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Environmental conditions, biotic interactions, dispersal and history have been suggested to be important processes influencing the spatial distribution of organisms and thus to affect community assembly. Understanding how these processes influence community assembly is important, particularly because community diversity and composition are suggested to be relevant for ecosystem functioning. Moreover, bacteria are strongly contributing to nutrient and carbon cycle. Bacteria are highly abundant and ubiquitous, and thus it is relevant to study how they are assembled. This thesis aims to gain insight on the role of these processes on aquatic bacterial community assembly, diversity and functioning. The studies included in this thesis involve transplant and microcosm experiments performed in the lab as well as manipulation experiments and field surveys in a natural rock pool systems. Bacterial community composition was addressed by analysis of 16S rRNA gene and community functioning by measuring bacterial production, community respiration and the ability to use different carbon substrates. This thesis highlights that species sorting is a very important assembly mechanism for bacterial communities, but also finds that other processes such as dispersal and history contribute to the patterns observed. Dispersal caused rescuing effects compensating for losses of diversity; at the same time it increased the similarity between communities. Moreover, bacteria have shown a high level of functional plasticity when colonizing a new locality. Interestingly, past environmental conditions explained the structure of bacterial communities better than present-day environmental conditions. Disturbances and biotic interactions are also important in the assembly of communities. Disturbance caused temporary shifts in bacterial function and changes in composition, the magnitude of which depended on the intensity and the frequency of the disturbance. However, natural aquatic bacterial communities showed quite high resilience capacities. Competition can shift the proportion of generalists and specialists species whereas predation or trophic interactions have been found to decrease diversity and to modify the importance of stochasticity. Both caused alterations of community functioning. Finally, this thesis shows that the diversity-functioning relationship is context dependent. Further research should be directed to understanding the intensity and direction of changes in composition and how this affects the functionality of bacterial communities

The purpose of this study was to determine selected scoring techniques of eighteen mainstream wind-band composers from John Philip Sousa to the present. The men were surveys conducted from 1950 through 1985. A master list of 576 wind-band composers was reduced to eighteen, following the criterion of three hundred or more recommendations of their individual works and a limitation that each composer had written at least three original wind-band compositions to qualify as an influential mainstream composer of that genre. selected by a synthesized preferential list of twenty-fiveData were gathered upon a comparative measurement of time, dividing each composition into the smallest common each instrument part in melodic, countermelodic, harmonic, bass-line, doubling, dynamics and solo material. Each composer was introduced in a brief biography, and the formal structure of his work was overviewed, followed by a review of the work as scored. Detailed analysis was made of score instrumentation, individual instrument usage, ranges anddenominator to determine performance percentages, assessing tessituras, choir and family grouping and voice usage, score density and texture, doubling practices and scoring of expression marks. Individual composition and comparative summaries were made.General conclusions drawn from the study were: (1) Compositions within three groupings, March King, English tradition, and American school band composers contains scoring similarities. American professional compositions differed among themselves and from the first three groupings.(2) Professional march composers scored heavily doubled melodies, parallel harmonic parts, counter melodies, vertical accompaniment parts and bass lines contrasted by high-low voices and woodwind-brass voices. Powerful middle ranges and tessituras with upper woodwinds produce brightness to the woodwind sonority. Accented passages were contrasted for relief from traditional loud block dynamic levels. (3) English tradition composers scored a more mellow sound against bright timbred trumpets and trombones. Modal melodies were scored in vertical and horizontal harmonies, with light voice densities. (4) American school band composers featured the clarinet section, with supporting, contrasting brasses. Scoring in middle ranges, cross-cueing with heavy doubling, thick voice densities and loud volume markings are abundant. (5) American professional tradition composers wrote in fragmented melodies over ostinatic patterns. Dissonance is contrasted with high/low tonal registers. Novel instrument combinations produce interesting timbres. Instrument parts become soloistic and orchestral. Ranges and tessituras are wider and contemporary special effects are used effectively. Representative works from different eras of wind-band composition provide great variety.

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of within-day and between-day measurements of body volume (BV), thoracic gas volume (Vtg), and body fat percentages (%fat) taken in the BOD POD. Fifty subjects (25 men, 25 women) of varying ages (20-81 yrs.), races, and body composition (2.2-51.1% fat) were tested under ideal conditions set forth by the manufacturer at the same time of day (± 3 hours) on three separate days within two weeks. On each day, testing was repeated in succession until three trials were obtained which met the manufacturer's criteria for acceptable BV and Vtg. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant mean differences between the three within-day trials or for the first trial between each of the three days with the exception of between-day BV where day 1 was found to be 260 ml greater than days 2 and 3. Coefficient of variation (SD/mean* 100) and intra-class correlations were determined for each variable both within the three trials of each day and between the first trials of each of the days. For BV, the CV for the 150 cases of within-day measurements was.1 ± .01% while the between-day CV was .4 +.3%. For both within and between day BV, r = .99. The CV and correlations for Vtg was 2.8 ± 2.4% and .99 and 4.1 ± 2.6% and .98 for within-day and between-day measures, respectively. The mean absolute difference between measured Vtg and the predicted value (Vpred) from age, height, and weight was 0.471 ± 0.392 L which would result in body fat estimates that differ by 1.3 ± 0.3%. Estimates of body fat from Vpred were within +2% fat of those derived from measured Vtg values in 80% of the trials. Body fat percentage produced a within-day CV of 2.8 + 4.6% with an r = .99 and a between-day CV of 3.8 ± 5.9% with an r =.99. However, with the exclusion of 3 subjects with body fat <7%, the within-day and between-day CV decreased to 2.0 ± 1.8% and 2.7 ± 2.1%, respectively. The difference between the first two trials of each day was < 2% fat in 93% of the cases, and all 150 cases resulted in fat within + 2% in the three trials. In conclusion, these results support that BOD POD measurements of BV, Vtg, and % fat are reliable both within and between days for a wide range of adults. Also, to obtain the most reliable measurement of % fat in the BP, measuring thoracic gas volume and averaging the values obtained from two trials which agree within + 2 % fat is recommended. / School of Physical Education

My objectives in pursuing this course of study were to widen my knowledge of other composers' music, with a view to: developing my techniques of composition, in terms of application of compositional models to the immediate process of writing (and of notating) music; extending that to works which were more ambitious in scope, duration and cohesion; and producing works which recognise performers' skills and limitations and exploit the former. This involved firstly analytical study of existing works in different genres written using a range of compositional techniques, and an assessment of how I might selectively assimilate what I had learnt about the composers' methods into my own work. This study extended beyond the genres in which I was myself composing or are reflected in my portfolio. Secondly, in addition to work with my tutors, I attended group tutorials (during my first year) and, whenever possible, participated in workshops, seminars and discussion groups not only at Royal Holloway, but also in other centres, including The Royal College and the Royal Academy of Music, King's College, London, the University of Cambridge and the Royal Northern College of Music. One of the pieces in this portfolio was composed expressly for and another was first played at a Royal Holloway workshop. Other workshop pieces are listed in Appendix I. Workshops and other discussions, more Of less formal, with players and singers enriched my understanding of instrumental and vocal techniques. Lastly, I sought performances of my music, and engaged in active collaboration and discussion with the performers as regards notation, precision in indicating technique, etc. The chapters which follow document my activities. In Chapter 1 I discuss my analytical processes, and in the following chapters indicate how I applied what I had learnt and identify some of the works in the repertoire which I found most instructive, in relation to each of the pieces submitted for consideration. I suggest that the major works submitted show clear stylistic development.