"Sub Tiberio quies"? Judaea’s Political Situation under the Prefects (6-41 c.e.), between Reality and Ideology

Deeply conflicting views on the political situation of Judaea under the Roman prefects (6-41 c.e.) have been offered. According to some scholars, this was a period of persistent political unrest and agitation, whilst according to a widespread view it was a quiescent period of political calm (reflected in Tacitus’ phrase sub Tiberio quies). The present article critically examines again the main available sources –particularly Josephus, the canonical Gospels and Tacitus– in order to offer a more reliable historical reconstruction. The conclusions drawn by this survey calls into question some widespread and insufficiently nuanced views on the period. This, in turn, allows a reflection on the non-epistemic factors which might contribute to explain the origin of such views.

The Antibiotic Resistance and Prescribing in European Children Project: A Neonatal and Pediatric Antimicrobial Web-based Point Prevalence Survey in 73 Hospitals Worldwide

BACKGROUND: The neonatal and pediatric antimicrobial point prevalence survey (PPS) of the Antibiotic Resistance and Prescribing in European Children project (http://www.arpecproject.eu/) aims to standardize a method for surveillance of antimicrobial use in children and neonates admitted to the hospital within Europe. This article describes the audit criteria used and reports overall country-specific proportions of antimicrobial use. An analytical review presents methodologies on antimicrobial use.

METHODS: A 1-day PPS on antimicrobial use in hospitalized children was organized in September 2011, using a previously validated and standardized method. The survey included all inpatient pediatric and neonatal beds and identified all children receiving an antimicrobial treatment on the day of survey. Mandatory data were age, gender, (birth) weight, underlying diagnosis, antimicrobial agent, dose and indication for treatment. Data were entered through a web-based system for data-entry and reporting, based on the WebPPS program developed for the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption project.

RESULTS: There were 2760 and 1565 pediatric versus 1154 and 589 neonatal inpatients reported among 50 European (n = 14 countries) and 23 non-European hospitals (n = 9 countries), respectively. Overall, antibiotic pediatric and neonatal use was significantly higher in non-European (43.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 41.3-46.3% and 39.4%; 95% CI: 35.5-43.4%) compared with that in European hospitals (35.4; 95% CI: 33.6-37.2% and 21.8%; 95% CI: 19.4-24.2%). Proportions of antibiotic use were highest in hematology/oncology wards (61.3%; 95% CI: 56.2-66.4%) and pediatric intensive care units (55.8%; 95% CI: 50.3-61.3%).

CONCLUSIONS: An Antibiotic Resistance and Prescribing in European Children standardized web-based method for a 1-day PPS was successfully developed and conducted in 73 hospitals worldwide. It offers a simple, feasible and sustainable way of data collection that can be used globally.

SAMUDRA Report No.73, April 2016

Samudra Report No. 73, dated April 2016, features articles from India, Costa Rica, East and North Africa, Algeria, Norway, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Southeast Asia. The articles from India focus on the construction of a port in Hazira and the livelihoods issues of women fishworkers in Kerala. The SSF Guidelines are covered by reports of workshops held in Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Algiers, Bali, Colombo, Tanzania and New Delhi. The report from Norway discusses the Norwegian Maritime Authority's mandate to raise safety-at-sea standards.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH ANNUAL REPORT 1972-73

Each year the South Carolina State Hospital Commission submits an annual report to the General Assembly that contains the agency's mission, objectives to accomplish the mission, and performance measures that show the degree to which objectives are being met.

Aplicaciones del Caos y la Complejidad en la Cadena de Suministros del Sector Agroindustrial

La presente investigación consiste en determinar las aplicaciones existentes de las teorías del caos y las teorías de la complejidad en la cadena de suministro del sector agroindustrial colombiano. Además, tiene como propósito describir el sector de la agroindustria y la cadena de suministro, identificar los modelos de caos y complejidad y posteriormente determinar cuáles de éstos son aplicables al sector. Se define el caos como una sub-disciplina de las matemáticas que estudia sistemas complejos o dinámicos y tiene inmerso implicaciones filosóficas; por otra parte complejidad es la cualidad que adquiere un sistema en el que hay diversos componentes relacionados. Se ha identificado que en el ámbito colombiano existen diferentes estudios enfocados en la construcción de modelos agroindustriales, donde se adopta el concepto de complejidad para calificar el atributo de dichos modelos que involucran la armonización e integración de diferentes actores, desde los productores hasta los consumidores. En este estudio se emplea un estudio monográfico de tipo documental teniendo como unidad de análisis la cadena de suministro del sector agroindustrial. Los resultados indican que las teorías del caos y complejidad se encuentran presentes dentro de la cadena de suministros del sector agroindustrial colombiano, ya que en ella se ocurre la interconexión entre productores, procesadores y comercializadores, interactuando entre ellos y presentando alteraciones en su comportamiento económico a lo largo del tiempo en función de variaciones de las condiciones iniciales influenciadas por variables macroeconómicas, ambientales, sociales y políticas.

Thermal decomposition of the synthetic hydrotalcite iowaite

The thermal stability and thermal decomposition pathways for synthetic iowaite have been determined using thermogravimetry in conjunction with evolved gas mass spectrometry. Chemical analysis showed the formula of the synthesised iowaite to be Mg6.27Fe1.73(Cl)1.07(OH)16(CO3)0.336.1H2O and X-ray diffraction confirms the layered structure. Dehydration of the iowaite occurred at 35 and 79°C. Dehydroxylation occurred at 254 and 291°C. Both steps were associated with the loss of CO2. Hydrogen chloride gas was evolved in two steps at 368 and 434°C. The products of the thermal decomposition were MgO and a spinel MgFe2O4. Experimentally it was found to be difficult to eliminate CO2 from inclusion in the interlayer during the synthesis of the iowaite compound and in this way the synthesised iowaite resembled the natural mineral.

High body mass index is not a barrier to physical activity: Analysis of international rugby players' anthropometric data

Recent data indicate that levels of overweight and obesity are increasing at an alarming rate throughout the world. At a population level (and commonly to assess individual health risk), the prevalence of overweight and obesity is calculated using cut-offs of the Body Mass Index (BMI) derived from height and weight. Similarly, the BMI is also used to classify individuals and to provide a notional indication of potential health risk. It is likely that epidemiologic surveys that are reliant on BMI as a measure of adiposity will overestimate the number of individuals in the overweight (and slightly obese) categories. This tendency to misclassify individuals may be more pronounced in athletic populations or groups in which the proportion of more active individuals is higher. This differential is most pronounced in sports where it is advantageous to have a high BMI (but not necessarily high fatness). To illustrate this point we calculated the BMIs of international professional rugby players from the four teams involved in the semi-finals of the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) cut-offs for BMI, approximately 65% of the players were classified as overweight and approximately 25% as obese. These findings demonstrate that a high BMI is commonplace (and a potentially desirable attribute for sport performance) in professional rugby players. An unanswered question is what proportion of the wider population, classified as overweight (or obese) according to the BMI, is misclassified according to both fatness and health risk? It is evident that being overweight should not be an obstacle to a physically active lifestyle. Similarly, a reliance on BMI alone may misclassify a number of individuals who might otherwise have been automatically considered fat and/or unfit.