Musica Universalis : the pursuit of pure abstraction

The thesis exhibition, Musica Universalis, is a multi-sensory exhibition comprised of experimental weavings on deconstructed found pianos, systematic drawings, and paper scroll music boxes. The music boxes allow the viewer to hear the voice part represented on the weaving, or the notes of a systematic drawing, in isolation; a recording of a choral composition transcribed from the first systematic drawing of circles plays from the gallery speakers. The viewer can hear the individual's "song" and simultaneously hear the collective performance. The performance of the collective music box composition varies depending on the level of viewer engagement. I create system-based abstractions drawing from my understanding of structure within music and weaving, as well as analog and digital technologies, to achieve a purer abstraction. For the purposes of this paper, I define abstraction as artwork that reshapes the natural world for expressive purposes, interpreting expressive as relating to intuition, emotions and the subconscious. Therefore, I characterize pure abstraction as work that directly resonates within the viewer's soul or subconscious, having meaning that reaches beyond what is visible. I look to Wassily Kandinsky's Compositions and Paul Klee's Rhythmisches as case studies for the pursuit of pure abstraction, in which they drew from the formal qualities and conventions of Western music aesthetics to inform their visual abstractions. My response to their projects is to present work in which the visual and aural elements are of equal importance. This thesis briefly visits the projects of Kandinsky and Klee as they influenced the development of the immersive exhibition and documents the many facets to the viewer's experience within Musica Universalis.by Erin Kathleen KingIncludes bibliographical reference

The Double-Edged Sword of Health Care Integration: Consolidation and Cost Control

The average family of four in the United States spends $25,826 per year on health care. American health care costs so much because we both overuse and overpay for health care goods and services. The Affordable Care Act\u27s cost control policies focus on curbing overutilization by encouraging health care providers to integrate to promote efficiency and eliminate waste, but the the cost control policies largely ignore prices. This article examines this overlooked half of health care cost control policy: rising prices and the policy levers held by the states to address them. We challenge the conventional wisdom that reducing overutilization through health care integration will effectively reduce health spending. We argue that vertical integration - bringing together disparate providers from hospitals to physicians - is a double-edged sword, with not only the potential to reduce wasteful and unnecessary use of services but also downside risks of increasing market consolidation and health care prices. Due to already highly concentrated health care markets and the limits of federal antitrust enforcement of vertical health care integration, states have both an opportunity and an obligation to supplement federal antitrust efforts to control rising health care prices stemming from health care integration. The way to manage the double-edged sword of health care integration is to require price and quality oversight to avoid harm to competition. We offer a menu of six policy initiatives for states to choose from, ranging from data collection to rate regulation. If we are to control our personal and national health care spending, states have a critical role to play in overseeing health care integration and private health care price increases

The Anti-Competitive Potential of Cross-Market Mergers in Health Care

Health care consolidation in the United States has been widespread at all levels and across all entities. This consolidation has extended beyond horizontal mergers of hospitals or other providers to include out-of-market mergers, or cross-market mergers. Cross-market mergers include the merger or acquisition of any health care entity that does not directly compete with the acquiring entity in the same product or geographic market. Antitrust enforcers have historically had little in the way of market theory, economic models, or empirical data to inform their analyses on the potential impacts of cross-market mergers on competition. However, recent developments in economic theory and empirical studies now offer evidence that cross-market mergers can, in some instances, harm competition and drive price increases in health care markets when a common insurer exists across those markets. This article aims to start a discussion among the health policy and antitrust communities about the potential for cross-market acquisitions to harm competition, whether existing antitrust laws could theoretically support a challenge to a cross-market acquisition, and the practical challenges to doing so. This article will argue that health policy analysts, antitrust enforcers, and academics should begin to consider the anti-competitive potential of cross-market acquisitions and develop a means to analyze them both legally and economically

The Immediate Effects of Cervicothoracic Manipulation versus Stretching on Upper Trapezius Pressure Pain Thresholds and Range of Motion in Individuals without Neck Pain

Background and Purpose: Myofascial pain may be considered one of the most common clinical findings in patients with neck pain (NP). Motor aspects of myofascial pain include disturbed motor function and muscle weakness secondary to motor inhibition, muscle stiffness, and restricted range of motion (ROM). Currently, it is unclear which interventions may have the greatest immediate impact on pressure pain sensitivity and ROM. Several studies have demonstrated improved pressure pain thresholds (PPT) after cervical manipulation; however, it is not clear if manipulation targeted to the cervicothoracic (CT) junction will have a similar effect. Others recommend stretching as a method to reduce muscle soreness; however, the immediate effects of passive stretching to the upper trapezius on PPT and ROM have not been studied. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the influence of CT manipulation and passive stretching to the upper trapezius on PPT and ROM in individuals without recent complaint of NP. Subjects: Ninety (90) subjects without current complaint of NP were enrolled into the study. Methods: PPT was assessed on both the right and left upper trapezius musculature. Cervical range of motion (CROM) was assessed in the frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes. Subjects were randomized into one of three groups for intervention (CT manipulation, passive upper trapezius stretching, or control). CROM was reassessed immediately after the intervention. PPT levels were reassessed at 5 and 10 minutes post intervention by a blinded examiner. Mean and standard deviations for PPT and ROM were calculated. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA was used to assess within group (pre- and post- treatment) differences as well as difference among treatment conditions (Control, CT Manip, and Stretch groups). Post-hoc one-way ANOVA tests were used to examine the effects of group assignment/time points in the event of significant interactions between time and group assignment. Statistical significant was set at p \u3c0.05. Results: The two-way ANOVA test showed that there was a significant interaction between time and group assignment for CROM in the sagittal and transverse planes, however the post-hoc comparisons did not reveal a significant difference among 3 treatment group or among 3 time points. ANOVA also showed that there was not a difference in frontal plane CROM between time and group assignment. Similarly, although the two-way ANOVA test revealed a significant interaction between time and group assignment for PPT, post-hoc analyses showed that there was no difference between the 3 groups or among 3 time points for either side of the upper trapezius. Discussion: No significant difference in any plane of motion CROM or PPT pre-treatment to post-treatment between treatment groups brings into question the cause of the improved measures with time. Trends found with increased CROM and PPT over time are clouded by increased measures in the control group. The need for further research exists to better understand the relationship between CT manipulation and upper trapezius stretching and their effects on pain pressure thresholds and CROM. Conclusion: Upper trapezius stretching and CT manipulation may both be viable options for treatment by improving CROM and increasing PPT. Further high powered studies focusing on reducing the learning effects between measures and lowering participant uneasiness with research methods could produce clearer results

'Anything But Conventional' : Faith and Folk Idioms in Dvorak's Biblical Songs

In the nineteenth century considerable ambiguities arose regarding sacred and secular categories in music. Although such ambiguities have often been discussed in relation to the mass, this study uses the genre of the lied - in particular, Dvorak's Biblical Songs - as a means of examining the interaction between these categories. The problems inherent in the idea of 'sacred lieder' are discussed, including case studies of Schubert's 'Die Allmacht' and Wolf's 'Nun wandre, Maria' from the Spanisches Liederbuch. The Biblical Songs are located within Dvorak's biography, to show the great extent to which they were a reflection of his personal situation. In-depth analysis of the music and texts of the songs, both individually and as a cycle, reveals that they are representative of a point of interaction between secular lieder for concert performance, and devotional lieder for a domestic context. A comparison with Brahms and his Four Serious Songs reveals two very different responses to biblical texts: whereas Brahms's solution places emphasis on secular love, Dvorak's songs show a progression from doubt and confusion about God through to faith and rejoicing. Furthermore, whereas the Four Serious Songs demonstrate a highly individualistic solution to the pessimism expressed earlier in the cycle, Dvork's use of folk idioms at key locations in the Biblical Songs places emphasis on communality and tradition. However, the cycle also reveals a more complex expression of faith than is often assumed of Dvorak

An Exploratory Multiple Case Study of Discipline Practices in a Major Metropolitan Public School District: A Look into the School to Prison Pipeline

The school to prison pipeline is a phenomenon fed by exclusionary discipline practices that increase the likelihood that a student will have an interaction with the juvenile or criminal justice system at some time in their life; this phenomenon disproportionately affects Black students. Understanding the problem is key to slowing down the school to prison pipeline. This study of a school district in Missouri explores questions about how interpersonal relationships, implicit bias awareness, and school policies influence the learning environment, and how those factors relate to school discipline, which ultimately can lead to the school to prison pipeline. Drawing data from exploratory multiple case study interviews, numerous themes emerged. Relationships are important when making changes in schools. Staff were forced to develop plans to support students by building relationships, managing teaching expectations, and developing alternatives to suspension. The new policy positively affected law enforcement officers’ interactions with students. The study has important implications for school practitioners; namely policy change is an effective method to lessen school suspensions thus decreasing the school to prison pipeline. The implications for law enforcement officers working in schools is that they can also work to reduce the school to prison pipeline through improved relationships with students and families. They are an invaluable resource to students, families, and school staff to support students and to prevent them from entering the criminal justice system later in life