The Burning of Captives in the Assyrian Royal Inscriptions, and Early Neo-Assyrian Conceptions of the Other

This paper is a study of the topos of the king burning captives in the Assyrian royal inscriptions. This punishment is notable for both its rarity and its cruelty, being the only time that the royal inscriptions describe violence towards children. I approach this topic in terms of Donald Black’s model of social control, in which the form and severity of social control, including violence, varies in relation to the “social geometry” that separates the parties involved in a dispute or conflict. I argue that in the royal inscriptions burning is inflicted on those that the Assyrians saw as “uncivilized”: peoples inhabiting poorer cities in mountain regions who lacked the infrastructure necessary to stockpile prestige goods, such as precious metals, and were separated at a greater distance from Assyria by “social geometry” than other foreigners. These findings provide a useful insight into Assyrian conceptions of the other and give a better understanding of the variations in the severity of punishments inflicted by the Assyrians on their enemies.

Hospital capacity and management preparedness for pandemic influenza in Victoria

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to investigate acute hospital pandemic influenza preparedness in Victoria, Australia, particularly focussing on planning and management efforts.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted by questionnaire and semi-structured interview of health managers across the Victorian hospital system from July to October 2011. Participants with responsibility for emergency management, planning and operations were selected from every hospital in Victoria with an emergency department to complete a questionnaire (response rate 22/43 = 51%). Each respondent was invited to participate in a phone-based semi-structured interview (response rate 11/22 = 50%).

RESULTS

Rural/regional hospitals demonstrated higher levels of clinical (86%) and non-clinical (86%) staff contingency planning than metropolitan hospitals (60% and 40% respectively). Pandemic plans were not being sufficiently tested in exercises or drills, which is likely to undermine their effectiveness. All respondents reported hand hygiene and standard precautions programs in place, although only one-third (33%) of metropolitan respondents and no rural/regional respondents reported being able to meet patient needs with high levels of staff absenteeism. Almost half Victoria's healthcare workers were unvaccinated against influenza.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Hospitals across Victoria demonstrated different levels of influenza pandemic preparedness and planning. If a more severe influenza pandemic than that of 2009 arose, Victorian hospitals would struggle with workforce and infrastructure problems, particularly in rural/regional areas. Staff absenteeism threatens to undermine hospital pandemic responses. Various strategies, including education and communication, should be included with in-service training to provide staff with confidence in their ability to work safely during a future pandemic.

A critical analysis of Compassion in Practice

Compassion in Practice is a policy introduced in England to develop a culture of compassionate practice among healthcare staff. There is widespread recognition and agreement of the importance of compassionate practice, and the policy offers a vision underpinned by a desirable set of values. In this article, the significance of a coherent vision is explored and is followed by discussion of the need to anchor the policy vision in values that are important to healthcare staff. The policy's approach to vision and values may generate tensions, which are also examined and discussed.

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus interaction in Huh-7 cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) increases the risk of development and the severity of chronic liver disease. Although dominant and suppressive effects of each virus over the other have been reported in vivo, in vitro studies of HBV/HCV co-infection have been limited to analysis of the effects of over-expression of HCV proteins on HBV replication.

METHODS

We have re-examined HBV/HCV interactions in Huh-7 cells following co-infection with cell culture-propagated HCV (HCVcc; genotype 2a) and a recombinant adenovirus vector capable of delivering a replication-competent HBV genome (AdHBV; genotype A).

RESULTS

While intracellular HCV RNA levels were significantly increased when cells were pre-infected with AdHBV, HCV replication and virion secretion were not altered by simultaneous infection with AdHBV or AdHBV superinfection of HCV-infected cells. Likewise intracellular and secreted HBV DNA levels and HBV promoter activities were either unchanged or modestly increased by HCVcc infection. Despite this, HCV E2 and HBsAg proteins colocalized extensively in co-infected cells suggesting shared stages in viral egress.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies indicate that there is little direct interaction of HBV and HCV in co-infected hepatocytes and imply that indirect effects of host-viral interactions dictate viral dominance in HBV/HCV co-infected individuals.

Hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus interaction in Huh-7 cells

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) increases the risk of development and the severity of chronic liver disease. Although dominant and suppressive effects of each virus over the other have been reported in vivo, in vitro studies of HBV/HCV co-infection have been limited to analysis of the effects of over-expression of HCV proteins on HBV replication.

METHODS

We have re-examined HBV/HCV interactions in Huh-7 cells following co-infection with cell culture-propagated HCV (HCVcc; genotype 2a) and a recombinant adenovirus vector capable of delivering a replication-competent HBV genome (AdHBV; genotype A).

RESULTS

While intracellular HCV RNA levels were significantly increased when cells were pre-infected with AdHBV, HCV replication and virion secretion were not altered by simultaneous infection with AdHBV or AdHBV superinfection of HCV-infected cells. Likewise intracellular and secreted HBV DNA levels and HBV promoter activities were either unchanged or modestly increased by HCVcc infection. Despite this, HCV E2 and HBsAg proteins colocalized extensively in co-infected cells suggesting shared stages in viral egress.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies indicate that there is little direct interaction of HBV and HCV in co-infected hepatocytes and imply that indirect effects of host-viral interactions dictate viral dominance in HBV/HCV co-infected individuals.