Negotiating the design of emerging urban futures: co-creating mixed modes of living and working with developer-clients

Urban design is a client-centric profession, yet taking the responsibility to engage developers as active participants in the design process to address complex urban problems is not a core part of most urban design practices. As a consequence, the relationships between urban designers and their clients remain largely under-investigated. The aim of this research was to explore the challenges and opportunities of this relationship through the negotiation with a non-expert developer-client of mixed modes of living and working, and by so doing to not only expand my urban design practice, but to also contribute to the development of the broader urban design profession. This research was driven by two questions: - How might communication tools and client engagement processes come together in formats that are useful for urban designers interested in negotiating the design of emerging urban futures?, and - How might urban designers recalibrate relationships with non-expert clients in order to afford the time and space for generative-ideation? These questions drove me to necessarily expand my practice, to develop an independent experiential reflective practice and an approach to co-design. I adopted a mixed method approach to expand my practice through two action research cycles. The first cycle involved psychogeography based walking and reflexive video-making, and the second cycle involved scenario-building, participatory walks and semi-structured interviews with my client. This research adopted a constructionist epistemological stance and an interpretivist theoretical perspective to foreground the iterative development of my practice and draw broader conclusions relevant to urban designers beyond the specific context of my work. The primary contribution of this research is the identification of the curator and steward roles, and the associated tactical tools and settings, for urban designers to practice generative-ideation for co-design with non-expert developer-clients. The curator and steward roles are each characterised by their active and deliberate moves to mediate and negotiate with non-expert developer clients as co-designers. I argue that multiple variations of moves between these roles are necessary to enable urban designers and their non-expert clients to consider and co-create their own preferred urban futures with their selected community. This approach to co-design encourages urban designers and their non-expert clients to embrace complexity, conflict and tension in order to share control of the process and open up projects to unknown potentialities that serve the needs of people and place

Understanding Mother’s Perceptions on Assessment And Educational Programming for Their Children With Cerebral Visual Impairment

Brain-based visual impairment is the leading cause of visual impairment in early childhood populations in the developed world and its contribution to childhood visual impairment is increasing (Bosch et al., 2014; Dutton & Bax, 2010; Hoyt, 2007; Kong et al., 2012; Kran et al., 2019). In order to meet the needs of this population, comprehensive assessment that includes information from families and caregivers, pediatric ophthalmologists, neurodevelopmental specialists, vision professionals, and education teams is crucial for academic and functional success (Lueck & Dutton, 2015). Family input during the special education process and the transfer of knowledge from the clinical to the educational setting that the parent provides is also vital for this population. While parent participation is a mandated feature of special education programming development, parents of children with special needs (including those with visual disability) do not always participate to the extent the law presumes. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine the experiences of 3 participants who are mothers of children with this visual impairment, bounded together by their shared experiences at a large children’s hospital in a city in the United States and participation in their children’s special education programming. The researcher explored the experiences of participants in both the clinical and educational environments and ultimately their feelings on the adequacy and effectiveness of their children’s educational programming relative to their visual disability. The results from this study revealed valuable information on the multitude of roles that mothers play across the physical, social, and emotional spaces in the lives of their children. Since comprehensive assessment and specific programming is crucial for the success of students with CVI, the results of this study helped to construct a more comprehensive picture of the outcomes of clinical and educational assessment and opportunities for collaboration with parents and families of children with CVI. It also provided a better understanding of the challenges families face, lack of resources on CVI, and a lack of qualified personnel in the field

Effect Of Zinc Cations On The Kinetics Of Supramolecular Assembly And The Chirality Of Porphyrin J-Aggregates

Dilute aqueous solutions of anionic meso-4-sulfonatophenyl-porphyrin (TPPS) extract zinc(ii) ions from glass or quartz surfaces at room temperature and efficiently form the corresponding metal complex (ZnTPPS). The partial or complete formation of ZnTPPS has been probed by UV/Vis spectroscopy and both static and time-resolved fluorescence. The source of zinc(ii) ions has been clearly identified through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The presence of increasing amounts of ZnTPPS slows down the rate of TPPS J-aggregate formation in acid solution. This influences the nucleation step and has a profound impact on the onset of chirality in these species. This evidence indicates the important role of this adventitious metal ion in the interpretation of various spectroscopic and kinetic data for the self-assembly of the TPPS porphyrin and provides some insights into controversial findings on their chirality. The use of this metal derivative as the starting compound for in situ formation of monomeric TPPS is suggested

Trying for a second chance: Iranian infertile couples’ experiences after failed ART

Introduction: Despite significant advances, only 35% infertile couples conceive after ART. If IVF is unsuccessful, couples will need to decide whether to proceed again with assisted conception. The aim of this study was to explore Iranian infertile couples’ experiences after failed ART to continue treatment. Methods: In this qualitative study participants were selected using purposeful sampling method. Data were collected using 29 semi-structured face-to-face in-depth interviews at a regional Infertility Center from April 2016 to June 2017. All interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed with conventional content analysis method using MAXQDA software. Results: Our findings suggest that couples’ decisions to continue treatment after unsuccessful ART is shaped by their social, emotional and financial circumstances. We have constructed two themes to describe their experiences: support to continue and trying for a second chance. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that good marital and family support networks can support infertile couples during this period of decision making. Considering the depression and anxiety caused by failed ARTs, which itself could affect the success rate of any further ARTs, the clinical team should effectively assess psychological readiness of couples who decide to continue with another ART after unsuccessful treatment

Repeated use of medications for ovulation induction after unsuccessful treatment: A cause of concern for infertile couples

This is a Letter to Editor and does not have an abstract

Mechanism For Copper(II)-Mediated Disaggregation Of A Porphyrin J-Aggregate

J-aggregates of anionic meso-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin form at intermediate pH (2.3–3.1) in the presence of NiSO₄ or ZnSO₄ (ionic strength, I.S. = 3.2 M). These aggregates convert to monomeric porphyrin units via metallation with copper(II) ions. The kinetics for the disassembly process, as monitored by UV/vis spectroscopy, exhibits zeroth-order behavior. The observed zeroth-order rate constants show a two-term dependence on copper(II) ion concentrations: linear and second order. Also observed is an inverse dependence on hydrogen ion concentration. Activation parameters have been determined for the disassembly process leading to ΔH^≠ = (+163 ± 15) kJ·mol⁻¹ and ΔS^≠ = (+136 ± 11) J·K⁻¹. A mechanism is proposed in which copper(II) cation is in pre-equilibrium with a reactive site at the rim of the J-aggregate. An intermediate copper species is thus formed that eventually leads to the final metallated porphyrin either through an assisted attack of a second metal ion or through a direct insertion of the metal cation into the macrocycle core

Variación morfológica y un nuevo y remarcable tipo de dimorfismo sexual en la población de Pseudocyclops xiphophorus del Lago Faro en el noreste de Sicilia

The population of P. xiphophorus in Lake Faro exhibits variation in the form of caudal seta V. In some specimens of both sexes, this seta is spatulate but in others it is slender and unmodified. Occasional specimens are asymmetrical. In addition to this variation in caudal seta form, the Lake Faro population displays variation in male body length and in the extent of the sexually dimorphic specialisation of the right swimming leg 2. The scale of these differences between the morphotypes might suggest their taxonomic treatment as distinct species. The modification of the distal two segments of the exopod of right leg 2 in the male is a unique sexual dimorphism. We infer, from the presence of this hook on the right exopod in adult males only, that it is involved in mating behaviour. Laboratory-based breeding experiments between females and males showing different combinations of these characters were also performed. Experiments comparing egg production rates in females that have mated with modified or unmodified males revealed no significant differences. It appears therefore that gene flow is not interrupted between the morphotypes and that reproductive segregation does not occur. Observations of male leg 5 morphology and musculature revealed no significant differences between the two P. xiphophorus morphotypes.La población de P. xiphophorus del Lago Faro muestra variación en la forma de la seda caudal V. En algunos especímenes de ambos sexos presenta una morfología espatulada, pero en otros es esbelta y sin modificaciones. Ocasionalmente, es asimétrica en un mismo individuo. La población del Lago Faro muestra también variabilidad en la longitud corporal del macho y en el grado de dimorfismo sexual de la segunda pata natatoria derecha. La escala de estas diferencias entre morfotipos podría sugerir un tratamiento específico diferente para ellos. La modificación en el macho de los dos segmentos distales del exópodo de la segunda pata natatoria derecha es un carácter desconocido en otras especies del género. La presencia de un gancho en el exópodo derecho de los machos sugiere que esta modificación está relacionada con el comportamiento de apareamiento. Se han realizado cruzamientos en laboratorio entre hembras y machos que mostraban diferentes combinaciones de estos caracteres. La comparación de las tasas de producción de huevos en hembras que se han cruzado con machos con o sin modificaciones no muestra diferencias significativas. Parece por tanto que el flujo génico entre morfotipos no está interrumpido y que no tiene lugar segregación reproductiva. La observación de la morfología y del patrón muscular de la pata quinta del macho no ha revelado tampoco diferencias significativas entre los dos morfotipos de P. xiphophorus

Myasthenia gravis symptom response to huperzine A, pyridostigmine bromide, and an immunomodulatory incorporated regimen: A multi-case study

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease known to affect the transmission of signals at the neuromuscular junction. Despite the utilization of multiple methods to alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life for individuals with MG, a comprehensive and entirely effective regimen has yet to be achieved. Pyridostigmine bromide and huperzine A are pharmacological agents that function as inhibitors of red blood cell-acetylcholinesterase. These compounds are extensively employed in the treatment protocols for myasthenia gravis. Nevertheless, the distinct disparities between huperzine A and Pyridostigmine bromide necessitate further investigation into the potential of these drugs in relieving the clinical symptoms of MG. The current research investigated MG symptom enhancement after four weeks of huperzine A, pyridostigmine bromide, and an immunomodulatory integrated regimen. Six MG patients were monitored for subjective enhancements in MG symptoms and quality of life as well as red blood cell-acetylcholinesterase activity and acetylcholine receptor antibody binding reduction before and four weeks after the initiation of the treatment protocol. The results showed that MG symptoms were reduced in all the monitored cases with an average overall enhancement of 80.6±5.5%. Additionally, the quality of life questionnaire revealed an overall enhancement of 72±5.7%. Additionally, the red blood cell-acetylcholinesterase activity was regulated in all patients within the pre-set therapeutic target of 25-35 U/g Hb. Although a decent reduction in acetylcholine receptor antibody binding was achieved in all patients, none of them reached normal levels for this index. The present findings on the integration of huperzine A and other immunomodulatory drugs into the therapy regimen for MG are exceedingly promising, particularly in terms of the potential reduction in dosage requirements or even the elimination of pyridostigmine bromide administration. However, it is imperative to examine different therapeutic approaches in future research endeavors

A qualitative study of the experiences of Iranian infertile couples after unsuccessful assisted reproductive technologies

Objectives: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) give hope to some infertile couples; however, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is expensive and not subsidized by the Iranian state. More than 75% of IVF cycles in Iranian couples are unsuccessful. The aim of this paper is to describe the experiences of Iranian infertile couples after unsuccessful treatment. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive qualitative study, 36 participants including 29 Iranian infertile couples recruited after unsuccessful ART treatments, five infertility treatment team members and 2 relatives of infertile couples were interviewed at an Infertility Center in Northeastern Iran from April 2016 to June 2017. Data were collected using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was carried out following Sandelowski. Results: Iranian infertile couples’ experiences following failed ART cycles are described. The findings presented here show that Iranian infertile couples experience stressors during treatment cycles and systemic challenges which may be unique to the Iranian cultural context. Conclusions: Iranian infertile couples face particular challenges related to the cultural context in which ARTs are delivered. Further exploration of the effects of culture on the experiences of failed ARTs needs to be considered by infertility clinics in Ira