Thesis (Ed.D)--Boston University Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.) PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2002. / "September 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 175-189). / Between 1941 and 1945, movie theaters in the United States enjoyed a period of intense activity marked by record levels of attendance. Film scholars have explained this phenomenon by referring to the fascination exerted by "escapist" Hollywood films, which either idealized or completely negated the harsh economic and social conditions brought about by the outbreak of World War II. However, American photographer Arthur Fellig "Weegee" produced between 1943 and 1950 a series of photographs that reveal a more complex reality of movie going. Using infrared film and an invisible flash to cut through the almost complete darkness of the theater, his pictures reveal a peculiar function of the movie house at a specific moment in the history of the United States. By analyzing these photographs in the context of other sources of information such as posters, newspapers and magazine articles of the time, the dark and permissive interior of the movie theater emerges as an effective refuge from the violent forms of visual interaction that were established in public space as a consequence of wartime threats over American territory. Thus, at the time they serve as a starting point to recover a forgotten moment in the urban history of the United States, the images prompt a reevaluation of the spatial conditions of the movie theater itself-a site for public interaction that, interestingly, fosters unique forms of privacy and intimate exchange. / by Diana Ramirez Jasso. / S.M.

An analysis of John Steinbeck's humour leads to a better understanding of the author and his career. Steinbeck uses humour most often to characterize, to control his distance from his material, to intensify his serious passages, and to satirize. The study of his humour helps to solve the problems presented in his writing. His variety of forms, a result of his versatility and experimentation, is to some extent determined by his oscillation between humorous and serious treatments of subject matter. The fluctuation between serious and humorous works depends to a great extent on his degree of concern for his subject, while the inconsistency in the quality of his writing, as well as the inconsistency in the quality and quantity of his humour, is directly related to his degree of familiarity with his materials. Chapter One is a statement of the critical opinions of Steinbeck's humour. In Chapter Two the tradition of American humour is considered. The shaping of the national character is seen as a manifestation of national humour. The three main national characters are traced through from the American Revolution to the time of Mark Twain, when they emerged as elements of society. These elements are traced through to the present day with emphasis on Steinbeck's manipulation of them in his creation of humour. Chapter Three defines the qualities found in humour, then isolates humour from related modes. A definition of general areas of humour is followed by a definition of literary forms dependent on humour and by a discussion of techniques for the creation of humour. Chapter Four, a descriptive analysis of the humour in Steinbeck's works, attempts to determine the quality of the humour and to discover what types of humour predominate. Steinbeck's combination of the general areas of humour, his use of a variety of literary forms, and his utilization of different techniques are discussed. It is concluded that satire is the most persistent and the most successful element in his humour. Chapter Five deals with Steinbeck's uses of humour: to characterize, to control the distance from his material, to intensify the force of serious passages, and to satirize. In Chapter Six the chronology of the works, both fiction and non-fiction, is traced in order to determine the pattern of his humour. Issues which are serious but not crucial he tends to treat humorously, while those which are urgent he treats seriously. The relationship between the success of the writing, the success of the humour, and the author's familiarity with his materials is examined. In Chapter Seven a number of conclusions are reached. The fluctuations in the quality of Steinbeck's writing are directly related to his degree of familiarity with his materials. When he is remote from his subject matter there is a decline both in his artistry and in the quality of his humour. It is natural for him to view his material humorously, but crucial issues demand serious treatment. Although his tendency to experiment caused him to treat a wide range of topics, Steinbeck writes basically about America. He expresses himself through a natural sense of humour yet his writing pertains to the American scene in a way indicative of his concern as a humanist. / Arts, Faculty of / English, Department of / Graduate

M. A.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

This investigation is an attempt to determine the structure and the nature of deformation of an area between highly deformed crystalline rocks of the Blue Ridge structural province and much less deformed sedimentary rocks of the Valley and Ridge structural province. This interval, consisting of lower Cambrian and Precambrian rocks, has been investigated in some detail throughout almost its entire length in Virginia and Tennessee, with the main exception of the Macks Mountain area. The stratigraphy of the area was studied as a basis for detailed mapping of the structures, and for comparison with adjoining areas. Bedrock geology of the area was mapped. / Ph. D.

Standard methods of scintillation spectroscopy were used to investigate the decay scheme of Kr⁸⁷. Natural krypton gas, containing 17 percent Kr⁸⁶, was irradiated in the 100 kilowatt V.P.I. research reactor to produce Kr⁸⁷ Which decays by beta emission to Rb⁸⁷. The halflife of Kr⁸⁷ was found to be 78 minutes in agreement with other investigators. Gamma spectra and gamma-gamma coincidence measurements employed two integral line NaI(Tl) detectors with 3 in. diameter by 3 in. long crystals. Beta measurements were made using a 2 in. diameter by 1/2 in. long CaF₂(Eu) integral line detector. Both the gamma spectrum and the beta spectrum were found to be complex. Energy values of 0.40, 0.85, 1.57, 1.75, 2.42, 2.97, and 3.30 MeV were assigned to excited states in Rb⁸⁷. Possible parities and spins were assigned to most of the excited states from beta-ray log ft values. End-point energies of the beta groups populating the ground state and the first and second excited states were measured and used in conjunction with the gamma-ray energy measurements to calculate a value of 3.85 ±.04 MeV for the Kr⁸⁷ disintegration energy. Gamma-ray relative intensity measurements provided a percent abundance estimate of the beta groups populating the various Rb⁸⁷ energy levels. Angular correlation measurements were performed for the 2.57 - 0.40 MeV gamma-gamma cascade proceeding from a level at 2.97 MeV. The results were consistent with log rt and shell model predictions and allowed a tentative assignment of 9/2⁺ to be made for this state. The ground state spin and parity or Kr⁸⁷ is inferred, on this basis, to be 7/2⁺. / Ph. D.

M.S.

The first section demonstrates the mathematical feasibility of using -2 for a base as a possible number system in a computer. All arithmetic operations are defined and many examples are given. The second section shows how the various mathematical operations might be realized in an actual computer. Flow charts and block diagrams are used extensively. / M.S.