Re-situating Performance Within The Ambiguous, The Liminal, And The Threshold: Performance Practice Understood Through Theories Of Embodiment

This thesis investigates performance as an embodied practice. It draws on theories of embodiment, which act as a catalyst for thinking about performance, and thus provide an interdisciplinary framework for conceptualising the body in performance. I explore a discourse that situates performance itself within the liminal, as an in-between condition, as something that does not fit in. I reflect on performances, ranging from music to cosmetic surgery, and I highlight the in-between conditions and the marginalised space that in my view posits performance as multivalent, multifaceted and full of potential. This line of enquiry is informed by my view of the body as a site of change, discord and ambiguity; what one can refer to as the threshold condition, or what Victor Turner calls the “state of betwixt and between” (Turner, 1982, p.17). I take the body as a starting point for this discussion, as I consider the body as a vanguard to providing a different view to the majority of current music and performance writings. I subscribe to the view that the multi-faceted and, at times, highly controversial debate that has been applied to the body, has not been equivalently explored in the discussion of performance. My background as a music performer who works extensively with new technologies leads me to examine predominantly performance environments that use such technologies. I thus draw on examples from laptop performances and from my work as designer and musician of various performative environments. Other ideas in this thesis are informed by the ways in which I engage with an instrument, prepare for, and think about a performance, as well as from being a listener to somebody else’s performance. A body of writings from various other disciplines forms the backbone to my investigation. I believe that these writings draw attention to essential facets of performance activities and provide different ways of conceptualising performance that I argue are currently under-explored in current music and performance texts

Comparison of gluteus medius muscle activity in Haflinger and Noriker horses with polysaccharide storage myopathy

Type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy caused by genetic mutation in the glycogen synthase 1 gene is present in many breeds including the Noriker and Haflinger horses. In humans, EMG has already been used to document changes in the muscle activity patterns of patients affected by human glycogen storage disorders. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe gluteus muscle activity with surface electromyography (sEMG) in Haflinger and Noriker horses with known GYS1 mutation status during walk and trot. Thirty‐two horses (11 Haflinger and 21 Noriker horses) with homozygous non‐affected (GG), heterozygous affected (GA) and homozygous affected (AA) status of GYS1 mutation without overt clinical signs of any myopathy were selected for the current study. Using surface electromyography gluteus medius muscle activity at walk and at trot was measured, and muscle activity was described in relation to the maximum observed value at the same sensor and the same gait. In order to further describe the signals in detail comprising both frequencies and amplitudes, the crossings through the baseline and the 25, 50 and 75 percentile lines were determined. The result of the relative muscle activity did not show a consistent difference between affected and non‐affected horses. Genetically affected (GA and AA) horses showed significantly less density of muscle activity for both gaits and horse breeds except for the crossings per second at the baseline and 75 percentile at walk in the Haflinger horses and 75 percentile at trot in the Noriker horses. The medians of all calculated density values were significantly lower in the GA Haflingers compared to the GG Haflingers (p = 0.012) and also in the AA Norikers compared to the GG Norikers (p = 0.011). Results indicate that the GYS1 mutation reduces the number of functional muscle fibres detected by sEMG measurements even in the absence of overt clinical signs

evaluating a novel online depression intervention for persons with epilepsy

Background Depression is common among persons with epilepsy (PwE), affecting roughly one in three individuals, and its presence is associated with personal suffering, impaired quality of life, and worse prognosis. Despite the availability of effective treatments, depression is often overlooked and treated inadequately in PwE, in part because of assumed concerns over drug interactions or proconvulsant effects of antidepressants. Internet- administered psychological interventions might complement antidepressant medication or psychotherapy, and preliminary evidence suggests that they can be effective. However, no trial has yet examined whether an Internet intervention designed to meet the needs of PwE can achieve sustained reductions in depression and related symptoms, such as anxiety, when offered as adjunct to treatment as usual. Methods/Design This randomized controlled trial will include 200 participants with epilepsy and a current depressive disorder, along with currently at least moderately elevated depression (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) sum score of at least 10). Patients will be recruited via epilepsy treatment centers and other sources, including Internet forums, newspaper articles, flyers, posters, and media articles or advertisements, in German-speaking countries. Main inclusion criteria are: self-reported diagnosis of epilepsy and a depressive disorder, as assessed with a phone-administered structured diagnostic interview, none or stable antidepressant medication, no current psychotherapy, no other major psychiatric disorder, no acute suicidality. Participants will be randomly assigned to either (1) a care-as-usual/waitlist (CAU/WL) control group, in which they receive CAU and are given access to the Internet intervention after 3 months (that is, a CAU/WL control group), or (2) a treatment group that may also use CAU and in addition immediately receives six-month access to the novel, Internet-administered intervention. The primary outcome measure is the PHQ-9, collected at three months post-baseline; secondary measures include self-reported anxiety, work and social adjustment, epilepsy symptoms (including seizure frequency and severity), medication adherence, potential negative treatment effects and health-related quality of life. Measurements are collected online at pre-treatment (T0), three months (T1), six months (T2), and nine months (T3). Discussion Results of this trial are expected to extend the body of knowledge with regard to effective and efficient treatment options for PwE who experience elevated depression and anxiety. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02791724. Registered 01 June 2016

Low effective organizational strategies in visual memory performance of unmedicated alcoholics during early abstinence

Objective: Alcohol-dependent patients in early abstinence show an impairment of cognitive functions which can be seen in poor implementation of newly learned skills for avoiding relapse. Executive dysfunction may persist during abstinence in alcohol-dependent persons, thus mitigating long-term abstinence. This study assessed visual memory function and choice of organizational strategies in alcoholics, as these are major factors necessary to implement ongoing behavior changes which are required for maintaining abstinence

Maternal variants in NLRP and other maternal effect proteins are associated with multilocus imprinting disturbance in offspring

Background: Genomic imprinting results from the resistance of germline epigenetic marks to reprogramming in the early embryo for a small number of mammalian genes. Genetic, epigenetic or environmental insults that prevent imprints from evading reprogramming may result in imprinting disorders, which impact growth, development, behaviour and metabolism. We aimed to identify genetic defects causing imprinting disorders, by whole-exome sequencing in families with one or more members affected by multi-locus imprinting disturbance. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing was performed in 38 pedigrees where probands had multi-locus imprinting disturbance, in five of whom, maternal variants in NLRP5 have previously been found. Results: We now report 15 further pedigrees in which offspring had disturbance of imprinting, while their mothers had rare, predicted-deleterious variants in maternal-effect genes, including NLRP2, NLRP7 and PADI6. As well as clinical features of well-recognised imprinting disorders, some offspring had additional features including developmental delay, behavioural problems and discordant monozygotic twinning, while some mothers had reproductive problems including pregnancy loss. Conclusion: The identification of 20 putative maternal-effect variants in 38 families affected by multi-locus imprinting disorders adds to the evidence that maternal genetic factors affect oocyte fitness and thus offspring development. Testing for maternal-effect genetic variants should be considered in families affected by atypical imprinting disorders.<br/

The Surface Array planned for IceCube-Gen2

IceCube-Gen2, the extension of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, will feature three main components: an optical array in the deep ice, a large-scale radio array in the shallow ice and firn, and a surface detector above the optical array. Thus, IceCube-Gen2 will not only be an excellent detector for PeV neutrinos, but also constitutes a unique setup for the measurement of cosmic-ray air showers, where the electromagnetic component and low-energy muons are measured at the surface and high-energy muons are measured in the ice. As for ongoing enhancement of IceCube’s current surface array, IceTop, we foresee a combination of elevated scintillation and radio detectors for the Gen2 surface array, aiming at high measurement accuracy for air showers. The science goals are manifold: The in-situ measurement of the cosmic-ray flux and mass composition, as well as more thorough tests of hadronic interaction models, will improve the understanding of muons and atmospheric neutrinos detected in the ice, in particular, regarding prompt muons. Moreover, the surface array provides a cosmic-ray veto for the in-ice detector and contributes to the calibration of the optical and radio arrays. Last but not least, the surface array will make major contributions to cosmic-ray science in the energy range of the transition from Galactic to extragalactic sources. The increased sensitivities for photons and for cosmic-ray anisotropies at multi-PeV energies provide a chance to solve the puzzle of the origin of the most energetic Galactic cosmic rays and will serve IceCube’s multimessenger mission