Expecting and Facilitating the Unexpected: Culture Lab and the European Capital of Culture

This paper outlines and interrogates the processes informing the design, teaching and learning of Culture Lab, an intensive field class designed to foster experimental learning in anthropology and cultural studies. The course’s object of study and site of learning is the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) and its multiple associations – the phenomenon, the city, and the forms of participation, debates and instances of urban change that occur during a specific iteration. It draws on problem-based and participatory approaches to learning and advocates approaches to teaching cultural anthropology and cultural studies that combine multi-faceted approaches to cultural immersion and discovery, while at the same time acknowledging the individual motivations of learners, by fostering and developing students’ interests and curiosity. This paper reports and reflects upon the course in its first two iterations of the course at Amsterdam University College, namely the field trips to Paphos 2017 and Valletta 2018

Evaluation of shear bond strength of zirconia to composite resin using different adhesive systems

To evaluate shear bond strength of zirconia to composite resin using different universal and conventional adhesives and a zirconia primer. Forty zirconia blocks were fabricated of zirconium ingots (10×10×5 mm) and sintered at 1530°C for 2 hours. They were then air-abraded with Al2O3 particles. The specimens were divided into 4 groups and subjected to one of the following bonding agents: Futurabond U (group 1), Clearfil Universal Bond, universal adhesives (group 2), Z-Prime Plus, zirconia primer (group 3) and Adper Single Bond 2, conventional adhesive (group 4). Composite resin was then applied in a diameter of 5 mm and in a thickness of 2 mm. All the specimens were stored in distilled water at 37°C for 24 hours and then thermocycled between 5°C and 55°C for 5000 cycles with a 30-second dwell time. The shear bond strength was then evaluated with a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. Data (MPa) were analyzed using ANOVA and LSD test (P?0.05). The specimens were evaluated under a stereomicroscope to determine the mode of failure. The mean shear bond strength was 16,874 MPa in group I, 13.4434 MPa in group II, 11.6500 MPa in group III and 6.8700 MPa in group IV. ANOVA revealed that the shear bond strength in group IV was significantly lower than that in other groups (P?0.05). The shear bond strength in group I was significantly higher than that in groups III and IV. So Universal adhesives could provide higher shear bond strength of zirconia to composite resin after thermocycling compared to zirconia primers

Reinterpreting sustainable design of traditional Iranian cities

In our constant attempts to reduce the negative impact of urbanisation on natural environment and to improve the quality of urban life, we must be inventive with new technologies but also to re-learn and re-use effective local solutions which have been used for centuries in vernacular cities before the industrialisation and widespread use of fossil fuels. The study focuses on vernacular Iranian cities in order to highlight architectural and urban solutions adopted in response to the harsh climate of Iranian plateau. Throughout the study climatic adaptations in vernacular Iranian cities have been investigated in response to four elements of sun, wind, water and green spaces. The main research approach adopted in this research involved urban structure analysis through aerial photos, historic maps, existing literature in Farsi and English as well as on site observation by the author. Native builders informed by accumulated knowledge of their ancestors, constructed dense urban environments with available local materials. These compact cities were efficient but also diverse in land use. Dense urban fabric protected building from cold winter winds and harsh summer sunlight. Water was transported from foothill of mountains via network of underground channels to supply water to buildings and also to moderate temperature by surface evaporation. Local knowledge of regional winds enabled native people to build houses and streets with appropriate orientation and benefit from favourable winds for ventilation and to avoid harsh, unpleasant winds. The study examines the pleasant microclimate of courtyard houses and possibilities of internal seasonal migration in order to locate to sun-catching warmer areas during cold season and occupy the cooler shady parts of the building in summer. The study demonstrates various methods utilised for climatic adaptation in vernacular cities. It recommends that further research to be undertaken to expand our understanding of vernacular built environment in order to interpret and use lessons from the past in contemporary cities

Simvastatin decreases hepatic ischaemia/reperfusion-induced liver and lung injury in rats

Liver failure is still a significant clinical problem after transplantation surgery, tissue resections (the Pringle manoeuvre) and haemorrhagic shock. The restoration of blood flow to an ischaemic region leads to tissue injury at a greater rate than the original ischaemic insult, an event termed "ischaemia-reperfusion injury" (I/R). Despite advances in surgical techniques, I/R still poses a problem of clinical importance. In this research, we studied the effect of simvastatin pretreatment on liver and lung injury induced by hepatic I/R. Rats were subjected to 30 min of ischaemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Simvastatin (10 mg/kg) was administered orally from three days before the operation. After the reperfusion time, serum ALT, AST, LDH and TNF a levels were studied and liver and lung tissues were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and TUNEL to detect apoptotic cells. Serum aminotransferase activity and LDH and TNFα levels were increased markedly by hepatic I/R, and these were suppressed significantly by simvastatin. The tissue injury index and the number of apoptotic cells via TUNEL staining in the liver and lungs were higher in the I/R group than in the I/R + simvastatin group. These results suggest that simvastatin ameliorates I/R-induced liver and lung tissue damage by inhibiting the level of inflammation and the apoptotic pathways. Simvastatin administration may therefore provide protection against the adverse effects of I/R injury in liver transplantation