Parker Morris and the Fordist House

6.00 pm. If people like watching T.V. while they are eating their evening meal, space for a low table is needed (Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Space in the Home, 1963, p. 4).

This paper re-examines the 1961 Parker Morris report on housing standards in Britain. It explores the origins, scope, text and iconography of the report and suggests that these not only express a particularly modernist conception of space but one which presupposed very specific economic conditions and geographies.

Also known as Homes for Today and Tomorrow Parker Morris attempted, through the application of scientific principles, to define the minimum living space standards needed to accommodate household activities. But while early modernist research into notions of existenzminimum were the work of avant-garde architects and thinkers, Homes for Today and Tomorrow and its sister design manual Space in the Home were commissioned by the British State. This normalization of scientific enquiry into space can be considered not only as a response to new conditions in the mass production of housing – economies of scale, prefabrication, system-building and modular coordination – but also to the post-war boom in consumer goods. In this, it is suggested that the domestic interior was assigned a key role as a privileged site of mass consumption as the production and micro-management of space in Britain became integral to the development of a planned national economy underpinned by Fordist principles. Parker Morris, therefore, sought to accommodate activities which were pre-determined not so much by traditional social or familial ties but rather by recently introduced commodities such as the television set, white goods, table tennis tables and train sets. This relationship between the domestic interior and the national economy are emblematized by the series of placeless and scale-less diagrams executed by Gordon Cullen in Space in the Home. Here, walls dissolve as space flows from inside to outside in a homogenized and ephemeral landscape whose limits are perhaps only the boundaries of the nation state and the circuits of capital.

In Britain, Parker Morris was the last explicit State-sponsored attempt to prescribe a normative spatial programme for national living. The calm neutral efficiency of family-life expressed in its diagrams was almost immediately problematised by the rise of 1960s counter-culture, the feminist movement and the oil crisis of 1972 which altered perhaps forever the spatial, temporal and economic conditions it had taken for granted. The debate on space-standards, however, continues.

Le rôle des interfaces dans l’expérience de jeu vidéo : le jeu du ping-pong et son adaptation sur des plateformes numériques

Le succès commercial des jeux vidéo nous montre qu’ils sont devenus une alternative non négligeable en matière de loisir et de divertissement. En observant les tendances, on constate que les concepteurs de jeux vidéo cherchent à transposer ou adapter les loisirs comme la danse, l’interprétation de la musique ou la pratique d’un sport dans le contexte de jeux vidéo (l’univers virtuel) et ceci est devenu encore plus évident depuis l’apparition des nouvelles technologies intégrant le mouvement comme mode d'interaction. En rapport aux activités dont les jeux vidéo s’inspirent, ces tendances entraînent des changements considérables sur l’aspect formel de l’activité ludique et notamment l’interaction. Dans le cas particulier du tennis de table, ou ping-pong dans le langage courant, il semble y avoir des différences en terme de plaisir lors de la pratique de ce loisir de façon traditionnelle ou en mode virtuel dans ses différentes adaptations. Le but de cette recherche est de mettre en évidence les différences entre l’appréciation de l’interaction avec le contrôleur multifonctionnel Wiimote et une raquette traditionnelle de ping-pong et de découvrir les implications sur l’expérience du plaisir de la transposition du jeu ping-pong traditionnel comparé aux adaptations sur la console Wii. Ainsi, en regard du CLASSIC GAME MODEL de Juul (2005) et du modèle THE FOUR FUN KEYS de Lazzaro (2008) nous comparons les deux modes d’interaction, jeu traditionnel avec le jeu virtuel, sur le plan formel du jeu et sur les dimensions du plaisir que chacun procure. Les résultats obtenus par l’observation des tests de jeu et l’entremise des autres outils permettent de souligner le rôle déterminant des interfaces dans l’engagement des joueurs et de montrer les limites des interfaces digitales par rapport à celle des jeux traditionnels.

Comparação entre ergômetros específico e convencionais na determinação da capacidade aeróbia de mesatenistas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Desempenho motor de pacientes com acidente vascular cerebral em um jogo baseado em realidade virtual

The Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) is the leading cause of motor disability in adults and elderly and that is why it still needs effective interventions that contribute to motor recovery. Objective: This study was aimed to evaluate the performance of stroke patients in chronic stage using a virtual reality game. Method: 20 patients (10 with injury to the left and 10 to the right side), right-handed, average age 50.6 ± 9.2 years, and 20 healthy subjects with average age of 50.9 ± 8.8, also right-handed participated. The patients had a motor (Fugl-Meyer) and muscle tone assessment (Ashworth). All participants made a kinematic evaluation of the drinking water activity and then underwent training with the table tennis game on XBOX 360 Kinect®, 2 sets of 10 attempts for 45 seconds, 15 minutes rest between sets, giving a total of 30 minutes session. After training the subjects underwent another kinematic evaluation. The patients trained with the right and left hemiparect upper limb and the healthy ones with the right and left upper limb. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, t Student test and Pearson correlation. Results: There was significant difference in the number of hits between the patients and healthy groups, in which patients had a lower performance in all the attempts (p = 0.008), this performance was related to a higher level of spasticity (r = - 0.44, p = 0.04) and greater motor impairment (r = 0.59, p = 0.001). After training, patients with left hemiparesis had improved shoulder and elbow angles during the activity of drinking water, approaching the pattern of motion of the left arm of healthy subjects (p < 0.05), especially when returning the glass to the table, and patients with right hemiparesis did not obtain improved pattern of movement (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The stroke patients improved their performance over the game attempts, however, only patients with left hemiparesis were able to increase the angle of the shoulder and elbow during the functional activity execution, better responding to virtual reality game, which should be taken into consideration in motor rehabilitation

Comparação entre a utilização de saliva e sangue para determinação do lactato mínimo em cicloergômetro e ergômetro de braço em mesa-tenistas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Exploração de fatores de risco para lesões desportivas em atletas de tênis de mesa

A prática do tênis de mesa requer inúmeras ações dinâmicas que podem conduzir a lesões desportivas, por isso é de importância conhecer fatores inerentes ao traumatismo nos atletas para posterior formulação dos modelos preventivos. Objetivou-se explorar os fatores de risco para lesões desportivas em mesa-tenistas. Para isso, foram entrevistados 111 atletas participantes do Campeonato Paulista de Tênis de Mesa, com média de idade de 22,39±8,88 anos de ambos os gêneros, recrutados ao acaso, classificados em dois níveis competitivos: regional/estadual e nacional/internacional. Utilizou-se o Inquérito de Morbidade Referida adaptado com as características do tênis de mesa com a finalidade de reunir dados pessoais, de treinamento e da lesão desportiva. Foram observadas 0,51 lesões por atleta, e os atletas de nível nacional/internacional apresentaram maiores índices de lesão (52,94%) do que os de nível estadual/regional (48,84%). No gesto específico, notou-se que os membros superiores (93,62%) e o tronco (87,5%) são os locais mais acometidos. Para ambos os níveis, o treinamento foi o momento mais relatado de ocorrência dos agravos. Conclui-se que atletas de nível nacional/internacional possuem maiores índices de lesão e que o gesto específico é a principal causa das lesões, acometendo principalmente os membros superiores e o tronco e ocorrendo com maior frequência durante o treinamento.

Avaliação da capacidade aeróbia determinada por respostas sanguíneas e ventilatórias em quatro diferentes ergômetros

O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar as intensidades do ponto de compensação respiratório (PCR), limiar anaeróbio de concentração fixa (OBLA3,5) e limiar anaeróbio de lactato de aumento abrupto lactacidêmico (LAnLAC) determinadas em diferentes ergômetros. Para isso, onze mesatenistas (19±1 anos) realizaram testes incrementais máximos no cicloergômetro, ergômetro de braço, esteira e em teste específico para o tênis de mesa. Durante esses esforços, foram mensuradas as repostas lactacidêmica e respiratória. Na análise intraergômetro, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre o PCR, LAnLAC e OBLA3,5 no ergômetro de braço (63,4±4,8W, 66,9±4,5W e 64,5±6,1W, respectivamente), esteira (11,4±0,4km.h-1, 11,3±0,3km.h-1 e 11,1±0,3km.h-1, respectivamente) e teste específico (40,5±1,8bolas.min-1, 42,6±3,6bolas.min-1 e 42,8±5,6bolas.min-1, respectivamente); apenas no cicloergômetro foi verificado menor valor de OBLA3,5 (131,9±6,6W) em relação ao PCR (149,3±4,9W) e o LAnLAC (149,3±4,7W). No entanto, fortes e significativas correlações foram verificadas no teste específico entre todos esses métodos (r entre 0,83 a 0,95), entre o PCR e OBLA3,5 no ergômetro de braço (r=0,78) e entre OBLA3,5 e LAnLAC na esteira (r=0,76). Desse modo, podemos concluir que o PCR, OBLA3,5 e LAnLAC parecem corresponder ao mesmo fenômeno fisiológico, principalmente, no teste específico para o tênis de mesa.

Gaze pursuit and arm control of adolescent males diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal controls: evidence of a dissociation in processing visual information of short and long duration

Three-dimensional kinematic analysis of line of gaze, arm and ball was used to describe the visual and motor behaviour of male adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The ADHD participants were tested when both on (ADHD-On) and off (ADHD-Off) their medication and compared to age-matched normal controls in a modified table tennis task that required tracking the ball and hitting to cued right and left targets. Long-duration information was provided by a pre-cue, in which the target was illuminated approximately 2 s before the serve, and short-duration information by an early-cue illuminated about 350 ms after the serve, leaving -500 ms to select the target and perform the action. The ADHD groups differed significantly from the control group in both the pre-cue and early-cue conditions in being less accurate, in having a later onset and duration of pursuit tracking, and a higher frequency of gaze on and off the ball. The use of medication significantly reduced the gaze frequency of the ADHD participants, but surprisingly this did not lead to an increase in pursuit tracking, suggesting a barrier was reached beyond which ball flight information could not be processed. The control and ADHD groups did not differ in arm movement onset, duration and velocity in the short-duration early-cue condition; in the long-duration pre-cue condition, however, the ADHD group's movement time onset and arm velocity differed significantly from controls. The results show that the ADHD groups were able to process short-duration information without experiencing adverse effects on their motor behaviour; however, long-duration information contributed to irregular movement control.

Características aeróbias e anaeróbias de mesatenistas brasileiros treinados

O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar, em mesatenistas bem treinados, as aptidões aeróbia e anaeróbia. Participaram do presente estudo oito mesatenistas brasileiros treinados do sexo masculino (18±2 anos). Os sujeitos foram submetidos a um teste incremental específico para determinação do consumo pico de oxigênio (VO2PICO), intensidade associada ao VO2PICO (iVO2PICO) e do ponto de compensação respiratório (PCR) e a dois testes de esforço repetitivo, sendo o teste de RAST e o índice anaeróbio alático (IAA), para determinação dos índices anaeróbios. O VO2PICO correspondeu a 50,5±4,4ml kg-1 min-1 , a iVO2PICO a 52,1±9,6 bolas min-1 e o PCR a 44,9±8,0 bolas min-1. No RAST, a potência pico (PP) e a potência média (PM) relativa corresponderam a 9,0±1,3W kg-1 e 7,0±0,9W kg-1, respectivamente, enquanto que o IAA foi 1,14±0,51 mM/m s-1 . Esses valores de VO2PICO e dos parâmetros anaeróbios quando comparados a valores de outros esportes com raquetes caracterizaram que mesatenistas brasileiros treinados apresentam potência aeróbia moderada e potência anaeróbia é baixa.

Utilização do modelo de potência crítica para avaliação da capacidade aeróbia e anaeróbia em protocolo específico para o tênis de mesa

Pós-graduação em Ciências da Motricidade - IBRC

Caracterização das lesões desportivas em atletas de Tênis de Mesa

Introduction: The table tennis is characterized by requiring of the athletes intense body movement. The gestures performed by athletes require continuous postural changes, in cases of any sway in body structures may produce postural changes or initiate processes of injuries. Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the table tennis lesions. Method: Were evaluated 31 athletes (26 males and fi ve females) with mean age 22.35±6.67 years. The subjects were interviewed with the Reported Morbidity Inquires retroactive to the 2009 season. It was used techniques of descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: The largest number of injuries was muscular (74.35%), on the shoulder (43.58%) during the movement of top spin (33.33%) in the specifi c training phase (64.1%) with symptomatic return to the activities (69.23%). Conclusion: The weekly training workload infl uences the number of lesions.

Differenze nella prestazione tecnico-tattica tra diverse categorie di atleti nel tennistavolo di alto livello

Nell’ambito della ricerca scientifica nel campo dello sport, la Performance Analysis si sta ritagliando un crescente spazio di interesse. Per Performance Analysis si intende l’analisi della prestazione agonistica sia dal punto di vista biomeccanico che dal punto di vista dell’analisi notazionale. In questa tesi è stata analizzata la prestazione agonistica nel tennistavolo attraverso lo strumento dell’analisi notazionale, partendo dallo studio degli indicatori di prestazione più importanti dal punto di vista tecnico-tattico e dalla loro selezione attraverso uno studio sull’attendibilità nella raccolta dati. L’attenzione è stata posta quindi su un aspetto tecnico originale, il collegamento spostamenti e colpi, ricordando che una buona tecnica di spostamento permette di muoversi rapidamente nella direzione della pallina per effettuare il colpo migliore. Infine, l’obbiettivo principale della tesi è stato quello di confrontare le tre categorie di atleti selezionate: alto livello mondiale maschile (M), alto livello junior europeo (J) ed alto livello mondiale femminile (F). La maggior parte delle azioni cominciano con un servizio corto al centro del tavolo, proseguono con una risposta in push (M) o in flik di rovescio (J). Il colpo che segue è principalmente il top spin di dritto dopo un passo pivot o un top di rovescio senza spostamento. Gli alteti M e J contrattaccano maggiormente con top c. top di dritto e le atlete F prediligono colpi meno spregiudicati, bloccando di rovescio e proseguendo con drive di rovescio. Attraverso lo studio della prestazione di atleti di categorie e generi diversi è possibile migliorare le scelte strategiche prima e durante gli incontri. Le analisi statistiche multivariate (modelli log-lineari) hanno permesso di validare con metodo scientifico sia le procedure già utilizzate in letteratura che quelle innovative messe a punto per la prima volta in occasione di questo studio.

The Amplifier - v. 8,(a-11) no. 11

in this issue...M Days, Library Museum, Copper Guards, Loretta Peck, Chess Club, table tennis, mine surveying, Cable TV, campus parking, Kangaroo Court, Convocation

The Design of Networked Exertion Games

Incorporating physical activity and exertion into pervasive gaming applications can provide health and social benefits. Prior research has resulted in several prototypes of pervasive games that encourage exertion as interaction form; however, no detailed critical account of the various approaches exists. We focus on networked exertion games and detail some of our work while identifying the remaining issues towards providing a coherent framework. We outline common lessons learned and use them as the basis for generalizations for the design of networked exertion games. We propose possible directions of further investigation, hoping to provide guidance for future work to facilitate greater awareness and exposure of exertion games and their benefits.