bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imported Grain Mills at Cyrene
Authors: Riley John A.
Published: February 2016

There are, in the gardens of the Department of Antiquities at Cyrene, two well preserved grain mills which probably date to the early Imperial Roman period. The context and location of their discovery within Cyrene is not known and their dating must rely on parallels from elsewhere. Moreover, it cannot be certain that each catillus (upper millstone) originally belonged with the meta (lower millstone) with which it is now associated, although it seems likely in view of their compatible sizes.

Both grain mills are of hard, grey, vesicular volcanic lava and were certainly imported into Cyrenaica, which has a purely sedimentary geology and no rock suitable for intensive grinding. A study of millstones in Cyrenaica would for this reason provide important information about the trade in millstones in the eastern Mediterranean region. This subject has received little attention to date, but has considerable potential, particularly in the light of Peacock's recent study (1980) of the complex and wide ranging Roman millstone trade in the central Mediterranean region. It was in this context that a sample was taken from the catillus of each grain mill and examined in thin section using a petrological microscope.
Amphoras in the Apollonia Museum Store
Authors: Riley John A.
Published: February 2016

The store rooms of the Department of Antiquities at Apollonia contain pottery from excavations at Apollonia and Ras el Hilal, together with a few stray finds from other sites (including some from the sea collected by the Royal Air Force Aqualung Society in the 1950s and early 1960s). The bulk of this material dates in the later Roman period (i.e. sixth century A.D. onwards), but includes a little earlier Roman and some Hellenistic pottery. There is a representative selection of coarse wares, including amphoras, as yet unpublished. These are mainly in fragmentary condition but their typological range conforms with that from the well stratified and dated excavations at Berenice-Benghazi (Riley, in press).

Publication of the more complete of these amphoras seems justified as there is a relative scarcity of published information on Roman amphoras from the eastern Mediterranean, at a time when many eastern types are being recognised in western Mediterranean excavated contexts (Panella, 1974; Hayes, 1976a; Riley, 1981). In addition, a brief consideration of the other amphoras helps to illustrate the diversity of trade in liquid agricultural produce within the eastern Mediterranean region. No locally made amphoras were noted on the Apollonia stone: all were imported into Cyrenaica.

The Hellenistic period is represented by Rhodian (Inv. Nos. 321, 322 and 1582) and Knidian (Inv. Nos. 141 and 723) amphora fragments. There are several sherds of early Imperial amphoras, and attention has been drawn to these by Panella (1974). These include a first to second century A.D. Aegean type (ibid., 477, Ostia Form LXIII; Apollonia Box 2036, from Ras el Hilal); a Spanish garum amphora of the same period (ibid., 513, Ostia Form LXIII; Apollonia Inv. No. 256); several Tripolitanian amphoras of the first and second centuries A.D. (ibid., 562, Ostia Form LXIV; Apollonia Inv. Nos. 253, 254, 315 and 317); and a common Aegean amphora of the third and fourth centuries A.D. (ibid., 597, Ostia Form VI).
Monitoring Land and Water Use in the Gefara Region by Satellite Imagery
Authors: Allan J. A. , Latham J. S. , Warwick-Smith R.
Published: February 2016

Over ninety-seven per cent of Libya's water for agricultural and other uses came from groundwater in 1980 (Pallas). By then it was obvious that the renewable water in the coastal aquifers was seriously depleted and would not be sufficient to sustain the levels of water use implied by the national agricultural development plans. Meanwhile the potential of the southern aquifers had become apparent through their development in Kufrah, Sarir and Fezzan.

The Gefara Plain has always been the major agricultural area of the country and until 1973, both before and after independence, had always attracted the bulk of public and private investment in irrigation. The decline in the level of the coastal groundwater was observed, or predicted, by all hydro-geologists who looked at the Gefara Plain after 1950, although it should be remarked that the observations were made on the basis of imprecise and unrepresentative data. Even by 1980 figures on groundwater recharge (estimated from landuse and assumed pumping levels) were numerous and inconsistent making it difficult for policy makers to determine the economies required and the measures necessary to achieve the optimum management of water resources. Depending upon which estimates of recharge and withdrawal were used, the amount by which withdrawal exceeded recharge varied from three to eight times.

In these circumstances it was obviously prudent to attempt to determine the water balance from the Gefara Plain, and to this end a study was commissioned by FAO, on behalf of the Secretariat of Agriculture in Tripoli, for a study of recent satellite imagery to determine whether this inexpensive system of resources survey could make a contribution to planning water use in north-west Libya. By providing data on the irrigated area. From such data the water use element of the water balance equation could be estimated.
The Date of the Tocra Graffiti
Authors: Reynolds J. M.
Published: February 2016

The large numbers of roughly-cut inscriptions on the inner face of the ancient city wall at Tocra, in the area south of the east gate, have often attracted attention. Interest in them flagged when it was realised that they consisted essentially of personal names; but recent developments in onomastic studies have given a new significance to personal names. Moreover since R. G. Goodchild dug there in the sixties it has been apparent that the inscribed stretch of the city-wall had been utilised for one side of a gymnasium courtyard and that the inscriptions on it are ephebic, so that they should throw some light on a civic instituion very much at the heart of the city's life. My purpose here, however, is simply to clarify the date at which the surviving texts were cut.

The gymnasium has produced two main and one subsidiary series of texts. The first consists of graffiti on blocks found in situ on the inner face of the city wall as described above, and also on the inner face of the gymnasium wall flanking the main east/west street of the city, with additional items on blocks which patently derive from the gymnasium, but are found loose or re-used in many other parts of the site. Their appearance gives the impression that they were the work of the ephebes themselves and, since they often overcut one another, that they were produced over a period of time. They normally present personal names without patronymics, often in groups or in pairs, and with a brief indication that the associated persons were customary companions and sometimes certainly lovers.
Clermont-Ganneau's Visit to Cyrenaica in 1895
Authors: Masson Olivier , Reynolds Joyce
Published: February 2016

The official visit to Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Crete and Tunisia made in 1895 by the French orientalist Charles Clermont-Ganneau (1845–1923) seems to have been quite forgotten, apart from a brief note by F. Chamoux (Cyrène sous la monarchie des Battiades, 1953, 19, n.5) describing the acquisition of certain antiquities by the Museum of the Louvre. Clermont-Ganneau himself produced no report. His references to his journey were brief and scattered (thus CRAI 1901, 42–3; Rec. Arch. Orient. VI, 1905, 53) and his publication was limited to illustrations without comment in his Album d'antiquités orientales, recueil de monuments inédits ou peu connus (Paris, Leroux, 1897), an uncompleted piece of work of which only plates I–II (Neirab), III–VI (Cyrenaica, miscellaneous objects), VII (Crete), and XLIII–L (Syria, Cyprus, Nendjirli, Malta etc.) ever appeared.

Thanks to the help of Mr. Bernard Delavault, an unpublished file has now come to light in the office of the Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum at the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, which fortunately supplements the record. It includes sixteen pages of an unfinished manuscript report of the 1895 journey by Clermont-Ganneau, together with a number of transcriptions and letters which contain interesting information.

Clermont-Ganneau left Paris on 17th January and returned on 7th April, having made stops of some duration at Tunis, Malta, Tripoli in Libya (where he collected antiquities, including coins), Benghazi (where he spent a fortnight), Crete (his travels in the island, which lasted for twenty-five days, will be described elsewhere), Alexandria; then Malta and Tripoli both for the second time, Homs (for a visit to Lepcis Magna), Gabès, Sfax, Sousse and Tunis again. Conditions in Cyrenaica made it impossible for him to get to the Cyrene area as he had hoped, and this accounts for the length of his stay at Benghazi where he collected the documents which are the subject of this paper; for while there he bought or was given antiquities which went to the Louvre and acquired from various sources copies of inscriptions.
A Roman Legionary Veteran at Teucheira
Authors: Reynolds Joyce
Published: February 2016

Among the inscriptions of ancient Teucheira copied by R. Pacho during his visit to Cyrenaica in 1825 is a Latin funerary text for a Roman legionary veteran named M. Aurelius Apollonius. Traditionally his legion has been interpreted as XV Apollinaris – reasonably enough on the basis of Pacho's drawing. W. Rossberg, who was the first to discuss the text, recalled that a veteran might well have come to Cyrenaica as one of the colonists settled there by Hadrian after the Jewish Revolt of A.D.115/7; and when it became known that XV Apollinaris was in fact one of the legions from which those colonists were drawn the idea was, rightly, revived by S. Applebaum. It must, however, be rejected, for rediscovery of the inscription shows that it has been misread, that the legion is II Adiutrix and the veteran probably a Cyrenaican himself.

The inscription is to be found in Quarry IX to the east of the ancient city and has been for many years masked by a palm tree. It occupies an approximately rectangular area above the door of a rock-cut tomb in the west wall of the quarry. Its letters are 0.035–0.04 m. high in lines 1–4, 0.05 in line 5, and are very unevenly spaced throughout since the cutter had to avoid holes in the surface of the stone. There are superscript bars above the abbreviations in lines 1, 2 and the figure in line 3.
Harbours and Settlements in Cyrenaica
Authors: Little J. H.
Published: February 2016

One of the over-riding factors ensuring the ease of Greek and Hellenistic civilisations' expansion throughout the Mediterranean basin, and the geographical factor which lent a cohesive potential to the Roman world was the Mediterranean Sea itself. During the 7th century B.C. it was the sea which provided outward access for the Greek colonial migration, and then later ensured communication between colony and mother city. The great weight which Greek colonists attached to securing an easy access to their maritime communication lines was a major consideration in determining the siting of the colonial cities. The increasing size of ships during the 5th–3rd centuries B. C. coupled with the vastly increased volume of maritime trade which characterised the Hellenistic period were major stimuli to the artificial development of those natural harbours on which the colonial cities were based.

Any study of classical harbours in Cyrenaica must begin with an examination of the literary sources of which two are particularly relevant. They are; the Stadiasmus Maris Magni (1), and Herodotus' account of the original Greek colonisation of Cyrenaica from the island of Thera (2). The Stadiasmus is a document to which at present no precise date can be assigned, but in its final form it is probably not later than the end of the 2nd century A. D., and it would seem to be a palimpsest. The Stadiasmus lists the harbours along the entire North African Coast from Alexandria to Tunis, and, being written by seamen for the guidance of seamen it is the equivalent of the modern Admiralty Pilot. The list of harbours which it provides indicates that there was a very strictly graded hierarchy of natural harbour types, for no less than six different nouns are used to describe harbour entities according to their geographical qualities. In the Cyrenaican section of the Stadiasmus nine harbours are listed which can be divided into three distinct groups according to the words used to describe them. The three groups are headed by the terms Euphormos, Hormos and Panormos in ascending order of merit, and each denotes a very specific type of natural harbour. The root word, Hormos, meaning a tore or collar, is used in a maritime context from the earliest literary times, and is so used by Homer. The various prefixes which are attached to the word, Euph and Pan, denote natural harbour types which either excel or in some way fail to match the norm, the Hormos. In its sense of ‘collar’ the word conveys a notion of the configuration of the ideal harbour, i.e. a land-locked bay to provide shelter for shipping with access to the sea.
An unusual view of Early Twentieth Century Benghazi
Authors: Allan J. A.
Published: February 2016

Benghazi has been photographed many times from the air, but few are aware that the layout of the city was-recorded in air photographs taken very early in the twentieth century. (International Archiv für Photogrametrie 1914). These photographs provide an unusually detailed impression of the streets, public buildings and dwellings of the city, and also allow students of the Middle Eastern and North African city to observe the evolution of the city by studying later comparative photography. Libya is especially rich in such imagery at least for the recent past (Allan 1969). The purpose of this brief study is to draw attention to the rich source of evidence available in air photo records through an interpretation of an early twentieth century image along with just one of the more recent photographs taken in this area in 1965.

The determination of the date of the old photo-mosaic is the first task of interpretation. The journal in which it was published appeared in 1914, which places the image earlier than the outbreak of World War I and possibly prior to the occupation of northern Libya by Italian forces in 1911. The photo shows no evidence of the buildings which were constructed by the Italian colonists. Nor has there been any significant transformation at the harbour. In the eastern extremity of the early twentieth century city there is an assemblage of military equipment, accommodation and transport. Whether this is evidence of Turkish or Italian occupation is difficult to determine, and so we must be satisfied at this stage to date the photographs between 1911 and 1913.
Sidi Khrebish Excavations, Benghazi, 1972-73
Authors: Lloyd J. A.
Published: February 2016

A full account of the Society's involvement with the emergency excavations at Sidi Khrebish, Benghazi, is contained in the Annual Reports for 1970–1 and 1971–2. In November 1972, at the invitation of the Libyan Department of Antiquities, the Society sent out a fresh team of archaeologists to begin the new season's excavations. Work has since continued uninterrupted until the time of writing (1 July 1973) and is due to finish at the end of September.

The preservation of the site from redevelopment for another year owes a great deal to the keen and active interest of the late Director-General of Antiquities, Mr Awad Sadawya, and the success of the expedition is greatly indebted to his efforts. We owe our thanks also to the officials of the Department of Antiquities whose sustained good will and co-operation has helped us greatly over this long period. In particular Mr Mohammed Nemri, Acting Director-General of Antiquities, Mr Abdulhamid Abdussaid, Controller of Antiquities for the Benghazi area, and Mr Ali Salem Letrik, Deputy Controller of Antiquities for Benghazi have taken full part in what has always been a team operation.

The disused Turkish cemetery of Sidi Khrebish lies close to the sea, a short distance to the north of the bustling commercial heart of modern Benghazi (see Fig. 1). It covers part of the north-western outskirts of the city of Berenice, founded in 247 B.C., the Hellenistic and Roman successor to the Hellenic city of Euesperides. The major part of the city lies to the south and to the east of the cemetery, under the mixture of Turkish, Italian and more recent buildings which form the modern town.
Excavations at Ajdabiyah: Second Interim Report
Authors: Whitehouse David
Published: February 2016

In 1971 the Libyan Department of Antiquities invited the Society to conduct a trial excavation at Ajdabiyah to find out whether further investigation might throw light on the medieval Islamic settlement. Documentary evidence showed that Ajdabiyah was already a caravan town in the ninth century A.D., that it flourished under the Fatimids and that it was destroyed by the Banu Sulaim and the Banu Hilal in 1051. Earlier excavations had revealed two major Islamic monuments; a ruined qasr and a mosque (Abdussaid 1964a). It was known, too, that in the first century A.D. a Roman detachment was stationed at Ajdabiyah, which is identified with Corniclanum, a name on the Peutinger Map.

The short season of 1971 established that remains of the medieval town survived on the south-east side of Ajdabiyah, in the area of the modern cemetery (fig. 1). A scatter of Roman material and a group of burials, apparently of Roman date, suggested that future excavation might reveal something of the history of Corniclanum, as well as of the Fatimid settlement (Blake, Hutt and Whitehouse 1971).

In 1972 we returned to Ajdabiyah. We resumed excavation at the mosque and planned in detail the remains of the qasr (Whitehouse 1972). Both buildings have considerable importance. The qasr had been stripped in 1952 (Abdussaid 1964a). We planned the building at a scale of 1: 40, drew elevations of the principal rooms and made a full photographic record; the structure now awaits final publication. At the mosque we found evidence for two periods of construction, both evidently Fatimid, the earlier of which was probably commissioned by Abu'l Qasim, the son of Obeid Allah. An inscription from the mosque (unfortunately not in situ) bears the date (3)10/922-3 or (3)20/932, possibly the date of construction (Lowick 1972, 5 and pl. VIIa). Among the masonry re-used in the mosque were no fewer than seven fragments of Roman inscriptions, including SEG ix, 773–95.
Sidi Khrebish Excavations, Benghazi, 1971–2
Authors: Tatton-Brown T. W. T.
Published: February 2016

Since the events briefly recorded in last year's Report, continuous excavation has taken place in the Turkish cemetery of Sidi Khrebish in Benghazi. During this period much important information has been gained concerning the Hellenistic and Roman city of Berenice. The excavations were supervised by staff sent out from England by the Society, while workmen and facilities were provided by the Department of Antiquities, which had already begun rescue work ahead of the bull-dozers. The Society's excavations started in September 1971 as an emergency operation, because at that time the site was thought to be available for only about three months in advance of the redevelopment mentioned in the last Report. In fact, the municipal authorities have held up their plans, so that by September 1972 an area of over three acres (1·36 hectares) had been systematically excavated. It is hoped that a further stay of execution of the redevelopment plan will make another four or five acres in the eastern part of the cemetery available for the resumption of excavations in November.
Consultations on a Constitution for Tripoli, between Jeremy Bentham and Hassuna D'Ghies, 1823
Authors: Cumming Duncan
Published: February 2016

If Britain had needed a written constitution, the country would not have been short of draftsmen to prepare fundamental laws defining the legislature and the executive and delegating to them appropriate powers of government. However, their services have not been required. It has been mainly in the past twenty-five years that they have found an outlet for their talents through the drafting of constitutions for the many sovereign states that emerged during a period of imperial fission. Although these constitutions have differed in content, they have one thing in common: all of them include constitutional concepts and principles derived from the work of Jeremy Bentham.

It is surprising, however, to find that Jeremy Bentham himself drafted a constitution for the ‘Barbary State’ of Tripoli in 1823. At the time, Tripoli was part of the Ottoman Turkish realm; a form of Islamic state in which concepts of government and law differed so clearly from those of the secular nation-states of Europe that comparison cannot be made succinctly. However, comparisons are unnecessary for present purposes. The operative point in 1823 was that Muslim law and Ottoman tradition left no room for the introduction of a secular constitution in one of its provinces. Nothing short of provincial secession or political revolution at the centre-the two most trodden paths to constitutional reform—could bring about what Bentham would have liked to achieve with his pen. He was not unaware of the difficulties that faced the project and this is reflected in the form he gave to his draft; for it is open to question whether it amounted to what is usually expected of a ‘constitution’.
The Higher Education system in Libya: trends and issues
Authors: Elzalitni Saad
Published: February 2016

Over the past few decades the Higher Education system in Libya has witnessed a rapid growth in student numbers and a massive expansion in its programmes and services. Despite the contribution of Higher Education provision in the development and progress of Libyan society, the large increase in the number of Higher Education institutions has considerably exceeded the actual needs and demands of the country. Past and present studies highlight several shortcomings and limitations that significantly impede the overall performance and operation of the Higher Education system in Libya. This study supports the need for a comprehensive and critical evaluation of Higher Education provision in order to understand better its current status and role in modern Libyan society.
How Libya could become environmentally sustainable
Authors: Goodland Robert
Published: February 2016

The main factors to be tackled if environmental sustainability becomes Libya's national goal are: first, to base desalination and pumping on renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind); second, to invest oil receipts to export solar electricity; and third, to achieve these two before oil or water are depleted. Because water is paramount for sustainability and economic development, if pumping fossil water and desalination become based on renewable energy, then low-cost freshwater can become the basis for sustainability. As Libya is so well placed to generate solar electricity, the most sustainable choice is to accelerate the transition to renewables before international climate treaties force coal and, later, oil to be left unused in the ground. Libya could lead in making Europe carbon-neutral through massive exports of solar electricity. This would be highly profitable for Libya and at the same time would help achieve sustainability. Quasi-sustainability of non-renewable resources (e.g., oil) could be achieved by investing oil receipts in Libya's sovereign funds, so that by the time hydrocarbons are exhausted a sustainable income is generated for Libyans in perpetuity. This could also provide social safety nets, create jobs and increase human capital formation.
A new Neo-Punic inscription from the region of Lepcis Magna
Authors: Elmayer Abdulhafid F.
Published: February 2016

A new Neo-Punic inscription from the region of Lepcis Magna region is discussed in detail, and its wider context outlined. Not only does this inscription attest to the prevalence of the Punic language in the suburbs of Lepcis Magna, but it also provides evidence for the diffusion of Phoenician religion in this area. The inscription also sheds more light on the history of Tripolitania and indicates, by the use of Libo-Phonecian personal names, that at least some of the inhabitants of the city of Snpba were of Libo-Phoenician origin.
DMP IV: 2008 fieldwork on historic settlement in the Wadi ash-Shati and the Dawada lake villages
Authors: Merlo Stefania , Hakenbeck Susanne , Balbo Andrea
Published: February 2016

The second season of fieldwork on the historic settlement in the Wadi ash-Shati and the Dawada lake villages was undertaken in January 2008, completing the first stage of survey began during the Desert Migration Project 2007. The fieldwork combined geomorphological observations with the recording of historic settlement to understand how hydrology has influenced human management of the wadi in the past. A number of major Garamantian sites were located in the western Zallaf, in Wadi Dabdab and near the modern settlement of Birgin. Visits were also made to sites of pre-Garamantian and Islamic date, and a preliminary survey of the Dawada village of Gabr’Awn completed. While many of the sites recorded in the Wadi ash-Shati are extremely well-preserved, a number of sites appear threatened, while others have already been extensively damaged.
Reports on Expeditions
Authors: Daniels C. M. , Blake Hugh , Hutt Antony , Whitehouse David , Brogan Olwen
Published: February 2016

The 1971 Expedition was in the field for almost a month over Easter, thanks to the continued kindness and good will of the Libyan Department of Antiquities, and further generous financial support from the British Academy, the Seven Pillars of Wisdom Trust, the Society for Libyan Studies and the University of Newcastle.

The site of Saniat Gebril lies 300 yards east of the abandoned mud-brick town of Germa. Trial trenching (1965) and surface sherding had shown that at least 5 acres of compact settlement existed there, with the strong likelihood that more sparsely-placed buildings stretched as far as Germa. From the previous work it was thought that the main settlement consisted of a series of smallish mud-brick buildings, occupied from the late-first century A.D. until the early-third century, when the site was abandoned and not subsequently re-occupied.
The Activities of the Leiden Journal of International Law: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: DE BRABANDERE ERIC , VENZKE INGO
Published: February 2016

The Leiden Journal of International Law (LJIL) is many things. In the present editorial we highlight three of its activities – both old and new. First, we look back briefly at the symposium on ‘The Changing Role of Scholarship in International Law’ that we held in March 2015. Second, we present the winner of the second LJIL Prize and draw attention to her contribution. Third, we announce the first LJIL lecture and introduce the inaugural laureate. We do this in a way that continues to reflect on the roles of the journal. We do not aspire to define its identity simply because we value its diversity too much. But we wish to contribute to the ongoing debates on how a journal of international law might position itself in light of many new outlets for scholarship, in the context of porous or battled disciplinary frontiers, and in response to expectations that scholarship ought to meet. These are recurrent issues in the journal and its editorials. In particular, Carsten Stahn has drawn attention to the theme that shaped the symposium, the changing role of scholarship. He has since stepped down as an Editor-in-Chief and Ingo Venzke has assumed this position, continuing to work alongside Eric De Brabandere. Once again we thank Carsten for his immensely valuable contributions to the journal – past, present, and future.
Prevalence of antibodies to Rickettsia conorii in human beings and dogs from Catalonia: a 20-year perspective
Authors: ESPEJO E. , ANDRÉS M. , PÉREZ J. , PRAT J. , GUERRERO C. , MUÑOZ M. T. , ALEGRE M. D. , LITE J. , BELLA F.
Published: February 2016

The incidence of Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) in Catalonia (Spain) has decreased in the last two decades. The prevalence of antibodies to Rickettsia conorii in human beings and dogs in the region of Vallès Occidental (Catalonia) was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence, and the results compared with those obtained in a similar study from 1987. Nineteen (5·0%) out of 383 human serum samples had antibodies to R. conorii. This seroprevalence was significantly lower (11·5%) (P = 0·003) than that recorded in the 1987 survey. Forty-two out (42·0%) of 100 canine serum samples had antibodies to R. conorii. A high proportion of the studied dogs (91·0%) were receiving anti-tick treatment, mainly with permethrin-imidacloprid spot-on (Advantix, Bayer, Germany). The current canine seroprevalence was not significantly different from that recorded in the 1987 survey (36.9%). In conclusion, this study shows a significant decrease in the prevalence of antibodies to R. conorii in the human population of Catalonia in the last 20 years, which corresponds with a decrease in the number of cases of MSF. We suggest that the widespread use of anti-tick treatment in dogs could limit the introduction of ticks to humans due to a reduction of infestation duration in dogs, thus contributing to the decrease in MSF incidence.
Child and environmental risk factors predicting readiness for learning in children at high risk of dyslexia
Authors: Dilnot Julia , Hamilton Lorna , Maughan Barbara , Snowling Margaret J.
Published: February 2016

We investigate the role of distal, proximal, and child risk factors as predictors of reading readiness and attention and behavior in children at risk of dyslexia. The parents of a longitudinal sample of 251 preschool children, including children at family risk of dyslexia and children with preschool language difficulties, provided measures of socioeconomic status, home literacy environment, family stresses, and child health via interviews and questionnaires. Assessments of children's reading-related skills, behavior, and attention were used to define their readiness for learning at school entry. Children at family risk of dyslexia and children with preschool language difficulties experienced more environmental adversities and health risks than controls. The risks associated with family risk of dyslexia and with language status were additive. Both home literacy environment and child health predicted reading readiness while home literacy environment and family stresses predicted attention and behavior. Family risk of dyslexia did not predict readiness to learn once other risks were controlled and so seems likely to be best conceptualized as representing gene–environment correlations. Pooling across risks defined a cumulative risk index, which was a significant predictor of reading readiness and, together with nonverbal ability, accounted for 31% of the variance between children.
Left main coronary artery atresia in an infant with Shone’s complex
Authors: Pizzuto Matthew F. , Zampi Jeffrey D.
Published: February 2016

A 6-month-old infant with Shone’s complex was found to have left main coronary artery atresia during evaluation for recurrent subaortic stenosis with depressed left ventricular function. The ventricular function improved after surgical subaortic resection without coronary re-vascularisation. This case demonstrates first the rare finding of left main coronary artery atresia and second that coronary re-vascularisation is not necessarily required in all cases of left main coronary artery atresia.
Open-domain extraction of future events from Twitter
Authors: KUNNEMAN FLORIAN , VAN DEN BOSCH ANTAL
Published: February 2016

Explicit references on Twitter to future events can be leveraged to feed a fully automatic monitoring system of real-world events. We describe a system that extracts open-domain future events from the Twitter stream. It detects future time expressions and entity mentions in tweets, clusters tweets together that overlap in these mentions above certain thresholds, and summarizes these clusters into event descriptions that can be presented to users of the system. Terms for the event description are selected in an unsupervised fashion.1We evaluated the system on a month of Dutch tweets, by showing the top-250 ranked events found in this month to human annotators. Eighty per cent of the candidate events were indeed assessed as being an event by at least three out of four human annotators, while all four annotators regarded sixty-three per cent as a real event. An added component to complement event descriptions with additional terms was not assessed better than the original system, due to the occasional addition of redundant terms. Comparing the found events to gold-standard events from maintained calendars on the Web mentioned in at least five tweets, the system yields a recall-at-250 of 0.20 and a recall based on all retrieved events of 0.40.
A New Scale for the Assessment of Competences in Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy
Authors: Roth Anthony D.
Published: February 2016

Background: Scales for assessing competence in CBT make an important contribution to research and practice. Aims: To develop a novel scale. Method: A new structured assessment tool is described, which draws on a widely-used CBT competence framework to identify relevant areas of clinical practice. Results: Scale content was clarified through piloting and review by a range of stakeholders. Conclusion: Pending formal testing of the psychometric properties, the scale is ready for use to assess competences in cognitive and behavioural therapy.
Is nutrient intake associated with physical activity levels in healthy young adults?
Authors: Yan Yi , Drenowatz Clemens , Hand Gregory A , Shook Robin P , Hurley Thomas G , Hebert James R , Blair Steven N
Published: February 2016

Objective

Both physical activity (PA) and diet are important contributors to health and well-being; however, there is limited information on the association of these behaviours and whether observed associations differ by weight. The present study aimed to evaluate whether nutrient intake is associated with PA and if this association varies by weight in young adults.

Design

Cross-sectional study to analyse the association between PA and nutrient intake.

Setting

Participants were stratified as normal weight (18·5 kg/m2<BMI <25·0 kg/m2) and overweight/obese (BMI≥25·0 kg/m2). PA level (PAL) was calculated (PAL=total daily energy expenditure/RMR) and used to stratify groups (PAL<1·6, 1·6≤PAL<1·9, PAL≥1·9).

Subjects

Adults (n407; age 27·6 (sd3·8) years, 48 % male), with BMI between 20 and 35 kg/m2, having at least two 24 h diet recalls and at least 5 d (including two weekend days) of valid, objectively measured PA data were included in the analysis.

Results

In normal-weight participants, higher PAL was associated with higher intakes of minerals (except Ca, Fe and Zn), B-vitamins and choline (Pfor trend <0·05). In the overweight/obese group, higher PAL was associated with higher intakes of fibre, K, Na and Cu (Pfor trend <0·05). These differences, however, were no longer significant after additionally controlling for total energy intake.

Conclusions

More active young adults have higher intakes of essential micronutrients. The benefits of PA may be predominantly due to a higher overall food intake while maintaining energy balance rather than a healthier diet.
A Complete Overhaul of the Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy and X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy Database: eelsdb.eu
Authors: Ewels Philip , Sikora Thierry , Serin Virginie , Ewels Chris P. , Lajaunie Luc
Published: February 2016

The electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) database has been completely rewritten, with an improved design, user interface, and a number of new tools. The database is accessible at https://eelsdb.eu/ and can now be used without registration. The submission process has been streamlined to encourage spectrum submissions and the new design gives greater emphasis on contributors’ original work by highlighting their papers. With numerous new filters and a powerful search function, it is now simple to explore the database of several hundred EELS and XAS spectra. Interactive plots allow spectra to be overlaid, facilitating online comparison. An application-programming interface has been created, allowing external tools and software to easily access the information held within the database. In addition to the database itself, users can post and manage job adverts and read the latest news and events regarding the EELS and XAS communities. In accordance with the ongoing drive toward open access data increasingly demanded by funding bodies, the database will facilitate open access data sharing of EELS and XAS spectra.
Cannabisbezogene Störungen in der Suchthilfe: Inanspruchnahme, Klientel und Behandlungserfolg
Authors: Brand Hanna , Künzel Jutta , Pfeiffer-Gerschel Tim , Braun Barbara
Published: February 2016

Zusammenfassung. Ziel: Cannabis ist in Deutschland die am häufigsten konsumierte illegale Droge. In Suchthilfeeinrichtungen machen Personen mit einer cannabisbezogenen Störung die zweitgrößte Gruppe aller Klienten aus. Ziel ist es, Veränderungen in der Inanspruchnahme von Suchthilfe aufgrund cannabisbezogener Probleme darzustellen und Besonderheiten der behandelten Cannabiskonsumenten, insbesondere Unterschiede zwischen ambulant und stationär Behandelten, herauszuarbeiten. Methodik: Es handelt sich um eine deskriptive Analyse der Daten von Personen aus ambulanten und stationären Suchtberatungs-/-behandlungseinrichtungen in Deutschland, die im Rahmen der Deutschen Suchthilfestatistik (DSHS) dokumentiert wurden. Im Datenjahr 2013 lag die Zahl der betrachteten Fälle im ambulanten Bereich bei n = 163.865 aus 822 Einrichtungen und im stationären Bereich bei n = 41.395 Fällen aus 200 Einrichtungen. Ergebnisse: Der Anteil der Personen mit einer primären Cannabisproblematik in Einrichtungen der Suchthilfe ist im Verlauf ambulant von 6,4 % (2000) auf 15,4 % (2013) und stationär von 1,1 % (2000) auf 7,1 % (2013) gestiegen. Personen mit einer cannabisbezogenen Störung zeichnen sich durch junges Alter, geringes Bildungsniveau und hohe Arbeitslosigkeit aus. Im Vergleich zu anderen Hauptdiagnosen (HD) zeigt sich ein früher Erstkonsum und Störungsbeginn. Vor allem stationär weisen Cannabispatienten eine hohe Zusatzbelastung durch multiplen Substanzkonsum auf. Ein vergleichsweise hoher Anteil kommt aufgrund gerichtlicher Auflagen in die Behandlung (ambulant: 29,9 %, stationär: 27,6 %) und etwa zwei Drittel zeigen nach Behandlungsende eine Verbesserung ihrer Suchtproblematik (ambulant: 64,0 %, stationär: 64,0 %). Schlussfolgerungen: Der deutlich gestiegene Anteil der Klienten mit HD Cannabis an allen Klienten ist vermutlich durch die gestiegene Zahl spezieller Programme zur Behandlung cannabisbezogener Störungen und ein stärkeres Bewusstsein über die Behandlungsbedürftigkeit problematischen Cannabiskonsums bedingt. Das geringe Bildungsniveau, die problematische berufliche Situation sowie die geringe Selbstständigkeit der Cannabisklienten sind vermutlich auf das unterdurchschnittliche Alter zurückzuführen, weshalb besonders Maßnahmen zur Erarbeitung einer psychosozialen Perspektive, wie z. B. Kooperationen mit Sozialämtern, Jugendhilfe und Arbeitsagenturen notwendig sind.
Konsumfolgen und Behandlungsbedarf von Cannabis-Intensivkonsumenten/innen im ambulanten Setting
Authors: Schneider David
Published: February 2016

Zusammenfassung. Zielsetzung: Untersuchung der typischen Konsummuster und Konsumfolgen von Cannabiskonsumenten/innen, die ambulante Beratungsstellen aufsuchen. Methodik: Mithilfe eines Fragebogens wurden soziodemographische, suchtanamnestische und belastungsspezifische Informationen erhoben. Insgesamt wurden 194 Klienten/innen befragt. Ergebnisse: Cannabiskonsumenten/innen, die ambulante Suchtberatungsstellen aufsuchen, sind nicht nur hinsichtlich ihrer psychosozialen Verfassung hoch belastet, sondern auch in sozialer und rechtlicher Hinsicht auffällig. Unterschiede bestehen innerhalb der Stichprobe sowohl zwischen Stadt und Landkreisen, als auch zwischen Hochbelasteten und Geringbelasteten. Schlussfolgerungen: Die untersuchten idealtypischen Spezifika der Teilgruppe der hochbelasteten Cannabiskonsumenten/innen sind bei der Bereitstellung von Behandlungsangeboten zu berücksichtigen.
Ökonomische und intangible Kosten des Cannabiskonsums in Deutschland
Authors: Effertz Tobias , Verheyen Frank , Linder Roland
Published: February 2016

Zusammenfassung. Einleitung: Um die negativen Auswirkungen des Cannabiskonsums sinnvoll im Rahmen ökonomischer Kosten-Nutzen-Entscheidungen beurteilen und in gesundheitspolitische Entscheidungen einbringen zu können, ist es notwendig, die ursächlich mit dem Konsum in Verbindung stehenden Kosten vollständig zu quantifizieren. Ziel dieses Beitrages ist es, einen Überblick über die medizinisch-ökonomischen Kosten des Cannabiskonsums in Deutschland zu geben. Methode: Zur Kostenschätzung wurde eine Stichprobe der Techniker Krankenkasse mit 146.000 Versicherten und davon 1.245 Personen mit einer auf schädlichen Cannabiskonsum hinweisenden Diagnose (ICD-10-gm-Code F12) ausgewertet. Mit Hilfe geeigneter statistischer Regressionsmodelle wurden die kausal auf Cannabis zurückführbaren Zusatzkosten im Gesundheitssektor sowie weitere produktivitätsrelevante und intangible Beeinträchtigungen ermittelt. Ergebnisse: Schädlich Cannabis konsumierende Versicherte verursachen 2.438 € an zusätzlichen Kosten pro Person und Jahr. Insgesamt ergeben sich Kosten in Höhe von 975 Mio. € p.a. Ggf. fallen weitere Zusatzkosten durch Tabakkonsum an, wenn beides kombiniert konsumiert wird. Schließlich zeigen die Befunde auch signifikant erhöhte intangible Einbußen wie Erschöpfung, Depression und Schmerzen. Diskussion: Cannabiskonsum ist mit einer Vielzahl an Risiken und Kosten verbunden, die bei möglichen Veränderungen in der Drogenpolitik sorgfältig bedacht werden müssen.
MSI2 is required for maintaining activated myelodysplastic syndrome stem cells
Authors: Taggart James , Ho Tzu-Chieh , Amin Elianna , Xu Haiming , Barlowe Trevor S. , Perez Alexendar R. , Durham Benjamin H. , Tivnan Patrick , Okabe Rachel , Chow Arthur , Vu Ly , Park Sun Mi , Prieto Camila , Famulare Christopher , Patel Minal , Lengner Christopher J. , Verma Amit , Roboz Gail , Guzman Monica , Klimek Virginia M. , Abdel-Wahab Omar , Leslie Christina , Nimer Stephen D. , Kharas Michael G.
Published: February 2016

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are driven by complex genetic and epigenetic alterations. The MSI2 RNA-binding protein has been demonstrated to have a role in acute myeloid leukaemia and stem cell function, but its role in MDS is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that elevated MSI2 expression correlates with poor survival in MDS. Conditional deletion of Msi2 in a mouse model of MDS results in a rapid loss of MDS haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and reverses the clinical features of MDS. Inversely, inducible overexpression of MSI2 drives myeloid disease progression. The MDS HSPCs remain dependent on MSI2 expression after disease initiation. Furthermore, MSI2 expression expands and maintains a more activated (G1) MDS HSPC. Gene expression profiling of HSPCs from the MSI2 MDS mice identifies a signature that correlates with poor survival in MDS patients. Overall, we identify a role for MSI2 in MDS representing a therapeutic target in this disease.
The REGγ-proteasome forms a regulatory circuit with IκBɛ and NFκB in experimental colitis
Authors: Xu Jinjin , Zhou Lei , Ji Lei , Chen Fengyuan , Fortmann Karen , Zhang Kun , Liu Qingwu , Li Ke , Wang Weicang , Wang Hao , Xie Wei , Wang Qingwei , Liu Jiang , Zheng Biao , Zhang Pei , Huang Shixia , Shi Tieliu , Zhang Biaohong , Dang Yongyan , Chen Jiwu , O’Malley Bert W. , Moses Robb E. , Wang Ping , Li Lei , Xiao Jianru , Hoffmann Alexander , Li Xiaotao
Published: February 2016

Increasing incidence of inflammatory bowel disorders demands a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying its multifactorial aetiology. Here we demonstrate that mice deficient for REGγ, a proteasome activator, show significantly attenuated intestinal inflammation and colitis-associated cancer in dextran sodium sulfate model. Bone marrow transplantation experiments suggest that REGγ’s function in non-haematopoietic cells primarily contributes to the phenotype. Elevated expression of REGγ exacerbates local inflammation and promotes a reciprocal regulatory loop with NFκB involving ubiquitin-independent degradation of IκBɛ. Additional deletion of IκBɛ restored colitis phenotypes and inflammatory gene expression in REGγ-deficient mice. In sum, this study identifies REGγ-mediated control of IκBɛ as a molecular mechanism that contributes to NFκB activation and promotes bowel inflammation and associated tumour formation in response to chronic injury.
TOM1L1 drives membrane delivery of MT1-MMP to promote ERBB2-induced breast cancer cell invasion
Authors: Chevalier Clément , Collin Guillaume , Descamps Simon , Touaitahuata Heiani , Simon Valérie , Reymond Nicolas , Fernandez Laurent , Milhiet Pierre-Emmanuel , Georget Virginie , Urbach Serge , Lasorsa Laurence , Orsetti Béatrice , Boissière-Michot Florence , Lopez-Crapez Evelyne , Theillet Charles , Roche Serge , Benistant Christine
Published: February 2016

ERBB2 overexpression in human breast cancer leads to invasive carcinoma but the mechanism is not clearly understood. Here we report that TOM1L1 is co-amplified with ERBB2 and defines a subgroup of HER2+/ER+ tumours with early metastatic relapse. TOM1L1 encodes a GAT domain-containing trafficking protein and is a SRC substrate that negatively regulates tyrosine kinase signalling. We demonstrate that TOM1L1 upregulation enhances the invasiveness of ERBB2-transformed cells. This pro-tumoural function does not involve SRC, but implicates membrane-bound membrane-type 1 MMP (MT1-MMP)-dependent activation of invadopodia, membrane protrusions specialized in extracellular matrix degradation. Mechanistically, ERBB2 elicits the indirect phosphorylation of TOM1L1 on Ser321. The phosphorylation event promotes GAT-dependent association of TOM1L1 with the sorting protein TOLLIP and trafficking of the metalloprotease MT1-MMP from endocytic compartments to invadopodia for tumour cell invasion. Collectively, these results show that TOM1L1 is an important element of an ERBB2-driven proteolytic invasive programme and that TOM1L1 amplification potentially enhances the metastatic progression of ERBB2-positive breast cancers.