Through spectral analysis, synthesis, and manipulation, I incorporate the transient and resonant sounds of tap dance into an acoustic piece, Aperture Assonance, for chamber orchestra. By means of abstraction, I explore the idioms of tap dance through distortions, common to practices of spectral composition. The title, metaphorically, refers to the small opening through which light travels (an aperture) and the manipulation of that light to create a resemblance of like-sounds (assonance). Instead of light, however, I treat sound as the source that travels through the, metaphorical, aperture. The pitch and rhythmic material were derived from the analysis of me dancing. The frequencies discovered were approximated to the nearest quarter-tone (24-tone equal temperament). These approximations served as a reservoir of pitch material to be explored throughout Aperture Assonance. Formally, the piece unfolds through explorations of the transient (the attack that instigates a sound) and resonant (the sustain that occurs after the instigation) properties of my tap dance recordings. By separating the transience from the resonance, I am able to isolate or rearrange each element to create new, musical gestures. For example, the transience and resonance may be reversed where the resonance instigates the gesture and the transient ends it. In a fractal manner, many gestures from the motivic, cellular level were rhythmically augmented to serve on the phrasal, mid-level form or become part of a larger texture. The macro level of the piece is divided into three sections: Transience, Resonance, and Transience Through Resonance. The abstraction of this material allows for differing, sonic interpretations. Because of the unique sounds created through tap dance, Aperture Assonance serves as a model for further transient and resonant exploration through the investigation of non-musical sounds.

The research described in this thesis involves the design, development, and implementation of an automated positioning system for fiber-optic interferometric sensors. The Fiber-Tip Interferometer (FTI) is an essential component in the proven Thermo-Acousto-Photonic NDE technique for characterizing a wide range of engineering materials including polymers, semiconductors and composites. The need to adapt the fiber-optic interferometric system to an industrial environment and to achieve precision control for optimizing interferometric contrast motivated the development of an automated, self-aligning FTI system design. The design enables high-resolution positioning and alignment by eliminating manual subjectivity and allows significantly improved repeatability and accuracy to be attained. Opto-electronic and electromechanical devices including a GRIN lens, 2x2 fused bi-conical taper couplers, photodiodes, motor-controlled tip/tilt stages, oscilloscopes, and a PCI card, constitute a closed-loop system with a feedback controller. The system is controlled by and communicates with a computer console using LabVIEW, a graphical language developed by National Instruments. Specifically, alignment is quantified by scanning the voltage readings at various orientations of the GRIN lens. The experimental setup specific to achieving maximum interferometric contrast intensity when interrogating silicon wafers with various surface depositions is discussed. Results corresponding to the interferometric contrast data obtained at several different standoff distances (Fizeau Cavity magnitudes) demonstrate the robustness of the novel design.

The research described in this thesis involves the design, development, and implementation of an automated positioning system for fiber-optic interferometric sensors. The Fiber-Tip Interferometer (FTI) is an essential component in the proven Thermo-Acousto-Photonic NDE technique for characterizing a wide range of engineering materials including polymers, semiconductors and composites. The need to adapt the fiber-optic interferometric system to an industrial environment and to achieve precision control for optimizing interferometric contrast motivated the development of an automated, self-aligning FTI system design. The design enables high-resolution positioning and alignment by eliminating manual subjectivity and allows significantly improved repeatability and accuracy to be attained. Opto-electronic and electromechanical devices including a GRIN lens, 2x2 fused bi-conical taper couplers, photodiodes, motor-controlled tip/tilt stages, oscilloscopes, and a PCI card, constitute a closed-loop system with a feedback controller. The system is controlled by and communicates with a computer console using LabVIEW, a graphical language developed by National Instruments. Specifically, alignment is quantified by scanning the voltage readings at various orientations of the GRIN lens. The experimental setup specific to achieving maximum interferometric contrast intensity when interrogating silicon wafers with various surface depositions is discussed. Results corresponding to the interferometric contrast data obtained at several different standoff distances (Fizeau Cavity magnitudes) demonstrate the robustness of the novel design.

Les cellules dendritiques (DCs) sont des cellules spécialisées dans la présentation de l'antigène aux lymphocytes (CPAs), capables d'initier des réponses immunitaires adaptatives et ce sont également les acteurs majeurs de la présentation croisée des antigènes exogènes par le complexe majeur d’histocompatibilité de classe I (CMH-I). Les mécanismes moléculaires et cellulaires de la présentation croisée ont beaucoup été étudiés, mais des questions importantes restent à élucider. Notre laboratoire a précédemment montré que la pré-incubation à basse température des DCs déficientes pour TAP (transporter associated with antigen processing) normalise l’expression de molécules du CMH-I à la surface et la présentation croisée des antigènes phagocytés par une voie dépendante du protéasome, suggérant que les phagosomes pourraient être dotés d’un transporteur alternatif pour importer les peptides générés dans le cytosol par le protéasome. Comme la source de CMH-I chargés par cette voie reste incertaine, il est possible que le rôle de TAP dans la présentation croisée des antigènes phagocytés soit indirect et limité à fournir les molécules de CMH-I disponibles pour un chargement pendant leur recyclage. Ainsi, notre objectif était de déterminer le rôle exact de TAP dans le transport de peptides à l'intérieur du phagosome et d'évaluer le rôle de TAP-L (TAP-like), un transporteur lysosomal ATP-dépendant avec une fonction putative dans la présentation antigénique. Nous avons mis au point une technique de transport des peptides par cytométrie en flux (phagoFACS) et montré que TAP est présent dans les phagosomes des DCs et est capable de transporter des peptides ayant une forte affinité pour TAP d'une manière ATP-dépendante. Cette technique permet l'exclusion des phagosomes ayant un défaut d’intégrité membranaire, obtenus lors de la préparation des phagosomes, et apporte une preuve directe de l'accumulation du peptide à l'intérieur des phagosomes. Les paramètres affectant cette accumulation sont la maturation phagosomale et la présence de molécules CMH-I liant le peptide. De façon surprenante, en l'absence de TAP, le peptide SIINFEKL dérivé de l’ovalbumine ayant une affinité intermédiaire pour TAP est transporté de manière ATP-dépendante dans le phagosome. Ceci est cohérent avec l’hypothèse suggérant la présence d'un autre transporteur de peptide dans les phagosomes des DCs. Nous avons utilisé la même technique pour évaluer la fonction physiologique de TAP-L dans le transport de peptides et montré que TAP-L est présent dans les phagosomes et serait responsable de l’import de peptides dans ces vésicules. Nos résultats suggèrent aussi que TAP-L semble jouer un rôle dans la présentation croisée des antigènes phagocytés à basse température. Ceci a été observé dans des DCs déficientes pour TAP et TAP-L, indiquant que les deux transporteurs pourraient coopérer pour assurer l’import des peptides dans les phagosomes. Nous avons également pu démontrer un rôle de TAP-L dans la présentation de l’antigène par CMH-II. Ces résultats nous encouragent à explorer les mécanismes sous-jacents à ces fonctions pour comprendre la contribution relative de chaque transporteur de peptides dans la présentation antigénique. / Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells, capable of activating resting T cells and of initiating primary and stimulating memory immune responses. DCs can efficiently use internalized antigens for presentation by major histocompatibility class I (MHC-I) molecules: a phenomenon referred to as “cross-presentation.” Cross-presentation is important in priming of CD8+ T-cell responses to a variety of pathogens and to tumors as well as in immune tolerance to self and in autoimmunity. The molecular and cell biological mechanisms underlying cross-presentation have been studied intensively but important issues remain unclear. Our laboratory has previously shown that the pre-incubation of TAP-deficient DCs at low temperature normalized surface MHC-I expression and cross-presentation of phagocytosed antigens in a proteasome-dependent pathway. This suggested that phagosomes might harbor an alternative peptide transporter to import peptides generated by cytosolic proteasome complexes. As the source of MHC-I loaded in this pathway remains unclear, it is possible that the principal or partial role of TAP in proteasome-dependent cross-presentation of phagocytosed antigens is to provide recycling cell surface class I molecules. Our aim was to assess the exact role of TAP in peptide transport into phagosomes and to examine the role of the transporter associated with antigen processing-like (TAP-L), a lysosomal transporter with a putative function in antigen presentation. We have developed an assay of peptide transport using flow cytometry (phagoFACS) and shown that TAP is present in DC phagosomes and capable of transporting at least peptides with high affinity to TAP in an ATP-dependant manner. Using this assay, which allowed for eliminating background due to leaky vesicles, we were able to provide direct evidence of peptide accumulation inside phagosomes. ATP-dependant peptide accumulation inside phagosomes was affected by phagosomal maturation and by the presence of a peptide-binding MHC class I-molecule. Surprisingly, in the absence of TAP, another peptide transporter may be able to transport a peptide with intermediate affinity to TAP, namely the ovalbumin peptide SIINFEKL, in an ATP-dependant manner. We used the same technique to assess the function of TAP-L in peptide transport and found that TAP-L may be involved in peptide import into phagosomes. Additional results suggest that TAP-L plays a role in MHC-II presentation and cross-presentation of phagocytosed antigens at low temperature. The latter was shown in DCs lacking both transporters, suggesting that TAP and TAP-L might cooperate to ensure peptide import into phagosomes. The mechanisms underlying these functions should be explored to understand the relative contribution of each peptide transporter to antigen presentation.

The American high school schedule of single-period classes has remained mostly unchanged for over one hundred years. In response to societal changes and reform movements, the secondary school schedule is receiving renewed attention. Block scheduling, the use of extended periods of time for learning, is one response to school restructuring in Virginia and throughout the nation. In Virginia, the 7A/B block schedule is used by 23.3% of the high schools. Although advocates have convinced school boards to adopt this schedule, there is little hard data available to assess its efficacy. In this study the relationship between two types of schedules(7A/B block and 7-period traditional) and student achievement at the eleventh grade was examined. No differences were found between the two schedules for achievement as measured by the subscales of the eleventh grade Tests of Achievement and Proficiency. / Ed. D.

This motion-sensing phenomenological inquiry explores relational flow moments experienced by five professional tap dance artists in improvisational inter-action with jazz musicians to better understand the meaning of feeling relational flows in inter-activities. Guided through the Function-to-Flow conceptual framework, interviews and study with the five research participants focused on the functional capacities required to feel relational flows (e.g. movement repertoire and listening being), the form and structures of feeling relational flows (e.g. visible, audible, animatable and tangible forms of relational flows), and the feelings of relational flow experiences (e.g. connecting to, disconnecting from and transcending the self, Other and spiritual world) to discern meaning from inter-active, improvisational jazz-tap experiences. A motion-sensing phenomenological approach, which combines Max van Manen's hermeneutics with Michel Henry's material phenomenology of life to turn not simply to the things themselves but to the how of their appearing - that is, to the affective resonances of living, of bodily being - enables a primacy of sensorial attunement to the affects of kinaesthetic being or the feelings of being a body in motion. Interviews with the participants reveal meanings of relational flow in improvisational tap dance practices, and align with Maxine Sheets-Johnstone's call to phenomenologically inquire into the extraordinary experiential movement realities of professional dancers to deepen our understanding of the effect of their honed kinetic capacities. This inquiry seeks to not only deepen our knowledge of relational flow experiences, but also to add to research on tap dance, improvisational practice, and dance education more broadly.

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Submitted by Claudia Rocha (claudia.rocha@udesc.br) on 2018-03-15T16:54:10Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA16MA213.pdf: 1442712 bytes, checksum: 89506b3035f7acc4dd2a3d494c07e5e8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-15T16:54:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA16MA213.pdf: 1442712 bytes, checksum: 89506b3035f7acc4dd2a3d494c07e5e8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-27 / The surgical procedure mastectomy is the most appropriate treatment in cases of tumors of the mammary glands in female dogs. In addition to the drug combinations that seek multimodal anesthesia, the use of regional anesthesia techniques can also be used for this procedure. Blockade of the transversus abdominis plane (TAP) is a regional anesthetic technique designed to desensitize the branches that innervate the abdominal muscles, abdominal subcutaneous tissue and parietal peritoneum, with the deposition of the local anesthetic in the fascia between the internal oblique and transversus abdominis identified by ultrasound. The objective of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effectiveness of the TAP block, associated with intercostal blocks in trans and postoperative of animals submitted at radical unilateral mastectomy, compared to analgesia with continuous infusion of morphine, lidocaine, and ketamine (MLK), and testing sensitivity to rescue analgesics three different methods for assessing acute pain in dogs: Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Glasgow Composite pain Scale and Melbourne Scale. The project was carried out from April to July of 2016, with animals from the clinical routine Veterinary Hospital HCV-CAV / UDESC. Three groups were used with 6 dogs each: TAP Group, submitted to the transversus abdominis block associated with intercostal blocks, performed with bupivacaine without vasoconstrictor; Group MLK subjected to intravenous infusion of morphine, lidocaine and ketamine (MLK) during surgeries; and control group, with animals that did not receive any locoregional anesthesia or analgesics infusion. The application of analgesic rescues with fentanyl was higher in the control group during the trans-operative assessment and did not differ between TAP and MLK groups. In the postoperative assessments, there were no differences between the groups in relation to the request redemptions of morphine, however, Glasgow and EVA were more sensitive. The TAP block associated with intercostal blocks can replace the infusion of MLK in bitches submitted to unilateral mastectomy / O procedimento cirúrgico de mastectomia é o tratamento mais indicado nos casos de tumores de glândulas mamárias em cadelas. Além das associações medicamentosas que buscam a anestesia multimodal, o emprego de técnicas de anestesia locorregional também podem ser utilizadas para esse procedimento. O bloqueio do plano transverso abdominal (TAP), é uma técnica de anestesia regional projetada para dessensibilizar os ramos que inervam os músculos abdominais, tecido subcutâneo abdominal e peritônio parietal, por meio da deposição do anestésico local na fáscia entre o músculo oblíquo interno e transverso abdominal identificados através da ecografia. O objetivo deste trabalho, foi avaliar a eficiência analgésica do bloqueio TAP, associado aos bloqueios intercostais, no trans e pós-operatórios de animais submetidos à mastectomia unilateral radical, comparativamente à analgesia com infusão continua de morfina, lidocaína e cetamina (MLK), testando a sensibilidade ao resgate analgésicos de três diferentes métodos de avaliação de dor aguda em cães: Escala Visual Analógica (EVA), Escala Composta de Dor de Glasgow e Escala de Melbourne. O projeto foi desenvolvido no período de Abril a Julho do ano de 2016, com animais provenientes da rotina clínica do Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias HCV-CAV/UDESC. Foram utilizados três grupos com 6 cadelas cada: Grupo TAP, submetido ao bloqueio transverso abdominal associado a bloqueios intercostais, realizados com bupivacaína sem vasoconstritor; Grupo MLK, submetido a infusão intravenosa de morfina, lidocaína e cetamina (MLK) durante o transoperatório; e Grupo controle, com animais que não receberam nenhum tipo de anestesia locorregional ou infusão de analgésicos. O requerimento de resgastes analgésico com fentanil, foi maior no grupo Controle durante a avaliação trans-operatória, e não diferiu entre os grupos TAP e MLK. Nas avaliações de pós-operatório, não houveram diferenças entre os grupos em relação ao requerimento de resgates com morfina, no entanto, Glasgow e a EVA mostraram-se mais sensíveis. O bloqueio TAP associado aos bloqueios intercostais, causa analgesia similar à infusão de MLK em cadelas submetidas a mastectomia unilateral