Exhibition of twenty-three original works of art, An

1980 Spring.The concern of this thesis is a personal translation of light and form into an interplay of forces that animate the objects or shapes beyond the picture plane. This poetic rhythm of object and space is created by delicate intrusions of geometry on the shapes. These intrusions allow the open space and light to penetrate the image or object but do not dictate its specified shape. The images suggest volume, but they are not hallowed out from space; rather they are projected from space through the interaction of light on form. I have examined these elements in terms of organic forms and also mechanical forms

From modern construction to postmodern social constructivism: defining the live project in architectural education

This paper presents an historical survey of the live project in architectural education, proposing that the live project can be conceptualised within three distinct periods: a modern period, a transitional period, and a (contemporary) postmodern period. This paper proposes that an evolution from a modern conception of the live project to a postmodern conception provides insight to attitudinal shift in architectural education. In order to explore what pedagogical frameworks might we help to theorising these contemporary forms, the paper contextualises architecture live project practice against pedagogical mechanisms of client-centred learning in three other disciplines

The trade and production of Garum and its role in the provincial economy of Hispania Tarraconensis

Fish has formed an important component of mans' diet since the Neolithic and considerable emphasis was placed upon the acquis¬ ition of fresh fish by the Roman aristocracy. However the increased demands created by the establishment of urbanism in the Phoenician colonies of S. Spain in the Eighth Century BC necessitated the adoption of preservative methods, namely the use of salt.Salted fish and fish sauces seem to have been a ubiquituous feature of the ancient diet being traded by the Phoenicians but becoming particularly important following the Greek penetration of the Peninsula in the Sixth Century BC. Production centred in Andalucia and seems to have survived the Roman conquest.Increased investment by Italian aristocrats led to the creation of Romanised villae in Cataluna which by the mid First Century BC engaged in the production of wine. By the Augustan period, however, Tarraconensian exports increased with the openning up of the annona militaris and the city of Rome. Although wine was the principal recipient, fish sauce seems to have been carried as a secondary commodity.The interrelationship between fish sauce and other produce is seen also in its inclusion within the villa economy. Production seems to have occurred on a sufficient scale to be termed 'industrial' and to judge by the names of producers and merchants attested on amphorae attracted considerable wealth, many of those involved also producing wine.The breakdown of the relationship between town and country and the gradual movement of wealth away from the region meant that the province's commercial interests contracted and although the production of fish sauce continued until the Seventh Century AD it served only to satisfy local demand

Making the studio smaller

The studio is a space apart in the university, an environment unique to creative and design disciplines. As we emerge into the pre-dawn light of the post-COVID era, we should use the insight gained from the pandemic to speculate about the future. This article invites the reader to speculate about the possibility of a smaller design studio in architectural education: one that is smaller in its spatial, temporal, pedagogical and cultural dimensions. What if, instead of demonstrating the plurality of architectural practice through the breadth and diversity of elective studio ‘units’, we reduce the scope of design courses to create space for others

Functional imaging of response selection

The functions of the prefrontal cortex remain controversial. Electrophysio- logical and lesion studies in monkeys have emphasised a role in working memory. In contrast, human functional neuroimaging studies and neuropsychology have emphasised a role in executive processes and volition. An alternative interpretation of the role of the prefrontal cortex is proposed in this thesis: that the prefrontal cortex mediates the attentional selection of sensory, mnemonic and motor representations in non-prefrontal cortex. This hypothesis is tested in a series of functional imaging experiments. In the first two experiments (chapters 4 and 5), event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to re-examine the role of the prefrontal cortex in spatial and spatio-temporal working memory. Maintenance of information in memory was associated with activation of posterior prefrontal cortex (area 8). In contrast, the selection of an item from several remembered items was associated with activation of the middle and anterior parts of the prefrontal cortex (including area 46). To test the generalisation of 'selection' as a function of prefrontal cortex, experiment three (chapter 6) required subjects to select either a finger to move, or a colour from a multicolour display. Free selection was associated with activation of the prefrontal cortex (area 46) bilaterally, regardless of sensory or motor modality. The selection of voluntary actions has been proposed to depend on top-down modulation of motor regions by prefrontal cortex. The fourth and fifth experiments used structural equation modelling of fMRI time -series to measure the effective connectivity among prefrontal, premotor and parietal cortex. In young (chapter 7) and old (chapter 8) normal subjects, attention to action specifically enhanced coupling between prefrontal and premotor regions. This effect was not seen in patients with Parkinson's disease (chapter 8). Lastly, positron emission tomography was used to study planning in the Tower of London task, a common clinical measure of prefrontal function. Several variants of the task were developed, to distinguish the neural basis of the task's multiple cognitive components (chapter 9). The prefrontal cortex was activated in association with generation, selection or memory for moves, rather than planning towards a specified goal. The results support a generalised role in attentional selection of neuronal representations, whether stimuli, actions, or remembered items. The hypothesised attentional selection of responses is consistent with the activation of prefrontal cortex in working memory tasks and during attention to voluntary action. This role is compatible with the neurophysiological properties of individual neurons in the prefrontal cortex and the results of neuroimaging and lesion studies

Predicting outcome in acute low back pain using different models of patient profiling

Study Design: Prospective observational study of prognostic indicators, utilising data from a randomised, controlled trial of physiotherapy care of acute low back pain (ALBP) with follow up at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. Objective: To evaluate which patient profile offers the most useful guide to long-term outcome in ALBP. Summary of Background Data: The evidence used to inform prognostic decision-making is derived largely from studies where baseline data is used to predict future status. Clinicians often see patients on multiple occasions so may profile patients in a variety of ways. It is worth considering if better prognostic decisions can be made from alternative profiles. Methods: Clinical, psychological and demographic data were collected from a sample of 54 ALBP patients. Three clinical profiles were developed from information collected at baseline, information collected at 6 weeks, and the change in status between these two time points. A series of regression models were used to determine the independent and relative contributions of these profiles to the prediction of chronic pain and disability. Results: The baseline profile predicted long-term pain only. The 6-week profile predicted both long-term pain and disability. The change profile only predicted long-term disability (p \u3c 0.01). When predicting long-term pain, after the baseline profile had been added to the model, the 6-week profile did not add significantly when forced in at the second step (p \u3e 0.05). A similar result was obtained when the order of entry was reversed. When predicting long-term disability, after the 6-week profile was entered at the first step, the change profile was not significant when forced in at the second step. However, when the change profile was entered at the first step and the 6-week clinical profile was forced in at the second step, a significant contribution of the 6-week profile was found. Conclusions: The profile derived from information collected at 6 weeks provided the best guide to long-term pain and disability. The baseline profile and change in status offered less predictive value

International low back pain guidelines: A comparison of two research based models of care for the management of acute low back pain.

Evidence based guidelines for the management of acute low back pain (ALBP) have been formulated by numerous countries. There are discrepancies between guidelines regarding physiotherapy treatment. The aim of this study was to compare two research based models derived from international LBP guidelines. A single-blind randomised controlled trial was undertaken in a physiotherapy outpatients department. Subjects with ALBP were randomly allocated to an ‘assess/advise/treat’ group (n = 50) or an ‘assess/advise/wait’ group (n = 52). The primary outcome measure was the Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). Secondary outcome measures of pain (VAS, usual pain intensity) depressive symptoms (MZSRDS) somatic distress (MSPQ) anxiety (STAIS) quality of life (SF36) and general health (EuroQol) were also obtained. Outcomes were assessed at 6-weeks, 3-months and 6-months. At 6-weeks subjects in the assess/advise/treat group demonstrated less LBP related disability (p = 0.02) and depressive symptoms (p = 0.01), as well as better general health (p = 0.006, p = 0.05), vitality (p \u3c 0.001), social functioning (p = 0.004) and mental health (p = 0.002). At long-term assessment (3 and 6 months) subjects in the assess/advise/treat group were less distressed (p = 0.004), anxious (p = 0.01) and had fewer depressive symptoms (p = 0.001), as well as reporting better general health (p = 0.009, p = 0.05), emotional role (p = 0.03) and mental health (p = 0.04). Active physiotherapy produces better short-term outcomes than advice. Delaying treatment has no long-term consequences on pain or disability, but affects the development of psychosocial features

Self-tests for influenza: an empirical ethics investigation

Background In this article we aim to assess the ethical desirability of self-test diagnostic kits for influenza, focusing in particular on the potential benefits and challenges posed by a new, mobile phone-based tool currently being developed by i-sense, an interdisciplinary research collaboration based (primarily) at University College London and funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Methods Our study adopts an empirical ethics approach, supplementing an initial review into the ethical considerations posed by such technologies with qualitative data from three focus groups. Results Overall, we map a range of possible considerations both for and against the use of such technologies, synthesizing evidence from a range of secondary literature, as well as identifying several new considerations previously overlooked. Conclusions We argue that no single consideration marks these technologies as either entirely permissible or impermissible but rather tools which have the potential to incur certain costs and benefits, and that context is important in determining these. In the latter stages of the article, we explain how developers of such technologies might seek to mitigate such costs and reflect on the possible limitations of the empirical ethics method brought out during the study