Digital Commons Network^™

Thietmar Of Merseburg's Views On Clerical Warfare, Benjamin Joseph Wand

Dissertations and Theses

The tenth-century German bishop was more than just a spiritual leader, he was also a territorial lord with secular power. These bishops also lived in an environment where violence was sometimes a way of life. His culture contained a social dynamic that saw violence as a tool for defending and maintaining honor and as a mechanism for dispute resolution. Therefore, some bishops behaved violently, either to defend their diocese from threats or to serve their own political intrigues. In some instances bishops were said to be more skilled in warfare than secular lords. However, while some clergy participated in warfare …

Cyber Anomaly Detection: Using Tabulated Vectors And Embedded Analytics For Efficient Data Mining, Robert J. Gutierrez, Kenneth W. Bauer, Bradley C. Boehmke, Cade M. Saie, Trevor J. Bihl

Faculty Publications

Firewalls, especially at large organizations, process high velocity internet traffic and flag suspicious events and activities. Flagged events can be benign, such as misconfigured routers, or malignant, such as a hacker trying to gain access to a specific computer. Confounding this is that flagged events are not always obvious in their danger and the high velocity nature of the problem. Current work in firewall log analysis is manual intensive and involves manpower hours to find events to investigate. This is predominantly achieved by manually sorting firewall and intrusion detection/prevention system log data. This work aims to improve the ability of …

Advancing On-Orbit Assembly With Isar, Dakota Wenberg, Alex Hardy, Thomas Lai, Christopher Wellins, Jin Kang

Small Satellite Conference

The U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) is looking to advance autonomous assembly with a next-generation Intelligent Space Assembly Robot (ISAR) system, which seeks to demonstrate semi-autonomous robotic assembly capabilities on orbit. ISAR is a small size form, low cost, 3U CubeSat-class satellite intending to mature robotic assembly capabilities. It is comprised of two key subsystems: twin 60 cm seven degree of freedom robotic arms, RSat, and the sensors which utilize one 3D camera and two 2D cameras to increase spatial awareness and aid real-time responsible maneuvering in a dynamic space environment. RSat, developed by the Naval Academy, is an existing set …

Breakpoint Analysis Of Modis Vegetarian Cover Change In Southern California Deserts, Rebecca Baiman

STAR Program Research Presentations

This study applies time series breakpoint analysis to look at Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data of southern California. Past studies have looked at this desert land using Landsat data in order to analyze any changes the environment has gone through due to renewable energy development or other factors. This study develops a method for utilizing structural change models to study the DRECP land area. Focusing on breakpoints, this study found that most positive breakpoints represented years with high rainfall. Additionally, sandy washes with little vegetation did not yield any breakpoint between 2000 and 2018. This study can be used …

Defeating Isis And Al-Qaeda On The Ideological Battlefield: The Case For The Corporation Against Ideological Violence, Michael W.S. Ryan

CIWAG Case Studies

Defeating ISIS and Al-Qaeda on the Ideological Battlefield: The Case for the Corporation Against Ideological Violence, by Dr. Michael W.S. Ryan, explores the radicalization process and the strategies employed by ISIS and al-Qaeda to recruit jihadists. In order to more effectively combat violent extremism and adversarial propaganda, a new federal agency with dedicated resources in the form of a public-private corporation should be created with the primary goal of subduing violent ideologies and countering the spread of violent extremism.

End Matter, Rilley Mckenna, Heidi Herrera

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

The Longevity Of American Terrorists: Factors Affecting Sustainability, Brent L. Smith, Jeff Gruenewald, Katie Ratcliff, Paxton Roberts, Madeline Brice

Research Projects

This project was an outgrowth of two previous NIJ projects being conducted under NIJ’s Research and Evaluation on Domestic Radicalization to Violent Extremism program area. The first of these projects, which ended in 2015, focused upon testing one of the most prominent theoretical models of extremist radicalization -- identity and framing theory. One of the findings from examination of this theoretical model is consistent with the notion that “people want to be associated with a winner.” Recruitment and commitment, crucial to the lifespan of any terrorist movement, improve when the movement has been able to commit successful terrorist incidents (Freilich, …

Full Issue

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

No abstract provided.

Tanegashima: The Conservation Treatment And Research Of Two Japanese Matchlock Muskets, Katrina Zacharias

Art Conservation Master's Projects

In the fall of 2016, two Japanese matchlock muskets, called Tanegashima, were brought to the SUNY Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department for research, analysis and treatment. The firearms consist of steel, brass, silver and hardwood components. First, the history and fabrication methods of Japanese firearms were researched to try and establish a date, maker and provenance. In addition to the previous information, analysis was conducted of the materials, focusing primarily on identifying the original finishes of the barrel and stock, to determine a treatment approach.

Predicting And Shifting Attitudes Toward Immigrants And Immigration: Testing A Model And Communication Strategy, Tejaswinhi Srinivas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research in intergroup relations has found evidence for economic and moral explanations for negative attitudes toward immigrants and immigration (NATII), and has evaluated various communication strategies for shifting these attitudes. However, no research to date has provided a cultural explanation for NATII, or tested and compared the impact of communication strategies for reducing NATII, in the American context. This study extended prior research in three ways. First, we tested a model that linked various psychosocial factors together (i.e., right-wing authoritarianism, intergroup contact, cultural essentialism, and symbolic threat) to provide a cultural explanation for NATII. Second, we tested the effect of …

Cornerstone Of Union Victory: Officer Partnerships In Joint Operations In The West, Aderian Partain

Master's Theses

The American Civil War included one of the pivotal naval contests of the nineteenth century. A topic of considerable importance is the joint operations on the western waters that brought about a string of crucial victories in the conflict for the Union. The effective cooperation of the naval river fleet and the western armies was a major cornerstone of Union victory. Scholars have written biographies of the more noted admirals and narratives of the flotilla have been detailed. What has not been accomplished is an exploration of the Union officers’ professional partnerships between the Mississippi Squadron commanders and their corresponding …

The African Union’S Right Of Humanitarian Intervention As Collective Self-Defense, Christian Wyse

Chicago Journal of International Law

The African Union purports to have the right to intervene in its member states in “grave circumstances,” including when crimes against humanity have been committed. This treaty-based right stands in stark contrast to the U.N. Charter collective security system, which generally forbids the use of force outside of self-defense and Security Council authorization. This Comment explores the legal friction between the African Union’s claimed right of humanitarian intervention and the U.N. Charter’s strict limits on the use of force and the power of regional organizations. A common argument in support of the African Union is that because its member states …

Malware Early-Stage Detection Using Machine Learning On Hardware Performance Counters, Anchal Raheja

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

Systems affected by Malware in the past 10 years has risen from 29 million to 780 million, which tells us it’s a rapidly growing threat. Viruses, ransomware, worms, backdoors, botnets etc. all come under malware. Ransomware alone is predicted to cost $11.5 billion in 2019. As the downtime and financial damages are rising the researchers are finding new ways to tackle this threat. However, the usual approach is prone to high false positive rate or delayed detection rate. This research explores a dynamic approach for early-stage malware detection by modeling it’s behavior using hardware performance counters with low overhead. The …

"Virtual" Disenfranchisement: Cyber Election Meddling In The Grey Zones Of International Law, Michael N. Schmitt

Chicago Journal of International Law

This Article examines remotely conducted election meddling by cyber means in the context of international law and asks whether such cyber operations qualify as "internationally wrongful acts." An internationally wrongful act requires both a breach of a legal obligation owed by one State to another under international law and attribution of the act to the former. The Article considers three possible breaches related to such meddling - violation of the requirement to respect sovereignty, intervention into the internal affairs of another State, and, when the cyber operations are not attributable to the State from which they were launched, breach of …

Return-From-Orbit Spaceplane Configurations With Varying Geometry, Missions, And Planetary Environments, Leonardo Piñero-Pérez

2018 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

This thesis intends to remove underlying conceptual assumptions for spacecraft design and build a parameterized, physics-based approach based on geometry to generate a continuum of re-entry vehicle configurations. These vehicle configurations are then assessed by their payload, orbital and atmospheric maneuvering, and descent performance capabilities. This assessment is designed such that different missions on different planetary bodies can be analyzed. In addition to selected historical configurations, the specific geometric parameters are then analyzed to determine how specific changes in certain parameters affect aircraft performance. In this way, the values for basic vehicle geometry can be selected in the proper combination …

Introduction To The Symposium Edition Of The Texas A&M Journal Of Property Law And The United States Defense Industry: Innovation, Acquisition, And Analysis, Lisa A. Rich

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

On February 23, 2018, the Texas A&M Journal of Property Law held an innovative and informative symposium on the United States Defense Industry focused on the acquisition process from conception to deployment and the scientific, budgetary, political, and legal framework through which the United States joint force is forged. The symposium brought together stakeholders from academia, private and public sectors, and the military to explain, analyze, and assess the labyrinthine weapons acquisition system and its role-and impact-on national security.

Cybersecurity, Encryption, And Defense Industry Compliance With United States Export Regulations, Rose Richerson Eichler

Texas A&M Journal of Property Law

Exports of technology and items containing technical information are regulated by the United States government. United States export control regulations exist to help protect national security, economic, and political interests. United States defense industry companies manufacture products and develop technologies and information that the United States has a particular interest in protecting. Therefore, defense industry companies must comply with United States export control regulations when exporting items and information to their international partners and customers. An “export” not only includes shipments of hardware or other tangible assets to foreign end-users but also includes the sharing of certain types of information …

Masculinity And Chivalry: The Tenuous Relationship Of The Sacred And Secular In Medieval Arthurian Literature, Kaci Mccourt

English Dissertations - Archive

Concepts of masculinity and chivalry in the medieval period were socially constructed, within both the sacred and the secular realms. The different meanings of these concepts were not always easily compatible, causing tensions within the literature that attempted to portray them. The Arthurian world became a place that these concepts, and the issues that could arise when attempting to act upon them, could be explored. In this dissertation, I explore these concepts specifically through the characters of Lancelot, Galahad, and Gawain. Representative of earthly chivalry and heavenly chivalry, respectively, Lancelot and Galahad are juxtaposed in the ways in which they …

Conformal Inkjet Printed Antennas For Small Spacecraft, Muhammadeziz Tursunniyaz

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although small spacecraft are small in size and light in weight compared to the conventional satellites, they can offer lots of possibilities for space exploration, scientific observation, data collection and telecommunication. Also, they cost a lot less money than the conventional satellites, and the scientific missions can be planned in a relatively short period of time by using the COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) materials. However, there is a big challenge for the small spacecraft that is the limited surface area of the small spacecraft and the outnumbered components to be mounted on the surface of the small spacecraft. The most obvious …

Nanometer Ultrastructural Brain Damage Following Low Intensity Primary Blast Wave Exposure, Hailong Song, Landry M. Konan, Jiankun Cui, Catherine E. Johnson, Graham K. Hubler, Ralph G. Depalma, Zezong Gu

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is of particular concern among military personnel due to exposure to blast energy during military training and combat. The impact of primary low-intensity blast mediated pathophysiology upon later neurobehavioral disorders has been controversial. Developing a military preclinical blast model to simulate the pathophysiology of human blast injury is an important first step. This article provides an overview of primary blast effects and perspectives of our recent studies demonstrating ultrastructural changes in the brain and behavioral disorders resulting from open-field blast exposures up to 46.6 kPa using a murine model. The model is scalable and …

The Paternal Lineage Of Nathan Hale: A Puritan Tradition, Andrew Rossignol

Masters Theses

This thesis discusses the paternal family history of Revolutionary War hero, Nathan Hale. A history of Robert Hale, John Hale, Samuel Hale, and Richard Hale is told as well as information regarding Connecticut and Hale’s hometown of Coventry. The thesis concludes with an examination of Nathan Hale and his actions as well as a critique of commonly accepted Hale myths.

Modeling And Parameter Characterization Of A Betavoltaic Cell, Darrell S. Cheu

Open Access Theses

Betavoltaic cells are a type of nuclear battery where kinetic energy from beta particles are converted into electricity. The goal of this research is to evaluate betavoltaic cell electrical performance and predict its response to temperature changes for potential implementation. To achieve this goal, three tasks were performed: betavoltaic cells were electrically characterized under temperature, critical betavoltaic semiconductor parameters were experimentally determined, and the Shockley-Diode model was used to predict electrical performance and compared to experimental results.

Betavoltaic cells were evaluated from -30◦Cto70◦C. I-V curves were gathered at each temperature step in order to determine open circuit voltage and short …

Activity Markers And Horse Riding In Mongolia: Entheseal Changes Among Bronze And Iron Age Human Skeletal Remains, Matthew R. Fuka

Open Access Theses

The emergence of horse riding in Mongolia has recently gained attention in archaeological research (e.g. Houle 2016; Makarewicz et al 2018; Taylor and Tuvshinjargel 2018). Most of this research consists of zooarchaeological studies examining evidence of riding through osteological analyses of horse skeletal remains. This thesis represents an exploratory study on entheseal changes in human skeletal remains from the Bronze and Iron Age of Mongolia (c. 2500 BCE – c. 200 CE) to investigate patterns of repetitive physical activity that may be suggestive of horse riding. Entheseal changes refer to morphological alterations to bone caused by repetitive physical activity that …

Transient Liquid Phase Bonding For High Temperature Interconnects, John R. Holaday

Open Access Dissertations

Transient liquid phase bonding (TLPB) is a type of interdiffusion bonding between metals that has been proposed for a variety of electronic interconnect applications. TLPB has been studied as an alternative to other high temperature interconnect materials such as high-Pb solders. The goal of eliminating Pb and other toxic materials from electronics manufacturing processes, and most importantly, waste streams has been part of an ongoing effort internationally to improve the sustainability of electronics manufacturing. Pb containing solders have largely been eliminated from most consumer applications, but continuing exemptions for high-Pb solders have been provided by regulators due to the lack …

Russian Information Operations In The Soviet Strategic Framework, Kyle I. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to illuminate how information operations supports Russia’s strategy for creating power for the state. Using classic military theory and Soviet strategy as the lens, the paper examines information operations in the context of the nature of war. The examination includes historical and contemporary Russian publications on warfare, as well as information operations case studies from Eastern Europe, Georgia and Crimea. Russia’s operations are found to be consistent with a strategy of attrition. The opponent's society is the primary target of information operations. The emphasis on information operations within contemporary Russian concepts of modern war indicate that the …

The Rise Of Twitter In Presidential Communication: An Examination Of The Relationship Between President Trump's Twitter Feed And The Media Coverage Of His First 100 Days, Zedan Xu

Communication Theses - Archive

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Donald Trump’s Twitter feed and the media coverage of Trump’s agenda expressed in his tweets during the “honeymoon period.” From the theoretical perspective of agenda setting theory, this research empirically explores the salience issues present in Trump’s Twitter postings and compare them to the media agenda. Descriptive statistics of Trump’s tweets and the coverage of his tweets from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal show that nearly half of Trump’s Twitter posts are covered in the news media, indicating that Trump’s Twitter feed …

Application Of Nano-Plasmonics For Sers Bio-Detection And Photocatalysis In The Same Platform, Muhammad R. Shattique

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Nano-biological systems interfacing nano-structured solid surfaces with biological compounds such as oligonucleotides or proteins are highly regarded as enabling materials for biosensing and biocatalysis applications. In particular, nanostructures of noble metals such as gold or silver, when exposed to light, exhibit a phenomenon known as surface plasmon resonance. When a proper metal nanostructure (plasmonic substrate) is exposed to light, very efficient absorption of incoming photons is possible, resulting in a buildup of localized high-energy regions, or “hot-spots”, where energetic carriers or “hot carriers” can be created. These hot-carriers can be used to catalyze desired chemical transformations in materials located nearby. …

Culture, Food, And Racism: The Effects On African American Health, Kalah Elantra Vance

Honors Theses

Cultures can be influenced by a number of different factors, one of the most notable being food. Cultural food staples have often traveled from their country of origin of to be integrated into the cuisine of another. African slaves for example, used their knowledge of their West African heritage to forage soul food, a well know cuisine in the American South. The adaptations made to food practices during slavery decreased the nutritional value of the previously healthy West African dishes. After creating a relatively unhealthy food culture through slavery, African Americans continued to face persecution at the hands of the …

Navigating Mental Health Care Access In Louisville : An Ethnography Of Local Resources And Care Assemblages., Laura Drabelle Valentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines barriers to care access present in Louisville, Kentucky's community mental health care infrastructure, and how individuals who seek mental health care experience and navigate those barriers. This thesis expands research about the impacts of health care reform following the Affordable Care Act and adds to literature about the political economy of health-seeking behaviors. Drawing on assemblage theory and ethnographic research with both care-providers and care-recipients of Community Mental Health Care Organizations, I argue that both groups attempt to alleviate barriers to care access and facilitate mental health recovery through the development of formal and informal strategies. Examining …

The Cruel Consequences Of War: Life In Fauquier County, Virginia, 1861-1863, Madeleine Forrest Ramsey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“The Cruel Consequences of War” describes how the American Civil War came to Fauquier County, Virginia, a border area in northern Virginia, and examines the effects of the conflict on the county’s black and white residents from 1861 – 1863. Scholars have been writing community studies since the 1960s, but few have examined the region of northern Virginia. While the “traditional” war in Virginia has been studied extensively, the home front has not received as much focus. “The Cruel Consequences of War” helps to fill this void by detailing the wartime experiences of civilians, and the soldiers who occupied the …