Latin Sources of Inspiration for 15th and 16th Century Orthodox Prints

The project studied the history of Orthodox graphic art in the context of artistic links between the Eastern and Western worlds, tracing the routes by which iconographic models from western Europe penetrated into eastern Europe and underscoring the role of central European countries in the shaping of the culture of the modern Orthodox church. One important element was the identification of graphic prototypes and export routes for woodcutting blocks which travelled from Germany via Prague, Cracow and Vilnius to Moscow and Kiev, revealing the artistic ties between followers of different religions. Another major element was a study of the appearance of copper engraving in the second half of the 17th century.

Municipal Self-Government in the Ukrainian Lands: 14th-16th Centuries

This project considered the development of municipal self-government (particularly the Magdeburg-law type) in Ukraine through the late Middle Ages in the context of central and eastern European history, using a comparative analysis of different forms of self-government. The Magdeburg Law was brought to the lands of old Rus by German colonists in the period of the Galician-Volhynian State (in the late 13th-early 14th centuries). Municipal self-government based on this law in Ukraine was now however an external artificial phenomenon, but rather an intrinsic need that emerged during the historical development of the society. The Magdeburg Law reached Ukraine through Poland and acquired certain features which were different from the form used in German towns, and Ukrainian towns further adapted the Magdeburg model to their own circumstances. It was "purest" in the western part of the region, while further to the east Magdeburg-Law-type municipal government appeared later, was further removed from its original form, and had a weaker influence on the historical development of the towns. The Magdeburg Law came to be a legalisation of a historically determined process of the emergence of an urban estate.

A Study of the Transformation of a Twenty-Eight Per Cent Tin Bronze

In this investigation, attention is directed to the phases covered by a 28 per cent tin alloy. When the investigation was started, consideration was given to the possibility of making a Time - Temperature - Transformation curve for this parti­cular alloy. As the work progressed and further research was carried on, this phase of the work was abandoned.

The epidemiology of chronic fatigue in San Francisco

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a recently defined condition characterized by severe disabling fatigue that persists for a minimum of six months, and a host of somatic and neurocognitive symptoms. Although conditions similar to CFS have been described in the medical literature for over 100 years, little is known about the epidemiology of CFS or of chronic fatigue generally. The San Francisco Fatigue Study was undertaken to describe the prevalence and characteristics of self-reported chronic fatigue and associated conditions in a diverse urban community. The study utilized a cross-sectional telephone survey of a random sample of households in San Francisco, followed by case/control interviews of fatigued and nonfatigued subjects. Respondents were classified as chronically fatigued (CF) if they reported severe fatigue lasting six months or longer, then further classified as having CFS-like illness if, based on self-reported information, their condition appeared to meet CFS case definition criteria. Subjects who reported idiopathic chronic fatigue that did not meet CFS criteria were classified as having ICF-like illness.^ 8004 households were screened, yielding fatigue and demographic information on 16970 residents. CF was reported by 635 persons, 3.7% of the study population. CFS-like illness was identified in 34 subjects (0.2%), and ICF-like illness in 259 subjects (1.6%). Logistic regression analysis indicated that prevalence odds ratios for CFS-like illness were significantly elevated for females compared to males (OR = 2.9), and in Blacks (OR = 2.9) and Native Americans (OR = 13.2) relative to Whites, but significantly lower in Asians (OR = 0.12). Above-average household income was protective for all categories of CF. CFS-like subjects reported more symptoms and were more severely disabled than ICF-like subjects, but the pattern of symptoms experienced by both groups was similar. In conclusion, unexplained chronic fatigue, including CFS-like illness, occurs in all sociodemographic groups, but may be most prevalent among persons with lower incomes and in some racial minorities. Future studies that include clinical evaluation of incident cases of CFS and ICF are required to further clarify the epidemiology of unexplained chronic fatigue in the population. ^

Twenty-three per cent of the Swiss adult population are using complementary medicine

Aim of the study: This study investigated the use among the Swiss adult population and the regional dissemination in Switzerland of various methods of complementary medicine (CM). It focused on CM methods that required visiting a physician or therapist and excluded e.g. over-the-counter drugs. Data and Methods: Data of the Swiss Health Survey 2007 were obtained from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. This survey is performed every 5 years in a sample and is representative of the Swiss resident population from the age of 15 on. It consists of a telephone interview followed by a written questionnaire (2007: 18'760 and 14'432 respondents, respectively) and includes questions about people's state of health, general living conditions, lifestyle, health insurance and usage of health services. Users and non-users of CM were compared using logistic regression models. Results: 23.0 % of the Swiss adult population (women: 30.5 %, men: 15.2 %) used CM during the 12 months before the survey. Homeopathy (6.4 %), osteopathy (5.4 %) and acupuncture (4.9 %) were the most popular methods. The average number of treatments within 12 months for these three methods was 3.1 ± 3.6, 3.5 ± 3.3 and 6.6 ± 5.8, respectively. For treatments with homeopathy and acupuncture, medical practitioners were more commonly consulted than non-medical practitioners, for treatments with osteopathy no difference was found. By means of logistic regression, CM users and non-users were compared. There were significant differences in the use of CM between genders, age groups, levels of education and areas of living. Women, people aged 25 to 64 years, and people with higher levels of education used CM more commonly than men, people below 25 or above 64 years of age, or those with poorer education. Lake Geneva region and central Switzerland had a higher proportion of CM users than the other regions. Discussion: Almost one fourth of the Swiss adult population had used CM within 12 months before the survey. User profiles were comparable to those in other countries. Despite a generally lower self-perceived health status, elderly people were less likely to use CM. Reference: Klein SD, Frei-Erb M, Wolf U. Usage of complementary medicine across Switzerland. Results of the Swiss Health Survey 2007. Swiss Med Wkly. 2012;142:w13666.