The School of the Americas (SOA), currently known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), is a Latin American training program run by the U.S. army since 1946. While the U.S. claimed they were training young men to serve as security personnel for South America, the trainees were often violent, acting more like CIA-trained terrorists, killing innocent people and serving as leaders in some of the worst South American dictatorial regimes. Most of these regimes heavily utilized rape as a key tactic of repression rising to the level of genocide, such as reported by other researches in both the Peruvian and Guatemalan civil wars where rape was used by SOA graduates against Indigenous populations to physically and psychologically damage the populace. While the functions of rape in civil conflicts have been identified by research and witnessed in the actions of SOA graduates, I find hesitant evidence that sexual assault was a legitimate torture and counterinsurgency tool taught at the SOA.

Article examines the relationship between COVID-19 shocks and GDP loss of different countries worldwide based on the seven scenarios of the epidemiological DSGE/CGE model. Their results reveal that the most significant GDP loss is associated with Japan, Germany, and the US, respectively, which are industrialized countries with the most prominent automobile manufacturers.

Weekly newspaper from The Colony, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

This study sought to answer critical questions surrounding the impact that national culture has on specific parts of the employment experience of employees working for multinational organizations. As globalization expands and organizations are gaining larger footprints beyond regional operations, there has become a need to understand how cultural nuances could be playing a role in the employee experiences at these organizations. This study looks at two pieces of the employee experience in great detail, the psychological contract and job satisfaction. Understanding the process that builds psychological contracts between employee and employer is a critical piece to promoting a satisfied and productive workforce. The perception of a breach of the psychological contract has substantial negative implications. Understanding how the psychological contract and employee job satisfaction are linked is a key focus of this study. Binary logistic regression and path analysis were conducted on a sample of employees of multinational organizations which provided key findings and evidence that both nationality and job satisfaction play a statistically significant role in the perception of a psychological contract breach. The path analysis provided results that warrant further research, but was unable to substantiate the moderating effects of the dimensions of national culture on job satisfaction …

Intelligent algorithm approaches that augment the analytical capabilities of traditional techniques may improve the evaluation and performance of decision making units (DMUs). Crises such as the massive COVID-19 pandemic-related shock to businesses have prompted the deployment of analytical tools to provide solutions to emerging complex questions with incredible speed and accuracy. Performance evaluation of DMUs (e.g., financial institutions) is challenging and often depends on the sophistication and robustness of analytical methods. Therefore, advances in analytical methods capable of accurate solutions for competitive real-world applications are essential to managers. This dissertation introduces and reviews three robust methods for evaluating and optimizing the decision-making processes of DMUs to assist managers in enhancing the productivity and performance of their operational goals. The first essay proposes a robust search field division method, which improves the performance of evolutionary algorithms. The second essay proposes a robust double judgment approach method that enhances the efficiency of the data envelopment analysis method. The third essay proposes a robust general regression neural network method to examine the effect of shocks on GDP loss caused by COVID-19 on the global economy. These three essays contribute to optimization methodology by introducing novel robust techniques for managers of DMUs to improve …

This article presents research where various kudzu accessions were analyzed through barcoding and comparative transcriptomics, generating tools for identification and molecular pathway analysis.

Weekly newspaper from Ralls, Texas that includes local, state, and national news along with advertising.

Biweekly, comprehensive compilation of decisions, reports, public notices, and other documents of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Monthly newsletter published by the 12th Armored Division Association, discussing news related to the activities of the U.S. Army unit and updates on previous members of the division.

Monthly newsletter published by the 12th Armored Division Association, discussing news related to the activities of the U.S. Army unit and updates on previous members of the division.

This manuscript-style dissertation consists of three publications interconnected in their focus on the dynamically evolving use of immersive virtual reality technologies for language education. The manuscripts included in this dissertation were adapted from three research papers published or submitted for publication in scientific journals and book chapters. The first manuscript provides an overview of immersive technologies of different levels of immersion, ranging from 2D displays on a flat screen to highly immersive interactive experiences rendered in virtual reality using head-mounted displays. The second manuscript is a systematic review, and it narrows down the scope of immersive technologies outlined in the previous publication by exploring existing research on the technologies related to the highest level of immersion for language learning, namely the high-immersion virtual reality technologies. The third manuscript continues to investigate the application of those technologies for language learning, but the focus is shifted from examining virtual reality applications to exploring language teachers' beliefs about using those technologies. This dissertation offers a comprehensive overview of high-immersion virtual reality use for language learning which may serve as an ideal starting point for researchers and educators interested in learning more about the current state of virtual reality integration in schools from the …

This narrative inquiry study sought the voices of bilingual teachers through their lived experiences in relation to the success of Hispanic emergent bilinguals in schools. Two research questions guided the study: (1) What practices do bilingual educators consider important in helping Hispanic emergent bilingual students succeed in schools? and (2) How do bilingual teachers negotiate the curriculum and school structures to support Hispanic bilingual students' success in their classrooms? Two theoretical frameworks were used. Constructivism provided the structure for honoring the lived experiences of these teachers and culturally relevant pedagogy provided the lenses of culture, funds of knowledge, and deep sociolinguistic awareness. The use of narrative inquiry as a methodology affirmed the bilingual teachers' voices as important and authoritative sources of knowledge. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations allowed the participants to engage as storytellers about their history and experiences that contributed to answering the questions. Three resonant reverberations emerged from the analysis: (a) the emerging rhythms of the classroom; (b) the realms of instructional and learning design; and (c) the orientation towards a culturally relevant pedagogy. These major findings revealed that teachers were student-oriented while also being content-oriented. They designed a positive learning environment by tapping into their students' funds …

Ensemble performances program book from the 2021-2022 school year at the University of North Texas College of Music.

Saudi Arabia introduced the VAT in 2018 in response to the nation's structural budget deficit caused, in large measure, by its dependence on revenue from oil and natural gas production. Initially the tax rate was 5 percent, but in July 2020 the rate was tripled to 15 percent. This dissertation examine the effect of the introduction of a value-added tax (VAT) on governance in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, we explore how the VAT's introduction has altered the Saudi bureaucracy, both its responsiveness and representativeness, and what is VAT effect on growth in GDP, public unemployment, and changes in national budget. The data used to analyze these research questions are collected from several sources including the Saudi General Authority for Statistics, Saudi Ministry of Finance, and World Bank. Different methods of analysis were used such as ordinary least squares, difference in differences, and least squares dummy variables to answer the research questions. The study found that VAT is associated with an increase in GDP per capita, and VAT was negatively associated with total debt per capita, deficit per capita, and non-Saudi unemployment. In addition, government spending did change after the introduction of VAT to internal development more than external focus. Finally, VAT …

"This report will provide greater detail about the multistep effort devised and driven by Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election and block the transfer of power. Building on the information presented in our hearings earlier this year, we will present new findings about Trump's pressure campaign on officials from the local level all the way up to his Vice President, orchestrated and designed solely to throw out the will of the voters and keep him in office past the end of his elected term." [Page X]

Ensemble performances program book from the 2021-2022 school year at the University of North Texas College of Music.

Utilizing many sources new to publication, James L. Haley delivers a most readable and enjoyable narrative history of Texas, told through stories—the words and recollections of Texans who actually lived the state’s spectacular history. From Jim Bowie’s and Davy Crockett’s myth-enshrouded stand at the Alamo, to the Mexican-American War, and to Sam Houston’s heroic failed effort to keep Texas in the Union during the Civil War, the transitions in Texas history have often been as painful and tense as the “normal” periods in between. Here, in all of its epic grandeur, is the story of Texas as its own passionate nation.

Biweekly, comprehensive compilation of decisions, reports, public notices, and other documents of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Biweekly, comprehensive compilation of decisions, reports, public notices, and other documents of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.