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Purpose: This paper explores face-to-face dialogues between practitioners and interventionist researchers in the management accounting (MA) field during real-time interactions for the development of accounting devices. It aims to shed light on whether and how these dialogues can affect the construction of meanings around the devices, thereby influencing the course of interventionist research (IVR) projects. Design/methodology/approach: This study presents a reflective analysis (both in itinere and ex-post) of an IVR project conducted by one of the authors within a healthcare organisation. It draws on a dialogical perspective to delve into the conversations between the author and the organisation's chief executive officer (CEO) during one-to-one meetings for developing a new strategic dashboard. Findings: The findings show that a lack of alignment between the images invoked by verbal forms and the device representations can hinder accounting IVR projects. Obstacles can be overcome when the researcher, by acting upon verbal forms and device representations that mutually reinforce each other, shapes the practitioner's expectations creating shared meanings around the device. This occurs during face-to-face interactions in which the researcher recognises the trialogue with the practitioner and the device, thereby affecting the practitioner's mode of engagement. Originality/value: This paper contributes to improving the understanding of how researchers can affect practitioners' conceptualisation of accounting devices through the real-time experience of face-to-face dialogues. In doing so, it sheds light on the potential for IVR in MA to embrace a dialogical perspective. The paper also contributes more broadly to studies on the relationship between verbal and written accounting forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During summer 1189, a fleet of northern crusaders en route to the Third Crusade landed in what is today Algarve and massacred 5600 inhabitants of the Islamic town of Alvor. Mentioned only fragmentarily in contemporary sources, modern commentators have either ignored the event or passed over it as an extraneous episode, being merely one more incidence of crusader savagery. Often overlooked is that these crusaders were supported by Portuguese vessels. Considering Sancho I of Portugal, soon afterwards, with another crusader fleet, would launch a campaign to conquer the nearby Almohad regional capital, Silves, the proposition emerges that the slaughter, rather than being haphazard, formed part of a strategy. If so, viewed against the Portuguese policy of preservation of target populations, Alvor stands out as an anomaly requiring urgent explanation. Through an analysis of the De Itinere Navali, a German mariner's account of the siege of Silves, and other contemporary references, this article reveals details of Sancho I's military planning, probes aspects of the complex relationship between the Portuguese Reconquista in the latter twelfth century and the international "crusading movement," and presents new information regarding the author of the De Itinere Navali and the origins and aptitudes of his crusader shipmates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses a question related to Baldwin I's policy toward the Fatimids at the very beginning of his reign, which was expressed through the aspirational royal title. It was presented on two documents, not issued by Baldwin I, but containing interesting honorific title, because the king appears as (1) "gloriorissimus et christianissimus rex Balduinus, qui fratri suo prefato duci Godefrido in regnum Asye successit" ('the glorious and arch-Christian king Baldwin, who succeeded his brother, the aforementioned prince Godfrey, in the kingdom of Asia'); (2) "rex inclitus et christianissimus regnum Babiloniae atque Asiae disponens" ('illustrious and arch-Christian king, disposing of the kingdom of Babylonia and Asia'). Hence, the article develops H.E. Mayer's thesis that the indicated titles show that in the political plans of the first Latin king of Jerusalem, the thought of expansion and conquering the Fatimid Egypt (expressed as Babylon as pars pro toto) was already present at the dawn of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods are among the most devastating natural hazards in the world, causing the largest percentage of deaths and property damage. The impact of floods can be mitigated with an adequate knowledge of the territory, which makes it possible to better organize prevention plans with an appropriate analysis of the risk areas, which allows the management of relief efforts quickly and adequately. This work presents a methodology for mapping and monitoring the areas affected by floods and landslides by remote sensing: the correct representation and full interpretation of the territory matrix are essential for quality and sustainability design. In this paper, we used tools and technology that allow us to analyze and visualize the landscape evolution. The calibration of the method was performed on the events that took place in Calabria, in Southern Italy, on 12 August 2015. The proposed methodology concerned the planning of acquisition flights, the selection and setting of the sensors used, and the processing and post-processing of the data collected through the application of algorithms used for data manipulation and interpretation. The process of recognizing the areas with deposits of debris through the spectral signature was carried out using similarity criteria relating to hyperspectral data. The results obtained recommend the adoption of this methodology to deal with emergencies due to flood events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural and peripheral areas, however, defined, suffer from accessibility and mobility problems that challenge their liveability and potential for development. To cope with these challenges, it is necessary to acknowledge and address the spatial, societal, cultural and economic components of accessibility, with comprehensive action involving actors from various sectors at different scales. The Italian National Strategy for Inner Areas, aimed to reverse marginalization processes of rural peripheral areas with a place-based approach, is moving in this direction. This article analyses and discusses how the strategy aims to address accessibility and mobility, in principle and in practice. To this aim, document analysis of the general documents and guidelines of the SNAI and 50 local strategies is combined with qualitative insights from interviews and participant observation. The analysis shows the scope and approach of the strategy and points out a number of criticalities and pitfalls challenging its potential. The results can contribute to inform research, policymaking and planning to improve accessibility in European peripheral areas, taking stock of the potentialities and limitations of this experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dairy farms control an important share of the agricultural area of Northern Italy. Zero grazing, large maize-cropped areas, high stocking densities, and high milk production make them intensive and prone to impact the environment. Currently, few published studies have proposed indicator sets able to describe the entire dairy farm system and their internal components. This work had four aims: i) to propose a list of agro-environmental indicators to assess dairy farms; ii) to understand which indicators classify farms best; iii) to evaluate the dairy farms based on the proposed indicator list; iv) to link farmer decisions to the consequent environmental pressures. Forty agro-environmental indicators selected for this study are described. Northern Italy dairy systems were analysed considering both farmer decision indicators (farm management) and the resulting pressure indicators that demonstrate environmental stress on the entire farming system, and its components: cropping system, livestock system, and milk production. The correlations among single indicators identified redundant indicators. Principal Components Analysis distinguished which indicators provided meaningful information about each pressure indicator group. Analysis of the communalities and the correlations among indicators identified those that best represented farm variability: Farm Gate N Balance, Greenhouse Gas Emission, and Net Energy of the farm system; Net Energy and Gross P Balance of the cropping system component; Energy Use Efficiency and Purchased Feed N Input of the livestock system component; N Eco-Efficiency of the milk production component. Farm evaluation, based on the complete list of selected indicators demonstrated organic farming resulted in uniformly high values, while farms with low milk-producing herds resulted in uniformly low values. Yet on other farms, the environmental quality varied greatly when different groups of pressure indicators were considered, which highlighted the importance of expanding environmental analysis to effects within the farm. Statistical analysis demonstrated positive correlations between all farmer decision and pressure group indicators. Consumption of mineral fertiliser and pesticide negatively influenced the cropping system. Furthermore, stocking rate was found to correlate positively with the milk production component and negatively with the farm system. This study provides baseline references for ex ante policy evaluation, and monitoring tools for analysis both in itinere and ex post environment policy implementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this article is to introduce content analysis in the field of social research on tourism. Among other techniques, content analysis has undergone a revitalisation and acceleration in recent years, especially following a process of digitalisation and the spread of blogs, websites, social media, online reviews and digital spaces in which it is possible to comment, release content and express one's own opinion, making the information available directly on the web increasingly numerous. On the basis of these premises, the aim of this article is to provide the reader with a definition of the technique by tracing, some specificities and useful characteristics. Subsequently, it will outline the difference between the quantitative and qualitative approaches to content analysis by examining the digital scenario and its particularities, especially the kind of digital data of which it makes use. Finally, it will offer a practical example of its application to the analysis of tourism narratives in digital spaces, centred on Quartieri Spagnoli in Naples. The example will be used in order to show how this technique could be a solution for specific cognitive objectives that are increasingly fitting in the production of tourism studies which adopt digital data in even more articulated designs that may involve a combination of different techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the relationship between the Normans in southern Italy and in Outremer, offering a new analysis of the early history of the principality of Antioch through the perspective of Hauteville kin relations and models of conquest and rule across the Mediterranean. By analysing the composition of the Hauteville expedition during the First Crusade, and comparing its patterns of behaviour with those of the family in southern Italy, this essay highlights the similarities between the crusader contingent and other Hauteville enterprises. It then investigates enduring similarities and links between Hauteville frontier zones either side of the sea, and the contextual solutions for succession in Antioch found by the Hautevilles, concluding the discussion with the breakdown of ties between southern Italy and Outremer following Roger II's final claim to Antioch. This offers a new perspective on the long-standing issue of southern Norman participation in the crusader movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper illustrates an empirical research project concerning the co-creation process in Reggio Emilia's public services and their eff orts to reduce childhood obesity. Th e research is based on a participative evaluation research methodology. The project has been implemented within the framework of the CoSIE project, funded by the Horizon 2020 Research Program -- Innovation Action. It has been led by the Local Health Unit (LHU) of Reggio Emilia, a mid-size town in north-eastern Italy, and Cup2000/Lepida, a public/private corporation delivering ICT for health service in the Emilia-Romagna Region. The empirical research has been conducted by the University of Bologna, using a mixed method multi-dimensional strategy and combining the Action-Research tradition with the approach of the Theory of Change. The theoretical framework reflects on the co-creation process, distinguishing between its diff erent phases. In particular, it defines the co-production and the co-design phase, operationalising them with the concepts of System Integration and Social Integration. This linkage allows the analysis of the involvement of institutional stakeholders and fi nal users in the co-creation process. Many factors including the actors' identity, the participation modalities and the impact of each stakeholder on the service, contribute to the model of co-creation in "the shadow of institutions", characterised by a low level of Social Integration and a high level of System Integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article poses the thesis that the authors of the Gesta Francorum and the Historia de Hierosolymitano Itinere in their vision of the First Crusade's events used a conventional, i.e., preexisting tradition of missionary practice, and adapted it to their narrative on the foundation of the bishopric of Albara (Al-Bara). The article shows that a two-stage model of conversion to Christianity of abrenuntiatio diaboli (the renouncement of Satan) and confessio fidei (the profession of faith) was presented on the pages of the First Crusaders' accounts, and it was manifested in a particular case of Albara in a quite unique, mostly institutional shape; i.e. the Muslim inhabitants of a city were not even given a chance to convert to Christianity; the act of confessio fidei was done through the election of a bishop; the rejection of Satan occurred through the sacralization of temples and their transformation into places of Christian worship. In this perspective it could be observed that the foundation of Albara's bishopric was seen by the Gesta Francorum and Peter Tudebode as the confrontation of the spheres of sacrum and profanum known from missionary practice in other regions than Syria and Palestine at a similar time (e.g., in Pomerania). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article poses a thesis that the chroniclers of the First Crusade were tapping into a preexisting literary tradition of religious conflict in the process of shaping an image of an enemy. It centres on an analysis of the symbolic significance of the particular description of a priest's death at the hands of the Turks on the altar during the celebration of mass found in several sources describing the massacre of Christians in Civetot during the First Crusade (Gesta Francorum, Tudebode's Historia de Hierosolymitano itinere, Baldric of Dol's Historiae Hierosolymitanae libri IV, Guibert of Nogent's Gesta Dei per Francos, Robert the Monk's Historia Hierosolymitana, and Oderic Vitalis' Historia ecclesiastica). The article argues that the presented description could be considered an example of a rhetorical strategy employed in the crusading accounts, used for the purpose of depicting the enemy as religious and cultural 'other'. Furthermore, the article discusses the intertextuality and the potential influence of ancient and scriptural motifs on the literary workshop of the chroniclers in their versions of the story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the narrative of the capture of Jerusalem by the First Crusade as circulated in medieval Christendom by its leadership with a particular focus on the letter given at Laodicea, Syria in September 1099. Topics include the role the letter's author, archbishop of Pisa Daibert, in the framing of the narrative of the Crusade and its reception in the medieval West; and the role of the letter in inviting the pope and all Christians to celebrate the success of the crusades.

This article seeks to shed light on the literary agenda of Odo of Deuil, author of the most detailed Latin account of the Levantine branch of the Second Crusade. It calls for scholars to reinstate Odo's vilification of the Byzantines as a primary, rather than secondary, objective and proposes a new explanation for his stringent anti‐Greek tone. It first extends our knowledge of Odo's engagement with the historiographical tradition of the First Crusade, before drawing attention to a hitherto unappreciated layer in his vilification of the Byzantines: his use of emotional language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of a hermeneutic-based approach as innovative way to study the Cultural Heritage management in a mesoeconomic space. Design/methodology/approach: The paper builds a theoretical framework based on the analysis of relevant literature in the field of cultural economics, heritage economics and conservation and restoration techniques. Then, after having defined the conceptual hypothesis, a hermeneutical interpretative model is designed for the analysis of the processes of Cultural Heritage management with particular regard to the strategies of stakeholder engagement. Findings: The research shows how the mesoeconomic space is that border area where it is possible to solve more easily the conflicts that arise as a result of the different expectations of stakeholders. Hermeneutical analysis, applied in iterative form, allows us to find common connections, points of contact and convergences between the interpretative horizons of the various stakeholders. Practical implications: The application of the interpretative model allows the identification of the expectations of stakeholders, improving the knowledge of the tangible and intangible attributes of works of art, in order to design appropriate interventions of restoration, conservation and valorization. Social implications: The new model of analysis, based on hermeneutic methodology, is designed to understand and describe the social and economic relations between the different stakeholders involved in the management of Cultural Heritage. Originality/value: This paper examines for the first time the Cultural Heritage sector within the mesoeconomic area between the micro and the macroeconomy. In addition to this mesoeconomic analysis and conceptual approach, the authors introduce as methodology the economic hermeneutics that represents an innovative tool in the field of economic and business disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1213, Pope Innocent III issued his letter Quia maior asking Christendom to rescue the Holy Land. He also appeared to suspend the indulgences offered for fighting in Iberia so that the crusading forces could concentrate their efforts on the venture to Egypt. Despite this, Innocent was unprepared to totally disqualify the Iberian Christian efforts against al-Andalus - a situation that created an artificial separation between Iberian Christians and the rest of Christendom. Notwithstanding, in 1217 when a fleet of northern crusaders arrived in Lisbon, they were invited by its bishop to join an expedition to conquer the Muslim-controlled city of Alcácer do Sal. This article discusses the evidence available to explain what the real status of this campaign was in the eyes of the papacy and the participants themselves within the evolving concept of "Crusade". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Healthcare workers account for 10% of the EU’s total workforce, with a significant proportion of those employed in hospitals. Musculoskeletal injuries are the predominant group of injuries in healthcare professionals due to the physical demands of their work, such as the mobilization and positioning of the dependent patients. The management of this type of problem should take into account direct and indirect costs, such as periods of incapacity for work due to illness, hiring and training of new employees during periods of absence, reduced levels of productivity and the effects on production and quality of work. Objectives: 1—Characterization of injuries resulting from occupational accidents in hospital workers according to the International Classification of Diseases ICD-10; 2—Identification of the predictive factors of absenteeism duration due to temporary work incapacity in workplace accidents. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted based on the analysis of 1621 cases of work-related accidents of employees of Centro Hospitalar São João from January 2011 to December 2014. An ICD-10 classification code was associated with each of the accident cases, based on pre-established criteria for classification of the specific diagnoses of musculoskeletal injuries. The duration of temporary work incapacity was compared between the categories of sociodemographic variables, among six categories of ICD-10 primary diagnosis (reclassification), and between the two major chapters of ICD-10 classification—chapter XIX (direct trauma) and chapter XIII (indirect trauma—strain injuries). The sociodemographic predictors of the occurrence of strain injuries were determined by logistic regression. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted with selection of duration of work incapacity as the dependent variable. Results: A total of 824 cases of musculoskeletal injuries occurred on hospital premises during the study period, which corresponded to a total of 22159 lost workdays in the context of temporary work incapacity due to work injury. According to the ICD-10 reclassification, the three most frequent diagnostic groups were direct lower limb trauma (n = 230, 27.9%), spinal strain injuries (n = 194, 23.5%) and direct upper limb trauma (n = 174, 21.1%). Significant differences were observed in temporary work incapacity duration among the ICD-10 diagnostic categories: spinal strain injuries were the diagnostic group associated with longer duration of temporary work incapacity, with a median = 14.0 (25-75th percentile: 6.0–35.0). The only variable that demonstrated to be significantly predictive of temporary work incapacity less than or greater than 20 days was the ICD-10 diagnostic group. The regression results revealed a 5-fold increase in risk in the case of spinal strain injuries for temporary work incapacity durations of less than or greater than 20 days (OR = 5.58 and OR = 5.89 respectively). Conclusions: The study findings support the benefits of the characterization of workplace injuries by medical diagnostic groups, namely in the interpretation of the sequelae of the accidents and the medical contextualization of the accidents. Association of ICD-10characterization can improve the analysis of workplace accidents at an institutional level, and promote the implementation of preventive measures and control of absenteeism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though public service co-production is achieving a growing popularity among scholars and practitioners, there is limited evidence on its implications and consequences. To contribute in filling such a gap, this paper investigates the role of public service co-production in fostering organizational change. A descriptive case study approach was taken, concerning a group co-production experience targeted to the reorganization of primary school meal services in the Municipality of Quarrata, a medium-sized town established in Central Italy. A step-by-step approach was implemented to realize the full potential of public service co-production. Direct and indirect stakeholders were concomitantly involved in the reorganization of school meal services. Service co-production paved the way for several positive outcomes, including: increased user satisfaction, cost savings, greater social and environmental sustainability, and lower water footprint. The research findings suggested that public sector organizations need to perform as enablers of the co-producers’ sleeping resources, enacting a self-nourishing cycle of public value co-creation. The enhancement of the co-producing skills that are available in the community is a fundamental ingredient of the recipe for more effective and smooth processes of organizational change. This is one of the first attempts to examine the role of service co-production in promoting organizational change in public sector organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the reception of desertions from the First Crusade in the Latin West in early twelfth century. As the crusading deserters did not accomplish their crusading vows, they were often targets of criticism and mockery. However, the chronicles do not reflect this social phenomenon entirely. While some authors criticised the deserters, the others were making excuses for their withdrawals. The study proposes the reasons of this incoherence and discusses the attitude of the twelfth-century crusading authorities. It appears that the ambiguous portrayal of crusading apostates might have been caused by pope Paschal II's understanding of the crusading vow, as well as by personal motivations of the French Benedictine chroniclers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The violence that occurred in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary at the start of the First Crusade in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary appears in several of the works produced in the outpouring of literature that followed the capture of Jerusalem. Examination of these writings reveals ecclesiastic authors inserting exegesis, exempla, allusion, and aff abulation into their retellings. These inclusions countered criticism of those who fl ed, stressed communal Benedictine values, and crafted an understanding of the events and the new Crusade movement. Study of these depictions of the chaotic events in the semi-Christianized territory on the periphery of the Latin West reveals the development in presentation and reception of the crusade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores some of the preliminary reasons for and effectsof a training course on “Institutional, organisational and professionalidentification processes”, carried out at Aosta local HealthAuthority Accident and Emergency Dept. The article is based onthe analysis of a number of critical points that emerged ex ante,in itinere ed ex post regarding a complex and rarely examined topic,focusing on how training makes it possible to explore latentaspects of the organisation. The use of an appropriate methodologyhas revealed explicit requests for greater attention to typicallyorganisational aspects, which are typically neglected in the PublicServices. The hypothesis put forward is that the same dimensionscould provide a focus for research and productive application. Thearticle suggests that methodologies and instruments developed inthe public sector achieved an adequate degree of managerial knowledge to be “translated” into a National Health Service Accidentand Emergency Department setting.

The First Crusade is one of the most intensively researched events of the Middle Ages, yet, paradoxically, the manuscript source base for the letters from the expedition is almost entirely unexplored and represents an exciting new avenue of investigation for crusade studies. This article publishes the texts of three new manuscript witnesses of First Crusade letters and explores their regional reception and transmission as a form of "scribal crusading" - that is, monastic participation in the crusades from behind cloister walls. The findings of this article reveal an extremely significant, but previously underappreciated, collective impulse among German monastic communities in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries to participate in the crusading movement through the copying of First Crusade letters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gaps remain in understanding how performance-based incentive (PBI) programs affect quality of care and service quantity, whether programs are cost effective and how programs could be tailored to meet client and provider needs while remaining operationally viable. In 2014, Malawi's Ministry of Health launched the Service Delivery Integration-PBI (SSDI-PBI) program. The program is unique in that no portion of performance bonuses are paid to individual health workers, and it shifts responsibility for infrastructure and equipment procurement from facility staff to implementing partners. This protocol outlines an approach that analyzes processes and outcomes, considers expected and unexpected consequences of the program and frames the program's outputs relative to its costs. Findings from this evaluation will inform the intended future scale-up of PBI in Malawi.Methods/design: This study employs a prospective controlled before-and-after triangulation design to assess effects of the PBI program by analyzing quantitative and qualitative data from intervention and control facilities. Guided by a theoretical framework, the evaluation consists of four main components: service provision, health worker motivation, implementation processes and costing. Quality and access outcomes are assessed along four dimensions: (1) structural elements (related to equipment, drugs, staff); (2) process elements (providers' compliance with standards); (3) outputs (service utilization); (4) experiential elements (experiences of service delivery). The costing component includes costs related to start-up, ongoing management, and the cost of incentives themselves. The cost analysis considers costs incurred within the Ministry of Health, funders, and the implementing agency. The evaluation relies on primary data (including interviews and surveys) and secondary data (including costing and health management information system data).Discussion: Through the lens of a PBI program, we illustrate how complex interventions can be evaluated via not only primary, mixed-methods data collection, but also through a wealth of secondary data from program implementers (including monitoring, evaluation and financial data), and the health system (including service utilization and service readiness data). We also highlight the importance of crafting a theory and using theory to inform the nature of data collected. Finally, we highlight the need to be responsive to stakeholders in order to enhance a study's relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the first years of the twelfth century, three French monks simultaneously rewrote the same chronicle of the First Crusade, the Gesta Francorum. Despite recent skepticism expressed by some historians, the best explanation for this coincidence is that all of them had been exposed directly or indirectly to the 1106 preaching campaign of Bohemond of Taranto, who was raising armies for a new crusade. The monastic writers were all struggling at that time either to gain ecclesiastical promotion or to regain offices that they had lost. The production of a crusade chronicle would have advanced their cause. Bohemond of Taranto was aiming through his crusade to make himself emperor of Byzantium. These chronicles, which celebrated his achievements, would have promoted this goal as well. Finally, the papacy wished to ensure its claim to have been the inventor of the crusade movement--a point which the three monastic historians make explicitly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ASIRPA is an original and comprehensive approach for assessing the socio-economic impact of public-sector research organizations through case studies. The cases are theory-based, selected to characterize the diversity of the broader impacts, and standardized so as to allow the scaling-up of the analysis of impact to the level of the organization. ASIRPA is founded on well-tried tools, and the added value of the approach lies in the adaptation and combination of these tools to design a comprehensive approach, which has been tested in a real situation and proven to be robust, credible, and implementable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cohort studies on hepatitis C virus (HCV) among drug injectors are scarcer than studies on HIV. Combined harm reduction interventions (HRIs) can prevent HCV infection. Spain has a medium-high coverage of HRIs. Methods 513 young heroin users who injected drugs in the past 12 months (recent injectors) were streetrecruited in 2001-2003 and followed until 2006 in three Spanish cities; 137 were anti-HCV seronegative, 77 of whom had ≥1 follow-up visit. Dried blood spots were tested for anti-HCV. HCV incidence and predictors of infection were estimated using Poisson models. Results At baseline, 73% were anti-HCV positive. Overall incidence (n=77) of HCV seroconversion was 39.8/100 person-years ( py) (95% CI 28.7 to 53.8). Excluding non-injectors during follow-up from the analysis (n=57), HCV incidence was 52.9/100 py (95% CI 37.4 to 72.5). Injecting at least weekly (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=5.2 (95% CI 2.5 to 11.1)) and having ≥2 sexual partners (IRR=2.2 (95% CI 1.1 to 4.7)) were independent predictors of HCV seroconversion; druginjection history <2 years was marginally associated (IRR=2.4 (95% CI 0.9 to 4.7)). HCV incidence may have been underestimated due to differential attrition. Conclusions Despite fairly high HRI coverage among Spanish drug injectors, a distressingly high incidence of HCV in a context of high HCV prevalence was found among young heroin injectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dothideomycetes comprise a highly diverse range of fungi characterized mainly by asci with two wall layers (bitunicate asci) and often with fissitunicate dehiscence. Many species are saprobes, with many asexual states comprising important plant pathogens. They are also endophytes, epiphytes, fungicolous, lichenized, or lichenicolous fungi. They occur in terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats in almost every part of the world. We accept 105 families in Dothideomycetes with the new families Anteagloniaceae, Bambusicolaceae, Biatriosporaceae, Lichenoconiaceae, Muyocopronaceae, Paranectriellaceae, Roussoellaceae, Salsugineaceae, Seynesiopeltidaceae and Thyridariaceae introduced in this paper. Each family is provided with a description and notes, including asexual and asexual states, and if more than one genus is included, the type genus is also characterized. Each family is provided with at least one figure-plate, usually illustrating the type genus, a list of accepted genera, including asexual genera, and a key to these genera. A phylogenetic tree based on four gene combined analysis add support for 64 of the families and 22 orders, including the novel orders, Dyfrolomycetales, Lichenoconiales, Lichenotheliales, Monoblastiales, Natipusillales, Phaeotrichales and Strigulales. The paper is expected to provide a working document on Dothideomycetes which can be modified as new data comes to light. It is hoped that by illustrating types we provide stimulation and interest so that more work is carried out in this remarkable group of fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The difficulties in communicating climate change science to the general public are often highlighted as one of the hurdles for support of enhanced climate action. The advances of interactive visualization using information and communication technology (ICT) are claimed to be a game-changer in our ability to communicate complex issues. However, new analytical frameworks are warranted to analyse the role of such technologies. This paper develops a novel framework for analyzing the content, form, context and relevance of ICT-based visualization of climate change, based on insights from literature on climate change communication. Thereafter, we exemplify the analytical framework by applying it to a pilot case of ICT-based climate visualization in a GeoDome. Possibilities to use affordable advanced ICT-based visualization devices in science and policy communication are rapidly expanding. We thus see wider implications and applications of the analytical framework not only for other ICT environments but also other issue areas in sustainability communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses translation into Russian of the medieval Latin book "Gesta Francorum et aliorum Hierosolimitanorum" (Deeds of the Franks and Other Pilgrims to Jerusalem), a historical source about the First Crusade. Among other topics addressed are the influence of previous translations such as into English, French, and Italian, issues related to rendering of certain Latin technical terms into Russian, and relevant details of history from the time of the work.

This article positions the Spanish strand of the De viris illustribus in its social and literary context. I argue that, rather than simply continuing the biographical catalogues of Jerome and Gennadius, Isidore of Seville and Ildefonsus of Toledo used their lists of illustrious Spanish Christian leaders to assert the historical status of the Spanish church, particularly in relation to Rome and Constantinople. I also suggest that lists of famous Christians functioned on a second level, as a medium for articulating competition between the great bishoprics of Spain. At the start of the seventh century, Isidore put together a selection of literary bishops from Spain to demonstrate the historical excellence of the Spanish church and to establish his brother, Leander, as its preeminent ecclesiastic. A few decades later, Ildefonsus constructed a list of miracle-working monk-bishops from Toledo as part of a broader campaign to assert Toledan primacy in Spain. Recording the deeds and writings of late antique, Spanish celebrity Christians was thus central to the establishment and articulation of ecclesiastical power, creating connections to the past and establishing a reservoir of institutional and charismatic power on which future generations were keen to draw. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Aims. Although, in the laboratory, most acute adverse effects of cocaine are dose-dependent and alcohol potentiates some of these effects, there are few observational studies, and scarce awareness that the risk of acute cocaine intoxication (ACI) can increase as the amounts of cocaine and alcohol consumed increase. Our objectives were to assess if the risk of ACI increases with the level cocaine use, both in chronic and binge use; and also to determine whether it increases when a cocaine binge is combined with binge drinking or with regular excessive drinking. Design and Methods. Hypotheses were evaluated using logistic regression and case-crossover analyses in a sample of 720 young regular cocaine users who did not regularly use heroin, recruited at drug scenes in 2004-2006. All data on ACI, predictor and confounding variables were obtained through a computer-assisted personal interview. Results. The annual prevalence of ACI was 21%. In the last year 10.3% of the participants reported cocaine binges (≥ 0.5 g in 4 h). ACI risk increased considerably in the 4 h following a cocaine binge (odds ratio = 34.6; 95% confidence interval 11.5-170.8). Also, it increased with increases in the average level of cocaine used over a long period and when users regularly drank excessively. Finally, the results suggest that the high risk of ACI associated with cocaine binge may increase even more when combined with binge drinking. Discussion and Conclusions. Awareness of the dose-dependent effect of cocaine on ACI risk, as well as the possible synergistic effect of alcohol, ought to be incorporated into preventive and care strategies.[Santos S, Brugal MT, Barrio G, Castellano Y, Domingo-Salvany A, Espelt A, Bravo MJ, de la Fuente L, the ITINERE Project Group. Assessing the effect of patterns of cocaine and alcohol use on the risk of adverse acute cocaine intoxication. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:439-446] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the demands of our interconnected world, many universities have embraced the concept of internationalisation, offering international programmes in many discipline areas. At the same time, European universities have been grappling with introducing all the necessary changes to meet with the Bologna requirements. At the level of both programme and syllabus design the focus has often been on specific knowledge and understanding and the setting of very laudable learning outcomes including professional competences and skills. How Language Learning/Support can play an important role in achieving these objectives and outcomes and in particular how a student-centred "professional syllabus" can be developed to meet future needs of the student is the focus of this talk. Language Learning/Support on International or Foreign Language Mediated (FLM) Programmes, whether credit-bearing or not, needs to meet three main needs: Language for Academic Purposes (LAP) e.g. the mechanics of academic discourse, writing abstracts/dissertations, making presentations etc; Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) focusing on technical language, in particular terminology; and in addition to this more "traditional" kind of language support, Language Learning should also develop those language and communication skills and competences which will enable them to work effectively and efficiently in a professional working environment thus enhancing student employability. To answer this multifaceted challenge, the language teacher needs not only to know what the programme and individual course learning outcomes are and to work in close and constant collaboration with the content teachers (essential prerequisite) but also have some form of contact with the professional world of the specific content domain. One ideal source of up to date and relevant knowledge of this professional world is the students themselves. The Language syllabus can include "professional" tasks based on student feedback and authentic materials, provided either by current students following internships or alumni who are in contact with teachers. This invaluable input provides insight not only regarding technical aspects, but more importantly the text types most commonly found, the types of communication skills most frequently called for, the functional language (complaints, troubleshooting, requests etc) not always catered for in published LAP or LSP materials. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, by using students and alumni as informants to create their own "professional syllabus", motivation, that all-important ingredient in successful language learning, is greatly enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The powerful image of Louis IX on crusade has led scholars to argue that 'royal French crusading' was a tradition that developed only after Louis VII departed for the East in 1147. This article explores the formation of the earliest connection between the French royal house and the crusading movement in the first decade of the twelfth century. Key changes in the royal court transformed the body, in the decade before the First Crusade as mere bets of the lower aristocracy gradually began replacing the magnates. Philip I viewed these 'new men' in his court as his representatives on the expedition in 1095. However, when a majority of these men returned from the East before completing their vows, the royal court faced dangerous questions about its dynastic claims of divine favour. In response to this, several monks from northern France fashioned a version of the First Crusade that sanitized the careers of those knights in the royal entourage, k is this version of events that ultimately became the popular history of the First Crusade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress towards climate change aware regional sustainable development is affected by actions at multiple spatial scales and governance levels and equally impacts actions at these scales. Many authors and policy practitioners consider therefore that decisions over policy, mitigation strategies and capacity for adaptation to climate change require construction and coordination over multiple levels of governance to arrive at acceptable local, regional and global management strategies. However, how such processes of coordination and decision-aiding can occur and be maintained and improved over time is a major challenge in need of investigation. We take on this challenge by proposing research-supported methods of aiding multi-level decision-making processes in this context. Four example regionally focussed multi-level case studies from diverse socio-political contexts are outlined-estuarine management in Australia's Lower Hawkesbury, flood and drought management in Bulgaria's Upper Iskar Basin, climate policy integration in Spain's Comunidad Valenciana and food security in Bangladesh's Faridpur District-from which insights are drawn. Our discussion focuses on exploring these insights including: (1) the possible advantages of informal research-supported processes and specifically those that provide individual arenas of participation for different levels of stakeholders; (2) the complexity of organisation processes required for aiding multi-level decision-making processes; and (3) to what extent progress towards integrated regional policies for climate change aware sustainable development can be achieved through research-supported processes. We finish with a speculative section that provides ideas and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To present the experience documented over 1 year of analysis and quality control on surgical complications and organizational accidents.Methods: All children admitted during the study period at our Institution were included in the analysis, which consisted of four phases: (1) definition and standardization of perioperative diagnostic and therapeutic tracks; (2) staff education; (3) documentation and data implementation, and (4) "Morbidity and Mortality" audit.Results: Over a 1-year study period, 3,116 children were admitted to our Institution: 2,222 out of 3,116 (71.3%) children underwent a surgical procedure. A total number of 184 complications were recorded in 149 patients. One hundred and seventy-one (92.9%) complications occurred following a surgical procedure. Fifty-six out of 149 complicated patients (37.6%) required a re-operation. Thirty-five out of 184 (19%) complications were classified as organizational. Infection represented the most common complication. All cases of anastomotic dehiscence and perforation, bowel obstruction, and stoma malfunction required reintervention. None of the postoperative bleedings required a second surgical procedure.Conclusion: Although a proper statistical comparison with literature complication rates is not feasible, our experience confirms the importance of quality-control audit in health care systems. Prolonged observation, long-term follow up, and comparison with previous results will represent our future goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Demetrius of Thessaloniki who became a patron saint of crusaders and the literature related to his intervention in the June 1098 Battle of Antioch during the First Crusade. The author examines the idea that a claim by Bohemond of Toranto to Antioch was strengthened by the inclusion of Eastern saints in narratives about the battle which weakened Byzantine emperor Alexius' claim to the region. The depiction of Saint Demetrius in Western and Eastern Europe during the ninth to 15th centuries and the miracle intervention on the battlefield is discussed.