Virtual Anatomy: The Dissecting Theatre of the Future—Implementation of Cinematic Rendering in a Large 8 K High-Resolution Projection Environment

Modern computer techniques have been in use for several years to generate three-dimensional visualizations of human anatomy. Very good 3-D computer models of the human body are now available and used routinely in anatomy instruction. These techniques are subsumed under the heading “virtual anatomy” to distinguish them from the conventional study of anatomy entailing cadavers and anatomy textbooks. Moreover, other imaging procedures (X-ray, angiography, CT and MR) are also used in virtual anatomy instruction. A recently introduced three-dimensional post-processing technique named Cinematic Rendering now makes it possible to use the output of routine CT and MR examinations as the basis for highly photo-realistic 3-D depictions of human anatomy. We have installed Cinematic Rendering (enabled for stereoscopy) in a high-definition 8K 3-D projection space that accommodates an audience of 150. The space’s projection surface measures 16 × 9 meters;images can be projected on both the front wall and the floor. A game controller can be used to operate Cinematic Rendering software so that it can generate interactive real-time depictions of human anatomy on the basis of CT and MR data sets. This prototype installation was implemented without technical problems;in day-to-day, real-world use over a period of 22 months, there were no impairments of service due to software crashes or other technical problems. We are already employing this installation routinely for educational offerings open to the public, courses for students in the health professions, and (continuing) professional education units for medical interns, residents and specialists—in, so to speak, the dissecting theater of the future.

Introducing Cinematic Rendering: A Novel Technique for Post-Processing Medical Imaging Data

Since the 1980s, various techniques have been used in the field of medicine for the post-processing of medical imaging data from computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR). They include multiplanar reformations (MPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP) and Volume Rendering (VR). This paper presents the prototype of a new means of post-processing radiological examinations such as CT and MR, a technique that, for the first time, provides photorealistic visualizations of the human body. This new procedure was inspired by the quality of images achieved by animation software such as programs used in the entertainment industry, particularly to produce animated films. Thus, the name: Cinematic Rendering. It is already foreseeable that this new method of depiction will quickly be incorporated into the set of instruments employed in socalled virtual anatomy (teaching anatomy through the use of radiological depictions of the human body via X-ray, CT and MR in addition to the use of computer animation programs designed especially for human anatomy). Its potential for medical applications will have to be evaluated by future scientific investigations.

History (Whose Story?)“Written With Lighting”: A Cinematic Representation of the “Traumatic Past “of the Germans in World War Ⅰ

The powerful ability of film to present the traumatized German war veteran that traces how some of the most vulnerable members of society, marginalized and persecuted as ‘enemies of the nation,’ attempted to regain authority over their own minds and reclaim the authentic memory of the Great War under Weimar Germany and the Third Reich. The mentally disabled survivor of the trenches became a focus of debate between competing social and political groups, each attempting to construct their own versions of the national community and the memory of the war experience. By examining the psychological effects of war on ordinary Germans and the way these war victims have shaped perceptions of madness and mass violence, the expressionist cinema explores how the classical German cinema of the Weimar Republic was haunted by the horrors of World War I and the the devastating effects of the nation's defeat. This paper purposes to analyse how this post-traumatic cinema transformed extreme psychological states into visual expression;how it pushed the limits of cinematic representation with its fragmented story lines, distorted perspectives, and stark lighting;and how it helped create a modernist film language that anticipated film noir and remains incredibly influential today.

Female Warriors in the MCU and Wuxia Films:A Comparative Study

This essay offers a comprehensive comparative analysis of female warriors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU)and Wuxia films.Both genres portray powerful and empowered female characters who defy societal expectations and embody resilience,effectively challenging gender norms and promoting female empowerment.However,despite their strength,many of these women warriors face certain narrative factors,such as the male gaze and a predetermined fate,which can restrict their agency and curtail their full potential.And it is within the realm of Wuxia films that the captivating element of cross-dressing among female warriors emerges,providing a nuanced exploration of identity and the constraints imposed by society.

Performance Indicators for Sun-Tracking Systems: A Case Study in Spain

Current PV cells technology takes advantage mainly from beam radiation. In this context the sun-trackers are such devices for efficiency improvement. On the other hand, projected shadows between devices make mandatory to increase the distances between mounting systems. Thus, the land’s capacity for mounting PV panels can be dramatically decreased. This fact conducts us to wonder where the optimum efficient point is. First, in this paper different types of sun-tracking systems are classified according to the movement they perform (cinematic classification). Further, three real PV installations-fixed, horizontal-axis tracking and dual-axis mount tracking—located in the same geographical area in Spain (they are approximately under the same weather conditions) are analyzed. These installations have been studied in order to establish which one is the most efficient and affordable—Specific Energy Production (SEP) and Performance Ratio (PR) analysis. PVGIS solar radiation estimate tool has been used for comparing the theoretical radiation potential on each plant. The land requirements have been considered in the analysis of the Ground Cover Ratio (GCR) and the Surface Performance Ratio (SPR). Moreover, comparing three main financial indicators let us carry out a financial study: Payback Time (PBT), Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). In the case study, final annual energetic results demonstrate that the dual-axis plant shows a relevant SEP advantage, but if we take into account the land occupied for this sort of devices we find much more profitable the horizontal-axis sun-tracking system, with a SPR value 4.24% higher than the fixed system we have studied. Its PBT is also a 22% lower than the dual-axis tracking installation.

Othello： From Shakespeare＇s play to Oliver Parker＇s film

Othello has long been recognized as one of the most powerful of Shakespeare＇s tragedies. It is an intense drama of love, deception, jealousy and destruction. Desdemona＇s love for Othello, the Moor, transcends racial prejudice, but the envious Iago conspires to destroy their lives. In its vivid rendering of racism, sexism, contested identities, and the savagery lurking within civilization, Othello is inarguably the most topical and accessible tragedy from Shakespeare＇s major phase as a dramatist. Productions on stage and screen regularly renew its power to engross, impress and trouble the imagination. A good adaptation can neither remain confined to the theatre stage nor abandon that intrinsic theatricality which beats in the heart of Shakespearean drama. Of different adaptations of Othello, the American director, Oliver Parker＇s is one of those which reconcile very well the theatrical drama with cinematic elements. This paper, based on Shakespeare＇s play, will make a brief analysis on Oliver Parker＇s film and then focus on a comparison between the characterizations of the evil character, Iago, in Shakespeare＇s play and in Oliver Parker＇s film.

The Empty Face of the Self-portrait： Time, Specter, and Event in The Fourth Portrait by Meng-Hung Chung

This short paper aims to critically analyze a contemporary Taiwan Residents film, The Fourth Portrait, directed by Meng-Hung Chung, from the perspective of Delenzian theories. In Deleuze＇s two books on cinema, the discussion of images demonstrates the entangled juxtaposition of the three levels： brain-thought, cinema-screen, and world-images that compose the cinematic consciousness. Through the interacted movement-images and time-images, the film unfolds the storyline within the aesthetic pleasure of poetic sentiment that gradually leads the audience to learn that a wandering boy, Hsiao-Hsiang, after the death of his father, has had several adventurous encounters that gradually expose the secrecy of his traumatic family： His birth mother has no decent job and his step-father has killed his own brother. This broken family has been haunted by the shared guilt and the undead memory as Derrida famously claims that hauntology precedes ontology. As the past coexists with the present, Deleuze analyzes the concept of I, with a central fracture in its pure form of the past demonstrating an ontological enigma that remains forever a secret. When the director uses the four portraits to indicate the four important events of this wandering boy, he deliberately leaves empty the fourth portrait, the self-portrait of the boy; it remains as an incomplete piece which symbolizes an enigma of his own life. It shows certain constitutive unnamable forces acting within the boy that seduces him forever to painfully misrecognize himself.