Rethinking models of architectural research:: we don't do objects

Historically, an argument can be made that architectural research was produced internal to firms and manufacturers as proprietary objects or sets of data. The concept of disciplines and professions reinforced the separation of open-sourced knowledge and the application of that knowledge in a commercial context. However, design has rapidly changed from an object-solution profession and is now faced with finding solutions to complex problems within complex systems. The past practice model of client, architect, and final product seems an ill-fit in this new context. The question is how to integrate a critical research process into a professional capacity in which that architectural research needs an inherent and immediate value to be performed or pursued. The SYNCH Research Group [synchRG] was formed in response to this question. Although research consortiums, design initiatives and research centres exist within many schools of architecture, most operate as a department or extensions of a school of architecture. SynchRG operates in neither private practice nor as a division of the university. Organized as a diverse and fluid association of faculty, students, professionals, and consultants, the synchRG group is focused on a design methodology and philosophical structure rather than a client, site, building, typology, or object. The focus on idiosyncratic or aesthetic solutions to singular problems is set aside in order to provide a collaborative intellectual space for professional based explorations. The paper will examine synchRG's response to current architectural research challenges and illustrate its unique structure as a possible model to be replicated. A dialogue will be initiated on a model for practice aligned with both academia and industry

Rethinking models of architectural research: we don't do objects

Historically, an argument can be made that architectural research was produced internal to firms and manufacturers as proprietary objects or sets of data. The concept of disciplines and professions reinforced the separation of open-sourced knowledge and the application of that knowledge in a commercial context. However, design has rapidly changed from an object-solution profession and is now faced with finding solutions to complex problems within complex systems. The past practice model of client, architect, and final product seems an ill-fit in this new context. The question is how to integrate a critical research process into a professional capacity in which that architectural research needs an inherent and immediate value to be performed or pursued. The SYNCH Research Group [synchRG] was formed in response to this question. Although research consortiums, design initiatives and research centres exist within many schools of architecture, most operate as a department or extensions of a school of architecture. SynchRG operates in neither private practice nor as a division of the university. Organized as a diverse and fluid association of faculty, students, professionals, and consultants, the synchRG group is focused on a designmethodology and philosophical structure rather than a client, site, building, typology, or object. The focus on idiosyncratic or aesthetic solutions to singular problems is set aside in order to provide acollaborative intellectual space for professional based explorations. The paper will examine synchRG's response to current architectural research challenges and illustrate its unique structure as a possible model to be replicated. A dialogue will be initiated on a model for practice aligned with both academia and industry

Introduction: Design Epistemology

The last 50 years has seen moves towards establishing a sound epistemic basis for design as a knowledge discipline. Despite this, there is still a lack of clarity and penetration of such epistemic studies into pedagogy and practice, as well as little consensus of a foundational structure to the territory of specialized knowledge and knowledge acquisition. This raises the issue that there remains several epistemological ‘big challenges’ across the entire spectrum of design disciplines – or as a generalized design knowledge (Cross, 2013). This theme will explore the current state of design epistemology and pose a range of questions that remain generally unanswered, or incompletely answered. Such questions have to consider the historical underpinnings of design as discipline, leading to the social and political drivers and contexts within which it operates today. At the same time, these questions have to consider the grounded and heuristic nature of design; a fundamentally situated practice whose artifacts still remain under-researched across the discipline. In general terms, a design epistemology as a truly distinct and rigorous knowledge praxis has yet to emerge. At this 50th Design Research Society conference, the Design Epistemology Theme seeks to encourage new discussions across the community to rigorously consider the scope, methods and veracity of design practice, education and research

Clinical performance and Willingness To Pay for soft toric contact lenses in low and moderate astigmats

Purpose: To determine clinical performance and the ‘Willingness To Pay’ for toric vs. spherical soft contact lenses in an astigmatic population. Methods: In the clinical study, subjects with binocular low to moderate astigmatism (-0.75DC to − 1.50DC) wore pairs of soft toric (Biofinity toric) and spherical (Biofinity) contact lenses in random sequence. Visual acuity (high and low contrast, monocular and binocular), subjective comfort and subjective vision were recorded. In the economics study, first subjects who had participated in the clinical study were presented with a series of randomised economic scenarios in order to determine their Willingness To Pay a premium (i.e. an increase) for toric lenses. Then, a similar set of scenarios were presented to a much larger group of online respondents and again, Willingness To Pay was established. Results: For the four measures of visual acuity, the Biofinity toric lens out-performed the Biofinity spherical lens by 0.6 to 1.1 lines.. Subjective vision performance was statistically significantly better with the toric lens for the distance task only. Comfort scores were not significantly different. Similar findings for Willingness To Pay were established for the clinical subjects and for the online respondents. The Willingness To Pay premium (additional fee) for a monthly supply of toric lenses (over spherical lenses) was between £13 and £16, if a toric lens provides better vision and similar comfort, as shown in the clinical study. Conclusion: Consumers are willing to pay a monthly premium of around 50% to benefit from the typical experience of better vision and similar comfort for toric vs. spherical lenses. The level of additional cost for toric lenses compared to their spherical equivalents is less than this in the market, so eye care professionals should consider that toric lenses are delivering a greater clinical return than anticipated by wearers for the relatively small increase in price

Malignant Catarrhal Fever Induced by Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 Is Associated with Proliferation of CD8+ T Cells Supporting a Latent Infection

Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1 (AlHV-1), carried by wildebeest asymptomatically, causes malignant catarrhal fever (WD-MCF) when cross-species transmitted to a variety of susceptible species of the Artiodactyla order. Experimentally, WD-MCF can be induced in rabbits. The lesions observed are very similar to those described in natural host species. Here, we used the rabbit model and in vivo 5-Bromo-2′-Deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation to study WD-MCF pathogenesis. The results obtained can be summarized as follows. (i) AlHV-1 infection induces CD8+ T cell proliferation detectable as early as 15 days post-inoculation. (ii) While the viral load in peripheral blood mononuclear cells remains below the detection level during most of the incubation period, it increases drastically few days before death. At that time, at least 10% of CD8+ cells carry the viral genome; while CD11b+, IgM+ and CD4+ cells do not. (iii) RT-PCR analyses of mononuclear cells isolated from the spleen and the popliteal lymph node of infected rabbits revealed no expression of ORF25 and ORF9, low or no expression of ORF50, and high or no expression of ORF73. Based on these data, we propose a new model for the pathogenesis of WD-MCF. This model relies on proliferation of infected CD8+ cells supporting a predominantly latent infection

A structure-function analysis shows SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 balances antibody escape and ACE2 affinity.

BA.2.86, a recently described sublineage of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, contains many mutations in the spike gene. It appears to have originated from BA.2 and is distinct from the XBB variants responsible for many infections in 2023. The global spread and plethora of mutations in BA.2.86 has caused concern that it may possess greater immune-evasive potential, leading to a new wave of infection. Here, we examine the ability of BA.2.86 to evade the antibody response to infection using a panel of vaccinated or naturally infected sera and find that it shows marginally less immune evasion than XBB.1.5. We locate BA.2.86 in the antigenic landscape of recent variants and look at its ability to escape panels of potent monoclonal antibodies generated against contemporary SARS-CoV-2 infections. We demonstrate, and provide a structural explanation for, increased affinity of BA.2.86 to ACE2, which may increase transmissibility

A delicate balance between antibody evasion and ACE2 affinity for Omicron BA.2.75

Variants of SARS CoV-2 have caused successive global waves of infection. These variants, with multiple mutations in the spike protein are thought to facilitate escape from natural and vaccine-induced immunity and often increase in the affinity for ACE2. The latest variant to cause concern is BA.2.75, identified in India where it is now the dominant strain, with evidence of wider dissemination. BA.2.75 is derived from BA.2 and contains four additional mutations in the receptor binding domain (RBD). Here we perform an antigenic and biophysical characterization of BA.2.75, revealing an interesting balance between humoral evasion and ACE2 receptor affinity. ACE2 affinity for BA.2.75 is increased 9-fold compared to BA.2; there is also evidence of escape of BA.2.75 from immune serum, particularly that induced by Delta infection which may explain the rapid spread in India, where BA.2.75 is now the dominant variant. ACE2 affinity appears to be prioritised over greater escape

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

Qualitative embodiment in english architectural discourse: conceptual metaphors and the value judgement of space

This dissertation explores the discipline of architecture through an examination of conceptual metaphors in the discourse genre of architectural theory using Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a starting premise (Lakoff and Johnson 1980; Grady 1997). While theory in architecture is known to be factional when used defend unsubstantiated positions of personal or small group ideology (Johnson 1994), the study of metaphors in texts that contain diverse viewpoints while sharing the common focus of addressing the situated building in physical space clearly presents shared values. The dissertation reveals that metaphors found in the architectural corpus have a consistent tendency towards certain types of knowledge and source domains regardless to the specific article or author. The source domains are dominated by concepts of human actions, human interactions and human capacities as well as various types of motion, all of which are mapped between domains as a way to understand the built environment. These metaphors are constructed on complex gestalts that consistently stress agency, personification, identity and control as important concepts. Metaphors using these concepts indicate a set of values and ways of thinking about the built environment that are not recognized, acknowledged or clearly addressed by architects

|Gap| place. pause: the insertion of paraspace

We are at a point were technology has once again shifted focus as it has several times in the past. Gone now is the ages of the steam engines, railroads, the internal combustion engine and nuclear power. We are now in an age of technology based on microelectronics, biotechnology, and digital information systems. Each time a change in technology has come about, it has affected daily life and the way we understand space. The question is, what are those changes and how can architecture use them to densify, illuminate, pacify and enlighten in the urban fabric. Firstly, there has been an increase in banal space in the city, created by the repetition of forms and the sound bite philosophy of marketing and the franchise. This is space without features, edges, landmarks, substance or quality, or to say it another way it is location without locale. Life is also speeding up, and shows no sign of slowing down. With the increase in speed there is an increased awareness of those small units of time of waiting. The time isn't long enough to do anything, but too long not to, and this leads to lag stress. Multiple and parallel levels of existence are becoming legible, with the Cartesian grid no longer being the only defining frame of reference. In the datasphere the city is becoming, information no longer travels on longitude and latitude but instantaneously between two points. Finally, the frame between the virtual and the real is being removed. In response to this, I propose the following. A frameless spatial system A system which takes the ordinary and realigns it to create new and interesting juxtapositions of form and space. A system based on a program of waiting, to be used to decrease lag stress. A system which will help to create a focus and a sense of place in key areas in the city. A system based on process or relative based design - using connections, proximity, flow and view as generating devices. A system which makes use of an increased literacy in the population of overlapping layers and woven forms. A system which, therefore, sits parallel to, and co-exists with, the existing urban fabric, or a Paraspace.Applied Science, Faculty ofArchitecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School ofGraduat