Incidental music: Enhancing the emotional experience of the audience

Environmental psychologists, who study transactions between individuals and their physical settings, maintain when an individual’s environment is changed, his/her behavior and experience are also changed by the environment (Gifford, 2002). Like other segments of the theatrical setting, a manipulation of the environment can enhance or constrain audience actions. Physical elements, as well as other ambient factors such as lighting, color, quality of materials, set design, music, fragrance, and room temperature are just a sample of the dramatic elements used to orchestrate the environment. However, this paper explores the relationship between the elements utilized to create enhanced experiences for the audience through the introduction of incidental music to dramatic performances that take place in all theatrical settings and venues, ranging from traditional theatres to special events

Sociological theories of career choice: A study of workers in the special events industry

The purpose of this study was to develop a greater understanding of occupational/career choice of workers in the special events industry and explore which social science theory(ies) might best explain the entry of those in this particular occupation. In this study, the following dominant factor about workers in the special events industry emerged: occupation as a reflection of self

The Sacramentario de Sahagún and an exultet

In this article, I aim to make better known and understood the small amount of musical information included in this sacramentary. Although only four of its 136 folios contain musical notation, and the quantity of notated material on each page is small, exploring this musical information can nevertheless contribute to the further development of understanding of the origin and early practices surrounding this important book, a book which has been overlooked by musicologists. I review aspects of the manuscript's history and the scholarly attention it has received, and also attempt to contribute to knowledge on the background of one or more models that might have been used during the preparation of Sacramentario

Mandatory uniforms: Employees are what they wear

Uniform design is an overall scheme which includes four design factors: appearance, function, character and comfort. To what extent do these elements used in the design of mandatory uniforms predict an employee\u27s attitude toward his/her job? Will an employee wearing a lime green polyester uniform that fits poorly and is overly hot feel differently about his job than one wearing a finely tailored, naturally fibered uniform?;An examination of these elements will be conducted as well as an investigation of degree of guest interaction to determine the effect of mandatory uniforms on the attitude toward the job of the hospitality employees who wear the uniforms

Extra-curricular Undergraduate Research Training: Notes on the Pedagogical Practices Behind the Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology

Although there is a clear body of evidence supporting the idea that undergraduate students benefit from participation in original research projects, many units of study – particularly in the creative arts and humanities – have been slow to embrace curriculum renewal along these lines. In this paper, we detail a pragmatic approach to meeting this curriculum challenge in a music faculty through an extra-curricular initiative that embraces, rather than challenges organisational structures already in place. The writing workshop associated with the Sydney Undergraduate Journal of Musicology provides a pathway for students looking to develop papers they have written for class assignments into original research projects. The design of the workshop uses the Madeline Hunter Direct Instruction Model as a vehicle for introducing students to the central tenets of the Willison and O’Regan Research Skills Development Framework – an increasingly popular tool for the development of original research skills. The effect of the workshop on students’ engagement with the requirements of original research and their eagerness to engage in original research projects is then explored through the presentation of data derived from a focus group comprised of workshop participants that took place one year later

Practicing Positive Coping Strategies For Managing Math Anxiety In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom

The purpose of this action research study was to explore student and teacher perceptions on the usefulness of teaching students to practice positive coping strategies for managing math anxiety in a high school International Baccalaureate mathematics classroom. This study used a reflective action research methodology in which students\u27 math anxiety levels were assessed using Alexander and Martray\u27s Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (1989). Students were then surveyed on their use of coping strategies for managing math anxiety, presented with a variety of positive coping strategies, and asked to rate each strategy on its perceived worth and the likelihood that they would continue to use the strategies in the future. A variety of open-ended and Likert scale questions were used, and the teacher-researcher maintained a reflective journal on how the lessons and strategies were received. In this study, a survey of 48 juniors and seniors in an International Baccalaureate mathematics course revealed that the majority of the students had experienced varying degrees of math anxiety, with 21% being highly math anxious. Nearly half of the participants reported either using negative coping strategies or not being aware of any coping strategies at all for handling math anxiety or academic stress. Almost all of the students reported that it was a valuable use of their time to talk about math anxiety and practice these strategies in class. The results of this study indicate that there is a need for mathematics educators to include a discussion of math anxiety and how to cope with it in their classrooms

The Georgia Greenway Guidebook: A Tool for Governments, Communities, and Individuals

The purpose of this guidebook is to provide a tool for local governments, community organizations and individuals that are considering launching or reinvigorating a greenway development project. Section II of this guidebook explains the concept and use of greenways, as well as many of important steps and considerations for developing greenway projects from inception to completion. Potential greenway corridors in Georgia are explored in Section III, such as riparian corridors, interstate and highway rights-of-way, railway corridors, fuel pipeline easements, and transmission line easements along high-tension power lines. Part IV explores aspects of greenway project development, including the need to create a vision statement, identify sources of funding, and develop government partnerships. Land acquisition is discussed at a general level in Part V. Working effectively with landowners and promoting tax incentives available for land donation are highly relevant to all greenway projects. There is also a discussion of Rails-to-Trails program utilization

Expression profile of CREB knockdown in myeloid leukemia cells.

BackgroundThe cAMP Response Element Binding Protein, CREB, is a transcription factor that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival in several model systems, including neuronal and hematopoietic cells. We demonstrated that CREB is overexpressed in acute myeloid and leukemia cells compared to normal hematopoietic stem cells. CREB knockdown inhibits leukemic cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, but does not affect long-term hematopoietic reconstitution.MethodsTo understand downstream pathways regulating CREB, we performed expression profiling with RNA from the K562 myeloid leukemia cell line transduced with CREB shRNA.ResultsBy combining our expression data from CREB knockdown cells with prior ChIP data on CREB binding we were able to identify a list of putative CREB regulated genes. We performed extensive analyses on the top genes in this list as high confidence CREB targets. We found that this list is enriched for genes involved in cancer, and unexpectedly, highly enriched for histone genes. Furthermore, histone genes regulated by CREB were more likely to be specifically expressed in hematopoietic lineages. Decreased expression of specific histone genes was validated in K562, TF-1, and primary AML cells transduced with CREB shRNA.ConclusionWe have identified a high confidence list of CREB targets in K562 cells. These genes allow us to begin to understand the mechanisms by which CREB contributes to acute leukemia. We speculate that regulation of histone genes may play an important role by possibly altering the regulation of DNA replication during the cell cycle

Using Active-Learning Strategies to Increase Pre-Service Teachers’ Efficacy in a Service-Learning Course

Improving pre-service teachers’ ability to recognize work-related problems and apply effective strategies and solutions to fundamental challenges in the field is at the crux of an effective college preparation. Although there is evidence that service-learning experiences within a teacher education course can have powerful effects on student learning, what is being done during the lecture portion of a course to improve the impact of service-learning practices goes largely unexamined. This study investigated whether a contextually developed set of active-learning strategies in the lecture part of a service-learning course improved pre-service teachers’ efficacy. Findings showed significant improvement within personal teaching efficacy constructs as a result of experiencing the active-learning sequence. Academic tracking of students showed that those pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in physical education teacher education benefitted significantly more from the active-learning experience than those pursuing a Bachelor of Science in athletic training. This article describes how the active-learning sequence emerged as a preferred method of instruction by instructors and students, and how these strategies were useful in problematizing teaching situations and engaging students with course content.