The combination of solo percussion with live electronics is one of the newest genres of music today. An outgrowth of the instrument and fixed media genre, live electronic music combines a musician on stage performing with a computer or other technology performing real-time processes. This document is a collection of five works scored for percussion and the computer program Max intended for the collegiate level. In addition, there are explanations and schematics of the patches to help the performer learn how to use Max. This document could serve as supplemental material for an undergraduate percussion curriculum to help students gain experience performing with live electronics. Most students in university music departments are not exposed to technology unless they seek it out themselves. This may cause many student instrumentalists to be hesitant to play works with technology. However, as performing with electronics becomes more common, music students without this experience are at a disadvantage. Basic knowledge of audio equipment, having experience using a microphone, sound recording, and other technical know-how is essential to becoming a successful performer in a contemporary setting. Being able to perform with electronics creates new opportunities for repertoire, collaboration, and performance. Many universities are starting new programs dedicated to interdisciplinary studies such as digital humanities. These collaborative efforts bring together musicians, dancers, writers, visual artists, computer scientists, and others to create new work. Music students who have some background in performing and working with electronics could be a part of these collaborative efforts and help produce compelling, original work.

Strata in the Cook Inlet forearc basin in south-central Alaska record the effects of tectonic events related to normal subduction and two flat-slab subduction events. Through detrital zircon geochronology we track provenance changes of strata deposited in a forearc basin in conjunction with these different subduction processes. Our data from strata deposited concurrent with normal subduction help to confirm previous provenance models of forearc basins that suggest provenance is sourced primarily from a proximal, coeval arc. However, compared to these models, our data from strata deposited coincident to flat-slab events show markedly different provenance signatures dependent upon: (1) geographic position relative to the flat-slab event; (2) pre-established, or lack thereof, topography; and (3) type of flat-slab event. Detrital zircon signatures of strata deposited in the Cook Inlet after flat-slab subduction of a mid-ocean ridge diversify to include older detritus found in the distal inboard region. This distal signature is then incrementally cut-off in younger strata due to deformation of the upper-plate from progressive insertion of a shallowly subducted oceanic plateau. Detrital zircon signatures for strata associated with each flat-slab event are largely older than depositional age due to the lack of coeval arc activity. Our data may help to improve the ability to recognize other flat-slab events through detrital zircon geochronology. In particular, changes in detrital zircon signatures found in strata deposited during flat-slab subduction of an oceanic plateau correlate well with the exhumation of rocks associated with the propagation of deformation in the over-riding plate due to plate coupling.

This research seeks to understand how emotion and pleasure connect with Elton John's music. First, I argue that enjoyment of this music arises in part when on how listener's expectations for harmonic and melodic musical parameters are subverted. This research draws primarily on David Huron's theory of expectation to show how music that deviates from expected norms can be re-evaluated positively. In addition to Huron, I draw on empirical psychology studies that have determined a number of musical correspondences to emotional evocations. Throughout my analyses, I examine how specific chord placement may incite emotion for the typical listener of pop/rock music, and I contend that those specific chords and their placement reliably create emotions that are linked to enjoyment. I also find that elements like melodic contour, repetition, and perceptual salience play a significant role in shaping the listener's reactions to musical stimuli. In the second half of the dissertation, I use empirical research studies to help me address the physiological element of musical listening and enjoyment. I find that listeners use their bodies to entrain to rhythm and react to musical stimuli through laughter, tears, and frisson. Additionally, I investigate the embodiment of music and emotion through the bodily experience of Elton John as a pianist and singer. My analyses explore embodied emotional gestures on the keyboard and how those gestures bear on the listener's emotional connection to the music. Lastly, I speculate about how Elton's vocal gestures influence song expression and emotional evocation. This investigation of bodily reactions to music explores how the body might enjoy certain aspects of music and how bodily enjoyment factors into emotion. Ultimately, I argue that Elton John's music is enjoyable and incites emotion because of violation or validation of harmonic and melodic expectations, and because of emotionally laden bodily and vocal gestures perceived by the listener.

The proposed research explores a contextual perspective in multiple object situations. Specifically, I focus on the context effect created by an object associated with strong attitude on the subsequent evaluative judgment of a target object. Through five studies, I find that the context effect of a strong attitude object is greater for objects with neutral-strength attitudes than for the objects with very strong or very weak attitudes, which result in a curved relationship between the magnitude of the context effect and the strength associated with attitudes towards targets. In addition, I find that the direction of the context effect of a strong attitude object is determined by the valence of the attitudes towards the target objects: targets with positive attitudes become less positive, and those with negative attitudes become less negative. That is, the results of the context effects represent as a form of decreased extremity of the attitudes towards targets. More importantly, it is found that these differing magnitudes and directions of the context effect of an object with strong attitude finally result in evaluative space distortion. I trace the underlying process mechanism of theses effects and find that: 1) the divergent magnitudes of the context effects are the result of the differing level of comparison difficulty between a contextual object and target objects; and 2) the divergent directions of the context effects are the product of perceived uncertainty about the attitude towards target objects.

Schweinfurthins are a family of natural products with significant anti-cancer activities. They were originally identified in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) human 60 cancer cell line screening. The growth inhibition profile of schweinfurthins is distinct from other clinically used anti-cancer agents, indicating that they have a novel mechanism of action or have a previously unrecognized protein target. Previous studies showed that schweinfurthins affect multiple cellular processes in cancer cells. For example, schweinfurthins can alter cytoskeleton organization, induce ER stress and apoptosis, and inhibit the mevalonate pathway. The mevalonate pathway is responsible for the production of isoprenoids and cholesterol, which have been shown to play regulatory roles in the Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway. In this study, we found that the Hh signaling pathway in NIH-3T3 and SF-295 cells was inhibited by schweinfurthins. The supplementation of mevalonate and cholesterol partially restored Hh signaling, indicating that schweinfurthins inhibit Hh signaling partially by down-regulating the products from the mevalonate pathway. Interestingly, schweinfurthins in combination with cyclopamine, an inhibitor of the Hh singaling pathway, synergistically decreased cell viability. In order to better understand the underlying mechanism of the anti-cancer action of schweinfurthins, we attempted to identify the protein target of schweifnurthins. Affinity chromatography was performed to pull down the protein target. We found that schweinfurhtins bound to the M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) and inhibit its pyruvate kinase activity. Knockdown of PKM2 by siRNA increased the sensitivity of SF-295 cells to schweinfurthins. The inhibition of PKM2 by schweinfurthins led to a reduction in the rate of glycolysis in cancer cells. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (FBP), an activator of PKM2, could alleviate schweinfurthin-mediated inhibition on PKM2 and glycolysis. Notably, FBP could also partially reverse the reduction of cell viability in the presence of schweinfurthins. Taken together, these studies revealed the mechanism by which schweinfurthins inhibit Hh signaling. In addition, we uncovered PKM2 as a schwienfurthin target and highlighted the importance of glycolysis suppression as a mechanism of the anti-cancer action of schweinfurthins.

When a package is shipped, the customer often requires the delivery to be made within a particular time window or by a deadline. However, meeting such time requirements is difficult, and delivery companies may not always know ahead of time which customers will need a delivery. In this thesis, we present models and solution approaches for two stochastic last-mile delivery problems in which customers have delivery time constraints and customer presence is known in advance only according to a probability distribution. Our solutions can help reduce the operational costs of delivery while improving customer service. The first problem is the probabilistic traveling salesman problem with time windows (PTSPTW). In the PTSPTW, customers have both a time window and a probability of needing a delivery on any given day. The objective is to find a pre-planned route with an expected minimum cost. We present computational results that characterize the PTSPTW solutions. We provide insights for practitioners on when solving the PTSPTW is beneficial compared to solving the deterministic analogue of the problem. The second problem is the same-day delivery problem (SDDP). The SDDP is a dynamic and stochastic pick-up and delivery problem. In the SDDP, customers make delivery requests throughout the day and vehicles are dispatched from a warehouse or brick and mortar store to serve the requests. Associated with each request is a request deadline or time window. In order to make better-informed decisions, our solution approach incorporates information about future requests into routing decisions by using a sample scenario planning approach with a consensus function. We also introduce an analytical result that identifies when it is beneficial for vehicles to wait at the depot. We present a wide range of computational experiments that demonstrate the value of our approaches.

Erosional processes of solid materials have been the focus of many researchers around the world. Erosion can commence within a wide range of material strengths depending on the amount of water-driven energy and material properties. Erosion could also occur due to Aeolian effects as well as chemical weathering but these forcings are not of the focus of this research. Instead, the focus here is on rock erosion in waterways and in particular downstream of dams. Rock erosion mostly takes place at the downstream of dams where the water conveys through the spillbays from upstream to the downstream during an extreme event. This phenomenon threatens both the structural soundness of the dam with implications to the public safety. It usually occurs when the applied hydrodynamic forces (average and fluctuating) exceed the strength of the rock mass formation. Rock scour at the downstream of dams due to high velocity impinging jet is a complex and highly dynamic process. So a deeper understanding of the process is crucial to determine the rock scour rate and extent. Hydraulic laboratory models have been employed to investigate hydraulic processes and proved to be reliable tools for testing soil/sediment erosion; however, the study of rock scour remains challenging. The prototype rock formation cannot be utilized in the laboratory models because the flowing water in the scaled model contains much less energy and exerts less forcing. On the other hand, the use of granular sediment (non-cohesive), as a standalone approach to mimic the rock formation is not a precise method, since it will most probably lead to inaccurate results. The idea of using a mixture of granular and cohesive sediment is investigated here to adequately simulate the rock erosion process in the laboratory scaled models. The granular sediment represents the rock blocks while the cohesive additive is a binder to keep the granular sediment together. The rock scour process can occur through four mechanisms; fracture failure, block removal, fatigue failure and abrasion. In this study, because the focus is on the hydrodynamic forcing effects on rock erosion, we assume that in the completely and intermittently jointed rock, erosion is mostly governed by fracture, block removal and fatigue failure. Abrasion is triggered by collisional effects and is not the focus here. So, we hypothesize that if the rock formation considered being pre-fractured, it can be simulated using a mixture of non-cohesive sediment with cohesive additive. This method was utilized to assess the rock scour process at the downstream of the Priest Rapids Dam. The Priest Rapids Dam project was part of a series of projects that was conducted at IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering at The University of Iowa and sponsored by the Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, Ephrata, Washington (GCPUD) to investigate juvenile salmonid migration at the Wanapum/Priest Rapids Development. It is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity, and mid-elevation dam owned and operated by Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, Washington (the "District"). To aid the District in their evaluation of fish passage, IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering constructed comprehensive three-dimensional physical models of the forebay and tailrace of Priest Rapids Dam and a third model of spillbays 19-22 and powerhouse Unit 1 (sectional model). As part of the last phase of the project, it was crucial to assess the effects of the newly designed fish bypass system on the downstream rock foundation scour. To investigate this process, the 1:64 Froude-based scale tailrace model of the dam was utilized. The mixture of gravel, bentonite clay, and water was employed to mimic the rock formation and simulate the bedrock scour process in the model. Series of preliminary experiments were conducted to find the optimum mixture of gravel, bentonite and water to accurately replicate an existing scour hole observed in the prototype tailrace. Two scenarios were considered. First, tests were conducted to estimate the scour potential downstream of the fish bypass, which is currently under construction. Second, the scour potential downstream of the dam was also assessed for the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) with the fish bypass system running. Based on the model tests results and observations, the simulated bedrock (mixture of gravel and cohesive bentonite) was able to replicate the rock scour mechanisms, i.e. fracture process, block removal and fatigue observed in nature. During the fish bypass scour tests, it was observed that the erosion process occurs in the form of block removal and fatigue failure. During the PMF scour test, instead, it was observed that the mixture is eroded in chunks of substrate. This process can be representative of fracture failure in rock which occurs when the induced pressure fluctuation exceeds the fracture strength or equivalently toughness of the rock. In the preliminary phase of this work it was recognized that a prerequisite for replicating the processes in the laboratory is the proper preparation of the mixture. There is limited information available in the literature about how much cohesive additive is required to simulate the erosional strength of the prototype rock formation. For this reason, in this study the effort has been made to develop a method to simulate the rock formation for studying rock scour process in the laboratory analog scaled models. To simulate the bedrock formation, various combination of granular sediment (gravel), cohesive additive, and water were created and tested. Choosing an appropriate cohesive additive concentration is critical and nearly a balancing act. An appropriate cohesive additive concentration should be cohesive enough to bind the material and not too strong to be eroded by the flowing water in the scaled models. Moreover, its properties should not change over time. Various cohesive additives can be mentioned i.e. kaolin clay, bentonite clay, cement, grease, paraffin wax. Among all of them, bentonite clay was chosen as the appropriate cohesive additive due to its swelling characteristic. When bentonite is mixed with granular sediment, it is restricted by the non-cohesive sediment grains. The bentonite expands to fill the voids and forms a tough, leathery mineral mastic through which water cannot readily move. In order to assess the erodibility of the mixture the Jet Erosion Test (JET) apparatus was used. The JET apparatus is a vertical, submerged, circular, turbulent impinging jet which is widely accepted and utilized to assess cohesive soil erosion through flow impingement. There are devices such as flumes which could be effectively used for bank erosion where the flow shear action is prevalent. In this study, it was sought important that the forcing replicated in the experiments was of the same nature (normal impinging forcing instead of shear forcing) as observed in the downstream end of a dam. For this reason, JET was chosen as it provided a larger range of stresses (ranging between 100-1000 Pa) comparing to the flume device. The apparatus was designed based on the device developed by Hanson and Hunt (2007) and built at the IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering. Various replicate samples were made with different combinations of gravel, sodium bentonite clay, and water. To determine the erosional strength of the samples (critical stress) they were tested using the JET apparatus. The critical stress was determined as the stress associated with zero eroded mass. The results revealed that the erosional strength of the simulated bedrock mixtures highly depends on the amount of adhesive component (bentonite clay). The mixtures with the higher percentage of bentonite clay are less susceptible to erosion. The erosion threshold plot - similar to Annandale's plot - for the simulated bedrock mixtures was developed. Using the erosional strength of the simulated bedrock mixtures, a step-by-step systematic method was developed to determine the optimum combination of weakly cohesive substrate in order to simulate the strength of the prototype bedrock. The method is based on the Annandale's erodibility index method and requires information about the prototype bedrock strength (erodibility index). The method is explained in conjunction with the Priest Rapids Dam project example. The old trial and error method to establish an optimum weakly cohesive substrate is costly and time consuming especially in the case of large scale laboratory models. Also, the applicability of the method would be questionable when there is not enough information or a past data set that can be used as a baseline (witness) test. The new method eliminates these problems and the optimum mixture can be established using the geological information of the prototype bedrock formation.

The various surviving disc and composite brooches provide proof of the skill and craftsmanship of Anglo-Saxon metalsmiths. Surprisingly, no one has conducted a full geometrical analysis of these brooches to discover the design process preceding the casting and decoration. This thesis endeavors to rectify this through a geometrical investigation of the sophisticated geometrical planning principles used by Anglo-Saxon craftsmen in the creation of these elaborate brooches. Through the use of simple geometrical constructions, smiths were able to create works of great beauty and sophistication. Closer inspection reveals that Anglo-Saxon smiths produced all the composite disc brooches in this study using similar processes of planning. In order to plan out the compositions of each brooch, master smiths would only need a compass, a straightedge, and some material on which to write. Each brooch reveals the same kind of coherent geometry, sharing traits and patterns; with proportions tend to be governed by a series of modular association. Although the master smiths or designers of the composite brooches used simple tools to create the composition, the figures in this thesis were created using the Vectorworks CAD program. This significantly expedited the analytical process and allowed for exact measurements. Despite using the computer program to replicate the planning process, all the figures can be recreated with just a compass and straightedge. While a complete geometric study of all the composite disc brooches needs to be done, this study examines five of the best preserved and well-crafted of that type, ranging from some of the simplest to the most elaborate, as an introduction to the subject.

My artistic process as an actor is ever changing--always in flux and adjusting to the needs and dominant rhythms of the character and imaginary world of the play. While there may be some overlap, every role is different from the next role and therefore the artistic process serves to help the actor find a way into the life of the character. Actor training in movement, voice, and acting technique provides me with a variety of tools to choose from when developing a character for performance. My artistic process is the exploration and play that goes into picking and choosing which tools suit me best to approach the development of a character. It is my work to use these tools to discover the many connections and themes between the character and the imaginary world of the play as well as how they interact with each other. A significant part of this exploration is doing the character research to answer specific questions such as: Is my character's interaction with others mostly negative or positive? What want, need, or desire lures my character from the beginning of the play through to the end? What is my characters internal rhythm...heavy and lethargic or light and erratic? Moreover, the artistic process is crucial to giving me the freedom to release into the character so that I can successfully make the jump from playing at a character to truly embodying the character.

This study examines Midwestern collegiate and metropolitan newspapers to explore the differences in writing about disability language, terminology and tone. Specifically, this study focused on whether referential language and tone about people with disabilities differs depending on the source of the newspaper. Data from six metropolitan papers and eight collegiate papers over forty randomly selected dates in the year 2014 was collected. The metropolitan newspapers analyzed were The Chicago Tribune, The Indianapolis Star, The Des Moines Register, Detroit Free Press, Omaha World-Herald, and the Journal Sentinel. The collegiate newspapers examined were The Daily Illini, Indiana Daily Student, The Daily Iowan, The Michigan Daily, The State News, Daily Nebraskan, The Exponent, and The Badger Herald. A list of key search terms was electronically searched in each newspaper and articles that fell on the forty dates were saved and analyzed. Each term that appeared in the article was evaluated on a Likert scale for language use and tone; the total number of pages of each article was also calculated. Statistical tests used were T-Tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVAR). A visual analysis was also conducted using an online word generator called Wordle. The results indicated that metropolitan papers used more preferred disability language than their collegiate counterparts. Both sources used an informational tone when referencing people with disabilities. Page length differences were statistically insignificant. Specific words repeatedly appeared throughout both newspaper sources: mental, disabilities, crazy, health and illness. While metropolitan papers also displayed preference for the following terms: elderly, elder, people, wheelchair, and older adults. Collegiate newspapers highlighted these terms: students, insane, madness, elderly and wheelchair. An implication of the study is that the media sources selected represented people with disabilities in an informational tone rather than a sensationalistic manner. However, disability language needs to continue to improve and become more sensitive to people with disabilities and professionals who work with them.