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- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
- Resource Type: Text
- All Subjects: Music
- All Subjects: Biochemistry
- Member of: ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
- Status: Published
Description
A new arrangement of the Concerto for Two Horns in E-flat Major, Hob. VIId/6, attributed by some to Franz Joseph Haydn, is presented here. The arrangement reduces the orchestral portion to ten wind instruments, specifically a double wind quintet, to facilitate performance of the work. A full score and a complete set of parts are included. In support of this new arrangement, a discussion of the early treatment of horns in pairs and the subsequent development of the double horn concerto in the eighteenth century provides historical context for the Concerto for Two Horns in E-flat major. A summary of the controversy concerning the identity of the composer of this concerto is followed by a description of the content and structure of each of its three movements. Some comments on the procedures of the arrangement complete the background information.
ContributorsYeh, Guan-Lin (Author) / Ericson, John (Thesis advisor) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Micklich, Albie (Committee member) / Pilafian, J. Samuel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The elaborate signals of animals are often costly to produce and maintain, thus communicating reliable information about the quality of an individual to potential mates or competitors. The properties of the sensory systems that receive signals can drive the evolution of these signals and shape their form and function. However, relatively little is known about the ecological and physiological constraints that may influence the development and maintenance of sensory systems. In the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) and many other bird species, carotenoid pigments are used to create colorful sexually selected displays, and their expression is limited by health and dietary access to carotenoids. Carotenoids also accumulate in the avian retina, protecting it from photodamage and tuning color vision. Analogous to plumage carotenoid accumulation, I hypothesized that avian vision is subject to environmental and physiological constraints imposed by the acquisition and allocation of carotenoids. To test this hypothesis, I carried out a series of field and captive studies of the house finch to assess natural variation in and correlates of retinal carotenoid accumulation and to experimentally investigate the effects of dietary carotenoid availability, immune activation, and light exposure on retinal carotenoid accumulation. Moreover, through dietary manipulations of retinal carotenoid accumulation, I tested the impacts of carotenoid accumulation on visually mediated foraging and mate choice behaviors. My results indicate that avian retinal carotenoid accumulation is variable and significantly influenced by dietary carotenoid availability and immune system activity. Behavioral studies suggest that retinal carotenoid accumulation influences visual foraging performance and mediates a trade-off between color discrimination and photoreceptor sensitivity under dim-light conditions. Retinal accumulation did not influence female choice for male carotenoid-based coloration, indicating that a direct link between retinal accumulation and sexual selection for coloration is unlikely. However, retinal carotenoid accumulation in males was positively correlated with their plumage coloration. Thus, carotenoid-mediated visual health and performance or may be part of the information encoded in sexually selected coloration.
ContributorsToomey, Matthew (Author) / McGraw, Kevin J. (Thesis advisor) / Deviche, Pierre (Committee member) / Smith, Brian (Committee member) / Rutowski, Ronald (Committee member) / Verrelli, Brian (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide a particularly useful approach to understanding conformational change in biomolecular systems. MD simulations provide an atomistic, physics-based description of the motions accessible to biomolecular systems on the pico- to micro-second timescale, yielding important insight into the free energy of the system, the dynamical stability of contacts and the role of correlated motions in directing the motions of the system. In this thesis, I use molecular dynamics simulations to provide molecular mechanisms that rationalize structural, thermodynamic, and mutation data on the interactions between the lac repressor headpiece and its O1 operator DNA as well as the ERK2 protein kinase. I performed molecular dynamics simulations of the lac repressor headpiece - O1 operator complex at the natural angle as well as at under- and overbent angles to assess the factors that determine the natural DNA bending angle. I find both energetic and entropic factors contribute to recognition of the natural angle. At the natural angle the energy of the system is minimized by optimization of protein-DNA contacts and the entropy of the system is maximized by release of water from the protein-DNA interface and decorrelation of protein motions. To identify the mechanism by which mutations lead to auto-activation of ERK2, I performed a series of molecular dynamics simulations of ERK1/2 in various stages of activation as well as the constitutively active Q103A, I84A, L73P and R65S ERK2 mutants. My simulations indicate the importance of domain closure for auto-activation and activity regulation. My results enable me to predict two loss-of-function mutants of ERK2, G83A and Q64C, that have been confirmed in experiments by collaborators. One of the powerful capabilities of MD simulations in biochemistry is the ability to find low free energy pathways that connect and explain disparate structural data on biomolecular systems. An extention of the targeted molecular dynamics technique using constraints on internal coordinates will be presented and evaluated. The method gives good results for the alanine dipeptide, but breaks down when applied to study conformational changes in GroEL and adenylate kinase.
ContributorsBarr, Daniel Alan (Author) / van der Vaart, Arjan (Thesis advisor) / Matyushov, Dmitry (Committee member) / Wolf, George (Committee member) / Shumway, John (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
In the 1970s James Watson recognized the inability of conventional DNA replication machinery to replicate the extreme termini of chromosomes known as telomeres. This inability is due to the requirement of a building block primer and was termed the end replication problem. Telomerase is nature's answer to the end replication problem. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein which extends telomeres through reverse transcriptase activity by reiteratively copying a short intrinsic RNA sequence to generate 3' telomeric extensions. Telomeres protect chromosomes from erosion of coding genes during replication, as well as differentiate native chromosome ends from double stranded breaks. However, controlled erosion of telomeres functions as a naturally occurring molecular clock limiting the replicative capacity of cells. Telomerase is over activated in many cancers, while inactivation leads to multiple lifespan limiting human diseases. In order to further study the interaction between telomerase RNA (TR) and telomerase reverse transcriptase protein (TERT), vertebrate TERT fragments were screened for solubility and purity following bacterial expression. Soluble fragments of medaka TERT including the RNA binding domain (TRBD) were identified. Recombinant medaka TRBD binds specifically to telomerase RNA CR4/CR5 region. Ribonucleotide and amino acid pairs in close proximity within the medaka telomerase RNA-protein complex were identified using photo-activated cross-linking in conjunction with mass spectrometry. The identified cross-linking amino acids were mapped on known crystal structures of TERTs to reveal the RNA interaction interface of TRBD. The identification of this RNA TERT interaction interface furthers the understanding of the telomerase complex at a molecular level and could be used for the targeted interruption of the telomerase complex as a potential cancer treatment.
ContributorsBley, Christopher James (Author) / Chen, Julian (Thesis advisor) / Allen, James (Committee member) / Ghirlanda, Giovanna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Dr. Jerold D. Ottley's twenty-five years leading the Mormon Tabernacle Choir resulted in many distinguished awards and recognitions for the ensemble. Included among these are two Platinum and three Gold records from the Recording Industry Association of America, an Emmy from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and two Freedom Foundation Awards for service to the country. He conducted the Choir at two presidential inaugurations, Ronald Reagan's in 1981 and George H. W. Bush's in 1989, as well as performances at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Gala. He presided over eleven international tours to twenty-six countries and crisscrossed the United States for engagements in nearly every region of the country. Despite the awards, commendations, and increased recognition of the Choir, Ottley's greatest contributions were largely internal to the organization. Jerold Ottley is a skilled music educator, administrator, and emissary. Application of these proficiencies while at the helm of the Choir, led to what are, arguably, his three largest contributions: 1) as educator, he instituted in-service training for choir members, raising the level of their individual musicianship, thereby improving the technical level of the entire Choir; 2) as administrator, Ottley created policies and procedures that resulted in a more disciplined, refined ensemble; and 3) as emissary, he raised the ensemble's reputation among the general public and with music professionals. For the general public, he significantly broadened the Choir's repertoire and traveled frequently thereby reaching a wider audience. He secured greater respect among music professionals by inviting many of them to work directly with the Choir. The results were unparalleled. Ottley's twenty-five year tenure with the Choir is reflected in broader audiences, increased professional acceptance, added organizational discipline, and unprecedented musical proficiency. It is a notable legacy for a man who reportedly never felt comfortable as director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
ContributorsArchibald, Lyle Jay (Author) / Gentry, Gregory (Thesis advisor) / Britton, David (Committee member) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Doan, Jerry (Committee member) / Solis, Theodore (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
A systematic approach to composition has been used by a variety of composers to control an assortment of musical elements in their pieces. This paper begins with a brief survey of some of the important systematic approaches that composers have employed in their compositions, devoting particular attention to Pierre Boulez's Structures Ia . The purpose of this survey is to examine several systematic approaches to composition by prominent composers and their philosophy in adopting this type of approach. The next section of the paper introduces my own systematic approach to composition: the Take-Away System. The third provides several musical applications of the system, citing my work, Octulus for two pianos, as an example. The appendix details theorems and observations within the system for further study.
ContributorsHarbin, Doug (Author) / Hackbarth, Glenn (Thesis advisor) / DeMars, James (Committee member) / Etezady, Roshanne, 1973- (Committee member) / Rockmaker, Jody (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an after-school music program on music underachievers' musical achievement, social development and self-esteem. A true-experimental pretest-posttest design was used and included 14 hours of treatment time. The subjects (N = 66), fifth-grade students were randomly selected from the lowest quartile of scores on Colwell's Music Achievement Test (MAT), which was administered to all fifth-grade students (N = 494) in three Korean elementary schools. The treatment group (n =33) experienced a movement-based after-school music program (MAMP); the control group (n = 33) did not receive the after-school music program. Measurements included sections of Colwell's Music Achievement Test (MAT), Kim's Social Development Scale (SDS), and Hare's Self-Esteem Scale (HSS). The researcher and music teachers of each school administered all measurements. Fourteen treatment lessons occurred over fourteen weeks. One-way analyses of covariance tests were used to test for post-test differences between groups. A significant difference was found in music achievement total scores of the MAT with the treatment group scoring higher scores than the control group. There were no significant differences for interval and meter discrimination tests of MAT. There were no significant differences between treatment and control groups in the post-test scores of the Social Development Scale (SDS) and the Self-Esteem Scale (HSS). However, for both tests, mean scores increased for the treatment group and decreased for the control group. Results from this study suggest that a movement-based after-school music program promotes music underachievers' musical growth and may also support music underachievers' social development and self-esteem.
ContributorsYun, Gwan Ki (Author) / Stauffer, Sandra L (Thesis advisor) / Bush, Jeffrey B (Committee member) / Schmidt, Margaret T (Committee member) / Sullivan, Jill M (Committee member) / Tobias, Evan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
During the twentieth-century, the dual influence of nationalism and modernism in the eclectic music from Latin America promoted an idiosyncratic style which naturally combined traditional themes, popular genres and secular music. The saxophone, commonly used as a popular instrument, started to develop a prominent role in Latin American classical music beginning in 1970. The lack of exposure and distribution of the Latin American repertoire has created a general perception that composers are not interested in the instrument, and that Latin American repertoire for classical saxophone is minimal. However, there are more than 1100 works originally written for saxophone in the region, and the amount continues to grow. This Modern Latin American Repertoire for Classical Saxophone: Recording Project and Performance Guide document establishes and exhibits seven works by seven representative Latin American composers.The recording includes works by Carlos Gonzalo Guzman (Colombia), Ricardo Tacuchian (Brazil), Roque Cordero (Panama), Luis Naón (Argentina), Andrés Alén-Rodriguez (Cuba), Alejandro César Morales (Mexico) and Jose-Luis Maúrtua (Peru), featuring a range of works for solo alto saxophone to alto saxophone with piano, alto saxophone with vibraphone, and tenor saxophone with electronic tape; thus forming an important selection of Latin American repertoire. Complete recorded performances of all seven pieces are supplemented by biographical, historical, and performance practice suggestions. The result is a written and audio guide to some of the most important pieces composed for classical saxophone in Latin America, with an emphasis on fostering interest in, and research into, composers who have contributed in the development and creation of the instrument in Latin America.
ContributorsOcampo Cardona, Javier Andrés (Author) / McAllister, Timothy (Thesis advisor) / Spring, Robert (Committee member) / Hill, Gary (Committee member) / Pilafian, Sam (Committee member) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Gardner, Joshua (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 performs oxygenic photosynthesis. Light energy conversion in photosynthesis takes place in photosystem I (PSI) and photosystem II (PSII) that contain chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy that is utilized as a driving force for photosynthesis. However, excess light energy may lead to formation of reactive oxygen species that cause damage to photosynthetic complexes, which subsequently need repair or replacement. To gain insight in the degradation/biogenesis dynamics of the photosystems, the lifetimes of photosynthetic proteins and chlorophyll were determined by a combined stable-isotope (15N) and mass spectrometry method. The lifetimes of PSII and PSI proteins ranged from 1-33 and 30-75 hours, respectively. Interestingly, chlorophyll had longer lifetimes than the chlorophyll-binding proteins in these photosystems. Therefore, photosynthetic proteins turn over and are replaced independently from each other, and chlorophyll is recycled from the damaged chlorophyll-binding proteins. In Synechocystis, there are five small Cab-like proteins (SCPs: ScpA-E) that share chlorophyll a/b-binding motifs with LHC proteins in plants. SCPs appear to transiently bind chlorophyll and to regulate chlorophyll biosynthesis. In this study, the association of ScpB, ScpC, and ScpD with damaged and repaired PSII was demonstrated. Moreover, in a mutant lacking SCPs, most PSII protein lifetimes were unaffected but the lifetime of chlorophyll was decreased, and one of the nascent PSII complexes was missing. SCPs appear to bind PSII chlorophyll while PSII is repaired, and SCPs stabilize nascent PSII complexes. Furthermore, aminolevulinic acid biosynthesis, an early step of chlorophyll biosynthesis, was impaired in the absence of SCPs, so that the amount of chlorophyll in the cells was reduced. Finally, a deletion mutation was introduced into the sll1906 gene, encoding a member of the putative bacteriochlorophyll delivery (BCD) protein family. The Sll1906 sequence contains possible chlorophyll-binding sites, and its homolog in purple bacteria functions in proper assembly of light-harvesting complexes. However, the sll1906 deletion did not affect chlorophyll degradation/biosynthesis and photosystem assembly. Other (parallel) pathways may exist that may fully compensate for the lack of Sll1906. This study has highlighted the dynamics of photosynthetic complexes in their biogenesis and turnover and the coordination between synthesis of chlorophyll and photosynthetic proteins.
ContributorsYao, Cheng I Daniel (Author) / Vermaas, Wim (Thesis advisor) / Fromme, Petra (Committee member) / Roberson, Robert (Committee member) / Webber, Andrew (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011
Description
Yannis Constantinidis was the last of the handful of composers referred to collectively as the Greek National School. The members of this group strove to create a distinctive national style for Greece, founded upon a synthesis of Western compositional idioms with melodic, rhyhmic, and modal features of their local folk traditions. Constantinidis particularly looked to the folk melodies of his native Asia Minor and the nearby Dodecanese Islands. His musical output includes operettas, musical comedies, orchestral works, chamber and vocal music, and much piano music, all of which draws upon folk repertories for thematic material. The present essay examines how he incorporates this thematic material in his piano compositions, written between 1943 and 1971, with a special focus on the 22 Songs and Dances from the Dodecanese. In general, Constantinidis's pianistic style is expressed through miniature pieces in which the folk tunes are presented mostly intact, but embedded in accompaniment based in early twentieth-century modal harmony. Following the dictates of the founding members of the Greek National School, Manolis Kalomiris and Georgios Lambelet, the modal basis of his harmonic vocabulary is firmly rooted in the characteristics of the most common modes of Greek folk music. A close study of his 22 Songs and Dances from the Dodecanese not only offers a valuable insight into his harmonic imagination, but also demonstrates how he subtly adapts his source melodies. This work also reveals his care in creating a musical expression of the words of the original folk songs, even in purely instrumental compositon.
ContributorsSavvidou, Dina (Author) / Hamilton, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Little, Bliss (Committee member) / Meir, Baruch (Committee member) / Thompson, Janice M (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2011