In his quest for spiritual fulfillment, Thomas Stearns Eliot conducts a meticulous religious study which teaches him distinctive interpretations of human existence and their various functions that they are supposed to...In his quest for spiritual fulfillment, Thomas Stearns Eliot conducts a meticulous religious study which teaches him distinctive interpretations of human existence and their various functions that they are supposed to assume in the world. Eliot＇s personal attachment to religious knowledge and his reflections of religious studies inevitably manifest themselves in his literary works; be it his dramas or poems, mostly in the forms of philosophical and psychoanalytical analysis of his characters and the detected problems observed in their relationships. The Cocktail Party, a play starting off as a drawing-room comedy soon converts to a serious analysis of human psychology and the nature of human interactions. While engaging with these particular points, the play offers possibilities to discuss several religious allusions, though dealt with subtly. Integrated with religion, characters＇ attitudes towards a given situation and their final decision position them in their quest either in ＂hypothetical＂ enlightenment or in a ＂supposed＂ repetition of a vicious circle. The enforcing power behind the play is interestingly a psychiatrist, who adds dynamism and mystery to the plot and has a special task in making the play a drama of conversion. The inner conflicts of the characters which ultimately lead to a series of problems in their relationships are the main concern which causes the characters search for different solutions. Accordingly, they make their own choices to cease their inner struggles. This paper aims to explore the concept of conversion in Eliot＇s The Cocktail Party with references to the playwright＇s religious journey in his literary career.展开更多
Objective To evaluate the evolution of etiology, clinical characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes of pericardial effusions in the recent decade. Methods All patients with a diagnosis of pericardial effusion during h...Objective To evaluate the evolution of etiology, clinical characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes of pericardial effusions in the recent decade. Methods All patients with a diagnosis of pericardial effusion during hospitalization were recruited from the Hospital Inpatient System between January 1996 and December 2005. Demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory measurements, echocardiographic and treatment features, and in-hospital outcomes were retrospectively reviewed by using a standardized data collection form. Results One hundred and fifry-three consecutive patients were recruited. Mild, moderate and large pericardial effusion occurred in 61 （40%）, 52 （34%） and 40 （26%） patients, respectively. The most frequent etiologic diagnoses were tuberculous pericarditis （ n = 50, 33% ） , malignancy （ n = 36, 24% ） and idiopathic pericarditis （n = 35, 23% ）. Large effusions were more likely＇ associated with malignancy （P 〈 0. 01 ）. Compared to the initial 5 years （from 1996 to 2000） , the incidence of tuberculous effusion was decreased but neoplastic effusion increased significantly in the recent 5 ）,ears （from 2001 to 2005 ）. Forty-four patients underwent percardiocentesis （tuberculous in 23, neoplastic in 16, and others in 5） and 28 patients required pericardectomy （tuberculous in 11 and neoplastic in 17）. One patient with tuberculous and 3 patients with neoplastic pericardial effusion died during hospitalization. Conclusion Tuberculosis remains the major cause of pericardial effusion, but neoplastic pericardial effusions are on the rise. Pericardial drainage or pericardectomy are often required for symptomatic relief in those with malignancy-caused pericardial effusion.展开更多
文摘In his quest for spiritual fulfillment, Thomas Stearns Eliot conducts a meticulous religious study which teaches him distinctive interpretations of human existence and their various functions that they are supposed to assume in the world. Eliot＇s personal attachment to religious knowledge and his reflections of religious studies inevitably manifest themselves in his literary works; be it his dramas or poems, mostly in the forms of philosophical and psychoanalytical analysis of his characters and the detected problems observed in their relationships. The Cocktail Party, a play starting off as a drawing-room comedy soon converts to a serious analysis of human psychology and the nature of human interactions. While engaging with these particular points, the play offers possibilities to discuss several religious allusions, though dealt with subtly. Integrated with religion, characters＇ attitudes towards a given situation and their final decision position them in their quest either in ＂hypothetical＂ enlightenment or in a ＂supposed＂ repetition of a vicious circle. The enforcing power behind the play is interestingly a psychiatrist, who adds dynamism and mystery to the plot and has a special task in making the play a drama of conversion. The inner conflicts of the characters which ultimately lead to a series of problems in their relationships are the main concern which causes the characters search for different solutions. Accordingly, they make their own choices to cease their inner struggles. This paper aims to explore the concept of conversion in Eliot＇s The Cocktail Party with references to the playwright＇s religious journey in his literary career.
文摘Objective To evaluate the evolution of etiology, clinical characteristics, and in-hospital outcomes of pericardial effusions in the recent decade. Methods All patients with a diagnosis of pericardial effusion during hospitalization were recruited from the Hospital Inpatient System between January 1996 and December 2005. Demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory measurements, echocardiographic and treatment features, and in-hospital outcomes were retrospectively reviewed by using a standardized data collection form. Results One hundred and fifry-three consecutive patients were recruited. Mild, moderate and large pericardial effusion occurred in 61 （40%）, 52 （34%） and 40 （26%） patients, respectively. The most frequent etiologic diagnoses were tuberculous pericarditis （ n = 50, 33% ） , malignancy （ n = 36, 24% ） and idiopathic pericarditis （n = 35, 23% ）. Large effusions were more likely＇ associated with malignancy （P 〈 0. 01 ）. Compared to the initial 5 years （from 1996 to 2000） , the incidence of tuberculous effusion was decreased but neoplastic effusion increased significantly in the recent 5 ）,ears （from 2001 to 2005 ）. Forty-four patients underwent percardiocentesis （tuberculous in 23, neoplastic in 16, and others in 5） and 28 patients required pericardectomy （tuberculous in 11 and neoplastic in 17）. One patient with tuberculous and 3 patients with neoplastic pericardial effusion died during hospitalization. Conclusion Tuberculosis remains the major cause of pericardial effusion, but neoplastic pericardial effusions are on the rise. Pericardial drainage or pericardectomy are often required for symptomatic relief in those with malignancy-caused pericardial effusion.
