Channelling figurativity through narrative : the paranarrative in fiction and non-fiction

Contrary to wide-spread assumptions, metaphor in narrative is not a pre-established, extra-textual form appearing in different instances of discourse, but rather an event resulting from a strategic distribution of information in the narrative process. Hence, the appeal to conceptual cultural knowledge is to be considered as a consequence, and not as a prerequisite of metaphor interpretation. By means of the concept of the paranarrative, we highlight the rhetorical interconnectedness of metaphor with other figures of speech (such as metonymy) and we explore the narrative integration of diacritic forms of indirectness. In order to illustrate the terminology that can address these focal concerns, the paper discusses the relation between tropes and narrative, via selected examples from narrative texts (both fictional and non-fictional) written by Juli Zeh, Herta Müller, Jürgen Nieraad, and Siddhartha Mukherjee. As their common denominator, these examples channel through narrative figurative domains considered to be known intuitively to wit: personifications; iconic pars pro toto references to concentration camps; and metaphors for cancer in disease biographies

Being Tamil, being Hindu:Tamil migrants’ negotiations of the absence of Tamil Hindu spaces in the West Midlands and South West of England

This paper considers the religious practices of Tamil Hindus who have settled in the West Midlands and South West of England in order to explore how devotees of a specific ethno-regional Hindu tradition with a well-established UK infrastructure in the site of its adherents’ population density adapt their religious practices in settlement areas which lack this infrastructure. Unlike the majority of the UK Tamil population who live in the London area, the participants in this study did not have ready access to an ethno-religious infrastructure of Tamil-orientated temples and public rituals. The paper examines two means by which this absence was addressed as well as the intersections and negotiations of religion and ethnicity these entailed: firstly, Tamil Hindus’ attendance of temples in their local area which are orientated towards a broadly imagined Hindu constituency or which cater to a non-Tamil ethno-linguistic or sectarian community; and, secondly, through the ‘DIY’ performance of ethnicised Hindu ritual in non-institutional settings

Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome in Children : Experience With Four Cases of Acute Ischaemia and Review of the Literature

Objective: Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is an uncommon anatomical anomaly, frequently described in adults. The most common symptom is claudication. Acute limb ischaemia (ALI) in children is rare, but it may evolve and lead to limb loss or lifelong complications. Clinical and surgical experience of PAES in children is reported. Data from the literature are analysed in order to assess the severity of this disease and to identify the factors characterising the diagnosis and the outcome of treatment in paediatric patients. Methods: Four children (aged 7-16 years) were referred with ALI due to PAES. Among the 439 articles reporting cases of PAES, 55 patients under 18 years of age were the focus. The PAES cases were classified according to the Love and Whelan classification modified by Rich. Results: Data from 79 children (106 limbs, 27 bilateral PAES) were collected and analysed. Type I PAES was present in 41 (39%), Type II in 23 (22%), Type III in 24 (23%), Type IV in 12 (11%), and Type V in two (2%) limbs. A functional PAES was present in one patient bilaterally. In two cases, the type of PAES was not reported. Claudication occurred in 68 cases (64%), and ALI in 19 (18%). In 60 cases (57%), revascularisation with or without myotomy was required; myotomy alone was performed in 41 cases (39%). Conclusions: Symptomatic PAES in children should be considered a severe condition requiring urgent investigation in order to avoid any delays in the treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent serious complications. The long-term outcomes of surgical treatment with the correction of the anatomical anomaly and vascular reconstruction are satisfactory with a low complication rate. (C) 2017 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Robotic milking implementation in the Sverdlovsk region

The research topic is relevant due to a high rate of the implementation of milking robots (automatic milking system, AMS) in Western Europe and in the Middle Urals. As of January 1, 2016, 21 milking robot systems of six different brands of foreign production were installed in the region. Milking robotics is used in small, medium and large enterprises (by the number of personnel), in contrast to Western Europe, where it is mainly used on the farms of family type. The article examines the socioeconomic causes of the introduction of robotics, as well as the impact of the use of robots to the economic indicators of milk production. The expert survey has revealed as the main reasons for the introduction of robotics, a desire to reduce the risks of personnel (45.5 %) and a shortage of staff (18.2 %). The analysis of the utilization efficiency of fixed assets in all organizations introduced robots has shown both a decrease of capital productivity after the introduction of milking robots for 15-60 % or more, and the reduce of the profit rate in 9 out of 11 of the analysed organizations because of the high capital intensity of robotics projects. The analysis of labour indicators and the net cost of milk is carried out in 45.5 % of organizations, where we have obtained the consistent results of the use of robotics. The authors have analysed the direct costs for the production of 1 quintal of milk. In a group of 5 companies, on a robotic farm, it is 5.1 % lower than in a conventional farm. The complexity of the production of milk on a robotic farm is lower by 48.7 %, and labour productivity per person is higher on 95.3 % than on conventional farms. The results of the study can be used as the recommendations for agricultural organizations to use robotics milking to reduce the deficit of staff and to minimize the impact of personnel risks on production results. The growth of the importance of the reasons for the introduction of milking robots and a high capital intensity of import robotics can justify the need for a national milking robotics.Рассмотрены социально-экономические причины внедрения робототехники, а также влияние использования роботов на экономические показатели производства молока в сельскохозяйственных организациях Свердловской области. Представлена динамика доильной робототехники и характеристика организаций, использующих роботов