Surprise, Intelligence Failure, and Mass Casualty Terrorism

This study aims to evaluate whether surprise and intelligence failure leading to mass casualty terrorism are inevitable. It explores the extent to which four factors - failures of public policy leadership, analytical challenges, organizational obstacles, and the inherent problems of warning information - contribute to intelligence failure. This study applies existing theories of surprise and intelligence failure to case studies of five mass casualty terrorism incidents: World Trade Center 1993; Oklahoma City 1995; Khobar Towers 1996; East African Embassies 1998; and September 11, 2001. A structured, focused comparison of the cases is made using a set of thirteen probing questions based on the factors above. The study concludes that while all four factors were influential, failures of public policy leadership contributed directly to surprise. Psychological bias and poor threat assessments prohibited policy makers from anticipating or preventing attacks. Policy makers mistakenly continued to use a law enforcement approach to handling terrorism, and failed to provide adequate funding, guidance, and oversight of the intelligence community. The study has implications for intelligence reform, information sharing, Congressional oversight, and society's expectations about the degree to which the intelligence community can predict or prevent surprise attacks

Good Neighbors: Agents of Change in the New Rural South, 1900 to 1940

This work paints an intimate portrait of rural people who lived in the hill counties of northeast Mississippi and southwest Arkansas between 1900 and 1940. Howard County, Arkansas and Union County, Mississippi serve as the representative counties for each hill-country region. Howard County is located in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, and Union County is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. This study identifies who in the rural communities was most responsible for bringing positive changes to their communities, questions what motivated their efforts, and evaluates their successes and failures. To this end, the work first examines how rural people made do with limited resources by organizing mutual support systems. It argues that rural people who lived in close proximity, shared similar experiences, and held strong religious beliefs, developed a community consciousness. The study also examines how racial relations in the rural hill-country complicated the community consciousness. The study is particularly interested in the roles women played in their communities. It examines how rural women developed mutual support networks and why these networks were so important for progressive change. The study found that women who were active in their churches joined forces through both religious and secular organizations to reform their communities. Local efforts to diversify the economy are evaluated in both southwest Arkansas and northeast Mississippi. Civic leaders sought to bring industry to their individual counties. When industries arrived, however, the industries could not employ a significant number of rural people, and many times the industries failed after only a few years. Finally, the study examines the important work of agricultural extension agents and home demonstration agents and argues that only after becoming part of the communities they served could these agents truly transform the rural South

Making sense : a study of the dialogical nature of consciousness in creative writing.

The present study investigated the dynamics of a single participant's various I-positions ... using Stephenson's (1985) Q method, analysis of variance, factor analysis, and qualitative assessment of the participant's creative writing

Relativistic Dynamics of Multi-BPS D-vortices and Straight BPS D-strings

Moduli space dynamics of multi-D-vortices from D2${\bar {\rm D}}$ (equivalently, parallel straight D-strings from D3${\bar {\rm D}}$3) is systematically studied. For the BPS D-vortices, we show through exact calculations that the classical motion of randomly-distributed $n$ D-vortices is governed by a relativistic Lagrangian of free massive point-particles. When the head-on collision of two identical BPS D-vortices of zero radius is considered, it predicts either 90${}^{\circ}$ scattering or 0${}^{\circ}$ scattering equivalent to 180${}^{\circ}$ scattering. Since the former leads to a reconnection of two identical D-strings and the latter does to a case of their passing through each other, two possibilities are consistent with the prediction of string theory. It is also shown that the force between two non-BPS vortices is repulsive. Although the obtained moduli space dynamics of multi-BPS-D-vortices is exact in classical regime, the quantum effect of an F-string pair production should be included in determining the probabilities of the reconnection and the passing through for fast-moving cosmic superstrings.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figures. Changes for the analysis of scattering and minor changes have been made. 1 figure has been replace

A review of the benefits on tinted rigid gas permeable contact lenses in sport and outdoor activities

A review of the benefits on tinted rigid gas permeable contact lenses in sport and outdoor activitie

Correlation of the cross-over ratio of the cross-over sign on conventional pelvic radiographs with computed tomography retroversion measurements

Objective: To find a correlation between the cross-over ratio of the cross-over sign on conventional anteroposterior (AP) pelvic radiographs and retroversion measurements (‘roof-edge angle' and ‘equatorial-edge angle) on computed tomography (CT) scans. This would facilitate the interpretation of the cross-over sign regarding the amount of acetabular retroversion. Materials and methods: Correctly projected AP pelvic radiographs (2,925 hips) were examined for the presence of the cross-over sign (COS), and the overlap ratio of the COS was measured. On CT scans of the same patients the ‘roof-edge angle' (RE angle) and the ‘equatorial-edge angle' (EE angle) were also calculated. Results: A statistically significant but only weak relationship could be found between the overlap ratio of the COS and the ‘roof-edge angle' (P < 0.0001; correlation coefficient −0.486) and between this ratio and the ‘equatorial-edge angle' (P < 0.0001; correlation coefficient −0.395). Conclusion: A relationship between the overlap ratio and orientation measurements on CT scans could be found, but it was less strong than expecte

Cosmological Inflation with orbifold moduli as inflatons

Cosmological inflation is studied in the case where the inflaton is the overall modulus $T$ for an orbifold. General forms of the (non-perturbative) superpotential are considered to ensure that $G=K+{\rm ln}|W|^2$ is modular invariant. We find generically that these models do not produce a potential flat enough for slow roll to a supersymmetric minimum, although we do find a model which produces up to 20 e-folds of inflation to a non-supersymmetric minimum.Comment: LaTeX file, 16 pages including 5 figures, v3 is the published versio

JME 4110 Final Report -Trunk Lift Assist

This document presents the design for device to assist with loading and unloading of items into the trunk compartment of an automobile. Enclosed in this report is the rationale behind the design decisions based on consumer interviews, relevant regulating codes and standards, and necessary design constraints. Initial concept drawings and the selection process leading to the initial embodiment design are contained in this report. All initial and final CAD drawings and assembly instructions are incorporated into this summary statement as well as photographs and video links