La acepción trascendente del refrigerium cristiano: entre el agua y el infierno

El término refrigerium tuvo una doble significación en el cristianismo antiguo: una de carácter físico y material, que derivó de una tradición pagana anterior (“refrescar” al muerto), y otra de naturaleza etérea y sobrenatural que fue producto de un desarrollo etimológico habido en el seno del propio cristianismo (“alcanzar la salvación eterna”). Esta última significación ha pasado en general más desapercibida que la anterior en la historiografía moderna, como si se aceptara que aquélla fue la genuina del término en cuestión, o la más extendida. Este trabajo pretende justamente mostrar que esto no fue exactamente así, y que el contexto semántico de la significación sobrenatural del refrigerium cristiano fue bastante más elevado que el otro. El análisis nos mostrará de paso la función simbólica que tuvo el agua en el cristianismo primitivo.

An acrostic soghitha by Isaac ‘the Teacher’ in Sinai Syr. 10

El artículo ofrece una edición y traducción de una soghitha atribuida a ‘Isaac el Maestro, que se encuentran en el Sinaí siriaco 10. A la vista de la gran cantidad de memre inéditos atribuidos a uno u otro de los tres poetas siriacos de los siglos V y VI de nombre Isaac, un apéndice proporciona una lista alfabética de los incipits de todos los memre atribuidos a un Isaac que se encuentran en manuscritos tempranos datables en los siglos VI y VII.

Ecclesia triumphans? Sectarianism and the Maronite Community 1943-1975

Durante la Segunda República Libanesa (1943-1975) existía la percepción de que la comunidad maronita era la secta dominante del país y ostentaba un papel casi hegemónico dentro del marco confesional del Estado. Mediante el análisis de tres acontecimientos históricos clave (la “Revolución del Agua de Rosas” de 1952, la crisis de 1958 y las elecciones presidenciales de 1970), este ensayo tratará de probar que la comunidad maronita no ostentaba un control desproporcionado sobre la política libanesa y que el sectarianismo no era el factor predominante y definitorio de su sistema político, sino uno más entre otros lazos tradicionales, cuya influencia era aún mayor.

El profeta Muḥammad confundido con un emperador romano. La errónea interpretación de una iluminación medieval

Un grabado frecuentemente usado para ilustrar la expulsión del pueblo judío decretada por los emperadores Adriano o Heraclio representa en realidad la predicación del profeta Muḥammad ante una asamblea de árabes y judíos. Este artículo identifica el manuscrito a partir del que se elaboró el grabado, propone la interpretación correcta de la imagen y explica el origen de la confusión.

Validation of the SenseWear Mini activity monitor in 5-12-year-old children

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to validate SenseWear Mini software algorithm versions 2.2 (SW2.2) and 5.2 (SW5.2) for estimating energy expenditure (EE) in children. DESIGN: Laboratory-based validation study. METHODS: 57 children aged 5-12 y completed a protocol involving 15 semi-structured sedentary (SED), light-intensity (LPA), and moderate- to vigorous-intensity (MVPA) physical activities. EE was estimated using portable indirect calorimetry (IC). The accuracy of EE estimates (kcal·min(-1)) from SW2.2 and SW5.2 were examined at the group level and individual level using the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), Bland-Altman plots and equivalence testing. RESULTS: MAPE values were lower for SW5.2 (30.1±10.7%) than for SW2.2 (44.0±6.2%). Although mean differences for SW5.2 were smaller than for SW2.2 during SED (-0.23±0.22 vs. -0.61±0.20kcal·min(-1)), LPA (-0.69±0.76 vs. -1.07±0.46kcal·min(-1)) and MVPA (-2.22±1.15 vs. -2.57±1.15kcal·min(-1)), limits of agreement did not decrease for the updated algorithms. For all activities, SW2.2 and SW5.2 were not equivalent to IC (p>0.05). Errors increased with increasing intensity. CONCLUSION: The current SenseWear Mini algorithms SW5.2 underestimated EE. The overall improved accuracy for SW5.2 was not accompanied with improved accuracy at the individual level and EE estimates were not equivalent to IC.

Validation of thigh-based accelerometer estimates of postural allocation in 5-12 year-olds

OBJECTIVES: To validate activPAL3™ (AP3) for classifying postural allocation, estimating time spent in postures and examining the number of breaks in sedentary behaviour (SB) in 5-12 year-olds. DESIGN: Laboratory-based validation study. METHODS: Fifty-seven children completed 15 sedentary, light- and moderate-to-vigorous intensity activities. Direct observation (DO) was used as the criterion measure. The accuracy of AP3 was examined using a confusion matrix, equivalence testing, Bland-Altman procedures and a paired t-test for 5-8y and 9-12y. RESULTS: Sensitivity of AP3 was 86.8%, 82.5% and 85.3% for sitting/lying, standing, and stepping, respectively, in 5-8y and 95.3%, 81.5% and 85.1%, respectively, in 9-12y. Time estimates of AP3 were equivalent to DO for sitting/lying in 9-12y and stepping in all ages, but not for sitting/lying in 5-12y and standing in all ages. Underestimation of sitting/lying time was smaller in 9-12y (1.4%, limits of agreement [LoA]: -13.8 to 11.1%) compared to 5-8y (12.6%, LoA: -39.8 to 14.7%). Underestimation for stepping time was small (5-8y: 6.5%, LoA: -18.3 to 5.3%; 9-12y: 7.6%, LoA: -16.8 to 1.6%). Considerable overestimation was found for standing (5-8y: 36.8%, LoA: -16.3 to 89.8%; 9-12y: 19.3%, LoA: -1.6 to 36.9%). SB breaks were significantly overestimated (5-8y: 53.2%, 9-12y: 28.3%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: AP3 showed acceptable accuracy for classifying postures, however estimates of time spent standing were consistently overestimated and individual error was considerable. Estimates of sitting/lying were more accurate for 9-12y. Stepping time was accurately estimated for all ages. SB breaks were significantly overestimated, although the absolute difference was larger in 5-8y. Surveillance applications of AP3 would be acceptable, however, individual level applications might be less accurate.

Judeus, cristãos e muçulmanos no Portugal Medieval

Judeus e muçulmanos vivem e movem-se numa sociedade que se define como uma “respublica christiana���. O direito canónico e a sua influência nas leis gerais dos reinos europeus implica, necessariamente, a construção de uma identidade cristã que se define em oposição ao “outro”, sobretudo o judeu, mas também o muçulmano. Neste sentido, a superioridade cristã, basilar no pensamento da Igreja, afeta a legislação régia portuguesa (como a demais europeia), criando progressivamente normas de segregação, tanto a nível de vestuário como de restrição espacial das minorias. O discurso da Igreja e o conceito de “infiel”, conflui, de resto, com os interesses das oligarquias concelhias, no seu programa político de hierarquização social e económica. Não obstante, os contextos vivenciais específicos de cada comunidade subvertem, bastas vezes, as normativas , numa necessária complementaridade dos membros das três religiões.