Digital Commons Network^™

Child Abuse Allegations In High Conflict Divorce, Clara Ko

Theses and Dissertations

While child abuse within the context of marital or parental dissolution has received some attention, there is an enduring perspective that child abuse within this context rarely occurs, and that most child abuse allegations are fabricated. Not only is there a dearth of existing literature on how often false child abuse allegations occur and the driving variables behind these allegations, little is known about the psychological effects of unfounded child abuse allegations on families. Furthermore, most of the existing literature on this topic was conducted over 30 years ago. Much has changed in recent years with respect to mental health …

Crisis, Identity And Urban Continuity In Seventh Century Byzantium: A Hagiographic Reassessment, Daniel Joseph Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Hagiography, or Saints’ Lives or Miracles, often record significant details about the period in which the saint under discussion lived or the period in which the hagiography originated. These documents are useful in attempting to understand the Seventh Century Crisis Period, the period when the Eastern Roman Empire transitioned into the Byzantine Empire. Central to this is the survival of a Romano-Byzantine identity throughout the crisis period and beyond. This dissertation examines six Byzantine Hagiographies in an attempt to understand this critical and complex period in Byzantine and Near Eastern History: the Life of Symeon the Holy Fool, the Life …

City Revitalization Through Adaptive Reuse And The Arts, Patricia D. Lamb

Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the stabilization and revitalization of two Historic Districts, in the City of Hopewell, Virginia. With artists as first stage revitalizers, an emphasis was put on bringing the arts to the area. Four vacant buildings in these districts were reinvented rather than removed. Three of the buildings are located in close proximity in the historic neighborhood of City Point. These vacant buildings, a church, a school, and a tavern, are destabilizing factors in a residential area. Focus was placed on the repurposing and modernization of the three buildings for today’s living, as artists' homes. Reuse of the …

Evaluating The Effects Of Mechlorethamine On The Dermal-Epidermal Junction, Trishaal Janardhanam Raghavendra Rao

Theses and Dissertations

Sulfur Mustard (SM) is a chemical warfare agent first utilized on the battlefield more than 100 years ago. To the present time, no antidote to combat the dermatotoxicity of SM exists. Mechlorethamine (HN2) is a derivative of SM which is used in anticancer therapy. Dermal exposure of HN2 is associated with dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) disruption (vesication) which limits its clinical usefulness. The primary purpose of the present study was to investigate the mechanisms of vesication caused by HN2 using an in vivo mouse ear vesicant model (MEVM). The ears of male or female C57BL/ 6J mice were exposed to a …

Genetic Breed Association And Contraceptive Response Gwas Of The Feral Horses (Equus Caballus) Of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Melissa Amy Thompson

Theses and Dissertations

Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) is home to a herd of feral horses (Equus caballus) which were present on the landscape prior to the establishment of the park and are now maintained as a living history demonstration herd. I used genomic analyses to investigate the TRNP horses’ relatedness to other breeds and the genetic basis for variation in response to a contraceptive vaccine. DNA from 118 horses was genotyped for 70k SNPs spread evenly across the genome. To clarify the relationship of this herd with other horses, I used population genomic analyses to compare the TRNP genotypes to a dataset …

The History Of The Tuskegee Airmen, Derrick J. Ginyard

Theses and Dissertations

A fine account of a celebrated air unit in World War II, the legacy of an institution created by a man who brought himself “Up from Slavery” to become a leading educator in late-19^th century America. A vivid portrayal of the individual pilots who brought the Allies that much closer to victory over Nazi Germany.

Data Envelopment Analysis As A Benchmarking Application For Humanitarian Organizations, Dan Rodman

Theses and Dissertations

Humanitarian aid organizations are under tremendous pressure and competition for donor funds to sustain their operations. However, donor contribution levels have remained relatively stagnant over the past five years and are unlikely to grow in the foreseeable future. Additionally, donor policies and mandates have added pressure on humanitarian aid organizations to comply with new and more complex requirements.

Many humanitarian aid organizations work in some of the most challenging areas of the world, where conflict, famine, environmental, economic, and cultural challenges are prevalent. Given all these factors, a novel form of performance and efficiency measurement is needed to evaluate the …

Connecting The Dots Between American Islamic Converts, Homegrown Violent Extremists, And Members Of The Islamic Guerillas Of America: Phenomenological Exploration, Joseph Francis O'Brien

Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic qualitative study details the researcher’s interest in the world of Islamic terrorism, which stemmed from the 2007 disappearance of a colleague in Iran, while on a rogue CIA mission. From the literature review, four basic themes emerged, which were applied to five case studies. One of the first scholarly articles encountered, speculated that the lack of empirical research and evidence in Islamic terrorism studies, may be caused by conceptual and methodological difficulties and pointed out that social phenomenon such as radicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration are hard to conceptualize and measure. Also, there is no consensus regarding the causes …

Understanding Structure/Process-Property Relationships To Optimize Development Lifecycle In Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Aerogels For Thermal Management, Rebecca C. Walker

Theses and Dissertations

Aerogels are mesoporous materials with unique properties, including high specific surface area, high porosity, low thermal conductivity, and low density, increasing these materials’ effectiveness in applications such as catalyst supports, sorption media, and electrodes in solid oxide fuel cells. Zirconia (ZrO₂) aerogels have special interest for high-temperature applications due to the high melting point of ZrO₂ (2715°C) and stability between 600°C and 1000°C, where other aerogel systems often begin to sinter and densify. These properties and unique pore structure make zirconia aerogels advantageous as thermal management systems, especially in aeronautics and aerospace applications. However, to be effective …

For Civilization And Citizenship: Emancipation, Empire, And The Creation Of The Black Citizen-Soldier Tradition, Henry Ian Davis

Theses and Dissertations

For civilization and citizenship: emancipation, empire, and the creation of the black citizen-soldier tradition examines the origins and evolution of black military service and its relation to how black and white Americans understood citizenship from the Civil War Era to the First World War. This dissertation analyzes how different generations of black soldiers pursued full, civic citizenship through their military service and formed their own vision of citizenship rooted in military service and how the War Department sought to deal with the tensions created by a biracial Army. While it asserts that a separate, black citizen-soldier tradition linking service and …

Evaluation Of The Utility And Performance Of An Autonomous Surface Vehicle For Mobile Monitoring Of Waterborne Biochemical Agents, Jessica Simmerman Wolfe

Theses and Dissertations

Real-time water quality monitoring is crucial due to land utilization increases which can negatively impact aquatic ecosystems from surface water runoff. Conventional monitoring methodologies are laborious, expensive, and spatio-temporally limited. Autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs), equipped with sensors/instrumentation, serve as mobile sampling stations that reduce labor and enhance data resolution. However, ASV autopilot navigational accuracy is affected by environmental forces (wind, current, and waves) that can alter trajectories of planned paths and negatively affect spatio-temporal resolution of water quality data. This study demonstrated a commercially available solar powered ASV equipped with a multi-sensor payload ability to operate autonomously to accurately and …

Modeling The Ballistic Limit Of Fragment Simulating Projectiles Impacting A36 Mild Steel Spaced Armor Configurations, Daniel H. Rios-Estremera

Theses and Dissertations

Terminal ballistics study multivariate behavior and aftermath of projectile and target interactions. Tests and models are often based on monolithic armors, however, layered and spaced armors are common in real world applications. Such configurations add complexities that require research to understand their effects on terminal ballistics. The ballistic limit velocity (V50) represents the speed where armor perforation probability is 50%. It is used for quantitative comparison of protection capabilities for different armors. This research studied the V50 of spaced and layered A36 steel armors against fragment simulating projectiles (FSPs). Four methods for estimating armor V50 were evaluated and compared to …

Combat Assessment For The Simulation Of Warfare, Benjamin L. Finch

Theses and Dissertations

Military assessment seeks to answer two primary questions: "are we creating the effects that we desire?" and "are we accomplishing tasks to standard?" This thesis steps through several desirable characteristics for a simulated combat assessment methodology. After developing a value hierarchy from these characteristics, this thesis provides and evaluates several candidate methodologies for use within a combat simulation. Each alternative's evaluation is informed by its application to a small combat simulation. Upon recommending the use of Linear Programming, we utilize value-focused thinking to modify this alternative. The thesis terminates with some conclusory thoughts and ideas for future research.

Machine Learning Application For Mission Data Reprogramming, Paolo A. Bingham

Theses and Dissertations

Before entering a conflict or theater, USAF aircraft require updated mission data software reprogramming. Mission data controls all electronic warfare (EW) operations of the aircraft. EW operations include identifying and jamming radar operated systems, whether they are friendly or hostile. The process of reprogramming software is continuous and routinely updated for every EW system annually. On specific circumstances, the process can be expedited to months, but this puts a strain on the development team and shifts all attention to one specific mission data file. Unfortunately, a growing number of requests to upgrade mission data to a higher priority state, has …

Operating Strategies And Disturbance Characterization For Dc Microgrids, Miles Leonard-Albert

Theses and Dissertations

The present state of the electrical grid is unable to meet the demands of transmission. Digital twin technology provides a promising solution to this problem by allowing for analysis and control of distributed energy resources. This thesis presents initial work towards development of a digital twin for a DC power system. Two versions of the DC power system are created and evaluated against randomly generated load profiles. System performance is evaluated on the basis of the quantity of the load that is unserviced by the generation and energy storage. Energy storage operating strategies that modify the model to prioritize different …

Collaborative All-Source Navigation With Integrity, Jonathon S. Gipson

Theses and Dissertations

The novel ARMAS-SOM framework fuses collaborative all-source sensor information in a resilient manner with fault detection, exclusion, and integrity solutions recognizable to a GNSS user. This framework uses a multi-filter residual monitoring approach for fault detection and exclusion and is augmented with an additional "observability" EKF sub-layer for resilience. We monitor the a posteriori state covariances in this sub-layer to provide intrinsic awareness when navigation state observability assumptions required for integrity are in danger. This is used to selectively augment the framework with offboard information to preserve resilience. By maintaining split parallel collaborative and proprioceptive estimation instances and employing a …

Machiavelli, Lincoln, And The Art Of Princely Procrastination, Andrew L. Carranco

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the phenomenon of procrastination in decision making. In certain circumstances, procrastinating a decision can yield better results in the long term. This paper looks at procrastination and decision making from the point of view of Von Clausewitz and Machiavelli and uses Abraham Lincoln as an example of efficient use of procrastination in decision making. Von Clausewitz looks to find action at the strongest point. The strongest point may not come for some time in the future and thus encourages procrastination. Machiavelli uses procrastination as an offensive capability in decision-making. Through prudence, virtù, and fortune, a prince can …

Kinetic Spectroscopic Quantification Of Biomarkers In Practical Samples, Weiyu Peng

Theses and Dissertations

Kinetic spectroscopic quantification refers to a subset of chromogenic (CG) and fluorogenic (FG) assays that deduce analyte concentration based on the UV-vis or fluorescence signal obtained during the CG/FG reaction processes. Existing kinetic spectroscopic quantification are based predominantly on reactions that can be approximated as a first-order process. Presented in this thesis is the kinetic spectroscopic quantification that uses higher order CG/FG reactions where the overall reaction can be approximated as combination of two sequential first-order processes. Included in chapter one is the theoretical model and several proof-of-concept applications. This model analyte is malondialdehyde (MDA), a lipid peroxidation biomarker of …

Variation In Trichome Types And Density Mediates Plant-Herbivore Interactions In Two Cucurbitaceae Members, Ishveen Kaur

Theses and Dissertations

Plant structural defenses such as trichomes and spines exert a significant selection pressure on insect herbivores. However, how species variation affects structural defense trait expression in closely related species is less understood. Through our studies, we tried to dissect the role of trichomes in mediating plant-insect interactions, in two non-model cultivated species in Cucurbitaceae: Lageneria siceraria, and Cucumis sativa family, and Trichoplusia ni as our major herbivore of interest. We observed that species differed in their attractiveness to different herbivores and their feeding behavior in common garden experiment. To tease apart structural and chemical defenses and their independent roles …

Linguistics Of Russian Media During The 2016 Us Election: A Corpus-Based Study, Devon K. Terry

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to perform a linguistic analysis of Russian mass media focused on its coverage of the 2016 US presidential election. It will be a corpus-based study, using a corpus as a foundational source for quantitative and qualitative data. This study will use a collection of keywords from the corpus and analyze their contexts as they pertain to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. This study uses corpus linguistic research tools such as sentence tokenization, Key Words in Context (KWIC), sentiment analysis, word embedding visualization, word-vector math, word frequency lists, and collocate analysis as part of the …

Shrew Or Sure? Rethinking Power In Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew, Devenny Denise Lupear

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the difference between Shakespeare’s written work The Taming of the Shrew and twentieth-century film director Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation in 1967, specifically the final outcome in the issue of power of Katherine’s character. While some scholars consider Shakespeare a proto-feminist who endows Katherine with cleverness, wit, and cunning to secretly tame Petruchio in order to gain personal freedom within the walls of a forced marriage, Zeffirelli denies Katherine dignity in the face of public humiliation and physical violence. Furthermore, Zeffirelli also undermines Shakespeare’s progressive agenda by perpetuating an oppressive narrative against women using twentieth-century film as his medium …

The Mythology Of Grotesque Women In The Short Stories Of Rosario Ferré And Elena Garro: "It's Not Me, It's You, Yomira Jatzin Varela Guadiana

Theses and Dissertations

The short stories of Latin American writers like Rosario Ferré and Elena Garro are molded by the frameworks in which they have been constructed. Literature, far from being disconnected by the impositions of borders, geographical or otherwise, remains allied to the frameworks and ideologies that paved the way to its inception. In particular, countries in what is known as the Global South share parallel histories and are thus linked by the structures they have in common. The literature of the U.S. South is connected not merely to the nation itself but to other entities outside of it like the Caribbean …

"As Vigilant As Argus": A Military History Of The Irish And Tejano Tories Of The Texas Revolution, Jonathan Woodward

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the Irish and Tejano Tories of the Texas Revolution from a military perspective. Emphasizing ideas of historical tradition and heritage, this work examines the Tories as continuations of the Wild Geese, soldados de cuera, and compañías volantes. This is done through an examination of Irish and Tejano Tory motivation in supporting Mexico and military participation in the Texas Revolution. This work also examines ideas of economic opportunity, social acceptance, personal conservatism, distrust of foreign settlement, and fear of invasion or reprisal as factors in Toryism or loyalism. Militarily, this thesis examines Tory military roles alongside Mexican forces …

The Significance Of Significance: Decolonizing Cultural Resource Management Practices In The Upper Midwest, Justin Allen Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Indigenous communities across the United States were coerced and tricked into signing treaties that ceded significant portions of their ancestral lands. This land holds cultural value to the tribal members, however academics and archaeologists who do not often shared these values analyze these landscapes to determine their cultural and historical significance, a decision-making process mandated by federal and often state law that has important economic, political, and social consequences. This paper analyzes examples from one context, cultural resource management (CRM) projects in the Northern Great Lakes Region of Wisconsin, Michigan, North and South Dakota and Minnesota, as a case study …

Darkest Before Dawn: The Social, Economic, And Political Change In Crystal City, Texas After The Rise And Fall Of The Raza Unida Party, Javier A. Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the consequences of the Raza Unida Party’s tenure in the 1970s in Crystal City, Texas. Following the party’s demise in the beginning of the 1980s, Crystal City’s social, political, and economic aspects were drastically changed by Raza Unida Party policies during the decade prior. While many scholars have focused extensively on the rise and fall of the Raza Unida Party itself, there is almost no study focusing solely on the consequences of its policies in Crystal City. Did these policies improve the life of the party’s constituents in the years that followed? This thesis will complete the …

Laredo Veterans And Their Recollections Of The Early Years Of The War In Vietnam, 1960-1965, Enrique Javier Sauceda

Theses and Dissertations

The Vietnam War remains one of the most unpopular wars in United States History. Unfortunately, veterans from this time period are beginning to fade into history without telling their stories. Although abundant stories are available on the experiences of Vietnam veterans, there are few works on Hispanic veterans from the Vietnam War Era. Why is that? The contributions made by the Hispanic community in the armed services continue to strengthen our military. This research focuses on the stories of four Laredo veterans who served during the Vietnam War Era. Three men served overseas in the Vietnam conflict prior to 1965 …

All The King’S Horses: Stable Administration In New Kingdom Egypt, Tessa Genevieve David Litecky

Theses and Dissertations

Horses were an important part of Egyptian society during the New Kingdom as tools of warfare, status symbols of the elite, and an emblem of the power of kingship. However, little is known about how these animals were trained and cared for, or who was working in horse stables and their roles. There are no texts or images that explicitly explain methods of horse management. Therefore, this topic has been generally overlooked in the literature. This thesis combines two threads of evidence to create a more complete picture of the organization, purpose, and function of horse stables and the treatment …

Developing And Assessing A Workshop That Utilizes A Serious Game To Introduce Joint All-Domain Operations, Christopher M. Voltz

Theses and Dissertations

The DoD has begun developing Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO) to prepare for the future of warfare. As complexity and technological capability increases, the U.S. military needs to adapt to provide a more lethal and capable force, able to compete and win against near-peer adversaries. This research describes the development of an Introduction to JADO Workshop designed to provide a structured primer into JADO concepts. The research also presents an extension of BSN in the form of BSN scenarios. These scenarios alter the rules to lessen the learning curve for the game and to engage with JADO concepts. This research proposed …

Digital Earth: The Impact Of Geographic Technology Through The Ages, Mishka Vance Huq

Theses and Dissertations

Geographic technology encompasses a wide range of geographic knowledge, concepts, processes, and artifacts. Because of its interdisciplinarity and integration with other technologies, the paper examines the diffuse impacts of geographic technology within the evolving relationship between technological and societal developments over time.

Roles Of Holocene Climate And Pastoralism In Shaping Andean Landscapes, Courtney Renee Shadik

Theses and Dissertations

The Holocene (c. 11,700years ago –present) was a time rich in Andean climatic, environmental, and cultural changes. Assemblages were reforming after the last ice age, millennial scale wet and dry events caused the largest changes in lake level of the last 100,000 years, and humans came to dominate the landscape. Against the backdrop of ecological change, this study asks the following questions-Was the onset of camelid domestication associated with mid-Holocene aridity? Are modern, high-elevation vegetation assemblages a product of manufactured landscapes? What are the long-term effects of intense agropastoralism on paleoecological reconstructions of Andean landscapes? Did Holocene agropastoral domesticates coevolve? …