Given time... for soprano and orchestra.

The title of this work, Given time… is meant to be less like a traditional title and more like the beginning of a deep thought. Time is one of those things that I think humans just don’t understand and don’t give very much thought to, especially considering how much time has already passed and how much time left there is in the universe. Where does space and time end? And where do we (or I) fit in all of it? Does everything I do have any lasting impact on the eternal scheme of things? The list of questions goes on seemingly forever, but pondering them has always been stirring to me. Setting some of these thoughts and feelings to music was a new challenge that I loved every step of the way. This work sets three poems by Kenny A. Chaffin. Several more of his poems were selected to be included in the work at a later date. Each poem introduces a new way of looking at or thinking about the vastness of the universe, the endlessness of time, and in some cases, our potential impact or fate as a human race. “And They All Danced” is about an incomprehensibly slow dance that has gone on for billions of years and will continue to go on forever. It is the dance of the galaxies as they move, twirl around, and sometimes collide with each other. The music is slow but filled with anxious anticipation. It is meant to give the impression of something small and docile, yet enormous and powerful at the same time—just like the drifting galaxies through space. There are a couple moments in the music where I imagined an extremely slow “downbeat” as if we were listening to the dance music of the universe slowed down by a thousand times—or is it sped up? “Seeking Contact” comes from mankind’s current perspective and relationship with the universe. For decades now we have been probing the galaxy and listening for any kind of a response. It reflects our innate desire to answer the question—are we alone in the universe? As Arthur C. Clarke famously said, “both [answers] are equally terrifying.” The music reflects our persistent effort to reach out in search of life beyond this planet and possibly a hint of apprehension at finding out the answer. “Millions of Years from Now” is an attempt to reflect the thoughts of someone living millions of years from now as they remember their solar system of origin. After having populated the rest of the Milky Way and beyond, would we look back with fondness or disdain? I imagine the speaker of this poem as a spoiled and distracted twenty-something living millions of years in the future who’s decided that the new, cool, retro thing is the Oort Cloud—a spherical shell of icy objects that exist in the outermost reaches of our solar system

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationPercutaneous osseointegrated prosthetics are a promising limb prosthetic alternative for amputees. Similar to other percutaneous devices that have permanent residence in host tissue, their success is dependent on an impassable attachment between skin and the device. An incomplete attachment greatly increases risk of infection and subsequent device removal. A common failure mechanism of percutaneous devices is the epidermis migrating internally, called "epidermal downgrowth," creating a pocket between the skin and the device. This pocket serves as an access point for microorganisms, contributing to infection and device failure. Thus, there is a need to improve the skin integration with the percutaneous device such that microbial access and infection is prevented. This first portion of this dissertation work sought to investigate infection vulnerability of porous titanium and smooth titanium percutaneous implants with subcutaneous flanges. In this work, a more relevant small animal model of percutaneous device infection was established. It was demonstrated that porous surfaces significantly decreased risk of infection of percutaneous implants. However, due to epidermal downgrowth in the majority of implants, there was an absence of skin integration with the percutaneous component, thus contributing to increased infection susceptibility and device failure

DISCOVERY-PROCUREMENT OF AN ORDER REQUIRING A NONRESIDENT PLAINTIFF TO SUBMIT TO AN ORAL EXAMINATION WITHIN THE STATE BEFORE TRIAL

Relator, a resident of Massachusetts, brought an action in Illinois against the Railway Express Company to recover damages for the negligent transportation of the relator\u27s cattle. After the cause was at issue the Express Company\u27s attorneys presented a motion to respondent, a superior court judge, requesting a court order directing the nonresident relator to appear before a notary public in Chicago for the purpose of an oral examination. The court granted the order, fixing a time and place for the taking of relator\u27s deposition on oral interrogatories. Upon failure of the relator to appear, the court stayed proceedings for a period extending thirty days beyond the date of the taking of the deposition for the purposes of discovery. Relator then petitioned for a writ of mandamus to command respondent to strike the orders from the court records. Held, writ of mandamus granted. People ex rel. Prince v. Graber, (Ill. 1947) 74 N.E. (2d) 865

REAL PROPERTY-TENANCY BY ENTIRETIES-ESTATE CREATED BY PAROL GIFT FOLLOWED BY A VOLUNTARY SETTLEMENT

Prior to his death in 1892, X made a parol gift of 60 acres in a 360 acre tract to his daughter, W, or to W and her husband, H, and put them into actual possession but gave them no deed to the land. No evidence was shown to indicate that either W or H had paid the taxes or made any improvements on the land during X\u27s lifetime. X died intestate and left surviving him five children, including W. All the heirs, except W, conveyed the 60 acre tract to W and H in consideration of a deed releasing all claims that W and H had in the remaining 300 acres. W died intestate in 1917, and in 1939 H executed a deed to defendants conveying a one-fourth royalty interest in the minerals in the 60 acre tract. Plaintiffs, the surviving children of W and H, brought this action in chancery, in 1943, to determine their right to said lands and royalties. Held, for the defendants, one judge dissenting. The parol gift followed by the exchange of deeds constituted a voluntary settlement which created a tenancy by entireties in W and H, so that upon W\u27s death, H obtained full title by right of survivorship and therefore was able to convey the royalty interest to defendants. Rowland v. McAlester Fuel Co., (Ark. 1947) 201 S. W. (2d) 742

JOINT ADVENTURE--RIGHT OF CO-ADVENTURERS TO SUE EACH OTHER AT LAW

Plaintiff and defendants, joint adventurers, entered into an agreement whereby plaintiff was allegedly entitled to a cash payment from the funds of the joint undertaking. Plaintiff brought an action against defendants to recover the amount claimed. Neither party requested termination of the business. The trial court ordered a reference for accounting and then, without terminating the joint adventure, found that plaintiff was entitled to be paid out of the assets of the joint adventure as agreed. On appeal, held, reversed. As plaintiff and defendants were joint venturers it was necessary to have a termination of the joint adventure and an accounting of all transactions thereof before plaintiff could bring suit to recover the amount due him under the agreement. Cunningham v. De Mordaigle, (Cal. App. 1947) 186 P. (2d) 423

BILLS AND NOTES-CONSTRUCTION OF NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENTS AND CONTEMPORANEOUS WRITTEN AGREEMENTS

On April 12, 1938, M executed a demand promissory note, negotiable in form, payable to the order of his daughter, the plaintiff. Simultaneously M prepared and attached a written instrument to the note stating that the plaintiff agreed that she would not attempt to collect the note until M died. The attached instruments were delivered to plaintiff immediately after execution. M died May 23, 1945. Plaintiff, who held the instruments from the date of execution without making any demand for payment, filed the note with the defendant, M\u27s administrator, as a claim against M\u27s estate. The defendant objected to paying the note, and the probate court disallowed plaintiff\u27s claim. The district court reversed, and defendant appealed. Held, for the plaintiff. The note did not become due and payable until M\u27s death, since instruments executed at the same time as part of the same transaction become, in the eyes of the law, one instrument, and will be read and construed together. In re Holtorf\u27s Estate, (Minn. 1947) 28 N.W. (2d) 155

PARTIES-POSTMASTER GENERAL AS INDISPENSABLE PARTY TO INJUNCTION AGAINST LOCAL POSTMASTER

The Postmaster General, after a hearing in Washington, D.C., found petitioners\u27 business fraudulent, and issued a fraud order directing respondent, the local postmaster, to stamp fraudulent on all mail addressed to petitioners and return it to the senders. The petitioners sued, without joining the Postmaster General, to enjoin respondent from carrying out the order. The federal district court dismissed the complaint, and the circuit court affirmed. On certiorari, held, reversed. The Postmaster General is not an indispensable party if the decree restraining the local postmaster will give the relief desired without requiring any action on the part of the Postmaster General. Williams v. Fanning, 332 U.S. 490, 68 S.Ct. 188 (1947)

HABEAS CORPUS-FEDERAL COURTS-NECESSITY OF CONFINEMENT OF PRISONER WITHIN TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF THE COURT

The Attorney General, respondent, after finding that petitioners, one hundred and twenty Germans, endangered the public peace and safety of the United States by their adherence to an enemy government, issued removal orders for their deportation. Petitioners, while confined at Ellis Island, New York, filed petitions for writs of habeas corpus in the District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the removal orders on the basis that they exceeded statutory authority for their issuance. Respondent moved to dismiss because petitioners were not confined in the District of Columbia. The district court granted the motion and the court of appeals affirmed. On certiorari, held, affirmed, three justices dissenting. The district court is limited in its issuance of writs of habeas corpus to persons confined within its territorial jurisdiction. Ahrens v. Clark, (U.S. 1948) 68. S.Ct. 1443