The Impact of Multi-Layered Diffusionary Processes on Musical Evolution: The Global Nature, and Hawaiian, Spanish and African Roots of Delta Blues Culture

As a distinct musical form, blues music from the Mississippi Delta has been extensively studied by musicologists, ethnomusicologists, historians and folklorists. As has been the case with the larger public attracted to this intriguing musical genre, much of this academic attention has treated blues as just that - something one listens to. We argue that blues represents far more than just sound or entertainment, rather it represents a broad cultural milieu from which a distinctive musical culture evolved. Moreover, the musical evolution associated with blues did not occur in a vacuum, it was generated and facilitated by various forms of cultural exchange occurring over time and space. Further, the forms of cultural exchange responsible for the evolution of Delta blues culture were and continue to be truly global in scope. In this paper, by highlighting Hawaiian, Spanish and African influences, we discuss the geographical processes associated with the evolution of blues music and focus on the multi-layered forms of global diffusion responsible for what has been referred to as “Delta blues.” Through a discussion of this form of blues music, we focus attention on the complex inter-relationships evident between and among different people and different places, and highlight how global interactions generated a truly unique music form

Neighborhood Dynamics of Race and Ethnicity in the 21st Century: Residential Segregation and Poverty Concentration within Chicago, Illinois; 2000-2010

Residential landscapes throughout the urban United States have long been associated with high levels of racial and ethnic segregation. The increased ethnic diversification occuring across many larger urban areas has somewhat altered this dynamic. Chicago, Illionois is one major city possessing a long history of being highly segregated residentially. The city is especially noted for the exceptionally high levels of separation that have always existed between African-Americans and whites. Like many major cities the last few years, it has increasingly became home to larger numbers of Hispanics and Asians, a trend that has altared its residential geography. This research investigates the impacts that increased diversity had on levels of residential segregation among racial and/or ethnic groups within Chicago from 2000 to 2010. Empirical analysis entailed the measurement of two dimensions of segregation evident among Non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians. We focus particular attention to the role that segregation has in terms of influencing degrees to which these different groups are exsposed to poverty residentially. During the decade, African-American Chicagoans as a group became slightly less residentially isolated. Conversely, results confirm that both Asians, and Hispanics appear to be exhibiting forms of “ethnic (or racial) self-selectivity” that functioned to spatially concentrate them within their own neighborhoods. The demographic composition of the city’s extremly poor neighborhoods changed during the decade, yet they remained predominantly black. Findings lead us to conclude that in 2010 Chicago was still a highly segregated, albeit increasingly diverse, city

The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment: Exploring Fundamental Symmetries of the Universe

The preponderance of matter over antimatter in the early Universe, the dynamics of the supernova bursts that produced the heavy elements necessary for life and whether protons eventually decay --- these mysteries at the forefront of particle physics and astrophysics are key to understanding the early evolution of our Universe, its current state and its eventual fate. The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) represents an extensively developed plan for a world-class experiment dedicated to addressing these questions. LBNE is conceived around three central components: (1) a new, high-intensity neutrino source generated from a megawatt-class proton accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, (2) a near neutrino detector just downstream of the source, and (3) a massive liquid argon time-projection chamber deployed as a far detector deep underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility. This facility, located at the site of the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, is approximately 1,300 km from the neutrino source at Fermilab -- a distance (baseline) that delivers optimal sensitivity to neutrino charge-parity symmetry violation and mass ordering effects. This ambitious yet cost-effective design incorporates scalability and flexibility and can accommodate a variety of upgrades and contributions. With its exceptional combination of experimental configuration, technical capabilities, and potential for transformative discoveries, LBNE promises to be a vital facility for the field of particle physics worldwide, providing physicists from around the globe with opportunities to collaborate in a twenty to thirty year program of exciting science. In this document we provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess.Comment: Major update of previous version. This is the reference document for LBNE science program and current status. Chapters 1, 3, and 9 provide a comprehensive overview of LBNE's scientific objectives, its place in the landscape of neutrino physics worldwide, the technologies it will incorporate and the capabilities it will possess. 288 pages, 116 figure

Neighborhood Dynamics of Race and Ethnicity in the 21st Century: Residential Segregation and Poverty Concentration within Chicago, Illinois; 2000-2010

Residential landscapes throughout the urban United States have long been associated with high levels of racial and ethnic segregation. The increased ethnic diversification occuring across many larger urban areas has somewhat altered this dynamic. Chicago, Illionois is one major city possessing a long history of being highly segregated residentially. The city is especially noted for the exceptionally high levels of separation that have always existed between African-Americans and whites. Like many major cities the last few years, it has increasingly became home to larger numbers of Hispanics and Asians, a trend that has altared its residential geography. This research investigates the impacts that increased diversity had on levels of residential segregation among racial and/or ethnic groups within Chicago from 2000 to 2010. Empirical analysis entailed the measurement of two dimensions of segregation evident among Non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians. We focus particular attention to the role that segregation has in terms of influencing degrees to which these different groups are exsposed to poverty residentially. During the decade, African-American Chicagoans as a group became slightly less residentially isolated. Conversely, results confirm that both Asians, and Hispanics appear to be exhibiting forms of “ethnic (or racial) self-selectivity” that functioned to spatially concentrate them within their own neighborhoods. The demographic composition of the city’s extremly poor neighborhoods changed during the decade, yet they remained predominantly black. Findings lead us to conclude that in 2010 Chicago was still a highly segregated, albeit increasingly diverse, city