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Design Research Methods—Applied Theory and Studio
Get PDFThis paper was presented at the 2020 Schools of Thought Conference hosted by the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma.Today, the curriculum at schools of architecture is generally subdivided into design studio (practice) and the adjacent scientific or scholarly subjects ranging from natural sciences to technology to humanities, often with their own separate faculty, degrees, and institutional structures. This separation is widely experienced as a fragmentation of a discipline that claims to be integrative and wholistic. This essay provides a sketch for an alternative pedagogical format of integrated design research methods and studio at the graduate level, which could help bridge these perceived institutional gaps, but also offer a research agenda of its own kind. Design Research Methods is framed here as an applied theory, since exemplary design approaches themselves are selected, analyzed, comparatively discussed, and serve as a primer in the studio environment, while in turn the studio tests various theoretical concepts, design approaches, tools, and methods, and provides feedback to theory. This applied theory is not meant to replace traditional forms of critical inquiry, reading, and writing but should serve as a complementary addition that empowers students to define their own research and design agenda for their thesis year and beyond.Ye
Architecture Revisits Math & Science: Computation in a Visual Thinking Pedagogy
Get PDFThis paper was presented at the 2020 Schools of Thought Conference hosted by the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma.This paper makes a case for the greater integration of computational logic and principles in core undergraduate architectural design courses as visual thinking pedagogy. Math and computation present abstract problems that may seem at odds with the real-world design concepts with which students are familiar. Because architecture students are typically strong visual thinkers, abstract mathematical language can be difficult to learn, but these concepts can be used as a pedagogical interface to support visual problem-solving in the design process. Building on the work of Christopher Alexander in Notes on the Synthesis of Form and A Pattern Language, the idea of “pattern languages” can be used to develop a curriculum that relies on math and computation to connect the visual and social systems at work in the design process. Design curricula can integrate computational thinking based on vector math, geometry, calculus, matrices, set theory, visual programming, and scripting to build students’ computational literacy through visual problem-solving. George Stiny’s “shape grammars” offer an intuitive analog method for introducing students to computational thinking through elements and rules in preparation for designing with digital tools. The further we distance ourselves from the fundamental operations of mathematics and computation, the more we risk becoming obsolete in the process. Computer programs can automate modeling, analyzing, programming, reviewing, and even designing buildings. For now, that places the architect in a narrow domain of design and visual aesthetics, which will quickly be subsumed by machine algorithms deployed by software companies. These machine constructions operate at the social/cultural scale, a place suited for the critical position and service of architects. The education of an architect should therefore provide students with critical knowledge and skills that position them to define the parameters of automation and challenge the computer programmers with radical ideas, communicated in a shared language of mathematics that is both visual and abstract.Ye
Isolation and structural analysis of secondary metabolites from the fungi Aspergillus terreus and Remersonia thermophila
Get PDFAspergillus terreus has shown to inhibit M. genitalium whereas Remersonia thermophila has shown to exhibit antitrichomonal activity. The compounds that were responsible for activity in their respective assays were rapidly and efficiently isolated with a bioassay-guided fractionation procedure. Following this isolation step, the active compounds could be structurally characterized. Therefore, the goal of this research project was initially to purify and identify the active compounds present in Aspergillus terreus and Remersonia thermophila.
Through the development of efficient analytical methods for the fractionation and purification of the two fungi produced natural products, several active compounds were isolated. Within the time frame of this degree, characterization of the active molecules was not possible due to insufficient material. However, the activity of these compounds showed promise and further research into these compounds is required. The methods that were developed to isolate the active compounds can serve as a blueprint for a more rapid and straightforward isolation of these molecules which could lead to their characterization thereafter.
To successfully complete this thesis, metabolites were studied regardless of their activity. Hence, compounds 31C and 52C were explored given their more generous quantities. The structural characterization of these compounds was followed through to completion. These two compounds were not described in the literature, and it was soon discovered that these compounds presented a novel chemical scaffold. Therefore, extensive characterization through an array of spectroscopic techniques and mass data was required to elucidate the structures of these molecules. Their absolute configurations were established through ECD and VCD calculations. The new chemistry that was discovered will hopefully guide the discovery and synthesis of new drugs and help break through drug discovery plateaus
Catching Up With Cabaret: Finding Deeper Meaning in a Never-Ending Adaptation
Get PDFCabaret, a 1966 Broadway musical with book by Joe Masteroff and music and lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and the 1972 film of the same name, directed by Bob Fosse, have been subjects of considerable scholarly research in the genre of American musical theater. This is a result of the Cabaret’s status as an early foray into the subgenre of the concept, or modernist, musical. Written and produced as a response to the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, the musical was a genre-pushing piece of theater that utilized its musical numbers in a unique, commentarial fashion and challenged audiences with its upheaval of conventions. Over the nearly sixty years since its original inception, Cabaret has also undergone an abundant number of alterations to its book and score, making it an even more distinctive entry in the relatively young musical theater genre.
The scholarly discourse regarding Cabaret, while vast, focuses predominantly on its position as an early example of the concept/modernist musical subgenre.
What is lacking in the research surrounding Cabaret is a deeper discussion of its extensive adaptive history, and the means by which its narrative and musical modifications over time have allowed for the show’s central messages to become increasingly refined and unflinching. Subsequently, the goal of this study is to more fully analyze these specific changes in context and to illuminate their effects on the potency of Cabaret’s story and themes. In addition, this research will consider Cabaret’s evolution over time and its historical trajectory that favors process over product to offer a new distinction for the show: it is not only one of the first concept/modernist musicals, but it is also Broadway’s first postmodern musical. When considering the Broadway landscape over the course of the last decade, during which time a number of beloved musicals have experienced transformative and reimagined revivals, it is clear that Cabaret’s established template of consistent readaptation paved the way for this modern trend. Due in large part to its ever-evolving nature, Cabaret has asserted itself as a monumental piece of American musical theater, and its considerable impact on the genre has persisted
Nonlinear Amplifier Amplitude Modulation Distortion Mitigation Techniques
No full textHigh peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) waveforms present a challenge to
radar systems in which high power amplifiers operate in saturation to increase
power efficiency. Previous works have demonstrated a marked reduction in PAPR
by leveraging digital arrays, namely, utilizing the spatial complement of a set of
steering vectors to not interfere with RF functions. The previous work was extended
by first using waveform spectral orthogonal complements to reduce PAPR, then fur-
ther generalizing to n dimensional orthogonal subspace utilization, including using
all avaiable degrees of freedom (time, azimuth, elevation, etc.) simultaneously or
sequentially to reduce the impact in any one dimension
Women's Literacy, Identity and Cultural Knowledge in Post Conflict Northern Uganda
Get PDFThe main purpose of this study was to explore how adult literacy education for women in Northern Uganda affected their identity as learners and women as well as how culture facilitated learning. Specifically, these questions were explored: How do women who participate in adult literacy talk about themselves as women, literate people, learners, and community members? Does their cultural knowledge help or hinder how they see themselves in the society? How or why? After the conflict, women lost their chance for formal education due to experiences in captivity. It was vital to explore the type of education needs these women required to become advocates for themselves in the society. The theoretical framework used was developed from indigenous ways of knowing. Six participants volunteered from the Basic School of Learning for women in St. Monica. Data were collected in the local language through interviews and focus group discussions and transcribed into English. The women freely shared personal stories, proverbs, songs, and artifacts. The main themes that answered the research questions included that patriarchy and gender stereotype mentality impacted self-esteem and identity of participants, hindering their journey of learning. Indigenous knowledge was demonstrated in the lived experiences of daily life