The Changing Role of the Cataphract in the Byzantine Army

Contact with the Sassanids as well as nomad tribes such as the Huns taught the Byzantines the importance of cavalry, and in adopting these kinds of tactics they implemented the cataphract into their forces. The aim of this work is to assess the significance of cataphracts and how this changed over nearly 500 years. I shall discuss how these units were employed in battle, whether they were physically or psychologically devastating to the enemy and how the historical context allowed or prevented them to be used. Scholars such as Haldon and Decker agree that cataphracts went out of use during the 6th century in favour of lighter horsemen whose main armament was the bow, and that Cataphracts only re-appear as an addition during the re-conquering of the east in the 10th century. My aim is to argue that while they were gradually displaced in favour of more mobile cavalry, they still were used mostly as foderati as this had been a common trend since the Notitia Dignitatum. They were simply unsustainable followed the loss of most of the rich eastern provinces following the Arab conquests in 7th century

Hideous Progeny, Dreaming Robots, and the Limits of the Human

This project is an in-depth exploration and synthesis of three different works: novels Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, and the movie Bladerunner by Ridley Scott. I will be approaching each story as a separate entity unto themselves yet tie them together through the common lens of a need to explore what it means to be human, the treatment of those that fall outside of the norm, and how that leads to villainous representation. While the negative portrayal of disabled bodies has positively progressed since Frankenstein, this problem continues to endure within both art and society. Art is merely one facet of a larger problem but by close reading novels and film I hope to gain a better understanding at the the ways in which the disabled body is vilified as well as what it will take to move beyond and into a place of acceptance. By applying theoretical perspectives from aesthetic theory, posthumanism, and disability studies, I argue how evolving perceptions of the body impact our definitions of the villainous

The Pulmonary Surfactant: Impact of Tobacco Smoke and Related Compounds on Surfactant and Lung Development

Cigarette smoking, one of the most pervasive habits in society, presents many well established health risks. While lung cancer is probably the most common and well documented disease associated with tobacco exposure, it is becoming clear from recent research that many other diseases are causally related to smoking. Whether from direct smoking or inhaling environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), termed secondhand smoke, the cells of the respiratory tissues and the lining pulmonary surfactant are the first body tissues to be directly exposed to the many thousands of toxic chemicals in tobacco. Considering the vast surface area of the lung and the extreme attenuation of the blood-air barrier, it is not surprising that this organ is the primary route for exposure, not just to smoke but to most environmental contaminants. Recent research has shown that the pulmonary surfactant, a complex mixture of phospholipids and proteins, is the first site of defense against particulates or gas components of smoke. However, it is not clear what effect smoke has on the surfactant. Most studies have demonstrated that smoking reduces bronchoalveolar lavage phospholipid levels. Some components of smoke also appear to have a direct detergent-like effect on the surfactant while others appear to alter cycling or secretion. Ultimately these effects are reflected in changes in the dynamics of the surfactant system and, clinically in changes in lung mechanics. Similarly, exposure of the developing fetal lung through maternal smoking results in postnatal alterations in lung mechanics and higher incidents of wheezing and coughing. Direct exposure of developing lung to nicotine induces changes suggestive of fetal stress. Furthermore, identification of nicotinic receptors in fetal lung airways and corresponding increases in airway connective tissue support a possible involvement of nicotine in postnatal asthma development. Finally, at the level of the alveoli of the lung, colocalization of nicotinic receptors and surfactant-specific protein in alveolar cells is suggestive of a role in surfactant metabolism. Further research is needed to determine the mechanistic effects of smoke and its components on surfactant function and, importantly, the effects of smoke components on the developing pulmonary system

Tobacco Induced Diseases moves to BioMed Central

This Editorial marks the transfer of Tobacco Induced Diseases to BioMed Central's publishing platform

Historical Accuracy and the IRA Over 70 Years of Cinema

The purpose of this research is to examine how the Irish Republican Army has been represented in theatrical cinema since the 1930s. The goal is to demonstrate the necessity for historical accuracy in movies produced for public entertainment, which often neglect historical facts and circumstances in portraying an organization as controversial and complex as the IRA. This has been done by examining five movies produced for wide-distribution and comparing each to the detailed historical record. Upon analysis of these movies, it becomes clear that the films which are the most historically relevant are also the most powerful cinematic productions, both through emotional power and overall entertainment

Murray v. Giarratano, 109 S. Ct. 2765 (1989)

Constitutional Law/Access to Courts-LIMITING THE RELIEF AVAILABLE TO INDIGENT DEATH ROW INMATES DENIED MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO THE COURT