[Book reviews] Review of J. E. Hoch, Semitic Words in Egyptian Texts of the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period and D. Sivan and Z. Cochavi-Rainey, West Semitic Vocabulary in Egyptian Script of the 14th to the 10th Centuries BCE

Reviews of: [1] James E. Hoch, Semitic Words in Egyptian Texts of the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate Period, (1994), Princeton University Press. [2] Daniel Sivan and Zipora Cochavi-Rainey, West Semitic Vocabulary in Egyptian Script of the 14th to the 10th Centuries BCE, (1992), Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Press.

Lo patronal, lo estatal y lo parental en la autobiografía de Ankhtifi de Mo'alla

Resumen: Entre las principales contribuciones académicas de Alicia Daneri, sobresale un estudio monográfico sobre el Primer Período Intermedio (Las Dinastías VII-VIII y el período heracleopolitano en Egipto, 1992). Allí, la Autobiografía de Ankhtifi de Mo‘alla es considerada en el marco de un análisis de la crisis política y socioeconómica que la historiografía ha señalado como el rasgo distintivo de la época. Posteriormente, Jan Assmann (The mind of Egypt, 2002 [1996]) ha abordado esa misma autobiografía, para destacar la emergencia de un nuevo tipo de actor social durante tal período, interpretado en clave de patronazgo. Ciertamente, aquella escena política en crisis facilita la percepción de una lógica social ligada a las prácticas patronales. Sin embargo, tal cosa no implica que otras grandes lógicas de organización social como aquellas que corresponden al ámbito estatal y al del parentesco no continúen gravitando con fuerza. El propósito de este artículo es el de reconsiderar la Autobiografía de Ankhtifi en un intento por vislumbrar el alcance específico de lo patronal, lo estatal y lo parental en el texto, lo que a su vez permite una reflexión más amplia sobre las características de la organización social y política en el valle del Nilo durante el Primer Período Intermedio.

Consideraciones sobre el desarrollo de la literatura pesimista egipcia en el Reino Medio

Durante el Reino Medio egipcio asistiremos al desarrollo de la denominada literatura pesimista, única por su contenido y sus mensajes, que se caracterizó por mostrar un mundo en caos, donde los ideales, los valores y las representaciones del orden en la tierra se encontraban alterados. Fueron los primeros textos que plantearon una visión alterada del orden, con el objetivo de mostrar cómo sería la vida sin un Estado fuerte que ordene y organice a la sociedad. Se analizarán obras las Admoniciones de Ipuwer, la Disputa de un hombre con su ba, la Profecía de Neferty y las Lamentaciones de Khakheperrasnebu

Consideraciones sobre el desarrollo de la literatura pesimista egipcia en el Reino Medio

Durante el Reino Medio egipcio asistiremos al desarrollo de la denominada literatura pesimista, única por su contenido y sus mensajes, que se caracterizó por mostrar un mundo en caos, donde los ideales, los valores y las representaciones del orden en la tierra se encontraban alterados. Fueron los primeros textos que plantearon una visión alterada del orden, con el objetivo de mostrar cómo sería la vida sin un Estado fuerte que ordene y organice a la sociedad. Se analizarán obras las Admoniciones de Ipuwer, la Disputa de un hombre con su ba, la Profecía de Neferty y las Lamentaciones de Khakheperrasnebu

Consideraciones sobre el desarrollo de la literatura pesimista egipcia en el Reino Medio

Durante el Reino Medio egipcio asistiremos al desarrollo de la denominada literatura pesimista, única por su contenido y sus mensajes, que se caracterizó por mostrar un mundo en caos, donde los ideales, los valores y las representaciones del orden en la tierra se encontraban alterados. Fueron los primeros textos que plantearon una visión alterada del orden, con el objetivo de mostrar cómo sería la vida sin un Estado fuerte que ordene y organice a la sociedad. Se analizarán obras las Admoniciones de Ipuwer, la Disputa de un hombre con su ba, la Profecía de Neferty y las Lamentaciones de Khakheperrasnebu

Entre a ontologia e o ficcionalismo: uma análise crítica da proposta nietzschiana de superação da metafísica

Essa dissertação tem como objetivo fazer uma análise crítica da proposta nietzschiana de superação da metafísica. Primeiro, determinaremos o que Nietzsche entende por metafísica no período intermediário de sua produção filosófica. Conquistada essa compreensão, mostraremos as críticas feitas pelo filósofo à metafísica, presentes em sua obra de juventude Sobre a verdade e a mentira no sentido extra-moral. Por fim, a proposta de superação da metafísica será analisada a partir de quatro grandes referências interpretativas: o realismo negativo do devir, o neokantismo, o naturalismo substantivo e a proposta ontológica da vontade de poder. Testaremos a legitimidade de cada uma dessas interpretações a partir de duas principais perguntas: qual o estatuto ontológico do devir na filosofia de Nietzsche? Por que o filósofo afirma que nossas categorias são somente ficções?

Intermediate-coupling R -matrix calculations of electron-impact excitation of Fe 5+

For applications to laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, there is a great need for accurate electron-impact excitation data between individual levels in the lower charge-state ions of iron. Recently, we have reported on the first intermediate-coupling R -matrix calculation of electron-impact excitation in Fe 4+ , in which the close-coupling expansion of the target included levels from both ground and excited configurations (Ballance et al 2007 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. [/0953-4075/40/23/f01] 40 F327 , 2008 Europhys. News 39 14). In this paper, we present the results of two large intermediate-coupling Dirac R -matrix calculations of electron-impact excitation of Fe 5+ . The results from the two calculations, which differ only in the configuration–interaction expansions of the target, are compared. These comparisons provide some indication of the accuracy of the calculations and the resulting data should be useful in modelling plasmas containing iron.

Electron-impact excitation of Fe 4+ : an intermediate-coupling R -matrix calculation

For a number of years, there has been a major effort to calculate electron-impact excitation data for every ion stage of iron embodied by the ongoing efforts of the IRON project by Hummer et al (1993 Astron. Astrophys. 279 298). Due to the complexity of the targets, calculations for the lower stages of ionization have been limited to either intermediate-coupling calculations within the ground configurations or LS -coupling calculations of the ground and excited configurations. However, accurate excitation data between individual levels within both the ground and excited configurations of the low charge-state ions are urgently required for applications to both astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. Here we report on the results of the first intermediate-coupling R -matrix calculation of electron-impact excitation for Fe 4+ for which the close-coupling (CC) expansion includes not only those levels of the 3d 4 ground configuration, but also the levels of the 3d 3 4s, 3d 3 4p, 3d 3 4d and 3d 2 4s 2 excited configurations. With 359 levels in the CC expansion and over 2400 scattering channels for many of the J Π partial waves, this represents the largest electron–ion scattering calculation to date and it was performed on massively parallel computers using a recently developed set of relativistic parallel R -matrix programs.

Reconstruction et étude de la variabilité du régime alimentaire des sociétés préhispaniques de la basse vallée de Santa, Pérou

Ce projet de recherche porte principalement sur la reconstruction du régime alimentaire à l’aide d’une approche paléochimique. Des analyses isotopiques du carbone de l’azote ont été réalisées sur le collagène des os sur un échantillon de trente-huit individus provenant de trois sites différents de la basse vallée de Santa, sur la côte nord du Pérou : El Castillo, Guadalupito et Huaca China. Parmi les individus sélectionnés, certains sont affiliés aux groupes des Gallinazo, des Mochica, des Tanguche ou des Chimú couvrant ainsi la Période intermédiaire ancienne, l’Horizon moyen et la Période intermédiaire récente. L’approche isotopique a été utilisée afin de caractériser dans un premier temps, le régime alimentaire de la population globale en la comparant à d’autres groupes préhispaniques de l’Aire andine. Les résultats obtenus sur trente-deux individus suggèrent une alimentation variée incluant le maïs ainsi que des ressources marines, illustrant que ces groupes agriculteurs exploitaient les deux types d’écosystèmes à leur portée. Ces résultats sont supportés par l’analyse du carbone sur l’apatite pour cinq individus. Le second but fut d’étudier la variabilité du régime alimentaire entre les différents individus de l’échantillon, en fonction de la période d’occupation, du site de provenance, de l’affiliation culturelle, de l’âge et du sexe et du statut social. La petite taille de l’échantillon a limité considérablement la discussion de ces différents paramètres. Il a toutefois été possible de remarquer un accès aux ressources riches en protéines plus avantageux pour les hommes et la présence de possibles différences dans l’alimentation chez les individus juvéniles. Finalement, la confrontation des données funéraires à la reconstruction du régime alimentaire a été faite pour cinq cas particuliers de pratiques funéraires provenant du site El Castillo, premier centre régional de la civilisation Mochica dans la basse vallée de Santa. Dans tous les cas, le régime alimentaire suggéré par les compositions isotopiques supporte les interprétations des statuts sociaux de ces individus faites à partir des contextes funéraires.

Calcium sulfate fillers and binders in Portuguese 15th and 16th centuries: Ground layers from a family painting workshop — Study by multianalytical spectroscopic techniques

This study presents results on a developed methodology to characterize ground layers in Portuguese workshops. In this work a set of altarpieces of the 15th and 16th centuries, assigned to Coimbra painting workshop was studied, overall the masters Vicente Gil (doc. Coimbra 1498–1525), Manuel Vicente (doc. Coimbra 1521–1530) and Bernardo Manuel (act. c. 1559–94), father, son and grandson, encompassing from late gothic to mannerist periods. The aim of the study is to compare ground layers, fillers and binders of Coimbra workshop, and to correlate their characteristics to understand the technical evolution of this family of painters, using complementary microscopic techniques. The cross-sections from the groups of paintings were examined by optical microscopy and the results were integrated through the analysis obtained by μ-X–ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X–ray Spectrometry, μ-confocal Raman and occasionally with μ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy imaging. Ground layers are of calcium sulfate, present as gesso grosso (mainly anhydrite with small amounts of gypsum) in the first and last phases of the workshop and gesso mate (mainly gypsum with small amounts of anhydrite) in an intermediate period. Binders have protein and oleic characteristics.

The relative risk of second primary cancers in Queensland, Australia: A retrospective cohort study

Background Cancer survivors face an increased likelihood of being subsequently diagnosed with another cancer. The aim of this study was to quantify the relative risk of survivors developing a second primary cancer in Queensland, Australia. Methods Standardised incidence rates stratified by type of first primary cancer, type of second primary cancer, sex, age at first diagnosis, period of first diagnosis and follow-up interval were calculated for residents of Queensland, Australia, who were diagnosed with a first primary invasive cancer between 1982 and 2001 and survived for a minimum of 2 months. Results A total of 23,580 second invasive primary cancers were observed over 1,370,247 years of follow-up among 204,962 cancer patients. Both males (SIR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.20-1.24) and females (SIR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.33-1.39) within the study cohort were found to have a significant excess risk of developing a second cancer relative to the incidence of cancer in the general population. The observed number of second primary cancers was also higher than expected within each age group, across all time periods and during each follow-up interval. Conclusions The excess risk of developing a second malignancy among cancer survivors can likely be attributed to factors including similar aetiologies, genetics and the effects of treatment, underlining the need for ongoing monitoring of cancer patients to detect subsequent tumours at an early stage. Education campaigns developed specifically for survivors may be required to lessen the prevalence of known cancer risk factors.

Implementing the Clean Development Mechanism in Fiji : opportunities and barriers in the energy sector

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has been praised for its ingenuity in mobilising finance to implement sustainable development practices in non-industrialised countries (known as Non-Annex 1 parties under the Kyoto Protocol). During the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012), a large number of clean development mechanism projects have been registered with the CDM board. In addition to the large number of registered CDM projects, there are significant numbers of proposed projects stalled in implementation due to the cumbersome and lengthy CDM approval process. Despite this regulatory criticism it is recognised that the role performed by the CDM is essential for achieving a significant reduction in global green house gas emissions. This is because the CDM funds sustainable development in countries that lack capacity to do so on their own. It is anticipated that some form of CDM instrument will continue post the 2012 timeframe and that reform of the mechanism will be focused around making the mechanism’s approval and implementation processes faster and more efficient.

Combining passive sampling and toxicity testing for evaluation of mixtures of polar organic chemicals in sewage treatment plant effluent

Effluent from sewage treatment plants has been associated with a range of pollutant effects. Depending on the influent composition and treatment processes the effluent may contain a myriad of different chemicals which makes monitoring very complex. In this study we aimed to monitor relatively polar organic pollutant mixtures using a combination of passive sampling techniques and a set of biochemistry based assays covering acute bacterial toxicity (Microtox™), phytotoxicity (Max-I-PAM assay) and genotoxicity (umuC assay). The study showed that all of the assays were able to detect effects in the samples and allowed a comparison of the two plants as well as a comparison between the two sampling periods. Distinct improvements in water quality were observed in one of the plants as result of an upgrade to a UV disinfection system, which improved from 24× sample enrichment required to induce a 50% response in the Microtox™ assay to 84×, from 30× sample enrichment to induce a 50% reduction in photosynthetic yield to 125×, and the genotoxicity observed in the first sampling period was eliminated. Thus we propose that biochemical assay techniques in combination with time integrated passive sampling can substantially contribute to the monitoring of polar organic toxicants in STP effluents.