The Tent in the Context of the Byzantine Power Symbolism in the 10th–12th Centuries

ntroduction. The tent (σκηνή, τέντα) was a simple and everyday object of Byzantine life. Diplomats, merchants, pilgrims, soldiers, travelers, and simply wanderers spent a considerable part of their lives in a tent. It was a natural element of the Byzantine landscape, and geographical mobility was an important part of the lifestyle of the Byzantine elite and its psychology. But this simple, everyday thing in a certain context took on an extremely important meaning and turned into an important religious and social symbol. A simple object could indicate complicated social and ideological constructions of the 10th–12th centuries. The task of the study is to reveal the implicit power context which in certain cases endowed simple everyday objects (like a tent) with an extremely important meaning. Methods. The article is written in the general context of structuralist methodologies. We regarded the tent as a simple sign indicating the complex representations that lie behind its content. Structuralist methods allow for a correct reconstruction of Byzantine everyday representations in different strata of society. Analysis and Results. The rich tent in Byzantine society of the 10th–12th centuries was not just a part of the daily military life of the aristocracy, but also an important element of power relations. Tents defined the social status of their owners, emphasized their power and importance. Aristocratic tents of that time were a space where power decisions were made and court life took place. The tent as a power symbol relied on a broad religious context. The Tabernacle of Moses, which was the model for every tent in the Byzantine Empire, was also created by the Lord’s will, with Moses himself acting as “royal scribe”. The folkloric tent of Charos in the Acritic songs turns out to be the center of the “lower” world in which Charos ruthlessly reigns. Behind each reading of the symbolic meaning of the tent lie different social practices of different groups of Byzantine society, but they are all filled with their own understanding of the essence of power.

DAYLIGHT VARIABILITY AND HUMAN PERCEPTION with reference to selected Contemporary Residential Spaces in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Visual perception of a space is influenced by the composition and behaviour of light. Daylight as a natural element, creates different atmospheres in the same space by its variation of intensity, colour, and direction. It creates dynamic shadow patterns, fluctuating brightness and contrast levels. Although the capacity to create variation - therefore contrast, is an important characteristic of daylight - it is often neglected in research, where comfort and visual performance take prominence. This is a research initiative to emphasise the value of daylight variation on spatial quality and human perception. The research adopts a two-step process, where, digital images are first mapped to generate contrast diagrams, and secondly, the generated digital images form the basis for a survey utilising a seven-point semantic differential scale, to explore the relationship between daylight variability and human perception. The temporal variation of daylight is explored by diagramming the spatial images at selected times of the day and year. The scope of the study is limited to selected contemporary residential spaces and focus on the manner of integrating daylight into spaces. Results show that a direct relationship between daylight variability and human perception for side lit spaces is not evident, yet it is evident in top lit options.

Are quartzite scree slopes used by birds to promote sound transmission in the Mediterranean forest?

Birds generate vocalisations (songs and calls) to communicate. Acoustic communication may be hindered by habitat features so birds can use several strategies to favour sound transmission. Sound transmission depends on the acoustic properties of their habitats. Scree slopes, also known as ‘pedrizas’, are frequent in the Mediterranean forests of south and central western Spain. As the acoustic properties of these rocky grounds might favour sound transmission, we propose that birds might actively use ‘pedrizas’ to increase sound transmission. We assessed the following prediction of the hypothesis: the number of vocalisations recorded should be higher near the ‘pedrizas’ than in forest areas far away from ‘pedrizas’. Using portable recorders in the Mediterranean forest of Monfragüe National Park, we found that the number of recorded vocalisations was higher near the ‘pedrizas’. As this result was not due to differences in species richness, we consider it supports the prediction of the hypothesis. This is new evidence that birds might use a natural element within their habitat to increase sound transmission.

Stress Induced Diabetes

Many evidences suggested that stressful experience might affect diabetes. The estimate of the actual number of diabetes in India is around 40 million. This means India actually has the highest number of diabetic’s patient of any one country in entire world. No doubt, one of the natural element of life i.e. Stress is a major contributor to the diabetes. Stress can bring many unexpected changes in the blood sugar level; this could trigger symptoms associated with diabetes. Some retrospective human studies have suggested that the stress can participate in Type-1 diabetes, animal studies have shown that stress can cause Type-1 diabetes. impaired glucose tolerance and metabolic disease, however human studies have shown that stress can stimulate hyperglycaemia, insulin resistance. In contrast more consistentevidence support the role of stress in Type-2 diabetes. In recent year the complexities of the relationship between stress and diabetes have become well known but have been less well researched. Some studies have suggested that stressful experience may affect the onset and the metabolic control of diabetes, but finding have often been inconclusive. In this article we reviewed some of this research going on to consider how stress might affect the diabetes and physiological mechanism through which this may occurs and their preventions and management.

RECEPTIONS OF ECLESIAST IN THE WORKS OF R. KIPLING AND I. SHOW

The article examines the biblical image from Ecclesiastes «Bread upon the Waters», used by R. Kipling and I. Shaw as a title to their works. For the Ukrainian reader, this biblicalism does not evoke strong allusions or associations, which is explained by its spread only in English-speaking countries. This article attempts to analyze the works of English-language writers in view of the functioning of the biblical motif of «letting your bread on the water», the ambiguity of which was used differently, but in both cases the author’s dialogue with the reader gained spiritual meaning. R. Kipling as a master of narrative uses a system of narrators: the narrator-witness and the narrator-participant. Both, according to the classification of W. Schmid, did not acquire «omniscience and ubiquity», so the biblical truth is interpreted in a straight forward manner. Only the author’s strong position – the title of the work and the final phrases of the work, clarify the meaning of the images of water and bread. A comparison of the principle of the author’s vision of R. Kipling and I. Shaw leads to the conclusion of different artistic systems of the authors. For Kipling, the dialogue of the narrators is important, for I. Shaw – the hero’s self-absorption. In I. Shaw’s novel, biblicalism is also stated in the title of the work, but its hidden meaning is divided between the characters depending on their charitable deeds. Teacher Allen Strand’s Confession Diary is an author’s credo, as the call for mercy, for selfless help in spite of circumstances and results, is consistent with the title of the work. Comparison of two works of different writing times, artistic styles and genres prove the ambiguity and complexity of the biblical image, which combined the natural element and the measure of human labor – water and bread.

The impact of water in architectural thinking

The focus of this research is the connection between architecture and water, how this natural element has formed the way of thinking. To give a complex answer, it is required to observe this complex topic from different aspects: time, space (with macro and micro space typology), meaning, technology, art and architectural design method, which all together can create a network of ideas. This outlined network could provide a theoretical basis for a new complex design method – from the building scale to the urban scale – for the upcoming challenges of built environment in connection with water in the future.