Structured reflection breaks embedded in an online course – effects on learning experience, time on task and performance

The purpose of this article is to gain an insight into the effects of practicing short, frequent,and structured reflection breaks interspersed with the learning material in a computer-based course. To that end, the study sets up a standardized control trial with two groups of secondary school pupils. The study shows that while performance is not affected by these embedded “reflection rituals,” they significantly impact time on task and perceived learning. The study also suggests that the exposure to such built-in opportunities for reflection modifies the engagement with the content and fosters the claimed readiness for application of a similar reflective approach to learning in other occasions.

Increasing physical activity among women with young children: Results from the Proactive Mums Project

Context Evidence from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health suggests that mothers of young children have lower levels of physical activity (PA) than women of similar age without children. Objectives The aim of the ProActive Mums project was to determine the relative efficacy of two strategies designed to increase the proportion of mothers of young children who are meeting current PA guidelines, utilising child care centres (CCCs) as the setting for recruitment. Study Design The project used a randomised (after stratification to ensure even representation of CCCs from differing socio-economic areas) design incorporating repeated data collection from women in three groups, each consisting of 7 childcare centres (CCCs). Baseline surveys were completed by 554 mothers, with follow-up data collection immediately post-Intervention (8 weeks after baseline) and again 5 months later. Women from CCCs in Group 1 (control) received only the surveys throughout the duration of the project. Women from CCCs in Group 2 (information only) were given a print intervention, and women from CCCs in Group 3 were (in addition to being given the same print intervention as women from CCCs in Group 2) invited to to contribute to the development of, and participate in, strategies for the promotion of PA among mothers of young children. The two intervention strategies were extensively evaluated through a series of surveys and interviews. The Intervention The print intervention prescribed for women from CCCs in Group 2 and Group 3 consisted of an 8-page booklet containing motivational messages and information about physical activity. Women from CCCs in Group 3 were also invited to attend meetings at their CCC to identify strategies for increasing their PA. Contacts were made with key stakeholders in the community, including managers of sporting and recreation facilities, childcare service providers, and local councils. A wide range of strategies was developed during the intervention phase of the project, which specifically focused on the need to increase partner support and self-efficacy (or the confidence to be physically active). Results The mean age of participants was 33 (+ 4.8) years, and the mean number of children per family unit was 2.2 (± 0.9). At baseline, fewer than half the women were meeting current guidelines for adequate PA for health benefit, and there were no significant differences between groups in the proportion of women who were adequately active for health benefit. Women in Group 3 were significantly more likely to meet the guidelines at post-intervention follow-up than controls [OR = 1.71 (1.05-2.77)] after controlling for age and PA at baseline. There was no significant effect of the print intervention alone on meeting guidelines at post-intervention follow-up compared with controls, after controlling for age and PA at baseline [OR = 1.15 (0.70-1.89)]. Changes in Partner Support (PS) and Self Efficacy (SE) significantly predicted meeting current PA guidelines at post-intervention follow-up after controlling for baseline PA [∆ PS: OR = 2.29 (1.46-3.58); ∆ SE: OR = 1.86 (1.17- 2.94)]. The intervention effect in Group 3 was not maintained at long-term follow-up. Conclusions The findings indicate that a community participation approach that facilitates increased partner support and self-efficacy can be effective in increasing PA among mothers of young children. Changes in physical activity were found to be mediated by changes in partner support and self-efficacy for physical activity, suggesting that the intervention successfully targeted the individual characteristics it intended to, and that these variables do play an important role in increasing physical activity among women with young children. It is clear that further work needs to be done to explore methods of translating the short-term intervention effect shown in this study into long-term changes in PA behaviour. This study also provided insight into measurement issues in PA research and raised questions about self-report measures of PA and perceived constraints to being physically active. The results from post-study qualitative interviews suggest that many women at this life-stage experience time constraints which, when accompanied by a lack of partner support and financial constraints, make leisure-time PA virtually impossible for many women. Future strategies might focus on targeting this population immediately prior to this life-stage in an attempt to encourage habitual physical activity before women have children. Increasing PA in this population should also address the entire family unit, and consider the way leisure-time is negotiated among the adults within a household. Social change and increased awareness of the range of benefits of PA for women with children are additional strategies to be considered.

La construcción del tiempo en las artes temporales

Resumen: En este artículo el autor considera desde el punto de vista temporal, tres dimensiones diferentes: el tiempo físico o cronométrico, el tiempo vivencial o psicológico y el tiempo virtual, dimensión esta última en la cual se inscriben las artes temporales.

Measurements of resistance and reactance in fish with the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis: sources of error

New technologies can be riddled with unforeseen sources of error, jeopardizing the validity and application of their advancement. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a new technology in fisheries research that is capable of estimating proximate composition, condition, and energy content in fish quickly, cheaply, and (after calibration) without the need to sacrifice fish. Before BIA can be widely accepted in fisheries science, it is necessary to identify sources of error and determine a means to minimize potential errors with this analysis. We conducted controlled laboratory experiments to identify sources of errors within BIA measurements. We concluded that electrode needle location, procedure deviations, user experience, time after death, and temperature can affect resistance and reactance measurements. Sensitivity analyses showed that errors in predictive estimates of composition can be large (>50%) when these errors are experienced. Adherence to a strict protocol can help avoid these sources of error and provide BIA estimates that are both accurate and precise in a field or laboratory setting.

Stresse Profissional. Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas

Tese de Doutoramento apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Ciências Sociais.

Percepción del riesgo biológico en el personal asistencial en un hospital de alta complejidad de la ciudad de Bogotá.

OBJETIVOS: Identificar la percepción del riesgo biológico de los trabajadores asistenciales del Hospital Central de la Policía Nacional en la ciudad de Bogotá. METODOS: se realizó un estudio analítico de corte transversal para describir la percepción acerca del riesgo biológico en 159 trabajadores asistenciales de un hospital de alta complejidad en la ciudad de Bogotá (Colombia), la información se recolectó por medio de la utilización de la encuesta validada nota técnica 578 (Portell M, Solé M, 2001). Se realizó la caracterización de la población por variables de sexo, edad, tiempo de experiencia y servicio al cual pertenece y se promediaron las respuestas obtenidas para cada ítem encuestado, obteniendo una clasificación para cada dimensión de percepción de riesgo baja (1 a 3), media (4 a 5) o alta (6 a 7). Resultados: De los 159 trabajadores asistenciales encuestados el 80.4% eran de género femenino, el 22.2% pertenecían al servicio de urgencias, el 16,5% al servicio de medicina interna y el 9.5% al servicio de pediatría, de los encuestados el 62.9% fueron auxiliares de enfermería, el 21,4% enfermeras jefes y el 6.9% médicos. Se obtuvo una percepción de riesgo alta (media aritmética mayor de 5) para todas las variables incluidas en la encuesta, demostrando conocimiento de todo el personal acerca de la alta exposición a accidentes de tipo biológico. No se encontró asociación entre la labor desempeñada y la percepción del riesgo biológico, sin embargo, se encontró una asociación entre el tiempo de experiencia del trabajador y una disminución en la magnitud del riesgo percibido (Chi cuadrado de asociación, p=0.042). Conclusiones: Los trabajadores asistenciales identifican la magnitud del riesgo biológico al que se encuentran expuestos en sus labores del día a día, sin embargo, es necesaria una mayor participación por parte del personal directivo y de los responsables de la prevención en temas de reacción ante accidentes y en la valoración del riesgo, especialmente en personas que llevan mucho tiempo desempeñando la labor.

Alguns gestores de fundos de ações são melhores do que outros? Uma análise cross-sectional das características dos gestores e do desempenho dos fundos

A área de fundos de investimento tem crescido no Brasil nos últimos 7 anos. Movimento semelhante tem sido observado no percentual destinado a fundos de ações. Parte deste movimento pode ser creditado à entrada de atores sem familiaridade com o universo financeiro, mas que vislumbram neste segmento uma oportunidade para investir seu dinheiro. O desconhecimento do funcionamento do universo financeiro leva o novo investidor a eleger critérios para seleção de onde alocar os seus recursos, já que se espera que um gestor profissional faça as melhores escolhas. Segundo Chevalier & Ellison (1999), a imprensa financeira produz um grande volume e variedade de informação sobre as pessoas que gerenciam esses fundos, mas pouco se fala de seus antecedentes educacionais. Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar se o desempenho dos fundos de ações esta relacionado com as características dos gestores desses fundos. Em particular, se estudou a relação entre o desempenho dos fundos e a formação dos gestores, a qualidade das escolas em que cursaram, bem como o fato de possuírem pós-graduação Lato Sensu ou Stricto Sensu, além da idade e seu “tempo de experiência” no mercado financeiro. Utilizamos como base os dados coletados pelo sistema QUANTUN AXIS (Quantun Avaliação de Fundos de Investimento), tendo como referência o período de setembro/2007 a 2008. Consultamos currículos dos 81 gestores da amostra por meio de buscas aos sites das empresas administradoras, consulta por telefone aos gestores, e currículos via difusores de informação como o Bloomberg. Foram então realizadas as análises Cross-Section. Para tal, foi utilizada uma corrente de investigação que analisou o impacto dos antecedentes educacionais dos gestores de fundos sobre os resultados dos mesmos nos EUA, destacando os trabalhos de Golec (1996), Chevalier & Ellison (1999) e Gottesman & Morey (2006). O resultado deste trabalho sugere que existe diferença na análise cross-sectional entre o desempenho dos fundos de ações no Brasil e a qualidade do curso de graduação do gestor. Futuras pesquisas poderiam, utilizando a mesma amostra de gestores, acompanhar a evolução dos dados do currículo em comparação ao desempenho dos fundos administrados em uma perspectiva temporal utilizando dados de painel.

Tempo no trabalho: a experiência dos gerentes médios

A sociologia das organizações ainda é realizada sob a construção de esquemas analíticos livres de tempo (CLARK, 1985; HASSARD, 2000; GIDDENS, 2003). No entanto, questões temporais permeiam toda e qualquer organização, o que torna o conceito de tempo de central importância para os estudos organizacionais. Com base nisso, esta pesquisa teve a ambição de abordar a dimensão temporal do trabalho nas organizações; sob a perspectiva dos indivíduos. E, dado que os gerentes médios vivenciam um duplo foco de pressão: originado da alta gerência e do nível operacional da organização, decidiu-se investigar como os gerentes médios experimentam o tempo no trabalho. Para desvendar a experiência temporal dos gerentes médios, foram analisadas, com a metodologia de análise de conteúdo, entrevistas com 20 profissionais de média gerência que trabalham em empresas que operam na cidade de São Paulo. A coleta do material de pesquisa ocorreu com entrevistas em profundidade semi-estruturadas. A análise das entrevistas sugere que embora o tempo no trabalho seja, por todos os profissionais entrevistados, definido como um recurso econômico, cuja utilização dever ser otimizada ao máximo, a experiência temporal entre os gerentes médios não é homogênea. Há fatores ambientais comuns a todos os entrevistados, que tendem a aproximar as experiências temporais dos mesmos. Tais fatores, que são a compressão do tempo, o sentido de urgência, as novas tecnologias, características intrínsecas ao papel de gerente e a organização de si próprios, das empresas e colaboradores, estão associados ao cenário econômico e social contemporâneo. No entanto, características relacionadas à idade, gênero, valores e experiências pessoais, além do segmento de atuação da empresa também impactam a experiência temporal dos gerentes médios e contribuem para a diversificação da maneira como os gerentes médios experimentam e lidam com as pressões temporais. Em síntese, a despeito dos fatores ambientais compartilhados, com destaque para a crescente compressão do tempo, a natureza humana e a impermanência dos fenômenos sociais desnudam a complexidade da experiência temporal dos gerentes médios no trabalho. E revelam que – apesar da homogeneidade, objetividade e linearidade representadas pelo relógio, ícone do tempo nas sociedades ocidentais contemporâneas – heterogeneidade, subjetividade e ciclicidade fazem parte da experiência temporal dos trabalhadores.

Validação de instrumentos para avaliação do conhecimento e da habilidade acerca da sondagem vesical de demora

That study had the aim to validate an instrument to evaluate the knowledge about the Urinary Catheterization (UC) in males. Cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative and methodological study, accomplished in Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (UERN) and a private university from Rio Grande do Norte. Sample of 27 judges selected from the inclusion criteria: registered nurses, discipline of semiology and/or semiotics teachers, with at least 1 year of experience in the disciplines, to work at UFRN, UERN or in private university and agree to participate voluntarily with the signing of the Consent Form. Study developed in three stages: a) elaboration of twos instruments based on the scientific literature, resulting in a structured observation script type checklist consisting of 36 items and a knowledge questionnaire with 12 questions; b) submission of instruments to judges from June to September 2012, which should evaluate each item in "adequate," "adequate with changes" and "inappropriate", and make an overall evaluation of each instrument based on 10 requirements; c) and validation with a verification of the agreement level among the judges, through the application of Kappa Index (K) and Content Validity Index (CVI). It was used the consensus level higher than 0.60 (good) for Kappa Index and higher than 0.70 for CVI. The research project had favorable opinion from the Ethics in Research/HUOL (CAAE n. 0002.0.294.000-10). After being coded and tabulated, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Of the 27 judges who evaluated the instrument, 77.8% are female, with a mean age of 36.6 (± 9.0) years, 63.0% worked in UFRN, 74.1% had master degree and 63.0% worked exclusively on teaching. The experience time mean in teaching was 7.9 (± 8.0) years and in the disciplines of semiology and/or semiotics in nursing was 5.5 (± 6.7) years. In judgment of the checklist and knowledge questionnaire, no step/question was considered inappropriate, since all achieved level of agreement within the established values. All the checklist steps obtained good to excellent K (between 0.60 and 1.00). Of the 36 items, 25 had excellent K (0.75 ≤ K <1.00) and excellent total K (K = 0.83). Regarding the IVC, all steps reached levels above 0.70 (between 0.74 and 1.00) and CVI total was 0.90. All questionnaire questions evaluated separately (K from 0.60 to 0.93 and CVI from 0.74 to 0.96) and generally (K from 0.79 to 1.00 and CVI from 0.89 to 1.00) had evaluation levels of content validity within the established values. The instruments were reformulated based on the agreement levels between judges and international guidelines, dissertations and scientific articles. Both instruments proved to be valid regarding to their content, allowing a clear and objective evaluation of knowledge and skills about UC, both nursing students as well as other students and health professionals, since the use of valid measures seeking the reduction of the risk of the results distorted

Processo de trabalho na estratégia saúde da família: potencialidades e fragilidades da atuação do enfermeiro

The present study aims to analyze the nurse s work process at Family Health Strategy, considering its basic elements and dynamic, and searching to identify aspects that may constitute strengths and weaknesses in its development. This is an analytical case study, with qualitative approach and theoretical-conceptual mark grounded in Dialectic Hermeneutics. Empirical research fields were the Family Health Units of Natal, RN, Brazil. The subjects are nurses working in this Strategy. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured individual interviews combined with field observation. The research was initiated after approval by the Ethics Committee of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, according to the guidelines and rules for research involving humans (Resolution 466/12), ensuring proper ethical precepts. The project was approved by register number 398.929, CAAE 19588813.7.0000.5537. From the 9 interviewed nurses, 8 were female and 1 male, average age of 52 years, average graduation time of 27 years and average time they stayed at the same Family Health territory of 7 years. It was found that it is up to the professional nurse in the Family Health care the important role of taking care of human beings in their life, family and community contexts, producing conditions to meet their needs through therapeutic act in health, using for such purpose both materials and immaterial instruments. It was possible to relate aspects that characterize strengths and weaknesses in the work process of nurses in the ESF, according to the speech of the interviewed workers, including the meanings and contradictions. Among the potentialities observed, it was possible to highlight the wide role of the nurse at Family Health; the perception of nurses about teamwork; the relative autonomy of nurses; the commitment of professionals to work; Humanization as a technology; the presence of other agents at work, such as directors and officers at the primary health units; the professional s experience time and contract type in the case studied. As weaknesses in the work process of nurses at Family Health Strategy, were highlighted the limited skills of the workforce; the difficulty in 10 identifying specific limits of the work of nurses in this scenario; the disturbances that occur in the process, the existing gaps in multiprofessional teams; Structural deficits of the units in the studied case, the low coverage of the Family Health in the county, and the political vulnerability of the work conditions. It is considered necessary to understand the dilemmas experienced in everyday life of nurses at Family Health Strategy as part of multiprofessional teams, facing actual achievement of changes in work processes necessary for the reorientation of health care in Brazil. In accordance, it is necessary to promote proper working conditions and welfare of labor agents which are protagonists the work at the United Health System

Mapeamento de stakeholders nas áreas conexas de turismo e meio ambiente: um estudo em João Pessoa/PB

The present study aims to understand the perception in a manager perspective of the relationship between the stakeholders of tourism and environmental management in João Pessoa (PB). It is a qualitative, transversal, descriptive and exploratory research, held with keys stakeholders of tourism and environment in the capital of Paraíba. The data were collected through structured interviews and the analysis of the minutes of the municipal council of tourism, called COMTUR/ JP. The data research allowed us to affirm that the environmental stakeholders have a higher academic background than those of tourism, on the other hand the tourism stakeholders‟ have longer experience time than the environmental stakeholders‟. In general, the use of environmental resources for tourism is noticed as positively by the tourism stakeholders‟ and as intermediate for the environmental stakeholders‟, the tourism development is consider to be a non predatory active in João Pessoa, but it is very concentrate in the coastal area, the remnants of Atlantic Forest or protected areas are not used for tourism. The main environmental impacts cause by tourism according to the stakeholders interviewed (tourism and environment) were the environmental degradation of reef, beach pollution and the construction of tourism facilities in areas that should be protected, however, there was a stakeholder who believes that the tourism development in Paraíba is so nascent that it is unable to impact the environment. The performance of SETDE, PBTUR and SUDEMA was consider inconsistent by some of the interviewed stakeholders‟. The NGO representatives believe that the most important thing is a paradigm shift from the entrepreneurs and the local population. Despite the apparently close relationship between tourism and environment management in João Pessoa (PB), some actions of tourism agencies and the state government has left some unhappy important environmental stakeholders indicating that the relationship between tourism and environment in the city is becoming tenser each year

Organização e funcionamento do atendimento educacional especializado na educação infantil: estudo de caso

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Auditorium: una tipología del siglo XX

Se recoge en esta tesis doctoral la definición y clasificación de los edificios cuya finalidad es proporcionar espacios para escuchar y producir música. Se centra en aquellos construidos a lo largo del siglo XX, en el área geográfica y cultural que forman Europa occidental y Estados Unidos. Se analizan edificios construidos en el pasado, en una serie que se origina a mediados del siglo XIX y que se culmina terciado el propio siglo XX. Son edificios que contienen espacios pensados para músicas que, sin embargo, en su mayoría fueron creadas en un periodo anterior, desde mediados del siglo XVIII hasta las primeras décadas del siglo pasado. Un auditorium es un edificio cuya idea conlleva la compleja herencia de los múltiples lugares, abiertos y cerrados, que han alojado la música a lo largo del tiempo. Es un edificio que es útil a la sociedad y que ocupa un lugar significativo dentro de la ciudad, y es consecuencia del campo de fuerzas que constituyen los avances técnicos, el progreso de las sociedades urbanas y la evolución del arte, al compartir estrechamente, música y arquitectura, el interés por hallar la expresión de una nueva relación con la naturaleza. Se parte de la hipótesis de que el auditorium puede constituir un tipo arquitectónico con entidad suficiente para generar una tipología. Entendida ésta como una herramienta que dota de conocimientos útiles a quien va a proyectar un edificio para la música y también que permita abrir el campo de pensamiento sobre el espacio musical, sin necesidad de recurrir a modelos previos, aunque se hayan manifestado útiles y precisos. Se comienza con una aproximación a una definición del término «auditorium » y se analizan a qué funciones responde y en qué es distinto de otros edificios, a través de determinar las características formales propias. Para ello se articula la tesis en varios bloques de análisis. I Elementos para una tipología Se indaga en los atributos que determinan la naturaleza de los auditorios para definir cómo son estos edificios y qué características y condiciones tienen, no sólo las salas sino también los edificios que las contienen, buscando el origen de los espacios musicales y su relación con las personas que allí se han reunido para celebrar, a través de la música, acontecimientos colectivos. Relación que ha comportado desplazamientos por los distintos espacios que ha compartido, supeditada a otras actividades, hasta que finalmente, la música ha reclamado espacios propios. Pero también se establece otra relación física entre las distintas posiciones que ocupan en el espacio cuantos intervienen en la celebración del hecho musical, músicos y público. De otra parte se analiza cómo son sus espacios interiores, salas y vestíbulos, y los volúmenes y formas de los edificios en relación con la ciudad. Su conexión con la idea del paisaje abierto y con el carácter originario de la cueva. II Cinco tiempos Los edificios sobre los que se van explorar estas capacidades son en muchos casos arquitecturas divulgadas y conocidas. Sin embargo no todas han tenido desde su aparición el mismo grado de aprecio ni reconocimiento, y sólo el paso del tiempo ha confirmado su excelencia. El estudio se estructura en los periodos marcados por los acontecimientos bélicos y las grandes crisis que sacudieron Europa y Norte América desde comienzos del siglo XX. La identificación de los elementos significativos de la tipología se hace a través del análisis de distintos tiempos que agrupan casos heterogéneos, tiempos entendidos unas veces como la relación entre edificios coetáneos y otra como proyectos pensados por un mismo arquitecto y se detiene, entre otros, en cuatro excepcionales edificios que condensan la experiencia de varias décadas y demuestran su plenitud arquitectónica, por haber evolucionado de modelos precedentes o por su novedosas aportaciones. El Royal Festival Hall (1951), el Kresge Auditorium (1954), el Kulttuuritalo (1958) y la Philharmonie de Berlín (1963), sirven de base para una clasificación del auditorium. III Cronología gráfica Este apartado es fundamentalmente gráfico y consta un inventario de más de 100 archivos correspondientes a otros tantos auditorios y sus salas, en orden cronológico. Cada archivo cuenta con una imagen del exterior del edificio y otra del interior de la sala. Se han incorporado en cada uno de los archivos, dos dibujos a la misma escala. El primero muestra la planta de la sala con tres parámetros: la ocupación del público en referencia al lugar que ocupa la orquesta, la relación de tamaño entre la sala y las de los cuatro auditorios de referencia y la distancia al foco de sonido, la orquesta, mediante una escala en metros. Estos tres parámetros están superpuestos al que he considerado espacio audible, un rectángulo de 60 por 90 metros, en el que el foco está desplazado, por considerar que el sonido de una orquesta tiene una componente directional y que en esas dimensiones la energía sonora no decae. En el friso bajo el dibujo, aparecen cuatro iconos que informan de la relación formal de la sala con la del auditorium. Puede ser una sala dentro de un edificio sin correspondencia formal, un edificio en el que se manifiesta exteriormente el volumen de la sala, un edificio que tiene la forma de la sala y resuelve el resto del programa funcional sin manifestarlo exteriormente o, finalmente un edificio complejo cuya forma absorbe dos o más salas de música. El segundo dibujo es la sección longitudinal de la sala, recortada sobre un fondo negro para destacar su forma y proporción, todas están a la misma escala y en la misma dirección respecto del escenario para facilitar su lectura y comparación. En el parte inferior de la sección, aparecen cuatro esquemas de la forma y distribución en planta sobre el que destaca la de cada caso de estudio. La forma del techo de las salas de música de los auditorios, expresada a través de la sección longitudinal, es uno de los elementos que caracteriza el espacio musical. El perímetro de la sección, determina su superficie y por tanto, el volumen total interior. Es una herramienta técnica que permite dirigir el sonido reflejado en él, hasta cualquier lugar del interior de la sala, garantizando una distribución homogénea y evitando concentraciones perjudiciales o «sombras acústicas», lugares donde no llegan las primeras reflexiones. IV Geometría de las salas El análisis efectuado permite la elaboración de paralelos de tres de los elementos fundamentales de la tipología de las salas de los auditorium y que definen el espacio musical. El perímetro de la sección y su superficie que establecen el volumen total interior, que es un factor determinante en la reverberación de una sala. La forma y superficie del techo, que interviene directamente en el cálculo de la absorción del sonido, en función de la cualidad reflejante o absorbente del material con el que está construido, y por otra parte en la distribución del sonido en el espacio. Y por último, la forma del suelo de las salas también expresada a través de la sección longitudinal, es otro de los elementos que caracteriza el espacio musical. El modelado del suelo permite mediante distintas pendientes garantizar la correcta visión del escenario y por tanto permite también una buena audición, puesto que la llegada directa del sonido está asegurada. La otra limitación dimensional es el ancho de la grada. Cuando se ha buscado incrementar al máximo la capacidad de una sala, se han establecido graderíos en balcones en voladizo para no penalizar la distancia al escenario, de manera que algunas partes del graderío quedan cubiertas, en detrimento de su calidad acústica al privarlas de las primeras reflexiones que proceden del techo. V Auditórium y ciudad El auditorium es un edificio singular que establece con la ciudad una relación particular y que contiene en su interior una o varias salas especiales destinadas a oír y ejecutar música, a las que se accede a través de otros espacios de carácter social. Han ido evolucionando y modificándose de manera ininterrumpida, dando lugar a edificios de diversa complejidad en su programa y a salas cada vez mas especificas para cumplir mejor su cometido, perfeccionando su sonido y buscando la más elevada musicalidad. Estos edificios disponen de otros ámbitos de relación, son los espacios interiores, vestíbulos y escaleras, generalmente generosos en superficie y espacialidad, previos al espacio musical, corazón del auditorium donde suena la música en condiciones acústicas precisas. También el lugar donde se construyen los auditoriums en las ciudades tiene un especial significado, porque generalmente han buscado interponer espacios abiertos o ajardinados que suavicen el contacto directo con la ciudad y que implican, por otra parte, una preparación de las personas que asisten para escuchar los conciertos. Con el paso del tiempo, la aceptación generalizada de formas afianzadas en la ciudad, será uno de los vehículos que permita contaminar a otros tipos de edificios y alcanzar una libertad formal renovadora de los paisajes urbanos. Conclusiones La disolución del espacio musical convencional pregonado por el pabellón Philips del año 1958, no ha impedido que hoy siga vivo para el arquitecto el reto del proyecto y construcción del auditorium. Hoy conviven experiencias musicales totales; imagen, luz y movimiento, ocupando todo tipo de espacios públicos, cerrados o al aire libre, con la voluntad de conseguir espacios capaces de crear la intimidad y las precisas condiciones ambientales que hagan posible la recreación de las músicas del pasado en una especie de emocionante museo sonoro vivo. Como edificios urbanos, los auditoriums han conseguido un lugar destacado en la iconografía urbana después de un largo camino hasta conseguir el reconocimiento social. Se puede, así, establecer que estos edificios han introducido en la ciudad una nueva manera de expresarse la arquitectura. Que lo inesperado de sus formas y volúmenes en el espacio urbano, o la sorpresa de sus interiores altamente técnicos, justificados para satisfacer las nuevas necesidades impuestas por una audiencia cada vez más y más experta, obtienen la aceptación urbana por su utilidad social y por su capacidad de establecer una relación distinta entre las personas, la ciudad y la naturaleza. Coda Finalmente, el epílogo habla de la metamorfosis del espacio musical y de la convivencia de distintos espacios musicales en la actualidad. Desde la creación de las primeras y sencillas salas de música hasta las grandes salas filarmónicas que se construyen en las últimas décadas, la arquitectura ha proporcionado lugares adecuados para contener y disfrutar la música, espacios que se han modificado según cambiaban las formas musicales. Sin embargo el sonido parece mostrarse reticente a ser encerrado en el espacio y busca aliarse con el tiempo para conseguir un desplazamiento permanente. Seguramente es en el pabellón Philips de Bruselas en 1958 donde se presenta el último intento de la arquitectura de contener la música, que impulsada por tecnologías absolutamente nuevas, se mueve como dardos que atraviesan el espacio en todos los lugares y en todas las direcciones. Desde aquellas décadas centrales del pasado siglo, y superando los mas optimistas intentos de distribuir masivamente la música a través de incipientes tecnologías, se puede afirmar que vivimos en una inmersión sonora universal. Anexos Incluyen, una colección de mapas de la geografía de los auditorios europeos y norte-americanos, referenciados a los periodos de su construcción, y una relación de los auditorios estudiados con referencias bibliográficas. ABSTRACT This doctoral thesis does not only look at the ways in which architecture and music relate with one another; it also seeks to be an exact, scientific study of auditoriums, a building type that first appeared in the 20th century as a place in which to produce and listen to music. It studies concert halls, raised in Europe and the United Stated in the 20th century, for the purpose of recreating older music, that were the result of the evolution of various ancient building types. Auditoriums have a complex heritage of architecture of all times, openair and covered alike, and occupy important spots in cities. They incorporate the technical innovations of their times, and are reflections not only of the music played within them, but also of the societies that built them. Music and architecture share an interest in connecting with nature. Auditorium, a 20th-century Typology tries to define this building typology, and with that, be a practical tool in designing and constructing spaces for music, besides exploring the relationship between the two disciplines, architecture and music, and establishing the foundations for an entire school of thought. It is organized in five chapters, each focusing on a particular aspect of auditoriums, all towards defining a possible typology: I Typology elements. A study of the origin of auditoriums, and of how the different parts of these buildings —the actual concert hall, the foyer, the open spaces— relate with the city and with nature, which is ever present in music and in the origin of auditoriums. II Five sequences. A chronological journey through the 20th century, in periods marked by the two world wars and the consequent crises, with case studies of four exceptional buildings: the Royal Festival Hall (1951), the Kresge Auditorium (1954), the Kulttuuritalo (1958), and the Berlin Philharmonie (1963). III Graphic chronology. A methodical sequence looking at a hundred auditoriums, with each entry presenting images of the concert hall and the building as a whole, and two drawings on the same scale. Each concert hall floor plan shows how the orchestra relates with the audience, and it is compared to the floor plans of the four case-study examples named above. We also see how the hall is set into the building. The second drawing is the longitudinal section of the hall. Ceiling shape much determines the character of concert hall spaces, while technical data like air volume and the amount of absorbent and reflecting materials used have a direct bearing on the reflection of sound and on the overall musical quality of the auditorium. IV Geometry of concert halls. Graphic analysis of the key elements of a music space: the ceiling and the floor plan. The section is a necessary tool for determining the reverberation time of a concert hall, and is closely linked to the shape of the floor plan. In concert halls, there is a strong connection between the ceiling, the walls, and the floor, as there is between different musical instruments. It also includes maps showing where these European and American buildings are located geographically as well as in time. V The auditorium in the city. This chapter presents a series of maps showing the location of auditoriums in the city. They are often located in squares and gardens, open public spaces that serve to emotionally prepare the listener for an imminent musical experience. Time has shown that concert halls have changed the urban landscape and city life. Conclusions As a building type, auditoriums —though «dissolved» by the Philips Pavilion in 1958— remain valid spaces for listening to music. As intimate and unique spaces for social gathering and musical creation, they have done their part in transforming cities. Acoustics play a key role in these technical interiors, but just as important is the rapport that is struck between the musicians and the audience, and between musical works of the past, present, and future. Auditoriums are urban buildings that have been very successful throughout history. They have enriched our cities with surprising shapes and volumes, introduced new interiors in architecture, and struck new relationships between people, the city, and nature. As such, they are necessary. Coda Finally, the epilogue presents the evolution of the music space, from the early simple music halls to the highly complex philharmonic halls of recent years. Architecture has produced spaces for the enjoyment of music that have been modified for new musical creations, while remaining useful for the historical repertoire. Sound, and thus music, has as complex a relationship with space as it does with time. The coda of this thesis is the Philips Pavilion of 1958, perhaps the last attempt to propose a new kind of architecture for music with the latest technology. Annexes The thesis includes a collection of site maps of European and American auditoriums, complete with completion dates and descriptions.

Objects and the production of technological forms of life:understanding organisational arrangements from a postsocial perspective

Objects are produced within, and simultaneously affect, the process of organizing as a consequence of their interaction within social collectives. This paper discusses the impact and influences of the growth of post-social relations, between human and technological objects, on social and organisational arrangements. The paper presents a discussion largely at the conceptual level and draws from a variety of literatures, including the burgeoning sociology of science literature. The discussion in this paper is based on a view that posits the growth of intimate links with epistemic objects within organisations and society. Organising through networks of post-social relations increasingly comes to affect the manner in which differing groups of organisational participants, and particularly various categories of knowledge workers, experience time and spatial arrangements within organisations.

Parents’ experience of time distortion following diagnosis of a serious or lethal fetal anomaly

PURPOSE: To explore the experience of couples who continued pregnancy following a diagnosis of serious or lethal fetal anomaly. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-one male and female participants were recruited from a high-risk maternal–fetal medicine clinic in Washington State. Data were collected using in-depth interviews during pregnancy and after the birth of their baby. Transcribed interviews were thematically analyzed through the phenomenological lens of Merleau-Ponty. FINDINGS: Participants described how time became reconfigured and reconstituted as they tried to compress a lifetime of love for their future child into a limited period. Participants’ concepts of time became distorted and were related to their perceptual lived experience rather than the schedule-filled,regimented, linear clock time that governed the health professionals. CONCLUSION: Living in distorted time may be a mechanism parents use to cope with overwhelming and disorienting feelings when their unborn baby is diagnosed with a fetal anomaly.