The Significance of Children in Ancient Greece: An Archaeological Analysis

For decades, children in ancient Greece have been written off by scholars as socially insignificant. These scholars have based their arguments on mortality statistics, ancient practices of infant exposure, and evidence of unceremonious child burials. Challengers of this perspective have pointed to evidence of religious and magical efforts to protect children, the important roles children filled in religious and political life, and the pathos symbolized by children in art and literature. An archaeological analysis of this debate consisted of careful examination of burial evidence of children from numerous ancient Greek sites around the Mediterranean, stretching from the Late Bronze Age to the early Roman period. Examination of burial locations, burial methods, and grave goods of children as compared to those of adults has provided important insight into the issue of child significance in ancient Greece. Firstly, the vast amount of temporal and spatial variation has illustrated the futility of making generalizations about Greek child burial practices. Secondly, the utter lack of evidence to support the argument that children lacked significance in ancient Greek society is extremely clear. The combination of the historical context with the archaeological data shows that it is much more likely that children were significant, cared for, and mourned in ancient Greece than not.No embargoAcademic Major: Ancient History and Classic

Miracle : the Pax Humana (Novel excerpt)

This thesis is an approximately 40,000 word-long excerpt of Miracle: The Pax Humana, a science fiction novel set in a "fallen-utopia" setting influenced by Golden Age science fiction, utopian literature of the Renaissance, John Milton's Paradise Lost, ancient Greek mythology, war poetry from WWI, and especially by the aesthetics of the emerging "Solarpunk" and "Hopepunk" subgenres of science fiction. Miracle itself focuses on the travels of interspecies diplomat Cleito Lyth- a human rescued and raised by the Chorus of Masks, a species of enigmatic yet peaceful aliens- as she undertakes a perilous journey to flee war-torn human space with a precious cargo in tow. Cleito's adventures across the shattered-yet-healing garden worlds of the Orion Arm allow Cleito and her companions to explore various ideas of what it truly means to be human—complicating Cleito’s increasingly dualistic (and often neurodivergent-coded) conceptions of identity, culture, and philosophy. Across Cleito’s growth as both a person and a human being, she must face the burning question of humanity's trajectory within their universe: are they architects of utopian wonder, or engines of apocalyptic horror? The work is an experiment in writing science fiction that shifts perspectives on tropes commonly used by space opera and/or military SF, using the premise of a “post-war” space opera setting to loosely explore topics of irenology, anthropology, human development, and long-term consequences of warfare. Meanwhile, cultural and technological remnants of the setting’s “Golden Age”/“Pre-war” era also allow for indirect exploration of optimistic futures relevant to contemporary “Solarpunk”/”Hopepunk” SF writers, without sacrificing the conflict and intrigue that often makes far-future SF settings so engaging to their audiences. This excerpt contains the Prologue and several chapters from the first "Act" of the novel, which introduces Cleito as a protagonist, establishes the themes and aesthetics of Miracle's post-war "Bloom", outlines exposition on the War, the post-war Turmoils, and some of the factions involved, and briefly introduces key characters within the broader story

Gestion de calidad y competitividad en las mypes del sector comercio, rubro compra y venta de cacao y cafe de la provincia de Satipo,2019

La investigación titulada “Gestión de la calidad y competitividad en las Mypes del sector comercio, rubro compra y venta de cacao y café de la provincia Satipo, 2019” cuyo problema de investigación ¿Cuál es el nivel de asociación entre la gestión de la calidad y competitividad en las Mypes del sector comercio, rubro compra y venta de cacao y café de la provincia de Satipo, 2019?, tuvo como objetivo principal determinar la asociación entre la gestión de la calidad y competitividad en las Mypes del sector comercio, rubro compra y venta de cacao y café de la provincia de Satipo, 2019; en la metodología se consideró el método científico, hipotético deductivo, de corte transversal siendo el tipo de investigación descriptivo de nivel cuantitativo, con diseño correlacional; la muestra empleada fue de 14 Mypes considerando una muestreo censal, y la técnica empleada fue la encuesta cuyo instrumento es el cuestionario de tipo escala Likert para la recolección de datos. La investigación arribó a los siguientes resultados, el 14.3% de los representantes de la Mypes respondieron en el nivel malo, el 57.1% consideraron que la gestión de la calidad es regular, y el 28.6% de los representantes encuestados consideraron el nivel bueno. Concluyéndose que la gestión de la calidad y competitividad en las Mypes del sector comercio rubro compra y venta de cacao y café de la provincia de Satipo, 2019, no son mutuamente independientes.Tesi

Patterns of Regional Brain Atrophy and Brain Aging in Middle- and Older-Aged Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

Importance: Little is known about structural brain changes in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and whether there are early manifestations of a neurodegenerative condition like Alzheimer disease (AD) or evidence of premature brain aging. Objective: To evaluate neuroimaging markers of brain age and AD-like atrophy in participants with T1D in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT)/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study, identify which brain regions are associated with the greatest changes in patients with T1D, and assess the association between cognition and brain aging indices. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study leveraged data collected during the combined DCCT (randomized clinical trial, 1983-1993) and EDIC (observational study, 1994 to present) studies at 27 clinical centers in the US and Canada. A total of 416 eligible EDIC participants and 99 demographically similar adults without diabetes were enrolled in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) ancillary study, which reports cross-sectional data collected in 2018 to 2019 and relates it to factors measured longitudinally in DCCT/EDIC. Data analyses were performed between July 2020 and April 2022. Exposure: T1D diagnosis. Main Outcomes and Measures: Psychomotor and mental efficiency were evaluated using verbal fluency, digit symbol substitution test, trail making part B, and the grooved pegboard. Immediate memory scores were derived from the logical memory subtest of the Wechsler memory scale and the Wechsler digit symbol substitution test. MRI and machine learning indices were calculated to predict brain age and quantify AD-like atrophy. Results: This study included 416 EDIC participants with a median (range) age of 60 (44-74) years (87 of 416 [21%] were older than 65 years) and a median (range) diabetes duration of 37 (30-51) years. EDIC participants had consistently higher brain age values compared with controls without diabetes, indicative of approximately 6 additional years of brain aging (EDIC participants: β, 6.16; SE, 0.71; control participants: β, 1.04; SE, 0.04; P <.001). In contrast, AD regional atrophy was comparable between the 2 groups. Regions with atrophy in EDIC participants vs controls were observed mainly in the bilateral thalamus and putamen. Greater brain age was associated with lower psychomotor and mental efficiency among EDIC participants (β, -0.04; SE, 0.01; P <.001), but not among controls. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this study suggest an increase in brain aging among individuals with T1D without any early signs of AD-related neurodegeneration. These increases were associated with reduced cognitive performance, but overall, the abnormal patterns seen in this sample were modest, even after a mean of 38 years with T1D

Genetic insights into resting heart rate and its role in cardiovascular disease

Funding Information: We thank all participants for their participation and valuable contributions. This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under application number 12010. The work of N.V. was supported by NWO VENI grant 016.186.125. We thank 23andMe and the 23andMe Research Team for their contribution sharing their data and performing the GWAS analysis in the 23andMe cohort. P.V. received an unrestricted grant from GlaxoSmithkline to build the CoLaus study. N.J.T. is a Wellcome Trust Investigator (202802/Z/16/Z), is the PI of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (MRC & WT 217065/Z/19/Z), is supported by the University of Bristol NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC-1215-2001), the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MC_UU_00011/1) and works within the CRUK Integrative Cancer Epidemiology Program (C18281/A29019). A detailed list of acknowledgements and funding is provided in Supplementary Data per cohort. We also thank all individuals that contributed to the generation of software programs, algorithms and genetic summary statistics. Support for title page creation and format was provided by AuthorArranger, a tool developed at the National Cancer Institute. Authors involved in the funding of the cohorts are listed below. Meta-analyses, Lifelines, PREVEND, UK Biobank: P.v.d.H.; ADDITION-PRO: T.H.; ADVANCE: C.I.; ADVANCE: T.A.; AGES: L.Launer, V.G.; ASCOT: P.Sever, P.B.M.; BC1936: N.G.; BioMe: E.P.B., R.J.F.L.; BRIGHT: P.B.M.; CHS: B.M.P.; CoLaus: P.V.; Croatia-Korcula: O.P., C.H.; DCCT/EDIC: D.R., The DCCT/EDIC Research Group, A.D.P.; DESIR: B.B., P.F.; DGI: L.G.; EPIC-Norfolk: N.J.W.; ERF: C.M.v.D.; Fenland: N.J.W.; FINCAVAS: M.K.; Finrisk: M.P.; FUSION: M.B.; GENOA: P.A.P., S.L.R.K.; GerMIFSs: H.Schunkert, J.E.; GoDARTS: C.N.A.P; GOOD: M.L., C.O.; HBCS: J.G.E.; HERITAGE: T.R., D.C.R., C.B.; HPFS / NHS: P.K.; HRS: D.R.Weir; HYPERGENES: K.S.S., D.C.; InCHIANTI: S.Bandinelli, L.Ferrucci; INGI-CARL: M.P.C.; INGI-FVG: G.G.; JHS: A.Correa; KORA F3: T.M., S.K.; KORA S4: K.Strauch., A.P.; LOLIPOP: J.C.C., J.S.K.; LURIC: W.M.; MESA: J.I.R.; MICROS: A.H.; MPP: O.M.; J.G.S.; NBS: L.A.L.M.K.; NEO: R.d.M.; NESDA: B.W.J.H.P.; NSPHS: Å.J.; ORCADES: J.F.W.; PIVUS: L.L.; PROSPER: P.W.M., J.W.J.; SardiNIA: E.L.L.; SCES: C.Y.C.; SHIP: S.B.F., M.D.; SIMES: T.Y.W.; TRAILS: A.J.O.; TWINS: J.O.; ULSAM: A.P.M., C.Lindgren; YFS: O.T.R., T.L. Funding Information: We thank all participants for their participation and valuable contributions. This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under application number 12010. The work of N.V. was supported by NWO VENI grant 016.186.125. We thank 23andMe and the 23andMe Research Team for their contribution sharing their data and performing the GWAS analysis in the 23andMe cohort. P.V. received an unrestricted grant from GlaxoSmithkline to build the CoLaus study. N.J.T. is a Wellcome Trust Investigator (202802/Z/16/Z), is the PI of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (MRC & WT 217065/Z/19/Z), is supported by the University of Bristol NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (BRC-1215-2001), the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (MC_UU_00011/1) and works within the CRUK Integrative Cancer Epidemiology Program (C18281/A29019). A detailed list of acknowledgements and funding is provided in Supplementary Data 1 per cohort. We also thank all individuals that contributed to the generation of software programs, algorithms and genetic summary statistics. Support for title page creation and format was provided by AuthorArranger, a tool developed at the National Cancer Institute. Authors involved in the funding of the cohorts are listed below. Meta-analyses, Lifelines, PREVEND, UK Biobank : P.v.d.H.; ADDITION-PRO : T.H.; ADVANCE : C.I.; ADVANCE : T.A.; AGES : L.Launer, V.G.; ASCOT : P.Sever, P.B.M.; BC1936 : N.G.; BioMe : E.P.B., R.J.F.L.; BRIGHT : P.B.M.; CHS : B.M.P.; CoLaus : P.V.; Croatia-Korcula : O.P., C.H.; DCCT/EDIC : D.R., The DCCT/EDIC Research Group, A.D.P.; DESIR : B.B., P.F.; DGI : L.G.; EPIC-Norfolk : N.J.W.; ERF : C.M.v.D.; Fenland : N.J.W.; FINCAVAS : M.K.; Finrisk : M.P.; FUSION : M.B.; GENOA : P.A.P., S.L.R.K.; GerMIFSs : H.Schunkert, J.E.; GoDARTS : C.N.A.P; GOOD : M.L., C.O.; HBCS : J.G.E.; HERITAGE : T.R., D.C.R., C.B.; HPFS / NHS: P.K.; HRS : D.R.Weir; HYPERGENES : K.S.S., D.C.; InCHIANTI : S.Bandinelli, L.Ferrucci; INGI-CARL: M.P.C.; INGI-FVG: G.G.; JHS: A.Correa; KORA F3: T.M., S.K.; KORA S4 : K.Strauch., A.P.; LOLIPOP : J.C.C., J.S.K.; LURIC : W.M.; MESA : J.I.R.; MICROS : A.H.; MPP : O.M.; J.G.S.; NBS : L.A.L.M.K.; NEO : R.d.M.; NESDA : B.W.J.H.P.; NSPHS : Å.J.; ORCADES : J.F.W.; PIVUS : L.L.; PROSPER : P.W.M., J.W.J.; SardiNIA : E.L.L.; SCES : C.Y.C.; SHIP : S.B.F., M.D.; SIMES : T.Y.W.; TRAILS : A.J.O.; TWINS : J.O.; ULSAM : A.P.M., C.Lindgren; YFS : O.T.R., T.L. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Resting heart rate is associated with cardiovascular diseases and mortality in observational and Mendelian randomization studies. The aims of this study are to extend the number of resting heart rate associated genetic variants and to obtain further insights in resting heart rate biology and its clinical consequences. A genome-wide meta-analysis of 100 studies in up to 835,465 individuals reveals 493 independent genetic variants in 352 loci, including 68 genetic variants outside previously identified resting heart rate associated loci. We prioritize 670 genes and in silico annotations point to their enrichment in cardiomyocytes and provide insights in their ECG signature. Two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses indicate that higher genetically predicted resting heart rate increases risk of dilated cardiomyopathy, but decreases risk of developing atrial fibrillation, ischemic stroke, and cardio-embolic stroke. We do not find evidence for a linear or non-linear genetic association between resting heart rate and all-cause mortality in contrast to our previous Mendelian randomization study. Systematic alteration of key differences between the current and previous Mendelian randomization study indicates that the most likely cause of the discrepancy between these studies arises from false positive findings in previous one-sample MR analyses caused by weak-instrument bias at lower P-value thresholds. The results extend our understanding of resting heart rate biology and give additional insights in its role in cardiovascular disease development.Peer reviewe

Skin collagen advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) and the long-term progression of sub-clinical cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes

BACKGROUND: We recently reported strong associations between eight skin collagen AGEs and two solubility markers from skin biopsies obtained at DCCT study closeout and the long-term progression of microvascular disease in EDIC, despite adjustment for mean glycemia. Herein we investigated the hypothesis that some of these AGEs (fluorescence to be reported elsewhere) correlate with long-term subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) measurements, i.e. coronary artery calcium score (CAC) at EDIC year 7-9 (n = 187), change of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) from EDIC year 1 to year 6 and 12 (n = 127), and cardiac MRI outcomes at EDIC year 15-16 (n = 142). METHODS: Skin collagen AGE measurements obtained from stored specimens were related to clinical data from the DCCT/EDIC using Spearman correlations and multivariable logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Spearman correlations showed furosine (early glycation) was associated with future mean CAC (p \u3c 0.05) and CAC \u3e0 (p = 0.39), but not with CAC score100. Glucosepane and pentosidine crosslinks, methylglyoxal hydroimidazolones (MG-H1) and pepsin solubility (inversely) correlated with IMT change from year 1 to 6(all P \u3c 0.05). Left ventricular (LV) mass (cMRI) correlated with MG-H1, and inversely with pepsin solubility (both p \u3c 0.05), while the ratio LV mass/end diastolic volume correlated with furosine and MG-H1 (both p \u3c 0.05), and highly with CML (p \u3c 0.01). In multivariate analysis only furosine (p = 0.01) was associated with CAC. In contrast IMT was inversely associated with lower collagen pepsin solubility and positively with glucosepane, CONCLUSIONS: In type 1 diabetes, multiple AGEs are associated with IMT progression in spite of adjustment for A1c implying a likely participatory role of glycation and AGE mediated crosslinking on matrix accumulation in coronary arteries. This may also apply to functional cardiac MRI outcomes, especially left ventricular mass. In contrast, early glycation measured by furosine, but not AGEs, was associated with CAC score, implying hyperglycemia as a risk factor in calcium deposition perhaps via processes independent of glycation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered at Clinical trial reg. nos. NCT00360815 and NCT00360893, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov

Significance of Epicardial and Intrathoracic Adipose Tissue Volume among Type 1 Diabetes Patients in the DCCT/EDIC: A Pilot Study.

Introduction Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) patients are at increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). This pilot study sought to evaluate the relationship between epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and intra-thoracic adipose tissue (IAT) volumes and cardio-metabolic risk factors in T1DM. Method EAT/IAT volumes in 100 patients, underwent non-contrast cardiac computed tomography in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial /Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study were measured by a certified reader. Fat was defined as pixels’ density of -30 to -190 Hounsfield Unit. The associations were assessed using–Pearson partial correlation and linear regression models adjusted for gender and age with inverse probability sample weighting. Results The weighted mean age was 43 years (range 32–57) and 53% were male. Adjusted for gender, Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant correlation between age and EAT/IAT volumes (both p Conclusion T1DM patients with greater BMI, WTH ratio, weighted HbA1c level, triglyceride level and AER≥300/ESRD had significantly larger EAT/IAT volumes. Larger sample size studies are recommended to evaluate independency