Esthetics

This thesis focuses on a particular stylistic period of Frederic Chopin. The 1840s show an important evolution of Chopin’s musical language and correspond to an aesthetic turning point, characterized by a difficult historical and biographical context. All along our research, we will try to build a transversal definition of Chopin’s last style by highlighting the recurrent characteristics of this period. In this purpose, a corpus of twenty-two works will be analyzed through several levels (traditional and formal, semiotic, narrative and thymic), to grasp all the issues of the last period of the polish composer.

Cette thèse s’intéresse à une période stylistique particulière du compositeur Frédéric Chopin. Les années 1840 manifestent une évolution importante dans son langage musical et correspondent à un tournant esthétique marqué par un contexte historique et biographique difficile. Tout au long de ce travail, nous allons tenter d’ériger une définition transversale du « dernier style » de Chopin, en recherchant les éléments caractéristiques récurrents de cette période. Dans ce but, un corpus de vingt-deux oeuvres musicales sera analysé selon plusieurs niveaux (traditionnel et formel, sémiotique, narratif et thymique) afin de saisir tous les enjeux de la dernière période du compositeur polonais.

CERIN, E., B. E. SAELENS, J. F. SALLIS, and L. D. FRANK. Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale: Validity and Development of a Short Form. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 38, No. 9, pp. 1682-1691, 2006. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the factorial and criterion validity of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and to develop an abbreviated

Perceptual asymmetries for tasks involving aesthetic preference or line bisection can be affected by asymmetrical neurological mechanisms or left/right reading habits. This study investigated the relative contribution of these mechanisms in 100 readers of Japanese and English. Participants made aesthetic judgments between pairs of mirror-reversed pictures showing: (a) static objects, (b) moving objects and (c) landscapes. A line bisection task

Many disorders of the parotid gland require treatment by subtotal or total parotidectomy. In such situations functional and esthetic complications may arise due to the location of the incisions or from permanent or temporary injuries to the facial nerve. This report describes a modified revision that gives good esthetic and functional results. A review of a similar series of cases treated surgically by the same surgeons using Yoel and Bilesio's technique showed no differences in morbility associated with parotidectomy performed using the proposed incision.

This study aimed to explore whether aesthetic beauty and the pleasure that results from artistic activity can contribute to a reduction in the symptoms experienced by palliative care patients, and to improve the effectiveness of art therapy sessions. A self-assessment of six symptoms (pain, anxiety, ill-being, tiredness, sadness, and depression) adapted from the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) was completed by patients before and after a one-hour art therapy session. This assessment was completed after the session with a self-assessment of aesthetic feeling. A correlation analysis was then performed. From July of 2012 to December of 2013, 28 patients took part in 63 art therapy sessions. On the whole, these sessions reduced the global distress of patients by 47% (p < 0.0001). There was a significant reduction in all the symptoms studied; pain (p = 0.003), anxiety (p < 0.0001), ill-being (p < 0.0001), tiredness (p < 0.0001), sadness (p < 0.0001), and depressi...

The aim of the paper is to examine the possible relationships between the different dimensions of aesthetics on the one hand, and medical practice and medical ethics on the other hand. Firstly, I consider whether the aesthetic perception of the human body is relevant for medical practice. Secondly, a possible analogy between the artistic process and medical action is examined. The third section concerns the comparison between medical ethical judgements and aesthetic judgement of taste. It is concluded that the mutual relevance between the aesthetic sphere, moral judgement and medical practice can be understood only if we recognize these spheres as distinct.

Inasmuch as unmitigated pain and suffering are often thought to rob human beings of their dignity, physicians and other care providers incur a special duty to relieve pain and suffering when they encounter it. When pain and suffering cannot be controlled it is sometimes thought that human dignity is compromised. Death, it is sometimes argued, would be preferred to a life without dignity. Reasoning such as this trades on certain preconceptions of the nature of pain and suffering, and of their relationships to dignity. The purpose of this paper is to lay bare these preconceptions. The duties to relieve pain and suffering are clearly matters of moral obligation, as is the duty to respond appropriately to the dignity of other persons. However, it is argued that our understanding of the phenomena of pain and suffering and their relationships to human dignity will be expanded when we explore the aesthetic dimensions of these various concepts. On the view presented here the life worth livi...

To evaluate the consecutive treatment results regarding pterygium recurrence and the efficacy of exclusive strontium-/yttrium-90 beta-irradiation for primary and recurrent pterygia and to analyze the functional outcome. Between October 1974 and December 2005, 58 primary and 21 recurrent pterygia were exclusively treated with strontium-/yttrium-90 beta-irradiation with doses ranging from 3,600 to 5,500 cGy. The follow-up time was 46.6 +/- 26.7 months, with a median of 46.5 months. The treatment led to a size reduction in all pterygia (p < 0.0001). Neither recurrences nor side effects were observed during therapy and follow-up in this study. Best-corrected visual acuity increased (p = 0.0064). Corneal astigmatism was reduced in recurrent pterygia (p = 0.009). Exclusive strontium-/yttrium-90 beta-irradiation of pterygia is a very efficient and well-tolerated treatment, with remarkable aesthetic and rehabilitative results in comparison to conventional treatments, especially for recur...

This article outlines a novel approach to the underlying causes of age-related changes in the face, which are associated with the performance of its key functions (vision, breathing, eating, speech and emotion). It forms the basis of Smart Cosmetology, capable of offering personalized facial upgrades depending on the type of functional disruption manifested as external problems on the face.

Um texto enigmático encontra-se em meio aos escritos selecionados que compõem Contra la historia, uma coleção de aforismos e ensaios editada por Esther Seligson com o propósito de difundir os escritos de Cioran no mundo hispanófono quando seus livros estavam começando a ver a luz da tradução espanhola.