Fun and Games: The Suppression of Architectural Authoriality and the Rise of the Reader

Between the Roarkian caricature of the heroic modernist and the spectre of the contemporary starchitect, there was a period of resistance in which architectural authoriality came under fire. One of the most explicit challenges was issued through the use of gaming and simulation in both architectural education and practice in the 1960s and the 1970s, particularly in the work of Juan Pablo Bonta and Henry Sanoff - both of them architectural scholars, educators, and game enthusiasts.  By tracing the importation of gaming and simulation techniques into architecture, this paper will show how architectural games sought to refigure the architect as a collaborative figure embedded in a network of experts, participants and constituents, and to modulate the architect’s design authority by foregrounding the contributions of viewer-interpreters to the creation of meaning. Situating their work within gaming precedents, from war and business games to urban planning gaming-simulations, I show how architecture games - particularly design games - worked to develop the architectural reader as a creative force, in some quarters going so far as to posit interpretation as the basis of design.

How is Fasting Affecting Brain Oxygenation and Cognition?

Human beings in nearly all societies have experienced the effect of intermittent fasting (IF). It was either imposed because food was scarce or chosen for religious purposes. The beneficial effect of IF on lifespan and the whole organism has been known since the 1930’s. It has been well established that IF reduces the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. It also appears that IF protects neurons. Several mechanisms have been identified such as increased corticosterone and heat-shock protein-70. One of the most recent beneficial effects of IF on neurons was identified to be mediated by brain-derived neurotrophic factors and ketone bodies. However, these data were completed on animals and there is a knowledge gap on the effect of IF in human. PURPOSE: To determine the effect of a 24-hour fasting on brain oxygenation and cognition. METHODS: For these preliminary data, 4 subjects fasted for 24 hours. During the fast, they were allowed to consume water, unsweetened coffee, and tea. The subjects reported to the lab at 8 am the next day for testing. Participants were equipped with 8 optodes on their forehead (NIRS Oxymon, Artinis) to measure brain oxygenation. Subjects were asked to watch a video of a fireplace as a way to normalize the cognition for 2 minutes before they performed the cognitive testing. Subjects were then asked to complete a computerized card sorting test (Wisconsin test, Psytoolkit.org, WCST). RESULTS: Our preliminary data is promising. 24h IF induced an increase for correct answers (51.5 vs. 41.25 for no fasting) and a decrease for wrong answers (7.5 vs. 18.25). There was no difference in brain oxygenation during the WCST, but deoxygenation increased 8-fold. Also, total hemoglobin increased 5.5-fold when compared to baseline. Following 24h fasting, we did not see a difference in oxygenation or deoxygenation, but total hemoglobin increased 50-fold when compared to non-fasting. CONCLUSION: Our results will need to be confirmed but it is interesting that fasting seemed to increase the efficiency of the WCST. Performing the WCST also induced a change in cerebral oxygenation and fasting seemed to increase blood flow to the pre-frontal cortex

Neck Flexors Bilateral Symmetry in Baseball Pitchers: A Unilateral Perspective

This study examines the potential asymmetry in flexor neck muscle characteristics, including thickness, size, strength, and neck flexion range of motion (ROM), in baseball players. Baseball involves repetitive unilateral actions, which may subject players to one-sided stress and strain due to the sport\u27s explosive and high-speed movements. Specifically, pitchers and catchers, who perform frequent arm activities, are at higher risk of upper extremity injuries. PURPOSE: The study aimed to investigate if repeated throwing movements in baseball induce trophic changes in the neck muscles, particularly on the dominant side used for throwing. METHODS: Thirteen college baseball players and fifteen healthy controls participated in the study. Measurements included neck flexion ROM, flexor MVC, and muscle thickness and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the Longus Colli (LC) and Sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscles. RESULTS: Results indicated normal data distribution except for the CSA and symmetry index of LC. Baseball players exhibited comparable neck flexion range of motion (ROM) (52.4±11.48°) and normalized neck flexors MVC (1.22±0.44 N/Kg) compared to the control group (ROM: 44.37±8.78°, MVC: 0.92±0.35 N/Kg). Likewise, baseball players demonstrated symmetry in their neck flexor muscles, whether in terms of CSA of LC or the thickness of the SCM CONCLUSION: This finding suggests that upper extremity activities do not significantly impact neck flexor development. Furthermore, symmetry was observed in the neck flexor muscles, including CSA and SCM thickness, highlighting the absence of substantial asymmetry in baseball players\u27 neck muscle characteristics. The findings of this study provide evidence that even in baseball pitchers who engage in unilateral activities, flexor neck muscles maintain bilateral symmetry. This suggests that it might not be necessary to focus on unilateral training for the neck muscles in case of injury or training activities. These findings contribute to understanding the biomechanical aspects of baseball-related injuries and may aid in injury prevention strategies among baseball players

CAN CEREBRAL HEMODYNAMICS EXPLAIN THE CHANGES IN COGNITION ASSOCIATED WITH WEARING A FACEMASK DURING EXERCISE?

The use of facemasks while exercising raises concerns about oxygen supply. Recent studies have found a decrease in exercise performance. An increased HR, RPE, and laborious breathing were reported when exercising with a mask. However, there is a knowledge gap on exercising with a mask on brain function. PURPOSE: to evaluate the effect of wearing a KN95 mask on cerebral hemodynamics and cognitive function. METHODS: 4 subjects participated in this preliminary study. They visited the lab twice and we randomized wearing a mask. Subjects completed a computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST, Psychtoolkit.org) before, during, and 2’ after an exercise. Reaction time, errors, and correct sorting were measured. The exercise consisted of cycling for 5’ at 90 watts (Monark cycle ergonomic 828 E). Cerebral oxygenation, deoxygenation, and total hemoglobin (CerO2, CerDeoxy, and CerTTHb) were collected continuously using an Oxymon Mk III near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS, Artinis Medical Systems, NH). RESULTS: Our preliminary data showed that wearing a mask induced a slower reaction time before (1270ms vs.1464ms), during (1335ms vs. 1368ms) and after (1144ms vs. 1329ms) the exercise. The WCST showed no effect of the mask before (correct 52 vs. 52 and errors 7 vs. 8) or after the exercise (correct 53 vs. 53; errors 7 vs. 7). In addition, subjects had more correct sorting and fewer errors during the exercise with no mask (correct 44 vs. 51; errors 16 vs. 9). For brain oxygenation, we found a diminished CerO2 before and during the exercise (-1.87, -16.17) and an increase after the exercise (52.46). No changes for CerDeoxy before (0.19), but a decrease during and after the exercise (-6.42 and -7.42). For CerTTHb, we found an increase before (1.80) and a decrease during and after the exercise (-4.17, -14.36). CONCLUSION: The preliminary findings showed that wearing a KN95 mask may affect cognition during exercise but not before or after. This could be related to a diminished CerO2

Protective Role of Interleukin-10 in Ozone-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation

BackgroundThe mechanisms underlying ozone (O3)-induced pulmonary inflammation remain unclear. Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that is known to inhibit inflammatory mediators.ObjectivesWe investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying interleuken-10 (IL-10)–mediated attenuation of O3-induced pulmonary inflammation in mice.MethodsIl10-deficient (Il10−/−) and wild-type (Il10+/+) mice were exposed to 0.3 ppm O3 or filtered air for 24, 48, or 72 hr. Immediately after exposure, differential cell counts and total protein (a marker of lung permeability) were assessed from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). mRNA and protein levels of cellular mediators were determined from lung homogenates. We also used global mRNA expression analyses of lung tissue with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to identify patterns of gene expression through which IL-10 modifies O3-induced inflammation.ResultsMean numbers of BALF polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) were significantly greater in Il10−/− mice than in Il10+/+ mice after exposure to O3 at all time points tested. O3-enhanced nuclear NF-κB translocation was elevated in the lungs of Il10−/− compared with Il10+/+ mice. Gene expression analyses revealed several IL-10–dependent and O3-dependent mediators, including macrophage inflammatory protein 2, cathepsin E, and serum amyloid A3.ConclusionsResults indicate that IL-10 protects against O3-induced pulmonary neutrophilic inflammation and cell proliferation. Moreover, gene expression analyses identified three response pathways and several genetic targets through which IL-10 may modulate the innate and adaptive immune response. These novel mechanisms of protection against the pathogenesis of O3-induced pulmonary inflammation may also provide potential therapeutic targets to protect susceptible individuals

Airway smooth muscle as an immunomodulatory cell.

Although pivotal in regulating bronchomotor tone in asthma, airway smooth muscle (ASM) also modulates airway inflammation in asthma. ASM myocytes secrete or express a wide array of immunomodulatory mediators in response to extracellular stimuli, and in chronic severe asthma, increases in ASM mass may also render the airway irreversibly obstructed. Although the mechanisms by which ASM secretes cytokines and chemokines are shared with those regulating immune cells, there exist unique ASM signaling pathways that may provide novel therapeutic targets. This review provides an overview of our current understanding of the proliferative as well as synthetic properties of ASM

The Architecture of Design: The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Museum of Design (1896-1976)

Challenging the dominant views of architecture as either a fine art, an 18th century affiliation with assumptions of disciplinary autonomy and the primacy of aesthetic experience, or design, a late 20th century notion emphasizing performance and problem solving, this dissertation examines a third transitional architectural orientation—architecture’s 19th century affiliation with the decorative arts and its relationship to the evolving notion of design throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. This orientation was one that emphasized architecture’s accessibility, openness to non-specialist participation, and situatedness in larger spheres of culture and experience. I explore this trajectory through the specific case of the Cooper Union Museum of the Arts of Decoration, (f. 1897), and its successor, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Museum of Design (f. 1967), concluding with its Hans Hollein-designed inaugural exhibition, ManTRANSforms: Aspects of Design (1976). Examining three distinct periods in which the institution collected architecture within its evolving orientation to the decorative arts and design through its exhibitions, collections, and pedagogical engagement with the Cooper Union, this dissertation explores three primary questions: How did the institution and its activities contribute to the development of the concepts of ‘the decorative arts’ and ‘design’ in the 20th century? Secondly, how was architecture implicated materially and conceptually in these larger categories, and how did they shape the discipline as a result? Finally, how were its changing utilization and interpretation of historical objects in the collections reflective and even constitutive of these intellectual orientations? Combining methods from institutional history and the history of ideas, I identify three distinct conceptions of design that bridged architecture with other forms of creative endeavor: first, a 19th century notion of design that distinguished form and surface to emphasize the autonomy of two-dimensional composition; secondly, a mid-century approach that eschewed historical classifications to focus on individual characteristics through ahistorical visual and formal categories; and thirdly, a concept developed in the 1970s that expanded the definition of design to new scales and forms, broadening the scope to include the quotidian and anonymous efforts of the layperson.PHDArchitectureUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135775/1/keslacye_1.pd