Living-into, living-with: A Schutzian account of the player/character relationship

Games Studies reveals the performative nature of playing a character in a virtual-game-world (Nitsche 2008, p.205; Pearce 2006, p.1; Taylor 2002, p.48). Tbe Player/Character relationship is typically understood in terms of the player’s in-game “presence” (Boellstorff 2008, p.89; Schroeder 2002, p.6). This gives the appearance that living-into a game-world is an all-or- nothing affair: either the player is “present” in the game-world, or they are not. I argue that, in fact, a constitutive phenomenology reveals the Player/Character relationship to be a multi-dimensional matter of empathy. I advance a broadly Schutzian framework, drawing on his 1932 discussions of “face-to-face encounters” and ”historical predecessors,” showing how at- tention to empathy reveals a variety of “presences” that different kinds of Player/Character relationships afford. The central determinants of empathetic affordances which I focus on here are (i) how much players know about a character (especially the character’s past) and (ii) how players learn this information.The purpose of this discussion will be to show that a phenomenological analysis reveals that the relationship between a player and their character is complex, highly variable, and inherently social. Furthermore, it will add to the growing body of scholarship that demonstrates that video games are rich social objects deserving of study

Being together, worlds apart: a virtual-worldly phenomenology

Previous work in Game Studies has centered on several loci of investigation in seeking to understand virtual gameworlds. First, researchers have scrutinized the concept of the virtual world itself and how it relates to the idea of “the magic circle”. Second, the field has outlined various forms of experienced “presence”. Third, scholarship has noted that the boundaries between the world of everyday life and virtual worlds are porous, and that this fosters a multiplicity of identities as players identify both with themselves-offline and themselves-in-game. Despite widespread agreement that these topics are targets for research, so far those working on these topics do not have mutually agreed-upon framework. Here we draw upon the work of Alfred Schutz to take up this call. We provide a phenomenological framework which can be used to describe the phenomena of interest to Game Studies, as well as open new avenues of inquiry, in a way acceptable and useful to all. This helps to distinguish the core of the field from the supplemental theoretical and critical commitments which characterize diverse approaches within the field

Low-temperture electrostatic silicon-to-silicon seals using sputtered borosilicate glass

Silicon members are hermetically sealed to each other. Process produces no measurable deformation of silicon surfaces and is compatible with package designs of tight tolerance. Seals have been made with glass coatings in 10-mm to 20-mm thickness range without any prior annealing of coated silicon substrates

Lost and Afraid in the Library: How Academic Librarians are Conquering Library Anxiety Today

How many times has a library patron apologized for asking a question or seemed too shy to walk up to the reference desk? Both public and academic librarians would say one too many. Too often does a patron’s question go unanswered due to an inherent fear of the library. Whether it is the size of the library, unfamiliarity with the library system, or the fear of appearing ignorant to others, there are many reasons why libraries can instill fear into the hearts of its patrons. Since the 1980s, library anxiety has been a buzzword around libraries across the world, inspiring librarians to conduct research on its definition, possible antecedents, and methods for relief. With this knowledge, academic librarians are currently hard at work assessing anxiety in their own libraries and creating new and inspiring methods to make the library a relaxing place once more.Ope

On the use of IR lidar and K(sub a)-band radar for observing cirrus clouds

Advances in lidar and radar technology have potential for providing new and better information on climate significant parameters of cirrus. Consequently, the NOAA Wave Propagation Lab. is commencing CLARET (Cloud Lidar And Radar Exploratory Test) to evaluate the promise of these new capabilities. Parameters under study include cloud particle size distribution, height of cloud bases, tops, and multiple layers, and cloud dynamics revealed through measurement of vertical motions. The first phase of CLARET is planned for Sept. 1989. The CO2 coherent Doppler lidar and the sensitive K sub a band radar hold promise for providing valuable information on cirrus that is beyond the grasp of current visible lidars

The Current and Future Treatment of Brain Metastases

Brain metastases are the most common intracranial malignancy, accounting for significant morbidity and mortality in oncology patients. The current treatment paradigm for brain metastasis depends on the patient’s overall health status, the primary tumor pathology, and the number and location of brain lesions. Herein, we review the modern management options for these tumors, including surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Recent operative advances, such as fluorescence, confocal microscopy, and brachytherapy, are highlighted. With an increased understanding of the pathophysiology of brain metastasis come increased future therapeutic options. Therapy targeted to specific tumor molecular pathways, such as those involved in blood-brain barrier transgression, cell-cell adhesion, and angiogenesis, are also reviewed. A personalized plan for each patient, based on molecular characterizations of the tumor that are used to better target radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is undoubtedly the future of brain metastasis treatment

Analysis of testbed airborne multispectral scanner data from Superflux II

A test bed aircraft multispectral scanner (TBAMS) was flown during the James Shelf, Plume Scan, and Chesapeake Bay missions as part of the Superflux 2 experiment. Excellent correlations were obtained between water sample measurements of chlorophyll and sediment and TBAMS radiance data. The three-band algorithms used were insensitive to aircraft altitude and varying atmospheric conditions. This was particularly fortunate due to the hazy conditions during most of the experiments. A contour map of sediment, and also chlorophyll, was derived for the Chesapeake Bay plume along the southern Virginia-Carolina coastline. A sediment maximum occurs about 5 nautical miles off the Virginia Beach coast with a chlorophyll maximum slightly shoreward of this. During the James Shelf mission, a thermal anomaly (or front) was encountered about 50 miles from the coast. There was a minor variation in chlorophyll and sediment across the boundary. During the Chesapeake Bay mission, the Sun elevation increased from 50 degrees to over 70 degrees, interfering with the generation of data products

Daibase Sill Comanche County, Oklahoma

The mechanics of intrusion and the processes involved are becoming of more and more interest to con­temporary geologists, because most of our mineral deposits are associated with igneous intrusions, and unknown-outcropping deposits are thought to be a thing of the past. If, by studying these pro­cesses, we could understand why some igneous masses are barren, while others of similar composition carry economic mineral deposits, geological prospecting for hidden mineral concentration would see a new era

A Quantitative Analysis of Published Skull Base Endoscopy Literature

Objectives Skull base endoscopy allows for minimal access approaches to the sinonasal contents and cranial base. Advances in endoscopic technique and applications have been published rapidly in recent decades. Setting: We utilized an Internet-based scholarly database (Web of Science, Thomson Reuters) to query broad-based phrases regarding skull base endoscopy literature. Participants: All skull base endoscopy publications. Main Outcome Measures: Standard bibliometrics outcomes. Results: We identified 4,082 relevant skull base endoscopy English-language articles published between 1973 and 2014. The 50 top-cited publications (n = 51, due to articles with equal citation counts) ranged in citation count from 397 to 88. Most of the articles were clinical case series or technique descriptions. Most (96% [49/51])were published in journals specific to either neurosurgery or otolaryngology. Conclusions: A relatively small number of institutions and individuals have published a large amount of the literature. Most of the publications consisted of case series and technical advances, with a lack of randomized trials

Paraplegia induced by mild trauma in a child with thoracic spinal arachnoid cyst

AbstractSpinal arachnoid cysts are rare entities that often present with progressive myelopathy and are treated via surgical excision and fenestration. The acute onset of symptoms from these lesions is not well described in the literature. We report an 18-month-old child with acute onset of paraplegia following a mild trauma, who was found to have a compressive dorsal thoracic intradural spinal arachnoid cyst and emergently treated via surgical decompression and cyst resection. After several months of physical therapy the child achieved meaningful neurologic recovery. Spinal arachnoid cysts can cause acute decompensation in children with serious neurological injury following mild trauma, this risk should be weighed when managing asymptomatic lesions