bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rivaroxaban With or Without Aspirin in Patients With Heart Failure and Chronic Coronary or Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Branch Kelley R. , Probstfield Jeffrey L. , Eikelboom John W. , Bosch Jackie , Maggioni Aldo P. , Cheng Richard K. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Avezum Alvaro , Fox Keith A.A. , Connolly Stuart J. , Shestakovska Olga , Yusuf Salim
Published: June 2019

Background:

Patients with chronic coronary artery disease or peripheral artery disease and history of heart failure (HF) are at high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events. We explored the effects of rivaroxaban with or without aspirin in these patients.

Methods:

The COMPASS trial (Cardiovascular Outcomes for People Using Anticoagulation Strategies) randomized 27 395 participants with chronic coronary artery disease or peripheral artery disease to rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily plus aspirin 100 mg daily, rivaroxaban 5 mg twice daily alone, or aspirin 100 mg alone. Patients with New York Heart Association functional class III or IV HF or left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) <30% were excluded. The primary major adverse cardiovascular events outcome comprised cardiovascular death, stroke, or myocardial infarction, and the primary safety outcome was major bleeding using modified International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria. Investigators recorded a history of HF and EF at baseline, if available. We examined the effects of rivaroxaban on major adverse cardiovascular events and major bleeding in patients with or without a history of HF and an EF <40% or ≥40% at baseline.

Results:

Of the 5902 participants (22%) with a history of HF, 4971 (84%) had EF recorded at baseline, and 12% had EF <40%. Rivaroxaban and aspirin had similar relative reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events compared with aspirin in participants with HF (5.5% versus 7.9%; hazard ratio [HR], 0.68; 95% CI, 0.53–0.86) and those without HF (3.8% versus 4.7%; HR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.68–0.93;
P
for interaction 0.28) but larger absolute risk reduction in those with HF (HF absolute risk reduction 2.4%, number needed to treat=42; no HF absolute risk reduction 1.0%, number needed to treat=103). The primary major adverse cardiovascular events outcome was not statistically different between those with EF <40% (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.55–1.42) and ≥40% (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67–0.98;
P
for interaction 0.36). The excess hazard for major bleeding was not different in participants with HF (2.5% versus 1.8%; HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.88–2.09) than in those without HF (3.3% versus 1.9%; HR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.45–2.21;
P
for interaction 0.26). There were no significant differences in the primary outcomes with rivaroxaban alone.

Conclusions:

In patients with chronic coronary artery disease or peripheral artery disease and a history of mild or moderate HF, combination rivaroxaban and aspirin compared with aspirin alone produces similar relative but larger absolute benefits than in those without HF.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01776424.
Adverse Events After Atherectomy: Analyzing Long‐Term Outcomes of Endovascular Lower Extremity Revascularization Techniques
Authors: Ramkumar Niveditta , Martinez‐Camblor Pablo , Columbo Jesse A. , Osborne Nicholas H. , Goodney Philip P. , O'Malley A. James
Published: June 2019

Background

The long‐term effectiveness of atherectomy treatment for peripheral arterial disease is unknown. We studied 5‐year clinical outcomes by endovascular treatment type among patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Methods and Results

We queried the Medicare‐linked VQI (Vascular Quality Initiative) registry for endovascular interventions from 2010 to 2015. The exposure was treatment type: atherectomy (with or without percutaneous transluminal angioplasty [
PTA]
), stent (with or without
PTA
), or
PTA
alone. The outcomes were major amputation, any amputation, and major adverse limb event (major amputation or any reintervention). We used the center‐specific proportions of atherectomy procedures performed in the 12 months before a patient's procedure as the instruments to perform an instrumental‐variable Cox model analysis. Among 16 838 eligible patients (median follow‐up: 1.3–1.5 years), 11% underwent atherectomy, 40% received
PTA
alone, and 49% underwent stenting. Patients receiving atherectomy commonly underwent femoropopliteal artery treatment (atherectomy: 65%;
PTA
: 49%; stenting: 43%;
P
<0.001) and had worse disease severity (Trans‐Atlantic Inter‐Society Consensus score [TASC] B and greater; atherectomy: 77%;
PTA
: 68%; stenting: 67%;
P
<0.001). The 5‐year rate of major adverse limb events was 38% in patients receiving atherectomy versus 33% for
PTA
and 32% for stenting (log rank
P
<0.001). Controlling for unmeasured confounding using instrumental‐variable analysis, patients treated with atherectomy experienced outcomes similar to those of patients treated with
PTA
, except for a higher risk of any amputation (hazard ratio: 1.51; 95%
CI
, 1.08–2.13). However, compared with stenting, atherectomy patients had a higher risk of major amputation (hazard ratio: 3.66; 95%
CI
, 1.72–7.81), any amputation (hazard ratio: 2.73; 95%
CI
, 1.60–4.76), and major adverse limb event (hazard ratio: 1.61; 95%
CI
, 1.10–2.38).

Conclusions

Atherectomy is used to treat severe femoropopliteal and tibial peripheral arterial disease even though long‐term adverse outcomes occur more frequently after this treatment modality.
Effect of Ticagrelor Versus Clopidogrel on Aortic Stiffness in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Vlachopoulos Charalambos , Georgakopoulos Christos , Pietri Panagiota , Ioakeimidis Nikolaos , Koutouzis Michael , Vaina Sophia , Aznaouridis Konstantinos , Toutouzas Konstantinos , Latsios George , Terentes‐Printzios Dimitrios , Rigatou Aggeliki , Tousoulis Dimitris
Published: June 2019

Background

We compared the acute and midterm effect of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel on aortic stiffness.

Methods and Results

We studied 117 patients in a randomized, assessor‐blinded, parallel‐group trial. The acute effect of ticagrelor was studied in 58 patients randomized (1:1) to receive a loading dose of clopidogrel (600 mg) or ticagrelor (180 mg). Carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cf
PWV
) was measured before, 3, and 24 hours after the loading dose. The midterm effect (30‐day treatment period) was studied in 59 subjects who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention and were randomized to either clopidogrel (75 mg, OD) or ticagrelor (90 mg BID). cf
PWV
was measured before and at 30 days of treatment. Circulating markers of inflammation and endothelial function were measured at all study points. Repeated‐measures analysis showed a significant main effect for treatment (
P
=0.03), with the ticagrelor showing a reduction in cf
PWV
after treatment. cf
PWV
at 24 hours was significantly lower in the ticagrelor group compared with the clopidogrel group (
P
=0.017) (maximal response reduction by 0.42±0.26 m/s). At 30 days, cf
PWV
decreased in the ticagrelor group, whereas there was no change with clopidogrel (−0.43±0.57 versus 0.12±0.14 m/s,
P
=0.004). There were no significant changes in both the acute and midterm study period in the pro‐inflammatory and endothelial function parameters.

Conclusions

URL
:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
02071212. Ticagrelor decreases cf
PWV
for 24 hours after the loading dose and at 1 month post–percutaneous coronary intervention compared with clopidogrel. Considering that aortic stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events, this finding may have clinical implications regarding the beneficial effect of ticagrelor.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02071212.
Effect of Edaravone on Neurological Symptoms in Real-World Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kobayashi Susumu , Fukuma Shingo , Ikenoue Tatsuyoshi , Fukuhara Shunichi , Kobayashi Shotai ,   on behalf of the Japan Stroke Data Bank
Published: June 2019

Background and Purpose—

In Japan, nearly half of ischemic stroke patients receive edaravone for acute treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of edaravone on neurological symptoms in patients with ischemic stroke stratified by stroke subtype.

Methods—

Study subjects were 61 048 patients aged 18 years or older who were hospitalized ≤14 days after onset of an acute ischemic stroke and were registered in the Japan Stroke Data Bank, a hospital-based multicenter stroke registration database, between June 2001 and July 2013. Patients were stratified according to ischemic stroke subtype (large-artery atherosclerosis, cardioembolism, small-vessel occlusion, and cryptogenic/undetermined) and then divided into 2 groups (edaravone-treated and no edaravone). Neurological symptoms were evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The primary outcome was changed in neurological symptoms during the hospital stay (ΔNIHSS=NIHSS score at discharge−NIHSS score at admission). Data were analyzed using multivariate linear regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting after adjusting for the following confounding factors: age, gender, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at the start of treatment, NIHSS score at admission, time from stroke onset to hospital admission, infarct size, comorbidities, concomitant medication, clinical department, history of smoking, alcohol consumption, and history of stroke.

Results—

After adjusting for potential confounders, the improvement in NIHSS score from admission to discharge was greater in the edaravone-treated group than in the no edaravone group for all ischemic stroke subtypes (mean [95% CI] difference in ΔNIHSS: −0.46 [−0.75 to −0.16] for large-artery atherosclerosis, −0.64 [−1.09 to −0.2] for cardioembolism, and −0.25 [−0.4 to −0.09] for small-vessel occlusion).

Conclusions—

For any ischemic stroke subtype, edaravone use (compared with no use) was associated with a greater improvement in neurological symptoms, although the difference was small (<1 point NIHSS) and of limited clinical significance.
Multilevel Models to Estimate Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Curves for Individual Cardiovascular Risk Evaluation
Authors: Olmastroni Elena , Baragetti Andrea , Casula Manuela , Grigore Liliana , Pellegatta Fabio , Pirillo Angela , Tragni Elena , Catapano Alberico Luigi
Published: June 2019

Background and Purpose—

The value of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT)—a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis—in defining the cardiovascular risk is still debated. The aim of this study was to estimate standard cIMT progression, adjusting values over time for the main cardiovascular risk factors, in a sample of low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk subjects, to identify normative cIMT progression values.

Methods—

From the progression of lesions in the intima of the carotid cohort, we selected subjects who underwent 4 planned serial clinical evaluations and ultrasound cIMT determinations, on average every 4 years. Subject taking glucose-lowering therapies in secondary cardiovascular prevention or with cardiovascular risk score >5 were excluded from the analysis. The growth of cIMT across the study period (12 years) was assessed by use of individual growth curve modeling within multilevel models.

Results—

A total of 1175 (36% men; mean age, 53±11 years at baseline) participants at low/intermediate cardiovascular risk have been included in this analysis. A significant and marked slope of the mean and maximum cIMT growth curves (β=0.009 and β=0.012, respectively) was observed, confirming that it is a function of age. A stratified analysis by decades of age highlighted a nonlinear cIMT progression over time. In addition, different patterns of cIMT development between sex were observed. Finally, different slopes in mean and maximum cIMT curves, with a significant spread since the fifth decade, were observed in the cIMT growth curve models of subjects developing multifocal carotid atherosclerosis compared with the rest of the population.

Conclusions—

These findings proved that the rate of change in cIMT over time is a sign of the development of atherosclerosis, which cannot be a priori assumed linear. These data, therefore, support the clinical relevance of these growth curve models for cIMT progression to be considered as useful tool to identify subjects with faster atherosclerosis progression and thus at increased cardiovascular risk.
Music Information Retrieval in Live Coding: A Theoretical Framework
Authors: Xambó Anna , Lerch Alexander , Freeman Jason
Published: June 2019

Music information retrieval (MIR) has a great potential in musical live coding because it can help the musician–programmer to make musical decisions based on audio content analysis and explore new sonorities by means of MIR techniques. The use of real-time MIR techniques can be computationally demanding and thus they have been rarely used in live coding; when they have been used, it has been with a focus on low-level feature extraction. This article surveys and discusses the potential of MIR applied to live coding at a higher musical level. We propose a conceptual framework of three categories: (1) audio repurposing, (2) audio rewiring, and (3) audio remixing. We explored the three categories in live performance through an application programming interface library written in SuperCollider, MIRLC. We found that it is still a technical challenge to use high-level features in real time, yet using rhythmic and tonal properties (midlevel features) in combination with text-based information (e.g., tags) helps to achieve a closer perceptual level centered on pitch and rhythm when using MIR in live coding. We discuss challenges and future directions of utilizing MIR approaches in the computer music field.
The Role of Suffixes in Grammatical Gender Assignment in Modern Greek: A Psycholinguistic Study
Authors: Mastropavlou Maria , Tsimpli Ianthi Maria
Published: June 2019

Tlie aim of this study is to investigate how native speakers of Greek assign gender to nouns. The main question concerns the role that the morphophonological information encoded on noun suffixes plays in the assignment of gender values by native speakers. To that end, novel nouns were created combined with the different nominal suffixes so that the role of the suffix could be investigated independently of any lexical and/or semantic effects. Monolingual, native speakers of Greek were asked to use these novel nouns by providing an agreeing definite article thus indicating the corresponding gender value. Tlie experiment was conducted both orally and in written form, so that potential effects of phonological as opposed to orthographic information could be examined. Following the experiment, probability values (predictive values) were calculated for each noun suffix based on the participants’ interpretations, which were then compared to counts of frequency co-occurrence of each suffix with each gender value in the language. The results are discussed with respect to theoretical models of gender assignment and lexical access, while lexicalist approaches to morphology are also addressed.
The Testamentary Waqf as an Instrument of Elite Consolidation in Early Twentieth-Century Massawa (Eritrea)
Authors: Miran Jonathan , Layish Aharon
Published: June 2019

This study examines the testamentary waqf of Aḥmad b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Ghūl (1853-1919), a prominent merchant and communal leader in the cosmopolitan Red Sea port town of Massawa in Eritrea during the period of Italian colonial rule (1885-1941). We provide an annotated translation of the document and a detailed socio-legal analysis of its features. We argue that the testamentary waqf was a vehicle for ensuring the family’s integration in Eritrea in perpetuity. We also consider how the testamentary waqf was used as a strategy to sustain the al-Ghūl family as a corporate unit by preserving the integrity of its real estate assets and by upholding the family’s internal hierarchy of authority. Finally, by endowing properties to mosques and wells, the testator-founder sought to establish the family’s role as a patron of the Muslim community.
Economic Aspects of the Peasant-Led National Palestinian Revolt, 1936-39
Authors: Nadan Amos
Published: June 2019

This paper examines economic aspects of the Arab Revolt of 1936-39, which was, beyond doubt, a national Palestinian revolt. It is suggested that, while the rebels, most of whom were peasants, acted collectively for national causes, many of them also perceived personal economic and rural collective interests in participating and acted to pursue economic and national goals simultaneously. This analysis helps explain why peasants comprised the main rebel force, why many of them were “landless” and from the poorest stratum of Palestinian rural society, why militias tended to be small, why banditry became dominant in 1938, and how economic motivations fueled an internal Arab-Palestinian civil war.
How and Why Do We Praise the Emperor? Debating and Depicting a Late Western Han Court Audience
Authors: Habberstad Luke
Published: June 2019

In 51 bce, a powerful foreign leader attended the annual court audience with the Western Han emperor. Modern scholarship has understood the audience primarily as an important event in the history of early Chinese foreign relations. This article shifts focus inward, comparing three different accounts of the audience in order to show that the event is perhaps even more important as an index of changing social and institutional patterns at the capital as well as normative understandings of imperial power. Long after 51 bce, the audience was rewritten in historical accounts not as the apex of Han power over foreign lands but as a beginning of efforts to refashion the imperial court according to principles associated with the Five Classics.
Daemons in the Cave
Authors: Bonazzi Mauro
Published: June 2019

The aim of the paper is to provide a unitary reading of Plutarch’s De genio Socratis by concentrating on the character of Epameinondas. Against those who claim that the philosophical speeches are the main theme of the dialogue, it is argued that Epameinondas, one of the speakers, also plays an active role in the liberation of Thebes. Against those who insist on the political action alone, it is shown that Epameinondas’ commitment is not the same as that of the other conspirators. His goal—like that of Plato and Socrates (as they are represented in the text)—is to take care of his fellow citizens, and lead them to moral virtue, in accordance with the divine order. This idea may appear piously unrealistic, but it clearly illustrates the merits and limits of Plato’s political philosophy.
Hearing the λόγος
Authors: Klavan Spencer A.
Published: June 2019

I examine here an arresting and poorly understood pair of fragments (Phld. Mus. 4.34.2-8, 115.26-35) in which the Stoic Diogenes of Babylon refers to ‘scientific sense perception’ (ἐπιστηµονικὴ αἴσθησις). Previous studies of this phrase have focussed on its attribution by Sextus Empiricus to Plato’s nephew, Speusippus. But Sextus is likely mistaken in crediting the phrase to the Academy. I argue that ‘scientific sense perception’ is best interpreted as Diogenes’ contribution to Stoic epistemology in an effort to defend the ἦθος theory of musical affect against attacks from its detractors. By identifying a hitherto unnoticed reference to Aristoxenus of Tarentum, I show that Diogenes used ἐπιστηµονικὴ αἴσθησις to give ἦθος theory new intellectual viability in the Hellenistic schools. Using the concept of ‘scientific sense perception’, the Stoic could have supported the claim that those trained in harmonic science may directly perceive ethical and emotional content even in wordless music.
Thinking Materially: Cognition as Extended and Enacted
Authors: Overmann Karenleigh A.
Published: June 2019

Human cognition is extended and enacted. Drawing the boundaries of cognition to include the resources and attributes of the body and materiality allows an examination of how these components interact with the brain as a system, especially over cultural and evolutionary spans of time. Literacy and numeracy provide examples of multigenerational, incremental change in both psychological functioning and material forms. Though we think materiality, its central role in human cognition is often unappreciated, for reasons that include conceptual distribution over multiple material forms, the unconscious transparency of cognitive activity in general, and the different temporalities of metaplastic change in neurons and cultural forms.
Individual Choose-to-Transmit Decisions Reveal Little Preference for Transmitting Negative or High-Arousal Content
Authors: van Leeuwen Florian , Parren Nora , Miton Helena , Boyer Pascal
Published: June 2019

Research on social transmission suggests that people preferentially transmit information about threats and social interactions. Such biases might be driven by the arousal that is experienced as part of the emotional response triggered by information about threats or social relationships. The current studies tested whether preferences for transmitting threat-relevant information are consistent with a functional motive to recruit social support. USA residents were recruited for six online studies. Studies 1a and 1B showed that participants more often chose to transmit positive, low-arousal vignettes (rather than negative, high-arousal vignettes involving threats and social interactions). Studies 2A and 2B showed higher intentions to transmit emotional vignettes (triggering disgust, fear, anger, or sadness) to friends (rather than to strangers or disliked acquaintances). Study 4 showed a preference for transmitting stories that participants had modified and were therefore novel and unique. Studies 2A and 3 (but not Studies 2B and 4) suggest that motivations for seeking social support might influence transmission preferences. Overall, the findings are not easily accounted for by any of the major theories of social transmission. We discuss limitations of the current studies and directions for further research.
Fan and Non-Fan Recollection of Faces in Fandom-Related Art and Costumes
Authors: Reysen Stephen , Plante Courtney N. , Roberts Sharon E. , Gerbasi Kathleen C.
Published: June 2019

We compared face recognition of humans and fandom-themed characters (art and costumes) between a sample of furries (fans of anthropomorphic animal art) and non-furries. Participants viewed images that included humans, drawn anthropomorphic animals, and anthropomorphic animal costumes, and were later tested on their ability to recognize faces from a subset of the viewed images. While furries and non-furries did not differ in their recollection of human faces, furries showed significantly better memory for faces in furry-themed artwork and costumes. The results are discussed in relation to own-group bias in face recognition.
First records of two squat lobsters (Decapoda, Galatheidae) from Korea
Authors: Lee Sang-Hui , Lee Sang-Kyu , Kim Sa Heung , Kim Won
Published: June 2019

Two galatheids, Allogalathea elegans (Adams & White, 1848) and Phylladiorhynchus pusillus (Henderson, 1885), are newly reported from Korean waters in material from around Jeju Island. The two genera, Allogalathea Baba, 1969 and Phylladiorhynchus Baba, 1969 are also reported from Korea for the first time. Now, the known Korean galatheids consist of six species belonging to three genera. Illustrations and diagnostic descriptions of the two newly recorded species are given herein.
Husserl and Gurwitsch on Horizonal Intentionality: The Gurwitch Memorial Lecture 2018
Authors: Moran Dermot
Published: June 2019

Gurwitsch is the philosopher of consciousness par excellence. This paper presents a systematic exposition of Aron Gurwitsch’s main contribution to phenomenology, namely his theory of the ‘field of consciousness’ with its a priori structure of theme, thematic field, margin (halo and horizon). I present Gurwitsch as an orthodox defender of Husserlian descriptive phenomenology, albeit one who rejected Husserl’s reduction to the transcendental ego and Husserl’s overt idealism. He maintained with Husserl the priority of consciousness as the source of all meaning and validity but he rejected Husserl’s transcendental idealism in favour of a ‘levels of existence’ approach. Gurwitsch’s project was to show the continuity between Gestalt psychology (stripped of its naturalism) and Husserlian eidetics. I explain his concepts of theme, thematic field, margin and horizon as a consistent development of Husserlian thought. I conclude by claiming that neither Gurwitsch nor Husserl fully appreciate how the horizons of an entity can support radical novelty and the application of entirely new contexts.
Is Music a Language?
Authors: Abel Mark
Published: June 2019

Marxists regard works of art as meaningful, and look for political meanings in apparently non-political literature, films and paintings. But where does music’s meaning lie? The conventional view is that music is non-referential, capable only of supporting other artforms or of expressing emotions. Adorno rejects the idea of music as a language of emotions, and does not believe that music has universal grammatical and syntactical rules. Yet he claims that music has language characteristics which make it as political as other artforms. What does he mean, and is he right? To answer those questions, we need to know how he understands language. This article examines how Adorno’s view compares with the Marxist theory of language and consciousness developed by Valentin Voloshinov, and explores the extent to which approaching music from this direction might clarify a Marxist understanding of music and contribute to solving the thorny question of musical meaning.
Where Doom is Spoken: Threshing Floors as Places of Decision and Communication in Biblical Literature
Authors: Tobolowsky Andrew
Published: June 2019

The fact that an unusual number of supernatural events occur at threshing floors in biblical literature has long been a subject of scholarly interest but seldom of comprehensive inquiry. This has recently changed with a publication arguing that the complex of threshing floor phenomena is explained by biblical conceptions of the relationship between YHWH and the site. In this article I will argue instead that it is the nature of the floor itself and its varied uses on multiple levels of society which created associations and layers of meaning that explain the association of threshing floors with decision and communication. The Yahwistic explanation for these associations favored by biblical authors is a response originating in a biased source, rather than a statement of a universal reality.
Conjunctive adverbs in Ancient Greek
Authors: Jiménez Delgado José Miguel
Published: June 2019

Conjunctive adverbs have generally been neglected in Ancient Greek grammars. In this language, textual cohesion is mostly assured by a battery of connective particles. While connective particles exhibit fixed position, conjunctive adverbs show a certain degree of positional variability. They usually take initial position, as well as medial position when preceded by a preposed constituent. Final position is very rare and most instances are due to ellipsis. This is comparable to the early phases of the development of similar adverbs in other languages.
Fidelity and Openness: A Christian Response to Pluralism
Authors: O’Keeffe Bernadette
Published: June 2019

The paper gives an outline of the conception of the Catholic Church on its mission in education today, with particular reference to the Catholic school in its encounter with pluralism. Three models of Catholic schools in the encounter with children of other faiths are presented. A distinction is made between catechesis, religious education and evangelization. The paper focuses especially on the mission of Catholic schools in urban poverty areas.
Multiculturalism in Education: Politics of Recognition
Authors: Van der Yen Johannes A.
Published: June 2019

One of the aims of education is the integration of students in the culture or cultures of society. However, western society presents a complex, ambiguous picture that is full of paradoxes. Three aspects of western society, the process of modernization, the influence of religion and church in society, and the social integration of minority groups in society illustrate this ambiguity. The politics of recognition implies a right to the preservation of identity. On the basis of the principle of equality, students of minority groups deserve recognition both as individuals on the basis of their human dignity, and as members of a cultural group on the basis of the principle of non-discrimination. Recognition of cultures is based on the principle of distinctiveness, which implies the value of distinct cultural characteristics. The consequences of this politics of recognition for education are discussed. In the context of a discussion of liberalism and communitarianism, a communicative design is developed that avoids the Scylla of educational neglect and the Charybdis of indoctrination and manipulation. Finally, the politics of recognition in Christian education is discussed. Different models of religious education are described and evaluated on the basis of three criteria.
BUILDING IDENTITY THROUGH COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS IN THE NETHERLANDS
Authors: Walford Geoffrey
Published: June 2019

This paper documents the rise of new evangelical Christian schools in the Netherlands as a response to a perceived growth in secularisation of existing nominally Christian schools. There are now three such first schools which promote a Biblically-based understanding of Christianity where a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is seen as central to belief. The author uses elements from a model of identity developed by Etienne Wenger to illustrate various aspects of the nature and purposes of these schools.
Zekhut Imahot: Mothers, Fathers, and Ancestral Merit in Rabbinic Sources
Authors: Gribetz Sarit Kattan
Published: June 2019

Rabbinic sources develop the theological concept of ancestral merit, the idea that the merits of parents, especially fore-parents, continue to offer their descendants favor in the eyes of God. The term zekhut avot is often translated as “merit of the fathers.” In this article, I ask: to whom does “avot,” in the term zekhut avot, refer? I argue that the concept of zekhut avot encompassed the biblical matriarchs in addition to the patriarchs, though this fact has often gone unnoticed or been deemphasized in modern scholarship, and that the terms “maʿaseh imahot” and “zekhut imahot” appear alongside “maʿaseh avot” and “zekhut avot” in the sources. I argue further that the figure of Rachel stands most prominently among the matriarchs whose merit assists her descendants, parallel to Abraham’s binding of Isaac as the paradigmatic event that accrued patriarchal merit. I conclude by offering historical and literary reasons for this development in rabbinic sources.
Amerasia: European Reflections of an Emergent World, 1492-ca. 1700
Authors: Horodowich Elizabeth , Nagel Alexander
Published: June 2019

The association of America and Asia dominated the geographical imagination of Europe for well over a century after 1492. Narratives and representations of myriad texts, maps, objects, and images produced between 1450 and 1700 reveal a vision of a world where Mexico really was India, North America was an extension of China, South America was populated by a variety of biblical and Asian sites, and American cultural productions and ethnographic features colored conceptions of Asia. While the Amerasian imaginary was later suppressed by Eurocentric and colonialist narratives, here we consider various representations of Amerasia in order to bring it back into visibility. Doing so reveals various forms of mirroring at play, permitting us to understand one of the mechanisms by which Europeans assimilated a dizzying array of new knowledge to their pre-existing conceptual order, and also offering insights into early modern European conceptions of global geography and modernity.
Noise and Silence in Rwanda’s Postgenocide Religious Soundscape
Authors: Grant Andrea Mariko
Published: June 2019

This article explores conflicts around noise and silence in Rwanda’s postgenocide religious soundscape. After the genocide, new Pentecostal (or abarokore) churches grew rapidly in the country and offered up noise and a specific understanding of praise and worship music (guhimbaza Imana) as important ways to enact healing. However, Catholics emphasised silence and viewed the new Pentecostal churches as distracting interlopers. Far from being trivial differences, I argue that these conflicts around sound hint at wider divides in Rwandan society and a worrying new convergence between religious and ethnic identity. Focusing on aural conflicts between Christian denominations can therefore help us gain a better sense of the limits of Pentecostal conversion. Instead of assuming that Pentecostals are necessarily ‘noisy’, I suggest we pay closer attention to the ways in which they may also cultivate silence, and how this relates to wider power structures.
Religion as a Predictor for the Support of Judicial Human Rights?
Authors: Ziebertz Hans-Georg
Published: June 2019

Human rights are the cornerstones of modern liberal democracies, but this does not mean that they can be taken for granted. Human rights need the support of the people. But how willing are people to support them? This question points to the problem of the legitimacy of human rights. This research paper focuses on judicial human rights such as freedom from torture, the rights of accused persons and the inviolability of the home. A quantitative, empirical survey was carried out among 2,244 German youth in the age group of 16 years, and this paper explores what attitudes these young German respondents have towards the rights referred to above. The assumption is that several other factors influence attitudes towards judicial rights; the paper considers human dignity, which is a constitutional right in Germany, but also religious beliefs, personality traits and society’s socio-political perception. The findings show that only two judicial rights (freedom from torture and the inviolability of the home) are positively valued by the respondents. From all predictors included in the research survey, the two strongest are sex (being female) and a low degree of authoritarianism. The comparison of religious groups shows that Muslims differ strongly from Catholics, Protestants and non-religious youth.
Body Image and Religiosity among Veiled and Non-Veiled Turkish Women
Authors: Demmrich Sarah , Atmaca Sümeyya , Dinç Cüneyt
Published: June 2019

The positive relationship between body image and religiosity, as found in Christian samples, is often explained in terms of a moderate dress style of highly religious women. Unfortunately, almost nothing is known about the relationship between body image, religiosity, and dress style among female Muslims who live in Muslim-majority countries. Therefore, we conducted an exploratory questionnaire study among 59 female Muslims between 17 and 46 years (n = 29 veiled, n = 30 non-veiled) in Turkey, measuring social appearance anxiety and religiosity (intrinsic, extrinsic, normative, popular religiosity). The results show that veiled women score much lower on social appearance anxiety than non-veiled women. All four forms of religiosity are highly negatively correlated with social appearance anxiety for the whole sample and the veiled subsample. The results are discussed in the context of wearing the hijab and normative religiosity as important buffering factors against a negative body image among Turkish-Muslim women.
Can Empirical Research Predict the Future of the Church?
Authors: Schweitzer Friedrich , Ilg Wolfgang
Published: June 2019

This article first discusses the question of how empirical research can contribute to the ongoing discussions concerning the future of the church. Among others, German research on church membership is used as a case study for gaining insights into the interplay between theoretical assumptions, empirical research and designing strategies for church development. The need for comparisons over time, for longitudinal studies and the identification of long-term predictors is discussed. Against this background, recent research on confirmation work in Germany and Europe is taken up as an example. The article draws on data from a European study on confirmation work with a longitudinal research approach. The results show that confirmation work, as one of the major educational programs of the Protestant Church, can influence adolescents’ views of Christian faith and the church. Predictors for future commitment to the church in terms of believing, belonging and volunteerism are not only dependent on religious socialization in childhood but also on experiences and activities during confirmation time in adolescence.
Theological Frames for Social Research
Authors: Smith Michael
Published: June 2019

In this article, theological frames are introduced as a qualitative tool for empirical theological research on Christian organisations. Theological frames are defined as frameworks for the theological interpretation of social life and are offered to further comparative and explanatory research on lived religion. Theological frames are developed by integrating frame theory (Bateson 1972; Goffman 2974; Snow et al. 1986) with the four voices of theology Bhatti et al. (2010) to understand the effects of nuanced theological expressions on social life. A methodology for constructing theological frames in social research is given, then applied to a socially engaged Australian Christian advocacy organisation.
Stress Levels among Anglican Clergy: The Beneficial Effects of Feeling Supported
Authors: Francis Leslie J. , Village Andrew , Voas David
Published: June 2019

The present study draws on data generated by the Church Growth Research Programme among 1,268 full-time stipendiary Church of England clergy aged 68 or under to test the extent to which the sense of feeling supported by professional advisers (positive affect) may offset the sense of feeling stressed (negative affect), after taking into account a range of personal, psychological, environmental and theological or ecclesial factors. The data found that the sense of feeling supported by professional advisers reduced the levels of self-reported stress after controlling for personal, psychological, environmental, and theological or ecclesial factors. The implications of these findings for the provision of formal support mechanisms within dioceses is discussed.
The Lost Kenyan Duel: The Role of Politics in the Collapse of the International Criminal Court Cases against Ruto and Kenyatta
Authors: Mburu Daniel M.
Published: June 2019

This article contributes to the debate concerning the International Criminal Court and politics by regarding the Court as a coliseum on whose floor the Prosecutor duels with the defendants of his/her choosing. It focuses on the Ruto and Kenyatta cases arising from the 2007/2008 post-election violence in Kenya. The article begins with a background to the post-election violence. The second part discusses Kenya’s initial efforts to halt the icc proceedings against the six suspects. The third part considers how Kenyatta and Ruto used the icc prosecutions against them to get elected to the country’s presidency. The fourth part discusses how Kenya’s non-cooperation with the Prosecutor and the recantation and withdrawal of witnesses led to the collapse of the Kenyatta and Ruto cases. The fifth and final part concludes by arguing that the Prosecutor lost the duel due to a political miscalculation which Kenyatta and Ruto used to their advantage.
How to Resolve Disputes Arising from Brexit
Authors: Odermatt Jed
Published: June 2019

The question of how disputes arising from Brexit are to be resolved, and by which body, is one of the most sensitive issues in the negotiations on the uk’s withdrawal from the European Union and the envisaged future relationship between the uk and the eu. The legal issues related to withdrawal are further magnified in complexity due to the nature of the eu itself, which does not neatly fit into the category of a traditional international organization. The uk has repeatedly stated that it will not accept the continued role of the eu Court of Justice in the uk legal system after withdrawal. Any dispute settlement system must also respect the constitutional requirements of the eu legal order, most notably, by not infringing on the autonomy of eu law. This article discusses some of the various models from international dispute settlement that could be used to inspire a dispute settlement system in the Brexit context. It discusses dispute settlement in the withdrawal agreement and the role of the Court of Justice during and after a transition period. It then discusses the challenges of designing a dispute settlement system for the future relationship agreement. While aspects of these various models could be replicated, there is no dispute settlement system that is fully appropriate to deal with the various complexities and challenges of Brexit. The paper proposes the establishment of a standing international tribunal to resolve disputes arising from Brexit.
Withdrawal from the eu and Bilateral Free Trade Agreements
Authors: Silvereke Siri
Published: June 2019

Ambiguity still remains around the legal effects of a Member State’s withdrawal from the eu in relation to the new generation of Free Trade Agreements (‘ftas’), which are concluded as bilateral mixed agreements. Such withdrawal may have secondary implications in relation to the international obligations towards the other party of the ratified agreement. According to article 70(1)(a) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (‘
vclt
’), the termination of a treaty under its provision releases the parties from the obligation further to perform the treaty. However, mixed agreements that are signed by both the Member State and the eu may cause complications. The obligation of sincere cooperation could play a large role in respect of the Member State’s compliance with its commitments under the agreement. Indeed, there are many concerns regarding the effect of the withdrawal on the eu and the withdrawing Member State in respect to mixed ftas. Could a withdrawal lead to an automatic termination or renegotiation of a trade agreement? Would it be possible to argue for fundamentally changed circumstances? Or could the principle of continuity in the
vclt
in the context of succession of states affect the outcome?

This contribution aims to clarify the legal situation in regard to bilateral mixed ftas that are ratified or provisionally applied—such as the
eu-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (‘
ceta
’)—in the event of a Member State’s withdrawal from the eu. It considers the Member State’s responsibilities and obligations when the withdrawal has been effectuated. Additionally, it explores the rights of the non-eu party to the agreements, as well as the consequences that the eu might face as a remaining party to the agreement.
Supernaturalism among the Pastoral Societies of Iran
Authors: Amanolahi Sekandar
Published: June 2019

The article is a brief examination of the beliefs in supernatural and the relevant practice among the Baharvand (Bahārvand) of Lorestān (Luristān) and the Basseri (Bāser ī) of Fārs provinces prior to the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Most of the previous research on this subject at that time failed to note the existence of such beliefs and practices among the Iranian pastoral nomads, mainly because supernaturalism was explained in terms of readily observable phenomena. The author, however, intends to show that supernaturalism has always been a constant element of the spiritual life of the pastoral societies of Iran.
The Chained Hero: The Cave and the Labyrinth
Authors: Abrahamian Levon
Published: June 2019

The article is a comparative study of the well-known mythological sujet of the chained hero and another popular motif, that of the labyrinth. The author lists in brief various versions of the legend about the chained hero, widespread in the Caucasian-Near Eastern region, emphasising the most significant details: tracing the motif of theomachy as a sin, and retribution common for all of them. The paper includes the analysis of such features of the chained hero as his ambivalence going back to the archetypal twoness; twins representing a positive character and that of the snake (dragon) nature. Another reason for the ambivalence of the chained hero is his chthonic nature, observable in the place of his imprisonment or his environment. The cave here is approximating to a labyrinth-like covert, and the idea of a labyrinth, in its turn, points to the motif of initiation. The Caucasian-Near Eastern complex of the stories about the chained/neutralised chthonic heroes allows to anew elucidate the cave-labyrinth theme in the vast proto-Caucasian context, and to probably give original interpretations to newly found artefacts depicting respective symbols.
Khinalug in its Genetic Context: Some Methodological Considerations. Part 2: Some Words About Grammar and Conclusions
Authors: Schulze Wolfgang
Published: June 2019

This is the second part of the article dedicated to the discussion of some methodological problems related to the history of Khinalug, published in the current volume of Iran and the Caucasus (see Schulze 2018). Whereas the first part analyses some basic data on Khinalug in its genetic problem and addressed some questions of loans and cognates, the second one turns to grammatical issues. Khinalug, a minority language spoken by some 1500 people mainly in the village of Khinalug in the north of Azerbaijan Republic, is generally regarded as the most divergent East Caucasian language. Its exact genealogical place within the world of the roughly 30 East Caucasian languages has been debated since long. Still, at least some of the relevant contributions to this debate ground their arguments in just a rather small piece of evidence, usually taken from a handful of assumed lexical correspondences and typological analogies. The same holds for grammar. As for morphosyntax, the problem is complicated by the fact that hitherto it is virtually impossible to safely reconstruct a more systematic inventory of Proto-East Caucasian morphemes together with their function values. A closer look at the morphosyntax of Khinalug may lead to just the same conclusion that seems to emerge from a more comprehensive analysis of the lexicon: I suggest, to consider the possibility that Khinalug is not an East Caucasian language from a genetic point of view, but a non-East Caucasian language that has become ‘Caucasianized’ over times.
Reading Messiah Texts Afresh? Comments on Matthew Novenson’s “Grammar of Messianism”
Authors: Wold Benjamin
Published: June 2019

This review essay critiques Matthew Novenson’s book, The Grammar of Messianism, with attention to the ways that it advances the field and is indicative of the field. The major elements of this work are surveyed and assessed.
Defending Defensive Killing: Reply to Barry, McMahan, Ferzan, Renzo, and Haque
Authors: Frowe Helen
Published: June 2019

This article responds to objections to the account of permissible harming developed in Defensive Killing, as raised by Christian Barry, Jeff McMahan, Kimberly Ferzan, Massimo Renzo and Adil Ahmad Haque. Each paper deserves much more attention than I can give it here. I focus on Barry’s important observations regarding the liability to defensive harm of those who fail to rescue. In response to McMahan, I grant some of McMahan’s objections to my rejection of the moral equivalence of threats and bystanders, but reject his analysis of my Shield cases. I welcome much of Ferzan’s development of my account of ‘futile’ defence, but offer some concerns regarding her own view of when honour can be appropriately defended. I argue that Renzo’s objections to my account of bloodless invasions are unpersuasive, and identify some problems with Renzo’s own view. Finally, I defend my account of civilian liability against Adil Haque’s critique.