Queer Nightspots and the Sounding of Utopia

I argue in this thesis that music and sound act upon queer patrons in nightspots (primarily clubs and bars) in ways that generate moments of what Jill Dolan calls utopian performatives. In this thesis I interweave theory with ethnographic fieldwork I conducted in local queer nightspots in Durham and Raleigh, North Carolina, and interviews with local DJs and individuals who frequent these spaces. This thesis illuminates the merits that the utopian performative has for the broader field of ethnomusicology, and proposes a new, sonic way of thinking of these moments. In my conclusion, I gesture towards some of the political implications of this sonic utopian thinking about queerness in contemporary society. Several years after the horrific shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida in 2016, imagining better futures for queer folk remains as vital as ever.Master of Art

Antero-posterior (AP) pelvis x-ray imaging on a trolley : impact of trolley design, mattress design and radiographer practice on image quality and radiation dose

Introduction: Physical and technical differences exist between imaging on an x-ray tabletop and imaging on a trolley. This study evaluates how trolley imaging impacts image quality and radiation dose for an antero-posterior (AP) pelvis projection whilst subsequently exploring means of optimising this imaging examination. Methods: An anthropomorphic pelvis phantom was imaged on a commercially available trolley under various conditions. Variables explored included two mattresses, two image receptor holder positions, three source to image distances (SIDs) and four mAs values. Image quality was evaluated using relative visual grading analysis with the reference image acquired on the x-ray tabletop. Contrast to noise ratio (CNR) was calculated. Effective dose was established using Monte Carlo simulation. Optimisation scores were derived as a figure of merit by dividing effective dose with visual image quality scores. Results: Visual image quality reduced significantly (p < 0.05) whilst effective dose increased significantly (p < 0.05) for images acquired on the trolley using identical acquisition parameters to the reference image. The trolley image with the highest optimisation score was acquired using 130 cm SID, 20 mAs, the standard mattress and platform not elevated. A difference of 12.8 mm was found between the image with the lowest and highest magnification factor (18%). Conclusion: The acquisition parameters used for AP pelvis on the x-ray tabletop are not transferable to trolley imaging and should be modified accordingly to compensate for the differences that exist. Exposure charts should be developed for trolley imaging to ensure optimal image quality at lowest possible dose

Observations of energetic low frequency current fluctuations in the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone

Relatively energetic low frequency fluctuations in horizontal currents are found to exist below the thermocline in the northern trough of the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone. For example, deep eddy kinetic energy levels there are about twice as large as those observed at similar relative depths in the MODE-I region. Eddy kinetic energies are about 2-10 times larger than mean kinetic energies...

A dynamical interpretation of low frequency motions near very rough topography----the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone

As a sequel to Schmitz and Hogg (1978), nine-month moored observations of current and temperature from the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone are further described, and then interpreted in terms of low frequency quasigeostrophic motions. Large vertical and horizontal changes are observed in the variance of both mean and fluctuating components. It is demonstrated that these changes could be associated with the (complex) nature of the topography...

Exploratory observations of abyssal currents in the South Atlantic near Vema Channel

Vema Channel (nominal location 30S, 40W) is a major passage for the flow of Antarctic Bottom Water on its way northward from the Argentine Basin to the Brazil Basin. New data based on approximately year-long current meter deployments at abyssal depths yield mean or time-averaged kinetic energies as strong as 240 cm2s−2, and eddy kinetic energies from 8 to 40 cm2s−2. We observe a persistent northward flow of AABW with maximum speed near 40 cm s−1, as is found at abyssal depths in the vicinity of the Gulf Stream. The highest value of mean kinetic energy in Vema Channel (240 cm2 s−2) is much larger than that (∼20 cm2 s−2) found in the flow of Antarctic Bottom Water near the Ceara Rise, and comparable to values of 220 cm2 s−2 for the southward flow of North Atlantic Deep Water on the Blake-Bahama Outer Ridge. Existing observations of mean kinetic energy at locations near the Gulf Stream System do not exceed 100 cm2 s−2 in the abyssal depth range.Eddy kinetic energies of 8 cm−2 s−2 are comparable to estimates (at similar depths) from areas at roughly equivalent latitudes, like MODE (Mid-Ocean Dynamics Experiment, nominal location 28N, 70W). However, abyssal kinetic energies as large as 40 cm2 s−2 are normally found only near strong current regimes, in contrast to values of roughly 1 cm2 s−2 in the ocean interior. Values of 18 to 64 cm2 s−2 have been observed near the southward flow of North Atlantic Deep Water on and adjacent to the Blake-Bahama Outer Ridge near 30N, and up to 20 cm2 s−2 in the flow of Antarctic Bottom Water over the Ceara Rise. The strongest abyssal eddy field yet observed, ∼100 to 150 cm2 s−2, occurs near the Gulf Stream

On the transport and modification of Antarctic Bottom Water in the Vema Channel

The Verna Channel is a deep passage across the Rio Grande Rise in the South Atlantic through which Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) must flow on its way northward from the Argentine Basin to the Brazil Basin and eventuafly into the North Atlantic…

Effect of Source of Pig, Housing System, and Receiving Diet on Performance of Purchased Feeder Pigs

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of source of pig, housing system and receiving diet on performance of purchased feeder pigs. Pigs purchased from distant auction markets (DM) gained slower for the first 13 d post-arrival (P\u3c.01, trials 1 and 2) than pigs of similar size purchased from local, one-owner sources (LS)

A randomized controlled trial of mycophenolate mofetil in patients with IgA nephropathy [ISRCTN62574616]

BACKGROUND: IgAN is the most common type of glomerulonephritis in the world. Between 15 and 40 percent of adults and children diagnosed with IgAN eventually progress to ESRD. Despite the need for effective treatment strategies, very few RCTs for IgAN have been performed. The most effective therapies for IgAN appear to be corticosteroids, ACEi, and FOS that contain a high concentration of omega 3 fatty acids. While ACEi and FOS are generally well tolerated with minimal side effects, the use of high dose steroids over a long course of therapy is often associated with significant morbidity. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: The objective of the study is to test the hypothesis that treatment with the immunosuppressive agent, MMF, will lead to significant and sustained improvement in urinary protein excretion in patients with IgAN who have been pre-treated (and continue to be treated) with ACE(i )and FOS compared to a placebo control group of patients receiving comparable doses of ACEi and FOS without MMF. DESIGN: After a three month treatment period with the ACEi, lisinopril and the FOS, Omacor(®), 100 (2 × 50) patients with IgAN and a urinary P/C ratio ≥ 0.6 (males) and ≥ 0.8 (females) and an estGFR ≥ 40 ml/min/1.73 m2 will be randomized to treatment with either MMF or placebo for one year. All patients will be followed off study drug for a second year, but will continue treatment with lisinopril and Omacor(® )for the two year duration of the study. The primary outcome measure of change in urine P/C ratio will be assessed at the end of years one and two