Wessam Bou-Assaly – Are Handheld Devices the Future in Radiology?

medical imaging technologies, the bigger and better machines are much more capable. Still, a future where small imaging devices would be commonplace is definitely a possibility.

Possible Benefits

Easy access is one of the most obvious benefits that come to mind. If radiologists could use handheld imaging devices, they could also carry those devices with them and use them with greater ease whenever and wherever they are needed. Among the potential limiting factors, we have to mention costs and even confidentiality, as a device like that would likely be connected to the Internet, leaving it vulnerable to potential cyber-attacks.

Why They’re Still Not Feasible

Handheld devices could one day take over the field of radiology, but there are clear reasons why this revolution will not happen in the foreseeable future. There are actually some devices that can do CT brain imaging and even mammograms, but the quality of the imaging, combined with the clear limitations that the size of the screen brings, simply do not allow them to become anything more than an emergency solution.

For emergency purposes, such devices are viable and can actually help out physicians and other medical practitioners, but until the technology becomes more powerful and these devices become capable of providing a bigger image through either holographic or virtual reality solutions, traditional machines will remain the dominant form of radio imaging. Wessam Bou-Assaly is an expert radiologist who loves to see new technical innovations in his profession.

Sources: http://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/full/10.2217/iim.10.54

http://www.wsj.com/articles/virtual-reality-is-coming-to-medical-imaging-1455592257

 

Wessam Bou-Assaly on “The Championships”

As an avid tennis fan who loves to follow the game as much as he likes to play it, Wessam Bou-Assaly appreciates the special sporting event that the Wimbledon Grand Slam is every year. When asked to pick the best, most prestigious one out of the four Grand Slams, most people usually mention Wimbledon, and they probably have very good – and valid – reasons to do that.

Prestige

For starters, Wimbledon is the oldest out of the four, having been founded in 1877, four years before the US Open. While its age is important, that’s not the only reason for this distinction. The other – and probably more important – is its status. Until the 1924/1925 season, Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam tournament. It was only that year when the other three tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, and US Open) have joined Wimbledon in the rankings, starting a new era in tennis.

Played on Grass

There is just something majestic about grass. Maybe it’s the fact that grass courts are – by far – the rarest out of all surfaces. There are not a whole lot of grass courts around the world, certainly not if we go by professional standards.

The Location

The fact that it is played in London, often in the courtesy of one or more members of the royal family, doesn’t hurt its case either. Even the Queen has attended the tournament in recent years, several decades after her previous visit which took place in 1977. As a big fan of the game, Wessam Bou-Assaly appreciates the role that Wimbledon plays in the tennis world.

Sources:

http://www.totalsportek.com/list/nine-facts-make-wimbledon-different-grand-slams/

Wessam Bou-Assaly on Learning to Play the Piano

Wessam Bou-Assaly is an avid enthusiast of classical music who enjoys playing the piano whenever he can get the chance to do so. Piano is a popular musical instrument because it offers people a glimpse into what it would be like if they could really play it. But what does it take to get to an at least intermediate level?

Ease Your Way Into it
The ability to play fast requires an enormous amount of skill. In the beginning, playing at a slower but more concentrated pace can really help in memorizing patterns and learning different tunes. Speed cannot really be forced. It will come on its own when your skill level is high enough and the muscle memory kicks in.
 
Full Concentration
Daniel Barenboim, one of the best piano players in the world, often mentions concentration. Not just any kind either, but the type that requires all of your willpower. Half an hour of spirited, concentrated effort can prove to be more valuable than five hours of procrastination interrupted by occasional surges of creativity. Practice does not require anyone’s genius, only their maximum effort.

Master Short Passages
Mastering the piano is not about learning songs. Just because you can play a song at a high level – or even perfectly – doesn’t mean you can play the piano. Short passages are good because they engage your brain, allowing it to absorb the knowledge more efficiently, building muscle memory in the process.

Wessam Bou-Assaly has managed to master the piano at an intermediate level.

Sources:

https://blog.key-notes.com/efficient-piano-practice.html

http://artiden.com/muscle-memory-musicians-secret-weapon/