Subverted modernism: Korngold's Die tote Stadt

Thesis (M.M.)--Boston UniversityUsing the 1920 opera Die tote Stadt as its primary case in point, this thesis interrogates the pervasive notion that the Austrian-born composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) refused to acknowledge Modernist trends, dialogues and aesthetics in his works for the stage, and instead held fast to late-Romantic aesthetics and philosophies at the expense of engaging directly with contemporary culture and politics. I show evidence to the contrary, that Komgold was in fact actively involved with the intellectual, artistic and socio-political discourse of his time, and that this engagement is manifest in his opera, which draws parallels between the city of Bruges, setting of Die tote Stadt's source material, Georges Rodenbach's 1892 novel Bruges-la-morte, and Vienna, the composer's hometown, as it was at the close of the First World War. In substantiating this claim, I first of all seek to place the composer in his proper context as a child offin-de-siecle Vienna, and the son of that city's leading conservative music critic, the influential and much-feared Julius Komgold, successor to Eduard Hanslick at the Neue Freie Presse. I also interrogate lingering assumptions about the composer's lack of socio-political engagement owing to his status as a former child prodigy, famous across Europe for his preternatural musical gifts. I also explore the specific, alterations, additions and excisions made by the composer to his source material in translating it to the musical stage, and discuss how those changes reflect his compositional and socio-political ethos. Finally, I analyze portions of Die tote Stadt and discuss how a composer's late-Romantic compositional language can in fact indicate Modernist sympathies, albeit in their own specific strain, before sketching a brief reception history of this opera in particular, the composer's works in general, as well as discussing how this work might be reassessed and rehabilitated into the "art music" canon

EVALUATING HEMP \u3cem\u3e(CANNABIS SATIVA)\u3c/em\u3e AS A FORAGE BASED ON YIELD, NUTRITIVE ANALYSIS, AND MORPHOLOGICAL COMPOSITION

This experiment examined the forage potential of hemp (Cannabis sativa) and kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus). The objectives were to evaluate yield and forage nutritive value (i.e. NDF, ADF, ADL, IVTD, and CP) fluctuations over the course of a growing season based on planting date, morphological composition, and management. Three types of hemp (grain, fiber, and a dual- purpose type) and kenaf were planted on two dates and were sampled approximately every two weeks throughout the growing season at the University of Kentucky (UK) Research Farm in Lexington, KY. Subsamples were separated into morphological components (i.e. leaf, flowers, stem, core fiber, and bast fiber) while the remainder of the sample was ground for laboratory analysis. All samples were scanned in Foss 6500 NIRS and wet chemistry analytical methods were utilized on a subset of samples to develop equations to predict the nutritive value of the remaining samples. Significant interactions for forage type, planting date, and harvest time were observed for yield, % floral components, % bast, and ADL. Significant interactions occurred between planting date and harvest date as well as type and harvest date for NDF, ADF, digestibility, crude protein, % leaf, % core, and % stem. Overall, forage nutritive value declined with increased plant maturity. The later planting date reduced the vegetative growth period, resulting in reduced leaf content, yield, and forage nutritive value. The performance of kenaf in this study indicates that it may be a better alternative forage than hemp due to remaining vegetative longer and having superior nutritive value. Better selection and the development of new hemp varieties with different photoperiod requirements could lengthen the vegetative state and may result in yields and nutritive values that are more competitive with kenaf and other typical forages

The Relationship Between Power Distance, Trust, and Performance in Video Game Development Teams

This study investigated the effect of power distance and intra-team trust on performance in video game development teams. Drawing on a data set of 11 student teams developing mobile video games, we found a significant positive relationship between intra-team trust and team performance over time. The growth in the significance of this relationship over time paralleled Tuckman and Jensen’s (2010) four stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, and performing). No relationship was identified between team power distance and team performance. These findings contribute to forming a general understanding of how power distance and team trust affect the performance of video game development teams

Licensed but Unprepared: Special Educators’ Preparation to Teach Autistic Students

Thesis advisor: Marilyn Cochran-SmithThe number of autistic students receiving special education services increased 478% between the years 2000 and 2013 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2016). U.S. schools and teachers are educating more autistic students with complex educational needs resulting from differences in communication, social interaction and behavior. As a result, schools need increasing numbers of teachers who are equipped to educate them. Quality special education teacher preparation is critical for teachers of autistic students, because it can affect the quality of education and outcomes for this highly unique student population. Very little research has been conducted to determine the extent to which special education teacher preparation programs provide teachers with preparation to teach autistic students, or about the extent to which special educators feel prepared to teach this population at the point of conclusion of their preparation programs. This study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design to examine the perceptions of special educators about their preparedness to teach autistic students based on preparation program/licensure, specialized autism coursework, and on-the-job experiences after licensure programs. A researcher-created survey was followed by interviews to explore participants’ survey responses more deeply. Survey data (n =121) were used to inform both question construction and participant selection for a purposive sample of follow-up interviews (n= 10). Regression analyses, means, summary scores, and thematic coding were employed to analyze the survey data. Results indicated that the majority (77%) of special education teachers felt unprepared to teach autistic students at the end of their licensure programs. However, specialized autism coursework was a significant predictor of teachers’ sense of preparedness. Limitations of the study and implications for special education teacher preparation and education are discussed.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Price Discrimination in the Airline Industry

In the past 10 to 15 years we have seen the emergence of low cost, "no frills" airlines competing directly with traditional carriers. This increase in competition coupled with the growing use of the internet has significantly increased price transparency within the airline industry. The primary aim of this study is to determine if and how price transparency has altered the way airlines price discriminate. The first part of this paper contains a general review of price discrimination within the airline industry. It outlines several pricing strategies adopted by airlines and considers the recent social, political and economic changes that have affected these pricing strategies. The second part contains a quantitative analysis of pricing profiles today and compares them with those existing in 2005. The results outline the emergence of two new consumer segments during this time period. "Low-low" yield consumers have emerged that place little value on time compared with other passengers. These new consumers use the internet to search for the best price and often purchase tickets a long time in advance. Airlines are increasingly using advance purchase discounts to price discriminate with these consumers. "Small-business" passengers are the other new consumer segment. The current economic downturn has put pressure on businesses to reduce costs. These passengers now opt for the cheaper, simpler service. Low cost airlines are offering more flights to suit this consumer demand. The conclusion of the study is that in general airlines have adopted the same pricing principles today as they did in 2005 but with the schedules shifted to reflect the current business environment

Dosage of Sulfadoxine–Pyrimethamine and Risk of Low Birth Weight in a Cohort of Zambian Pregnant Women in a Low Malaria Prevalence Region

In Lusaka, Zambia, where malaria prevalence is low, national guidelines continue to recommend that all pregnant women receive sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine (SP) for malaria prophylaxis monthly at every scheduled antenatal care visit after 16 weeks of gestation. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–positive women should receive co-trimoxazole prophylaxis for HIV and not SP, but many still receive SP. We sought to determine whether increased dosage of SP is still associated with a reduced risk of low birth weight (LBW) in an area where malaria transmission is low. Our secondary objective was to determine whether any association between SP and LBW is modified by receipt of antiretroviral therapy (ART). We analyzed data routinely collected from a cohort of HIV-positive pregnant women with singleton births in Lusaka, Zambia, between February 2006 and December 2012. We used a log-Poisson model to estimate the risk of LBW by dosage of SP and to determine whether the association between SP and LBW varied by receipt of ART. Risk of LBW declined as the number of doses increased and appeared lowest among women who received three doses (adjusted risk ratio [ARR] = 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.64–0.95). In addition, women receiving combination ART had a higher risk of delivering an LBW infant compared with women receiving no treatment or prophylaxis (ARR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.09–1.28), but this risk was attenuated among women who were receiving SP (risk ratio = 1.09; 95% CI = 0.99–1.21). SP was associated with a reduced risk of LBW in HIV-positive women, including those receiving ART, in a low malaria prevalence region

The financial burden of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A Nova Scotia experience

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common childhood rheumatic illness. There is little published data on the financial burden of this illness. The primary objective of this study was to determine the annual costs borne by families of a child with JIA living in Nova Scotia (NS).Methods: All families in NS with a child followed in the Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic at the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre (IWK) in 2009 were mailed a self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluated disease related costs, gross household income and perceived financial burden. Dillman\u27s method was used to optimize return rates. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results. Spearman\u27s correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship of distance from the IWK and cost. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare median costs between groups.Results: Of 172 possible respondents, we received 54 completed questionnaires and 11 blank questionnaires (overall response rate 31.4%). Approximately one third (35.9%) of parents rated the financial burden as moderate or large and 36% rated financial resources available as poor. The median annual total cost per patient was $619.50 CAD (range 0,$5535) which was a median 0.7% (range 0, 37%) of gross household incomes. The largest expense for families was visit related costs. There was not a significant relationship between total annual costs and distance from the IWK (rs = 0.18, P = 0.2). Families of a child with oligoarthritis had significantly lower costs than the families of a child with another subtype of JIA ($359.00 CAD vs.$877.00 CAD, P = 0.02).Conclusions: The costs associated with having a child with JIA in NS are on average modest, but may be considerable for some families. Oligoarticular JIA is associated with smaller costs. Many families perceive the burden to be at least moderate and the availability of financial resources to be poor. Supports should be targeted to those families most in need. © 2013 Ens et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

The financial burden of juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A Nova Scotia experience

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common childhood rheumatic illness. There is little published data on the financial burden of this illness. The primary objective of this study was to determine the annual costs borne by families of a child with JIA living in Nova Scotia (NS).Methods: All families in NS with a child followed in the Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic at the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre (IWK) in 2009 were mailed a self-report questionnaire. The questionnaire evaluated disease related costs, gross household income and perceived financial burden. Dillman\u27s method was used to optimize return rates. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize results. Spearman\u27s correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship of distance from the IWK and cost. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare median costs between groups.Results: Of 172 possible respondents, we received 54 completed questionnaires and 11 blank questionnaires (overall response rate 31.4%). Approximately one third (35.9%) of parents rated the financial burden as moderate or large and 36% rated financial resources available as poor. The median annual total cost per patient was $619.50 CAD (range 0,$5535) which was a median 0.7% (range 0, 37%) of gross household incomes. The largest expense for families was visit related costs. There was not a significant relationship between total annual costs and distance from the IWK (rs = 0.18, P = 0.2). Families of a child with oligoarthritis had significantly lower costs than the families of a child with another subtype of JIA ($359.00 CAD vs.$877.00 CAD, P = 0.02).Conclusions: The costs associated with having a child with JIA in NS are on average modest, but may be considerable for some families. Oligoarticular JIA is associated with smaller costs. Many families perceive the burden to be at least moderate and the availability of financial resources to be poor. Supports should be targeted to those families most in need. © 2013 Ens et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Risk of uterine rupture among women attempting vaginal birth after cesarean with an unknown uterine scar

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the association of uterine rupture and previous incision type, either unknown or low transverse, among women who attempt a trial of labor after 1 previous cesarean delivery. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective multicenter observational study of 15,519 women with term singletons who attempted a trial of labor after 1 previous cesarean delivery. Odds ratios for the association between uterine incision location, either unknown or low transverse, and uterine rupture were estimated with the use of multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Between 1999 and 2002, 99 of the 15,519 women (0.64%) who attempted a trial of labor after 1 previous cesarean delivery experienced a uterine rupture. Pregnant women with an unknown scar had lower odds of uterine rupture (adjusted odds ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval, 0.37-1.37) compared with women with a known low transverse scar. Other adverse maternal outcomes did not differ between the 2 groups of women. CONCLUSION: Among this cohort, women with an unknown uterine incision who attempted a trial of labor were not at increased risk of uterine rupture compared with women with a known low transverse incision