Digital Commons Network^™

A Curvelet Prescreener For Detection Of Explosive Hazards In Handheld Ground-Penetrating, Julie White

Theses and Dissertations

Explosive hazards, above and below ground, are a serious threat to civilians and soldiers. In an attempt to mitigate these threats, different forms of explosive hazard detection (EHD) exist; e.g, multi-sensor hand-held platforms, downward looking and forward looking vehicle mounted platforms, etc. Robust detection of these threats resides in the processing and fusion of different data from multiple sensing modalities, e.g., radar, infrared, electromagnetic induction (EMI), etc. The focus of this thesis is on the implementation of two new algorithms to form a new energy-based prescreener in hand-held ground penetrating radar (GPR). First, B-scan signal data is curvelet filtered using …

Testing The Life History Approach: Assessing Cultural Bias In Archaeological Mussel Shell Assemblages In The Tombigbee River Drainage, Sarah Kate Mckinney

Theses and Dissertations

Zooarchaeological mussel shell assemblages can be affected by an array of biases, one of which is cultural bias. Cultural biases may be exhibited in the transport of mussels from nonlocal mussel beds, and/or in preferential taste. There are a few methods used to help determine if cultural biases are at play (e.g., nestedness and detrended correspondence analysis). This thesis aims to test a new method, the life history approach, to determine if it is a viable method for assessing cultural bias in prehistoric mussel assemblages from the Tombigbee River drainage. Shell assemblages from the drainage previously have been demonstrated to …

Bayesian Network Analysis For Diagnostics And Prognostics Of Engineering Systems, Marc D. Banghart

Theses and Dissertations

Bayesian networks have been applied to many different domains to perform prognostics, reduce risk and ultimately improve decision making. However, these methods have not been applied to military field and human performance data sets in an industrial environment. Methods frequently rely on a clear understanding of causal connections leading to an undesirable event and detailed understanding of the system behavior. Methods may also require large amount of analyst teams and domain experts, coupled with manual data cleansing and classification. The research performed utilized machine learning algorithms (such as Bayesian networks) and two existing data sets. The primary objective of the …

Containerizing Containment: The Automation And Globalization Of The National Security Waterfront, 1945-1997, John Douglas Forrest

Theses and Dissertations

After the introduction of the cargo container and related automation systems in the late 1950s, the numbers of maritime laborers who worked along the piers and aboard ship along American waterways steadily declined. In the late 1950s, tens of thousands of longshoremen and merchant mariners plied their respective trades, but the process of “containerization” reduced their numbers by nearly 70 percent by the late 1980s and early 1990s. The Department of Defense (DoD) similarly containerized and automated its cargo handling during this era. The introduction of the container also had negative consequences for defense maritime policy. Containerization of the National …

“On Soulless Feet We Cross The Floor...” The Illusion Of Control In Grim Fandango And Virtual Spaces, Christina Cicchetti

Theses and Dissertations

Even though users can choose what they do in virtual spaces, they are forced to operate within the confines of realms designed by the invisible authors of the game’s code. The illusion of choice blinds users to an assessment of the hidden structure supporting immersive virtual worlds.

Biocidal Defeat Agents Produced By Silver-Iodine Nanoenergetic Gas Generators, Ivan Davila

Theses and Dissertations

Nanostructured aluminum (Al), iodine pentoxide (I2O5) nano-rods, and silver oxide (Ag2O) nanoparticles, (Al-I2O5-Ag 2O) were used to compose the ternary thermite composition that serves as a Nanoenergetic Gas Generator (NGG). This composition produces biocidal gases giving the mixture the ability to destroy highly pathogenic microorganisms or bacteria. The dissemination of the biocidal gas in combustion chamber was observed using a high-speed camera. The testing of NGG combustion process against the living Escherichia coli (E.coli) K-12 strain cells, that were cultivated/placed on the sample/chamber surfaces, demonstrated that iodine and silver atoms clouds were deposited to the bacteria surface. The 10/75/15 wt …

Ion Trap Miniaturization Considerations: Space-Charge Effects In Cylindrical Ion Traps And Misalignment Effects In A Two-Plate Linear Ion Trap, Yuan Tian

Theses and Dissertations

Portable mass spectrometers provide convenience for applications where conventional mass spectrometers are not suitable. However, a series of miniaturization issues show up in small mass spectrometers, specifically mass analyzers, that need to be thoroughly addressed before further miniaturization. The work in this dissertation focuses on miniaturization issues of ion trap mass analyzers. Space-charge is one of the major issues in small ion traps affecting their analytical performance. It limits ion trapping capacity when ion-ion repulsion causes spreading of a packet of ions. Simulation studies on the relationship between different trap dimensions and trapping capacity was done on a geometry-optimized cylindrical …

Sympathy For The Devils: An Analysis Of The Villain Archetype Since The Nineteenth Century, Michel Martin Del Campo

Theses and Dissertations

The portrayal of villains has changed dramatically since the late nineteenth century. Modern villains are not necessarily punished, and they are presented as relatable or at the very least sympathetic. An analysis of the major events that shook the Western World in the last century reveals a pattern that links the classical style villain to the modern anti-villain via sociological and cultural changes. The Victorian period showed the West that the British Empire was not eternal and could be threatened. Count Dracula in Bram Stoker’s Dracula represented these fears and forced the Victorians to reexamine everything from their belief in …

The Effects Of Long-Term Participation In A Martial Arts Program On Self-Esteem And Bullying Victimization, Pamela Jeanne Dahle

Theses and Dissertations

Public concern over the occurrence of bullying in schools has increased considerably within the last decade. Although there are many programs in place that attempt to address the problem of bullying in schools, they have achieved only varying levels of success, with many failing to alleviate the problem. In addition, although some researchers have conducted studies on either the relationship between self-esteem and bullying victimization or the relationship between self-esteem and participation in martial arts, few have conducted studies seeking to understand the correlation between participation in martial arts, bullying victimization, and levels of self-esteem. The current study measured levels …

Islamist State: Various Visions?, Shehab Wagih

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes original texts produced by ideologues and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, Qaeda and Islamic State to deduce their vision for the Islamist State. The thesis reveals the positions of the three movements from the institutions of Caliphate, Sharia, and Democracy, in addition to their tolerance of using violence as a strategy to install the Islamist State. The thesis concludes that the three movements are willing to install the Islamist Caliphate and apply Sharia law. Yet, they disagree on the strategy that has to be applied to achieve this end. The thesis explains the reasons behind the disagreement …

The Double-Edged Sword: Globalization And International Islamic Terrorism, Yara Toutounji

Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates the relationship between globalization and international Islamic terrorism in the modern age of the twenty-first century. It argues that globalization acts as a double-edged sword by both empowering terrorism and, at the same time, international Islamic terrorism is a defensive reaction to the very process of globalization itself. Also, it argues against the dominant Western discourse, which labels Islam as the main cause of international Islamic terrorism by applying a critical discourse analysis that aims at reconstructing the dominant discourse. Along these lines, this work advances that three main underlying sets of popularly held international grievances involving …

From The Mountains To The Lowlands: Depictions Of Gender Roles In The Films Of Leni Riefenstahl, Sean R. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Critics have analyzed Leni Riefenstahl's four feature length films from 1932 to 1954 largely for their depictions of fascist ideals while often neglecting how they represent gender. Viewing Riefenstahl's films using the theoretical gender models of Judith Butler and R.W. Connell provides a greater understanding of gender roles in Germany during both the Weimar and Nazi eras. Beginning with Das Blaue Licht (The Blue Light, 1932), and continuing to Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will, 1935), Olympia (1938), and concluding with Tiefland (The Lowlands, 1954), there is a clear evolution of how Riefenstahl …

Strategic Advantages Of Visual Violence, Roxanne Brook Vigil

Theses and Dissertations

This research discusses the role of visual violence as it relates to non-state actors within asymmetric warfare as a form of indirect coercion, siting the logic of Thomas Schelling. It argues that irrationality, as a perception from the state actor toward the non-state actor is a rational approach in order to produce the desired fear and publicity. The amount of fear and publicity is measured by the amount of inhumanity that is presented within the visual narration and the amount of irrational hysteria that comes from the audience. In using a comparative and visual analysis, two non-state actors who utilized …

The Effect Of Violence During Mass Uprisings On The Duration Of The Democratization Process And Inclusiveness In Elections, Gehad Hussein

Theses and Dissertations

The democratization process of countries all over the world after mass uprisings differs greatly. Some countries are confronted with extreme violence, while others remain peaceful. This thesis examines whether the amount of violence during mass uprisings leads to a longer democratization process and less inclusive elections in terms of voter base. It looks at the revolutions of 1989 in Eastern Europe which brought down the Communist bloc. The repercussions of the presence or lack of violence during the mass uprisings on the behavior of the population in each country is visible until this very day – with Romania and Bulgaria …

Dabiq: A Study Of The Usage Of Terrorist-Produced Publications In Framing And Selective Moral Disengagement, Nouran Hussein Mohamed Hussein Khalil

Theses and Dissertations

Dabiq, the official English language publication of ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has been widely circulated online, and has gained a relatively large audience. The study discusses the ways in which the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) uses their official publication, Dabiq, to promote its objectives and to spread terror. In this study, a content analysis is conducted to examine terrorist rhetoric in the magazine and its mediation for the sake of fulfilling the group’s objectives. The study uses two main theories: the theory of framing analyzing how ISIS frames itself, its supporters and its …

Two Types Of Gods: Narratives And Imagined Orders Of Islamic Spain, Brian Beegan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the role in contemporary Spanish cultural politics of two historical narratives from Spain’s Islamic era: St. James and Convivencia. I argue that these narratives serve different political agendas as Spain comes to terms both with its past and the challenges of Muslim immigration in the present.

My Giants, Teodora Altomare

Theses and Dissertations

My Giants is a thirty minute documentary about two journeys. During the first, in 2015, the filmmaker documented the story of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacteria responsible for the loss of many thousand-year-old olive trees in the Italian region of Puglia. During the second visit, in 2016, she witnessed the illness of her father.

By weaving together the two stories, My Giants is a snapshot of a transitional moment in the filmmaker’s life, a moment when illness became an opportunity to reconnect with her roots.

The Force Of Seduction: The Use Of Rape Narratives In The Plays Of Aphra Behn, Caitlyn Piccirillo

Theses and Dissertations

The English Restoration’s heightened interest in sexuality promoted the use of rape narratives on the stage. Aphra Behn, the first woman to earn her living as a playwright, used these narratives in her work (specifically in The Rover and The City Heiress) as a means of social critique.

Forced Migration Populations And Terrorism, Liam Egan

Theses and Dissertations

This paper analyzes the relationship between refugee populations per capita and terrorism incidents per capita in a host country. Using data from UNHCR and the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), I conduct cross-national time series poisson and OLS analyses for 164 countries during the years 1992-2013 to explain their relationship.

Horizon Of Possibilities: Artists And The City In Postwar Beirut, Tatiana Mouarbes

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis narrates a history of postwar cultural production framed by urban redevelopment in Beirut, Lebanon (1989-Present). Focusing on artists engagements with the city, this thesis demonstrates how artists thought through the legacies of war inflicted upon the beleaguered city of Beirut in order to construct livable futures.

Death In The Gobi: A Case Study Of Skeletal Trauma From The Hets Mountain Cave In Mongolia, Christina Marie Ramazani

Theses and Dissertations

This study represents a contextualized analysis of the perimortem trauma and postmortem treatment of an assemblage (n=9) of naturally mummified individuals recovered from the Hets Mountain Cave in southern Mongolia. The assemblage dates AD 1434-1651, a period characterized by political instability and widespread conflict. Analysis of the trauma was completed utilizing radiological evaluation of 3D CT data. The perimortem trauma and postmortem treatment are contextualized within documentary and archaeological data on contemporary Mongolian mortuary and cultural practices to understand the social identities of these individuals. The trauma patterns are consistent with execution methods reserved for higher status Mongolians; the mortuary …

In The Light Of The Artifacts: Understanding Another Domestic Area From The Iron Ii Occupation, Tell Halif, Latif Oksuz

Theses and Dissertations

Tell Halif gives us an example of the pillared house from the Iron Age II period. Based on this house, what we can address is whether there is a typical set of activities undertaken in this house. Do the “de facto” assemblages of artifacts reflect a typical everyday use of space or a different use of space because of military activity associated with the siege and destruction of the settlement? It can be demonstrated from Tell Halif’s archaeological data that, once the specific activities are identified, their organization also can be identified. These remains are compared with other Iron Age …

Kinetic Analysis Of Rat Blood And Tissue And Human Blood Acetylcholinesterase And Butyrylcholinesterase After Inhibition With Novel Nerve Agent Surrogates And Reactivation With Novel Oximes, Steven Archie Dezell

Theses and Dissertations

Organophosphates (OPs) are used in agriculture via pesticides, and warfare and terrorism via nerve agents. OPs can inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the nervous system, leading to the buildup of acetylcholine (ACh), and overstimulation of the nervous system and eventual asphyxiation and death. The development of novel blood-brain barrier () penetrating pyridinium oxime reactivators have previously demonstrated efficacy towards treatment of OP poisoning after exposure of rats to a sarin or a VX surrogate, nitrophenyl isopropyl methylphosphonate (NIMP) and nitrophenyl ethyl methylphosphonate (NEMP), respectively. An effective oxime antidote capable of penetrating the and restoring nervous system activity after exposure to …

Analysis Of The Role Of The Jackson Prairie In Prehistoric/Protohistoric Settlement Patterns Using Survey Data From The Bienville National Forest, Jennifer Ivy Ryan

Theses and Dissertations

Archaeological surveys using the subsurface testing method known as “shovel-testing” have been performed sporadically across the Bienville National Forest in central Mississippi. However; no research-oriented analysis has ever been performed for this area. The Bienville National Forest is located primarily in two physiographic regions: the Jackson Prairie and the Southern Pine Hills. These two regions are distinctly different in topography, soils, and vegetation. No settlement pattern study has been performed in the Jackson Prairie and it has been viewed as an area of low probability. Soils in this region are often heavy clays with high shrink/swell capabilities and poor drainage. …

Design, Evaluation, And Particle Size Characterization Of An In-Duct Flat Media Particle Loading Test System For Nuclear-Grade Asme Ag-1 Hepa Filters, Matthew Christopher Wong

Theses and Dissertations

The design and performance evaluation of in-duct, isokinetic samplers capable of testing flat sheet, nuclear-grade High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters simultaneously with a radial filter testing system is discussed in this study. Evaluations within this study utilize challenge aerosols of varying particle diameters and masses such as hydrated alumina, Arizona test dust, and flame-generated acetylene soot. Accumulated mass and pressure drop for each in-duct sampler is correlated to the full-scale radial filter accumulated mass from initial to 10 in w. c. of loading. SEM imaging of samples at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% loading verifies particle sizes with instrumentation …

"A Vigorous Propaganda": The Peace Conferences Of 1899 And 1907, The Peace Palace, And Internationalism Through Design At The Hague, 1899–1920, Daniel Pecoraro

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uncovers the history of the Peace Palace and The Hague’s role in the early days of the internationalist movement. In the process of localizing the early twentieth century history of The Hague, this thesis examines the development of international imagery and culture through design. The Peace Palace as we know it today was ultimately a result of tensions between internationalist ideas (cooperation, arbitration, modernity) and the pride of Old World nationalism. The final design by Louis Cordonnier and J. A. G. Van der Steur repudiates the feeling of modernity surrounding the idea of peace through arbitration. It is …

Through Northern Eyes: Robert E. Lee And The Northern Press, Steven D. Sheller

Theses and Dissertations

Most historians would agree that it is an anomaly in history how Robert E. Lee became an American icon. General Lee was the commander of a rebel army that was trying to split the country he had once loyally served into two. Even after being defeated at the Battle of Appomattox, instead of Lee suffering the normal fate of all failed revolutionaries, he was pardoned and allowed to continue to live in his native Virginia. Over a short amount of time after General Lee’s death he was elevated from rebel to hero. The origins of this can be traced back …

Reclaiming The Dark: Defining Darkness As Feminist Agency Within The Garden Of Eden, "Never Marry A Mexican," And Selected Social Media Platforms, Teresa Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis explores Ernest Hemingway’s The Garden of Eden (1986), Sandra Cisneros’ “Never Marry a Mexican” (1991), and the social media platforms of Tomi Lahren, The Root, and Xicanisma on Facebook and Instagram . In my exploration of these texts and platforms, I define darkness within its multiple definitions primarily via the theme of destruction, sexuality, and/or a literal racial, physical darkness. Furthermore, in this project I challenged the traditionally pejorative analysis of darkness within American literature and provided a chronological presentation of the transformative function darkness imparts on these two texts and selected social media platforms. Ultimately, reclaiming …

Network Reconstruction And Vulnerability Analysis Of Financial Networks, Nathan Scott Woodbury

Theses and Dissertations

Passive network reconstruction is the process of learning a structured (networked) representation of a dynamic system through the use of known information about the structure of the system as well as data collected by observing the inputs into a system along with the resultant outputs. This work demonstrates an improvement on an existing network reconstruction algorithm so that the algorithm is capable of consistently and perfectly reconstructing a network when system inputs and outputs are measured without error. This work then extends the improved network reconstruction algorithm so that it functions even in the presence of noise as well as …

Judging A Book By Its Cover: The Context Book Covers Provide, Virginia Emily Cranwell

Theses and Dissertations

This paper seeks to prove how the context of books, specifically the book jackets and bindings, are a crucial part to understanding the history and the text of the story. The paper begins with printing history in order to illustrate how the context of books has changed, and how the Twentieth Century saw a use of book jackets to promote the book. The paper then looks at the books of a particular author, Alasdair Gray, as an example of how the context of the book can be used to enhance and reveal aspects of the text. Finally, this paper discusses …