Affect within design practice and process

"Affect" has provided scholars with a variety of ways for conceptualizing the pre-conscious and pre-verbal processes that occur between both human and non-human bodies. This paper explores the practice of architecture through the lens of affect by considering how design practices involve particular contingencies in relation to a building's design process. Specifically, the paper asks: how do the negative affects of restlessness arouse interest and positively impact the evaluative processes of design? This question is explored through an examination of the design, production, and assembly of the cardboard paper tubes that were recently designed by Shigeru Ban Architects for their Christchurch Transitional Cardboard Cathedral. We will argue that the design actions are not independent, but embody different affects, particularly those of restlessness. We will also define how these affects of restlessness transmit and attach to the tubes and intensify their "stickiness," creating further interest and positively impacting the design process. Finally, we recognize the usefulness of sticky affects to highlight problems in the design process.

Altered images : the relations between design representations and design practice

As information systems move out of the office into the wider world and are merged with mobile appliances, buildings and even clothing, the representations traditionally used in any one discipline may not be adequate for understanding these new domains. Design representations are ‘ways of seeing and not seeing’. Despite the central role representations play in design, the information systems design community has little understanding of the relation, ideal or actual, between design practice and design representation. This paper reports on an extensive design case study that aims at increasing understanding of the nature and affordances of representations in the design process and argues for the need for information systems as a discipline to open up discussion of the design representations that may be required to effectively design systems that mix traditional IS with disciplines such as industrial design, architecture and fashion design.

Altered images : the relations between design representations and design practice

As information systems move out of the office into the wider world and are merged with mobile appliances, buildings and even clothing, the representations traditionally used in any one discipline may not be adequate for understanding these new domains. Design representations are ‘ways of seeing and not seeing’. Despite the central role representations play in design, the information systems design community has little understanding of the relation, ideal or actual, between design practice and design representation. This paper reports on an extensive design case study that aims at increasing understanding of the nature and affordances of representations in the design process and argues for the need for information systems as a discipline to open up discussion of the design representations that may be required to effectively design systems that mix traditional IS with disciplines such as industrial design, architecture and fashion design.

The management of adolescents at risk of suicide by Australian general practitioners: issues in practice and confidence

This study involved an anonymous survey of 41Victorian GPs regarding their diagnostic and treatment practices with adolescent patients with depression and/or suicide ideation. The results indicated that the majority of respondents correctly diagnosed the level of depression and the risk of suicide in a case scenario. Although they commonly asked some of the questions related to an assessment of suicide risk, they rarely conducted a comprehensive risk assessment and the level of referral to telephone and internet crisis services was poor. Most GPs indicated a lack of confidence in their ability to detect and manage depression and suicide in this population and strongly emphasized a need for more training.

A preliminary study on building demolition engineering and management

In recent years, building demolition has been challenging urban developers due to the increased incidence of demolition projects and the elevation of demolition requirements. The importance of building demolition is also recognised by researchers and, given its environmental impacts, it is anticipated to achieve the same attention as conventional planning, design,
construction and maintenance in the near future. In this article, the authors aim to develop a series of strategies for promoting building demolition practice. Environmentally-friendly demolition procedures are introduced through a waste minimisation decision that makes the approach on alternatives to demolition and an integrated demolition planning and design approach focus on a just-in-time (JIT) philosophy. A conceptual management framework is also presented for the implementation of demolition projects.

Observation of pain assessment and management- the complexities of clinical practice

• Pain assessment and management are complex issues that embrace physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social dimensions.

• This observational study sought to investigate nurse–patient interactions associated with pain assessment and management in hospitalized postsurgical patients in clinical practice settings.

• Twelve field observations were carried out on Registered Nurses' activities relating to pain with their assigned patients. All nurses were involved in direct patient care in one surgical unit of a metropolitan teaching hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Six observation times were identified as key periods for activities relating to pain, which included change of shift and high activity periods. Each observation period lasted 2 hours and was examined on two occasions.

• Four major themes were identified as barriers to effective pain management: nurses' responses to interruptions of activities relating to pain, nurses' attentiveness to patient cues of pain, nurses' varying interpretations of pain, and nurses' attempts to address competing demands of nurses, doctors and patients.

• These findings provide some understanding of the complexities impacting on nurses' assessment and management of postoperative pain. Further research using this observational methodology is indicated to examine these influences in more depth. This knowledge may form the basis for developing and evaluating strategic intervention programmes that analyse nurses' management of postoperative pain and, in particular, their administration of opioid analgesics.

Does an evidence-based sedation protocol improve practice and patient outcomes in critical care?

Learning Objective 1: compare protocol-directed sedation management with traditional non-protocol-directed practice in mechanically ventilated patients in an Australian critical care.

Learning Objective 2: explain the contrasting international research findings on sedation protocol implementation.
Minimization of sedation in critical care patients has recently received widespread support. Professional organizations internationally have published sedation management guidelines for critically ill patients to improve the use of research in practice, decrease practice variability and shorten mechanical ventilation duration. Innovations in practice have included the introduction of decision making protocols, daily sedation interruptions and new drugs and monitoring technologies. The aim of this study was to compare protocol-directed sedation management with traditional non-protocol-directed practice in mechanically ventilated patients in an Australian critical care setting.

A randomized, controlled trial design was used to study 312 mechanically ventilated adult patients in a general critical care unit at an Australian metropolitan teaching hospital. Patients were randomly assigned to receive protocol directed sedation management developed from evidence based guidelines (n=153) or usual clinical practice (n=159).

The median (95% CI) duration of ventilation was 58 hrs (44–78 hrs) for patients in the non-protocol group and 79 hrs (56–93) for those patients in the protocol group (p=0.20). Results were not significant for length of stay in critical care or hospital, the frequency of tracheostomies, and unplanned extubations. A Cox proportional hazards model estimated that protocol directed sedation management was associated with a 22% decrease (95% CI: 40% decrease to 2% increase, p=0.07) in the occurrence of successful weaning from mechanical ventilation.

Few randomized controlled trials have evaluated the effectiveness of protocol-directed sedation outside of North America. This study highlights the lack of transferability between different settings and different models of care. Qualified, high intensity nursing in the Australian critical care setting facilitates rapid, responsive decisions for sedation management and an increased success rate for weaning from mechanical ventilation.

The assessment and management of common male sexual difficulties in family practice

Sexual problems are distressing for patients, and their doctors need to feel comfortable giving advice about and treating the more common conditions. Treatment of sexual problems can prevent much anxiety and the development of depression. This article outlines approaches useful in managing the more common male sexual difficulties encountered in family practice.

Teaching in practice : work integrated design learning and practice readiness for architecture students

This literature review describes the theoretical basis for developing a pedagogical model of higher education/industry engagement for the built environment and related design disciplines, with a focus on architecture. In particular, attention is given to the conceptualisation informing the development of such a model as a form of work integrated learning (WIL). In the discussion, the use and development of WIL in architecture will be placed in the historical context of Cooperative Education as a whole. The objective of the paper is to present ideas about the way in which design education relocated to practice might better prepare students for professional life.

Aiming to capitalize on the work place as a location for authentic learning, the paper will propose a form of WIL that will be termed “Teaching in Practice” (TiP). A prime aim of such a model is to bridge the growing gap between academia and the profession by enabling students to learn design from practitioners within a practice environment. The paper will argue that TiP allows practitioners to have a direct influence on design education, and thus establishes connections between academia and the professions that ensure built environment education remains relevant to industry needs.