PURPOSE: Hypertension (HTN) affects one in every three adults in the United States. Often associated with the older population, this silent killer has emerged in an unsuspecting group, young military soldiers. With the rapid succession of multiple deployments, long intervals between blood pressure (BP) assessments, and the absence of cardiovascular (CV) measures during the pre and post deployment health screenings; soldiers may be at higher risk for HTN than their civilian counterparts of the same age. The purpose of this study was to explore real-time continuous CV measures of soldiers before, during, and after exposure to a simulated combat stressor as well as to assess which personal characteristics played a significant role. METHODS: Applying the Allostasis/Allostatic Load theoretical framework, a repeated measure quasi-experimental design was used to compare the CV measures of two groups: one exposed to a physical combat stressor (experimental) and the other exposed to a psychological combat stressor (control). A convenience sample of 60 college Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets were fitted with Tiba Medical Ambulo 2400 ambulatory BP monitors for 48 continuous hours. Several CV indices were analyzed using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), paired t-test, and independent sample t-test. Four instruments (Participant Information Sheet, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Paintball Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and Army Physical Fitness Test) were used to assess which characteristics played the most significant role in the CV response. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics between the two 30-cadet groups were not statistically different, with the exception of deployment history (experimental = 4, control= 0). Hours after the stress exposure, subjects in the experimental group had a higher mean awake systolic blood pressure (SBP) when compared to the control group (113.76 mm Hg vs 102.98 mm Hg, p= 009). When assessing pre and post stressor morning BP surge and evening BP decline, the control group showed the biggest change. Significant bivariate correlations (p > .05) found that: Females consistently had higher pulse rates (PR) throughout each of the phases. Age positively correlated with elevated BP during the stressor, and increased morning BP surge post stressor. African Americans had higher sleep BPs pre stressor, and decreased SBP recovery post stressor; Hispanics had higher PRs during and after the stressor. Waist circumference positively correlated with elevated BP morning surge pre stressor but, body mass index (BMI) positively correlated with elevated BP morning surge post stressor as well as elevated BP during the stressor. Family history of HTN played no significant role; however, deployment history correlated with mean awake SBP post stressor. Trait anxiety scores negatively correlated with SBP recovery while state anxiety scores positively correlated with post stressor awake mean arterial pressure and evening SPB decline. Perceived stress during the stressor negatively correlated with post stressor SBP morning surge with females reporting higher anxiety and stress. Finally, Army Physical Fitness (APFT) total scores as well as APFT run scores negatively correlated with pre and post stressor sleep PRs. DISCUSSION/IMPLICATIONS: Age, female gender, African American descent, Hispanic ethnicity, waist circumference, BMI, previous deployment history, level of fitness and the psychological stress state during and after a stressor played significant roles in soldiers' CV response. SBP was the most dynamic and informative of the CV indices and a psychological stressor was comparable to a physical stressor when observing the residual effect of stress. If a combat exercise was enough of a stressor to produce residual CV effects that lasted well into following morning, the residual effect of a lengthy strenuous deployment may be alarming. This study not only provided a snapshot of the CV health of incoming young soldiers, but also provided evidence to support policy change regarding the implementation of regular CV health assessments before and after deployment.

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The purpose of this study was to explore women's dual experiences of IPV to examine whether their motivations fit the current framework on four types of intimate partner violence (IPV) in light of Johnson's typology, which includes: violent resistance (VR), situational couple violence (SCV), mutual violent combat (MVC), and intimate terrorism (IT) (Kelly and Johnson 2008). I applied these types of IPV to describe women's physical aggression, control, and emotional responses experienced and performed during IPV. Johnson's typology classified six of 10 participant experiences; to describe the remaining four, I applied blended types of IPV. Findings in this study indicated that VR and SCV overlooked women's use of controlling physical aggression; this study identified alternative concepts and additional dimensions of control and resistance, and introduced tempered violence resistance (TVR), a new IPV type to describe women's use of controlling physical aggression during protective violence. Correspondingly, findings also indicated that interpretations of physical aggression and control in MVC and IT did not consider wide-ranging degrees of control such as self-control, situational control, and partner control. Hence, distinctions between SCV or MVC and MVC or IT were limited by vague interpretations of control. Furthermore, VR, MVC, and IT did not fully describe women's emotional responses. These types of violence focused solely on the context of physical aggression and control, which minimized perceptions of conflict and omitted reported samples of motivations. Forthcoming studies applying Johnson's typology should include external contexts of relationship conflict and consider multiple types control and dimensions of resistance. / Ph. D.

Tim O'Brien, a contemporary author writing mostly about his combat experience in Vietnam, has written eight books to date. All involve Vietnam in some way—overtly, for the most part. He and his stories are well known stylistically for several traits including the blurred distinctions between what actually happened and "story truth," something that did not really happen, but is true nonetheless. Within the story, he also blurs the line between what actually happens and what is imagined by the narrator or one of the characters; and, although he sometimes makes the distinction, he often does not. To help shed some light on this, there are a number of published interviews and articles wherein he discusses the themes, forms, and methods of his writing as well as his experiences. Research and analysis of O'Brien and his works show that, although his stories overtly deal with a myriad of other issues and themes, the complex and specific theme of displacement caused by trauma is present in all of his work, and can even be considered the engine that drives his stories and how they work with the reader. Additionally, O'Brien's well-known method of writing is actually a subtle yet intensely effective performance and enactment of this underlying theme of displacement. When used as a reading strategy, the theme itself clarifies and unlocks several points of contention about his texts such as O'Brien's generally negative treatment of women. / Master of Arts

Urban warfare is unfortunate reality of the modern world and that fact is unlikely to change in the near future. One significant danger to soldiers in an urban setting is posed by concealed snipers. The large amount of cover among densely packed buildings make snipers hard to detect by sight or sound. When a sniper fires at troops, it is imperative to positively locate the sniper as soon as possible to ensure the safety of soldiers in the field. One method of sniper detection is the use of distributed sensor nodes. These nodes may be stationary, mounted on a soldier or mounted on a vehicle. These nodes may accommodate many types of sensors, including microphones and cameras, both conventional and infrared. This project specifically deals with microphone arrays and conventional cameras mounted on a remote-operated vehicle. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate that mobile sensor platforms can be used alone or in groups to locate the source of gunshots as well as other sources of noise. The vehicle described is a recreational ATV. It has been outfitted with mechanical actuators and electronic control modules to allow the vehicle to be operated remotely. The selection and installation of these components is detailed. This includes the control of the ATV's steering, brakes, throttle and engine starter. The system also includes a failsafe circuit to ensure that the system will shut down if positive control is lost. An array of sensors and transducers was added to the vehicle to allow for useful data collection. This includes the aforementioned microphone array and camera. Other sensors mounted on the vehicle include a GPS antenna and an electronic compass for establishing the position and orientation of the vehicle and an accelerometer to sample engine vibration and allow for cancellation of engine noise. Once assembled, this vehicle was tested in laboratory and field environments to demonstrate its effectiveness as a mobile sensor platform. The tests showed that a microphone array could be used in combination with a camera to provide a continuous stream of images of a moving target. The test also demonstrated how a mobile acoustic node can relocate to triangulate the location of an acoustic source and thereby replicate a larger stationary network. Overall, these tests demonstrated that such a system is a feasible platform for urban combat use. Full implementation would require the fusion of several separate features, the addition of a few new features, such as semi-autonomous operation, and further field testing. / Master of Science

Le but de la présente thèse de doctorat est de mettre en lumière la démonologie de Louis Bouyer, plus précisément à travers les thèmes de la « captivité démoniaque » et de la « lutte contre le diable », qui résument le mieux l'ensemble de cette démonologie. La méthode qui a conduit ce travail de recherche était commandée par le genre de la recherche, soit le genre « étude d'auteur ». Il a donc fallu d'abord faire un survol de l'ensemble des œuvres publiées de Bouyer afin d'y repérer tous les passages pertinents à la recherche, puis, en un deuxième temps, identifier dans la documentation retenue les éléments les plus essentiels et les plus caractéristiques de la démonologie de Bouyer. Or l'examen de ces divers éléments a permis de déterminer — et ce sont là les résultats de la recherche — qu'on pouvait les répartir en cinq développements distincts, qui seraient ainsi présentés en autant de chapitres de la thèse. Le premier porte sur la « captivité démoniaque » de l'homme et du monde, et les quatre suivants sur la « lutte contre le diable », plus précisément chez le Christ, dans la liturgie, dans la vie chrétienne et enfin dans la vie monastique. Les conclusions de cette recherche doctorale sont alors les suivantes : pour Louis Bouyer, l'homme destiné à faire du monde une louange de Dieu est devenu, par son péché, esclave et captif aux mains des puissances démoniaques ainsi que le monde avec lui. Mais le Christ apparaît comme le « plus fort » venu chasser le « fort » : par sa mort obéissante, il vainc le diable, et par son ascension ramène l'humanité au chœur de la louange divine. Or cette lutte victorieuse du Christ doit devenir celle des siens, et c'est là le tout de la liturgie. Dans le combat spirituel mené alors au cours de la vie chrétienne, l'Esprit va lutter en l'homme contre l'esprit malin, et la vie monastique ne sera qu'une réalisation radicale de cet affrontement des forces obscures tenant l'homme captif pour l'ouvrir à la vie de l'Esprit.

L’objectif de cette étude est de décrire et comprendre l’impact d’un programme de sport-étude mis sur pied pour les jeunes à risque sur la vie des participants. Le programme à l’étude a été mis sur pied à Montréal afin de maximiser l’intégration sociale de jeunes à risque de s’engager, ou étant déjà engagés dans un mode de vie déviant. Le programme mise sur les sports de combat comme levier d’intervention auprès de ces jeunes. Les participants sont invités à suivre une formation scolaire aux adultes en matinée et des entraînements en sports de combat en après-midi. L’objectif de ce programme est de les outiller pour qu’ils intègrent la société efficacement. Une méthodologie qualitative a été choisie afin de mener cette étude à terme. Une période d’observation participante et des entretiens semi-dirigés avec différents acteurs du programme ont permis de bien saisir la dynamique à l’intérieur de celui-ci et de déterminer quels sont les impacts de la participation au programme sur la vie des jeunes. Le programme génère des effets mixtes sur la vie des participants: 1) quelques uns y vivent des changements positifs, notamment par rapport à l’estime de soi et l’autodiscipline, 2) d’autres ne tirent pas de bénéfices particuliers de leur passage dans le programme et 3) certains développent un sentiment d’indifférence, d’apathie à la suite de leur passage dans le programme, notamment induit par la dynamique présente au sein de celui-ci. Il appert que le modèle logique du programme n’a pas été fidèlement respecté lors de sa mise en place. Un mauvais appariement entre la clientèle et le programme ainsi qu’une implantation déficiente du modèle logique sont à la base des effets pervers induits par celui-ci. / The aim of this study is to describe and understand the impact of a combat sports program on the life of at-risk youths. The program aims at socially reintegrating at-risk youths and was created by a school board in partnership with a combat sports gym. The typical day that participants experienced while on the program is divided into two blocs. In the morning, they attend school. In the afternoon, they train. The best way to understand how this program really works and to grasp its atmosphere is by attending the same training as they do. Accordingly, participant observation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with different actors of the program. Results suggest that the program has mixed effects on the lives of these at-risk youths: 1) some youths experience positive changes, particularly in terms of self-esteem and discipline, 2) others do not seem to benefit from the program, and 3) some develop indifference and apathy, caused by the environment in wich the program takes place. The fundamental assumptions underlying the program are, in theory, beneficial. However, negative effects ensue from the ineffective implementation of it.