This document summarizes a research effort focused on improving live-to-virtual (L-V) communication systems. The purpose of this work is to address a significant challenge facing the tactical communications training community through the development of the Live-to-Virtual Relay Radio Prediction Algorithm and implementation of the algorithm into an Integrated Live-to-Virtual Communications Server prototype device. The motivation for the work and the challenges of integrating live and virtual communications are presented. Details surrounding the formulation of the prediction algorithm and a description of the prototype system, hardware, and software architectures are shared. Experimental results from discrete event simulation analysis and prototype functionality testing accompany recommendations for future investigation. If the methods and technologies summarized are implemented, an estimated equipment savings of 25%-53% and an estimated cost savings of $150,000.00 - $630,000.00 per site are anticipated. Thus, a solution to a critical tactical communications training problem is presented through the research discussed.

This research investigates the current state and ability of homestation training infrastructure (TADSS, networks, and facilities) and framework for training (scenarios, databases, and training support packages) to support a Live Virtual Constructive – Integrating Architecture (LVC-IA) delivered Integrated Training Environment (ITE). As combat operations in Central and Southwest Asia come to a close the Army is faced with extreme post-conflict budget cuts and force reductions. Continued evolution of Army training methodology is required to overcome limited resources and maintain force readiness in the anticipated “era of persistent conflict”. A LVC-IA delivered ITE promises to be the next step in the evolution of training. Interoperation of live, virtual, and constructive simulations in a persistent and consistent manner can collectively train brigade and below units on combined arms tasks in a resource constrained homestation environment. However, LVC-IA cannot act alone in establishing the ITE. Prior to the fielding of LVC-IA, local installations must already possess a training infrastructure that optimizes training resources as well as a framework for training that meets Operational Adaptability training requirements. To measure the perceived state and ability of homestation training infrastructure and framework for training to support a LVC-IA delivered ITE, a survey was conducted of homestation training community members at the 18 Army installations scheduled for LVC-IA fielding. Additionally, perceptions regarding the role of LVC-IA in establishing the ITE and emerging resources, useful in the development of local framework for training were sought. Findings, conclusions, limitations, lessons learned, and recommendations for future research are presented.

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Constructive journalism aims to cover stories about progress and collaboration as well as stories about devastation and conflict. This qualitative interviewstudy explores how local journalists working at Sveriges Television and Sveriges Radio experience the impact of constructive journalism on their journalistic role. What has the constructive perspective, which is now quite implemented in the two media organizations, meant for the conceptions of the journalistic role considering norms, ideals and journalistic mission? By interviewing five journalists about their experiences, we received results that provide an understanding of constructive journalism as it pertains to journalist role conceptions. The results show that the constructive perspective has come with a great sense of change for these journalists, considering how they experience their journalistic role.

Health disparities are differences in disease prevalence, mortality rates, and adverse health outcomes across social demographics. The prevalence of health disparities stems from sociopolitical inequities that contribute to the ongoing marginalization of different communities, the majority of which occur along racial and ethnic lines in the United States. As moral wrongs in need of moral repair, health disparities can be addressed in one of six ways, articulated in the scholarship of Margaret Urban Walker: (1) holding wrongdoers responsible; (2) addressing the harms imposed on victims; (3) instating moral terms and standards into harmed communities to regain their trust in social mechanisms meant to protect them; (4) recreating trust among harmed communities rooted in new norms; (5) nourishing hope; and (6) bringing together victims and wrongdoers. This dissertation engages the aforementioned morally reparative steps to redress the moral wrong of health disparities in the United States through proposed policy, educational, and clinical interventions. This dissertation examines health disparities from four perspectives. First, it employs a sociohistorical lens to chart the history of health disparities in the United States and the complex social factors contributing to their prevalence. Second, it uses international rights rhetoric of the United Nations and its supporting committees to examine methods of accountability from the United States aimed at reducing disparities and inequities. Third, the dissertation applies the lens of Jacques Maritain’s ontologically informed personalism to reclaim personhood as a viable concept that attends to the sacrality of humanity and our status as social and political beings. Fourth, the dissertation applies the historical, rights, and personalist perspectives in a case study centering black birthing people as an exemplary demographic plagued by racially impacted health disparities and in need of moral repair. This dissertation uses the four-perspective approach to conclude with a morally reparative framework aimed at eliminating health disparities through constructive healthcare policy, practice, and educational measures affirming personhood, human dignity, universal human rights, and health for all people.

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Workforce scheduling is widely used within most industries. A well-outlined and efficient schedule gives cost savings, such as reduced number of overtime hours, increases overall utilization, and facilitates meeting demands. A large and complex schedule, for example, scheduling of a health care workforce, needs to consider many parameters when constructed; it is essential to account for all critical constraints regarding who can dispense a particular medicine, laws restricting the health care system, etcetera. This thesis evaluates two different methods for implementing a workforce scheduling system for one of Linköping’s most well-known restaurants and bars for students, using mixed integer programming and heuristics. Flamman Pub & Disco recruits new employees prior to every semester. Usually, the workforce consists of around 100 employees, and the vast majority of them work either in the bar or in the kitchen. Historically, the scheduling process has been handled manually using Excel. This does, however, take up much time for the operations manager, something considered frowned upon. Therefore, this thesis suggests an automated scheme for future scheduling processes. Because Flamman is a student organization, they do not hold the capital to invest in expensive licensed optimization software. However, literature studies have shown that heuristics such as large neighborhood search can generate sufficient performance, and therefore the investigation of free-of-charge software using a heuristic approach is conducted. The constructed framework uses a mixed integer programming model, which also lays the cornerstone for the two heuristics: a reverse constructive heuristic and a large neighborhood search. The results retrieved from the analysis prove that a heuristic can be a helpful tool for upcoming recruitment periods. There are, however, recommended areas for improvement regarding the current state of the heuristic.