The city as an aesthetic space

This paper uses the relational space paradigm to bridge some gaps between the field of aesthetics and the field of urban studies. By introducing the concept of aesthetic space, I analyze a particular sort of direct lived experience through which memories of the past, latent reality and the actualized perceived present are conjured together, informing one another. Studying the aesthetic space can help urban researchers better understand how the world becomes internalized or externalized by inhabitants, how they develop a stronger concern for justice, or how novelty is borne from a constant dialogue between the ethical and the aesthetic. Like many other social phenomena, aesthetic categories are emergent, meaning that categories with different qualities appear at each different scale. In this sense, aesthetic appreciation of the city as a whole cannot be solely understood as the sum of the aesthetic appreciations of its separate parts. The production of a scale as a societal problem is analyzed through the concept of style. A few examples are examined

Intercomparison Exercise for Heavy Metals in PM10

The Joint Research Centre (JRC) has carried out an Intercomparison Exercise (IE) for the determination of heavy metals in particulate matter (PM10). The IE focussed on Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Nickel (Ni) and Cadmium (Cd), the heavy metals regulated by the 1st and 4th Daughter Directives for Air Pollution. Copper (Cu), Chromium (Cr) and Zinc (Zn), the elements included in the EMEP programme together with Aluminium (Al), Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn) and Vanadium (V) were also tested. Fourteen Laboratories, generally members of the Network of Air Quality Reference Laboratories (AQUILA), participated in the IE. The participants mainly used microwave digestion with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) or Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GF-AAS) for analysis as recommended in the reference method (EN 14902). However, a few participants used other methods: Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF), Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) and Voltammetry for analysis and vaporisation on hot plate before microwave digestion, Soxhlet extraction, high pressure or cold Hydrogen Fluoride methods for digestion. Each participant received 5 samples to be analysed: a liquid sample prepared by dilution of a Certified Reference Material (CRM), a solution of a dust CRM sample digested by the JRC13F, a sub-sample of a dust CRM that each participating laboratory had to digest and analyse, a solution prepared by JRC after digestion of an exposed filter and a pair of filters (one blank filter and one exposed filter) to be digested and analysed by each participant. For 89 % of all types of samples, the DQOs of the 1st and 4th European Directives (uncertainty of 25 % for Pb and 40 % for As, Cd and Ni) were met. All together, this is a very good score. The best results were obtained for the liquid CRM, dust CRM digested by JRC, dust CRM and filter digested by JRC with 92, 90, 96 and 93 % of DQOs being met, respectively. It was found that the DQOs were not met if the difference of acidity between test samples and participant calibration standards was high. Conversely, only 76 % of DQOs were met for the filter to be digested by each participant with (about 85 % for Cd and Ni, 73/64 % for Pb and As, the most difficult element to determine). The worst results were associated with special events: explosion in microwave oven during digestion for two participants, a wrong dilution factor used by one participant and a huge contamination in the blank filter for another participant. Among the two explosions, one of them was probably the effect of a lack of temperature control in the digestion vessel. For the other explosion, the microwave digestion and the digestion program advised by EN 14902 is to be questioned. Moreover, satisfactory results were obtained using Soxhlet extraction, high pressure method and cold Hydrogen Fluoride digestion methods which are not presented in EN 14902. The DQOs of As and Cd could not be met with EDXRF whose limit of detection was too high for these two elements and for Cd using Voltammetry which suffered a strong interference for this element. Regarding the methods of analysis, apart the points mentioned just before about EDXRF and Voltammetry, good results were observed using ICP-OES for Cd, Ni and Pb. A few discrepancies were also registered for GF-AAS and ICP-MS but they were created by the special events or acidity problem mentioned before. This shows that even though GF-AAS and ICP-MS are found suitable, the implementation by each participant may be responsible for important mistakes.JRC.H.4-Transport and air qualit

Persistent sulfate formation from London Fog to Chinese haze

Sulfate aerosols exert profound impacts on human and ecosystem health, weather, and climate, but their formation mechanism remains uncertain. Atmospheric models consistently underpredict sulfate levels under diverse environmental conditions. From atmospheric measurements in two Chinese megacities and complementary laboratory experiments, we show that the aqueous oxidation of SO2 by NO2 is key to efficient sulfate formation but is only feasible under two atmospheric conditions: on fine aerosols with high relative humidity and NH3 neutralization or under cloud conditions. Under polluted environments, this SO2 oxidation process leads to large sulfate production rates and promotes formation of nitrate and organic matter on aqueous particles, exacerbating severe haze development. Effective haze mitigation is achievable by intervening in the sulfate formation process with enforced NH3 and NO2 control measures. In addition to explaining the polluted episodes currently occurring in China and during the 1952 London Fog, this sulfate production mechanism is widespread, and our results suggest a way to tackle this growing problem in China and much of the developing world

Aesthetics and Spatial Practices. The Example of Switzerland

The main assumption underlying this article is that aesthetic categories and spatial practices are intrinsically connected. I argue that aesthetic experience and aesthetic judgment assume an importance for their high potential to elicit emotions and activate the agency of urban actors. Any study of the evolution of urban space in Switzerland should account for the high importance assigned by different urban actors to aesthetic questions. As “small” actors engage in a production of their “aesthetics of existence” (term coined by Foucault, 1977), their actions play the fundamental role in the structuring of urban space. The aesthetic sensibilities in Switzerland have been developing in the particular spatial, social and historical conditions with the city image in a pivotal role

Prävalenz von Kiefergelenksbeschwerden bei ParodontitispatientInnen der Universitätszahnklinik Wien - eine retrospektive Datenanalyse

Ziel: Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Feststellung der Prävalenz von Kiefergelenksbeschwerden bei Parodontitispatienten der Universitätszahnklinik Wien. Ausgehend von einigen Studien, die nahelegen, dass es sowohl bei Parodontitis als auch bei Kiefergelenkspathologien systemische Wechselbeziehungen gibt. Hierbei sei zu beachten, dass das stomatognathe System ein ineindergreifendes Gefüge ist. Trotz vorhandener, epidemiologischer Studien zu Prävalenzen für Kiefergelenksbeschwerden ist nicht bekannt, ob Parodontitispatienten vermehrt über Kiefergelenksprobleme klagen. Material und Methoden: Ein Datensatz mit 1289 PatientInnenakten der Universitäts-zahnklinik Wien wurde hierfür untersucht. Alle PatientInnen sind nach den Kriterien der parodontalen Grunduntersuchung der Universitätszahnklinik Wien, im Zeitraum von 01/2006 bis 04/2009 mit einer Parodontitis, diagnostiziert worden. Die jeweiligen Anamneseblätter als auch die ärztlichen Angaben in der Karteikartensoftware wurden analysiert. Die zu erhebenden Kriterien waren Angaben zu Kiefergelenkschmerz bzw. -knacken/geräusch. Orthopantomogramme (OPTG) und die Zahnschemata wurden für die Erfassung des Zahnstatus in Betracht gezogen. Nach der Datenerhebung konnten schließlich 1234 PatientInnendatensätze zur weiteren Auswertung mit dem Statistikprogramm IBM SPSS®20 verwendet werden. Zur Prognose von Kiefergelenksschmerzen und -geräuschen wurde mittels Modellprüfungen anhand von binären logistischen Regressionen mit der schrittweisen Rückwärtsmethode nach Wald der Erklärungswert der Vollständigkeit von Gebissregionen als Prädiktoren berücksichtigt. Die Prävalenzraten von Kiefergelenksbeschwerden wurden auf Grundlage von Kreuztabellen mittels McNemar-Testung und 95%-Konfidenzintervallen berechnet. Resultate: Das untersuchte PatientInnenkollektiv (n=1234) hatte ein Durchschnittsalter von 49.9 12.2 Jahren und eine Zahnanzahl von 24.5 5.5 Zähnen im Durchschnitt. Es wurden signifikant mehr Frauen (n=657) als Männer (n=577) erfasst. Für die Kriterien Kiefergelenks-schmerz als auch Kiefergelenksgeräusch gab es bei 26.6% der Patienten (n=996), entweder für beide Kriterien, einzeln oder zusammen, Angaben dazu. Wenn die erfassten Kriterien aber einzeln analysiert wurden, dann ergab dies für die Kiefergelenkschmerzen 13,1% von 1163 Patienten, die dazu Angaben gemacht haben und Kiefergelenkgeräusche wurden bei 21,3% von 997 Patienten angegeben. Nach Geschlecht getrennt, fiel das Ergebnis mit 29,7% (n=525) für Frauen ungünstiger aus als für Männer mit 23,1% (n=471). Das Fehlen von Oberkieferprämolarenzähnen ist signifikant (p =.025) mit Schmerzen im Kiefergelenk verbunden, während der Verlust von Unterkieferprämolarenzähnen tendenziell (p =.079) mit Kiefergelenksgeräuschen assoziiert ist. Schlussfolgerung: In Anbetracht zu anderen Studien wo zwischen 22,3% - 55% der Betroffenen über Kiefergelenksprobleme klagen, befinden wir uns auch in dieser Spannweite mit 26,6 % Da dennoch jeder vierte der ParodontitispatientInnen über Kiefergelenks-beschwerden klagt, wäre ein multidisziplinärer Ansatz zwischen der Parodontologie und der Prothetik anzustreben. Es ist vor allem der Überlegung nachzugehen, ob es in beide Richtungen vermehrt Einflüsse gibt, welche sich auf das stomatognathe System auswirken.Objectives: The objective of this study is to find out the prevalence of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJD) in patients who suffer from periodontitis, from the University Dental Clinic in Vienna. Some studies suggest, that a number of systemic diseases, like the rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes, influence the development of periodontitis, as well as TMJD. It is notable that the stomatognathic system is very elaborate and that reciprocal influence in between the units, exist. Even though epidemiological studies exist for the prevalence of TMJD, none has really focused on the prevalence of TMJD solely on patients with periodontitis. Materials and methods: Recordings, dating from 01/2006 to 04/2009, of 1289 patients with periodontitis from the School of Dentistry Medical University of Vienna were taken into consideration. The respective questionnaires and dental histories of each patient were analysed for any information expressing the criteria of pain or crackling/clicking in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). These specifications allowed to gather information from 1234 patients. From these patients, Orthopantomogramms (OPTG) and dental situation were examined for the purpose to assess how many teeth are missing for each criteria. The statistical analysis was conducted with the statistical program IBM SPSS®20. Predicting temporomandibular pain and crackling jaw, in relation to the completeness of dental regions as predictors was taken into account by means of model testing based on binary logistic regressions with Wald‘s backward stepwise method. The prevalence rates of temporomandibular joint complaints were calculated on the basis of cross tables using McNemar testing and 95% confidence intervals. Results: From the 1234 patients, the records show that the mean age was 49.9 12.2 years and that the mean number of teeth was about 24.5 5.5, with increasing loss the older they get. Significantly more women (n =657) were present than men (n =577). The prevalence of TMJD, in coherence to the defined criteria of pain and crackling/clicking, was 26,6 % from 996 records of the patients. Women (n =525) were more likely to have an TMJD than men (n =471) with 29,7 % vs. 23,1 %. Regrouping the teeth into different regions, there is a significant correlation between the missing of upper premolars and pain in the TMJ (p =.025) and there is a tendency, that if lower premolars are missing, crackling/clicking is more prevalent (p =.079). Conclusion: In comparison to other studies about TMJD which have prevalences in the range from 22,3% - 55%, our study confines well into this range, with 26,6 %. A follow-up of this study should focus on prospective and clinical examinations of the patients in close cooperation of the Divisions of Periodontology and Prosthetics in the School of Dentistry of Vienna, because one out of four patients has indicated of having some kind of trouble in the TMJ.Paralleltitel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersMedizinische Universität Wien, Diplomarbeit, 201

Aesthetics and Urbanity

If we study the evolution of the urban space in Switzerland we must notice the high importance assigned by different urban actors to aesthetic questions. In a sense, the subjective realm of the aesthetic has proved to be able to generate conditions that lead to action, and consequently influence the realm of the objective i.e. the ethical, the political or the law

Warm and cool colours as aid in the character design process. : A study in Concept Art for Computer Games

Denna undersökning har syftat till att testa om varma/kalla färger kan påverka uppfattningen av en karaktärs uttryck när de används på karaktärskoncept. Undersök-ningen bygger på tidigare forskning om hur färg uppfattas och vilka intryck kalla/varma färger ger

Smart toys : Important factors in designing a digital checklist about safety risks with smart toys and what should be done to secure them

Smarta leksaker är en del av den växande trenden Internet of Things och förväntas att öka kraftigt de närmaste åren. Smarta leksaker bli allt vanligare i många hem. Men vad många inte vet är att en smart, internetuppkopplad leksak, kan samla in data kring användaren. Detta sker vanligtvis genom en kamera, mikrofon eller GPS. Informationen som samlas in lagras oftast historisk och kan komma att delas med tredje part och används oftast i en större beräkningsgrund som vi inte alltid tänker på. Dessa leksaker utgör en säkerhetsrisk och kräver därför säkerhetsåtgärder för att säkerställa deras tillförlitlighet, därför att de kommer att användas av barn. Det har framkommit många säkerhetsbrister kring smarta leksaker. Den bristande säkerheten inkluderar informationsläckage, övervakning samt leksaker som används för att avlyssna på barn via obehöriga anslutningar. Mycket beror på den mjukvaran som finns i var och en av dessa leksaker, att den inte uppdateras och att säkerhetshål inte täpps till. Smarta leksaker kommer att innebära oförutsedda datasäkerhets- och integritetsrisker eftersom det för närvarande inte är möjligt att definiera alla möjliga problem som kan uppkomma. Tidigare forskning har tagit upp sårbarheter och risker med dessa leksaker och många har tagit fram en konceptuell bild över Toy Computing – vad det är och hur det fungerar. Men det finns inget bra verktyg för en auktoriserad användare för att stämma av mot för att aktivt skydda sig mot hackare och vad han eller hon bör tänka på när det gäller smarta leksaker