Classical History Research Articles

CLIL and e-learning environments: The role of Google My Maps and students’ written performance in Classical History

CLIL and e-learning environments: The role of Google My Maps and students’ written performance in Classical History

EP.TU.435A Rare Case of Granulomatous Appendicitis

Abstract Granulomatous appendicitis is a rare form of appendicitis due to a variety of causes such a foreign body, fungi, parasites, mycobacteria, Yesinia, Crohn's pathology and delayed appendicectomy. Definitive diagnosis necessitates histopathological analysis. We present an unusual case of granulomatous appendicitis in a young gentleman, incidentally detected at histopathology, along with a brief literature review. Patient presented with a classical clinical history and examination findings suggestive of acute appendicitis and underwent an emergency laparoscopic appendicectomy, followed by an uneventful post-operative recovery. Histopathological examination showed features of acute on chronic transmural inflammation with epithelioid granuloma, confirming diagnosis of granulomatous appendicitis. We hereby, aim to emphasize the significance of increased awareness required among general surgeons and pathologists, as patients with granulomatous appendicitis needs to be investigated further due to the likelihood of them having an underlying Crohn’s disease or developing it in future.

Edith Hall and Henry Stead. A People's History of Classics: Class and Greco-Roman Antiquity in Britain and Ireland 1689 to 1939. London and New York: Routledge, 2020. Pp. 642. $124.00 (cloth).

Edith Hall and Henry Stead. A People's History of Classics: Class and Greco-Roman Antiquity in Britain and Ireland 1689 to 1939. London and New York: Routledge, 2020. Pp. 642. $124.00 (cloth). - Volume 60 Issue 4

Forecasting Variation Trends of Stocks via Multiscale Feature Fusion and Long Short-Term Memory Learning

Forecasting stock price trends accurately appears a huge challenge because the environment of stock markets is extremely stochastic and complicated. This challenge persistently motivates us to seek reliable pathways to guide stock trading. While the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network has the dedicated gate structure quite suitable for the prediction based on contextual features, we propose a novel LSTM-based model. Also, we devise a multiscale convolutional feature fusion mechanism for the model to extensively exploit the contextual relationships hidden in consecutive time steps. The significance of our designed scheme is twofold. (1) Benefiting from the gate structure designed for both long- and short-term memories, our model can use the given stock history data more adaptively than traditional models, which greatly guarantees the prediction performance in financial time series (FTS) scenarios and thus profits the prediction of stock trends. (2) The multiscale convolutional feature fusion mechanism can diversify the feature representation and more extensively capture the FTS feature essence than traditional models, which fairly facilitates the generalizability. Empirical studies conducted on three classic stock history data sets, i.e., S&P 500, DJIA, and VIX, demonstrated the effectiveness and stability superiority of the suggested method against a few state-of-the-art models using multiple validity indices. For example, our method achieved the highest average directional accuracy (around 0.71) on the three employed stock data sets.

New Books across the Disciplines

New Books across the Disciplines

Terminal Classic residential histories, migration, and foreigners at the Maya site of Ucanal, Petén, Guatemala

Early scholarship on the disruption to political dynasties at the end of the Classic period in the Maya Lowlands argued that political collapse and the new material culture associated with it were due to the invasion of Putun/Chontal peoples from the Gulf Coast. One of the sites thought to have been targeted by such an invasion was Ucanal, Petén, Guatemala. Although no excavations had been undertaken at the site when the Putun invasion hypothesis was formulated, recent archaeological research at Ucanal provides an opportunity to re-visit the question of foreigners. This paper examines residential settlement histories and isotopic values from human teeth at Ucanal to better understand the changes that occurred during the Terminal Classic period. Our research indicates that while the possibility of foreign rule remains, the invasion hypothesis cannot fully capture the complex dynamics, multi-directional movements, and pluralistic influences of this time period. Ucanal was a thriving, heterogenous city with connections to multiple regions and peoples. Individuals born outside the Ucanal region were indeed present at the site, although the ways in which foreign identities were constituted were as much about peoples’ practices and performances of self (and others) as about where they were born.

You'll see it when you know it: granulomatous mastitis.

Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is an under-recognized and under-diagnosed disease. Patients with GM often present to the emergency room with a painful breast mass, nipple retraction, and skin changes. This pictorial essay will review the clinical presentation and imaging appearance of GM, BI-RADS reporting parameters, differential diagnoses, and diagnostic challenges posed by this disease. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential, as misdiagnosis can result in repeated core biopsies, leading to fistulae and sinus tract formation. A classic history and typical sonographic appearance allow the emergency radiologist to confidently make this diagnosis.

Silent Mastoiditis Associated with Pneumococcal Meningitis

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S pneumoniae) can cause a wide spectrum of diseases which includes upper respiratory tract infection as well as more severe invasive disease such as meningitis. Meningitis may be caused by invasion of the organism through the blood brain barrier, either via haematological spread or from an adjacent focus of infection such as the ears. We describe two infants with pneumococcal meningitis and silent mastoiditis. They both presented with a classical history to suggest meningitis with no apparent focus of infection. A brain imaging was done in the first infant to look for the underlying cause of his focal seizure and in the second infant, to assess for complications of meningitis, as he had a slow recovery. While they did not have any clinical signs to point towards the diagnosis, they were both diagnosed to have acute mastoiditis from brain imaging. We would like to highlight the importance of brain imaging in excluding silent mastoiditis in infants with meningitis, particularly in those whose clinical course appears atypical.

Familiar Pursuits: Women's Occult Influences and Shakespeare's Preternatural Bear inThe Winter's Tale

ABSTRACTThe object of the preposition in that most famous of Shakespearean stage directions, “Exit, pursued by a bear,” has been the subject of much critical inquiry. This essay suggests that The Winter's Tale's preoccupations with maternal influence and the occult encourage us to situate the bear at their intersection: the bear may be understood through its entanglements with the occult properties of women's bodies and the creaturely and gendered dynamics of early modern witchcraft. While other intellectual traditions and “old tales,” including classical myth and natural history, foreground the bear as a symbol of maternal nurturance and shaping influence, tethering the bear to its referents in witch texts sharpens its meaning as an emblem and embodiment of women's occult power and as a reminder of women's proximity to the animal realm. Through Shakespeare's bear, cultural anxieties that accompanied notions of witchcraft, motherhood, and women's somatic influences find creaturely expression.

Studying Classical Archaeology and Ancient History in Sweden

This article traces the background and gradual growth of the subject of Classical Archaeology and Ancient History in Sweden from the 17th century to the present day. As a university subject it grew out of the study of the realia in connection with the classical languages and was separated as an independent subject as late as 1909. Between the 1920s and the 1970s, large-scale excavations dominated most work. At present, the topics are more varied, better use is being made of the possibilities of the dual nature of the evidence of texts and archaeological material and there is a growing awareness of a new set of problems.

The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River, May 23-July 4, 1863 by Timothy B. Smith

Reviewed by: The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River, May 23-July 4, 1863 by Timothy B. Smith Jim Woodrick (bio) The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River, May 23-July 4, 1863. By Timothy B. Smith. (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2021. Pp. 752. $50.00 cloth) As the sun rose on July 4, 1863, the prospects were for another hot and humid day, just as so many days that had already passed for the two armies at Vicksburg. This day was different, however, as the constant roar of rifle and cannon had ceased, replaced by an eerie calm which settled over the battlefield. The sudden quiet was due to the surrender of Confederate Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton's Army of Vicksburg to Ulysses S. Grant after six weeks of siege warfare. With [End Page 328] the Union victory at Vicksburg, Pemberton's army was captured, and the Mississippi River was open once again, splitting the Confederacy in two. As the battered defenders marched out of their trenches and stacked arms, an Indiana soldier noted that "it was one of the most solemn and affecting scenes I have ever beheld" (p. 490). This account is but one of many ably recorded by Timothy B. Smith in his monumental work, The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River, May 23–July 4, 1863. Over the years, military operations in the eastern theater of the Civil War have received a great deal more attention from historians than events in the western theater. In particular, the Vicksburg Campaign, which is arguably the most decisive of the Civil War, has only in recent years seen an increase in scholarly studies, all building on the foundation of Edwin C. Bearss's classic three-volume history, originally published in 1985. Among those who have worked to address this disparity, Smith stands out, both in his writing ability and productivity, as he has already published extensively on various aspects of the Vicksburg Campaign and the war in the West. Smith's latest book follows a previous and equally monumental work on the Union assaults at Vicksburg on May 19 and May 22, published in 2020. Combined, these two volumes constitute the most complete study of the military operations in front of Fortress Vicksburg to date. Although lengthy, The Siege of Vicksburg is a thoroughly entertaining read, as Smith's narrative includes numerous personal accounts from soldiers and civilians alike. At the same time, the book provides plenty of detail for those interested in the intricacies of military engineering and troop movements, both within the siege lines and along Grant's exterior defenses. While much of the narrative is by necessity an overview of very complex operations, especially several wide-ranging probes and expeditions north of Vicksburg initiated with the intent to counter any supposed threat from Joseph E. Johnston's "Army of Relief," the majority of the book properly focuses on the siege operations themselves. Smith gives particular attention to Ewing's and Logan's approaches in front of [End Page 329] the Stockade Redan complex and the 3rd Louisiana Redan, respectively, and paints an especially vivid picture of the June 25 mine explosion along the Jackson Road. Not forgotten is the vital role of the U.S. Navy's constant bombardment of the city and the effect it had on the morale of Vicksburg's residents, both slave and free, nor does the author ignore the role the Navy played in supplying Grant's army with an abundance of supplies during the siege. Although the complexity and length of the siege of Vicksburg could easily fill multiple volumes, Smith has delivered an instant classic with his one-volume treatment, and it will no doubt be the standard reference for many years to come. For anyone interested in the Civil War in Mississippi and the overall campaign for control of the Mississippi Valley region, The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River is a must read. Jim Woodrick JIM WOODRICK is retired from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. A licensed battlefield...

10. Famous Pianists Perform Beethoven 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C Minor According to the Pianists Daniel Barenboim and Evgeny Kissin

Abstract Year 2020 constitutes an incredibly significant landmark in the classical music history as it is the year celebrating 250 years since the composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born. The “32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor” are deemed to be some of the most brilliant pianistic works marking the second period of Beethoven creation. The interpretative visions of Daniel Barenboim and Evgeny Kissin are equally interesting, the two great pianists putting their personality, sensitivity, and culture mark. All these elements confer upon the piece “32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor” particular expressive valences highlighting Beethoven’s creative genius.

New Books across the Disciplines

New Books across the Disciplines

Reconstructing rock art chronology with transfer learning: A case study from Arnhem Land, Australia

In recent years, machine learning approaches have been used to classify and extract style from media and have been used to reinforce known chronologies from classical art history. In this work we employ the first ever machine learning analysis of Australian rock art using a data efficient transfer learning approach to identify features suitable for distinguishing styles of rock art. These features are evaluated in a one-shot learning setting. Results demonstrate that known Arnhem Land Rock art styles can be resolved without knowledge of prior groupings. We then analyse the activation space of learned features and report on the relationships between styles and arrange these classes into a stylistic chronology based on distance within the activation space. By generating a stylistic chronology, it is shown that the model is sensitive to both temporal and spatial patterns in the distribution of rock art in the Arnhem Land Plateau region. More broadly, this approach is ideally suited to evaluating style within any material culture assemblage and overcomes the common constraint of small training data sets in archaeological machine learning studies.

A Case of Two Abdominal Gossypibomas in a Patient: A Rare Case Report

AbstractGossypiboma is a rare condition caused by retention of a foreign body, most commonly surgical sponge following any surgical procedure. The patient may be asymptomatic, can present with vague symptoms, or rarely with acute symptoms depending on the location of the foreign body and the complications associated with it; thus it may be difficult to diagnose this condition. A 30-year-old woman presented to our hospital with complaints of lump and mild pain on both sides of the lower abdomen for 3 months following caesarean section which was performed in a rural hospital. Ultrasound and computed tomography findings along with the classical history helped in arriving at the diagnosis of two gossypibomas in lower abdomen, one in each flank which was further confirmed on laparotomy.

Crying the News: A History of America's Newsboys. By Vincent DiGirolamo

Crying the News: A History of America's Newsboys. By Vincent DiGirolamo

Influence of sex and phenotype on cardiac outcomes in patients with Fabry disease

ObjectiveThis study describes the influence of sex and disease phenotype on the occurrence of cardiac events in Fabry disease (FD).MethodsCardiac events from birth to last visit (median age 50 years)...

Clinical challenges in interpreting multiple pathogenic mutations in single patients

BackgroundIn the past two decades, genetic testing for cancer risk assessment has entered mainstream clinical practice due to the availability of low-cost panels of multiple cancer-associated genes. However, the clinical value of multiple-gene panels for cancer susceptibility is not well established, especially in cases where panel testing identifies more than one pathogenic variant. The risk for specific malignancies as a result of a mutated gene is complex and likely influenced by superimposed modifier variants and/or environmental effects. Recent data suggests that the combination of multiple pathogenic variants may be fewer than reported by chance, suggesting that some mutation combinations may be detrimental. Management of patients with “incidentally” discovered mutations can be particularly challenging, especially when established guidelines call for radical procedures (e.g. total gastrectomy in CDH1) in patients and families without a classic clinical history concerning for that cancer predisposition syndrome.Case presentationWe present two cases, one of an individual and one of a family, with multiple pathogenic mutations detected by multi-gene panel testing to highlight challenges practitioners face in counseling patients about pathogenic variants and determining preventive and therapeutic interventions.ConclusionsOngoing investigation is needed to improve our understanding of inherited susceptibility to disease in general and cancer predisposition syndromes, as this information has the potential to lead to the development of more precise and patient-specific counseling and surveillance strategies. The real-world adoption of new or improved technologies into clinical practice frequently requires medical decision-making in the absence of established understanding of gene-gene interactions. In the meantime, practitioners must be prepared to apply a rationale based on currently available knowledge to clinical decision-making. Current practice is evolving to rely heavily on clinical concordance with personal and family history in making specific therapeutic decisions.

Introduction

This issue of the journal Asian Studies will examine the cultural, social and intellectual legacies of the various Asian regions. Its geographical scope extends from China to Iran and from Afghanistan to Fujian. It examines different aspects of history, from classical and modern intellectual history to art, political and gender history. It clearly shows that the history of this vast and diverse region is complex.

Approaching East-Central Europe over the Centuries ed. by Marija Wakounig and Ferdinand Kühnel

Reviewed by: Approaching East-Central Europe over the Centuries ed. by Marija Wakounig and Ferdinand Kühnel Samuel J. Kessler Marija Wakounig and Ferdinand Kühnel, eds., Approaching East-Central Europe over the Centuries. Europa Orientalis. Institut für Osteuropäische Geschichte an der Universität Wien 19. Vienna: LIT Verlag, 2019. 258 pp. In Approaching East-Central Europe over the Centuries, Marija Wakounig and Ferdinand Kühnel (both of the Institut für Osteuropäische Geschichte, Universität Wien) have brought together a volume that showcases present work and future of scholarship on Austria and Central Europe. This is an important little volume, partially for its content (which is interesting) but also for what it represents, which is the truly international scope and methodological range of Austrian and Central European Studies (ACES) in the twenty-first century. Comprised of progress reports and ten articles, this book is an attempt to convey where ACES now stands and where it could be headed when the students of the current generation become professional historians and scholars. The first fifty pages of the volume are made up of reports for the academic year 2016/17 by the heads of eight of the nine ACES centers, which were all founded and partially funded over the last half-century by the Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung in Vienna. (The ninth center, opened in Berkeley, California, in 2017, was too new to be included in the book.) With locations in Europe (Vienna, Budapest, Leiden, Olomouc), Canada (Alberta), the United States (Minneapolis, New Orleans, Berkeley), and Israel (Jerusalem), these centers provide support for undergraduate teaching, graduate and faculty research, and community outreach. Looking through these reports, even if of limited interest to casual [End Page 159] readers, enables one to gain a fascinating and encouraging view into the diversity of scholarship and public engagement around ACES happening across the western world. Alongside the public and academic programming arising from the various centers, it is—as Wakounig and Kühnel note in their brief introduction—the work of the centers' international cohort of graduate students that truly represents the promise and possibility of ACES heading into the middle of the twenty-first century. Therefore, the majority of the volume is devoted to ten articles, one each by leading graduate students from across the international network of centers. Spanning five hundred years of historical time, the articles are organized (mostly) chronologically, with some in English and others in German. Although for most readers these articles will be found as individual works via online databases, publishing them together offers the advantage of a brief overview of the range of research possibilities and methods in ACES. Beginning in the Reformation Era, Jiří Černý (Olomouc) and Bryan Kozik (Minnesota) both examine responses to the religious upheaval in the broader Habsburg lands. Examining, respectively, the distribution of a pamphlet (Černý) and biography (Kozik), each article adds to our knowledge of the perception, reception, and response by locals to the enormous cultural shift that was the Reformation. Taking us into the palaces of the princes and nobles of that same era, Martin Küster (Leiden) examines the phenomenon of Wunderkammer, demonstrating the deeply interwoven ties between economics, social and political prestige, and art/natural history collecting in early modern Central Europe. The next three articles take readers to the time of the world wars and their aftermath. Vicko Marelić (Vienna) turns to diplomatic history in the 1914–1920 period, revealing the deep involvement of Great Britain in the question of what was to become of the former Habsburg territories along the Adriatic, including British negotiations with the Italians and Slavs who claimed territory along the sea's eastern coastline. Beáta Márkus (Budapest) focuses on the final year of the Second World War and the deportation of ethnic German civilians to the Soviet Union following the Red Army invasion of 1944–45. Like Marelić's classic diplomatic history, with its personalities struggling against larger historical themes, Márkus writes what could almost be called classic deportation history, a disturbing but necessary account of the [End Page 160] displacement of peoples during wartime, in this case the tens of thousands of East...