Towards a definition of ‘place’. Cross-disciplinary methodology for interpolating architectural and sociological data in Claremont Court, Edinburgh

This paper introduces our novel cross-disciplinary methodology developed under the research project ‘Place and Belonging: what can we learn from Claremont Court Housing Scheme?’. This original methodology integrates research methods from architecture and sociology in order to investigate the relationship between place and sense of belonging to a community, using the case study of Claremont Court, a post-war housing scheme in Edinburgh. The research’s theoretical framework defines ‘place’ as the physical space together with the spatial atmosphere, or phenomena that give meaning to it (Norberg-Schulz 1996, Gieryn 2000). Through individual and collective spatial practices, people attach meanings to a place that they can then claim belonging to (Benson & Jackson 2013). Thus, the meaning and (co-)production of place become critical in the presentation of the self (Cooper 2004), and in establishing belonging to a collective identity. Consequently, our methodology is underpinned by the theory of non-verbal communication, according to which people generate the meaning of a place through ‘personalisation’ (Rapoport 1982:21) of their environment. Drawing on these premises, we developed a qualitative research design which combines architectural research methods (laser-tape survey, photo-survey, contextual mapping and visual narratives); with research methods from the social sciences (biographical, walk-along and photo-elicitation interviews). Through visual (or non-verbal) methods, we study physical cues from which we infer inductively the meaning of place. Through interview (or verbal) methods we study verbal behaviour, which further uncovers the meaning of the place through thematic analysis. From the synthesis of both analyses we elicit the meaning of place for the dweller. The variety of research strategies, from architecture and the social sciences, that we have applied to the Claremont Court case-study, responds to the understanding of place as a physical and socio-cultural reality. Therefore, the research design is structured upon the idea of considering visual methods as cross-disciplinary means, which are able to integrate the physical and socio-cultural aspects of the research problem, enabling the dialogue between different disciplinary areas. The findings of this work are two-fold. First, as part of our original methodology, this paper introduces ‘contextual mapping’ as a novel research method for visualising and interpreting the data collected in relation to the lived spaces and their phenomena. ‘Mapping’ is here intended as suggested by Deleuze and Guattari (1980: 13) in opposition to the action of ‘tracing’: “the map does not reproduce an unconscious closed in upon itself … it fosters connection between fields”. We assume here that architecture can be an interpretative tool for the situations of daily life: thus, it follows that drawing is “a way of re-presenting those situations, […] of communicating a plot, of revealing a situation” (Troiani et al., 2014: 6). Secondly, this paper questions commonly used methodologies to study environmental meaning that rely on linear models (such as those studying semiotics or symbols); we suggest instead that visual methodologies can support the synthesis of physical and socio-cultural data in a cyclic model that brings together research approaches coming from two different, yet interconnected, fields of knowledge such as architecture and the social sciences

Perception of hypertensive patients about their non-adherence to the use of medication

Estudio cualitativo que se propone a analizar la percepción del portador de hipertensión arterial sobre su no adhesión al tratamiento medicamentoso. Fueron entrevistados trece participantes clasificados como no adherente. El análisis fue realizado por la técnica de análisis de contenido modalidad temática. Los datos apuntan para contradicciones en el abordaje sobre lo que es ser o no adherente, la dificultad de adherir al uso de los medicamentos debido al hábito de vida, que el olvido se comprende como una justificativa para la no adhesión, además de reforzar factores que dificultan tal práctica, como el uso de muchos medicamentos, presencia de señales y síntomas y mudanzas en la rutina diaria. Las complejas condiciones que involucran la no adhesión al tratamiento y al actual contexto de predominio de enfermedades crónicas, es primordial que se invierta en estrategias innovadoras de cuidado a tales personas.Estudo qualitativo que se propõe a analisar a percepção do portador de hipertensão arterial sobre a sua não adesão ao tratamento medicamentoso. Foram entrevistados treze participantes classificados como não aderente. A analise foi realizada pela técnica de analise de conteúdo modalidade temática. Os dados apontam para contradições na abordagem sobre o que é ser ou não aderente, a dificuldade de aderir ao uso dos medicamentos devido ao hábito de vida, que o esquecimento é compreendido como uma justificativa para a não adesão, além de reforçarem fatores que dificultam tal prática, como o uso de muitos medicamentos, presença de sinais e sintomas e mudanças na rotina diária. As complexas condições que envolvem a não adesão ao tratamento e ao o atual contexto de predomínio de doenças crônicas, é primordial que se invista em estratégias inovadoras de cuidado a tais pessoas.This qualitative study aims to analyze the perception of patients with hypertension on their non-adherence to medication. 13 participants were interviewed, classified as non-adherent.The analysis was performed using the technique of thematic content analysis. Data points to contradictions in the approach of what is being adherent or not, the difficulty of adhering to the use of medication due to lifestyle habits, that forgetting is understood as a justification for non-compliance, and reinforces factors that hinder such practice, such as the use of many drugs, the presence of signs and symptoms and changes in daily routine. With complex conditions that involve non-adherence to treatment and the current context of the predominance of chronic diseases, it is essential to invest in innovative strategies of care for such people

Prosodia del español de Salamanca en habla espontánea: patrones melódicos de los enunciados interrogativos

Trabajo de fin de Grado. Grado en Filología Hispánica. Curso académico 2016-2017[ES]El objetivo principal de este estudio es describir algunas de las características distintivas de la entonación en la provincia de Salamanca en habla espontánea. Para ello, se va a intentar averiguar y analizar los rasgos que parecen diferir de una pronunciación estándar del español, de manera que se obtengan los patrones entonativos característicos. La hipótesis principal que se maneja es la de la presencia de una modulación característica y/o alargamiento de la sílaba final, especialmente en las oraciones interrogativas

El lipopolisacárido bacteriano, ¿amigo o enemigo?

La microbiota humana comprende las comunidades de microorganismos que conviven en simbiosis con el hospedador y su apropiado balance. La microflora más abundante y diversa es la intestinal, y por tanto la que más impacto tiene sobre la salud. En humanos tiene la capacidad de modular no sólo los procesos inmunes a nivel intestinal, sino que también produce efectos sobre el sistema inmunológico sistémico, pudiendo afectar a enfermedades no intestinales. La relación simbiótica con los microorganismos que habitan el organismo es beneficiosa para el ser humano, el problema radica ante una disbiosis de la microbiota, con sobreproducción de productos bacterianos como el lipopolisacárido (LPS) y una respuesta desproporcionada o inadecuada por parte del sistema inmunológico, lo que podría ocasionar inflamación y lesiones, originando un proceso patológico. La translocación de bacterias y/o de sus productos proinflamatorios a otras localizaciones del organismo conduce al desarrollo de enfermedades extraintestinales: trastornos metabólicos (obesidad, diabetes mellitus), hepáticos (cirrosis e hipertensión portal), neurológicos (Alzheimer, depresión, ansiedad). Conociendo la importancia de la microbiota y tomándola en consideración como un posible factor desencadenante de enfermedad, deberíamos considerar esta línea como variable a controlar a la hora de desarrollar estrategias de prevención o tratamiento de las enfermedades. El tratamiento con probióticos resulta prometedor, ya que se ha demostrado que numerosos probióticos tienen la capacidad no sólo de restaurar la flora, sino de aliviar la enfermedad asociada a la disbiosis. Otros factores a tener en cuenta serán la alimentación, el sedentarismo, el tabaquismo o el alcoholismo, los cuales también se han relacionado con la predisposición a la disbiosis.The human microbiota comprises the communities of microorganisms that coexist in symbiosis with the host and their appropriate balance. The most abundant and diverse is the intestinal microbiota, and therefore the one that has the greatest impact on health. In humans, it has the ability to modulate not only the immune processes at intestinal level, but also produces effects on the systemic immune system, and can affect non-intestinal diseases. The symbiotic relationship with the microorganisms that inhabit the organism is beneficial for humans, the problem lies in a dysbiosis of the microbiota, with overproduction of bacterial products such as the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a disproportionate or inadequate response by the immune system, which could cause inflammation and lesions, originating a pathological process. The translocation of bacteria and/or their pro-inflammatory products to other locations of the organisms leads to the development of extraintestinal diseases: metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes mellitus), hepatic (cirrhosis and portal hypertension) or neurological (Alzheimer, depression, anxiety). Knowing the importance of the microbiota and taking it into consideration as a possible triggering factor of disease, we should consider this line as a variable to be controlled when developing strategies 2 for the prevention or treatment of diseases. Treatment with probiotics is promising, as many probiotics have been shown to have the capacity not only to restore flora, but also to alleviate disease associated with dysbiosis. Other factors to take into account will be diet, sedentary lifestyle, smoking or alcoholism, which have also been linked to a predisposition to dysbiosis

Prefrailty and chronic morbidity in the youngest old: an insight from the Lausanne Cohort Lc65+.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of prefrailty, frailty, comorbidity, and disability in the youngest old and to identify chronic diseases associated with individual frailty criteria. DESIGN: Population-based cohort study of noninstitutionalized elderly adults at baseline; cross-sectional analysis. SETTING: Lausanne, Switzerland. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand two hundred eighty-three individuals with complete data on frailty, aged 65 to 70 (58.5% women). MEASUREMENTS: Frailty was assessed according to an adaptation of Fried's criteria (shrinking, weakness, exhaustion, slowness, and low activity, three criteria needed for the diagnosis of frailty, 1 to 2 for prefrailty). Other outcomes were diseases diagnosed by a doctor (≥ 2 chronic diseases: comorbidity) and limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs, basic and instrumental). RESULTS: At baseline, of 1,283 participants 71.1% were classified as nonfrail, 26.4% as prefrail, and 2.5% as frail. The proportion of women increased across these three groups (56.5%, 62.8%, and 71.9%, respectively; P = .01), as did the proportion of individuals with one or more chronic diseases (68.0%, 82.8%, and 90.6%, respectively; P < .001) and the proportion with basic or instrumental ADL disability (1.6%, 10.3%, and 59.4%, respectively; P < .001). Weakness (low grip strength) was the most frequent criterion (14.3%). Prefrail participants had significantly more comorbidity and ADL disability than nonfrail participants (P < .001). When present in isolation, weakness was associated with two to three times greater prevalence of coronary heart disease, other heart diseases, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis. Similarly, a significant association was identified between exhaustion and depression. CONCLUSION: Prefrailty is common in the youngest old. The most prevalent frailty criterion is weakness, which is associated with cardiovascular diseases. Longitudinal studies of the evolution of prefrailty should explore the role of potential interactions between individual frailty criteria and specific chronic diseases

Gender gap in the Digital Society; a qualitative analysis of the international conversation in the WYRED project

[EN]The objective of this research is to know the opinion of young people about one of the main current issues: gender stereotypes and equality. The research has been developed in the context of the WYRED project. Specifically, the information has been obtained from an international conversation about stereotypes and equality on Internet carried out on the WYRED Platform between February and March 2019. The content analysis has been done with the Nvivo software following a qualitative analysis method. The most important results are the importance of technology in the perpetuation of stereotypes, the criticism towards traditional gender stereotypes, and the defense of education in breaking stereotypes in order to achieve an egalitarian society. In short, the opinion of young people concludes in a critique of traditional stereotypes and the need for change in society

Biofonía en un ruidoso fragmento de bosque urbano tropical

Anthropogenic noise, which is part of an urban soundscape, can negatively affect the behaviour of wild animals. Here we investigated how biophony (animal sounds) was affected by noise in an urban Brazilian forest fragment. Our hypothesis was that noise and biophony would differ between the border and the centre of the forest fragment (i.e., lower biophony predicted in noisy areas). Two passive acoustic monitoring devices were used to record soundscapes one week per month, 24 hour per day, from May to July 2012. The Acoustic Complexity Index (ACI) was used to quantify biophony and the Power Spectral Density (PSD) to quantify urban noise. PSD and ACI were higher on the border than in the centre of the fragment. PSD was lower in July, while the ACI did not significantly vary between months. Noise levels were also higher on the border. Conversely, potential species richness was higher in the centre of the forest fragment. Higher biophony at noisy sites can be interpreted as behavioural responses of species for communicating in noisy areas. Alternatively, they could be the result of species segregation by degree of vocal plasticity or due to differences in composition of communities.El ruido antropogénico, que forma parte de un paisaje sonoro urbano, puede afectar negativamente el comportamiento de los animales En este estudio investigamos cómo la biofonía (sonidos de animales) se vió afectada por el ruido antropogénico en un fragmento de bosque urbano brasileño. Nuestra hipótesis es que el ruido y la biofonía difiren entre el borde y el centro del fragmento de bosque (es decir, una menor biofonía en áreas ruidosas). Se usaron dos dispositivos de monitoreo acústico pasivo para grabar paisajes sonoros una semana al mes, 24 horas al día, de mayo a julio de 2012. El índice de complejidad acústica (ACI) se usó para cuantificar la biofonía y la densidad espectral de potencia (PSD) para cuantificar el ruido urbano. Se obtucieron mayores valores de PSD y ACI en el borde que en el centro del fragmento. La PSD fue menor en julio, mientras que el ACI no varió significativamente entre meses. Los niveles de ruido también fueron más altos en el borde, mientras que la riqueza potencial de especies fue mayor en el centro del fragmento de bosque. Una mayor biofonía en áreas ruidosas puede ser interpretada como el efecto de respuestas conductuales de las especies con el fin de establecer una comunicación efectiva. Alternativamente, podrían ser el resultado de la segregación de especies por grado de plasticidad vocal o debido a diferencias en la composición de las comunidades

Confirming the presence of HTLV-1 infection and the absence of HTLV-2 in blood donors from Arequipa, Peru

Epidemiological studies conducted in Peru disclosed HTLV-1 to be prevalent in different ethnic groups, and found HTLV-2 in some Amazonian Indians and in men who have sex with men. No data concerning HTLV-1/2 infection in blood donors from Arequipa, a highlands region in southern Peru, is available. We searched for the presence of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 antibodies in 2,732 serum samples obtained from blood donors from this geographic area. HTLV-1/2-specific antibodies were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and were confirmed by Western blot (WB). Reactive sera had their blood bags discarded from donation, and the demographic characteristics of the donors were analyzed. Thirty-five sera (1.2%) were HTLV seroreactive by ELISA, and 25 were confirmed HTLV-1-positive by WB. One serum disclosed HTLV-positivity, and the remaining nine serum samples showed indeterminate results by WB; three of which had an HTLV-1 indeterminate Gag profile. The median age of HTLV-positive individuals was 34.6 years; 27 were male and eight were female. All individuals were from southern Peru: 27 from Arequipa, five from Puno, and three from Cuzco. HTLV co-positivity with hepatitis B (five sera) and syphilis (one serum) were detected. Previous transfusion and tattooing were observed in two and one individuals, respectively. No serum was positive for HTLV/HIV co-infection. This study confirmed, for the first time, HTLV-1 infection and the absence of HTLV-2 infection in blood donors from Arequipa, Peru and suggests vertical transmission as the major route of HTLV-1 transmission and acquisition in this geographic region.Estudos epidemiológicos conduzidos no Peru apontam a infecção por HTLV-1 como prevalente em diferentes grupos étnicos e por HTLV-2 restrita a alguns índios da região Amazônica e a homens que fazem sexo com homens. Não existem dados sobre a infecção por HTLV-1/2 em doadores de sangue de Arequipa, região montanhosa do sul do Peru. Portanto, o presente estudo pesquisou anticorpos anti-HTLV-1 e HTLV-2 em 2.732 doadores de sangue desta região geográfica. Foram utilizados na triagem sorológica os testes imunoenzimáticos (ELISA) e para confirmação dos resultados o Western Blot (WB). Soros reagentes no ELISA tiveram suas bolsas de sangue descartadas. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados de acordo com características demográficas dos indivíduos. Trinta e cinco soros (1,2%) resultaram HTLV-1/2 reagentes no ELISA, 25 confirmaram infecção por HTLV-1 no WB. Um soro resultou HTLV positivo e os nove soros restantes resultaram em padrão indeterminado no WB: três com perfil HTLV-1 Gag indeterminado. A média de idade dos indivíduos HTLV positivos foi de 34,6 anos; 27 do gênero masculino e oito do gênero feminino. Todos eram da região sul do país: 27 de Arequipa, cinco de Puno e três de Cuzco. Foi detectada co-positividade HTLV com hepatite B (cinco soros) e sífilis (um soro). Nenhum soro resultou positivo para a co-infecção HIV/HTLV. Havia dois indivíduos com transfusão prévia e um com tatuagem. Este trabalho confirma pela primeira vez infecção por HTLV-1 e ausência de infecção por HTLV-2 em doadores de sangue de Arequipa, sul do Peru e sugere que a transmissão vertical seja a principal via de transmissão/aquisição de HTLV-1 nesta região geográfica

Ruínas da contemporaneidade. Tempelhof na transformação urbana de Berlim.

O presente trabalho procura uma abordagem em torno da problemática da reapropriaçãocidade contemporânea.Deste modo, através do estudo do processo de transformação do antigo aeroportoberlinense, Tempelhof, procura-se um entendimento sobre novos processos detransformação e reinterpretação de espaços tendo em consideração abordagens maisaproximadas aos interesses da sociedade.processos de transformação urbana da cidade onde se insere, Berlim, com especialdesenvolvimento do Tempelhof como plano enquanto processo enquadrada na tradiçãourbanística da cidade de Berlim.The following paper aims to study the issue of re-appropriation and rehabilitation/renewalof empty equipments/spaces related to a process of uncertainty considering the urbantissue of the contemporary city.By studying the process of transformation of the former Berlin airport, Tempelhof, thistransformation and reinterpretation of spaces, taking into account closer approaches inresponse to society's interests.urban transformation of the city where it is located, Berlin, with a special framework toplan while process, framed in the tradition of urban transformation in Berlin