Crafting Curses in Classical Athens

This article presents a remarkable cache of five Attic curse tablets, four of which are published here for the first time. Excavated in situ in a pyre-grave outside the Athenian Long Walls, the texts employ very similar versions of a single binding curse. After situating the cache in its archaeological context, all texts are edited with a full epigraphic commentary. A discussion then follows, in which the most striking features of the texts are highlighted: in addition to the peculiar “first four-year period” (πρώτη πενθετηρίς) that the curses were meant to outlast, and the unparalleled term κυνωτόν, these texts are unusual in that they preserve over a full line of dactylic hexameter. The metrical formulae, combined with the presence of deictic language, may suggest that parts of the archetype curse underpinning these texts once circulated orally, in performative ritual contexts. The cache affords a singular glimpse into the process of curse-creation around 400 BCE, especially the ways in which a curse-writer could customize a fixed template spell to suit a client’s needs and circumstances. These tablets illuminate the shadowy process behind the creation of Athenian curse tablets, and the growing traffic in “magic” by the end of the fifth century BCE.

Papermaking Vision

Als Full-Line-Anbieter stellt Voith ein ganzheitliches Konzept für alle Bereiche der Papierherstellung vor. Die langfristig angelegte Design-Studie soll die Effizienz und Wartungsfreundlichkeit signifikant erhöhen. Schwerpunkte liegen bei der Implementierung eines “Clean Design” sowie neuesten Digitalisierungs- und Automatisierungslösungen in Verbindung mit künstlicher Intelligenz

Problems and prospects for the development of 1C educational complexes on history

The article analyzes the problems caused by the adoption of the Historical and Cultural Standard and the emergence of electronic versions of history textbooks, which raised the question of the effectiveness of the use of educational complexes of the 1C company at history lessons. In order to answer this question, the article discusses the materials of the theme “The Patriotic War of 1812”. Based on the results of the comparative analysis, it is concluded that the electronic applications of history textbooks can significantly complement, but not replace, the 1C educational complexes. However, this does not mean that these complexes do not need changes. The article outlines the main directions for improving the 1C educational complexes: to develop the content of the manuals in accordance with the Historical and Cultural Standard, to form a complete set of training materials (documents, dictionary articles, illustrations, interactive schemes, animated maps and presentations) for each period, providing their competent methodological support. It is important to create a full line of educational complexes covering all periods of domestic and foreign history. Particular attention is paid to the relevance of the use of the 1C educational complexes in blended learning.

Time-dependent defects in integrable soliton equations

We study (1 + 1)-dimensional integrable soliton equations with time-dependent defects located at x = c ( t ), where c ( t ) is a function of class C 1 . We define the defect condition as a Bäcklund transformation evaluated at x = c ( t ) in space rather than over the full line. We show that such a defect condition does not spoil the integrability of the system. We also study soliton solutions that can meet the defect for the system. An interesting discovery is that the defect system admits peaked soliton solutions.

Interest in Initiating Corticosteroids By Intravenous Methylprednisolone at Standard Dose in Newly Diagnosed Immune Thrombocytopenia Adults: Results of the Prospective Carmen Registry

Introduction . In France as in many other countries, first-line treatment of adult immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is based on conventional dose (1 mg/kg/d) oral steroids (CDOS) during 3 weeks. Intravenous polyvalent immunoglobulin (IVIg) is added in case of severe bleeding. However, conventional dose (1 mg/kg/d) intravenous methylprednisolone (CDMP) is often used as a first-line treatment during a few days before continuation with oral prednisone. Indeed, CDMP may induce earlier response in comparison with CDOS due to the absence of intestinal absorption and of hepatic metabolism to be converted in the active substance. No study has assessed the benefits and the safety of this strategy in comparison with CDOS. This was the aim of this study. Methods. This study was conducted within the CARMEN registry. It is the cohort of all newly diagnosed ITP adults (≥ 18 years) recorded in the Midi-Pyrénées region, South of France, from June 2013 (still ongoing). For the present study, we selected all ITP adults included in the CARMEN registry between 05/01/2013 and 12/31/2015 with platelet count <30 x 109/L and treated with corticosteroids. All patients were hospitalized at treatment initiation. We compared two groups: the patients treated by CDOS since ITP diagnosis (CDOS group) and those treated primarily by CDMP followed by CDOS (CDMP group). The primary outcome was the time to response, defined as the time between treatment initiation and response (no bleeding and platelet count >30 x 109/L twice 7 days apart). Secondary outcomes were: the time to complete response, defined as the time between treatment initiation and complete response (no bleeding and platelet count >100 x 109/L twice 7 days apart); the rates of response and of complete response; and the occurrence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) due to corticosteroids, analyzed by a pharmacologist and an internal medicine physician using the WHO causality scale. The primary outcome and the time to complete response were assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. The index date was the date of start of treatment. Follow-up was censored in case of occurrence of the outcome, date of start of second-line treatment, death or date of last follow-up, whichever occurred first. All analyzes were adjusted using a propensity score (PS) assessing the probability of being exposed to CDMP vs. CDOS as well as for concurrent IVIg use. The PS included the following variables: age, gender, comorbidity Charlson score, bleeding score, platelet count before treatment and secondary vs. primary ITP. Log-rank tests were used to compare the 2 groups. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using Cox models. Results. The study included 87 patients (24 in the CDMP group and 63 in the CDOS group). Mean age was 67 years (± 22) and 48% were females. ITP was primary in 84% of patients. Mean platelet count was 9.7 x 109/L (± 8.2). Thirty-four patients were also exposed to IVIg. CDMP was prescribed for 3 days in median (range: 1-10). Mean follow-up was 9.4 months (± 8.5). The overall response and complete response rates were 88.5% and 67%, respectively. The median time to response was 3 days in the CDMP group and 4 days in the CDOS group. It was 6.5 and 17 days for complete response, respectively. Response and complete response occurred earlier in the CDMP group (Figure 1A and 1B). However, only a statistical trend was observed for the time to response (adjusted HR: 1.35, 95% confidence interval - CI: 0.76 - 2.41, p<0.3). The adjusted HR for complete response was 2.29 (95% CI: 1.20 - 4.36, p<0.02). Response rates were 87.5% in the CDMP group and 89.0% in the CDOS group (p=1). Complete response rates were 71.0% and 65.0%, respectively (p=0.6). ADRs occurred in 29 (33.3%) patients who experienced 37 corticosteroid-related ADRs. These were mainly infections and diabetes mellitus. There was no difference between the 2 groups. Conclusions. CDMP resulted in an earlier response and complete response than CDOS. Only a trend was observed for the time to response probably due to lack of power to detect smaller variations in platelet counts. In hospitalized patients at ITP onset, initiating CDMP may reduce hospital stay duration. A. Kaplan-Meier curve assessing the probability of response in the CDMP group (full line) and the CDOS group (dotted line); log-rank test: p<0.3. B. Kaplan-Meier curve assessing the probability of complete response in the CDMP group (full line) and the CDOS group (dotted line); log-rank test: p<0.0005. A. Kaplan-Meier curve assessing the probability of response in the CDMP group (full line) and the CDOS group (dotted line); log-rank test: p<0.3. B. Kaplan-Meier curve assessing the probability of complete response in the CDMP group (full line) and the CDOS group (dotted line); log-rank test: p<0.0005. Disclosures Beyne-Rauzy: Celgene, Novartis: Honoraria.