53 research outputs found
Architectural Theory at Two Speeds
Full text linkThe article is a presentation of the ethnographic method applied to architecture. The author explains how “slow ethnographers” work when they deal with a building, by focusing on the case of namBa HIPS building by Shin Takamatsu, in Osaka. “Slow” ethnography offers an alternative to “quick theory” intended as a critical theory of architecture that is based on the observation and interpretation of a static object as related to the consolidated spheres of theory and history. Yaneva’s proposal is to start back from the experience of space and objects as built over time: architecture is a process made of cumulative interactions, that unfolds from the design phase to the experience of those who inhabit it, through a continuous intertwinement of human and non-human entities. The study offers itself as a diachronic operation framing the very project as an anticipation of the many velocities to which the project’s transactions are submitted, just as the uses of built space will be: «While working with the speeds, [the architect] does not express or symbolize anything; he simply immerses into the tempo of design and adjusts its different rhythms with engineers, contractors and investors
The Making of a Building : a pragmatist approach to architecture
No full textHow do architects learn about a building-to-be? How does a building emerge and gain reality in the model shop, in scaling, in option making, in architects' - and engineers' - discussions, in public presentations? What does it mean to design? What does it mean to add a building to the city? Drawing on rare ethnographical material of architects at work at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) of Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam in the period 2001-4, this book offers a novel account of the social and cognitive complexity of architecture in the making. The author dismisses both stylistic periodization and socio-political constructivist methods as being inadequate to the task of understanding the dynamic process of how architects generate design through space and materiality, instead showcasing the potentials of the pragmatist approach as a research tool in the field of architecture. Offering a new way of understanding architecture as practice that takes place within the interactive networks of human and non-human actors, the book also tells the intriguing story of the extensions of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York
Nutritional Status of Children with Psychiatric Disorders and Quality of Life of Parents and Carers / Хранителен статус на деца с нервно-психични заболявания и връзката му с качеството на живот на родители и обгрижващи
No full textThis research focuses on the nutritional status of children with neuropsychiatric diseases and the quality of life of parents and carers. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate, on the basis of clinical examinations, anthropometric and laboratory work, the nutritional status of children with neuropsychiatric diseases using tools such as questionnaires according to the context where children are raised (family or residential institutions) taking into account its impact on the quality of the lives of parents and carers. The main tasks that have been solved were to evaluate the nutritional status of children with neuropsychiatric disorders through anthropometric measurements and biochemical studies and to analyse the nutritional and non-nutritional factors that shapes it, evaluate children’s oral status and their relation with nutritional difficulties. The quality of life of parents and carers has been evaluated and correlations have been sought with demographic, socio-economic, nutritional and non-nutritional factors related with the nutritional status of the children. The research methodology is based on documental, clinical, biochemical, sociological and statistical methods. The results showed a high prevalence of malnutrition among children with neurological impairment, assessed by criteria and standards for healthy children of the World Health Organization (2006, 2007) and the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (2015), and by the presence of macro- and micronutrient deficiencies. Additionally, the study found how oral pathology (caries, periodontitis, and pathological bites) affects the normal course of the chewing process and digestive function in children with neurological impairment. Similar results were found for the overall quality of life of parents and carers, and the lowest average scores were obtained for the area of social relations and the psychological wellbeing. Anthropometric indicators of children have not been identified as significant factors for the quality of life of parents and carers. The applied scientific findings can be used to develop a multidisciplinary approach and strategies for the regular assessment of the nutritional and oral status of children with neuropsychiatric disorders. Timely and adequate intervention can improve the development, duration and quality of life of children, as it can improve the quality of life of their families and carers.Темата на изследването е насочена към хранителния статус на деца с нервно-психични заболявания и качеството на живот на родителите и обгрижващите ги лица, които за пръв път се проучват в нашата страна.
Целта на дисертацията е на базата на клинични прегледи, антропометрични и лабораторни изследвания и посредством анкетни карти да се направи оценка на хранителния статус на децата с нервно-психични заболявания според средата на отглеждане (семейна и несемейна) и да се отчете отражението му върху качеството на живот на родители и обгрижващи. Основните задачи, които са решени, оценяват хранителния статус на децата с нервно-психични заболявания посредством антропометрични измервания и биохимични изследвания и анализират фактори с хранителен и нехранителен характер, които му влияят, оценяват оралния им статус и отношението му към затрудненията при хранене. Оценено е качеството на живот на родители и обгрижващи и са потърсени корелации с демографски, социално-икономически, хранителни и нехранителни фактори свързани с процеса на хранене и хранителния статус на децата. Методиката на изследването се базира на документални, клинични, биохимични, социологически и статистически методи. Резултатите показват висока степен на разпространение на недохранването сред децата с неврологични увреждания, оценено по критерии и стандарти за здрави деца на СЗО (2006, 2007) и на Американското общество по парентерално и ентерално хранене (2015), наличието на дефицити на макро- и микронутриенти. Установената орална патология (кариеси, пародонтити, патологични захапки) повлиява нормалното протичане на дъвкателния процес и храносмилателната функция при децата с неврологични увреждания. Констатирани са сходни резултати за общото качество на живот на родители и обгрижващи, а най-ниски средни резултати са получени за областта на социалните отношения и психологическата област. Антропометричните показатели на децата не са идентифицирани като значими фактори за качеството на живот на родители и обгрижващи лица. Научно-приложните изводи могат да се използват за разработване на мултидисциплинарен подход и стратегии за регулярна оценка на хранителния и орален статус на децата с нервно-психични заболявания. Своевременната и адекватна интервенция може да повлияе развитието, продължителността и качеството на живот на децата, както и да подобри качеството на живот на техните семейства и обгрижващите ги лица
ASPECTS OF INSULIN RESISTANCE IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
Full text linkPurpose: To investigate aspects of insulin resistance in children with autism.
Material/Methods: In January 2024, the search was conducted using three bibliographic databases: PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Mendeley. The objective of the search was to find relevant sources on metabolic diseases Insulin resistance (IR) in Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) from 2016 to 2023. The search technique involved using the terms and keywords: "(IR OR Insulinopathie) AND (child OR toddler OR adolescent OR school age) AND (ASD OR Autism)." The two independent reviewers (RB and AT) systematically conducted the data extraction process.
Results: There is no conclusive evidence that prenatal insulin resistance is a risk factor for the onset of autism. Poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, presence of other medical conditions, and use of medications can contribute to increased obesity rates in children with ASD, leading to potential health issues like diabetes, insulin problems, and heart disease. Some experts highlight the metabolic risks, specifically insulin resistance, associated with prescribing antipsychotic drugs to children with autism. Risperidone causes a notable increase in weight and serum triglyceride levels, even when used briefly. Teenagers with autism spectrum disorder demonstrate increased HOMA-IR levels, possibly indicating decreased glucose utilization in certain areas of the brain.
Conclusion: Understanding how insulin resistance affects peripheral metabolism and the CNS could lead to extensive research to enhance the neuropsychological development of children with autism and have implications for public health
Toward a Meta Understanding of Reality: The Problem of Reference in Russian Metarealist Poetry
Full text linkThrough an in-depth analysis of Russian metarealist poetry, the paper seeks to undermine the increasingly popular belief in the self-referential nature of postmodern literature and deconstructive writing. To challenge the conviction that postmodern texts have cut off literary discourse from reality, the author focuses on the writing of Olga Sedakova and Elena Shvarts. Her analysis of Sedakova's Vrata, Okna, Arki attempts to draw a parallel between the schools of Russian symbolism and metarealism, and demonstrate the increased referential potential of metarealist writing. While symbolism juxtaposes the mundane reality here to the eternal spiritual world beyond , she argues in the paper, metarealism practices an optimistic monism , interconnecting perceptual realities to levels of existence in a metaphysical beyond. Introducing Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's concept of the rhizome , the author analyzes the ways in which the poetry of Sedakova establishes connections with the multi-layered corpus of reality and thus expands the notion of referentiality. The paper proceeds with an examination of Shvarts's Lotsiia Nochi . The author advances a provocative reading of Shvarts's work from the point of view of Deleuze and Guattari's theory of de- and reterritorialization and Mikhail Epstein's notion of the metabole . By way of examining the metamorphic quality of metarealist poetry and the multifaceted modes of reality's manifestation within it, the essay discards as unwarranted the mourning over the postmodern eclipse of reality and the subject's incapacity to represent it. Metarealism, the author concludes, restores the pristine polyphony of our multidimensional universe and vindicates the prestige formerly allotted to referentiality
Early-Life Environmental Determinants of Allergic Conditions in Children with Atopic Heredity: A Single Center Cross-Sectional Study from Bulgaria
No full textBackground: Allergic diseases in early childhood are influenced by genetic predisposition and modifiable early-life exposures, including epigenetic mechanisms. Understanding the interplay between environmental factors and allergy development in children with atopic heredity is critical for prevention strategies. Objective: To investigate the associations between selected early-life environmental exposures and the development of allergic conditions in children with a positive family history of atopy. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 children aged 2 years (±5 months) with atopic heredity, recruited at the Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria (2017–2020). Data on sociodemographic background, prenatal exposures, birth mode, feeding practices, pet contact, daycare attendance, and infectious burden were collected via structured questionnaires and medical records. Allergic outcomes (food allergy and atopic dermatitis) were physician-confirmed. Statistical analyses included t-tests and chi-square tests. Results: Food allergy was diagnosed in 23.3% and atopic dermatitis in 21.7% of participants. Formula feeding was significantly more common in children with food allergy (66.7% vs. 38.1%; p = 0.020). A lower maternal pregnancy experience score was significantly associated with both food allergy (p = 0.021) and overall allergic outcomes (p = 0.004). Indoor smoking was more common in households of non-allergic children (p = 0.034). Children with food allergy had significantly more rhinopharyngitis episodes (p = 0.014) and longer infection duration. Higher gastroenteritis frequency and hospitalization rates were also noted in food-allergic children. Conclusions: In children with atopic heredity, early formula feeding, prenatal maternal stress, and infection burden were associated with increased risk of allergic conditions. This study underscores the importance of early-life psychosocial and environmental influences, possibly mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, in the development of childhood allergies. These findings highlight novel targets for early prevention and warrant further longitudinal research
Latour for architects /
No full text"Bruno Latour is one of the leading figures in Social Sciences today, but his contributions are also widely recognized in the arts. His theories 'flourished' in the 1980s in the aftermath of the structuralism wave and generated new concepts and methodologies for the understanding of the social. In the past decade Latour and his Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) have gained popularity among researchers in the field of architecture. Latour for Architects is the first introduction to the key concepts and ideas of Bruno Latour that are relevant to architects. First, the book discusses critically how specific methods and insights from his philosophy can inspire new thinking in architecture and design pedagogy. Second, it explores examples from architectural practice and urban design, and reviews recent attempts to extend the methods of ANT into the fields of architectural and urban studies. Third, the book advocates an ANT-inspired approach to architecture and examines how its methodological insights can trace new research avenues in the field, reflecting meticulously on its epistemological offerings. Drawing on many lively examples from the world of architectural practice, the book makes a compelling argument about the agency of architectural design and the role architects can play in re-ordering the world we live in. Following Latour's philosophy offers a new way to handle all the objects of human and non-human collective life, to re-examine the role of matter in design practice, and to redefine the forms of social, political and ethical associations that bind us together in cities"--"Bruno Latour is one of the leading figures in Social Sciences today, but his contributions are also widely recognized in the arts. His theories 'flourished' in the 1980s in the aftermath of the structuralism wave and generated new concepts and methodologies for the understanding of the social. In the past decade Latour and his Actor-Network-Theory (ANT) have gained popularity among researchers in the field of architecture. Latour for Architects is the first introduction to the key concepts and ideas of Bruno Latour that are relevant to architects. First, the book discusses critically how specific methods and insights from his philosophy can inspire new thinking in architecture and design pedagogy. Second, it explores examples from architectural practice and urban design, and reviews recent attempts to extend the methods of ANT into the fields of architectural and urban studies. Third, the book advocates an ANT-inspired approach to architecture and examines how its methodological insights can trace new research avenues in the field, reflecting meticulously on its epistemological offerings. Drawing on many lively examples from the world of architectural practice, the book makes a compelling argument about the agency of architectural design and the role architects can play in re-ordering the world we live in. Following Latour's philosophy offers a new way to handle all the objects of human and non-human collective life, to re-examine the role of matter in design practice, and to redefine the forms of social, political and ethical associations that bind us together in cities"--OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record
Early Childhood Nutrition and Development in Atopic Families from Northeastern Bulgaria
No full textObjectives: Early environmental factors have a significant impact on the development of atopic conditions in children. Breastfeeding has been highlighted for its role in enhancing both immune support and cognitive development. Early allergic conditions and maternal behaviors are linked to cognitive and neurodevelopmental challenges. Our study aims to compare children from atopic families focusing on early nutrition and the neuropsychological development of children, especially in the presence of an allergic predisposition. Materials and methods: The study included 120 children with a family history of allergies (55% boys). Children were divided into group A, children breastfed for at least two months, and group B, children breastfed for less than two months or fed with formula. The study measurements and outcomes included demographic and social data, medical data, the smoking status of the parents, breastfeeding and early feeding practices, and anthropometric measurements. The assessment of the neurological development was carried out with a validated Developmental Profile-3 questionnaire. Diagnosis of allergic conditions was carried out with the SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) questionnaire for assessing atopic dermatitis; the CoMiSS (Cow’s Milk-Related Allergy Symptom Score) questionnaire for potential cow’s milk protein allergy and Prick testing and elimination-provocation protocol were used to confirm allergic status in children with atopic conditions. Data were analyzed using Jamovi 2.2.2 software, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: The age of the examined children was 13 ÷ 31 months, the age of the mothers was 21 ÷ 42 years, and that of the fathers was 22 ÷ 44 years. Educational levels among mothers were 68.35% (n = 54) with higher education in group A and 61.5% (n = 24) in group B, compared to fathers with rates of higher education of, respectively, 54.3% (n = 44) and 38.5% (n = 15). The average gestational age of the children was 38.8 ± 1.08 weeks, and the relative share of cesarean delivery—50.8% (n = 61)—was slightly higher than vaginal delivery. Anthropometric results (HAZ, WAZ, BMIAZ) did not show a statistically significant influence of the type of feeding (breastfeeding, standard formula, or hydrolyzed formula) on growth during the first two months after birth (p > 0.05). During the study period, a significant number of the children developed allergic conditions, which were more common in children from group A—43.2% (n = 35)—compared to group B—38.5% (n = 15). In the families included in the study, mothers smoked more often (53.3%; n = 64) than fathers (43.3%; n = 52), and 13.3% (n = 16) of the women smoked during pregnancy. Children’s neuropsychological development, assessed with the DP-3 questionnaire, according to the duration of breastfeeding, does not show statistically significant differences for the five functional areas (“Physical development”, “Adaptive behavior”, “Social-emotional” Development”, “Cognitive development “, and “Communication”) or the overall development of children from both groups. The neuropsychological development (DP-3) of the group A children showed correlations with the presence of atopic dermatitis, parents’ age, father’s level of education, mother’s smoking during pregnancy, number of cigarettes smoked by the mother per day, and cesarean delivery. Maternal smoking (number of cigarettes per day) had significant negative correlations with all areas of children’s neuropsychological development, which were most pronounced with physical (rho = −0.352; p = 0.001) and overall development (rho = −0.329; p= 0.003). Cesarean delivery moderately correlated with physical development (rho = 0.292; p = 0.008) and adaptive behavior (rho = −0.294; p = 0.008). In group B, neuropsychological development (DP-3) correlates most clearly with allergic conditions (allergy at two years of age and atopic dermatitis), as well as with maternal smoking during pregnancy, with a strong negative correlation with physical development (rho = −0.510; p = 0.001). Conclusions: Our study reinforces the link between early feeding practices, neuropsychological development, and allergic conditions, emphasizing the lasting effects they have on children’s neurological health. However, limitations such as the relatively small sample size and reliance on parental reporting may affect the generalizability of the findings. Future studies with larger cohorts and objective biomarkers for allergic conditions are needed to further validate these results
Le Potentiel Démocratique de la Constitution Européenne (ou Les Démocrates doivent-ils voter pour?)
No full textIn the run-up to the French referendum on the Constitutional Treaty for Europe in the spring of 2005, the author addresses the most politically sensitive question surrounding debates on the draft law: does it achieve the promised balance between policy efficiency and democracy. She examines two types of constitutional solutions to the ‘democracy deficits’ of the EU: on the one hand, measures enhancing the direct impact of democratic legislatures on the policy-process at EU level; on the other hand, measures increasing accountability (rather than direct input), in the tradition of liberal constitutionalism. The analysis leads to the conclusion that, while the first group of measures tends to enhance democracy at the expense of policy efficiency, the second type of measures help solve the democratic deficit while also increasing policy efficiency. Overall, the author asserts that, as the proposed constitutional treaty contains solid measures of the second type, it should be supported by both center-left and center-right constituencies
Identity Management approach in Internet of Things
No full textNowadays, 'people are united in their need to be connected to the Internet anywhere, anyhow, anytime. Thanks to the evolution of Information communication technologies (ICT) more and more exclusive services (smart homes, telemedicine, e-Health applications etc.) are available for the users through heterogeneous Internet of Things (IoT) networks, driven by machine to machine (M2M) communication.Although, the communication is established primarily by using devices, the human users are real “generators” and “consumers” of the input and output information. Thus, the human user has to be considered as a “smart” IoT object, thus he/she should be identified, authenticated, authorized.The process of user identification is considered to be very delicate due to the concerns for the people’s willingness of sharing private information and data. At the same time, the utilized by a certain user devices, should be taken into consideration. Within this context there is a need of attractive user identification and Identity Management (IdM) mechanisms, involving all of the objects in IoT. Furthermore, the active role of the user in the creation of the rules of identification, and having always responsive services, are extremely important and slightly moving the focus to the concept of ‘Internet of People’.The present master thesis addresses the problems of user identification and proposes the design of a novel Single Thing Sign On (STSO) IdM system where the end-user is in the middle of a user-centered services ecosystem. The proposed scheme enables user recognition and assigned services access only by identification of one of the “things” related to the user (personal computing devices, sensors etc). Besides, the author proposes a novel user identification method driven by computing device recognition algorithm (CDR algorithm).The proposed CDR algorithm and IdM system were evaluated through a set of technical and business analytical methodologies in order to proof the concept. The discussion confirms the importance of the researched matter and further clarifies the objectives
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