Do you feel like a hero yet? - Spec Ops: The Line and the Concept of the Hero

Working from a Folklore Studies and Cultural Studies perspective, I discuss the concept of a traditional hero-narrative as well as what makes up the hero-character. I then analyse the 2012 PC game Spec Ops: The Line as a modern contribution to hero-narratives, and as a conscious digression from them. My discussion of the hero-character is based on the work of notable Folklore scholars such as Propp as well as scholars from related fields, for instance Hourihan and Hosiaisluoma. I also discuss some particular aspects of analysing the narrative of a computer game - an interactive form of media - as well as briefly touching upon the intertextual context of Spec Ops: The Line. In my analysis, I come to the conclusion, that Spec Ops: The Line is a conscious subversion of the modern military hero-narrative; it at first sets up expectations of adhering to the genre and theme, which it then flaunts and actively criticises. The protagonist, Captain Martin Walker, starts out a heroic character, but soon fails this role. His final role in the narrative ultimately depends on the player s choices in the game s final chapter

Could flies explain the elusive epidemiology of campylobacteriosis?

BACKGROUND: Unlike salmonellosis with well-known routes of transmission, the epidemiology of campylobacteriosis is still largely unclear. Known risk factors such as ingestion of contaminated food and water, direct contact with infected animals and outdoor swimming could at most only explain half the recorded cases. DISCUSSION: We put forward the hypothesis that flies play a more important role in the transmission of the bacteria, than has previously been recognized. Factors supporting this hypothesis are: 1) the low infective dose of Campylobacter; 2) the ability of flies to function as mechanical vectors; 3) a ubiquitous presence of the bacteria in the environment; 4) a seasonality of the disease with summer peaks in temperate regions and a more evenly distribution over the year in the tropics; 5) an age pattern for campylobacteriosis in western travellers to the tropics suggesting other routes of transmission than food or water; and finally 6) very few family clusters. SUMMARY: All the evidence in favour of the fly hypothesis is circumstantial and there may be alternative explanations to each of the findings supporting the hypothesis. However, in the absence of alternative explanations that could give better clues to the evasive epidemiology of Campylobacter infection, we believe it would be unwise to rule out flies as important mechanical vectors also of this disease

Bronchoscopic diagnosis of pulmonary infections in a heterogeneous, nonselected group of patients

Fiberoptic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and protected specimen brush technique has become an established method for etiologic diagnosis in severe forms of pulmonary infections during recent years. In this study, including 62 bronchoscopies in 53 patients, a standardized program, covering all important pulmonary pathogens, has been evaluated in a heterogeneous group of patients. Results providing therapeutic guidelines were obtained in 53 percent (16/30) of the immunocompromised patients (including 5 bronchoscopies on HIV-positive patients), but only 19 percent (6/32) of the immunocompetent patients (p < 0.001). We conclude that bronchoscopy is of great value for diagnosing pulmonary infections in immunocompromised patients. In immunocompetent patients, the diagnostic yield is lower and the indication for bronchoscopy must be established for each individual patient based on clinical importance, resources, and risk. When bronchoscopy is performed, we believe that a standardized program like ours reduces the risk of missing important pathogens