Effective Transcriptions: A Discussion Regarding Technical, Musical, and Practical Approaches for the Modern Marimba

As a young solo instrument, the westernized marimba displays and wide range of musical possibilities. Since the early-twentieth century composers have transcribed music for marimba as a way to expand the repertoire. However, there are many different styles of transcribing and not all of them are successful on this instrument. The technical capabilities and limitations of the marimba need to be considered of the utmost importance when shifting music to the new medium. In this case, the issue of sustaining sound on marimba is discussed as a primary issue. As one of the greatest transcribers in music history, Franz Liszt represents a key figure in how successful transcribing can be done. His transcriptions are broken down into partitions and paraphrases. Paraphrases are free arrangements of an existing work and the partitions are arrangements that maintain a high fidelity to the original score. These partitions take into account the language of the new medium and place the original composers voice above the new transcribers. These transcriptions of Liszt are used as a case study to compare to marimba transcriptions. A good example of a marimba partition is Kevin Super's arrangement of Astor Piazzolla's Tango Suite for guitar duo. He maintains the original score and does not add any new passages to give the sense that he is trying to diminish Piazzolla's original voice. The addition of the vibraphone is discussed here as a way to overcome the issue of sustain. Another example is Leigh Howard Stevens' arrangement of the Sonata in g minor by J. S. Bach. This partition is slightly different in its approach and shows a higher level of the transcribers voice in the new piece in terms of extended and virtuosic techniques. A different approach can be taken with the Bach transcription in which the natural tendencies of the instrument are utilized. Taking out the extended techniques and changing other aspects like tempo and tremolos can place a higher importance on Bach's original and can ensure that the marimba is making the music speak as best as it can

Effect Of CBD On D2 Dopamine Receptor And CB1 Cannabinoid Receptor Function And Localization

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the second most abundant cannabinoid found in Cannabis sativa and its array of therapeutic effects make it a popular target of pharmacological research. Though its properties are psychoactive in nature, abuse and dependence of CBD has never been reported. Its beneficial side effects are mediated through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), as it functions as an antagonist at cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1). However, recent evidence suggests that CBD may also be a CB1 negative allosteric modulator of (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). Interestingly, the ECS is linked to the main circuit thought to modulate reward signaling when taking substances of abuse, the dopamine (DA) pathway. The DA pathway contains dopaminergic cell bodies originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), where reward-related information is carried to the nucleus accumbens (Acb). CB1 receptors are shown densely located across these regions, causing speculation as to the role of the ECS in reward functioning. In addition to these two systems interacting, one study found that CBD acts as a partial agonist at dopamine D2 receptors. Although experiments have shown CBD and its behavior at CB1 and D2 receptors, no studies exhibit what CBD does at the receptor-level when given in combination with CB1 and D2 receptor agonists during acute or chronic treatment. Therefore, the objective of this thesis was to examine the effect CBD has on signaling alone and in combination with CB1 and D2 receptor agonists at 5-minutes (acute) and 21-hours (chronic). SH-SY5Y cells were used as the model due to the native presence of both CB1 and D2 receptors. Western blot analyses were performed by probing protein samples for CB1 and D2 receptors and quantifying protein concentrations for each treatment. Confocal microscopy was utilized to show CB1 and D2 receptor localization. Lastly, cAMP assays were run to measure levels of cAMP production during each drug treatment since levels have been shown to increase at the D2 receptor but decrease at the CB1 receptor. From representative Western blot analyses, acute treatments did not appear to alter CB1 or D2 receptor concentrations. However, for chronic treatments, CB1 receptor concentration seemed to be changed at treatment groups: WIN + QUIN, WIN + CBD, WIN + CBD + QUIN, and QUIN + CBD. No apparent alterations were seen for D2 receptor concentration levels for chronic treatments. Preliminary data obtained from confocal microscopy and cAMP assays will need to be further examined and compared before results can be deemed significant. Overall, by understanding CBD and its functioning at the CB1 and D2 receptors, future clinical treatment paradigms can be better informed

Informing without Conforming: Applying Two Frameworks to Enrich Autoethnography

This article explores my experiences using two frameworks to guide the design, implementation and reporting of an autoethnography. I used Hughes, Pennington, and Makris’ (2012) framework for translating autoethnography to the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Standards for reporting empirical research to inform the structure, design, and process for the autoethnography, and Milner’s (2007) framework for researchers to examine seen, unseen, and unforeseen dangers to guide my reflection, support reflexivity, and examine the development of a dynamic positionality. In this article, I illustrate how using these frameworks enhanced the rigor and reflexivity of my autoethnographic research

Complete Change: A Short Fiction

Nolan, a 28-year old barista, stuck in a world of incomplete moments, finds a new beginning in Brodie. Though a new friendship easily develops between the two, they find a much closer companionship when an accident turns into passion. Nolan is thrilled about the prospect of moving forward in life, but a serious question causes him to think. He may still be stuck in the past. Change is a short story that explores the idea that one small act can both prohibit and enable a person to move forward in life

American Naval History, 1607-1865

For its first eighty-five years, the United States was only a minor naval power. Its fledgling fleet had been virtually annihilated during the War of Independence and was mostly trapped in port by the end of the War of 1812. How this meager presence became the major naval power it remains to this day is the subject of American Naval History, 1607–1865: Overcoming the Colonial Legacy. A wide-ranging yet concise survey of the U.S. Navy from the colonial era through the Civil War, the book draws on American, British, and French history to reveal how navies reflect diplomatic, political, economic, and social developments and to show how the foundation of America’s future naval greatness was laid during the Civil War. Award-winning author Jonathan R. Dull documents the remarkable transformation of the U.S. Navy between 1861 and 1865, thanks largely to brilliant naval officers like David Farragut, David D. Porter, and Andrew Foote; visionary politicians like Abraham Lincoln and Gideon Welles; and progressive industrialists like James Eads and John Ericsson. But only by understanding the failings of the antebellum navy can the accomplishments of Lincoln’s navy be fully appreciated. Exploring such topics as delays in American naval development, differences between the U.S. and European fleets, and the effect that the country’s colonial past had on its naval policies, Dull offers a new perspective on both American naval history and the history of the developing republic

Dynamical Capture Binary Neutron Star Mergers

We study dynamical capture binary neutron star mergers as may arise in dense stellar regions such as globular clusters. Using general-relativistic hydrodynamics, we find that these mergers can result in the prompt collapse to a black hole or in the formation of a hypermassive neutron star, depending not only on the neutron star equation of state but also on impact parameter. We also find that these mergers can produce accretion disks of up to a tenth of a solar mass and unbound ejected material of up to a few percent of a solar mass. We comment on the gravitational radiation and electromagnetic transients that these sources may produce.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures; revised to match published versio