Urban generosity: design strategies for an architecture of liveability

As practice based research, this exegesis is a dissemination of design strategies embedded in the process termed Urban Generosity. The beginning of the twentieth first century has seen the rise of greater populations within cities creating new demands on the form and structure of cities. This proliferation of human activity has given rise to the nature of cities, a place of exchange and surplus, a place of urban generosity. This research has observed how local conditions can readily be shifted given our global assertion of liveability and governance, with either detrimental or enhancing outcomes, on the long-term generosity of the city. Through observation it is proposed that urban generosity is active, it facilitates a series of design responses that transcends architectural iconic object making through a series of subtle design devices. Urban generosity is the investigation of an architecture that authenticates the local context and allows the imagination of others to delight within a given context. It is fundamentally about clothing that culture and its binding civic effect that extends the individual site into a wider context harnessing the forces of globalisation to develop a civic surplus. The design investigations have developed around the key question of how architecture can extend itself beyond a mid-twentieth century form/ function paradigm? What opportunities does architecture offer the environment in which it is placed

Geoarqueologia i micromorfologia de l'Abric de La Cativera (El Catllar, Tarragona): noves dades sobre el límit Pleistocè-Holocè al nordest de la Península Ibèrica

L'abric de La Cativera (Tarragona) conté una successió estratigràfica gairebé contínua i intensarnent antropitzada que cobreix l'interval cronològic Tardiglacial-Holoce antic. Les anàlisis geoarqueològiques i rnicromorfològiques detallades del registre del jaciment ens permeten conèixer els canvis paleoambientals al voltant deIs 10 000 anys BP. Se subratllen les importants modificacions morfodinàmiques del Dryas Recent, el gradual apropament al clima mediterrani durant I'Holoce antic i la definitiva fase de biostasia de l'Holoce recent. S'analitzen així mateix els caracters de l'impacte antropic, on destaca la presencia de fragments ceràmics datats en el Boreal.The La Cativera rockshelter (Tarragona, NE Spain) contains an almost continuous, archaeologically rich succession spanning from the Lateglacial to the early Holocene. The geoarchaeological and detailed micromorphological analyses of the site record allow us focusing the environmental changes around 10 ka BP. The intense morphodynarnic modifications of the Younger Dryas, the gradual fluctuations towards the Mediterranean clirnate in the early Holocene and the definite stable phase during the younger Holocene are noticeable. The anthropic record at the site is analysed as well, particularly remarking the presence of ceramic shards dated to the Boreal zone

Dynamic test/analysis correlation using reduced analytical models

Test/analysis correlation is an important aspect of the verification of analysis models which are used to predict on-orbit response characteristics of large space structures. This paper presents results of a study using reduced analysis models for performing dynamic test/analysis correlation. The reduced test-analysis model (TAM) has the same number and orientation of DOF as the test measurements. Two reduction methods, static (Guyan) reduction and the Improved Reduced System (IRS) reduction, are applied to the test/analysis correlation of a laboratory truss structure. Simulated test results and modal test data are used to examine the performance of each method. It is shown that selection of DOF to be retained in the TAM is critical when large structural masses are involved. In addition, the use of modal test results may provide difficulties in TAM accuracy even if a large number of DOF are retained in the TAM

New data on the stratigraphy and chronology of the prehistoric site of Prazo (Freixo de Numão)

The Prazo archaeological site is located near Freixo de Numáo (Vila Nova de Foz Cóa, north-eastern Portugal). The site, discovered in the early '80s, initially revealed a significant historical record, having been a Roman villa whose occupation continued through part of the Middle Ages. In 1996, fieldwork there uncovered Neolithic layers. They were excavated from 1997 to 2001, revealing also the existence of a pre-Neolithic occupation. This paper presents the geoarchaeology and chronology of the prehistoric succession of Prazo, which is arranged as follows: an upper Pleistocene complex formed of slope waste sediments, featuring upper Palaeolithic finds and structures; an early to mid Holocene succession, also composed from slope waste deposits, containing Epipalaeolithic/Mesolithic and Early Neolithic archaeological assemblages and features; and an upper Holocene complex, corresponding to occupations in the Roman and Middle Ages. The available data - deriving from the geoarchaeological survey at the site and from an extensive range of radiocarbon dates - are presented as part of a preliminary discussion of the environmental evolution and the settlement strategies at the site

Relationship Between Sleep Quality and Quantity with Sports-Related Injury Rates

Click the PDF icon to download the abstract

The Determinants of Privatised Enterprise Performance in Russia

Using data from a large enterprise-level panel designed to address this issue, we account for enterprise performance in Russia. We link performance to four aspects of the economic environment: enterprise ownership; corporate governance; market structures and competition; and financial constraints. We conclude that private ownership and improved performance are not correlated, though restructuring is positively associated with the competitiveness of the market environment. These findings on private ownership support those of previous studies, e.g. Earle and Estrin (1997). Moreover, we find evidence that financially unconstrained firms are better in their undertaking of restructuring measures then financially constrained firms. Further analysis suggests that causality runs from restructuring to financial constraint, rather than the reverse. Finally, our findings indicate strong complementarities between the four factors influencing improved company performance, confirming the view that these factors need to be considered jointly.Privatisation, enterprise performance, competition, corporate governance, investment

Laparoscopic lymph node biopsy for lymphoma with a novel use of indocyanine green fluorescence in a 66-year-old male patient

Introduction: Indocyanine green (ICG) near-infrared fluorescence is primarily employed in detecting Intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping or to evaluate the extent of radical lymphadenectomy mainly in colo-rectal and gastric cancer. To date there are no reports indicating the use of this dye to detect pathologic lymphatic tissue when a lymph node biopsy for suspected lymphoproliferative disease is performed. Presentation of case: A 66-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital for severe pain of left renal colic type. A computed tomography (CT) scan and a positron emission tomography (PET) showed a left hydroureteronephrosis due to ureter compression by paraortic solid tissue of lymphomatous aspect with a standardized uptake value (SUV) of 15. Multiple lymphadenopathies on paracaval, para-aortic and common iliac sites were present as well. Discussion: A laparoscopic lymph node biopsy (LLB) was planned for diagnostic purposes. After induction of anesthesia a ICG solution was injected Intradermally at both inguinal regions. At laparoscopy a complete visualization of the pathologic lymphnodes was achieved, enabling incisional biopsies of the lymphomatous mass. Histopathological examination showed an extranodal localization of an aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Conclusion: ICG-fluorescence seems to offer a simple and safe method for pathologic lymph node detection. LLB in the suspicion of intra abdominal lymphoma can largely take advantage by this novel opportunity not yet tested to date. More studies with large case series are needed to confirm the efficacy of ICG-fluorescence for detecting pathologic lymph nodes

Development of a Background-Oriented Schlieren Technique with Telecentric Lenses for Supersonic Flow

Background oriented schlieren (BOS) is a quantitative optical technique which exploits light deflection occurring in non-homogeneous transparent media. It allows to indirectly measure the density gradients by analysing the apparent displacement of features of a background pattern when imaged through the investigated flow. Thanks to its simple set-up and to the consolidated data reduction technique based on cross-correlation algorithms the BOS technique has progressively attracted the interest of the researchers. In this work a BOS system using a telecentric lens system has been set up in order to improve measurement accuracy and to avoid 3D effects arising from using conventional entocentric lenses. The design of the telecentric lens system is reported along with an analysis of its performance in term of spatial resolution. Some preliminary tests on a supersonic flows are also reported

Inhibition of acetylpolyamine and spermine oxidases by the polyamine analogue chlorhexidine

""Acetylpolyamine and spermine oxidases are involved in the catabolism of polyamines. The discovery of selective. inhibitors of these enzymes represents an important tool for the development of novel anti-neoplastic drugs. Here, a. comparative study on acetylpolyamine and spermine oxidases inhibition by the polyamine analogue chlorhexidine. is reported. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic diamide, commonly used as a bactericidal and bacteriostatic agent.. Docking simulations indicate that chlorhexidine binding to these enzymes is compatible with the stereochemical. properties of both acetylpolyamine oxidase and spermine oxidase active sites. In fact, chlorhexidine is predicted. to establish several polar and hydrophobic interactions with the active site residues of both enzymes, with binding. energy values ranging from −7.6 to −10.6 kcal\\\/mol. In agreement with this hypothesis, inhibition studies indicate that. chlorhexidine behaves as a strong competitive inhibitor of both enzymes, values of Ki being 0.10 μM and 0.55 μM for. acetylpolyamine oxidase and spermine oxidase, respectively."