Shelter

Pages 126-13

The Theme and Variations as Used by Four Important Piano Composers in Four Periods of Music History

The intent of this study was to give a brief background and history of the theme and variations in early periods of music history, as well as to analyze more specifically and compare in some depth the use of the form by four composers of later periods, in a keyboard work of each. Each of the following composers represents a different period of music history: (1) Handel, late Baroque; (2) Mozart, Classic; (3) Beethoven, early Romantic; and (4) Norman Dello Joio, Modern. Although the form under study has been used in many media of writing, the compositions in this analysis are limited to piano works

mPeer: A Mobile Health Approach to Monitoring PTSD in Veterans

More than 2.2 million US service members have seen deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade. As the number of veterans returning home has increased, the need for new and innovative approaches to the variety and severity of mental health issues experienced after deployment remains a national priority. Affecting between 15-20\% of the veteran population and largely treatment resistant, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) poses a challenging problem for the mental health community. Recent veteran related studies have suggested a paradigm shift in conceptualizing PTSD in terms of specific high-risk behaviors rather than traditional symptoms. Young and technology savvy, many veteran populations are uniquely poised to embrace mobile health (mHealth) approaches to monitoring and addressing health related issues. In this thesis, we document the design and implementation of a smartphone-based system that coordinates the collection of data potentially relevant for monitoring high-risk behavior in veterans. We describe the details of an unobtrusive smartphone application for the Android platform that collects data from a variety of smartphone sensors and administers daily self-report questionnaires. Finally, we confirm system performance with data from student volunteers

Constrained Cognition: Information Management and the Practical Limits of Nuclear Escalation Control

Nuclear escalation control theory rests on the idea that decision makers, in a limited nuclear war scenario, will choose their actions based on a rational assessment of the available information. That information essentially consists of intelligence reports about one\u27s adversary and information reporting the status of one\u27s own forces\u27 ability to execute offensive actions and the damage level of vital national targets. Yet the practical limits of managing the flow and quality of this information, coupled with the fog and friction inherent in human analyses, significantly affect the decision-making process vis-à-vis nuclear escalation. Hence, these limitations cast a pall over any military doctrine that relies heavily on the assumption that nuclear escalation can be controlled with precision. Examining information management during the Cuban Missile Crisis shows the practical limits of managing this information flow, which in turn limits the ability of national leaders to make such decisions properly

A decade of GigaScience: A perspective on conservation genetics

Wide interest in species conservation is young. To many it began early in 1903 when Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir set up a camp under the Grizzly Giant in the Mariposa Grove of California\u27s Yosemite Valley. Over three days they decided to broaden the US National Park footprint across the USA. Conservationists were inspired in the coming decades by the writings of wildlife conservation pioneers—Osa Johnson (I Married Adventure), Karen Blixen (Out of Africa) and Rachel Carson (The Silent Spring). Countless crusaders developed a passion for preserving dwindling species in those early days, yet none of these conservation advocates mentioned the word genetics, let alone genomics. The genome sequencing projects that have followed on from these have brought in an enormous amount of data, including whole genome sequences for thousands of non-human species, both individual and population wide. This huge resource has revolutionized conservation genetics, bringing in ways to assess the health of at-risk populations, devise genetic-driven breeding strategies, and other means to attempt to preserve the over 1 million species (and growing) under threat today

Yoknapatawpha Railroad: Trains and Mobility in the Novels of William Faulkner

Though considered one of the foremost of 20th-Century American modernists, many critics accuse William Faulkner of being obsessed with some idyllic southern past. In contrast, my study, utilizing the burgeoning field of mobility studies, focuses on the trains featured within his novels to counter this accusation. As I discuss, Faulkner does indeed question notions of modern progress wrought from industrialization as well as technological advancements, though he never offers blanket condemnations of them. In contrast, his depictions of railroad mobility reveal an attitude of active participation in modernity rather than cantankerous retreat. In my opening chapter, I begin by explaining why an examination of Faulkners portrayals of trains and tracks can be particularly enlightening. In addition, I discuss the burgeoning field of mobility studies and how it will be utilized in my examination of the railroad within Faulkners novels. In Ch. 1, I discuss Faulkners depictions of avant garde sexuality and gender roles that are enabled by railroad mobility. Within this chapter, I discuss his two most sexually-controversial novels, Sanctuary and The Wild Palms, though I begin with a brief discussion of trains in Light in August. In Ch. 2, I discuss the ways he uses the railroad to question narratives of progress. Here, I discuss his debut novel, Soldiers Pay, before delving into Go Down, Moses and its pessimistic ruminations on progress; however, I argue that The Reivers, his final novel, serves as a sequel to that novel, providing a valedictory reappraisal of its pessimism. Finally, Ch. 3, discusses Faulkners general lack of depictions of black mobility enabled by the railroaddespite historical realities. As I parse through his portrayals of African American interaction with trains, this reveals a resistance on Faulkners part to depict black mobility. Here, I look at Flags in the Dust and its prequel The Unvanquished as well as Quentin Compsons chapter of The Sound and the Fury. In my conclusion, I discuss the lasting impact of trains on American culture and the next steps to be taken in light of my study, suggesting other writers whose works carry on Faulkners depictions of railroad mobility