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Booth Music
Get PDFThis is a collection of, to my ear, the forty or so best poems that I wrote during my three years as a graduate student at George Mason University. I did my best, in them, to scoop up the hours, like a pile of dust, and blow them in the reader’s face. I paid no attention to style, tone, or format in my ‘selection’ process for this manuscript. This is not, in the end, a curation. It is a pile. A sexual graveyard. A never-ending knot
Perception of Regional Spoken Arabic by Native Speakers
Get PDFThis dissertation examines native speakers’ word recognition of, differentiation between, and social attitudes toward varieties of Arabic. It is a particularly interesting test case because of the Arabic unique regional variation situation and the available literature lacks data on how Arabic speakers perceive different accents, with a particular emphasis on their connections to the speakers' sociological and regional backgrounds. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to discover how native speakers perceive various Arabic speech varieties and test the accent familiarity effect to determine the effects of dialectal variation and language experience on speech perception. Specifically, whether the availability of information regarding the speakers' accent in the speech signal would influence the recognition of spoken words and sentences. To do this, I examine how two groups of native Arabic speakers; Najdi Arabic (NA) and Saudi Southern Arabic (SA), perceive and adapt to three different regional accents; NA, SA (‘own’ or ‘nearby’ accent), and Egyptian Arabic (EA) (‘distant’ accent).I conducted three perception studies to explore NA and SA speakers’ processing of regional Arabic varieties. In the first experiment, I examined participants' ability to recognize speech stimuli in their ‘own’, a ‘nearby’, or a ‘distant’ variety. NA and SA participants were asked to make a lexical decision (‘word’ or ‘nonword’) on target items placed at the end of sentences spoken by NA speaker, SA speaker, and EA speaker. Results show that participants were good at recognizing ‘words’ from ‘nonwords’ with an accuracy level of (93.3%). Moreover, ‘nonword’ trials have slightly slower reaction times compared to the ‘word’ trial type, especially for the ‘distant’ accent since it is not that familiar to them. Similarly, SA participants’ performance in ‘nonword’ trials shows slower reaction times as compared to the performance of NA participants. This demonstrates how regional accents can affect word recognition and that responding to a ‘distant’ variety requires more time and effort from the listeners. In the second experiment, I examined participants' ability to distinguish between the different regional accents. Another set of NA and SA participants performed a discrimination task where they were asked to determine whether two different talkers were from the ‘same’ region or ‘different’ regions. Results from this study show that all participants had relatively similar reaction times. In terms of trial types, responses from 'different' trials had faster reaction times, particularly those with 'distant' dialect (where EA is one of the combinations of the two audio samples). In the third experiment, I examined participants' attitudes, social representations, and social judgments toward the same regional accents, NA, SA, and EA. A new group of NA and SA participants were asked to rate nine audio samples spoken by three NA speakers, three SA speakers, and three EA speakers on social and personal traits, including accentedness, on a 6-point rating scale. Results from this social judgment task reveal that participants from both groups were lenient with speakers who speak their ‘own’ variety, especially in accentedness ratings. The statistical analyses also reveal significant main effects of participant accent and talker accent across multiple characteristics. Taken together, the findings of these three studies have shed light on the effects of familiarity with the own Arabic variety (familiar accent), nearby Arabic variety (less familiar accent), and distant Arabic variety (unfamiliar accent) on accents’ perception and recognition. In particular, the present research provides us with a better understanding of how native Arabic speakers generally handle the linguistic variation they encounter in speech in their daily life, recognize regional accented words, distinguish between regional accents, and express their own social views and accent ratings toward these various regional accents that are either ‘own’, ‘nearby’, or ‘distant’ accent to the participants. It will contribute to our comprehension of how accent perception works in general, how native Arabic speakers recognize regionally accented words and nonwords, discriminate between different regional accents, and evaluate the sociological background of regionally accented talkers
Realism in Cuong Hoang’s Piano Music: Vietnamese Imagery and Other Cultural Influences in Five Images and Other Selected Pieces
Get PDFThis dissertation aims to explore the various traits of realism in Cuong Hoang's piano music and confirm this aesthetic tendency in his works. Realism, an artistic trend that emerged in the nineteenth century, brought the imitation of stories, images, and sounds from different places worldwide to classical music. This research delves into the sophisticated details of realism found in Cuong Hoang's piano music, uncovering a rich tapestry of Vietnamese imagery, sounds, cultural contexts, and narratives. By doing so, it offers valuable insights into the deep-rooted influences of Vietnamese culture on Cuong Hoang's compositions. One chapter of this dissertation will be dedicated to the realm of socialist realism, a particular form of realism closely linked with socialist countries like Vietnam. This exploration aims to uncover how this cultural influence shapes the aesthetics of Cuong Hoang’s sound and the images it evokes. The research is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 closely examines Cuong Hoang's unique musical language, based on his application and transformation of Vietnamese folk materials in tonal harmony language, as the use of folk materials is an important characteristic of musical realism. In Chapter 2, we examine the intricate portrayal of visual imagery in Cuong Hoang's Five Images and a selection of selected pieces, situating them within the rich historical and cultural artistic tradition of Vietnam. This analysis allows us to discern the profound influence of traditional Vietnamese aesthetics on the visual imagery in Cuong Hoang’s piano music. In Chapter 3, we delve into an analysis of Cuong Hoang's Five Images and selected pieces. The focus is on how Hoang incorporates Vietnamese cultural sounds of nature and musical instruments to capture the essence of traditional Vietnamese music. In Chapter 4, the dissertation investigates the concept of socialist realism as portrayed in Cuong Hoang's Five Images. It concludes that socialist realism influenced Cuong Hoang’s subjective perspective on Vietnamese imagery, cultural influences, and narratives. His music reflects the positivity, vibrant colors, festive celebrations, and peaceful aspects of Vietnamese culture
Impact on Civilians from SAF Market Bombing in Omdurman, May 25, 2024
Get PDFThis report identifies the aftermath of an alleged Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) attack on a civilian market in Khartoum on May 25, 2024.Produced with the support of the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, United States Department of State
Models for Frequency Doppler Shift Prediction and Compensation for LEO Satellites at L-Band
Get PDFIn low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite communications, frequency Doppler shift (FDS) results in lower or higher received frequency than the signal initially transmitted from the satellite. FDS compensation methods are needed to maintain a high throughput and low bit error rate. Such methods rely on the accurate prediction of FDS. I study and evaluate four models for frequency Doppler shift prediction in the LEO constellation at L-Band frequency using simulation and experimental measurements from the Iridium NEXT constellation. Two models are from the literature, and two new models are introduced here. The two new models differ from the existing models by estimating the earth's central angle using multiple factors, i.e., the slant ranges for different elevation angles and the coordinates of both the satellite and the earth station. Considering two factors, this research is devoted to mathematical modeling of the Doppler shift in the LEO constellation at the L-Band frequency. The first factor is converting the earth’s central angle, which is hard to predict, and its variation concerning the relative distance between the satellite and the earth station (slant ranges) for different elevation angles. The second is converting the earth’s central angle based on the moving satellite and the earth station’s coordinates. The two factors are combined to develop new frequency Doppler shift compensation models. This solution can be directly applied to stationary earth stations and extended to moving earth terminals such as aircraft, vessels, and land-mobile vehicles. Our simulation and experimental results confirm that the new models achieved significantly improved accuracy in various scenarios. After comparing the four models, we determine that two show promising potential for comparison with accurate field measurements, aiming to identify the method with the lowest error. Additionally, we explore the impacts of FDS on error vector magnitude (EVM), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and bit error rate (BER), analyzing their interconnections within the linear domain. Simulation and experimental evaluations were conducted in static and dynamic environments, and these observations were compared against our prediction simulations. We then focus on enhancing predictions between LEO satellites and Land Mobile Satellite (LMS) systems, catering to various mobile platforms like vehicles, aircraft, drones, etc. Challenges in Doppler spectrum measurements are discussed, emphasizing the need for precise setups and calibration to overcome potential interference. The configuration of the ground terminal as a high-velocity mobile object is detailed, along with downlink frequency Doppler measurements, revealing a higher FDS in the mobile scenario. Multipath fundamentals, including fading and polarization, are explored alongside the influence of ground planes on received signals, impacting antenna cross-polarization discrimination and axial ratio. Modulation schemes' sensitivity to challenges such as multipath fading and interference is highlighted, particularly with higher-order constellations. Finally, we study the critical role of the Doppler effect in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) based satellite communication systems. The LEO satellites offer global coverage, minimal delay, and low path losses, making them ideal for wideband multimedia traffic integrated with OFDM transmission. However, challenges such as frequency fading and limited spectrum resources persist, necessitating robust transmission schemes. The OFDM with orthogonal subcarriers effectively mitigates frequency-selective fading and optimizes spectrum utilization. We introduced the Fast Tracking Doppler Compensation (FTDC) method, focusing on Shift Estimation and Coarse Compensation for OFDM signals in satellite data transmission scenarios. Doppler effects on wideband OFDM-based satellite data transmission signals are examined, encompassing Doppler Shift, Spread, and Frame Timing Drift. The FTDC method achieves accurate Doppler shift compensation with two stages: Coarse and Fine compensation. Simulation replicates FTDC procedures using Python, utilizing parameters representing the Iridium network's specifications. A MATLAB study on coarse compensation also reveals reduced frequency error with more precise frequency inputs. A Doppler processing framework for LEO satellite communication receivers is discussed, focusing on pre-compensation to mitigate frequency offsets. Real-time frequency pre-compensation and the DSP techniques are crucial, but experiments reveal significant errors even after compensation, highlighting the importance of pre-compensation models. Testing a specific DSP (TMS320C665) for in-flight telemetry shows significant FDS compensation, but residual errors impact BER and SNR. The study introduces the Frequency Doppler pre-compensation, contributing to BER and SNR improvement with reduced computational requirements, thus saving power consumption and design resources, especially in aerospace design. Comparisons with existing DSPs emphasize the cost-effectiveness of Software Defined Radio (SDR) using pre-compensation methods; therefore, addressing residual errors and optimizing DSP techniques are crucial for efficient Doppler compensation in satellite communication systems
Ground-based Light Curve Follow-up Validation observations of TESS object of interest TOI 5944.01
Get PDF“Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars external to the solar system. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a space telescope designed by NASA’s Explorer program with the goal of detecting exoplanets using the transit method. Objects that are potential candidates for exoplanet status are nominally marked as “Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Object of Interest” or “TOI” for short. In this observation, TOI 5944.01 was analyzed. A few characteristics are known about TOI 5944.01, including having an orbital period of 5.94 days and a radius of 11.945 Earth radii. 194 exposures were taken by the GMU 0.8 m telescope, and after reduction, ground-based multi-aperture photometry was conducted to generate a light curve. The associated transit was analyzed at a predicted time, star location, and potential depth. Based on the analysis, the results are inconclusive but suggest that TOI 5944.01 could potentially be an exoplanet. However, further analysis is necessary.
A Sequential Study of Special Education Teacher Workforce Needs
Get PDFIn the United States, teacher shortages in high-needs fields such as special education have considerable negative impacts on the academic and functional achievement of students with disabilities. Furthermore, strategies such as the employment of undercertified teachers to serve as teachers of record and fill vacant positions raise questions about students with disabilities' access to a free and appropriate public education. Even so, there are substantial gaps in researchers, policymakers, families, and other stakeholders' understanding of the extent to which these shortages are impacting states, communities, and schools across the country. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation, with its three sequential manuscripts, was to better understand the current state of special education teacher (SET) workforce needs, including data sources, indicators, and quantifiable representations of shortages across states. The first manuscript, Chapter Two, a systematic analysis of literature, examined peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed research on SET shortages to determine the SET workforce indicators and data used by special education researchers. Additionally, differences in the timeliness of shortage data were explored quantitatively. Next, in Chapter Three, Section F of state American Rescue Plan (ARP) applications were analyzed to determine and categorize SET workforce indicators across all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Finally, in Chapter Four, states that included indicators of Vacancies and Undercertified Teachers were quantified and compared across states to gain a national picture of SET workforce needs. Across all manuscripts, findings and implications were reported in each paper and synthesized together in Chapter Five. Ultimately, the outcomes of this dissertation serve to highlight a need for modifications to current SET workforce data collection, analysis, and reporting to ensure that stakeholders have an accurate understanding of the quantity and quality of our SET workforce
A Method for Formal Analysis and Simulation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to Meet Safety Standards
Get PDFStandard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the “glue” that holds the command-and-control center together. They are step-by-step instructions to guide the operators on how to control complex human-machine systems. While the machine is certified and the operators are licensed, SOPs are loosely regulated. Time and cost constraints limit the testing of SOPs to account for the variability noted in human performance, i.e., SOP execution time and the variability in the operational environment. Additionally, SOPs mainly exist as static text documents, i.e., Word documents, hindering the ability to revise SOPs and maintain configuration integrity consistently. To address these limitations, this dissertation developed a framework for a digital SOP representation, metrics, and a simulation model to aid in creating, revising, and evaluating SOPs. A canonical structure, the extended Procedure Representation Language (e-PRL), was developed to decompose SOP steps into perceptual, cognitive, and motor elements. A method for using Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate SOP Steps from Owners Manuals, and a method to classify the text in the SOP steps into e-PRL components was developed. Techniques, including Monte-Carlo simulations to assess human performance and quantitative metrics that evaluate SOP content and training requirements, were developed for the e-PRL representation. Three case studies demonstrating the applicability of the methods are presented from the following domains: (1) aviation operational SOPs, (2) International Space Station (ISS) Habitable Airlock (HAL) SOPs, and (3) semi-autonomous vehicle SOPs. The implications of the results for each case study and the limitations and future work for the methods are discussed
Boulevard of Broken Dreams: An Examination of Mental Health and Micro Geographies
Get PDFResearch on the hot spots of crime focuses on the impacts of where crime occurs but has not typically focused on the mental health of people who live on those hot spots. This dissertation applies criminological and public health theories of mental health to hot spot research, using survey responses from a large National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) study of crime hot spots in Baltimore City Maryland. Using data from a survey of residents of hot spots, this dissertation will examine the perceptions of individuals with screened positively for depression and/or PTSD who live on hot spot streets and compare their responses to residents who didn’t. This dissertation will also test the strength of the relationship between individual, community, and street-level factors of PTSD and depression. This study finds that people who live in crime hot spots are more likely to experience depression and/or PTSD, and that while people with depression and/or PTSD have a higher level of fear of the police, this effect is moderated by living in a hot spot. This study also finds that whether a person lives in a hot spot influences their likelihood of having depression and PTSD. Overall, this dissertation points to the importance of studying mental health at a micro geographic level
Patronage, the Pendleton Act, and Reform the Role of Rent-Seeking
Get PDFPresent scholarship on the adoption of the Pendleton Act of 1883 finds that reform of political patronage becomes incentive-compatible when a sufficient number of legislators can constrain the quantity supplied (Johnson & Libecap 1994), with public pressure an important coordinating force in the activities of individual legislators (Theriault, 2003). These accounts do not sufficiently explain the administrative history of the civil service before and after the actual passage of the Act. I evaluate the Pendleton Act from the perspective of indirect vote-buying, arguing that opportunities to purchase votes outside of patronage networks motivated legislators to support reform. Replicating the statistical procedures of the existing literature, I present evidence that the presence of well-organized, politically-important interest groups drove legislators to vote in favor of the Pendleton Act. These findings highlight the need to explain the Pendleton Act and civil service reform more broadly beyond the scope of civil service per se, and suggest that individual reforms do not necessarily imply net economic benefits