StarStruck

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 82-93
Author(s):  
E. L. Tenenbaum ◽  

Do both emotions and reason serve a valuable human purpose? Are we, as a species, trending towards reason and, if so, to what end? It is wrong act without reason? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, a young boy is born for the first time in 1,000 years into the “Great Sky Of Reason.” Unlike those around him, he laughs, smiles and plays, even when there is no reason. His parents find him confusing and give him to the Great Purveyors at the Great Observatory of Reason. In time, under their constant training, he learns reason and discipline. He no longer smiles as he understands all conclusions simply follow from their logical causes. He is eventually appointed to the Great Observatory where the Purveyors look over earth and the actions of all its inhabitants. From above, they sprinkle emotions that encourage reason on humans at just the right moment. Empathy, understanding, reflection, in moments when they are most needed. After some time, the young boy (now a young man) comes to question the logic of influencing humans towards a path of reason. At first, he simply stops sprinkling emotions on them. Later, he goes about destroying the store of emotions the Great Observatory has, thus making it impossible for others to influence humans as well.

c i n d e r ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raelke Grimmer

Categorising works by genre can be controversial in literature. Margaret Atwood and Kazuo Ishiguro are two examples of writers who have been vocal in denouncing the genre their works have been boxed into. Yet genre is an essential part of the writing process, because specific language, styles and structures are used within different social contexts to communicate purpose. This paper is a practice-led study that analyses the evolution in genre of what became a memoir, to illustrate how experimenting with different genres shaped the final form, structure and genre of the piece. While genre did not dictate the writing process from the first time I sat down to write, communicating my purpose the way I intended depended on finding the right genre. I worked on the memoir over a few years, and in that time the text began as a short story and then morphed to poetry, an essay, and finally, to a memoir. Once a completed work is published, the labelling of that work is then out of the writer’s hands. Yet separate to the role genre plays in selling books, genre is key in text construction and a tool that writers have at their disposal during the writing process to enrich their work.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-113
Author(s):  
Smilena Smilkova ◽  

The proposed material examines the creative task of students majoring in Social Pedagogy at the University „Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov“ in Burgas, and studying the discipline Art Pedagogy – Part 1 – Music. In the course of the lecture course students get acquainted with the elements of musical expression, as a means of figurative representations and impact of music, with different techniques concerning individual musical activities, with the endless and diverse opportunities that music provides in the use of art pedagogy for social work teachers.Verbal interpretation of music is a necessary component when working with children with special educational needs, at risk and in the norm. Looking at Tchaikovsky’s short and extremely figurative piano piece „The Sick Doll“ from his charming „Children’s Album“, in the form of a short story, tale or essay, students express their personal vision, feeling and transformation of the musical image. The aim of the task is to transcribe the sound image into a verbal one. This requires speed, flexibility and logic in thinking, through imagination and creativity in its manifestation. Children love to listen, especially when they are involved. In search of the right way to solve problems and situations, future social educators could successfully benefit from the conversion of sound into words, according to the needs and deficits of the individual or group.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alban Revy ◽  
François Hallouard ◽  
Sandrine Joyeux-Klamber ◽  
Andrea Skanjeti ◽  
Catherine Rioufol ◽  
...  

Objective: Recent gallium-68 labeled peptides are of increasing interest in PET imaging in nuclear medicine. Somakit TOC® is a radiopharmaceutical kit registered in the European Union for the preparation of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TOC used for the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors. Development of a labeling process using a synthesizer is particularly interesting for the quality and reproducibility of the final product although only manual processes are described in the Summary of Product (SmPC) of the registered product. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the feasibility and value of using an automated synthesizer for the preparation of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-TOC according to the SmPC of the Somakit TOC®. Methods: Three methods of preparation were compared; each followed the SmPC of the Somakit TOC®. Over time, overheads, and overexposure were evaluated for each method. Results: Mean±SD preparation time was 26.2±0.3 minutes for the manual method, 28±0.5 minutes for the semi-automated, and 40.3±0.2 minutes for the automated method. Overcost of the semi-automated method is 0.25€ per preparation for consumables and from 0.58€ to 0.92€ for personnel costs according to the operator (respectively, technician or pharmacist). For the automated method, overcost is 70€ for consumables and from 4.06€ to 6.44€ for personnel. For the manual method, extremity exposure was 0.425mSv for the right finger, and 0.350mSv for the left finger; for both the semi-automated and automated method extremity exposure were below the limit of quantification. Conclusion: The present study reports for the first time both the feasibility of using a [68Ga]- radiopharmaceutical kit with a synthesizer and the limits for the development of a fully automated process.


Author(s):  
Evan Osborne

Does humanity progress primarily through leaders organizing and directing followers, or through trial and error by individuals free to chart their own path? For most of human history ruling classes had the capacity and the desire to tightly regiment society, to the general detriment of progress. But beginning in the 1500s, Europeans developed a series of arguments for simply leaving well enough alone. First in the form of the scientific method, then in the form of free expression, and finally in the form of the continuously, spontaneously reordered free market, people began to accept that progress is hard, and requires that an immense number of mistakes be tolerated so that we may learn from them. This book tells the story of the development of these three ideas, and for the first time tells of the mutual influence among them. It outlines the rise, and dramatic triumph, of each of these self-regulating systems, followed by a surprising rise in skepticism, especially in the economic context. Such skepticism in the 20th century was frequently costly and sometimes catastrophic. Under the right conditions, which are more frequent than generally believed, self-regulating systems in which participants organize themselves are superior. We should accept their turbulence in exchange for the immense progress they generate.


Author(s):  
Andrew McNeillie
Keyword(s):  

It is now widely acknowledged, and far beyond Ireland, that Tim Robinson’s two volumes jointly known as Stones of Aran (‘Pilgrimage’ and ‘Labyrinth’) are modern classics, exemplary in every way of how to write about place and to do so with a formal, literary accomplishment that more than earns the right to nod at Ruskin’s own classic. In 2012, Robinson went back to Árainn, the largest of the three islands, for the first time in nearly ten years. He did so at the urging of Andrew McNeillie, with whom he spent two and a half days revisiting old haunts. This chapter makes account of the occasion and uses, in the process, a unique document provided by Robinson as an experiment in annotating his work. This prompts McNeillie to investigate some of his own annotations and footnotes to Aran.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbas Basiri ◽  
Iman Ghanaat ◽  
Hamidreza Akbari Gilani

Abstract Background Although involvement of the urinary system is not uncommon, endometriosis in the kidneys is rare. To date, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy has been the preferred approach for managing renal endometriosis. Here, we report for the first time the results of laparoscopic removal of a renal capsular endometriosis in a malrotated kidney in an attempt to save the whole kidney parenchyma, in terms of feasibility and safety. Case presentation A 37-year-old female presented with periodic right flank pain associated with her menstrual cycle. On imaging, a malrotated right kidney and a hypodense irregular-shaped lesion measuring 30 * 20 * 15 mm were seen in the superior portion of the right perinephric space. Histologic evaluation of the ultrasound-guided biopsy was consistent with renal capsular endometriosis. The patient underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove the capsular mass while preserving the normal renal parenchyma. Pathological examination of the biopsy obtained during surgery was in favor of renal endometriosis. At 6-month follow-up, the patient’s pain had completely disappeared and no complications had occurred. In addition, imaging did not show any remarkable recurrence. Conclusion Renal endometriosis should be strongly considered as a differential diagnosis in female patients with a renal capsular mass and exacerbation of flank pain during menstruation. Based on our experience, with preoperative needle biopsy and clearing the pathology, laparoscopic removal of the mass in spite of renal anatomic abnormality is feasible and safe and thus could be considered as a possible treatment option.


Author(s):  
Stephen Bendall ◽  
Paul Halliwell ◽  
Andrew Goldberg ◽  
Andrew Robinson
Keyword(s):  

Neurosurgery ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 500-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Beauchesne ◽  
Jean-François Mosnier ◽  
Thierry Schmitt ◽  
Jacques Brunon

Abstract OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE Schwannomas occurring in the neuraxis are very rare. Usually, these tumors are benign. Primary malignant intracerebral nerve sheath tumors are extremely rare, with only five documented cases in the international literature. We report one case of a primary malignant intracerebral nerve sheath tumor occurring in the right cerebral peduncle of a 35-year-old man. CLINICAL PRESENTATION Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a heterogeneous peripherally enhancing mass of the right cerebral peduncle, surrounded by a small edema. INTERVENTION Unlike the five cases previously reported, this is the first time a stereotactic biopsy has been performed, and this is the only patient who responded to cranial radiation therapy for approximately 2 years. When the tumor recurred, a systemic chemotherapy treatment was prescribed. No positive response was seen, and the patient died 29 months after the initial diagnosis. CONCLUSION An accurate diagnosis and planned aggressive treatment seem to be the key elements in the management of the disease.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document