bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimación temprana del nivel de sostenibilidad de estructuras de hormigón, en el marco de la instrucción española EHE-08
Authors: Gómez-López D. , Del Caño A. , De la Cruz M. P.
Published: December 2012

La Instrucción española de Hormigón Estructural (EHE-08) supone una experiencia pionera internacionalmente, al incluir un modelo para evaluar la sostenibilidad estructural. Dicho modelo supone la consideración de diversos aspectos medioambientales, sociales y económicos, algunos de los cuales no se conocerán con certeza hasta la culminación de la obra. Para poder cumplir el objetivo de sostenibilidad resulta necesario realizar evaluaciones periódicas realistas del modelo, durante todo el proyecto. Ello permitirá tener una idea clara de las posibilidades de cumplimiento de dicho objetivo, con objeto de tomar decisiones eficaces en tiempo útil. En este artículo se aporta la información necesaria para realizar evaluaciones adecuadas en fases tempranas del proyecto. Por otro lado, al tratarse de una normativa pionera, el usuario puede encontrarse con dudas o problemas a la hora de interpretarla y aplicarla. El segundo objetivo de este artículo es ofrecer soluciones para dichas dudas o problemas.
Quorum Sensing Contributes to Activated IgM-Secreting B Cell Homeostasis
Authors: Montaudouin Caroline , Anson Marie , Hao Yi , Duncker Susanne V. , Fernandez Tahia , Gaudin Emmanuelle , Ehrenstein Michael , Kerr William G. , Colle Jean-Hervé , Bruhns Pierre , Daëron Marc , Freitas António A.
Published: December 2012

Maintenance of plasma IgM levels is critical for immune system function and homeostasis in humans and mice. However, the mechanisms that control homeostasis of the activated IgM-secreting B cells are unknown. After adoptive transfer into immune-deficient hosts, B lymphocytes expand poorly, but fully reconstitute the pool of natural IgM-secreting cells and circulating IgM levels. By using sequential cell transfers and B cell populations from several mutant mice, we were able to identify novel mechanisms regulating the size of the IgM-secreting B cell pool. Contrary to previous mechanisms described regulating homeostasis, which involve competition for the same niche by cells having overlapping survival requirements, homeostasis of the innate IgM-secreting B cell pool is also achieved when B cell populations are able to monitor the number of activated B cells by detecting their secreted products. Notably, B cell populations are able to assess the density of activated B cells by sensing their secreted IgG. This process involves the FcγRIIB, a low-affinity IgG receptor that is expressed on B cells and acts as a negative regulator of B cell activation, and its intracellular effector the inositol phosphatase SHIP. As a result of the engagement of this inhibitory pathway, the number of activated IgM-secreting B cells is kept under control. We hypothesize that malfunction of this quorum-sensing mechanism may lead to uncontrolled B cell activation and autoimmunity.
Immunodeficiency and Autoimmunity in H2-O–Deficient Mice
Authors: Gu Yapeng , Jensen Peter E. , Chen Xinjian
Published: December 2012

HLA-DO/H2-O is a highly conserved, nonpolymorphic MHC class II-like molecule expressed in association with H2-M in thymic epithelial cells, B lymphocytes, and primary dendritic cells. The physiological function of DO remains unknown. The finding of cell maturation-dependent DO expression in B lymphocytes and dendritic cells suggests the possibility that H2-O functions to promote the presentation of exogenous Ag by attenuating presentation of endogenous self-peptides. In the current study, we report that H2-O−/− mice spontaneously develop high titers of IgG2a/c antinuclear Abs (ANAs) with specificity for dsDNA, ssDNA, and histones. Reconstitution of RAG1−/− mice with T and B cells from H2-O−/− or wild-type mice demonstrated that production of ANAs requires participation of CD4+ T cells from H2-O−/− mice. Bone marrow chimeras demonstrated that loss of H2-O expression in thymic epithelial cells did not induce ANAs, and that lack of H2-O expression in bone marrow-derived cells was sufficient to induce the autoimmune phenotype. Despite production of high titers of autoantibodies, H2-O−/− mice exhibit a delayed generation of humoral immunity to model Ags (OVA and keyhole limpet hemocyanin), affecting all major T-dependent Ig classes, including IgG2a/c. Ag presentation experiments demonstrated that presentation of exogenous Ag by H2-O−/− APC was inefficient as compared with wild-type APC. Thus, H2-O promotes immunity toward exogenous Ags while inhibiting autoimmunity. We suggest that H2-O, through spatially or temporally inhibiting H2-M, may enhance presentation of exogenous Ag by limiting newly generated MHC class II molecules from forming stable complexes with endogenous self-peptides.
Central Role for Endothelial Human Deneddylase-1/SENP8 in Fine-Tuning the Vascular Inflammatory Response
Authors: Ehrentraut Stefan F. , Kominsky Douglas J. , Glover Louise E. , Campbell Eric L. , Kelly Caleb J. , Bowers Brittelle E. , Bayless Amanda J. , Colgan Sean P.
Published: December 2012

A deeper understanding of the mechanisms that control responses to inflammation is critical to the development of effective therapies. We sought to define the most proximal regulators of the Cullin (Cul)-RING ligases, which play a central role in the stabilization of NF-κB and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). In these studies, we identify the human deneddylase-1 (SENP8) as a key regulator of Cul neddylation response in vitro and in vivo. Using human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs), we examined inflammatory responses to LPS or TNF-α by assessing Cul neddylation status, NF-κB and HIF-1α stabilization, and inflammatory cytokine secretion. HMECs with an intact neddylation pathway showed a time-dependent induction of Cul-1 neddylation, nuclear translocation of NF-κB, stabilization of HIF-1α, and increased NF-κB/HIF-α promoter activity in response to LPS. HMECs lacking SENP8 were unable to neddylate Cul-1 and subsequently were unable to activate NF-κB or HIF-1α. Pharmacological targeting of neddylation (MLN4924) significantly abrogated NF-κB responses, induced HIF-1α promoter activity, and reduced secretion of TNF-α–elicited proinflammatory cytokines. MLN4924 stabilized HIF and abrogated proinflammatory responses while maintaining anti-inflammatory IL-10 responses in vivo following LPS administration. These studies identify SENP8 as a proximal regulator of Cul neddylation and provide an important role for SENP8 in fine-tuning the inflammatory response. Moreover, our findings provide feasibility for therapeutic targeting of the Culs during inflammation.
Simultaneous Bilateral Carotid Stenting in a Series of 9 Patients: A Single-Center Experience with Review of Literature
Authors: Alurkar Anand , Karanam Lakshmi Sudha Prasanna , Nayak Suresh , Oak Sagar
Published: December 2012

Objectives:

Simultaneous bilateral carotid artery stenting (SBCAS) is a challenging procedure, and selection criteria play an important role in determining the final outcome. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy and safety of the SBCAS in a series of 9 patients with significant bilateral carotid artery disease (>50% on the symptomatic side and >60% on the asymptomatic side).

Materials and Methods:

The present study is a retrospective study of 9 patients from January 2005 to December 2012 in a tertiary care center. There were 8 males and 1 female in the age range 50 to 75 years and an average mean age of 63 years. Inclusion criteria of the present study were patients with bilateral internal carotid artery stenosis >50% (50 - 99%) in the symptomatic side and >60% in the asymptomatic side as seen on digital subtraction angiography (DSA). SBCAS with use of distal protection device (Spider device, ev3), to prevent intra-procedural embolic migration, was done in all the patients.

Results:

Technical success was achieved in all patients (100%). Post-procedural events in the form of hypotension and bradycardia occurred in 3 patients after the placement of stent on both the sides, in 2 patients after the placement of the first stent, and in 1 patient after the placement of the second stent. We did not encounter any cases of hyperperfusion, which was a concern in these patients. There were no deaths, major or minor strokes, or myocardial infarction either in the post-procedural period (up to 1 month) or on clinical follow-up 3 and 6 months post-treatment.

Conclusion:

SBCAS was an effective and safe alternative treatment method in a select group of patients with bilateral carotid artery disease. It can be considered as a feasible treatment option with acceptable risks.
Utilization and Accessibility of Healthcare on Pemba Island, Tanzania: Implications for Health Outcomes and Disease Surveillance for Typhoid Fever
Authors: Kaljee Linda M. , Pach Alfred , Thriemer Kamala , Ley Benedikt , Ali Said M. , Jiddawi Mohamed , Puri Mahesh , von Seidlein Lorenz , Deen Jacqueline , Ochiai Leon , Wierzba Thomas , Clemens John
Published: December 2012

Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi (S. Typhi) was estimated to cause over 200,000 deaths and more than 21 million illnesses worldwide, including over 400,000 illnesses in Africa. The current study was conducted in four villages on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, in 2010. We present data on policy makers', health administrators', and village residents' and leaders' perceptions of typhoid fever, and hypothetical and actual health care use among village residents for typhoid fever. Qualitative data provided descriptions of home-based treatment practices and use of western pharmaceuticals, and actual healthcare use for culture-confirmed typhoid fever. Survey data indicate health facility use was associated with gender, education, residency, and perceptions of severity for symptoms associated with typhoid fever. Data have implications for education of policy makers and health administrators, design and implementation of surveillance studies, and community-based interventions to prevent disease outbreaks, decrease risks of complications, and provide information about disease recognition, diagnosis, and treatment.
Utility and Limitations of Direct Multi-Locus Sequence Typing on qPCR-Positive Blood to Determine Infecting Leptospira Strain
Authors: Agampodi Suneth B. , Moreno Angelo C. , Vinetz Joseph M. , Matthias Michael A.
Published: December 2012

Culture-independent molecular characterization of infecting Leptospira human blood specimens from a 2008 outbreak of human leptospirosis in central Sri Lanka was carried out. Of 58 quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction-positive samples analyzed for seven multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) housekeeping genes (mreA, pfkB, pntA, sucA, tpiA, fadD, and glmU), interpretable data was obtained from 12 samples. Mean bacterial load was 2.2 × 105 among specimens with complete MLST profiles compared with 1.3 × 104 among specimens without complete MLST profiles; all specimens with complete profiles had at least 4.9 × 104 Leptospira/mL (t = 5, P < 0.001). Most (11/12) identified sequence types were ST1 (L. interrogans serovar Lai) and ST44 (L. interrogans serovar Geyaweera). MLST can be used to directly identify infecting Leptospira strains in blood samples obtained during acute illness without the need for culture isolation, but it shows important limitations related to bacterial load.
Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome: 20 years of research work (1992–2012)
Authors: Cervera Ricard
Published: December 2012

Postać katastroficzna zespołu antyfosfolipidowego (antiphospholipid syndrome – APS) jest rzadkim, ale potencjalnie śmiertelnym schorzeniem, które wymaga dużej świadomości klinicznej. Na szczęście ta postać APS rozwija się u mniej niż 1% pacjentów z APS, ale na skutek jego potencjalnej śmiertelności obecnie podkreśla się jej ważność w medycynie klinicznej. W tej grupie pacjentów występuje wysokie prawdopodobieństwo poważnych i nagłych zaburzeń w układzie krzepnięcia lub fibrynolizy wywołanych przez przeciwciała aPL, jednak w większości przypadków czynniki wyzwalające pozostają nieznane. Terapeutyczne konotacje wskazują, że wymienione zaburzenia można leczyć antykoagulantami łącznie z glikokortykosteroidami oraz próbując uzyskać szybkie obniżenie miana przeciwciał aPL (np. wymiana osocza i/lub dożylne podawanie immunoglobulin).
Primary and secondary osteoporosis. Guidelines for rheumatologists
Authors: Głuszko Piotr , Lorenc Roman
Published: December 2012

Osteoporoza jest układową chorobą szkieletu, a złamania kości decydują o obrazie klinicznym tego schorzenia. W pracy podano ogólne wytyczne postępowania z uwzględnieniem oceny ryzyka złamań, pomiaru gęstości mineralnej kości w procesie diagnostycznym, badania pacjentów, prowadzenia i monitorowania leczenia.
Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. Part I. Guidelines for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Kur-Zalewska Joanna , Tłustochowicz Witold
Published: December 2012

W artykule przedstawiono zalecenia leczenia różnych postaci tocznia rumieniowatego układowego oparte na aktualnych rekomendacjach Europejskiego i Amerykańskiego Towarzystwa Reumatologicznego oraz na wynikach dostępnych badań klinicznych.
Collagen type I in the treatment of painful osteoarthritis of the knee
Authors: Stančík Roman , Zvarka Jozef , Hlaváč Marián , Kubinec Vladimír , Rovenský Jozef
Published: December 2012

Wstęp: Przeprowadzone wcześniej badania wykazały, że niezdenaturowany kolagen typu II jest skuteczny w leczeniu zarówno reumatoidalnego zapalenia stawów (RZS), jak i choroby zwyrodnieniowej (ChZ) stawu kolanowego. W przeprowadzonym metodą podwójnie ślepej próby, kontrolowanym placebo badaniu klinicznym z randomizacją autorzy ocenili bezpieczeństwo i skuteczność kolagenu typu I (COL-I) w leczeniu ChZ stawu kolanowego.

Materiał i metody: Badana grupa składała się z 58 pacjentów z rozpoznaniem ChZ stawu kolanowego (tabela I). Wyniki wskazują na skuteczność leczenia ChZ stawu kolanowego COL-I w postaci znamiennego, w porównaniu z wartościami wyjściowymi, obniżenia punktacji w skali WOMAC i skali bólu VAS po 3 miesiącach leczenia oraz po miesiącu od jego zakończenia. Terapia COL-I doprowadziła do obniżenia łącznej punktacji w skali WOMAC o 38% w porównaniu ze spadkiem o 10% w grupie otrzymującej placebo oraz o 37% vs 8% po miesiącu obserwacji. Leczenie COL-I zmniejszyło dolegliwo-ści bólowe wg skali VAS o 41% po 3 miesiącach terapii wobec spadku o 13% w grupie otrzymującej placebo oraz odpowiednio o 37% vs 11% po miesiącu obserwacji. Ocena efektywności leczenia wg pa-cjentów wskazała na znamiennie lepszą skuteczność terapii w grupie leczonej COL-I w porównaniu z grupą otrzymującą placebo (ryc. 1–3).

Wyniki: Wyniki badania wskazują na skuteczność działania leczniczego COL-I w objawowej ChZ stawu kolanowego, charakteryzującego się nawet odległym w czasie efektem przeniesienia. Ponadto COL-I ma bardzo dobry profil bezpieczeństwa.
Tumor necrosis factor α antagonists in the treatment of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Szeremeta Anna , Olczyk Krystyna
Published: December 2012

Reumatoidalne zapalenie stawów (RZS) jest przewlekłą, układową zapalną chorobą tkanki łącznej o podłożu autoimmunologicznym, charakteryzującą się symetrycznym zapaleniem stawów, które prowadzi do rozległych uszkodzeń i zniekształceń aparatu ruchu. Coraz większa wiedza na temat mechanizmów prowadzących do rozwoju RZS przebiegającego z aktywacją prozapalnej odpowiedzi immunologicznej przyczyniła się do powstania nowej grupy leków biologicznych, do których należą antagoniści czynnika martwicy nowotworów α (tumor necrosis factor α – TNF-α). Zalicza się do nich zarówno chimeryzowane (infliksymab), jak i ludzkie przeciwciała anty-TNF-α (adalimumab, golimumab), a także fragment Fab przeciwciała ludzkiego, połączonego z glikolem polietylenowym (certolizumab pegol) oraz białka fuzyjne wiążące się kompetencyjnie z błonowym receptorem TNF-α (etanercept). W wielu dotychczas przeprowadzonych badaniach klinicznych potwierdzono znaczne zmniejszenie aktywności choroby, zahamowanie postępu zmian stawowych stwierdzanych w badaniu radiologicznym oraz znaczną poprawę wydolności układu ruchu i jakości życia osób chorych na RZS leczonych inhibitorami TNF-α.

W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono przegląd aktualnie stosowanych antagonistów TNF-α w terapii RZS.
Distributions and climate effects of atmospheric aerosols from the preindustrial era to 2100 along Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) simulated using the global aerosol model SPRINTARS
Authors: Takemura T.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. Global distributions and associated climate effects of atmospheric aerosols were simulated using a global aerosol climate model, SPRINTARS, from 1850 to the present day and projected forward to 2100. Aerosol emission inventories used by the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) were applied to this study. Scenarios based on the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) were used for the future projection. Aerosol loading in the atmosphere has already peaked and is now reducing in Europe and North America. However, in Asia where rapid economic growth is ongoing, aerosol loading is estimated to reach a maximum in the first half of this century. Atmospheric aerosols originating from the burning of biomass have maintained high loadings throughout the 21st century in Africa, according to the RCPs. Evolution of the adjusted forcing by direct and indirect aerosol effects over time generally correspond to the aerosol loading. The probable future pathways of global mean forcing differ based on the aerosol direct effect for different RCPs. Because aerosol forcing will be close to the preindustrial level by the end of the 21st century for all RCPs despite the continuous increases in greenhouse gases, global warming will be accelerated with reduced aerosol negative forcing.
A Marine Aerosol Reference Tank system as a breaking wave analogue
Authors: Stokes M. D. , Deane G. B. , Prather K. , Bertram T. H. , Ruppel M. J. , Ryder O. S. , Brady J. M. , Zhao D.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. In order to better understand the processes governing the production of marine aerosols a repeatable, controlled method for their generation is required. The Marine Aerosol Reference Tank (MART) has been designed to closely approximate oceanic conditions by producing an evolving bubble plume and surface foam patch. The tank utilizes an intermittently plunging sheet of water and large volume tank reservoir to simulate turbulence, plume and foam formation, and is monitored volumetrically and acoustically to ensure the repeatability of conditions.
Differences in plant cover and species composition of semiarid grassland communities of Central Mexico and its effects on net ecosystem exchange
Authors: Delgado-Balbuena J. , Arredondo J. T. , Loescher H. W. , Huber-Sannwald E. , Chavez-Aguilar G. , Luna-Luna M. , Barretero-Hernandez R.
Published: December 2012

Abstract. Changes in land use across the semiarid grasslands of Northern Mexico have driven a decline of plant cover and alteration of plant species composition. A number of different plant communities have resulted from these changes, however, their implications on the carbon cycle and regional carbon balance are still poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of plant cover loss and changes in species composition on net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and their biotic and abiotic controls. Five typical plant community types were examined in the semiarid grassland by encasing the entire above-ground ecosystem using the geodesic dome method. Sites included an oat crop (crop), a moderately grazed grassland (moderate grazing), a 28 yr-old grazing exclosure (exclosure), an overgrazed site with low perennial grass cover (overgrazed), and an overgrazed site presenting shrub encroachment (shrub encroachment). For natural vegetation, rates of daytime NEE for sites with a high plant cover (exclosure and moderate grazing) were similar (P>0.05) as compared to sites with low plant cover (overgrazed and shrub encroachment). However, night time NEE (carbon loss) was more than double (P<0.05) for sites with high plant cover compared to sites with low cover, resulting into slight C sinks for the low plant cover sites and neutral or sources for the high plant cover sites on an annual basis. Differences in plant cover and its associated biomass defined the sensitivity to environmental controls. Thus, daytime NEE in low plant cover sites reached light compensation points at lower PPFD values than those from high plant cover sites. Differences in species composition did not influence NEE rates even though there were transient or permanent changes in C3 vs. C4 functional groups.
Reciprocity: Understanding online social relations
Authors: Pelaprat Etienne , Brown Barry
Published: December 2012

Reciprocity is a key concept for understanding social behaviour. It involves complex interactions of giving and returning. This paper examines the concept of reciprocity to think about, and design for, online social interactions. We argue that reciprocal exchange is symbolic insofar as it produces and enacts many forms of social life by drawing individuals into a relation of recognition. Indeed, reciprocal interactions underlie much online activity, and a fuller understanding of the concept explains important aspects of how social life is conducted with others online. We contrast our understanding of reciprocity with those of more dominant theories of interaction built on the assumption that actions, including those that seek reciprocity, are self–interested or otherwise altruistic. This assumption ignores how social actions that solicit a return–action seek to neither profit nor benefit, but rather express a desire to draw in others into social life and relationships. After analysing three kinds of online activity (web forums, social networking sites, and online games) using our view of this concept, we conclude with implications for designers who seek to support the development of our digitally–mediated social life.
Use of Early Indicators in Rehabilitation Process to Predict One-Year Mortality in Elderly Hip Fracture Patients
Authors: Dubljanin-Raspopović Emilija , Denić Ljiljana Marković , Marinković Jelena , Grajić Mirko , Vujadinović Sanja Tomanović , Bumbaširević Marko
Published: December 2012

Hip fractures remain one of the most devastating injuries in the elderly. Early prediction of outcome following hip fracture potentially results in more efficient health care. The aims of this study were to explore predictors of ambulation status at hospital discharge in patients ≥65 years of age operated on for fracture of the hip, and to investigate the impact of ambulation status at hospital discharge on 1-year mortality after hip fracture. We studied 344 patients who underwent surgery for hip fracture during a 12 month period. Multivariate regression analysis was used to explore predictive factors for ambulatory status at discharge, and 1-year mortality adjusted on important baseline variables. Cumulative 1-year mortality was significantly lower for patients in the ambulatory group when compared to patients in the non-ambulatory group. Patients who were older, had severe cognitive impairment, lower functional level before injury, and in whom postoperative delirium and pressure ulcers occurred had a higher chance of not recovering their gait ability at hospital discharge, and being dead 1 year after hip fracture.

Inability to walk at hospital discharge and presence of delirium are independent predictors of 1-year mortality. Every effort should be made to assure early mobilisation after hip fracture surgery, and prevention, prompt recognition and treatment of postoperative complications is important in order to facilitate better short-and long-term outcome.
The Effect of Bolus Administration of Tranexamic Acid in Revision Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Kazi Hussain A. , Fountain James R. , Thomas T. Glyn , Carroll Fintan A.
Published: December 2012

We assessed the efficacy of tranexamic acid in reducing transfusion requirements in patients undergoing revision hip arthroplasty. A prospective cohort study was designed comparing Tranexamic acid administration in 30 patients compared to 30 patients in a control group. Blood loss was measured in theatre, pre- and postoperative haemoglobin measurements were recorded and postoperative haemodynamic parameters were evaluated.

The mean postoperative haemoglobin was 9.5 g/dl in the tranexamic acid group and 8.2 g/dl in the control group (p<0.01). The mean haemoglobin reduction was 2.7 g/dl in the tranexamic acid group and 3.4 g/dl in the control group (p = 0.47). Mean transfusion requirements were 2.76 units in the study group and 4.0 units in the control group (p = 0.49) and the frequency of transfusion was reduced (p = 0.032). Infected revisions showed no reduction in transfusion requirements with tranexamic acid administration (p = 0.25). There was a reduced frequency of transfusion in patients when revision was performed for aseptic loosening (p = 0.027). This group of patients may benefit from tranexamic acid administration.
Online Hierarchical Controller for Hybrid Power System
Authors: Zerkaoui Salem
Published: December 2012

This paper presents the basis for the development of an intelligent and autonomous energy management strategy for hybrid power system (HPS). Two hierarchical levels are proposed to control and manage the HPS. The low level is performed by a local control unit (DC-DC converters controller) of the different power sources. Dynamic equations describing the coupling of converters are derived, and a robust sliding mode dynamic controller is designed. The high level is performed by the online supervisor unit. This unit is designed by applying on-line Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy logic principles. As a result the robust control system gets rid of the limits of the HPS, which has the imprecision, uncertainty, strong coupling, and nonlinearity, to achieve its tractability, robustness, and low solution cost. Under the operation constraints related to each type of sources, the simulation results show that the optimal operation objective of HPS has been achieved.
Approximate Complete Solutions of DKP Equation under a Vector Exponential Interaction via a Pekeris-Type Approximation
Authors: Zarrinkamar S. , Rajabi A. A. , Hassanabadi H.
Published: December 2012

The DKP equation for an exponential potential is exactly solved via an appropriate approximation using the methodology of supersymmetric quantum mechanics. We see that the solutions are already known without any cumbersome algebra we face in any numerical or analytical approach. Closed forms of eigenfunctions and eigenvalues are reported.
Transcending national citizenship or taming it ?
Authors: Ivison Duncan
Published: December 2012

Recent political theory has attempted to unbundle demos and ethnos, and thus citizenship from national identity. There are two possible ways to meet this challenge: by taming the relationship between citizenship and the nation, for example, by defending a form of liberal multicultural nationalism, or by transcending it with a postnational, cosmopolitan conception of citizenship. Both strategies run up against the boundedness of democratic authority. In this paper, I argue that Shachar adresses this issue in an innovative way, but remains ultimately trapped by it. My argument has two parts. In the first one, I look at the analogy between property and citizenship on which Shachar rely to justify the obligations of wealthy states towards the global poor. I suggest that it does not work well to explain the rarity of citizenship and that the idea of taxing its value at the global level, however intuitive in liberal theory on property, could yield unexpected and non-liberal consequences. Nevertheless I also assess its merits. In the second part, I suggest that Shachar’s claim that her argument generates a legal obligation toward the global poor is not binding. It could only be so with the kind of cosmopolitan political institutions that she eschews. Thus we return where we begin.
Citizenship as Property, Not So Valuable
Authors: Spiro Peter J.
Published: December 2012

With The Birthright Lottery: Citizenship and Global Inequality, Ayelet Shachar is the first major scholar to put the rich theory of property law theory to work in the realm of citizenship. Assessed on its own criteria, the book delivers on its promise to shake up our thinking on this question. Nevertheless, I argue in this paper that her account is not ultimately persuasive. First, Shachar takes for granted that citizenship is a valuable resource. I suggest that today legal residency is more highly valued that citizenship. Also her defense of the state and the social advantages of having stable citizenship regimes does nothing to confront its decline as the central organizing principle of political life. Last but not least, the modalities of a birthright citizenship levy calls into question the underlying analysis. For instance, the current proposal looks undistinguishable from foreign aid and it would demand much more robust institutional organs of global governance that now exist. The second prong of her argument works at the domestic level as it tackles the problem of under- and over-inclusiveness of birthright citizenship. Here too I have reservations highlighted by modes of implementation.
The National Library of New Zealand: The New Generation National Library Strategy
Authors: MaCnaught Bill
Published: December 2012

In 2006 the National Library of New Zealand (NLNZ) began a major initiative to reposition itself as a modern, agile and relevant contributor to the cultural, social and economic life of New Zealand. Since 2010 our main Wellington building has been undergoing comprehensive redevelopment and staff have been located in temporary premises. The redevelopment of the Wellington building has a total budget of NZ$64.5 million. Since 2011 the National Library of New Zealand has been under new management. Along with New Zealand's national archives, the NLNZ is now an integrated part of the Department of Internal Affairs, working alongside teams responsible for all-of-government ICT strategy and delivery. NLNZ and Archives NZ are collaborating on the relocation of the Treaty of Waitangi into the revamped ground floor of the National Library. The transformed joint-use building will reopen in stages from August 2012.
Aeneas Tacticus
Authors: Popov‐Reynolds Nadejda V.
Published: December 2012

Aeneas Tacticus (fl. mid‐fourth centurybce), assumed to be the general at Stymphalos mentioned in Xenophon'sHellenica(7.3.1), is the earliest Greek writer on military science.
Akkadian language
Authors: Foster Benjamin R.
Published: December 2012

Akkadian refers to the East Semitic language spoken and written in Mesopotamia from about 2400bceto the Christian era (Huehnergard and Woods 2004).
Alphabets and scripts, ancient Near East
Authors: Daniels Peter T.
Published: December 2012

Writing throve east and south of Hellas and Italia long before reaching the Mediterranean peninsulas. It emerged in southern Mesopotamia (seeCuneiform) when it was realized that a (usually pictographic) symbol for a thing also represented the name of that thing, and such a symbol could be used for the sound of the name of that thing in notating words or affixes unamenable to (pictographic) representation. In agglutinative Sumerian, morphemes do not change their sound for grammatical expression, so the syllable represented by a cuneiform sign remained constant. But the constant sounds in Egyptian morphemes are the consonants only (vowels change with inflection); so when the idea of representingmorphemes came to Egypt, the signs (adapted from existing pictographs) came to represent only consonants–one, two, or three.
Assemblies, ancient Near East
Authors: Lion Brigitte
Published: December 2012

While ancient Near Eastern polities usually took the form of monarchy, this did not exclude the existence of assemblies, termedunkinin Sumerian andpuhrumin Akkadian. Such organs of collective governance, which bore different names in different regions and periods, are attested from the late fourth millenniumbceonward.
Carchemish
Authors: Mora Clelia
Published: December 2012

The north Syrian city of Carchemish is attested in the third millennium
bce
in the Ebla archive, and in the first half of the second millennium (main source: the Mari texts).
Maps, ancient Near East
Authors: Wheat Elizabeth
Published: December 2012

A diverse range of cartographic material has been excavated from sites in the ancient Near East, ranging from numerous small scale house and field plans to the earliest example of a world map, commonly known as the Babylonian Map of the World or “Mappa Mundi.”
Colonization, Phoenician
Authors: Jigoulov Vadim
Published: December 2012

“Phoenician colonization” refers to expansion of the Phoenician city‐states of Sidon, Tyre, Byblos, and Beirut into the Mediterranean region in the late second and first millennium
bce
.
Demons, ancient Near East
Authors: Sonik Karen
Published: December 2012

Occupying a tier of the cosmic hierarchy between humans and their gods, the demons of the ancient Near East were a distinct class of supernatural entity thought to be active in the natural or human rather than the divine realm.
Divination, ancient Near East
Authors: Scurlock JoAnn
Published: December 2012

Divination in its broadest sense covers any form of communication between humans and spirits.
Elam
Authors: Álvarez‐Món Javier
Published: December 2012

Elam was the first Iranian Empire, lasting from about 2700 to 550 and occupying the present‐day provinces of Khūzestān and Fārs. Elamite cultural identity reaches back to the foundation of the city of Susa around 4000BCEand the ensuing interaction between highland Zagros polities and the lowland Susiana Plain. From the Mesopotamian perspective, Elam was the gateway to primary material resources (metals, timber, and stone); from the highland perspective, it led to the concentrated web of flourishing Mesopotamian urban centers.
Fertile Crescent
Authors: Emberling Geoff
Published: December 2012

A term for the rich agricultural land of the Tigris‐Euphrates floodplain, bounded by the curve of the Zagros and Taurus Mountains, that supported the civilizations of Assyria and Babylonia.
Flood stories, ancient Near East
Authors: Foster Benjamin R.
Published: December 2012

Flood stories refer to extended texts and passing references to a universal deluge in Akkadian, Sumerian, and Greek from Mesopotamia, and Hebrew from ancient Israel.
Horses, ancient Near East and Pharaonic Egypt
Authors: Anthony David W.
Published: December 2012

The wild horse,equus caballus,was foreign to the lowland Near East.
Hurrian, Hurrians
Authors: von Dassow Eva
Published: December 2012

The term Hurrian, based on the name Hurri, denotes an ancient Near Eastern language and the people who spoke it.
Identity, ancient Near East
Authors: Snell Daniel C.
Published: December 2012

Identity for human beings has always been socially defined, but single individuals may always have been tempted by competing identities.
Labor, ancient Near East
Authors: Warburton David A.
Published: December 2012

The vast majority of the population belonged to the “agricultural sector” and most to the “unskilled” category; manual laborers were abundant and – given high underemployment – their services virtually unmarketable.
Law, ancient Near East
Authors: Wells Bruce
Published: December 2012

Ancient Near Eastern law was both written and unwritten.
Lexical texts, ancient Near East
Authors: Veldhuis Niek
Published: December 2012

Cuneiform lexical lists may be divided into word lists and sign lists.
Murashu family and archive
Authors: Wallenfels Ronald
Published: December 2012

The term “Murashu firm” was coined by modern scholars to describe the business activities of family members of one Murashu, son of Hatin, including three sons, three grandsons, and their respective agents, who lived and worked in and around the central Babylonian city of Nippur during the second half of the fifth century
BCE
, then an integral part of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
Music, ancient Near East
Authors: Shehata Dahlia , Hagel Stefan
Published: December 2012

The wide geographical and chronological span that we have come to circumscribe as “the ancient Near East” implies a multiplicity of music cultures.
Nineveh
Authors: Frahm Eckart
Published: December 2012

Nineveh, located on the east bank of the Tigris River opposite the modern city of Mosul, was one of the most important cities of ancient Assyria.
Persian, Persians
Authors: Tavernier Jan
Published: December 2012

The Persians are an Iranian people who dominated the ancient Near East from the sixth through fourth centuriesBCE. They arrived in what is now the modern Iranian province of Fars (southwest Iran) around 1000BCEand soon came into contact with the Elamites, who lived mainly in the region around Susa (Khuzestan).
Philistines
Authors: Faust Avraham
Published: December 2012

“Philistines” is a collective name of a people who settled in Canaan's southern coastal plain during Iron Age I and occupied the area until the Babylonian conquest in the late seventh centuryBCE.
Social structure and mobility, ancient Near East
Authors: Robertson John F.
Published: December 2012

Evidence for ancient Near Eastern social structure and mobility derives from cuneiform (Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, and Hittite) and biblical Hebrew law “codes” (Law, Ancient Near East), cuneiform legal documents, and the economic records of Mesopotamian and Syrian temple and palace estates.
Subartu
Authors: Michalowski Piotr
Published: December 2012

The Sumerian termSubir(Subartuin the Akkadian language) was used at various times to designate different geographical areas.
Susa
Authors: Graef Katrien De
Published: December 2012

Susa was founded around 4000BCEin the Khuzestan lowlands in southwestern Iran. Khuzestan is, geologically speaking, an extension of the Mesopotamian alluvial plain, and Susa, between the Karkheh and Dez rivers, is located only ca. 250 km east of the Tigris River. From the earliest days, the history of Susa was intertwined with that of Mesopotamia proper.
Trade, Ancient Near East
Authors: Monroe Christopher M.
Published: December 2012

Trade encompasses a broad spectrum of economic activities, including reciprocal gifting, barter, redistribution, buying and selling, capitalistic or profit‐driven trade, mercantilism, and various combinations of these idealized types.
Wheel
Authors: Snell Daniel C.
Published: December 2012

Earliest indications in Mesopotamia are some sketches showing sledges with wheels in the Uruk period around 3500
BCE
.
Agia Irini on Keos
Authors: Hilditch Jill
Published: December 2012

Agia Irini was situated on a low promontory in northwest Keos and was occupied almost continuously from the Late Neolithic (Period I) until the Late Mycenaean (Period VIII) period.
Amarynthos
Authors: Livieratou Antonia
Published: December 2012

Amarynthos is located on the west coast of Euboea, around 10 km east of Eretria.
Amphidamas
Authors: Mack William
Published: December 2012

King of Chalcis at whose funeral games, given by his sons, Hesiod won a tripod, perhaps with the
Theogony
(Hes.
Op
. 654–7).
Bacchylides
Authors: Tully John
Published: December 2012

Bacchylides (ca. 520–450
BCE
), Greek lyric poet, in Hellenistic times considered one of the nine canonical lyric poets.
Daedalus
Authors: Kotsonas Antonis
Published: December 2012

Both Indo‐European and Semitic sources have been proposed for the etymology of the name Daedalus, which is attributed to a master craftsman of Greek myth, first mentioned by Homer and first illustrated in sixth century
BCE
art.
Didyma
Authors: Bumke Helga
Published: December 2012

The sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma housed one of the most important oracles in antiquity.
Enkomi in Cyprus
Authors: Georgiou Artemis
Published: December 2012

Enkomi is a Late Bronze Age site located on the east coast of Cyprus.
Hesiod
Authors: Haarer Peter
Published: December 2012

Two didactic hexameter poems survive by Hesiod.
Theogony
(1,022 lines), thought to be the earlier of the two, concerns the origin of the gods and their ancestry.
Hippias of Elis
Authors: Davies Philip
Published: December 2012

Hippias of Elis was a younger contemporary of Protagoras, living in the latter half of the fifth century
BCE
, and was apparently still alive in 399.
Ionia
Authors: Breder Jan
Published: December 2012

Ancient territory on the west coast of Anatolia, bordering Aiolis in the north, Lydia in the east, and Caria in the south.
Klazomenai
Authors: Paspalas Stavros A.
Published: December 2012

Klazomenai was known to Herodotus (1.142.3) as a member of the Ionian Dodekapolis, but human activity in the area – especially along the coast – dates to the Neolithic period.
Linear A
Authors: Bendall Lisa M.
Published: December 2012

Linear A is a script used by the Minoan palace civilization of Crete from about 1850–1450
BCE
.
Mallia
Authors: Christakis Kostis S.
Published: December 2012

Mallia is set in a small plain on the northern coast of Crete, bounded to the south by the Lassithi Mountains.
Megaron
Authors: Frederiksen Rune
Published: December 2012

The megaron in the
Odyssey
(2.94, 19.16, 20.6) is the principal room of the palace, with the central hearth.
Minyas
Authors: Eder Birgitta
Published: December 2012

Figure of Boiotian mythology, king of Orchomenos in Boiotia and father of three daughters.
Naxos
Authors: Charalambidou Xenia
Published: December 2012

The earliest known remains of human presence on Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cyclades Islands, are late Neolithic (ca. 4500
BCE
), from Grotta (in modern Naxos town) and the Zas Cave on Mount Zas.
Oikos
(house)
Authors: Frederiksen Rune
Published: December 2012

Ancient Greek term for family or household, and archaeological term for its architectonical frame.
Phaistos
Authors: Christakis Kostis S.
Published: December 2012

Phaistos lies on the hill of Kastri, at the end of the Mesara Plain in south‐central Crete.
Phoenicia, Phoenicians
Authors: Kotsonas Antonis
Published: December 2012

Phoenicia was a narrow coastal strip set between the Lebanon mountains and the Mediterranean.
Pottery, Bronze Age
Authors: Kotsonas Antonis
Published: December 2012

Pottery is essential for understanding the history, everyday life, material culture, and trade in the Bronze Age Aegean (3100–1100BCE). It is also important for chronology, since ceramic phasing is the most widely employed method for measuring time in prehistory.
Sesklo
Authors: Galanakis Yannis
Published: December 2012

A major prehistoric settlement in Thessaly, on a prominent but now much‐eroded tell (8.5 m high), about 5.5 km from the ancient coastline and 4.5 km to the west of Dhimini.
Telechos of Sparta
Authors: Davies Philip
Published: December 2012

Telechos, Agiad king of Sparta, son of Archelaos, father of Alkamenes (Hdt. 7.204; Paus. 3.2.6–7), is usually dated to the first half of the eighth centuryBCE.
Thapsos
Authors: Shepherd Gillian
Published: December 2012

Thapsos (mod. Peninsula di Magnisi) is a low, small tongue of land off the east coast of Sicily, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus 2.5 km long and in places only about 100 m wide.
Theokles of Chalcis
Authors: Shepherd Gillian
Published: December 2012

Theocles is credited by Thucydides (6.3) with the foundation of Naxos in Sicily (734 Bce) with Chalcidians from Euboea (see also Pausanias 6.13.8).
Theognis
Authors: Tully John
Published: December 2012

Theognis is traditionally understood as an elegiac poet from Megara, fl. ca. 544–541 Bce (Suda; not Hyblaea, despite confusion dating at least back to Pl.Leg. 630a), whose work gained many accretions over time, including lines elsewhere attributed to Mimnermos, Solon, and Tyrtaios.
Thorikos
Authors: Alexandridou Alexandra‐Fani
Published: December 2012

The large Demos of Thorikos, situated on the southeast coast of Attica, was an important metalworking center of.
Vapheio in Lakonia
Authors: Galanakis Yannis
Published: December 2012

The site of one of the largest Mycenaean tholos tombs in Lakonia (1600–1400
BCE
), on the summit of a hill (200 masl) on the west side of the Eurotas River.
Agriculture, Byzantine
Authors: Decker Michael J.
Published: December 2012

Byzantine agriculture inherited traditions from the Hellenistic and Roman worlds and built substantially upon them.
Akakios, patriarch and schism
Authors: Haarer F. K.
Published: December 2012

Akakios, Patriarch of Constantinople from March 472 to November 489, is best known for causing the eponymous schism with Rome that lasted from 484 to 519.
Art, Late Antiquity and Byzantium
Authors: Loverance Rowena
Published: December 2012

The category of Late Antique and Byzantine art involves definitions of two different kinds: Late Antique (Spätantike), a term widely used in German art history before it was popularized in English by Peter Brown, is used to cover the transition from classical to medieval society, and carries no religious connotations; Byzantine art on the other hand is produced by a society defined by its Orthodox Christian worldview.
Astrology, Byzantine
Authors: Mavroudi Maria
Published: December 2012

Byzantine astrology is part of the political and cultural apparatus that Byzantium inherited from the Roman world.
Booty, Byzantine
Authors: Sullivan Denis F.
Published: December 2012

The emperor Leo VI (886‐912
CE
) in his
Taktika
(16.5) compares the award of spoils to soldiers to the use by hunters of the blood and intestines of prey to spur on their dogs.
Clothing, Byzantine
Authors: Parani Maria G.
Published: December 2012

In its diversity, Late Antique and early Byzantine clothing reflected the complexities and tensions of contemporary society, in which Roman traditional values and practices were challenged by Christian morals and ideals, on the one hand, and by the rise into prominence of “barbarians” in the army and government, on the other.
Coinage, Byzantine
Authors: Lianta Eleni
Published: December 2012

Byzantine coins, being legitimate and official objects with a fixed and recognized value, issued by a competent authority and of a public character, help us to reconstruct aspects of the Byzantine economy that the written record fails to reveal.
Constans II
Authors: Olster David
Published: December 2012

Constans II (b. 630, r. 641–68) was the son of Constantine III (r. 641).
Constantine III Herakleios
Authors: Riedel Meredith L. D.
Published: December 2012

Constantine's birth name was Herakleios Novus Constantinus (Herakleios the New Constantine), which was also the official name under which he reigned.
Constantine IV
Authors: Olster David
Published: December 2012

Constantine IV (b. ca. 650, r. 668–85) assumed the throne when his father Constans II was murdered in Sicily, avenging his death, and in 680/1, he repressed opposition from military units that supported his co‐emperor brothers.
Corippus
Authors: Haarer F. K.
Published: December 2012

Flavius Cresconius Corippus was originally a small‐town teacher from the province of Africa.
Court (law), Byzantine
Authors: Sarris Peter
Published: December 2012

The structure of courts in the Byzantine Empire essentially mirrored that of the empire's political administration.
Daniel the Stylite
Authors: Haarer F. K.
Published: December 2012

His ascetic stance atop a column outside Constantinople allowed Daniel the Stylite (409–93
CE
) not only to effect miracles and cures and settle the disputes of the locals, but also to wield influence over emperors (Leo I, Zeno, and Basiliscus) and to intervene in doctrinal and political affairs at the highest levels.
Demoi
/demes, Byzantine
Authors: Sarris Peter
Published: December 2012

In the Byzantine period from the fourth century
CE
onward, the word
demos/demoi
was used to designate members of the Circus factions.
Dionysius of Tel‐Mahré
Authors: Witakowski Witold
Published: December 2012

Dionysius of Tel‐Mahré, patriarch of the Syrian‐Orthodox Church (818–45CE), is mainly known for his historical work covering ecclesiastical and secular matters from the accession of the emperor Maurice (582) until the deaths of Theophilos and the caliph Al‐Mu'tasim (842).
Enamels
Authors: Loverance Rowena
Published: December 2012

Enamel is a hard, vitreous coating on metal, glass, or, more rarely, ceramic.