Digital Commons Network^™

The Digital Battlefield: Extremists On Social Media, Daniel P. Shanks

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The rise of social media has transformed the battleground for extremist groups like ISIS and the Taliban, enabling them to reach global audiences with unprecedented ease. This dissertation investigates the social media strategies employed by the Taliban and ISIS. These social media strategies are used to further their strategic objectives in propaganda, recruitment, and operational coordination. Through a comprehensive analysis, the study explores how these extremist groups adapt their digital tactics in response to evolving military and political landscapes. Utilizing case studies from key military engagements and applying theoretical frameworks of rational actor theory, social identity theory, and finite and …

Stalemate At Port Arthur: William James On War, Vulnerability, And Pluralist Personalism, Bennett Gilbert

History Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using a close reading of a single clause and its context in a section in A Pluralist Universe, we see the moral dangers James saw in traditional ontology, in particular its relation to war and peace. This analysis opens up James’s combining the personalist philosophy of his friend Borden Bowne (and others) with the pluralism he developed late in his career. This leads, further, to reflection of James’s performative philosophizing. Finding in James a theory of “pluralistic personalism” gives us a fresh look at the far-reaching power of his basic concepts of moral philosophy.

Choosing To Bear Arms: Resistance And Identity Formation Through Louisiana’S Free Afro Creole Militia, Victoria Mcfarlane

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines how African and Afro Creole men utilized the availability of and demand for forced and voluntary militia service under French, Spanish, and American governance as a mode of resistance to discrimination and repression within the social structures of the region. The influence and connections built through militia service were engaged to protect and preserve rights, customs, and opportunities for the Afro Creole community. From the establishment of the Louisiana colony until the Civil War, African and Afro Creole men utilized the service required in defense of their new home to gain freedoms, expand their personal and community …

Inspecting The Foundations Of Natural Law Ethics And Politics: Looking For Cracks, Detecting Gaps, And Considering The Edifice That Can Be Built Thereon, Adam D. Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I inspect the foundations of natural law ethics and politics. The inspection involves looking for cracks, detecting gaps, and considering the edifice that can be built thereon. To do so, I critically examine several of the many concepts and principles that are constitutive of those foundations. Some of my examination is done by means of direct consideration of such concepts and principles. And some of it is done by addressing such concepts and principles indirectly as I address questions about practical ethical or political concerns including: how can public officials make decisions that are not biased, what …

Enhancing Two Units Of 8th Grade U.S. History Curriculum To Support The Development Of Experienced Multilinguals’ Usage Of Oral And Written Academic Language, Olivia Nicholson

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Inspired by a group of middle school experienced multilinguals (EMs), this capstone project sought to take an asset-based approach to redesigning two units of U.S. history curriculum so that the strong oral language skills of these students could be used as an educational tool for practicing academic language in speaking and writing. To complete this project, the researcher first studied the importance of using asset-based language and referring to this group of students as experienced multilinguals in lieu of long-term English learners. The researcher also examined theoretical frameworks such as Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and Bakhtin’s theory of dialogism that support …

Practicing Strategy And Performance Preparation Of György Ligeti’S Musica Ricercata., Xiyao Wang

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923–2006) is renowned as one of the most significant composers of the twentieth century. Musicians around the world have admired his innovative musical language. “Through the 1950s and 1960s, he went from composing in the style of his countryman Béla Bartók to working at the cutting edge of the Western European avant-garde.” His folk elements and avant-garde compositional techniques expanded through various genres, including orchestral, chamber, and keyboard compositions. This study's primary purpose is to explore Ligeti's piano work Musica Ricercata and ultimately provide a resource to other musicians that will assist in preparing and …

Thermal Management Of Power Electronic Devices Using Single Crystal Aln Heat Spreaders, Md Abdullah-Al Mamun

Theses and Dissertations

Due to high critical electric field and saturation velocity, wide bandgap (WBG) III-Nitride semiconductor materials (AlxGa1-xN) and their heterostructures have gone through extensive research in academia and industry for applications requiring high-voltage, high-current, high-frequency, and high-temperature transistor operation. AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) has been commercialized for 650-V power converters, smartphones, PCs, USB wall power outlets, on-board and off-board EV chargers, and numerous other applications. However, AlGaN/GaN HEMTs grown on low-cost sapphire or Si substrates face significant self-heating issues due to the poor thermal conductivity of the substrate. The high thermal resistance (RTH) and heat capacity of the substrates …

From Colonial Frontier To A Slave Society: "Second Slavery" And The Former Backcountry Of South Carolina In The Early Republic, 1780-1833, Elisabeth Zoe Horecny

Theses and Dissertations

Although the South Carolina backcountry was labeled pre-modern by contemporaries and, later, by some historians, it was the model of a modern, “second slavery” in the Atlantic World as evidenced by cultural, economic, and political changes there to accommodate and promote the expansion of slavery. The former backcountry was exemplarily of “second slavery” because the region modernized to create a slave society, instead of modifying the existing colonial system of mass enslavement in the region. Enslaved people responded to these changes in the former backcountry by spreading their oral traditions in healing and religion, maintaining African traditions, and creating communities …

Triumphant Philanthropists: Inventing An American Tradition In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, And The Nation, 1844-1930, Margaret Nettesheim-Hoffmann

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation explores the development of American philanthropic foundations and the invention of philanthropic traditions, forms, and conventions in the United States during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. The rapid accumulation of wealth during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries posed a series of complex economic, social, and political tensions for the nation following the end of the Civil War, and the invention of the philanthropic foundation by leading businessmen sought to solve those tensions through the planned and systemized redistribution of wealth. This exploration of philanthropy’s history suggests that American capitalists invented a “new” philanthropic tradition in …

The Promise And Perils Of Smart (City) Bots As Educational Tools, Thomas Menkhoff, Siew Ning Kan, Shaohui Foong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Written from an educator’s perspective, the paper aims to examine the increasing use of chatbot technology capable of answering user queries in various fields such as commerce, public service delivery, urban areas, higher education etc. by simulating human conversation through text messages or voice commands. We analyse why smart bots have become popular technologies in the context smart cities; shed light on different types of bots (chatbots, large language models such as ChatGPT, flying bots); and explain how we use bots as teaching tool in an introductory AI for business course. A key argument putting forward is that smart bots …

Innovation Challenges In The Air Force Sbir Program: From The Small Businesses’ Perspective, Hart J. Holt, Amy M. Cox, Scott Drylie, David S. Long, Alfred E. Thal Jr., R. David Fass

Faculty Publications

Every year the United States invests $3.2 billion in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to promote innovation among the nation’s small businesses. Half of this investment is from the DoD. This research considers the challenges faced by small businesses innovating with the DoD, particularly those awarded SBIR contracts with the United States Air Force. The authors surveyed 286 unique small businesses that were previously awarded an Air Force SBIR contract. By asking the survey respondents open-ended questions and categorizing their responses, they pinpoint unaddressed challenges from the small business perspective. By categorizing survey responses through Qualitative Content Analysis, …

The International Legal Framework Of Oceanic Shipping Of Carbon Dioxide For Permanent Storage, Carolina Arlota, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change defines carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) as “a process in which a relatively pure stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial and energy-related sources is separated (captured), conditioned, compressed, and transported to a storage location for long-term isolation from the atmosphere.” Therefore, CCS encompasses a series of steps, at minimum: capturing carbon dioxide, its transportation to a storage site, and its injection into the subsurface for permanent storage. As such, CCS does not refer to any single activity or technology. This Article focuses on the transportation aspect of CCS and, more precisely, …

Regulating Shipping Of Carbon Dioxide For Sequestration, Carolina Arlota, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

A number of facilities intended for permanent sequestration of carbon dioxide are being developed in the United States. Several will be located on or near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, making them easily accessible to ships. Meanwhile, in Europe there is substantial interest in capturing carbon dioxide from industrial operations, but currently inadequate sequestration facilities, and growing interest in shipping carbon dioxide for sequestration in the United States. This Article reviews the main U.S. federal laws applicable to transportation and geologic storage of carbon dioxide, including laws enacted to implement relevant international treaties. The Article also contextualizes its …

Production Box Cost Estimating Relationships For Dod Avionics, Carla J. Cisneros, Edward D. White, Brandon M. Lucas, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Robert D. Fass, Shawn M. Valentine

Faculty Publications

The authors use historical information obtained from the Cost Assessment Data Enterprise to estimate recurring production unit cost for DoD avionics via cost estimating relationships (CERs). The specific modeled responses include mean unit cost, median unit cost, and the 100th production unit cost (T100) utilizing learning curve theory. For T100, the authors adopt both a multiplicative and an additive error for CER comparison. Recommended CERs consist of the mean unit cost and the T100 utilizing a multiplicative error. Moreover, results reveal that weight has a significant effect on cost as well as a potential underaccounting of real price change or …

Lumbar Spine Orientation Affects Compressive Fracture Outcome, Rachel Cutlan, Muhammaed Khokhar, Nader Shammout, Alok Shah, Lance Frazer, Narayan Yoganandan, Barry S. Shender, James Sheehy, Glenn Paskoff, Daniel Nicolella, Timothy B. Bentley, Saman Shabani, Brian D. Stemper

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

Understanding how spinal orientation affects injury outcome is essential to understand lumbar injury biomechanics associated with high-rate vertical loading.

Methods

Whole-column human lumbar spines (T12–L5) were dynamically loaded using a drop tower to simulate peak axial forces associated with high-speed aircraft ejections and helicopter crashes. Spines were allowed to maintain natural lordotic curvature for loading, resulting in a range of orientations. Pre-test X-rays were used to quantify specimen orientation at the time of loading. Primary fracture types were identified (wedge, n = 6; burst, n = 4; hyperextension, n = 4) and compared for loading parameters and lumbar orientation. …

Innovation Challenges In The Air Force Sbir Program: From The Small Businesses' Perspective, Hart J. Holt, Amy M. Cox, Scott Drylie, David S. Long, Alfred E. Thal Jr., Robert D. Fass

Faculty Publications

Every year the United States invests $3.2 billion in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program to promote innovation among the nation’s small businesses. Half of this investment is from the DoD. This research considers the challenges faced by small businesses innovating with the DoD, particularly those awarded SBIR contracts with the United States Air Force. The authors surveyed 286 unique small businesses that were previously awarded an Air Force SBIR contract. By asking the survey respondents open-ended questions and categorizing their responses, they pinpoint unaddressed challenges from the small business perspective. By categorizing survey responses through Qualitative Content Analysis, …

The Utah Statesman, September 30, 2024, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.

Cmsi Translations #7: Guarantee Of Strategic Security: Expert Discusses China’S Strategic Nuclear Submarines Achieving Continuous Duty, Chi Guocang

CMSI Translations

In April of this year, the U.S. Department of Defense released a China military power report, which stated that the Chinese Navy currently has at least six Type 094 ballistic missile nuclear submarines, and has the capability for at least one of them to be on continuous readiness duty. It also said that this is the first time it has been possible for the Chinese Navy to permanently maintain at least one strategic missile nuclear submarine at sea to perform strategic duty tasks. So, what is “continuous readiness duty” (quatianhou zhanbei zhiban), how can it be achieved, and why did …

Fallen Kingdoms And Ancient Monoliths: The Influence Of Atlantis And Egypt In Tolkien’S Númenor, Charlotte J. Brockway

Journal of Tolkien Research

In light of the recent publication of The Fall of Númenor, my essay aims to focus on Tolkien’s, somewhat underappreciated, influences on Gondor; particularly Ancient Egypt. This essay looks at Plato's Timaeus and Critias, Ignatius Donnelly's theories, and examines the Atlantean and Egyptian motifs in Tolkien’s version of Westernesse, in particular, the remnants of Atlantean civilization survived by Egyptian colonists which mirror the Realms of Exile (Gondor and Arnor).

A Socioecological And Maqāṣidi Analysis Of Domestic Gender-Based Violence In Yemen, Belqes Al-Sowaidi

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study uses an integrated multidimensional lens to investigate the ongoing issue of domestic gender-based violence (DGBV) against women in conflict areas of Yemen, with a specific focus on the city of Taiz. Yemeni society has historically operated within a framework emphasizing traditional gender roles, which can unfortunately lead to situations where women bear the brunt of societal pressures and misattributed blame. Against this backdrop, this study explores the nature and causes of violence faced by Yemeni women during the period 2021-2023, as well as the role of Islam in addressing and curbing violence against women in Muslim societies. Through …

The Student Movement Volume 109 Issue 2: Nosotros Somos Andrews!: Hispanic Heritage Month At Andrews, Savannah Tyler, Ayanda Dewa, Ember Clark, Joel Pelletier, Lia Glass, Amelia Stefanescu, Aiko J. Ayala Rios, Anna Rybachek, Reagan Westerman, Charisse Lapuebla, Lexie Dunham, Melissa Moore

The Student Movement V. 109 (2024-2025)

HUMANS

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage, Interviewed by Savannah Tyler

Andrews Senior Alina Weber for Those with Invisible Disablilities, Ayanda Dewa

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

"Forward in Faith": An Interview with Professor Meredith Jones Gray, Ember Clark

¡Y, Acción!: Hispanic and Latino Representation in Film, Joel Pelletier

Department of Visual Art, Communication and Design Introduction, Lia Glass

NEWS

Andrews University Partners with Interstride, What It Means for You, Amelia Stefanescu

Students Host Inaugural Event To Honor Mexico's Independence Day, Aiko J. Ayala Rios

Ty Gibson Speaks at Andrews for Week of Prayer, Amelia Stefanescu

IDEAS

Microtrends: A Short Narrative, Anna Rybachek

Opinion: JD …

The Diamond, September 27, 2024, Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page : Dordt Reaches Record Enrollment 5 Years in a Row; International Instrumental Tour Canceled; Rumors of Mold Never Grow Old
• News: Why Do So Many Professors Attend Covenant CRC?; Savor the Sounds; What is Heartland Break?
• Feature: From Rain to Restoration; Dordt Trapshooting Club Feels Impact of Rock Valley Flooding; Production Arts - Behind the Stream; Nursing Department Hosts Simulation Lab Open House
• Politics: The Prison is My Mission Field; Take Two on Assassination; Discussing the Debate
• Sports: Women's Volleyball Season Preview; Swim Team Highlight; Defenders Show Up and Shut Out; The Reality of …

Atmospheric Geographies Of (Counter)Terrorism, Sara Fregonese, Paul Simpson, Damien Masson, Simon Runkel, Carrie Benjamin, Sam Berlin, Katha Ciax, Angeliki Drongiti

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

How are terror threats and counterterrorism measures experienced in everyday urban spaces? We argue that thinking atmospherically about the spaces of urban encounters with (counter)terrorism is important, firstly, to identify and question feelings and dispositions shaped by discourses, practices, and infrastructures of (counter)terrorism; secondly, to contribute spatial perspectives of felt experience to literatures on security and (counter)terrorism in geography and beyond; thirdly, to connect official understandings of (counter)terrorism with its everyday felt experiences and materialities. We highlight two conceptual and empirical arenas - the crowd and the question of difference - where atmospheric approaches to urban (counter)terrorism can be developed.

Vol. 27, No. 4 - Whole No. 118, David Bratman

Mythprint

Mythprint is the monthly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local and written discussion groups.

Vol. 25, No. 8 - Whole No. 99, David Bratman

Mythprint

Mythprint is the monthly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local and written discussion groups.

Book Review: The Melting Point: High Command And War In The 21st Century, Thomas W. Spahr

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Reviewed by Dr. Thomas W. Spahr, De Serio Chair of Strategic Intelligence and associate professor, US Army War College

Dr. Thomas Spahr presents a compelling review of General Kenneth McKenzie’s The Melting Point, providing an overview of the book’s three main points and its unique scope compared to other generals’ memoirs. Spahr praises McKenzie’s writing on Afghanistan, in particular, calling it “the best [description] I have read of the strategic events that led to that dramatic end.” Spahr presents a compelling case for why the book “should be required reading at senior levels of professional military education.”

Book Review: The New Makers Of Modern Strategy: From The Ancient World To The Digital Age, John C. Erickson, John A. Nagl

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Editor: Hal Brands

Reviewed by John C. Erickson, senior engineer, Axiom Technologies, and John A. Nagl, professor of war-fighting studies, US Army War College

John Erickson and John Nagl provide a useful overview of the latest (third) edition of Princeton University Press’s anthologies on modern strategy, directing readers to the most salient chapters of the book and giving insight into why “this third edition is the most interesting yet” and “are of immeasurable importance for students, practitioners, and scholars alike.” Erickson and Nagl write that “[the] essays provide excellent starting points for research on almost any topic relevant to practitioners, …

Review Essay: Exploring Strategy In India, Vinay Kaura

Parameters Bookshelf – Online Book Reviews

Authors: Rajesh Basrur and Feroz Hassan Khan

Reviewed by Dr. Vinay Kaura, assistant professor, Department of International Affairs and Security Studies, and deputy director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice, Rajasthan, India

Dr. Vinay Kaura reviews two similarly named books that Kaura writes will be “an indispensable reference for South Asian security for years to come.” He praises Rajesh Basrur’s Subcontinental Drift for “incorporating domestic factors to explain Indian’s foreign policy” and provides a helpful overview of Basrur’s three case studies and “policy drift.” Kaura also overviews Feroz Hassan Khan’s book, …

Vol. 22, No. 11 - Whole No. 66, David Bratman

Mythprint

Mythprint is the monthly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local and written discussion groups.

Bargaining For Justice: Ukraine, Gaza, And The Ethics Of Conflict Termination, C. Anthony Pfaff

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

©2024 C. Anthony Pfaff

As wars in Ukraine and Gaza continue with little end in sight, the sense of urgency to determine how they should end is increasing, given how the wars could end. A just war aims to establish a better state of peace, but a better state of peace may not always be achievable, and even when it is achievable, it may not be good enough. When that is the case, actors must determine on what terms to settle, given what they think they can achieve based on relative capabilities and cost tolerances. The resulting “maximin” solution, a …