Diabolus Ex Machina? A Comparative Case Study to Test Whether Automatic Weapons Can Disproportionately Benefit Irregular Forces

Researchers in the field of irregular conflict have observed that irregular forces such as insurgents and guerrillas have been victorious or forced draws in a greater percentage of conflicts over the past century compared with the century prior. More generally, researchers and practitioners have sought to better understand why seemingly weaker, irregular forces are able to win some wars against enemies who have significant material and other conventional advantages. This thesis engages with some of the literature in this field and focuses on what appears to be a particularly understudied issue: the potential role of shifts/innovations in military technology. Specifically, this study argues that machine guns can enhance the military effectiveness of irregular forces on balance even when both sides have access to/use machine guns. Due to the lack of data necessary for a large-N/statistical study of machine guns’ correlation with irregular conflict outcomes, this thesis relies on a comparison between periods of the Second Boer War and the German East Africa Campaign of WWI. This comparative case study offers limited, slightly mixed, but overall positive support for the hypothesis with regards to these cases. Although the findings do not directly mean that machine guns have played a non-trivial role in the observed pattern of irregular conflict outcomes, the findings bolster the plausibility of this claim and suggest that more research is warranted

Wind and Emergency Erosion Control

Unprotected soil is subject to wind erosion. Any occurrence that leaves the soil bare sets the stage for soil erosion. Unprotected fields result from the after harvest removal of plant residue for feed, by burning or by tillage operations. The best way to control wind and water erosion is to maintain a cover on the soil surface throughout the year. This can be done by establishing windbreaks, strip-cropping, or maintaining a cover of plant residue and/or growing crops on the entire soil surface

Check Stored Grain

Grain spoilage is evident in some grain being removed from storage in South Dakota. The best way to prevent, or control, the problem and maintain the quality of the stored grain is to never let the storage problems get ahead of you

Till For a Reason

When tilling a field there should be a reason for the tillage, whether it\u27s to kill the weeds, breakup a compaction layer, prepare a seedbed, or in an emergency, stop erosion. Regardless of the reason, every tillage operation is going to remove some surface plant residue and expose the soil for some loss of moisture. In a dry year, particularly, as much residue should be left on the surface as possible. This protects the soil surface from erosion and also catches more snow in the winter which in-turn provides good moisture for starting the crop in the spring. As much soil moisture as possible should be retained for next years crop

Silage Gas Can Be Dangerous

A danger associated with newly filled silos is due to accumulation of nitrogen dioxide. An individual may experience an immediate detrimental reaction to the presence of silo gas. Additionally, an individual may experience reactionary symptoms, sometimes called Silo filler\u27s disease , due to extended exposure to silage dust or gas

After a Flood: Salvaging Flood-damaged Buildings

Buildings that have been exposed to flood wa¬ters need to be evaluated for the extent of damage and the amount of cleanup and repairs necessary to restore them to a useable condition. The first thing to do with a building that has survived a flood is to check its structural strength. If the building has been moved, shifted, or twisted, it may not be safe to enter. Check the foundation, sill, plate, roof supports, and walls for damage. If there is extensive damage to the building, it probably will be less expensive to tear it down and start again with a new building as compared to attempting to repair the damaged structure. A “rule of thumb” is that if it costs over 60% to repair and restore, then it is usually best to build new

After a Flood: Engine and Machine Renovation

After an engine has been immersed in water for a period of time, such as occurs in a flood or dropping in a lakes situation, it usually can be salvaged. It will need to be cared for immediately, however. If an engine is not cleaned, rusting can occur and the soil particles suspended in the water and deposited on the equipment can cause rapid and excessive wear of bearings and engine parts if the machine is operated

Granular Insecticide Applicators

Guide to granular insecticide applicators addresses types of applications, applicator parts, calibrating the machine and cleaning the applicator

The Application of Network Analysis to the Study of Differentially Effective Schools.

This study applied network analysis to the exploration of the structural characteristics of differentially effective elementary schools within the framework of school effectiveness research. The study took place in two parts: a Pilot Study, using archived data, and a Field Study, using data from a stratified sample of differentially effective schools. The Centrality-Cohesiveness Model of School Effectiveness, developed through the Pilot Study, defined a communication structure as a function of the leadership status of the principal (defined by the principal\u27s centrality) and the cohesiveness of the faculty (defined as network density). Quantitative results from both the Pilot Study and the Field Study indicated that there are mean differences in the leadership position of the principal within differentially effective faculty networks. Three of six comparisons were significantly different at the $p\u3c.05$ level on one measure of centrality, one measure of centralization and one measure of density. In addition, sociograms from both studies fit the expected patterns within the defined Centrality - Cohesiveness Model. These results indicate that there are differential characteristics to the patterns of communication in differentially effective schools. Principals in effective schools are more often indicated as leaders than principals in ineffective schools. There was no indication that there are differences in differentially effective networks being more central around one individual. Both classifications of networks appear to be centered the same, but there are significant differences in who is the most central individual. The results of this study support the conclusion that the properties of faculty network that can be observed and illustrated graphically, may not have the statistical or measurement parameters adequately defined as yet. The results of this study support further definitions of effectiveness within a network perspective and the exploration of a set of structural parameters within which effectiveness seems most likely to operate. This study initiated one structural conceptualization of school faculties and the results: (a) provide direction for the refinement of this conceptualization (b) support the hypothesis that differentially effective schools have different structural configurations and (c) indicate that though these differential configurations are observable, they are complex and contextual in nature