La Casa Telematica Milaan (IT)

In 1971, Italian architect and artist Ugo La Pietra had already developed a first draft of the Casa Telematica for the exhibition ‘Italy: The New Domestic Landscape’, which took place in 1972 at the MoMa in New York. The concept included a house with a triangular cross section, which La Pietra used to examine the potential impact of engineering and technology on the home, and on domestic life. Using images reminiscent of Superstudio’s The Continuous Landscape, La Pietra presented the house as a space where people come together, but also one in which a variety of information-processing equipment has been included, which allowed for communication with the outside world. In the framework of the International Trade Fair of Milan that was held in 1982, La Pietra again addressed the issue of technology and the domestic environment, and redeveloped the Casa Telematica. Instead of the single triangular space, there was now a simple square floor plan with a rectangular cross section, more or less traditionally divided into living room, kitchen, bedrooms, etcetera. In this arrangement, the Italian avant-gardist appearance made room for a postmodern idiom: primary shapes, neon lights and bold colours. Precisely by choosing a traditional layout of the house, La Pietra was able to question various domestic rituals.De Italiaanse architect en kunstenaar Ugo La Pietra ontwikkelde al in 1971 een eerste concept voor de Casa Telematica in het kader van de tentoonstelling ‘Italy: The New Domestic Landscape’ die in 1972 in het MoMa in New York plaatsvond. Het concept behelsde een in doorsnede driehoekig huis, waarin La Pietra de mogelijke impact van techniek en technologie op de woning en het huiselijk leven onderzocht. La Pietra presenteert het huis – in beelden die doen denken aan Superstudio’s The Continuous Landscape – als een ruimte waarin mensen samenkomen, maar waarin ook op allerlei manieren informatie-apparatuur is verwerkt, waarmee met de buitenwereld gecommuniceerd kan worden. In het kader van de internationale jaarbeurs van Milaan die in 1982 gehouden wordt, pakt La Pietra het vraagstuk van techniek en de huiselijke sfeer weer op, en ontwikkelt hij opnieuw de Casa Telematica. In plaats van de enkelvoudige driehoekige ruimte is er nu een eenvoudige vierkante plattegrond met rechthoekige doorsnede, min of meer traditioneel onderverdeeld in woonkamer, keuken, slaapkamers, enz. In de inrichting heeft de Italiaanse avant-gardistische toon plaats gemaakt ten gunste van een postmoderne vormentaal: primaire vormen, neonlicht en uitgesproken kleuren. Juist door een traditionele indeling van het huis te kiezen, kon La Pietra de verschillende huiselijke rituelen problematiseren

Lebensraum

In many utopias and dystopias, private home ownership, and the corresponding idea of privacy, is suspect. Being ‘at home’ must be avoided in such a world. Privacy has been abolished or restricted, and possessions must be shared with the community at large – after all, those who become too comfortable may start pursuing different goals. Private property undermines commitment to the public good, and who knows what people get up to behind closed doors! German-American philosopher Hannah Arendt fiercely criticized this notion, echoes of which she traced back to the theories of Karl Marx and the totalitarian experiments in communist Russia. A private domain and private property, she argued, are actually indispensable to commitment to the world. Arendt is generally credited with introducing the issue of the public realm into the twentieth-century philosophical debate, followed almost immediately by German philosopher Jürgen Habermas. In 1962 Habermas published his study Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit (The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere), in which he argues that changes to the bourgeoisie’s private sphere in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries led to the emergence of the public sphere. More specifically: a different organization of work and household gave the bourgeoisie (or to be fair: the male head of the household) ‘leisure time’: the time to visit a salon or coffeehouse and, stimulated by the rise of the press, to discuss current affairs. Habermas claims that this enabled society to wrest itself from the feudal system. Public debate about current affairs created a new sphere in society, somewhere between feudal state and market. In other words, the public sphere comprised the space for the exchange of ideas and beliefs, space for social conversation and for the development of a public opinion, which was neither coloured by government intervention nor susceptible to market forces.4 On the contrary: the twin spheres of government and market had to learn to relate to this new public sphere.In tal van utopieën en dystopieën is het eigen huis, en de daaraan verbonden idee van privacy verdacht. ‘Thuis’ zijn in deze wereld moet voorkomen worden, privacy is afgeschaft of beperkt, en bezit moet worden gedeeld met de hele gemeenschap – immers, wie het te comfortabel heeft, krijgt andere doelen; eigen bezittingen ondermijnen de toewijding aan de publieke zaak, en wie weet wat er niet uitgespookt wordt achter gesloten deuren! De Duits-Amerikaanse filosofe Hannah Arendt heeft ongekend fel gereageerd op dit idee, waarvan ze de echo traceerde in het gedachtegoed van Karl Marx en de totalitaire experimenten in communistisch Rusland. Juist voor de toewijding aan de wereld, stelde ze, is een privaat domein én privaat bezit noodzakelijk. Arendt wordt alom gezien als degene die in de twintigste eeuw de problematiek van het publieke domein in het filosofisch debat heeft geïntroduceerd, vrijwel op de voet gevolgd door de Duitse filosoof Jürgen Habermas. Habermas publiceerde in 1962 zijn studie Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit, waarin hij stelt dat veranderingen in de privésfeer van de burgerij in de zeventiende en achttiende eeuw leidden tot het ontstaan van de publieke sfeer. Concreet: door een andere organisatie van werk en huishouden kreeg de burgerij (om eerlijk te zijn: het mannelijke hoofd van het huishouden) ‘vrije tijd’: om een salon of koffiehuis te bezoeken en, gestimuleerd door de opkomende pers, te discussiëren over actualiteiten. Volgens Habermas ontworstelde de samenleving zich hierdoor aan het feodale bestel. De publieke discussie over actualiteit vormde een nieuwe sfeer in de maatschappij, tussen feodale staat en markt in. Met andere woorden, de publieke sfeer betrof de ruimte voor uitwisseling van ideeën en overtuigingen, ruimte voor het maatschappelijk gesprek en voor de ontwikkeling van een publieke opinie, die niet gedomineerd werd door overheidsbemoeienis of vatbaar was voor marktwerking.4 Integendeel: de beide sferen van overheid en markt moesten zich leren verhouden tot deze nieuwe publieke sfeer

IBA BERLIN 2020 De nalatenschap

‘If it’s about architectural splendour, Berlin is eager to dream of faded glory,’ Berlin newspaper Tagespiegel recently stated as the opening of an article announcing the demolition of the Lützowplatz building, a housing complex designed by wellknown architect Matthias Oswald Ungers.1 This project was one of the tangible results of the 1987 Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA). This residential complex was demolished in early 2013; at the same time there were plans to break down the Kreuzberg tower, architect John Hejduk’s contribution to the 1987 IBA. The Kreuzberg tower – a rare example of Hejduk’s built work – was fortunately saved at the last minute and is now even protected by the government and being restored by its new owners. In the mean time plans were being made for a new Bauausstellung: IBA Berlin 2020. The objectives of this IBA were to realize ‘dreams from past ruins’ for the city, represented, for instance, by the rebuilding of the former city castle (now known as the Humboldtforum), but also to proudly present the city’s contemporary responses to current questions concerning housing and public space. Unfortunately, the preparation of this new IBA came to an early end in the fall of 2013. As the official website states: the Senate didn’t reserve room in the 2014/2015 budget to continue the preparation. Nevertheless, ‘even without the format of an International Building Exhibition these issues will remain on the agenda’.‘Wenn es um architektonischen Glanz geht, dann träumt man in Berlin gerne von vergangener Größe’. Met deze analyse opende de Berlijnse krant Tagesspiegel een artikel over de sloop van het Lützowplatzcomplex, een woningbouwproject naar ontwerp van de bekende architect Matthias Oswald Ungers.1 Dit project was één van de concrete resultaten van IBA 1987, de Internationale Bauausstellung die dat jaar aan het publiek werd gepresenteerd. De woningen werden begin 2013 afgebroken; de sloop viel ongeveer samen met het plan om de Kreuzbergtoren, John Hejduk’s bijdrage aan IBA 1987, af te breken. De Kreuzbergtoren (overigens een van Hejduk’s weinige gerealiseerde projecten) ontsprong de dans, heeft nu zelfs de monumentenstatus gekregen en wordt bovendien door de nieuwe eigenaren gerestaureerd. Intussen werden plannen gemaakt voor een nieuwe Bauausstellung: de IBA Berlin 2020. Kort samengevat waren de ambities van deze IBA dat in de stad niet alleen ‘dromen van vergane glorie’ verwezenlijkt worden, zoals de herbouw van het voormalige stadsslot (tegenwoordig het Humboldtforum), maar dat de inwoners ook trots moeten kunnen zijn op de eigentijdse antwoorden, die hun stad weet te formuleren op actuele vraagstukken van huisvesting en openbare ruimte. Helaas werden de voorbereidingen voor de nieuwe IBA dit najaar stopgezet. Een bericht op de officiële website laat weten dat de Senaat geen budget heeft gereserveerd in de begroting van 2014-2015 om de IBA te continueren. Desondanks ‘zullen de belangrijke thema’s op de agenda blijven, ook zonder het kader van een Internationale Bauausstellung’

Prolonged hypothyroidism severely reduces ovarian follicular reserve in adult rats

Background There is substantial evidence both in humans and in animals that a prolonged reduction in plasma thyroid hormone concentration leads to reproductive problems, including disturbed folliculogenesis, impaired ovulation and fertilization rates, miscarriage and pregnancy complications. The objective of the present study is to examine the consequences of chronic hypothyroidism, induced in adulthood, for the size of the ovarian follicle pool. In order to investigate this, adult female rats were provided either a control or an iodide deficient diet in combination with perchlorate supplementation to inhibit iodide uptake by the thyroid. Sixteen weeks later animals were sacrificed. Blood was collected for hormone analyses and ovaries were evaluated histologically. Results At the time of sacrifice, plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations were 20- to 40-fold increased, thyroxine concentrations were negligible while tri-iothyronin concentrations were decreased by 40% in the hypothyroid group, confirming that the animals were hypothyroid. Primordial, primary and preantral follicle numbers were significantly lower in the hypothyroid ovaries compared to the euthyroid controls, while a downward trend in antral follicle and corpora lutea numbers was observed. Surprisingly the percentage of atretic follicles was not significantly different between the two groups, suggesting that the reduced preantral and antral follicle numbers were presumably not the consequence of increased degeneration of these follicle types in the hypothyroid group. Plasma anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels showed a significant correlation with the growing follicle population represented by the total ovarian number of primary, preantral and antral follicles, suggesting that also under hypothyroid conditions AMH can serve as a surrogate marker to assess the growing ovarian follicle population. Conclusions The induction of a chronic hypothyroid condition in adult female rats negatively affects the ovarian follicular reserve and the size of the growing follicle population, which may impact fertility

Rat testicular germ cells and sertoli cells release different types of bioactive transforming growth factor beta in vitro

Several in vivo studies have reported the presence of immunoreactive transforming growth factor-β's (TGF-β's) in testicular cells at defined stages of their differentiation. The most pronounced changes in TGF-β(1 )and TGF-β(2 )immunoreactivity occurred during spermatogenesis. In the present study we have investigated whether germ cells and Sertoli cells are able to secrete bioactive TGF-β's in vitro, using the CCl64 mink lung epithelial cell line as bioassay for the measurement of TGF-β. In cellular lysates, TGF-β bioactivity was only observed following heat-treatment, indicating that within these cells TGF-β is present in a latent form. To our surprise, active TGF-β could be detected in the culture supernatant of germ cells and Sertoli cells without prior heat-treatment. This suggests that these cells not only produce and release TGF-β in a latent form, but that they also release a factor which can convert latent TGF-β into its active form. Following heat-activation of these culture supernatant's, total TGF-β bioactivity increased 6- to 9-fold. Spermatocytes are the cell type that releases most bioactive TGF-β during a 24 h culture period, although round and elongated spermatids and Sertoli cells also secrete significant amounts of TGF-β. The biological activity of TGF-β could be inhibited by neutralizing antibodies against TGF-β(1 )(spermatocytes and round spermatids) and TGF-β(2 )(round and elongating spermatids). TGF-β activity in the Sertoli cell culture supernatant was inhibited slightly by either the TGF-β(1 )and TGF-β(2 )neutralizing antibody. These in vitro data suggest that germ cells and Sertoli cells release latent TGF-β's. Following secretion, the TGF-β's are converted to a biological active form that can interact with specific TGF-β receptors. These results strengthen the hypothesis that TGF-β's may play a physiological role in germ cell proliferation/differentiation and Sertoli cell function

Dual Effect on Adult-Type Leydig Cell and Sertoli Cell Development

Transient neonatal 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU) induced hypothyroidism affects Leydig and Sertoli cell numbers in the developing testis, resulting in increased adult testis size. The hypothyroid condition was thought to be responsible, an assumption questioned by studies showing that uninterrupted fetal/postnatal hypothyroidism did not affect adult testis size. Here, we investigated effects of transient hypothyroidism on Leydig and Sertoli cell development, employing a perinatal iodide-deficient diet in combination with sodium perchlorate. This hypothyroidism inducing diet was continued until days 1, 7, 14, or 28 postpartum (pp) respectively, when the rats were switched to a euthyroid diet and followed up to adulthood. Continuous euthyroid and hypothyroid, and neonatal PTU-treated rats switched to the euthyroid diet at 28 days pp, were included for comparison. No effects on formation of the adult-type Leydig cell population or on Sertoli cell proliferation and differentiation were observed when the diet switched at/or before day 14 pp. However, when the diet was discontinued at day 28 pp, Leydig cell development was delayed similarly to what was observed in chronic hypothyroid rats. Surprisingly, Sertoli cell proliferation was 6- to 8-fold increased 2 days after the diet switch and remained elevated the next days. In adulthood, Sertoli cell number per seminiferous tubule cross-section and consequently testis weight was increased in this group. These observations implicate that increased adult testis size in transiently hypothyroid rats is not caused by the hypothyroid condition per se, but originates from augmented Sertoli cell proliferation as a consequence of rapid normalization of thyroid hormone concentrations

Oncostatin-M inhibits luteinizing hormone stimulated Leydig cell progenitor formation in vitro

Background: The initial steps of stem Leydig cell differentiation into steroid producing progenitor cells are thought to take place independent of luteinizing hormone (LH), under the influence of locally produced factors such as leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), platelet derived growth factor A and stem cell factor. For the formation of a normal sized Leydig cell population in the adult testis, the presence of LH appears to be essential. Oncostatin M (OSM) is a multifunctional cytokine and member of the interleukin (IL)-6 family that also includes other cytokines such as LIF. In the rat OSM is highly expressed in the late fetal and neonatal testis, and may thus be a candidate factor involved in Leydig cell progenitor formation. Methods: Interstitial cells were isolated from 13-day-old rat testes and cultured for 1, 3 or 8 days in the presence of different doses of OSM ( range: 0.01 to 10 ng/ml) alone or in combination with LH ( 1 ng/ml). The effects of OSM and LH on cell proliferation were determined by incubating the cultures with [3H] thymidine or bromodeoxyuridine ( BrdU). Developing progenitor cells were identified histochemically by the presence of the marker enzyme 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD). Results: OSM, when added at a dose of 10 ng/ml, caused a nearly 2-fold increase in the percentage of Leydig cell progenitors after 8 days of culture. Immunohistochemical double labelling experiments with 3beta-HSD and BrdU antibodies showed that this increase was the result of differentiation of stem Leydig cells/precursor cells and not caused by proliferation of progenitor cells themselves. The addition of LH to the cultures consistently resulted in an increase in progenitor formation throughout the culture period. Surprisingly, when OSM and LH were added together, the LH induced rise in progenitor cells was significantly inhibited after 3 and 8 days of culture. Conclusion: Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that locally produced OSM may not only play a role in the regulation of Sertoli cell proliferation and the initiation of spermatogenesis but may also play a role in the regulation of Leydig cell progenitor formation by keeping the augmenting effects of LH on this process in abeyance

Follicular development of sows at weaning in relation to estimated breeding value for within-litter variation in piglet birth weight

In this study we aimed to identify possible causes of within-litter variation in piglet birth weight (birth weight variation) by studying follicular development of sows at weaning in relation to their estimated breeding value (EBV) for birth weight variation. In total, 29 multiparous sows (parity 3 to 5) were selected on their EBV for birth weight variation (SD in grams; High-EBV: 15.8±1.6, N=14 and Low-EBV: −24.7±1.5, N=15). The two groups of sows had similar litter sizes (15.7 v. 16.9). Within 24 h after parturition, piglets were cross-fostered to ensure 13 suckling piglets per sow. Sows weaned 12.8±1.0 and 12.7±1.0 piglets, respectively, at days 26.1±0.2 of lactation. Blood and ovaries were collected within 2 h after weaning. The right ovary was immediately frozen to assess average follicle size and percentage healthy follicles of the 15 largest follicles. The left ovary was used to assess the percentage morphologically healthy cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) of the 15 largest follicles. To assess the metabolic state of the sows, body condition and the circulating metabolic markers insulin, IGF1, non-esterified fatty acid, creatinine, leptin, urea and fibroblast growth factor 21 were analysed at weaning. No significant differences were found in any of the measured follicular or metabolic parameters between High-EBV and Low-EBV. A higher weight loss during lactation was related to a lower percentage healthy COCs (β= −0.65, P=0.02). Serum creatinine, a marker for protein breakdown, was negatively related to average follicle size (β= −0.60, P=0.05). Backfat loss during lactation was related to a higher backfat thickness at parturition and to a higher average follicle size (β=0.36, P<0.001) at weaning. In conclusion, we hypothesise that modern hybrid sows with more backfat at the start of lactation are able to mobilise more energy from backfat during lactation and could thereby spare protein reserves to support follicular development.</p