Jonestown: A Multimedia Chamber Opera - Act I

Williams, Evan M University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2016 해외박사(DDOD)

Jonestown is a multimedia chamber opera in four acts, which is based on the mass murder/suicide of the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project --- informally known as Jonestown --- based in Guyana, South America and its leader, Pastor Jim Jones. The work revolves around three characters, Christine, Mary, and Joe. The character of Christine is based on Christine Miller, who can be heard in the final "Death Tape" of Jonestown opposing the mass suicide and advocating for a more peaceful resolution. Mary and Joe --- a married couple facing problems in their relationship concerning Jim Jones are completely fictional characters, however, details of their lives are drawn from real-life events that occurred around 1978. The opera employs audio recorded by the people of Jonestown, which was later confiscated by the FBI, and digitized by the Jonestown Institute at San Diego State University. There is no actor or singer representing Jim Jones. These audio recordings provide excerpts of Jones's words unaltered and uncensored. The first act of this opera introduces Christine, who expresses her hope for a better world through the work being done at Jonestown. We also meet Mary and Joe, and learn that the source of their marital problems is that Jim Jones is the father of their baby boy, not Joe. The chorus --- consisting of other members of Jonestown --- sing about their desire to create a Christian/Communist community, yet sermons by Jim Jones express his belief that salvation cannot be found in heaven, but on earth, through himself.

The Harmonic Theories of Sigfrid Karg-Elert: Acoustics, Function, Transformation, Perception

Byrne, David A University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2018 해외박사(DDOD)

This dissertation is the first comprehensive study of the harmonic theories of German composer and music theorist Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1887--1933), whose two major treatises date from the early 1930s. The dissertation's subtitle highlights the fo. Karg-Elert's treatises synthesize three strains of thought in late nineteenth-century German theory that were previously somewhat self-contained: a model of pitch and harmonic space derived from the pure intervals of just intonation. Though Karg-Elert generates and explains his pitch space using acoustical and mathematical principles, he ultimately reveals that the space is a model of perception, and that we continue to understand harmonic relations in the pure intervals of.

A Case for an African American Music Minor: Pedagogy, Inclusivity, and Revolutionizing Music Curriculum

Cecil, Harry University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2023 해외박사(DDOD)

The traditions of African American musics have significantly contributed to the United States and globally in just about every considered genre (art, popular, jazz, sacred, and folk), yet there is an embarrassingly insufficient number of collegiate courses offered in the mainstream curriculum to serve the needs of music students who want to learn more about the music of African Americans and the African Diaspora. With the increased percentage of students from divergent cultures, backgrounds, and experiences enrolling in collegiate music schools, standardizing a curriculum that centers the richness and valued history of their musics is vital. It is essential that an American music degree require scholarship beyond the limited scope of European music. The study of African American music is one pathway into examining the broader impact of non-European contributors on society and culture. This thesis offers a structured Afrocentric curriculum as an effective method for meeting this need. Moreover, it provides a pedagogical justification for an African American Music minor?a curriculum template with the potential to expand beyond the music of the African Diaspora into additional underrepresented cultures. An African American Music minor that appropriately fulfills the requirements of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) will not only increase the course offerings beyond those in a traditional music program, but also increase the cultural awareness and inclusivity necessary to serve the needs of an everchanging, more diverse student body in American colleges and universities.

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict Intentions in Male Hormonal Contraception Adoption in College Students

Bishop, James M University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

This dissertation consists of two studies. Study One investigated the attitudes towards male birth control methods. Study Two investigated used the Theory of Planned Behavior to investigate factors associated with intended use of male birth control.Study One AbstractUp to 50 percent of pregnancies in the United States are unintended with the highest rates occurring among women between the ages of 18 and 24 years old. Only 52 percent of sexually active college students used a method of contraception during their most recent sexual intercourse with male condoms and female birth control pills being the most common methods. Both methods however are used inconsistently and incorrectly. These challenges create a need for alternative methods of contraception. Male-directed contraception (MDC) is seen as a potential solution to this challenge. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess college students’ attitudes towards various developmental methods of MDC including male birth control pills, transdermal gels, injections, and implants. Data were collected from college students at one Midwestern University. Females had higher attitudes towards each of the four methods of MDC compared to males. Identifying as female, agnostic, Jewish, and being single but in a monogamous relationship were associated with more positive attitudes towards various male-directed contraceptive methods. Being on a government healthcare policy and race were associated with more negative attitudes towards male-directed contraception. The number of sexual partners and condom use were not significant predictors of attitudes towards male-directed contraceptives. This analysis provides additional evidence to the growing literature of attitudes towards and acceptability of MDC. Despite this evidence, research remains inconsistent. These inconsistences provide researchers with opportunities to continue our understanding of factors associated with attitudes towards and acceptability of MDC methods in college students and other populations.Study Two AbstractCurrently, men have two choices for contraception: the male condom and vasectomy. Male condoms have limited user efficacy, and vasectomies are not easily reversible. To supplement vasectomy and condom use, the World Health Organization has backed the urgent development of male-directed contraception (MDC). Multiple publications have found the majority of men would be willing to use or try a method of MDC; however, none of the current research has used a theory-based approach. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is one of the most extensively used theories exploring social and health behaviors and was used to guide this study. Using the TPB, this study was guided by the following aims: (1) describe college men’s attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control towards male birth control methods and (2) determine if the following factors are associated with intention to use MDC methods: masculinity, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavior control. Data were collected from male college students at one Midwestern University. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were all found to be associated with intention to use a male hormonal pill, transdermal gel, and injection. Attitudes and subjective norms were also found to be associated with intention to use a male birth control implant. These results suggest the TPB may be a suitable theory for further investigation into the intended use of male-directed contraception. The current study demonstrated the feasibility of applying the TPB in continued efforts to understand the intended use of MDC.

The Role of the Gut Microbiota and Trimethylamine N-Oxide in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Conrad, Kelsey A University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

BackgroundAbdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a vascular disease characterized by a localized dilation of the abdominal aorta to a diameter 50% greater than normal. The prevalence of AAA is 4-8%, predominantly affecting men. In 2017, nearly 10,000 deaths were attributed to AAA rupture and associated morbidities. Surgical intervention is the only treatment option for AAA. There are no pharmacological interventions available for the prevention of AAA progression.The gut microbiota has been associated with human health and disease, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). This microbial community acts as a metabolically active endocrine organ, utilizing the human diet as fuel and generating a variety of bioactive metabolites. The gut microbiota interacts with the host through metabolic pathways including the trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) meta-organismal pathway. Choline-containing dietary nutrients are metabolized by the gut microbiota to generate the waste product TMA. TMA travels to the liver where it is oxidized by flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs), to TMAO. Elevated plasma levels of TMAO have been associated with several cardiometabolic diseases. TMAO has also been shown to contribute to vascular inflammation and dysfunction. However, the role of the gut microbiota and TMAO in AAA has not been explored. We tested the hypothesis that TMAO mechanistically contributes to AAA pathogenesis.ObjectiveTo investigate the role of the TMAO meta-organismal pathway in AAA and identify a mechanism by with TMAO may contribute to AAA pathogenesis.Major FindingsIn a cohort of AAA patients and non-aneurysm control patients, plasma TMAO was significantly elevated with AAA disease and positively correlated with aneurysm growth rate. In the angiotensin II (AngII) mouse model of AAA, dietary choline was associated with a significant elevation in plasma TMAO and a significant increase in abdominal aortic diameter and AAA incidence. When the gut microbiota was suppressed with broad-spectrum antibiotics, plasma TMAO was significantly reduced and AAA was attenuated, suggesting the gut microbiota plays a critical role in AAA formation and progression. When TMAO was provided to mice lacking an intact gut microbiota, plasma TMAO was significantly elevated and aortic diameter and AAA incidence were significantly increased, suggesting that TMAO directly contributes to AAA pathogenesis.The TMA-lyase inhibitor fluoromethylcholine (FMC) significantly decreased plasma TMAO and protected against the development of AAA in choline-fed mice. Further, FMC significantly attenuated the growth of established AAA in choline-fed mice. Choline feeding in mice led to an upregulation of genes associated with the unfolded protein response (UPR) and apoptosis and a downregulation of genes associated with autophagy in the abdominal aorta. A recently identified target for TMAO, Perk, was significantly upregulated in the abdominal aorta of choline-fed mice. Mouse and human abdominal aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) treated with TMAO exhibited significant elevations in the expression of genes associated with Perk-mediated UPR and apoptosis.ConclusionsIn both mice and humans, TMAO is associated with AAA disease. TMAO may participate in AAA disease by activating the Perk arm of the UPR. Selectively targeting gut microbiota may be an effective therapy to prevent the progression of AAA in humans.

Novel Regulators of Neural Crest and Neural Progenitor Survival

Distasio, Andrew University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

The mouse model is a well-established and powerful tool for genetic research, with countless transgenes and optimized protocols available. However, knockout of many genes is lethal at very early stages of embryogenesis, making it hard to predict the pathogenic effect of hypomorphic mutations and precluding more in-depth studies of organogenesis. Mouse models of hypomorphic mutations can allow in vivo study of genes required for pre-organogenesis survival and provide more specialized study of specific mutations identified clinically. We use forward genetics in the mouse and powerful diagnostic genotyping tools to identify and model novel mutations affecting craniofacial and cerebral development, demonstrating novel roles for two essential genes in these processes and studying the underlying pathogenic mechanisms.We recovered the dorothy mutation in an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) forward genetic screen designed to produce recessive mutations affecting craniofacial development in the mouse. Dorothy embryos die prenatally and exhibit many striking phenotypes commonly associated with ciliopathies, including a severe midfacial clefting phenotype. We used exome sequencing to discover a missense mutation in nucleotide binding protein 2 (Nubp2) as a candidate variant. This finding was confirmed by a complementation assay with the dorothy allele and an independent Nubp2 null allele (Nubp2null). We demonstrated that Nubp2 is indispensable for embryogenesis. NUBP2 is implicated in both the cytosolic iron/sulfur cluster assembly pathway and in negative regulation of ciliogenesis. Conditional ablation of Nubp2 in the neural crest lineage with Wnt1-cre recapitulated the dorothy craniofacial phenotype. Using this model, we found that the proportion of ciliated cells in the craniofacial mesenchyme was unchanged, and that markers of important signaling pathways were unaltered. Finally, we show evidence that the phenotype is the result of a marked increase in apoptosis within the craniofacial mesenchyme.Another method of discovering novel genetic contributions to developmental processes is the sequencing and modeling of patient mutations, which provides the added benefit of a translational context. Primary microcephaly is a congenital brain malformation characterized by a head circumference less than three standard deviations below the mean, and results in moderate to severe mental deficiencies. We studied two children with primary microcephaly in an otherwise unaffected family. Exome sequencing identified an autosomal recessive mutation leading to an amino acid substitution in a WDR domain of the highly conserved Coatomer protein complex, subunit beta 2 (COPB2). To study the role of Copb2 in neural development, we utilized genome-editing technology to generate an allelic series in the mouse. Two independent null alleles revealed that Copb2 is essential for early embryogenesis. Mice homozygous for the patient variant (Copb2R254C/R254C) appeared to have a grossly normal phenotype. Strikingly, mice heterozygous for the patient mutation and a null allele (Copb2R254C/Zfn) showed a severe perinatal phenotype including low neonatal weight, significantly increased apoptosis in the brain, and death within the first week of life. Immunostaining of the Copb2R254C/Zfn brain revealed a reduction in CTIP+ Layer V neurons, while the overall cell density of the cortex was unchanged. These results identified a general requirement for COPB2 in embryogenesis and a specific role in corticogenesis.

Behavioral and Neuroendocrine Effects of Psychosocial Stress During Pregnancy on the Maternal-Infant Dyad

Zoubovsky, Sandra P University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

Exposure to psychosocial stressors during pregnancy has been established as a prominent risk factor for the development of depression during the postpartum period. Gestational stress has also been associated with deleterious long-term effects on neurodevelopment that result in increased vulnerability to affective disorders in the offspring. However, the precise mechanisms whereby stress during pregnancy contribute to the underlying neurobiology of these aberrant outcomes remain poorly understood. The studies in this thesis were conducted with the aim of identifying molecular changes in the maternal and offspring brain that emerge as a consequence of chronic psychosocial stress during pregnancy in an effort to delineate neurobiological processes that become compromised and lead to the emergence of emotional disturbances.Remarkable neuroendocrine changes occur in women during the transition into a motherhood role, including the emergence of peripartum adaptations to the maternal hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, a critical neuroendocrine system regulating responses to stress. The maternal HPA axis undergoes a number of changes so as to result in an overall reduced stress responsiveness, presumed to be essential for protecting maternal mental health and ensuring proper neurodevelopment of the offspring. Here, we show chronic exposure to psychosocial stressors of variable intensity during pregnancy result in the reversal of maternal HPA axis adaptations, as evidenced by alterations in circadian and stress-related levels of glucocorticoid secretion. We find this dysregulated HPA axis phenotype is associated with the development of postpartum maternal behavior abnormalities, including depressive-like behaviors and the emergence of fragmented and erratic maternal care patterns. Lastly, we correlate these behavioral and neuroendocrine alterations with changes in hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) signaling pathway and nuclear steroid hormone receptors previously identified as transcriptional regulators of CRH.We further measured the impact of psychosocial stress during pregnancy on offspring behavior and neuroendocrine function. We find the emergence of an anxiogenic phenotype, anhedonia, and female-specific HPA axis hyperreactivity following prenatal psychosocial insults. These abnormalities are preceded by sex-specific placental responses to stress and evidence of developmental programming of the fetal amygdala, a key brain region for emotional processing. More importantly, behavioral and neuroendocrine phenotypes observed are associated with amygdalar gene expression changes indicating gender-specific dysfunction in synaptic transmission and neurotransmitter systems in prenatally stressed adult offspring, including alterations in glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling in males, and norepinephrine neurotransmission in females. Lastly, we find changing maternal care postnatally partially rescues genetic alterations associated with glutamatergic and norepinephrine neurotransmission and is able to reverse anxiety-related behaviors. Overall, we demonstrate abnormalities in maternal neuroendocrine function are associated with molecular changes in CRH signaling in the maternal hypothalamus that may promote the development of postpartum depression. We further demonstrate the deleterious consequences of intrauterine stress on amygdalar neurotransmitter systems in prenatally stressed offspring and associate these changes with aberrant emotional outcomes that can be partially rescued by maternal care alterations postnatally.

Trace Analysis of Crystalline Silica Aerosol Using Vibrational Spectroscopy

Wei, Shijun University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

Material characterization techniques has been more and more applied to aerosol monitoring. Developing low cost, compact, hand-portable and direct-reading instruments for aerosol monitoring have attracted significant research interests. Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a major hazard to the occupational health by inhalation. Material characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectrophotometry have been employed to the quantification of RCS. The drawbacks of current techniques can be overcome by two vibrational spectroscopy methods: quantum cascade laser (QCL)-based infrared spectroscopy and Raman scattering spectroscopy. The main focus of this dissertation is to develop methods using low cost and hand-portable instruments for near real-time measurement of RCS using vibrational spectroscopy.In Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, a QCL-IR system was developed to quantify airborne concentrations of RCS. Three sampling methods were investigated for their potential for effective coupling with QCL-IR based transmittance measurements. Spectral analysis methods were developed to obtain IR spectra from the collected particulate samples. The new instrument was calibrated, and the results were compared with standardized methods based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. The QCL-IR method was extended to measurement of respirable a-quartz concentrations in workplace aerosols generated during cutting of fiber- reinforced cement and natural stone building products using a power saw, as well as in aerosol generated from various coal mine dust. Results show that significantly lower detection limits for RCS (≈330 ng), compared to conventional infrared methods, could be achieved with effective micro-concentration and careful coupling of the particulate sample with the QCL-IR beam. These results offer promise for further development of sensitive filter-based laboratory methods and portable sensors for near real-time measurement of crystalline silica aerosol.In Chapter 4, a Raman-based method has been developed for measurement of trace airborne concentrations of RCS. Micro-concentration techniques were investigated for effective coupling of collected particulate samples with micro-Raman spectroscopy. Calibration curves were constructed, and the detection of limits was determined. This study demonstrates the potential of portable Raman spectroscopy for near-real time measurement of trace RCS in air.In Chapter 5, discussions about the advantages and disadvantages of the methods developed is stated. More works using other optional techniques are planned for the future.

Investigating the Role of the Human Microbiome in the Pathogenesis of AtopicDermatitis in the Mechanisms of the Progression of Atopic Dermatitis to Asthmain Children (MPAACH) Cohort

Gonzalez, Tammy University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2020 해외박사(DDOD)

The Aesthetic Foundations of German Opera in Leipzig, 1766-1775

Shoaff, Adam Marc University of Cincinnati ProQuest Dissertations & 2016 해외박사(DDOD)

German public opera experienced a renaissance in the wake of the Seven Years' War (1756--63). Leipzig played a crucial role in this rebirth because of its annual trade fairs, prestigious university, lack of a local court presence, and active literary culture. The opera developed here quickly spread to other parts of the German-speaking world, encouraging other artists to experiment with German opera and inspiring aesthetic debates that would resonate into the next century. This dissertation examines opera in Leipzig during this critical period between 1766 and 1775 from a variety of angles. It surveys contemporary music periodicals, examining the nature of German aesthetic debates. It studies musical scores to see how compositional choices reflected these debates. It compiles theater records to gauge the popularity of German opera vis-a-vis its French, Italian, and Viennese relatives. Finally, it takes into account non-periodical writings from artists and non-artists alike to grant a broad view of the social context for opera in Leipzig. In the end, it sheds light on the aesthetic foundations of a pivotal stage in German operatic history.