Sense Of Pleasure Research Articles

(023) An Online Survey Study Investigating the Contribution of the Cervix to the Female Sexual Response and Patient-Reported Barriers to Sexual Counselling

Abstract Introduction The female sexual response is multifactorial and involves several anatomical locations which contribute to pleasurable sensations. Recently, the cervix has been discussed in terms of its role in the FSR, though there are still discrepancies regarding its contribution to these responses. Our pilot study showed that women are unfamiliar with the location of their cervix anatomically, but indicate feeling pleasure from deep penetration, and in the anatomical region of the cervix. If women experience pleasurable sensation from the cervix, then perhaps procedures that impact the cervix may impair overall pleasurable sexual responses in some women. In addition, there is some literature that describes barriers to sexual counselling for women, though these have not been thoroughly studied in the context of the FSR. Therefore, validation of the preliminary pilot data is needed, including confirmation of the importance of the cervix, in addition to defining barriers to sexual counselling. Objectives The objectives of this study were to determine whether women find cervical stimulation pleasurable and if it contributes to their sexual responses. This study also aimed to determine whether a medical history of gynecologic procedures is associated with negative impacts on sexual function, and what barriers women face when discussing sexual problems with their health care providers (HCPs). Methods A self-report survey was distributed via an online platform to over 500 participants. 308 responses were analyzed. IBM SPSS Statistics Version 26 was used for statistical analysis with CI (95%) and p-value (p≤ 0.05). Qualitative analysis was performed using Nvivo12. Results This study found that many women find cervical stimulation pleasurable, and that it is important to their overall sexual response. The responses also indicated that a subset of participants who underwent gynecologic procedures that impacted the cervix showed significant increases in levels of discomfort or pain during cervical stimulation (P<0.001) and difficulty becoming lubricated (p=0.016). Qualitative analysis of participants narrative responses when asking them to describe the location(s) of their sexual responses indicated that participants were better able to describe the location(s) using labelled diagrams rather than in words. Accordingly, a quarter of the participants indicated that they do not feel effective at communicating about their sexual sensations, nor do they feel capable of describing these sensations using words. Participants noted several barriers to sexual counselling with almost half of the participants indicating they feel uncomfortable talking to male physicians about their sexual responses, and that they feel stigma surrounding sexual sensations. Conclusions This study indicates that the cervix plays an important role in the FSR, and that procedures that impact the cervix may result in decreased sexual functioning. The results from this study also suggest that women have difficulty communicating their sexual responses using words and feel unable to discuss the concerns regarding their sexual responses with HCPs. Future studies should develop effective resources for physicians to communicate complex topics about sexual functioning to patients. They should also aim to investigate the experiences of women who experience FSD after procedures impacting the cervix, studies for which are ongoing. Disclosure No.

On the Need for Distinctive Christian Moral Psychologies

I show how those with Kantian habits of mind—those committed to maintaining certain kinds of universality in ethics—can still get involved in the project of securing the distinctiveness of Christian ethics by highlighting parts of his moral philosophy that are amenable to this project. I first describe the interaction among James Gustafson, Stanley Hauerwas, and Samuel Wells surrounding the issue of the distinctiveness of Christian ethics, to explain why Kant is generally understood as the opponent of this project in this discourse. Then I lay out his discussions of how his moral argument for postulating divine existence can have beneficial moral-psychological results, and of how we can find moral satisfaction, the sense of pleasure in our moral strivings, as two elements in his moral philosophy that can be turned into a distinctively Christian ethics with revisions that should be allowed within the broad confines of Kantian moral philosophy. I also point out that his own answer to the question of moral satisfaction is already distinctively Christian, in that it is inspired by the Christian tenets of the imputation of righteousness and the assurance of salvation.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on College Students’ Food Choice Motives in Greece

We are already more than year away from the pandemic period of COVID-19; its effects and the changes it caused in our lives are becoming ever clearer, and these effects include our food choices and motives. In this study, we investigated changes in food choice motives due to the COVID-19 in college students in Greece; we used the 10 key food motives, namely health, convenience, sensory pleasure, appeal, nutritional quality, moral concerns, weight control, mood and stress, familiarity, price, and shopping frequency and behavior. A sample of 1017 college students answered the questionnaire survey through the Google platform, conducted in January to February 2023. The collected data were analyzed with statistical tools, combining cross and chi-square tests. The students exhibited subtle and very important preferences in terms of health, convenience, weight control, and mood and stress. Food choices related to sensory appeal, nutritional quality, and familiarity were of less importance for the students, similarly to ethical concerns; concern regarding the environmental impact of the food was greater than expected. The motive which continues to be of the highest concern for students before and after the pandemic is price; the students look for value for money in food (88.8%), inexpensiveness (80.7%), and cheapness (78.7%). The shopping frequency and behavior motives, which changed during the pandemic, have now returned to the preferences of the pre-pandemic period, with the purchasing of foods distributed between supermarkets (29%), local grocery stores (37.6%), online (12.3%), and by delivery services (20.4%), weekly or every two weeks. College students’ preference for cooking full meals at home is now very high, reaching 74.4%; students mostly avoid eating at restaurants or eating fast food (only 27%). Our findings indicate that students have already returned to their food choice motives of the period before COVID-19, except with regard to home-cooked food which now ranks higher in their preferences.

Upaya Meningkatkan Minat Membaca Pada Anak Kelas 4 Sd

Reading is a language skill that must be possessed by everyone to broaden knowledge, experience, sharpen reasoning, enhance thinking and to achieve the goals of the times. to get information about written topics The lack of student interest in reading causes difficulties in carrying out learning even though interest in reading also increases if students themselves, teachers and parents have maturity, desire and encouragement In the form of reading, curiosity about something that everyone is interested in gets an answer to Mirat's question, mambuca is a strong and deep concern accompanied by a sense of pleasure in reading, so that nawa individuals are guided to read everything with their will and desire. Saudi pastala or library can be interpreted as a series of activities related to the method of collecting pasta data, reading and recording and processing research haha Literature studies can also study various reference books and similar previous research results which are useful for obtaining theoretical foundations regarding the problem to be studied. Specific reading requires reading for study purposes (scientific analysis) reading for the purpose of capturing the outline of the reading.

Analysis of Impact of Nick Adams on Society in the Hero and Time in E. Hemingway’s Story

Background: Ernest Hemingway was born in 1898. His first book, a collection of stories entitled In Our Time, was published in 1925. His last, for now, is the novel The Old Man and the Sea, which appeared in its entirety in Life magazine, corresponding to the September 1, 1952. Objective: This paper aims to analysis of impact of Nick Adams on society in Hero and Time in E. Hemingway’s story. Literature reviews: When Our Day was initially published in 1925, it received widespread acclaim for its simple and precise use of language to portray a broad variety of complicated emotions, establishing Hemingway as one of the most promising American authors of the time. Hemingway's literary style, which leaves nothing to chance, provides us with a colorful view of drinking. Beyond the obvious allure, he transformed it into a character and a commodity with a diverse symbolic arsenal representing friendship, masculinity, vulnerability, flight, or even self-destruction, but also an element of sensual pleasure and an invitation to a stylistic, lexical, and semantic journey. Cultural and literary factors shaped Hemingway's writing creativity. 'Mark Twain, the War, and the Bible were the key inspirations that molded Hemingway's mind and creativity,' writes Hemingway. Discussion: The main themes in this writer are death and love and, therefore, the women that he catalogs only in two groups; the castrators and the slaves of love. He was accused for many years of being a “macho” writer, due to his vision of the man-woman relationship with very defined patterns or roles and what could be called “topics”. Hemingway was also accused of being homophobic, misogynistic, and racist. Conclusion: The feeling of location in Hemingway's Nick Adams stories informs the narratives and develops the central themes of the Hemingway canon more so than any particular individual.

Application of therate‐all‐that‐applymethod to explore the perception of flavours provided by e‐cigarettes: Importance of 1.3‐propanediol

AbstractThe self‐administration of nicotine using e‐cigarettes involves the use of liquids containing both solvent and aroma. The vaping appeal is enhanced by the sensory perception of flavours. Thus, an important attention may be paid to the choice of the refill liquid. For this purpose, this study aimed to evaluate the potential of 1,3‐propanediol (PDO, vegetal solvent) and 1,3‐butanediol (BDO, vegetal solvent), in replacing the chemical one such 1,2‐propanediol (PG) while maintaining sensory pleasure and ensuring the wellbeing. The work was conducted with 30 participants accustomed to vaping. Three flavours have been selected, menthol, vanillin and pyrazine, respectively, to provide the most preferred perceptions which are respectively mint, sweet and tobacco. TheRate‐All‐That‐Apply (RATA) method was chosen since it is rapid and robust. Menthol/PDO and menthol/PG exhibited a close olfactive profile, described as minty, cold and sweet. A similar finding has been observed for vanillin/PDO and vanillin/PG. The use of BDO provided different perceptions in comparison with PDO and PG regardless of the type of flavour. It was found to be the most suitable for pyrazine perception. These results were enhanced by the application of the agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC). The obtained dendrogram was composed of three groups according to their similarities, where e‐liquids containing PDO, and PG belongs to the same groups for both menthol and vanillin.

Buy now pay later services as a way to pay: credit consumption and the depoliticization of debt

ABSTRACT The use of buy now pay later (BNPL) services has grown rapidly in recent years. Existing research has considered the regulatory challenges they pose, but further work is required to map their significance as a means of normalizing and naturalizing debt. In response, this article focuses on the situated landscape of marketing and branding of BNPL services through analysis of their websites and apps, a walking ethnography of a large shopping centre, and interviews with BNPL customers. We find that BNPL services nurture a “structure of feeling” that is reminiscent of digitally intimate online spaces, and claim that by generating a sense of pleasure and fun they distinguish themselves from other comparatively “serious” financial services. We ultimately contend that this aids them in presenting themselves as simply a “way to pay” rather than a form of credit, arguing that this represents a significant new step in the depoliticization of debt.

“There is No One Way to Be Transgender and to Live Sex”: Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals’ Experiences with Pornography

ABSTRACT Transgender or non-binary (TGNB) people are often present as protagonists of pornographic material. This study is the first to consider TGNB people as critical consumers of sexually explicit material. The sample included 212 self-identified TGNB individuals: 47.2% trans man/transmasculine, 15.6% trans woman/transfeminine and 37.3% non-binary. The online questionnaire consisted of a sociodemographic data collection, multiple-choice questions about preferences and habits concerning pornography, and open-ended questions about the sensations experienced when watching pornography, opinions on the representation of TGNB people in pornography, and their experience in watching pornographic videos with cisgender or TGNB protagonists. The answers were analyzed using the qualitative method of thematic analysis. We identified four themes that appeared across the responses: 1) heteronormativity and cisnormativity in pornography: the need for deconstructing the current cis-het-patriarchial normative and binary system, which dominates pornography except for the ethical porn industry, 2) cisgender pornography compared to TGNB pornography, 3) pleasurable sensations (e.g., identification and empowerment) associated with TGNB pornography, and 4) negative sensations (e.g., objectification and dysphoria) associated with TGNB pornography. Results are discussed in light of the objectification framework and the minority stress model.

(076) History of Sexual Coercion, PGAD Symptoms, and Sexual Function: Evidence for a Mediational Model

Abstract Introduction Past research on Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD) has shown that a history of sexual abuse is common among women with PGAD (Leiblum et al., 2007; Pink et al., 2014), with higher rates of abuse among those who are most symptomatic (Leiblum et al., 2007). However, there is a need for replication and for developing a theoretical understanding of the mechanisms and developmental course of this association. Moreover, although little is known about the relation between PGAD symptoms and sexual functioning (Jackowich et al., 2016) research has suggested that women with PGAD show FSFI scores that are low but within the normal range (Leiblum & Seehuus, 2009), and that those with subthreshold PGAD symptoms associate those symptoms with positive feelings. Objective The goal of the present study was to test a mediational model in which history of sexual coercion is directly associated with PGAD symptoms, and indirectly associated with sexual functioning (desire, masturbation, lubrication), with mediational effects passing through PGAD symptoms. Methods A sample of n = 138 female university students completed questionnaires measuring past experience of sexual coercion, PGAD symptoms, sexual desire, masturbation, and lubrication. Structural equation modeling was used to test a theoretical model in which a history of sexual coercion was allowed to directly predict PGAD symptoms and all three sexual function constructs, and PGAD symptoms were allowed to predict all sexual function constructs (see Figure 1). Results The SEM model fit the data well (CFI = .96; NFI = .92; RMSEA = .07). As presented in Figure 1, past experience of sexual coercion was positively associated with PGAD symptoms and negatively associated with sexual desire, but had no direct association with masturbation or lubrication. PGAD symptoms were associated with increased desire and masturbation, but decreased lubrication, and sexual desire was positively associated with lubrication. In addition to the directs effects on PGAD symptoms and sexual desire, past experience of sexual coercion also demonstrated indirect effects on all sexual function constructs (positive effects on desire and masturbation, and negative on lubrication). Conclusions Based on these results we propose a developmental model in which the effects of PGAD symptoms on desire, arousal, and pleasure, change across time and symptom severity. Specifically, increased attention to genital and sexual sensations is expected to result from past sexual coercion. Then, in the context of this heightened genital awareness, when persistent non-painful genital stimulation is perceived, in the early stages of PGAD symptom development, the combination of those sensations and the heightened attention to them is expected to result in perceived pleasurable sensation and arousal, thus increasing desire and masturbation. This is expected to be limited to the early stages of PGAD development, whereas, during later stages, when PGAD symptoms are severe and unrelenting, this is expected to change (see Figure 2). The overall level of PGAD symptoms in this sample was low (consistent with other non-clinical samples; Jackowich & Pukall, 2020), and thus these results cannot be generalized to women who live with a diagnosis of PGAD. Disclosure No

Sexual health and treatment-related sexual dysfunction in sexual and gender minorities with prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer treatment has substantial effects on sexual health and function. Sexual function is a vital aspect of human health and a critical component of cancer survivorship, and understanding the potential effects of different treatment modalities on sexual health is crucial. Existing research has extensively described the effects of treatment on male erectile tissues necessary for heterosexual intercourse; however, evidence regarding their effects on sexual health and function in sexual and gender minority populations is minimal. These groups include sexual minority - gay and bisexual - men, and transgender women or trans feminine people in general. Such unique effects in these groups might include altered sexual function in relation to receptive anal and neovaginal intercourse and changes to patients' role-in-sex. Sexual dysfunctions following prostate cancer treatment affecting quality of life in sexual minority men include climacturia, anejaculation, decreased penile length, erectile dysfunction, and problematic receptive anal intercourse, including anodyspareunia and altered pleasurable sensation. Notably, clinical trials investigating sexual outcomes after prostate cancer treatment do not collect sexual orientation and gender identity demographic data or outcomes specific to members of these populations, which perpetuates the uncertainty regarding optimal management. Providing clinicians with a solid evidence base is essential to communicate recommendations and tailor interventions for sexual and gender minority patients with prostate cancer.

(308) Oxytocin Troches as an Adjunctive Intervention to Conventional Testosterone and Erectile Dysfunction Medication for Men with Sexuality Concerns

Abstract Introduction Oxytocin (OT), a peptide hormone, is known to be involved in social interaction and the pleasure we derive from it is produced from the posterior pituitary. This neurotransmitter has a potential role in love, female reproductive functions, and social bonding. OT is released by both males and females, during skin to skin contact sexual arousal and orgasm/ejaculation (1,2). OT effects on the brain are dependent on its interactions with sex homes such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and corticosterone. Oxytocin levels are implicated in male sexual responsivity. Oxytocin biological effects may include decrease social anxiety, increased pair bonding, intimacy and closeness enhance sexual receptivity, enhance perineal contractility, enhances pair bonding, nurturing, trust “cuddle hormone, increased intensity of orgasm in men and women, decreased latency to orgasmic release, increased pleasurable sensations and increased sexual desire and lubrication. Oxytocin troches have been used as an off label investigational compounded oxytocin as an adjunctive therapy for men’s sexual health. Objective We report the preliminary responder analysis results of a random retrospective survey on users of this medication. Methods A random convenience sample of 26 men from 5 centers ( Hawaii, Washington, Portland, Salt Lake City and Tulsa) who tried compounded oxytocin were surveyed. Surveys were anonymous, and participation was voluntary and uncompensated. Doses of Sublingual oxytocin were to be titrate up from 25 international units (IU) for optimization, but not to exceed 100 IU) Results Fourteen out of 26 participants (56%) were considered responders. Mean age was 43 and range was 22-77. Eighty-six of the participants had used between 50 IU and 100 IU and 50% were on TRT replacement whereas 57% were on Erectile medications. Only 21% were on both ED medications and TRT replacement. 86% of responders reported enhanced intimacy and connection with their partners, 100% would recommend the product to their friends. 93% of users planned to continue the medication. 86% noted increased overall pleasure and sexual satisfaction. 86% reported improved overall quality of their orgasm. There were no adverse events reported. Responders reported positive feedback which included: longer lasting before orgasmic release, increased nipple sensation, improved control with premature ejaculation, improved feelings during climax and increased ejaculate volume. Conclusions Oxytocin compounded troches appear to be a helpful addition to a preexisting treatment paradigm for erectile difficulty or testosterone replacement. This is a preliminary report with small numbers, and further larger randomized clinical trials are warranted and planned. Disclosure No

The Performance of Non-pns Islamic Religious Exechers With Work Environment on Work Satisfaction of Employees of the Ministry of Religion Office in Kua Simokerto District, Surabaya City

Everyone must desire to fulfill a sense of pleasure in it by showing that he is happy and satisfied with what he is doing. In the world of work, job satisfaction is very important for an employee; it will affect the attitude and morale of employees while carrying out their work. Job satisfaction is an individual thing and is influenced by various factors. Therefore, the institution must consider what factors make employees look happy. This study aims to determine how important the work environment is in increasing employee satisfaction. The method used in this research is a descriptive qualitative analysis using a case study research type by utilizing primary and secondary data sources. The results of this study indicate that the work environment has a positive influence on job satisfaction. If the quality of the work environment is good, then perceived satisfaction positively affects employee job satisfaction.

Short Videos, Big Decisions: A Preliminary Study of Tik Tok's Role in E-Commerce Consumer Behaviour

This study aims to investigate the effects of short videos on consumers' purchase intention using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model. Specifically, the study examined the impact of three stimulus variables - price level, quality, and commodity practicability - on consumers' sense of trust, pleasure, and virtual touch, which in turn influence their purchase intention. Quantitative survey questionnaires via online platforms to reach a total of 103 Tik Tok users. One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the significance of the hypotheses. The study's findings revealed that consumers are more likely to trust and be satisfied with short videos that have high picture quality (p-value = 0.001). However, the lower price level of the product did not necessarily lead to greater trust and satisfaction (p-value = 0.635). The usefulness of the product did not significantly influence consumers' sense of pleasure (p-value = 0.052). These findings have important practical implications for marketers seeking to use short videos to promote their products. The study's results suggest that high-quality videos can help build trust and increase consumer satisfaction, but lowering prices may not necessarily have the same effect. Therefore, marketers should be cautious when using price discounts to increase consumers' trust and satisfaction.

Mother’s Milk and Male Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century French Narrative. Lisa Algazi Marcus

Although the wet-nursing industry may have long faded into the past, the debate around breastfeeding remains a fascinating and salient subject in the twenty-first century. Indeed, while perusing the wealth of striking historical and literary examples offered up in this study, one cannot help but reflect on their connection with divisive issues in our own time. Lisa Algazi Marcus perceptively addresses a powerful political imaginary of the mothering body that continues to intensify bodily autonomy debates today — not only those most obviously implied by the subject of her study, concerning the use of formula milk and public breastfeeding, but also those around abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. This book, then, feels important and timely, and addresses a significant gap within nineteenth-century French studies. It begins with a thorough account of attitudes to breastfeeding in eighteenth-century France, including moving statistics on the prevalence of wet-nursing and the associated infant mortality rates despite the period’s abundance of idealistic discourse on the value of nursing one’s own child. This sets the stage for the second chapter to consider the reasons for a decline in portrayals of breastfeeding in the Romantic era, stressing the impact of Napoleon’s regressive attitudes towards women and his associated public policy. Algazi Marcus examines a very wide range of authors here: Gabriel Legouvé, Chateaubriand, Hugo, Alphonse de Lamartine and George Sand, alongside a selection of early nineteenth-century paintings. The final two chapters explore realist and naturalist authors’ renewed interest in both breastfeeding and the allegorical Republican figure of Marianne, moving between Balzac’s Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées (1841), Alexandre Hepp’s Le Lait d’une autre (1891), and Zola’s Fécondité (1899). Algazi Marcus’s primary interest in these chapters is in the curious proximity of the maternal and the sexual. Whereas in the eighteenth century it was acceptable to cite sensual pleasure as an incentive for women to nurse, she argues, after the relegation of the maternal breast to the private sphere under the Empire, discussion of such pleasure could only later return via the (often pathologizing) eroticization of mothers and wet-nurses by anxious male authors. The fourth chapter investigates, in particular, Hepp’s and Zola’s politicized deployment of characters named Marianne during the Third Republic. The fictional passages Algazi Marcus cites are always intriguing, and occasionally astonishing — helping to make this study a genuinely compelling read. They also provide fertile ground for her psychoanalytic readings, which propose that these authors’ own processes of subconscious desire and identification are what motivate their depictions of the mother–infant dyad. However, the discussion of psychoanalytic theory itself (Freud and Kristeva) in Chapter 3 feels too brief, and one might have expected a rationale for why other interpretive paradigms were left aside. In particular, given that this study is centrally concerned with the political uses of biological essentialism, a response to gender theory since Judith Butler would have been welcome, even if only to clarify the author’s chosen approach. Nevertheless, Algazi Marcus’s clear-sighted analysis and impressive range of sources ensure that this is valuable and thought-provoking research.

ARISTOTLE AND THE PAIN OF ANIMALS: NICOMACHEAN ETHICS 1154B7–9

AbstractThis paper explains the motivation behind Aristotle's appeal in Nicomachean Ethics 1154b7–9 to the physiologoi who notoriously declare that animals are constantly in pain. It argues that the physiologoi are neither the critical target of this chapter nor invoked to verify Aristotle's commitment to the imperfection of the human condition. Rather, despite doctrinal disagreement, they help Aristotle develop a naturalistic story about how ordinary people easily indulge in sensory pleasures.

Manfaat Media Gambar pada Pembelajaran Menulis Deskripsi Peserta Didik SD IT an-Nahl

The research aimed at how to use image media in learning to write descriptions of students at SD IT An-Nahl Aceh Tengah. The research was conducted using descriptive qualitative research. The data used in this study are primary and secondary data. Data collection techniques in the from of conducting interviews an observations, interviews werw conducting with school principals, third and fourth grade educators at IT An-Nahl Aceh Tengah Elementary School, then with third and fourth grade students at IT An-Nahl Aceh Tengah Elementary School. The results of this study are the use of media images in learning to write descriptions for both educators and studnts in the low and high classes of SD IT An-Nahl Aceh Tengah. Educators feel that existence of media image helps in explaining learning to students, because educators can provide various questions based on the evailable images, and will help students express ideas in writing. The students also feel motivated by the emergence of a sense of pleasure within them in participating in learning, because the media used by educators has a variety of colors and characters, so that makes them happy in learning.

Introduction: "House Rules"—Reading with Authorial Instructions

Introduction:"House Rules"—Reading with Authorial Instructions Tatyana Gershkovich (bio) "The novels we know best have an architecture," writes Zadie Smith in an essay on reading (43). "Not only a door going in and another leading out, but rooms, hallways, stairs, little gardens front and back, trapdoors, hidden passageways, etcetera. It's a fortunate rereader who knows half a dozen novels this way in their lifetime" (42). Despite having their "own ideas of the floor plan," however, Smith reminds readers that they are only tenants, not landlords, let alone architects. Readers fashion a "wonderful way of living in" a novel, but they must still abide by "the house rules […] the author's peculiar terms" (Smith 43, 57). This was not always Smith's view; she describes her way of reading as evolving over time. Like many modern readers, Smith has tried to navigate two contradictory impulses. The first is to embrace linguistic skepticism and to accept—even to revel in—the multiple meanings it is possible to find in texts when they are unmoored from an authorial anchor. The second is to grieve that loss of a shared textual center and to search for ways to restore it. For Smith, the first impulse is personified by Roland Barthes, the second by Vladimir Nabokov. As a college student she thrilled to Barthes' brash disregard for the supposedly dubious project of pinning down the meaning of a text. Barthes declared that the "unity of the text is not in its origin, but its destination"—not in the writer, but in the reader (Barthes 129). And Smith relished her readerly prerogative to "inscribe dusty old novels into [her] own interests and [End Page 111] concerns" (Smith 51). In hindsight, though, she realizes that reading this way made her "feel lonely," for it meant abandoning one's faith in writing "as an intentional, directional act, an expression of an individual consciousness" (57, 44). This faith is something she feels the need to retain. Barthes's suspicion of the text—of its monopoly on its own meaning—was intended to enrich our reading. But it took something away, too: it robbed us of the pleasurable sense that in reading we come to know the mind of another person. Perhaps it stands to reason that as Smith became a writer herself, she turned from Barthes to Nabokov. Few authors have felt as keenly as Nabokov the pathos of our shattered faith in the communicative function of language; fewer still have tried so hard to restore that faith for readers. Charles Kinbote, the mad commentator of Nabokov's Pale Fire, wonders with horror: "What if we awake one day, all of us, and find ourselves utterly unable to read?" (289). In a way, that is just what happens to him: he loses faith in a writer's capacity to make himself known to a reader. But Nabokov himself never loses that faith, nor does he relegate his readers to a world without it. By haunting his texts, never letting the reader forget his presence, he insists on the communicative capacity of literature—and on his ownership rights to the meaning of his work. He is always reminding us (as Smith puts it) that "the only perfect tenant of the house that Nabokov built is Nabokov" (Smith 53). Barthes pronounced the death of the author, but "Nabokov refused to lie down and die" (46). Many readers experience his authorial presence as overbearing, even tyrannical. But Smith delights in it, in trying to replicate Nabokov's way of dwelling in his works. Though the modern reader knows she can never truly grasp the mind of the author, Nabokov's fictions convince her that if she reads according to his rules, she can approximate this knowledge "by degrees" (48). Nabokov's authorial instructions enable Smith to "make a connection with a consciousness other than my own" (57). Of course, not all authors are intent on dictating the rules of the house. Some are long-absent proprietors, happy to give us the run of the place. Others are tyrants and despots, meddlers and micromanagers, who like Kinbote's landlord have "taken stupendous pains to write out on slips of paper recommendations...

What Makes a Pedestrian Path Pleasant? Analysis of Young Pedestrians’ Perceptions

In this paper, an analysis of the pedestrian environment based on users’ perceptions is proposed. The specific aim of the study is to discover the aspects mostly influencing the pleasantness of a path in a university campus situated in southern Italy and used by young pedestrians every day to reach various destinations for their university activities. The work is based on data collected by a sample survey and analyzed through a two-step methodology consisting of the application of a Chi-square test and a development of an ordered logit (OL) model. The model results reveal which aspects affect path pleasantness. The specific finding suggests that these aspects relate to the presence of buildings with good facades along the path and to the continuity of the path. As a general and highly relevant finding, we can state that the applied methodology could be very useful in identifying the path characteristics that can be considered as the most important for pedestrians. This identification could support practitioners to plan new strategies and future interventions to improve the pedestrian environment and increase the sense of pleasure perceived by pedestrians.

Relationship Student Learning Interest To The Learning Outcomes Of Natural Sciences

This study aims to determine whether there is a positive and significant relationship and there is an influence between learning interest on Integrated Science learning outcomes. The type of research used in this research is quantitative research with correlational methods. The population in this study were all 65 students of class VII at SMP Negeri 4 Maniamolo. The sampling technique uses a total sampling technique, meaning that the entire population is used as a sample. The instrument in this study used a closed questionnaire and students' science learning outcomes were in the form of odd semester final exam scores. Data analysis techniques were carried out by describing the data, correlational analysis, coefficient of determination and hypothesis testing. The test results in this study indicate that there is a positive and significant relationship between learning interest on science learning outcomes, and there is also an influence between learning interest on Integrated Science learning outcomes. So it was concluded that 1) because students have a sense of pleasure, interest, and a high desire for learning which is seen as giving them benefits and satisfaction, 2) students have a sense of comfort, are aware of the benefits of learning, and know the learning goals that make them interested so that learning occurs. improvement in learning outcomes.

The origin of pleasant sensations: Insight from direct electrical brain stimulation

Research into the neuroanatomical basis of emotions has resulted in a plethora of studies over the last twenty years. However, studies about positive emotions and pleasant sensations remain rare and their anatomical-functional bases are less understood than that of negative emotions. Pleasant sensations can be evoked by electrical brain stimulations (EBS) during stereotactic electroencephalography (SEEG) performed for pre-surgical exploration in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 10 106 EBS performed in 329 patients implanted with SEEG in our epileptology department. We found that 13 EBS in 9 different patients evoked pleasant sensations (.60% of all responses). By contrast we collected 111 emotional responses of negative valence (i.e., 5.13% of all responses). EBS evoking pleasant sensations were applied at 50 Hz with an average intensity of 1.4 ± .55 mA (range .5–2 mA). Pleasant sensations were reported by nine patients of which three patients presented responses to several EBS. We found a male predominance among the patients reporting pleasant sensations and a prominent role of the right cerebral hemisphere. Results show the preponderant role of the dorsal anterior insula and amygdala in the occurrence of pleasant sensations.