The Metaphorical Character in the Poetry of Abdullah Al-Bardouni: A Semiotic Study

تقف هذه الدراسة على مدونة الشاعر عبد الله البردوني الشعرية عبر زاوية محددة، تنظر إلى تجربته وواقعه الذي جسده في النص على أسس إنسانية يستمدها من استعارة الشاعر للشخصيات الإنسانية؛ والشاعر حين يقيم نصه على أسس إنسانية لا يختلقها من العدم، وإنما هو يستمدها من تجربته الإنسانية ومن واقعه بوصفه مصدرا يستدعي منه مادته الإنسانية والاستدعاء ليس غاية في ذاته، والشاعر حين يستدعي شخصية من التراث مثلا لا يستهدف مجرد الاستدعاء؛ فالاستدعاء هنا يكون بمثابة تغيير للسياق حيث ينقل الشاعر الشخصية من سياقها السابق لسياق جديد مستهدفا تخصيب دلالة جديدة تنضاف إلى الدلالة القائمة في السياق السابق.  الشخصيات المستعارة شخصيات جاهزة الوجود فالشاعر لم يبتكرها الشاعر من العدم، وإنما هي شخصيات حققت وجودها في الواقع واستقرت في الذهن الجمعي لذا فالشاعر ليس في حاجة  إلى تعريفها أو تقديم بطاقة تعريف بها إذ هو يستعيرها من منطقة الشهرة، وجاهزية الشخصية سلاح ذو حدين، فليست هي المجهولة التي يتشوق المتلقي لمعرفتها، وهو ما يحسب للمتلقي، وإنما هي المعروفة التي قد تجعل المتلقي يحجم عن معرفتها فاقدا التشوق لما يطرحه الشاعر لها من سمات فنية تجعلها في صورة قابلة للتشوق، أي إن الشاعر يقاوم  جاهزية الشخصية بتقديم جاهزية جديدة. ولكون الإنسان موضوعاً للخطاب الأدبي، وكونه منتجاً للخطاب بوظيفته الجمالية التي يؤديها وتوظيفها عبر آلية محددة تتقدم هذه الدراسة لتحقيق أهدافها في ثلاث خطوات أساسية: الكشف عن مفهوم الاستعارة وكيف تحققت لدى الشاعر. أنماط الشخصيات المستعارة، واختيار ثلاث شخصيات تبيانا لمساحة ظهورها. الوقوف على أربعة وظائف حققتها استعارة الشخصية: اللغوية، البلاغية، السردية، الدلالية.    This study deals with the poetic blog of the poet Abdullah Al Bardony from a certain perspective. It deals with his experience and the reality he embodied in the text based on human bases which the poet extracts from recalling previous human characters. Upon doing that, the poet does not create these human bases from the beginning but he extracts them from his human experience and from his reality which he considers a source from which he recalls his human material. Recalling that is not an end. The poet does not intend only such recall such as when he recalls a character from heritage. The recall here is a change of context where the poet removes the character from a context to another with the intention to target the enrichment of a new meaning to be added to the outstanding meaning in the previous context. Recalling previous characters is like borrowing characters that were ready in existence. The poet did not create them from nothing. They are characters that were realized in reality and felt by the minds of the people. The poet does not need to define such characters or to identify them to the society. He borrows these characters as they are famous everywhere. The preparation of characters is a double-edged weapon. They are not unknown so that recipients are eager to know them but they are already known so that recipients may be reluctant to know them as they are losing passion to what artistic features the poet may cover them with to make these characters appear appalling. In short, the poet resists the preparedness of characters with the presentation of a new preparedness. Since man is the main theme of the art work, and since man is producing the dialogue through its whole function that he may perform and employ through a certain mechanism, this study aims at achieving its objectives through three main steps: Defining the term of borrowing (recalling previous characters) and how did the poet realize it. Types of recalled (borrowed) characters and choosing three of them to identify the size of their presence. Identifying four functions realized by recalling (borrowing) characters: linguistic, rhetoric, narrative and semantic functions. &nbsp

Argus II retinal prosthesis for retinitis pigmentosa in the Middle East: The 2015 Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology Gradle Lecture

Background: To describe the outcomes of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) who received the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System. Methods: This retrospective, interventional case series evaluated 10 consecutive patients who received the Argus II retinal implant and underwent visual function tests with the system on and system off. The main outcome measures were safety (the number, seriousness, and relatedness of adverse events), and visual function measured by computer-based objective tests, including square localization (SL) and direction of motion (DOM). Secondary measures included functional vision performance, including orientation and mobility (O&M) tasks. Results: There were no intraoperative complications and all prostheses remained implanted at the end of follow up. The mean patient age was 41.3 years; mean duration of the implant in vivo was 2.1 years. One patient had a suture exposure over the coil suture tab and over the inferior case suture tab at 2 years postoperatively, which was managed successfully. One patient developed mild vitreous hemorrhage that resolved spontaneously. One patient developed high intraocular pressure postoperatively due to a tight scleral band (SB) that was managed successfully. Patients performed significantly better with the Argus II system on than off on all tasks. Conclusion: Patients who received the Argus II had a safety profile out to 4 years post-implantation that was markedly better than that observed in the pre-approval phase of the Argus II. In this population of RP patients, the Argus II retinal prosthesis provided useful visual function over several years that likely translates into improved quality of life. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier, NCT00407602

SARS-CoV-2 vaccination modelling for safe surgery to save lives: data from an international prospective cohort study

Background: Preoperative SARS-CoV-2 vaccination could support safer elective surgery. Vaccine numbers are limited so this study aimed to inform their prioritization by modelling. Methods: The primary outcome was the number needed to vaccinate (NNV) to prevent one COVID-19-related death in 1 year. NNVs were based on postoperative SARS-CoV-2 rates and mortality in an international cohort study (surgical patients), and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence and case fatality data (general population). NNV estimates were stratified by age (18-49, 50-69, 70 or more years) and type of surgery. Best- and worst-case scenarios were used to describe uncertainty. Results: NNVs were more favourable in surgical patients than the general population. The most favourable NNVs were in patients aged 70 years or more needing cancer surgery (351; best case 196, worst case 816) or non-cancer surgery (733; best case 407, worst case 1664). Both exceeded the NNV in the general population (1840; best case 1196, worst case 3066). NNVs for surgical patients remained favourable at a range of SARS-CoV-2 incidence rates in sensitivity analysis modelling. Globally, prioritizing preoperative vaccination of patients needing elective surgery ahead of the general population could prevent an additional 58 687 (best case 115 007, worst case 20 177) COVID-19-related deaths in 1 year. Conclusion: As global roll out of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination proceeds, patients needing elective surgery should be prioritized ahead of the general population