Cosmopolitical encounters: Prototyping at the National Zoo in Santiago,Chile

This article presents an empirical reflection on how the prototyping of an environmental enrichment device for chimpanzees at the National Zoo of Chile precipitates a cosmopolitical encounter. Using material produced by design students, zookeepers and the chimps Judy and Gombe, we describe how prototyping iterations establish open processes of dialogue and encounters among humans and nonhumans. The case will demonstrate how prototyping can go further than the generation of models of an original. On the contrary, the cosmopolitical encounter emerging from the prototyping process makes evident a truly ontological vocation, acknowledging humans and other-than-human beings as singular entities. Its provisional and malleable nature turns this device into a privileged locus for the exploration of interspecies entanglement. Although zoos are scientifically organized institutions, in this case we observe how its anthropocentric hierarchy was performatively reshuffled at certain moments of the prototyping process. The cosmopolitical qualities of the prototyping process analyzed derive from its capacity to deploy an ethics of attention and care between the agencies at play, that is, for unfold gestures of mutual vulnerability. Finally, we propose prototyping as a device for moving from cosmopolitics as a way of understanding the world to cosmopolitics as a matter of design.     

Acerca del hielo en el islam medieval

The history of ice in medieval Arab societies is obscured behind a mosaic of a variety of references and scholarly citations. Beyond al-Qalqashandī's reference to organised ice trafficking in fourteenth-century Mamluk Egypt, we do not have conclusive evidence on the origin and use of ice as a consumer product. In this paper we trace its presence based on three genres of references: historical and literary quotations, medicine and literature pertaining to food. These references allow us to consider the extent of ice consumption in the Arab world before the ninth century, as well as the existence of an organised trade throughout the Middle Ages from that time. However, contrary to the Persian world, with its well-documented Iranian yakhchals, we still know virtually nothing about ice-houses in medieval Arab societies. We also know very little about the profession of the thallāj or ice-seller, or whether the widespread consumption of ice that originated in Spain in the sixteenth century was in fact a legacy of an earlier trade in al-Andalus.     

Color characterization of roofing slates from the Iberian Peninsula for restoration purposes

Substitution of slate roofing tiles is a conventional operation during building restoration, since tiles are very difficult to restore or clean because of the high degree of alteration they suffer. Criteria for replacement of historical building stones must be based on geological, geotechnical and esthetic parameters, among which color is of great importance. In this sense, this paper constitutes a comprehensive and useful colorimetric study of roofing slates from the Iberian Peninsula, for the purposes of restoration. The color of 50 commercial varieties of roofing slate mined in quarries from the 12 mining districts in the Iberian Peninsula was analyzed with a spectrophotometer device, by considering the CIELAB color space. The results of the study were used to develop a protocol for characterizing the color of roofing slate and to define the color range of roofing slate from the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, the similarities and differences in the color and microstructure of the different commercial varieties of Iberian roofing slate were established and the limit of acceptability of replacement of one type of slate by another was determined. Parameter h_ab was found to be the most important CIELAB color coordinate as regards the formation of homogeneous color groups, and the specular component excluded (SCE) mode was most sensitive as regards detecting color differences between two samples.     

Cardiorespiratory and perceptual responses of two interval training and a continuous training protocol in healthy young men

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) can be performed with different effort to rest time-configurations, and this can largely influence training responses. The purpose of the study was to compare the acute physiological responses of two HIIT and one moderate intensity continuous training (MICT) protocol in young men. A randomised cross-over study with 10 men [age, 28.3?±?5.5years; weight, 77.3?±?9.3?kg; height, 1.8?±?0.1?m; peak oxygen consumption (VO₂peak), 44?±?11?mL.kg^?1.min^?1]. Participants performed a cardiorespiratory test on a treadmill to assess VO₂peak, velocity associated with VO₂peak (vVO₂peak), peak heart rate (HRpeak) and perceived exertion (RPE). Then participants performed three protocols equated by distance: Short HIIT (29 bouts of 30s at vVO₂peak, interspersed by 30s of passive recovery, 29?min in total), Long HIIT (3 bouts of 4?min at 90% of vVO₂peak, interspersed by 3?min of recovery at 60% of vVO₂peak, 21?min in total) and MICT (21?min at 70% of vVO₂peak). The protocols were performed in a randomised order with ≥48 h between them. VO₂, HRpeak and RPE were compared. VO₂peak in Long HIIT was significantly higher than Short HIIT and MICT (43?±?11 vs 32?±?8 and 37?±?8?mL.kg^?1.min^?1, respectively, P?P?P?2, HR and RPE than Short HIIT and MICT, suggesting a higher demand on the cardiorespiratory system. Short HIIT and MICT presented similar physiologic and perceptual responses, despite Short HIIT being performed at higher velocities.     

Effect of different loading conditions on running mechanics at different velocities

Weighted vests are widely used to improve running economy and performance. However, it is not well-studied how running mechanics are adapted to counteract the higher peak vertical ground reaction forces (Fpeak) while running with such a device. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of different loading conditions on running mechanics at different velocities. Thirteen subjects participated in two separate sessions one week apart. In the first session, maximal aerobic speed (MAS) was determined through a maximal incremental running test while in the second session, they were instructed to run during one minute under different loading (0%, +10% and +20% of body mass [BM]) and velocity (60%, 80% and 100% of MAS) conditions in a random order. Spatiotemporal data were recorded and then running mechanics modelled using the spring-mass model. The main results indicated that vertical and leg stiffness (Kvert and Kleg, respectively) were increased (P?P?>?.05) when load was changed. At the same time, alterations of the running kinematics were observed such as longer contact times, reduced flight times, stride frequencies and step lengths, as well as an increase of the centre of mass dynamics. Based on these results it is assumed that runners maintain a certain stiffness level for each velocity despite different loading conditions. As a consequence, Fpeak increases and this probably causes spatiotemporal adjustments in the movement kinematics.     

1982 FIFA World Cup: from Spain’s struggle for democratic legitimacy to Italy’s rediscovery of football nationalism

ABSTRACT

One of the most memorable moments in the World Cups history is Marco Tardelli’s second goal in Italy’s win over Germany in the 1982 World Cup finals. Better known as Tardelli’s scream, it is thus a perfect object to analyse in order to understand football’s deeper social meanings and its political and cultural undertones, in this case both for the World Cup champions, Italy, and for the host country, Spain. In the Spanish case, organizing the World Cup was a huge political opportunity for the just restored democracy to showcase to the world a modern and pluralistic society leaving behind the authoritarian and outdated dictatorship. As for Italy, their first World Cup winning since World War II was heavily politically used by actors across the political spectrum. Such nationalistic approach constituted a novelty after decades of a low profile national discourse.     

The role of task and ego-oriented climate in explaining students’ bright and dark motivational experiences in Physical Education

Background: A distinction is made in Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) between task-oriented (i.e. effort, intra-individual progress, and self-comparison) and ego-oriented (i.e. inter-individual progress and normative comparison) climates. Combining insights from AGT and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), studies in the PE context have shown that a task-oriented climate positively relates to need satisfaction, although the findings regarding the motivating role of an ego-oriented climate are inconsistent. Moreover, little is known about the role of task- or ego-oriented climates in explaining experiences of basic psychological need frustration.

Purpose: Grounded in AGT and SDT, the aim of the present study was to examine if experiences of basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration can explain why task- and ego-oriented climates elicit positive and negative motivational outcomes in PE, respectively.

Research design: Cross-sectional study.

Method: A sample of 524 secondary school students (51.1% boys, M_age?=?14.51; SD?=?1.81) from five different secondary schools participated in this study. Students reported on their perceptions of task- and ego-oriented climates, motivational regulations, basic psychological need satisfaction, and need frustration, as well as positive and negative outcomes in PE. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate our objective.

Results: We found that a task-oriented climate had a strong and positive relationship with basic psychological need satisfaction, eliciting a bright pathway to autonomous motivation and affective attitude. An ego-oriented climate was positively related to basic psychological need frustration, eliciting a dark pathway to amotivation and boredom. A negative cross-path from task-oriented climate to basic psychological need frustration was also found, while no significant cross-paths were found from ego-oriented climate to basic psychological need satisfaction.

Conclusions: This study provides a better understanding of the mechanisms that explain why task- and ego-oriented climates shape students’ motivational experiences in PE lessons. It is suggested that a task-oriented climate elicits a bright pathway towards more optimal functioning, because it fosters experiences of need satisfaction and buffers against experiences of need frustration. In contrast, an ego-oriented climate is primarily positively related to feelings of need frustration and negative motivational outcomes. Practical implications for PE teacher training are discussed.     

The load-velocity profile differs more between men and women than between individuals with different strength levels

This study aimed to determine the suitability of the load-velocity relationship to prescribe the relative load (%1RM) in women, as well as to compare the load-velocity profile between sexes and participants with different strength levels. The load-velocity relationship of 14 men (1RM: 1.17 ± 0.19) and 14 women (1RM: 0.66 ± 0.13) were evaluated in the bench press exercise. The main findings revealed that: (I) the load-velocity relationship was always strong and linear (R² range: 0.987–0.993), (II) a steeper load-velocity profile was observed in men compared to women (Effect size [ES]: 1.09), with men showing higher velocities for light loads (ES: ? 0.81 and ? 0.40 for the y-intercept and 30%1RM, respectively), but women reporting higher velocities for the heavy loads (ES: 1.14 and 1.50 at 90%1RM and 100%1RM, respectively); and (III) while the slope of the load-velocity profile was moderately steeper for weak men compared to their strong counterpart (ES: 1.02), small differences were observed between strong and weak women (ES: ? 0.39). While these results support the use of the individual load-velocity relationship to prescribe the %1RM in the bench press exercise for women, they also highlight the large disparities in their load-velocity profile compared to men.     

Effects of audiovisual stimuli on psychological and psychophysiological responses during exercise in adults with obesity

The present experiment sought to further understanding of the effects of personalised audiovisual stimuli on psychological and psychophysiological responses during exercise in adults with obesity. Twenty-four participants (M_age = 28.3, SD = 5.5 years; M_BMI = 32.2, SD = 2.4) engaged in self-paced exercises on a recumbent cycle ergometer and three conditions (sensory stimulation [ST], sensory deprivation [DE], and control [CO]) were administered. Perceptual (attentional focus and perceived exertion), affective (affective state and perceived activation), and psychophysiological (heart rate variability) parameters were monitored throughout the exercise bouts. A one-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare self-reported and psychophysiological variables (main and interaction effects [5 Timepoints × 3 Conditions]). The results indicate that ST increased the use of dissociative thoughts throughout the exercise session (η_p² = .19), ameliorated fatigue-related symptoms (η_p² = .15) and elicited more positive affective responses (η_p² = .12) than CO and DE. Accordingly, personally-compiled videos are highly effective in ameliorating exertional responses and enhancing affective valence during self-paced exercise in adults with obesity. Audiovisual stimuli could be used during the most critical periods of the exercise regimen (e.g., first training sessions) when individuals with obesity are more likely to focus on fatigue-related sensations.