Outstanding Skills Research Articles

Niccolo Paganini: medical aspects of his life and work

Niccolo Paganini is the most virtuous violinist of the history of music. He even received the nick name of "the violinist of the evil" for his outstanding skills on stage performance. It has been suggested that he had syphilis and tuberculosis, the commonest diseases of that time, but this hypothesis remains speculative. There are suggestions that he was the victim of iatrogenic mercurial poisoning. Furthermore, his body build suggests the presence of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome which could give him special anatomical conditions allowing him to achieve an amazing level of vírtuousness in his art. We herein review the medical aspects of this brilliant musician's life.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

Journal of Paleolimnology: Celebrating 20 years of publication

The Journal of Paleolimnology (JOPL) is now celebrating 20 years of publication. In many respects, one would expect a jubilant editorial to mark this important milestone. In fact, I do believe there is much to be happy about concerning the progress of paleolimnology and the role that our journal has played in its many successes. I will return to some of these happier points later in this editorial, but first I would like to pay a tribute to my friend and former co-editor-in-chief for 14 years, William (Bill) M. Last. It is with regret that I report formally in JOPL that Bill Last decided to retire as co-editor in December 2006. Bill also retired as series co-editor of the Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research (DPER) book series. As many in the paleolimnological community know, Bill’s outstanding efforts helped hundreds of paleolimnologists bring their contributions to publication. Bill is well known for his good humor, contagious enthusiasm, tireless work ethic, and remarkable editing skills. Bill joined me as the co-editor of JOPL in 1993, and we worked very closely together for over 14 years. As I have said repeatedly, the success JOPL has enjoyed in the past 14 years can be attributed largely to Bill’s outstanding skills as an editor, as well as his strong inter-personal and leadership abilities. We wish him well in his future endeavors and will miss him greatly.

Of Poetry and Printed Books: Cultural Contacts and Contrasts Between the Jews of Yemen and the Land of Israel in Zechariah Aldahiri's Sefer Hamusar

Zechariah Aldahiri's Sefer Hamusar is a lively work of literary fiction, modeled on the Arabic Maqamat of Abu Ί-Hasan al-Hariri (10541122), the Tahkemoni of Judah Alharizi (c. 1165-1225), and the Mahbarot of Immanuel of Rome (c. 1265-1335). Composed between 1568 and 1580, it is one of the last in a series of medieval Hebrew rhymed prose narratives written over a period of four hundred years.1 Sefer Hamusar consists of forty-five self-contained chapters, or maqamat (Hebrew: mahbarot), which do not feature one continuous plot, but are unified by the consistent presence of their peripatetic narrator, Mordecai the Sidonian, and mercurial hero, Abner ben Helek the Yemenite. In much of the work, Abner appears as a wandering poet, a shrewd prankster, and a spirited adventurer. Often, he turns up in disguise, watched but not recognized by his friend Mordecai until he reveals his true identity. Like the protagonists of other maqamat, Abner is celebrated for his extraordinary eloquence, which is evident in his well-turned epistles, carefully crafted poems, and witty repartee. He is as comfortable telling folk tales and posing riddles as he is exhorting his audience to piety or engaging in philosophical meditations. Abner's outstanding rhetorical and compositional skills suit the twin aims of Sefer Hamusar, which, in the tradition of such belletristic works, is at once didactic and amusing, instructive and diverting. The very term

Remembrances of Paul O. Thompson at the Naval Ocean Systems Center

Paul Thompson spent 35 years working at the Naval Electronics Laboratory (later the Naval Ocean Systems Center) in San Diego and Hawaii. His research included psychoacoustics and animal bioacoustics. He authored 66 papers and reports, gaining the distinction of Fellow of the ASA. Paul was noted for painstaking data analysis, excellent aural memory, and outstanding skills at sound recording and processing. We present remembrances of Paul as a scientist, colleague, and friend during his years studying marine mammals for the Navy.

Abelard and Heloise's Love Story from the Perspective of Their Son Astrolabe: Luise Rinser's Novel "Abelard's Love"

has raged for many decades, if not centuries.' Traditionally, many critics have claimed that Heloise, as a woman, could not have composed such learned letters in Latin because they demonstrate outstanding literary and rhetorical skills, or that the highly famed Abelard would not have entered such a correspondence with his former student, then girl friend, and eventual wife, or that such a correspondence could have been only the invention and falsification of a later detractor ofAbelard (Southern, Moos, Dronke). But recent research has finally put much of the doubts and disbelief to rest.2 Constant Mews has been highly instrumental in providing new evidence in favor of Heloise as the actual writer of these letters addressed to Abelard and has cogently argued against the critics in the discussion pertaining to the authenticity of these texts. Moreover, he has demonstrated that Heloise not only composed the letters traditionally known as having been exchanged between herself and Abelard, but that she also can be identified as the author of another large collection of an epistolary dialogue with her husband, transcribed by the fifteenth-century Cistercian monk Johannes de Vepria, working in the library of Clairvaux. Summarizing his extensive investigations, Mews reaches the following conclusion: These letters help confirm the authenticity of the famous correspondence of Abelard and Heloise. They also suggest that the Historia calamitatum cannot be relied upon as the final word on Abelard's early relationship with Heloise. Much more than Heloise, Abelard distances himself from his past in order to save his reputation. She, by contrast, was rigorously hostile to hypocrisy both in love and in the religious life. (176)

Peak performance and higher states of consciousness

Investigates higher stages of human development in some of the world’s most accomplished performers. Indicates that far more frequent experiences of a silent, expanded, restfully alert and non‐attached state of heightened awareness characterize those individuals who display outstanding skill and accomplishment in their action. Interprets these findings in the light of the Vedic Psychology of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which describes higher states of consciousness in which peak performances are all‐time phenomena rather than extraordinary happenings. There is widespread agreement that only very few individuals reach the highest stages of human development; as a consequence, there is a considerable latent human potential in organizations and society.

Conflict Management

A school leader cannot avoid dealing with conflict. The successful leader is one that will be proactive and anticipates problems. The role of the school leader in resolving conflict is one that requires outstanding interpersonal skills as well as an ability to think critically. For a leader to deal more successfully with conflict, it is critically important that one is cognizant of many strategies and models necessary to resolve a disagreement toward a successful resolution. When a conflict occurs, the instinctive response of most persons involved is to win. Conflict management techniques are most definitely some of the most valuable tools we can teach all people in leadership positions. This article provides a foundational background of conflict, as well as conflict management methods one may adopt to enhance their leadership style.

Teaching consecutive interpreting

The authors provide two perspectives on the teaching of consecutive interpreting: The pragmatic approach and the cognitive justification. Consecutive interpreting is described as requiring outstanding skills in language comprehension and production; the article provides relevant exercises to enhance these skills and features an overview of CI practice and teaching. It concludes with a list of references of published and non-published sources dealing with the wider aspects of the CI process.

Simulations of Burrowing Strategies and Construction of Paleodictyon

Computer simulations are useful aids in the interpretation of burrows. Many different morphologies can be simulated by manipulating the parameters of one or two simple programs. Simulations of the astonishing hexagonal symmetry of the trace fossil Paleodictyon reveal that its architecture is probably the consequence of spiral excavation by an organism with outstanding navigational skills. The tracemaker appears to execute turns within 2° of the nominal 60° and to regularly re-occupy its pre-existing burrow in order to re-adjust position and orientation. We suggest that such precision is unlikely in protists or vermiform organisms, and we therefore propose that the responsible organism is a small elongate crustacean.

A Paradox of Exceptionalities

The term gifted learning disabled (GLD) is a relatively new idea in special education. The term elicits confusion among parents, educators, and the students themselves. A student with outstanding skills in one area and a significant deficit in another may not be succeeding in school, but still have talents far beyond his peers. This dichotomy leaves the student frustrated, his parents puzzled, and his teachers feeling helpless. There are programming strategies that can be effective for this type of student. The Autonomous Learner Model (Betts, 1985) has been adapted to provide activities to meet the diversified needs of these gifted and talented students with learning difficulties.

Clinical Trials: The Role of the Neuroscience Nurse

Participation in clinical drug trials is becoming a common expectation of many neuroscience nurses. Prior to assuming responsibilities associated with a research study, the roles, rights and responsibilities involved must be thoroughly understood. The effective neuroscience nurse brings to the research arena a thorough knowledge of the drug under study, outstanding skills as a clinician and a commitment to ensure the safety and comfort of the participant as the search is made for better and more effective drug regimens.

A graduate programme for academic family physicians.

The paper describes a graduate studies programme designed to prepare outstanding family physicians for academic leadership and reports an evaluation of the programme. The programme aims to produce academic family physicians who exhibit certain qualities: outstanding clinical skills, professional interest in the organization and transmission of knowledge, and a scholarly approach through research and skills of leadership. The course includes clinical and teaching practice, formal course work and a scholarly thesis; the emphasis is on teaching and learning, theoretical foundations of family medicine, whole person medicine, research design and techniques, ethical decision making, and administration of organizations. A survey of the first 30 graduates of the programme indicated that the majority did more clinical teaching, small group teaching, research, writing and administration than before the course. The graduates' opinions of the programme indicated the extent to which the programme goals have been met; to provide a coherent learning experience integrating the art, science and technology of the discipline of family medicine.

Irving W. Potter and Internal Podalic Version: The Problems of Disciplining a Skilled but Heretical Doctor

The medical establishment has always found it difficult to discipline its unorthodox members. The problem is compounded when the doctor has a good medical education, a devoted clientele, high social standing, and otherwise orthodox credentials. This paper examines the career of Irving W. Potter, a U.S. obstetrician who practiced a dangerous method of childbirth called internal podalic version for nearly 50 years without any serious challenge from his colleagues. We show how Potter was able to ignore his critics and how his personal charisma and outstanding reputation and skill allowed him to continue in his ways until his death in 1956.

The manager of academic outreach: A role of consequence to university survival and growth

University managers of academic outreach need more than commitment, experience, and administrative ability to ensure effective delivery of outreach programming and services. They also need outstanding skills in communication, persuasion, and negotiation to win and maintain active faculty/administrator support for outreach activities. Failure to generate such support will make it impossible for outreach managers to deliver effectively and consistently on the promise and implications of the outreach concept.

Address of the President Lord Blackett, O.M., C.H. at the Anniversary Meeting, 30 November 1970

Todd has made highly significant contributions to the chemistry of natural products, in particular in relation to compounds which play important roles in biological systems. His researches on vitamins B 1 , E and B 12 were most elegant and have had far-reaching implications, but none more so than his structural and synthetic studies in the nucleic acid field. Here he developed methods for the synthesis of the nucleosides and for their phosphorylation; his work on the way they are combined made possible the subsequent determination of the three-dimensional structure of the nucleic acids thereby providing the basis for much of the exciting activity in the nucleotide field today. Todd’s achievements arise out of a rare combination of theoretical knowledge and outstanding experimental skill, with the most judicious exploitation of modern techniques. His work and his quality as an investigator have been widely recognized by biologists as well as by organic chemists.

Address of the President Lord Blackett, O.M., C.H. at the Anniversary Meeting, 30 November 1970

The Copley Medal is awarded to Lord Todd, F. R. S. Todd has made highly significant contributions to the chemistry of natural products, in particular in relation to compounds which play important roles in biological systems. His researches on vitamins B 1 , E and B 12 were most elegant and have had far-reaching implications, but none more so than his structural and synthetic studies in the nucleic acid field. Here he developed methods for the synthesis of the nucleosides and for their phosphorylation; his work on the way they are combined made possible the subsequent determination of the three-dimensional structure of the nucleic acids thereby providing the basis for much of the exciting activity in the nucleotide field today. Todd’s achievements arise out of a rare combination of theoretical knowledge and outstanding experimental skill, with the most judicious exploitation of modern techniques. His work and his quality as an investigator have been widely recognized by biologists as well as by organic chemists.

MODIFIED OPERATION FOR WIDE UNILATERAL CLEFT LIPS-Reply

REPLY To the Editor. —Dr. Millard's critique was not unexpected, and is certainly well taken since I personally have the highest regard for his endless inventiveness and outstanding skill. However, my criticism was concerned with the application of his rotation-advancement procedure only to wide and difficult and in the hands of surgeons less experienced than he. The old wives' tale to which he refers has also been restated by numerous reputable surgeons from different countries. general it has been more widely accepted for incomplete clefts (Millard, D.R.: Transactions of the Fourth International Congress Plastic Surgery . Amsterdam, Excerpta Medica Foundation 1969, p 349). In the Second Hamburg International Symposium: Treatment of Patients With Cleft Lip, Alveolus and Palate (New York, Grune & Stratton Inc, 1966), in which Millard participated, Prof Trauner of Austria stated with regard to Millard's operation on p 32 . . . a certain shortening of the lip with

IV. Big-Business Pressure Groups and Bismarck's Turn to Protectionism, 1873–79

Although the first decade of the German Empire has long been a central topic of historical research, the question with which this essay is concerned—Bismarck's relationship to the pressure groups at this time—cannot be answered satisfactorily on the basis of the material known hitherto. This is due to the fact that until very recently historians have concentrated on the diplomatic-political occurrences. Bismarck's eastern policy, the Livadia affair, the ‘war-in-sight crisis’, the Berlin Congress, and the change from the Three Emperors' Alliance to the ‘Eternal’ Treaty with the Danube monarchy—these are the events always used to demonstrate Bismarck's ‘genius’ in the field of foreign policy. On the problem of the ‘Kulturkampf’ much less effort has been expended. Here Bismarck's outstanding political skill was not as apparent as it was in his judgement of international relations. Moreover, this question was bound up from the very beginning with a strong ideological bias which only slightly weakened after World War II for the first time. Even less attention has been paid to the problems of domestic and social policy and economic developments have been almost totally neglected. It is true that these items have recently obtained new historical relevance from the new socio-political point of view, but up to the present day they have not been clarified. The chief general contributions of this kind have been published by non-German historians (e.g. Rosenberg, Lambi, and Pflanze) in the United States or in Canada. These studies, however, give inadequate answers to specific questions, as do the detailed essays of Karl-Erich Born and Wolfgang Zorn with their systematizing way of reflexion. They do not deal with our formulation of the question: the relationship between economic development and political events in a comparatively short period. Nevertheless, the essays of Born and Zorn will serve as a starting-point for our own investigation. Born in particular realizes the urgent need for more detailed research in the social and economic sphere, and pleads for a ‘supplementary’ approach (Ergänzungsgeschichte). He states thatthe history of the aristocracy during the industrial age has to be completed by studies dealing with the history of the trade unions; by dissertations on the history of industrial branches, commercial centres, and companies; and last but not least by works on the disintegration of the old bourgeoisie. Then we shall be able to extend the political history of the German Empire, which is largely clarified, to a comprehensive view of a German historical epoch by adding the social and economic history of the late nineteeth century.

The Hospital as a Training Ground for the Dental Specialties: A Digest

De n t i s t r y , the earliest formal specialty in medicine, has advanced from a limited restorative art to a complex service concerned with the whole oral cavity. Subdivisions of special practice have developed, which deserve an equal status with medical specialties. It is de­ sirable, however, to preserve the iden­ tity of these subdivisions as dental. The organized profession, accordingly, must win public confidence by setting high standards of qualification and de­ veloping training facilities for special­ ists. To preserve proper balance, of course, general practice must remain the backbone of dentistry. Specialization ■ should be encouraged only as it accel­ erates progress in general as well as in special practice. This it can certainly do if rightly approached. . The first thing needed is machinery for evaluating qualifications, certifying specialists and convincing the public that this certification is bona fide evi­ dence of outstanding skill. The second need is for the development of systematic and flexible training facilities for spe­ cialists. There is an obvious discrepancy be­ tween the formal training of the general surgeon and that of the oral surgeon. The latter is at a disadvantage in hos-' pital work, since he is subject to com­ parison with general surgeons who have had systematic training in all hospital procedures. Until opportunity for equal training and experience is available to the dental specialist, there can be no true parity here. Entirely aside from the ques­ tion of public esteem, the work of the