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Scribere quid cogitas
A WRITER'S
CHRONICLE
Sunday 14th November 2021
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INCREDIBLE INNOVATION
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Index
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One of our community members is a bit of a genius on the quiet.
They have invented a "wireless implantable sensor for an
orthopaedic procedure called 'spinal fusion surgery', which
is performed to alleviate pain that cannot be managed other
ways".
So, who is this stranger in our midst?
@debmunro_author aka Deborah Munro or, to use the
correct form of address, Dr. Deborah Munro. It sounds
intimidating but I have discovered more about the real
person behind the title, and I'll let her give you a little
background info.
I am American and grew up in northern California in a small
town called Placerville, where gold was discovered, which
propelled California into becoming a state long before the
states around it.
I went to universities in California for my Bachelor's and
Master's in Mechanical Engineering and my Doctorate in
Biological Systems Engineering. After early careers at
NASA Ames Research Center and an entertainment
robotics company that made the dinosaurs for the Jurassic
Park Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, I switched to
orthopaedic implant design (artificial hips and knees).
My doctoral research was about wireless implantable sensors
for an orthopaedic procedure called spinal fusion surgery,
which is performed to alleviate pain that cannot be managed
other ways. I have multiple patents for my sensor design,
and I am in the process of trying to commercialize it.
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I have been working in academia since 2006, and worked full
time from 2008 to 2016 in Portland, Oregon, where I taught
in the Mechanical Engineering department and created a
Masters in Biomedical Engineering program. I left the
university in 2016 to pursue my spinal fusion sensor
research full time with funding from an orthopaedic company,
but that funding ended in 2018.
To continue my research, I took it back into an academic
setting. Since my children were grown, I could go anywhere
I wanted, and I chose beautiful Christchurch, New Zealand.
I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of Canterbury in
the Mechanical Engineering department, and I was hired to
implement a new specialization for a Minor in Biomedical
Engineering, which has been going well.
Recently, I won two awards for my spinal fusion
sensor research, the HealthTech Supernode Challenge
in October 2020 and the HealthTech Award for Best
Translational Research in early 2021. These have helped
me attract interest and potential investors to try and
commercialize this research once again.
Writing is my 'other' passion. I write hard science
thrillers set in the contemporary world. All the science in
my writing is well-researched and either real or plausible.
The closest analogy for my first novel, APEX, would be
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. He was a medical doctor,
and I love his underlying message that we shouldn't mess
with nature just because we can. My novel has been through
multiple development edits, but it looks like it might need
a bit more work before it goes to the copy editor.
In the meantime, I've published three short stories through
a coalition of authors called 'Writing Bloc'. I have also
written a technical guidebook published by Springer on
micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication called
"DIY MEMS."
And in case you're wondering how those super-small circuits
get made, Deborah prepares the silicon wafers by cleaning,
coating, etching and removing any unwanted coating leaving
only the circuit pathways on the wafer. She then uses an
inductively coupled ion plasma beam to etch the
surface of the micro-circuits to the appropriate depth. And
that just describes the first step in a four step process!
Each wafer has eighty sensors on it. These are individually
removed using a microscope and a needle, then manipulated
using tweezers to glue a sensor into place on a device
known as
a spinal rod. Then it has to be tested by placing it in a
jig which bends the rod and the signal output from the
sensor is recorded.
The mounted sensor gets sealed in a housing along with its
electronics and antenna. This is implanted in the body and
is wirelessly powered through the skin with an external
reader, like a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).
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Haiku
I've picked out some contrasting tones for the haiku
in this edition. The first, as you will see, is quite
creepy.
The author of this haiku is @SanjaRaic1.
Using the #Haikuchallenge (#Swing).
sounds of a swing rise
from the neighbouring garden
evening phantom breeze
The next one, by contrast, definitely has more than
a hint of schoolday mishaps!
The author of this haiku is @starfish_72.
Royal blue fingers
ink leaked into my pocket
a smurf for the day
What follows is a prime example of the courange
and determination that is being displayed by
someone who is rising to confront the challenges
they now have to face.
#Vss365 : (#dormant)
Subission by @DawnHosmer7.
The beast lies dormant, digging in its claws,
tightening its grip around muscles, tendons, and
bone.
Squeezing ever tighter around your heart and soul.
Your dreams and future.
Waiting to reveal itself, hoping you're too weak
to fight.
While it was growing, so were you.
Fight like hell.
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WordSquare
WordSquare #006
Words must be a minimum of 3 letters long.
They must contain the letter in the shaded square.
Only the letters in the square can be used.
There is at least one 9-letter word in each square.
WordSquare #005 Solution
9 letters
BOUNTIFUL
8 letters
None
7 letters
BOTULIN
6 letters
OILNUT, TUFOLI, ULTION, UNBOLT
5 letters
BIONT, BITOU, BOULT, FLOUT, FOUNT, FUTON, OUBIT
4 letters
BLOT, BOFO, BOIL, BOLT, FILO, FLOB, FOIN, FONT, FOUL, INFO,
INTO, LINO, LION, LOBI, LOFT, LOIN, LOTI, LOUN, LOUT, NOIL,
NOUL, NOUT, OBIT, OINT, TIFO, TOFU, TOIL, TOLU, TOUN, UNTO
3 letters
BIO, BOI, BON, BOT, FOB, FON, FOU, ION, LOB, LOT, LOU, NOB,
NOT, OBI, OFT, OIL, OUT, TON, UFO
Want to make a contribution to the content of
this newspaper?
Get in touch with Owen.
All *polite* suggestions considered.
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Curated Poems
A selection of poems from some of the fine examples produced
by poets on Twitter.
Submission by : @alanlovespoetry
No elephant on my chest
nor in the heavy room,
but one across the street,
his trunk the sound of a childhood song,
he's painting my portrait from memory
and signing his elephant name,
he wonders what kind of animal I am,
he thinks I'm wild and strange.
Submission by : @everettpoetry
I sit on the bank & splash my feet
in the River Styx
watching swans sail with
little paper boats
lit like lanterns
as they float
I think how easy it will be to swim in this old river
& play otter-easy in the flow
drifting away from sun &moon
& all that I rightly know
#FromOneLine
#poem
Submission by : @CatwomanJS
If I were your jukebox
Oh wait, I think I was
Playing the music
You wanted to hear
Forgetting my own inner melody
Same old songs on repeat
Then one day
I played my tune
Rocked on outta there
Dancing
To my own drummer now
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Dare
Are we content to hide in the shadows?
Do we wilt in the face of challenges?
Well, here's one for all of us to consider.
#Vss365 (#Saga)
#BraveWrite
Submission by : @Write2Fite
Transformation of exploration
I
L
T
I
N
G
WALLS of the status quo
Relativity revealing fractures
In a scrim painted #saga silting
Torpid trails of littered questions
Expectations are never answers
DARE TO GROW
Original seedling images courtesy of
Powerhousehydroponics
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HELP SIGN
Please pay attention to this illustration of the widely
recognised signal used to indicate that the person is in
danger and dare not, or cannot, call out for help.
This signal should NEVER be ignored. It can
prevent/end abuse or violence and can save lives.
This image will be available from the
general information
sheet that lists many items that are important as well as
those that may be of interest to members of the community.
Original image source unknown. To be accredited when this
information becomes available.
Apologies to all concerned.
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Curated tweets
Some quality tweets for your enjoyment: produced by members of
the writing community. First, let's have a little something
to chill the blood, shall we?
#Horrorprompt
Submission by : @WindwalkerWrite
It glints at her in the crashing illumination of the
storm, the sadistic, moon-stained grin of the demon.
Still she creeps closer.
In its fist dangles the laces of her son's bloody shoe.
"Here, mommy, mommy," it croons.
There are some talented people in the writing community,
most of whom we miss due to Twitter's ever
changing displays. Almost every day I find
another new talent.
#vss365 (#Saga)
Submission by : @epatrick488
I had hoped for quick awakening, certainly the exigency
that pried open my mind was only a moment.
But the spirit journey back to myself has become a #saga,
one that weaves between reality and dream, and I have
begun to lose track.
At least now I have a map of this place.
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Now it's time for a little devilry with a rat they call Riz.
He's a mouthy little rodent, but it's not his mouth that
proves effective on this occasion.
#vss365 (#Saga)
Submission by : @Brennan_and_Riz
So, I caught sight of Riz's smile and feared the worst.
In this #saga, I'd been thrown from one situation to
another, but having to admit how Riz broke the mind
control...I'm not sure I can. You see...He...Well, he
farted.
(Riz above) (Part 2 below)
No, I'm not joking. Riz is very proud of the fact that
the Halloween #saga was brought to an end because of a
smell he was planning on subjecting me and Valarie to. The
kids found it hilarious, and the surrealiness of a rat
fart shattered Gallows link.
Know of anyone with a talent you admire?
Why not recommend them to The Writer's Chronicle?
A week of exposure for their skills whether they are an
painter, photographer, writer, poet, graphics designer,
etc.
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The first #SciFiFri hashtag to catch my eye and it's an
intriguing two-parter that leaves the reader wanting more.
#SciFiFri (#unearth)
Submission by : @bionicanadian
They're dark ways given life. Huge monoliths, misshapen
things with jagged teeth. Come to do terrible things,
bring about the end of times. I've been in a time loop
for eons. I must #unearth their reasons, stop the alien
invasion, brush up on arcane knowledge and
learn the secrets of the shadow realms from some
transient beings. All this before my loop starts over
again and I forget everything. This time I'll leave
myself easier clues to decipher...
I hope, whoever these two people are, they're not trying to
stop me publishing.
#vss365 (#Hypothetically)
Submission by : @DevillineS
"#Hypothetically, I could intercept you before you're
able to publish. We need a way to convince you of who
I am in each life. This routine is exhausting. We have
to document the truth somewhere permanent that you'll
recognize."
"My birthmark!I have the same 1 in each life."
Though they could be because I'd have no recollection of
it!
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Sun Surfing
Photograph courtesy of @Pacecar70
A whimsical submission by @Pacecar70
#Vss365 (#Vss365)
The sun went out
in #retrograde
the planets all rebel
We miss your sunshine
smiling face and
warm sweet kiss as well
Come back sun
to light our way
Kiss us once again
Set fire to our waves
And we'll teach you
how to hang ten
As an afterthought there's this additional comment
Can't believe I caught the sun surfing..
Other photographs, drawings, paintings, illustrations will
be considered for inclusion in this publication.
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ARTICLES FOR FUTURE EDITIONS
There are certain areas of the writing community that are
under-represented here, which is mainly due to my lack of
involvement in those areas. That does not mean that these
genres/areas/topics are excluded. If you have any articles
tweets, stories, anecdotes to share then do, please, submit
them for consideration.
This is meant to be a publication for the entire writing
community, along with artists, editors, cover designers,
etc.
Like what you've seen here?
Tell your friends, partners, peers, anyone and everyone
who may be interested in any of the content.
Paperboy image courtesy of pin clipart
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A Farewell
A Sorrowful Parting.
Submission by @therealSIR3
#VssDaily (#ring)
He felt his ears #ring hollow with the memory of soft
peals of laughter, fixing the headstone with a shocked
face.
"Oh God, I miss you." The words spilled from numb lips
as his face crumbled.
A single rose fell unnoticed from nerveless fingers,
landing alone. Like him.
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A Farewell (Part 2)
Submission by @therealSIR3
#Vss365 (#dormant)
Her #dormant spirit woke, sensing his presence above
her, an umbrella of pain and loss darkening her rest as
tears mixed with rose petals in a sorrowful potpourri.
Emotions that could never be words, but still... "I
miss you too."
Image courtesy of
nikolaevgifts
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Produced by and for Owen G. Richards
and anyone else even remotely interested or
amused by this stuff.
First introduced September 2021 in an alternative format.
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