ETHNIC ROOTS AND THE HOLLYWOOD SOUND: A MUSICAL EXPERIMENTATION IN TIME AND TRADITION

This PhD thesis is based on the exploration of the Hollywood film industry in view of scored music and the association between the latter and Middle Eastern music culture. It aims to determine how the music relates to the picture, what are the direct or implied associations with eastern music styles are and if they exist, to what extent these represent eastern physiognomies or a westernised model of perceived ethnic authenticity. Due to the vast amount of material available for researching and discussing, this study’s angle focuses mainly on silent and science fiction cinema. The study explores these areas by presenting and discussing the lack of communication between the visual and eastern ethnic music implementation in view of scoring composition and instrumentation. It explores a number of films that relate to the issue, or associated subcategories of the main issue. It presents and discusses scoring segments in terms of music implementation and gathers information in view of the composing techniques used. Additionally, it demonstrates interrelating examples and approaches where this is relevant and draws conclusions in view of the original question considering Middle Eastern music. Collected information is then processed sculpting the following creative part. In order to test the hypothesis of audiovisual fluidity and relevance, it then demonstrates a number of originally composed music examples on how films can be scored in a controversial way, with an increased sense of authenticity in terms of ethnic instrumentation, harmonic progression and rhythmic structure, drawing parallel lines when necessary with the preliminary films’ exploration outcomes. Naturally, this is always related to each film’s corresponding visual, chosen for its appropriateness in terms of ethnic portraiture, insinuation or potentially dynamic experimentation. Considering the latter, Middle Eastern ethnic instrumentations artistically combine with the Western symphonic orchestra on numerous occasions and the results of this amalgamation are being discussed and evaluated accordingly. Additionally, in view of experimentation, there is an effort to unite the two previous angles (eastern ethnic and Western symphonic) with computer sound design procedures with the intention of constructing hybrid scores specifically for the science fiction genre. Thus the study explores, identifies and demonstrates the potential of ethnic instrumentation in a film genre in which the visual does not necessarily equate, or imply, an eastern scoring character. The end results of this study determine and discuss the observed lack of depth in view of eastern music character. Out of the composed scores’ presentation and analysis, the research verifies the originality of this attempt focusing also in the associated physiognomies between the music and the visual. Furthermore it explores and presents the scoring potential in view of eastern ethnic instruments and sound design, especially in the directly related science fiction genre. Finally, the problematic nature of the outcome, as well as thoughts and concerns about the superficial use of eastern music in the Hollywood cinema, are being discussed under a variety of different angles including technology, social culture, film industry, politics, et. al

Genomic responses of mouse synovial fibroblasts during TNF-driven arthritogenesis greatly mimic those of human rheumatoid arthritis

Objective Aberrant activation of synovial fibroblasts (SFs) is a key determinant in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We aimed to produce a map of gene expression and epigenetic changes occurring in this cell type during disease progression in the human TNF-transgenic model of arthritis, and identify commonalities with human SFs. Methods We used deep sequencing to probe the transcriptome, the methylome and the chromatin landscape of cultured mouse arthritogenic SFs at three stages of disease, as well as SFs stimulated with human TNF. We performed bioinformatics analyses at the gene, pathway and network levels, compared mouse and human data, and validated selected genes in both species. Results We report that SF arthritogenicity is reflected on distinct dynamic patterns of transcriptional deregulation, enriched in pathways of the innate immune response and mesenchymal differentiation. A functionally-representative subset of these changes is associated with methylation, mostly in gene bodies. The arthritogenic state involves highly active promoters, marked by H3K4 trimethylation. There is significant overlap between mouse and human data, at the level of deregulated genes and to an even higher extent at the level of pathways. Conclusion This work presents the first systematic examination of the pathogenic changes that occur in mouse synovial fibroblasts in progressive TNF-driven arthritogenesis. Significant correlations with respective human RA SF data further validate the human TNF-transgenic mouse as a reliable model of the human disease. The resource of data generated here may serve as a framework for the discovery of novel pathogenic mechanisms and disease biomarkers.</p