it entails the failure of preventing ethnic violence and civil unrest. Overall, the emergence of refugees is the product of the inability of conflict prevention. Voluntary repatriation and reintegration of these refugees provides a message of mending relations, …

Ritual, Myth, And Symbol In The Field Of Nuclear Posturing, Sean Noah Walsh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since their inception, the actual use of nuclear weapons in conflict is extremely limited. There have been only two documented occurrences which were committed exclusively by the United States. By contrast, however, state posturing with nuclear weapons occurs with regularity transcending historical situations, national wealth, military power, or even the actual possession of nuclear weapons. Rationalist arguments that depict nuclear posturing as a means of deterrence appear insufficient given its tendency to unbalance perceptions of equilibrium, and the public nature in which it occurs. Instead, I examine nuclear posturing by the United States during the Cold War as a form …

Green Building: Public Opinion, Semantics, And Heuristic Processing, Christina Michelle Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research on public support for green building has, to date, been incomplete. Understanding the demographics of individuals that support green building has remained secondary to merely determining real opinions on the topic. The identity of supporters and the motivation behind their support is the focus of this research. Specifically, is support for green building dependent on the way in which the issue is framed? This research aims to focus on those that are spreading the message about green building, industry experts, and the mass public. By exposing how green building experts talk about the issue, we may begin to understand …

The Effects Of Video Frame Delay And Spatial Ability On The Operation Of Multiple Semiautonomous And Tele-Operated Robots, Jared Sloan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States Army has moved into the 21st century with the intent of redesigning not only the force structure but also the methods by which we will fight and win our nation's wars. Fundamental in this restructuring is the development of the Future Combat Systems (FCS). In an effort to minimize exposure of front line soldiers the future Army will utilize unmanned assets for both information gathering and when necessary engagements. Yet this must be done judiciously, as the bandwidth for net-centric warfare is limited. The implication is that the FCS must be designed to leverage bandwidth in a …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Training System Approaches For Highly Complex Flight Training, Maria Bauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the Training Effectiveness of a low-cost, PC-based training system when compared with two modes (motion and no motion) of a cab training system with large screen for various aviation flying tasks. While much research on this topic has been done in the past, advances in technology have significantly altered what is considered a "low-cost" "simulator." The technology advances have in effect increased the ability of a "low-cost" "simulator" to deliver desired experiences to the user. These "simulators" often are nothing more than PC training system, with only notional representations of the actual aircraft. This research considers the …

Planning And Scheduling For Large-Scaledistributed Systems, Han Yu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many applications require computing resources well beyond those available on any single system. Simulations of atomic and subatomic systems with application to material science, computations related to study of natural sciences, and computer-aided design are examples of applications that can benefit from the resource-rich environment provided by a large collection of autonomous systems interconnected by high-speed networks. To transform such a collection of systems into a user's virtual machine, we have to develop new algorithms for coordination, planning, scheduling, resource discovery, and other functions that can be automated. Then we can develop societal services based upon these algorithms, which hide …

Eyes In The Text: Surveying The Ocular Aesthetic In Pat Barker's War Trilogy, James Hammond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1991, British novelist Patricia Barker published Regeneration, the first of three novels that portrayed the exploits of both factual and fictional characters during the darkest days of WWI. Barker's Eye in the Door (1993), followed by The Ghost Road (1995) for which she won the Booker Prize for Fiction, completed the series that explored the effects of combat on the human psyche. What emerges as a dominant feature of Barker's war novels is her depiction of the ocular sense. Reminiscent of Orwellianism, Barker's texts contain a seemingly ubiquitous ocular presence. For example, neurasthenic patients are scrutinized by army psychiatrists, …