El patrimonio cultural en Siria e Iraq: Desafíos y esperanzas

Armed conflicts and civil wars have been accompanied with huge damage to cultural heritage and people´s memories; they have been systematically destroyed, appropriated and looted; besides with ethnic cleansing and demographic changes caused by the population´s flee from repression to safer regions. Compounding that, the international community has invested many efforts in post-war reconstruction but paid less attention to other previous stages such as using heritage for reconciliation between the fighting parties and resolution of conflict. This paper focuses expected using of heritage in Syria and Iraq, by studying how cultural heritage has the potential to influence the arrangement ceasefires and resolutions to conflict, protect human rights, and rehabilitate societies impacted by social and physical trauma. This has worked in various parts of the world where conflicts took place; however, we need a method that helps organize intervening activities to mitigate the violence in conflict, as well as identifies stakeholders and common factors that consider all parties’ interests. The heritage context can provide, in my opinion, such involvement of interveners to produce peace and bring fighting parties together based on their shared memories and common history in Syria and IraqLos conflictos armados y las guerras civiles han corrido parejos a un enorme daño al patrimonio cultural y a la memoria de las personas; que han sido sistemáticamente destruidos, apropiados y saqueados; además de la limpieza étnica y los cambios demográficos causados por la huida de la población de todo tipo de represión a lugares más seguros. Para empeorarlo, la comunidad internacional ha invertido muchos esfuerzos en la posguerra-reconstrucción, pero prestó menos atención a otras etapas anteriores, como el uso del patrimonio para la reconciliación entre las partes en combate y la resolución del conflicto. Este artículo se enfoca en el uso deseable del patrimonio en Siria e Iraq, y estudia cómo el patrimonio cultural tiene el potencial de influir en el cese del fuego y la resolución de conflictos, proteger los derechos humanos y rehabilitar las sociedades impactadas por el trauma social y físico. Esto ha funcionado en varias partes del mundo donde han tenido lugar conflictos; sin embargo, necesitamos un método que ayude a organizar actividades intermedias para mitigar la violencia en el conflicto, así como identificar a las partes interesadas y los factores comunes que consideren los intereses de todas las partes. El contexto del patrimonio puede proporcionar, en mi opinión, tal participación de los interventores para producir la paz y unirse las partes en conflicto sobre la base de sus recuerdos compartidos y su historia común en Siria e Ira

Cementerios y prácticas funerarias a lo largo del valle del Éufrates Medio durante la Edad del Bronce Temprano

The main aim of this paper is to compare the cemetaries along the Syrian Middle Euphrtes from Karkemish to Abu Kamal and in the Djezirah hinterland. Besides a typology of the graves, the inventory of material culture in the graves such as pottery, metalurgical objects, weapons…etc. These categories have a valuable role to understand the burial customs during the 3rd millennium BC (Early Bronze Age). The differentiation is documented in terms of relationship to the livings between those cemeteries close to a settlement along the river and others in the steppe areas (nomadic). Besides, a study on burials and burial customs allows to establish information about the social structure of the inhabitants, because mortuary practices reflect the social, religious and practical views of the societies of the third millennium B.C., it is not only concerns deposition of the deceased, but also the living who buried them. Tha gathered data includes the burial sites along the Euphrates Valley in the Syrian territory as well as the adjantes areas to the river’s course. The excavations and surveys have been conducted by different expeditions: Syrian, German, Japanese, North American and Spanish, or joint expeditions. Generally, most of these tombs were already looted. It is worth mentioning that the cemeteries and necropolises in question are situated on both banks of the riverEl objetivo principal de este documento es comparar los cementerios situados al Éufrates medio en territorio sirio desde Karkemish hasta Abu Kamal y en el Djezirah. Además de la tipología de las tumbas, se presenta el inventario de la cultura material en las mismas, como cerámica, objetos de metal, armas, etc. Estas categorías tienen un papel valioso para entender las costumbres funerarias durante el III milenio a.C. (Bronce Temprano). La diferenciación se documenta en términos de relación con aquellos que viven entre los cementerios cercanos a los asentamientos a lo largo del río y los que viven en las áreas de la estepa (nómadas). Además, un estudio sobre enterramientos y costumbres funerarias permite establecer una comprensión de la estructura social de los habitantes, porque las prácticas mortuorias reflejan el punto de vista social, religioso y práctico de las sociedades del III milenio a.C., que no solo se refiere a la manera en la que el fallecido es depositado, sino también a los vivos que lo enterraron. Los datos recopilados incluyen las necrópolis a lo largo del valle del Éufrates en el territorio sirio, así como las áreas adyacentes al curso del río. Las excavaciones y prospecciones han sido realizadas por diferentes expediciones: sirias, alemanas, japonesas, norteamericanas y españolas, y también expediciones conjuntas sirias-internacionales. En general, la mayoría de estas tumbas ya fueron saqueadas. Es de suma importancia mencionar que los enterramientos y las necrópolis en cuestión están situados en ambas orillas del rí

Population's perspectives toward biobanks in scientific research: a study from Jordan.

BackgroundBiobanks (biorepositories) were established to compile collected bio-specimens for future research and usage. The collection/storage of bio-specimens triggers several social, legal, and ethical implications where public attitudes can represent the core measurement/parameter in defining the most acceptable practices and ethical approaches when dealing with biobanks.AimThe aim of this study was to explore and understand population's perspectives, expectations, and concerns toward biobanks in Jordan.MethodsA cross-sectional survey that included closed-ended questions was distributed among Jordanians. A total of 500 participants who are representative of the Jordanian population were included in this study.ResultsThere was overwhelming support (>85%) for the establishment of biobanks in Jordan, and most of the participants agreed on the importance of biobanks and samples' donation for promoting medical research. Enthusiasm in biobanking participation was associated with the sociodemographic characteristics of participants including age, educational level, and previous knowledge of biobanks. Moreover, considering sample donation as a religiously good deed appeared to have the strongest positive correlation with willingness to donate bio-specimens for future research. Also, participants' trust in medical and research services, especially the protection of their privacy and confidentiality, was the most critical concern when they decided to participate in biobanks.ConclusionPopulation's attitude toward biobanks in Jordan was positive and promising, and can encourage the future establishment of different biobanks. It is also necessary to take into consideration certain sociodemographic characteristics when discussing specific information with potential biobanks' donors

Il ruolo della Legge sulle Antichità Siriane per la protezione del patrimonio culturale fino allo scoppio della guerra civile in Siria nel 2011

Come è stato gestito il patrimonio culturale siriano prima che fosse emanata la Legge sulle Antichità Siriane nel 1963? E come è stato considerato da quel momento in poi? Questo documento rappresenta il tentativo di rispondere a tale quesito, partendo dal periodo dell’Impero Ottomano, percorrendo poi gli anni del Mandato Francese in Siria fino all’emanazione della Legge sulle Antichità nel 1963 con tutti i suoi relativi emendamenti del 1999, per terminare infine con la deliberata distruzione del patrimonio culturale che ha fatto seguito all’inizio della guerra civile nel marzo 2011. Il mio proposito è quello di riferire la mia esperienza in qualità di Direttore del Museo Nazionale di Raqqa 2003-2008 e come Dirigente del Dipartimento delle Antichità e dei Musei. In parallelo alla Legge sulle Antichità esistevano una serie di commissioni ed enti competenti che erano in grado di proteggere il patrimonio culturale in maniera soddisfacente pur mancando le risorse umane ed economiche. Il patrimonio culturale è stato sempre considerato parte dell’identità nazionale ed è passato attraverso stadi di conservazione o depredazione, a seconda della scena politica, ma in generale le leggi e le regolamentazioni locali in Siria hanno avuto la funzione di controllare tutte le attività relative al patrimonio culturale: esportazione, rinvenimento, ricerca, preservazione, mostra e diffusione.How cultural heritage in Syria was treated before the establishment of the Syrian Antiquities Law 1963 and how it was considered after? This paper attempts to answer this question starting with the Ottoman Empire period and going through the French mandate in Syria until the establishment of the Antiquities Law in 1963 with all its amendments 1999 ending by the deliberate destruction of heritage after the beginning of the civil war in March 2011. I aim to reflect my own previous experience as director of the National Museum of Raqqa 2003-2008 and Head of its Department of Antiquities and Museums. With parallel to the antiquities law, existed series of commissions and competent authorities that could, within the scope of lake of economic and human resources, protect the heritage in a satisfactory way. Cultural heritage has been considered as part of the nation’s identity and have passed different stages of conservation in sometimes or depredation in others, depending on the political scene. But in general, local laws and regulations in Syria served in attempt to control all activities related to heritage; exportation, excavation, research, preservation, display and diffusion

Post-translational regulation of an Aplysia glutamate transporter during long-term facilitation.

Regulation of glutamate transporters accompanies plasticity of some glutamatergic synapses. The regulation of glutamate uptake at the Aplysia sensorimotor synapse during long-term facilitation (LTF) was investigated. Previously, increases in levels of ApGT1 (Aplysia glutamate transporter 1) in synaptic membranes were found to be related to long-term increases in glutamate uptake. In this study, we found that regulation of ApGT1 during LTF appears to occur post-translationally. Serotonin (5-HT) a transmitter that induces LTF did not increase synthesis of ApGT1. A pool of ApGT1 appears to exist in sensory neuron somata, which is transported to the terminals by axonal transport. Blocking the rough endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi-trans-Golgi network (TGN) pathway with Brefeldin A prevented the 5-HT-induced increase of ApGT1 in terminals. Also, 5-HT produced changes in post-translational modifications of ApGT1 as well as changes in the levels of an ApGT1-co-precipitating protein. These results suggest that regulation of trafficking of ApGT1 from the vesicular trafficking system (rough endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi-TGN) in the sensory neuron somata to the terminals by post-translational modifications and protein interactions appears to be the mechanism underlying the increase in ApGT1, and thus, glutamate uptake during memory formation