bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Culture of IVM/IVF Embryos in Bovine Oviducts by Transvaginal Endoscopy
Authors: Havlicek V. , Wetscher F. , Huber T. , Brem G. , Mueller M. , Besenfelder U.
Published: February 2005

This study was conducted to establish a new approach for in vivo culture of in vitro produced embryos in the bovine oviduct by transvaginal endoscopy. Embryos were in vitro matured, fertilized and cultured for 1–4 days and assigned to groups consisting of 10–30 embryos. Embryos were transferred unilaterally into oviducts of 24 heifers by the means of transvaginal endoscopy. After 3–6 days of in vivo incubation embryos were re‐collected. Experiment I aimed to evaluate the capability of embryos to migrate to the uterus. The uterine horns of four animals were flushed first, followed by a combined flushing of both oviducts and uterine horns resulting in collection rates of 31 and 34%, respectively. In experiment II, the transfer of embryos into the oviduct close to ovulation (day 1–2 – experiment IIA) or at a more advanced cyclic stage (day 3 – experiment IIB) succeeded in the collection of 46 and 34% of the transferred complexes, of which 13 and 37% showed the blastocyst stage. This is the first report of successful recovery of transferable blastocysts by transvaginal endoscopy after tubal in vivo culture in the homologous species of originally in vitro produced embryos.
Jumping genes and AFLP maps: transforming lepidopteran color pattern genetics
Authors: Marcus Jeffrey M.
Published: February 2005

Summary
The color patterns on the wings of lepidopterans are among the most striking patterns in nature and have inspired diverse biological hypotheses such as the ecological role of aposomatic coloration, the evolution of mimicry, the role of human activities in industrial melanism, and the developmental basis of phenotypic plasticity. Yet, the developmental mechanisms underlying color pattern development are not well understood for three reasons. First, few mutations that alter color patterns have been characterized at the molecular level, so there is little mechanistic understanding of how mutant phenotypes are produced. Second, although gene expression patterns resembling adult color patterns are suggestive, there are few data available showing that gene products have a functional role in color pattern formation. Finally, because with few exceptions (notably Bombyx), genetic maps for most species of Lepidoptera are rudimentary or nonexistent, it is very difficult to characterize spontaneous mutants or to determine whether mutations with similar phenotypes are because of lesions in the same gene or different genes. Discussed here are two strategies for overcoming these difficulties: germ‐line transformation of lepidopteran species using transposon vectors and amplified frequency length polymorphism‐based genetic mapping using variation between divergent strains within a species or between closely related and interfertile species. These advances, taken together, will create new opportunities for the characterization of existing genetic variants, the creation of new sequence‐tagged mutants, and the testing of proposed functional genetic relationships between gene products, and will greatly facilitate our understanding of the evolution and development of lepidopteran color patterns.
Developmental regulation of caste‐specific characters in social‐insect polyphenism
Authors: Miura Toru
Published: February 2005

Summary
Phenotypes of organisms are not determined completely genetically, but vary according to environmental factors (phenotypic plasticity). Some organisms express several discrete adaptive phenotypes (polyphenism). Social insects possess a few types of individuals (castes) in their colonies, to which specific tasks are allocated. Here, I review studies on caste polyphenism in ants and termites, in terms of the developmental mechanisms of caste‐specific characters, such as alate wings and soldier mandibles. In ants, the developmental fate of caste is probably determined by the pattern‐formation genes in the early stage of postembryonic development, but apoptotic degeneration occurs in the wing primordia of future workers. As apoptotic wing degeneration has been observed in two phylogenetically distant groups of ants, this phenomenon is suggested to be conserved in many ant species. On the other hand, all termite species possess distinct sterile soldiers with specific morphologies suitable for defense. Recent studies using molecular techniques isolated genes related to soldier differentiation and analyzed the expression profiles of those genes in order to understand the mechanism of caste differentiation and the link between molecular and social evolution. In this review, I focus on these studies, in terms of the alteration of body plan in response to environmental signals, and discuss the evolutionary process of the interaction between ontogeny and environment.
Developmental organization of the mushroom bodies of Thermobia domestica (Zygentoma, Lepismatidae): insights into mushroom body evolution from a basal insect
Authors: Farris Sarah M.
Published: February 2005

The mushroom bodies of the insect brain are sensory integration centers best studied for their role in learning and memory. Studies of mushroom body structure and development in neopteran insects have revealed conserved morphogenetic mechanisms. The sequential production of morphologically distinct intrinsic neuron (Kenyon cell) subpopulations by mushroom body neuroblasts and the integration of newborn neurons via a discrete ingrowth tract results in an age‐based organization of modular subunits in the primary output neuropil of the mushroom bodies, the lobes. To determine whether these may represent ancestral characteristics, the present account assesses mushroom body organization and development in the basal wingless insect Thermobia domestica. In this insect, a single calyx supplied by the progeny of two neuroblast clusters, and three perpendicularly oriented lobes are readily identifiable. The lobes are subdivided into 15 globular subdivisions (Trauben). Lifelong neurogenesis is observed, with axons of newborn Kenyon cells entering the lobes via an ingrowth core. The Trauben do not appear progressively during development, indicating that they do not represent the ramifications of sequentially produced subpopulations of Kenyon cells. Instead, a single Kenyon cell population produces highly branched axons that supply all lobe subdivisions. This suggests that although the ground plan for neopteran mushroom bodies existed in early insects, the organization of modular subunits composed of separate Kenyon cell subpopulations is a later innovation. Similarities between the calyx of Thermobia and the highly derived fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster also suggest a correlation between calyx morphology and Kenyon cell number.
Environmental tobacco smoke exposure in public places of European cities
Authors: Nebot M , López M J , Gorini G , Neuberger M , Axelsson S , Pilali M , Fonseca C , Abdennbi K , Hackshaw A , Moshammer H , Laurent A M , Salles J , Georgouli M , Fondelli M C , Serrahima E , Centrich F , Hammond S K
Published: February 2005

Background:Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) has important public health implications. The results of the first European multi-centre study that measured ETS exposure in a range of public places (transport, educational settings, and leisure facilities such as bars and restaurants) are presented.

Method:Nicotine vapour phase was measured using ETS passive samplers containing a filter treated with sodium bisulfate.

Results:Bars and discos are the places with the highest concentrations of nicotine from ETS, median ranging from 19 to 122 μg/m3. Restaurants had the next highest values. Concentrations of nicotine generally range from 0.1–5 μg/m3in airports, and from 0.5–10 μg/m3in train stations. Nicotine was also found in schools and universities, yet schools tended to have the lowest concentrations compared to all the other public places sampled. In hospitals levels were generally below 5 μg/m3.

Conclusions:Although there is some variability between cities, this study shows that tobacco smoke is present in most of the studied public places. The study also showed that in areas where smoking is prohibited, concentrations of nicotine are lower than in areas where smoking is allowed but they are not zero. The results of this study indicate that policies should be implemented that would effectively reduce levels of tobacco smoke in public areas.
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF FATTY ACID AMIDE HYDROLASE
Authors: McKinney Michele K. , Cravatt Benjamin F.
Published: February 2005

▪ Abstract  Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a mammalian integral membrane enzyme that degrades the fatty acid amide family of endogenous signaling lipids, which includes the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide and the sleep-inducing substance oleamide. FAAH belongs to a large and diverse class of enzymes referred to as the amidase signature (AS) family. Investigations into the structure and function of FAAH, in combination with complementary studies of other AS enzymes, have engendered provocative molecular models to explain how this enzyme integrates into cell membranes and terminates fatty acid amide signaling in vivo. These studies, as well as their biological and therapeutic implications, are the subject of this review.
Upregulation of β-adrenergic receptors in heart failure due to volume overload
Authors: Wang Xi , Sentex Emmanuelle , Saini Harjot K. , Chapman Donald , Dhalla Naranjan S.
Published: February 2005

To examine the mechanisms of changes in β-adrenergic signal transduction in heart failing due to volume overload, we studied the status of β-adrenoceptors (β-ARs), G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK), and β-arrestin in heart failure due to aortocaval shunt (AVS). Heart failure in rats was induced by creating AVS for 16 wk, and β-AR binding, GRK activity, as well as their protein content, and mRNA levels were determined in both left and right ventricles. The density and protein content for β1-ARs, unlike those for β2-ARs, were increased in the failing hearts. Furthermore, protein contents for GRK isoforms and β-arrestin-1 were decreased in membranous fractions and increased in cytosolic fractions from the failing hearts. On the other hand, steady-state mRNA levels for β1-ARs and GRK2, as well as protein content for Gβγ-subunits, did not change in the failing heart. Basal cardiac function was depressed; however, both in vivo and ex vivo positive inotropic responses of the failing hearts to isoproterenol were augmented. Treatment of AVS animals with imidapril (1 mg·kg−1·day−1) or losartan (20 mg·kg−1·day−1) retarded the progression of heart failure; partially prevented changes in β1-ARs, GRKs, and β-arrestin-1 in the failing myocardium; and attenuated the increase in positive inotropic effect of isoproterenol. These results indicate that upregulation of β1-ARs is associated with subcellular redistribution of GRKs and β-arrestin-1 in the failing heart due to volume overload. Furthermore, attenuation of alterations in β-adrenergic system by imidapril or losartan may be due to blockade of the renin-angiotensin system in the AVS model of heart failure.
Increased tolerance to hypoxic metabolic inhibition and reoxygenation of cardiomyocytes from apolipoprotein E-deficient mice
Authors: Dworschak Martin , d'Uscio Livius V. , Breukelmann Dirk , Hannon James D.
Published: February 2005

Although hypercholesterolemia is a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it has in some instances paradoxically been associated with reduced infarct size and preserved contractile function in isolated hearts after ischemia and reperfusion. To elucidate potential cellular protective mechanisms, myocytes of hypercholesterolemic apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) and wild-type mice were subjected to hypoxic metabolic inhibition (I) with subsequent reoxygenation (R). Intracellular Ca2+concentration ([Ca2+]i) and pH (pHi) were monitored as well as cell length and arrhythmic events. Force measurements in papillary muscles were also recorded, and myocardial expression of Na+/H+exchanger 1 (NHE1) and three Ca2+handling proteins [sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase, Na+/Ca2+exchanger, and plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase] was quantified. After 30 min of I and 35 min of R, Ca2+overload was more pronounced in wild-type cells ( P < 0.05). In these myocytes, pHialso dropped faster and remained below those values determined in ApoE−/−cells ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, more wild-type myocytes remained in a contracted state ( P < 0.05). This group also showed a higher incidence of arrhythmic events during R ( P < 0.05). No group difference was found in the expression of the Ca2+handling proteins. However, NHE1 protein was downregulated in hearts of ApoE−/−mice ( P < 0.05). Histological results depict hyperplasia in ApoE−/−hearts without atherosclerosis of the coronaries. Contractile dysfunction was not observed in papillary muscles from ApoE−/−hearts. Our results suggest that downregulated myocardial NHE1 expression in hypercholesterolemic ApoE−/−mice could have contributed to increased tolerance to I/R. It remains to be elucidated whether NHE1 downregulation is a unique feature of these genetically altered animals.
Cellular mechanisms underlying cutaneous pressure-induced vasodilation: in vivo involvement of potassium channels
Authors: Garry Ambroise , Sigaudo-Roussel Dominique , Merzeau Sandra , Dumont Odile , Saumet Jean Louis , Fromy Berengere
Published: February 2005

In the skin of humans and rodents, local pressure induces localized cutaneous vasodilation, which may be protective against pressure-induced microvascular dysfunction and lesion formation. Once activated by the local pressure application, capsaicin-sensitive nerve fibers release neuropeptides that act on the endothelium to synthesize and release nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandins, leading to the development of the cutaneous pressure-induced vasodilation (PIV). The present study was undertaken to test in vivo the hypothesis that PIV is mediated or modulated by differential activation of K+ channels in anesthetized rats using pharmacological methods. Local pressure was applied at 11.1 Pa/s. Endothelium-independent and -dependent vasodilation were tested using iontophoretic delivery of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and acetylcholine (ACh), respectively, and was correlated with PIV response. PIV was reduced after systemic administration of tetraethylammonium (a nonspecific K+ channel blocker), iberiotoxin [a specific large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channel blocker], and glibenclamide [a specific ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel blocker], whereas PIV was unchanged by apamin (a specific small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+channel blocker) and 4-aminopyridine (a specific voltage-sensitive K+ channel blocker). The responses to SNP and ACh were reduced by iberiotoxin but were unchanged by glibenclamide. We conclude that the cellular mechanism of PIV in skin involves BKCa and KATP channels. We suggest that the opening of BKCa and KATP channels contributes to the hyperpolarization of vascular smooth muscle cells to produce PIV development mainly via the NO and prostaglandin pathways, respectively.
Sodium balance, arterial pressure, and the role of the subfornical organ during chronic changes in dietary salt
Authors: Hendel Michael D. , Collister John P.
Published: February 2005

The subfornical organ (SFO), one of the brain circumventricular organs, is known to mediate some of the central effects of angiotensin II related to sodium and water homeostasis. Because angiotensin II levels are altered with changes in chronic dietary salt intake, we reasoned that the actions of angiotensin II at the SFO might be involved in the regulation of arterial pressure during long-term alterations in dietary salt. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that long-term control of arterial pressure during chronic changes in dietary salt intake requires an intact SFO. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected for electrolytic lesion (SFOx, n = 8) or sham ( n = 9) operation of the SFO. After a 1-wk recovery period, rats were instrumented with radio-telemetric blood pressure transducers for continuous 24-h measurement of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) and then were placed individually in metabolic cages. After another 1 wk of recovery, the rats were subjected to a 49-day protocol as follows: 1) a 7-day control period (1.0% NaCl diet), 2) 14 days of high-salt (4.0% NaCl) diet, 3) 7 days of normal-salt (1.0% NaCl) diet, 4) 14 days of low-salt (0.1% NaCl) diet, and 5) 7 days of recovery (1.0% NaCl diet). There were no significant differences in MAP or HR between SFOx and sham-operated rats throughout the protocol. These results do not support the hypothesis that the SFO is necessary for regulation of arterial pressure during chronic changes in dietary salt. However, SFOx rats demonstrated significantly less cumulative sodium balance than sham-operated rats on days 2–6 of the high-salt diet period. These data suggest that the SFO is important in the regulation of sodium homeostasis during chronic changes in salt intake.
Increased contractility of cardiomyocytes from copper-deficient rats is associated with upregulation of cardiac IGF-I receptor
Authors: Dong Feng , Esberg Lucy B. , Roughead Zamzam K. , Ren Jun , Saari Jack T.
Published: February 2005

Hearts from severely Cu-deficient rats show a variety of pathological defects, including hypertrophy and, in intact hearts, depression of contractile function. Paradoxically, isolated cardiomyocytes from these rats exhibit enhanced contractile properties. Because hypertrophy and enhanced contractility observed with other pathologies are associated with elevation of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF)-I, this mechanism was examined for the case of dietary Cu deficiency. Male, weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were provided diets that were deficient (∼0.5 mg Cu/kg diet) or adequate (∼6 mg Cu/kg diet) in Cu for 5 wk. IGF-I was measured in serum and hearts by an ELISA method, cardiac IGF-I and IGF-II receptors and IGFBP-3 were measured by Western blotting analysis, and mRNAs for cardiac IGF-I and IGF-II were measured by RT-PCR. Contractility of isolated cardiomyocytes was assessed by a video-based edge-detection system. Cu deficiency depressed serum and heart IGF-I and heart IGFBP-3 protein levels and increased cardiac IGF-I receptor protein. Cardiac IGF-II protein and mRNA for cardiac IGF-I and IGF-II were unaffected by Cu deficiency. A Cu deficiency-induced increase in cardiomyocyte contractility, as indicated by increases in maximal velocities of shortening (−d L/d t) and relengthening (+d L/d t) and decrease in time to peak shortening (TPS), was confirmed. These changes were largely inhibited by use of H-1356, an IGF-I receptor blocker. We conclude that enhanced sensitivity to IGF-I, as indicated by an increase in IGF-I receptor protein, accounts for the increased contractility of Cu-deficient cardiomyocytes and may presage cardiac failure.
Mechanism of salutary effects of estradiol on organ function after trauma-hemorrhage: upregulation of heme oxygenase
Authors: Szalay László , Shimizu Tomoharu , Schwacha Martin G. , Choudhry Mashkoor A. , Rue Loring W. , Bland Kirby I. , Chaudry Irshad H.
Published: February 2005

A growing body of evidence indicates that heme degradation products may counteract the deleterious consequences of hypoxia and/or ischemia-reperfusion injury. Because heme oxygenase (HO)-1 induction after adverse circulatory conditions is known to be protective, and because females in the proestrus cycle (with high estrogen) have better hepatic function and less hepatic damage than males after trauma-hemorrhage, we hypothesized that estrogen administration in males after trauma-hemorrhage will upregulate HO activity and protect the organs against dysfunction and injury. To test this hypothesis, male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent 5-cm laparotomy and hemorrhagic shock (35–40 mmHg for 93 ± 2 min), followed by resuscitation with four times the shed blood volume in the form of Ringer lactate. 17β-Estradiol and/or the specific HO enzyme inhibitor chromium mesoporphyrin (CrMP) were administered at the end of resuscitation, and the animals were killed 24 h thereafter. Trauma-hemorrhage reduced cardiac output, myocardial contractility, and serum albumin levels. Portal pressure and serum alanine aminotransferase levels were markedly increased under those conditions. These parameters were significantly improved in the 17β-estradiol-treated rats. Estradiol treatment also induced increased HO-1 mRNA expression, HO-1 protein levels, and HO enzymatic activity in cardiac and hepatic tissue compared with vehicle-treated trauma-hemorrhage rats. Administration of the HO inhibitor CrMP prevented the estradiol-induced attenuation of shock-induced organ dysfunction and damage. Thus the salutary effects of estradiol administration on organ function after trauma-hemorrhage are mediated in part via upregulation of HO-1 expression and activity.
Expression and localization of diacylglycerol kinase isozymes and enzymatic features in rat lung
Authors: Katagiri Yuji , Ito Tsukasa , Saino-Saito Sachiko , Hozumi Yasukazu , Suwabe Akira , Otake Kazuhisa , Sata Makoto , Kondo Hisatake , Sakane Fumio , Kanoh Hideo , Kubota Isao , Goto Kaoru
Published: February 2005

Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) catalyzes phosphorylation of diacylglycerol to generate phosphatidic acid, and both molecules are known to serve as second messengers as well as important intermediates for the synthesis of various lipids. In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal expression patterns of DGK isozymes together with the developmental changes of the mRNA expression and enzymatic property in rat lung. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses showed that mRNAs for DGKα, -ε, and -ζ were detected in the lung. By immunohistochemical examination, DGKα and -ζ were shown to be coexpressed in alveolar type II cells and macrophages. Interestingly, these isozymes were localized at distinct subcellular locations, i.e., DGKα in the cytoplasm and DGKζ in the nucleus, suggesting different roles for these isozymes. In the developing lung, the expression for DGKα and -ζ was transiently elevated on embryonic day 21 (E21) to levels approximately two- to threefold higher than on postnatal day 0 (P0). On the other hand, the expression for DGKε was inversely elevated approximately twofold on P0 compared with that on E21. These unique changes in the expression pattern during the perinatal period suggest that each isozyme may play a distinct role in the adaptation of the lung to air or oxygen breathing at birth.
Nathan: Prophet, Politician and Novelist?
Authors: Bodner Keith
Published: February 2005

At several pivotal moments in David’s life Nathan the prophet appears in the king’s presence (invited or otherwise). This article examines three episodes where Nathan and David interact: 2 Samuel 7, 2 Samuel 12 and 1 Kings 1. An analysis of Nathan’s conduct indicates that he possesses both a political resourcefulness and a literary creativity. The suggestion is made that all three of the ‘Nathan narratives’ are intricately linked, and when they are read together, a coherent portrait of the prophet emerges. The conclusion is that Nathan is a complex character who is incrementally developed between the ‘dynastic oracle’ in 2 Samuel 7 and the accession of Solomon in 1 Kings 1.
Fragmentation of Reader Focus in the Preamble to Battle in Judges 6.1-7.14
Authors: Lee Bernon
Published: February 2005

This article identifies a split in narratorial focus after 6.6 in the passage of Judg. 6.1-7.14. Two separate strands portray events in two separate locations. The reader's attention oscillates between the two warring factions of Israel and Midian (with their allies). The two strands recombine in a night-time reconnaissance mission (7.13-15) which precedes the final battle. The author's arrangement, along with the distant and sparse coverage of Midian's activity, affords a period of anxiety in which a reader might join.
A Critical Binarism: Source Criticism and Deconstructive Criticism
Authors: Mathewson Daniel B.
Published: February 2005

When classifying the array of interpretive methods currently available, biblical critics regularly distinguish between historical-critical methods, on the one hand, and literary critical methods, on the other. Frequently, methods on one side of the divide are said to be antagonistic to certain methods on the other. This article examines two such presumed antagonistic methods, source criticism and deconstructive criticism, and argues that they are not, in fact, antagonistic, but similar: both are postmodern movements, and both share an interpretive methodology (insofar as it is correct to speak of a deconstructive methodology). This argument is illustrated with a source-critical and a deconstructive reading of Exodus 14.
Divestiture, Deception, and Demotion: The Garment Motif in Genesis 37–39
Authors: Huddlestun John R.
Published: February 2005

In a previous issue of JSOT, Victor Matthews treats the garment motif in the Joseph story, but does not include the Judah/Tamar story (Gen. 38) in his analysis. I argue that this chapter is more concerned with garments or personal objects than any in the Joseph narrative, and therefore deserves examination alongside chs. 37 and 39. In all three chapters, garments play a pivotal role in plot development as markers of status and authority by which identities are revealed or concealed. The motif is manifest in a variety of ways: deception through loss or removal of garments, deception through forced recognition, and authority signified via possession of garments or personal items. The Judah/Tamar episode in ch. 38 demonstrably shapes in various ways the reader’s understanding of garment-related events in these chapters.
‘Darke Texts Needs Notes’: On Prophetic Prophecy, John Donne and the Baroque
Authors: Sherwood Yvonne
Published: February 2005

Taking issue with a view of literature as artfully-crafted, smooth discourse, and questioning Romantic and New Critical readings of prophetic language, this article argues that prophetic language is better understood as baroque. I take my cue from Hermann Gunkel’s 1923 essay ‘The Prophets as Writers and Poets’ and argue that there is something about the prophets that is ‘dark’, ‘stammering’, ‘secretive’, ‘shadowy’, ‘bizarre’ and ‘colossal’. Whereas Wisdom literature conceives of words as choice delicacies to be savoured or as soothing ointment, the prophetic word describes itself as fire, metal or sword. Whereas Wisdom has most in common with an Augustan aesthetic of ‘what oft were thought, but ne’er so well expressed’ (Pope), prophetic language has more in common with the strange disjunctive images of an ‘anti-literary’ figure like John Donne. Like Donne’s poetry/sermons, prophecy creates heterogeneous, counter-intuitive linkages and makes itself felt through the skin and through the flesh. What Donne and prophecy have in common is the desire to split and disrupt language—a desire that, in prophecy, represents the speech of God as a mind-bending, wor(l)d-bending force.
(Dis)closure in Qohelet: Qohelet Deconstructed
Authors: Sneed Mark
Published: February 2005

While previous scholars have noted an affinity between the persona ‘Qohelet’ and postmodern Deconstructionists, this essay will explore his blindspots, instances of closure and presence. Employing a Derridian method, this article explores Qohelet’s conservatism hidden within a façade of dissidence. Qohelet assumes the same retributive schema of his peers but in a different form. He employs the same dichotomous conceptualization of human morality. He ultimately attempts to master the chaos inherent in the cosmos, though his detection of disorder is keener than his peers. He also assumes the same typical misogyny of his time, another form of mastery. Finally, this article explores instances of différance in his text, places where the text resists mastery and reveals its own Otherness against Qohelet’s intentions.
The Philistines in the Bible: A Late-Monarchic Perspective
Authors: Finkelstein Israel
Published: February 2005

The biblical references to the Philistines do not contain any memory of early Iron I events or cultural behaviour. A few texts, such as the Ark Narrative and stories reflecting the importance of Gath, seem to portray late Iron I and early Iron II memories. Most of the Philistine material, even if historically stratified and containing seeds of early tales as well as evidence for more than one redaction, is based on the geographical, historical and ideological background of late-monarchic times. Especially important are the allusions to Greek and west Anatolian mercenaries who served in the Saite army and were probably stationed, among other places, in Philistia. Chief among them were Carian, Ionian, Lydian and apparently also Cretan hoplites. This article highlights the following issues: the Philistine seranim, the pentapolis, Goliath’s armour, the Cherethites and the Pelethites and the origin of the Philistines.
Unexpected Attachments: A Literary Approach to the Term [ILLEGIBLE] in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Britt Brian
Published: February 2005

The biblical term [ILLEGIBLE], variously translated ‘loving kindness’ and ‘steadfast love’, displays a wide range of biblical uses and meanings. This article concentrates on poetic and narrative texts in which [ILLEGIBLE] appears surprisingly, often to denote unexpected attachments. While [ILLEGIBLE] is a formulaic term in covenant tradition, some poetic texts, notably Ps. 89, Isa. 54, and Lam. 3, place the term in striking contrast to its immediate context. Narrative cases of unexpected [ILLEGIBLE] include the attachments between Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, Abraham and Sarah (in the wife-sister scenes), Yahweh and Israel, and three episodes about spies. By attending to the literary uses of [ILLEGIBLE], this article illuminates the place of [ILLEGIBLE] in biblical theology.
The Garden of Double Messages: Deconstructing Hierarchical Oppositions in the Garden Story
Authors: Slivniak Dmitri M.
Published: February 2005

This article is dedicated to the analysis of four hierarchical oppositions in the Garden of Eden story: ‘good-bad’ (‘Good-‘Evil’), ‘male-female’, ‘human-animal’ (‘culture-nature’), ‘life-death’ (‘cosmos-chaos’). A deconstructive reading of the story is proposed which subverts these oppositions. Several double messages can be discovered in the story, including: eating from the Tree of Knowledge is both ‘good’ and ‘bad’; ‘female’ both precedes ‘male’ and represents a later ‘supplement’ to it; the source of (the corruption of) culture lies in nature, but nature itself is represented as something late and ‘supplementary’, a kind of ‘culture’; the world into which Adam and Eve were exiled reflects both Life and Death, Cosmos and a (partial) return to Chaos.
Progression as a Rhetorical Device in Biblical Literature
Authors: Amit Yairah
Published: February 2005

The device of progression, one of the stylistic devices used by biblical authors, has not yet been examined closely or comprehensively. This article is intended not so much to fill the gap, as to point to the various kinds and functions of this rhetorical device, to show examples, and thus to open the way for a more extensive and thorough study of the subject. After describing the device, an attempt is made to define it: a rhetorical technique, or contrivance, that organizes data for the author in a multi-phased, hierarchical structure, wherein the elements are arranged in an ascending or descending order. Different examples of its use are presented, and the conclusion is reached that the progressive structure serves not only to make order in the data sequence, but also to organize it so that, as well as having an esthetic value, the text is given added meaning.
Profanation/Sanctification and the Past, Present and Future of Israel in the Book of Ezekiel
Authors: Wong Ka Leung
Published: February 2005

It is well known that the book of Ezekiel is replete with the vocabulary of holy and profane on the one hand, and contains several retellings of the history of Israel on the other hand. It is the purpose of this study to examine the relationship between these two aspects. It is argued that Israel’s past is characterized as a history of profanation of what pertains to God, its present exilic condition is depicted as a state of profanation, and its future is portrayed as a result of God’s sanctification. It is also noted that this understanding of Israel’s history reveals the ambivalent character of the (experience of) exile.
Observations on the Marital Metaphor of YHWH and Israel in its Ancient Israelite Context: General Considerations and Particular Images in Hosea 1.2
Authors: Zvi Ehud Ben
Published: February 2005

The marital metaphor became for the (mostly, if not exclusively, male) literati of ancient Israel—and for those who accepted their discourses—a way to shape, imagine, express, and communicate their understandings of the nature and story of their relationship with YHWH. This article addresses systemic aspects of this metaphor within this social and ideological setting and deals with the interplay of these aspects with the worldview and world of knowledge of these literati. A brief consideration of a particular instance of this metaphor, Hos. 1.2, serves to illustrate ways in which the actual use of the metaphor brought about matters that were related but clearly go beyond the ‘generic’ issues that the metaphor evoked in the readership of books in which it was used. Among them, one may mention the nature of Israel, its election by YHWH, explanations that served to solve or attenuate the cognitive dissonance between the status of the literati (and of Israel as a whole) in worldly affairs and their perceived place in the divine economy, and the importance of education.
Recent Evidence from Assyrian Sources for Judaean History from Uzziah to Manasseh
Authors: Dalley Stephanie
Published: February 2005

A late eighth-century BCE tomb has been found at the Assyrian city of Kalhu (Nimrud) in northern Iraq, containing the bodies of two Assyrian queens identified from inscribed grave-goods. Their names Yabâ and Atalya are almost certainly Hebrew. Assyrian letters and administrative texts also found at Nimrud, and palace sculpture from Nineveh, contain evidence for a close relationship between Judah and Assyria, from the reign of Uzziah contemporary with Tiglath-pileser III, to that of Manasseh, contemporary with Esarhaddon. In this article Hezekiah’s short-lived attempt to reject the alliance is re-examined using contemporary Assyrian sources. Judah’s vital position facilitating trade from Egypt through Philistia to Assyria is deduced from Assyrian royal inscriptions recently edited, and from a recent study of Judaean weights.
Claiming a voice on race
Authors: Foldy Erica Gabrielle
Published: February 2005

In this article, I reflect on how my white racial identity shaped and, in turn, was shaped by my dissertation data collection. I identify specific choices and experiences in the research interviews that were influenced by my race, using data both from my own journal as well as feedback about my interviews from two informants of color. I also trace how conducting the interviews and writing about them in my journal affected how I make meaning of my racial identity. I offer these reflections as a contribution to two conversations, both related to exploring and learning about race. First, my discussion of how being white influenced my study contributes to important dialogues about how researcher identities reverberate through the research process. Second, my consideration of the change in my racial identity suggests implications for those interested in learning from and about race. Specifically, it suggests that whites must claim a voice on race in order to contribute meaningfully to cross-racial learning.
A discursive approach to organization development
Authors: Marshak Robert J. , Heracleous Loizos
Published: February 2005

This article presents a conceptualization of organizational discourse as situated symbolic action that is then illustrated through an analysis of a meeting of senior managers during an organization development intervention. This perspective encourages a more holistic understanding of organizational contexts and offers an actionable framework to help make sense of workplace episodes and choose appropriate interventions. The ways in which action research was conceptualized and applied are also discussed.
Efficacy of two artemisinin combination therapies for uncomplicated falciparum malaria in children under 5 years, Malakal, Upper Nile, Sudan
Authors: van den Broek Ingrid , Amsalu Ribka , Balasegaram Manica , Hepple Pamela , Alemu Engudaye , Hussein El Badri , Al-Faith Muhammed , Montgomery Jacqui , Checchi Francesco
Published: February 2005

Background

The treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Sudan has been in process of change since 2003. Preceding the change, this study aimed to determine which artemisinin-based combination therapies is more effective to treat uncomplicated malaria in Malakal, Upper Nile, Sudan.

Methods

Clinical trial to assess the efficacy of 2 antimalarial therapies to treat P. falciparum infections in children aged 6–59 months, in a period of 42 days after treatment.

Results

A total of 269 children were followed up to 42 days. Artesunate plus Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine (AS+SP) and Artesunate plus Amodiaquine (AS+AQ) were both found to be efficacious in curing malaria infections by rapid elimination of parasites and clearance of fever, in preventing recrudescence and suppressing gametocytaemia. The combination of AS+SP appeared slightly more efficacious than AS+AQ, with 4.4% (4/116) versus 15% (17/113) of patients returning with malaria during the 6-week period after treatment (RR = 0.9, 95% CI 0.81–0.96). PCR analysis identified only one recrudescence which, together with one other early treatment failure, gave efficacy rates of 99.0% for AS+AQ (96/97) and 99.1% for AS+SP (112/113). However, PCR results were incomplete and assuming part of the indeterminate samples were recrudescent infections leads to an estimated efficacy ranging 97–98% for AS+SP and 88–95% for AS+AQ.

Conclusion

These results lead to the recommendation of ACT, and specifically AS+SP, for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in this area of Sudan. When implemented, ACT efficacy should be monitored in sentinel sites representing different areas of the country.
The cytokine activity of HMGB1
Authors: Yang Huan , Wang Haichao , Czura Christopher J , Tracey Kevin J
Published: February 2005

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a highly conserved, ubiquitous protein present in the nuclei and cytoplasm of nearly all cell types. We recently discovered that HMGB1 is secreted into the extracellular milieu and acts as a proinflammatory cytokine. Administration of HMGB1 to normal animals causes inflammatory responses, including fever, weight loss and anorexia, acute lung injury, epithelial barrier dysfunction, arthritis, and death. Anti-HMGB1 treatment, with antibodies or specific antagonists, rescues mice from lethal endotoxemia or sepsis and ameliorates the severity of collagen-induced arthritis and endotoxin-induced lung injury. Here, we give an abridged review of the cytokine activity of HMGB1, its secretion and release into the extracellular milieu, the putative signal transduction pathways, including interaction with cell-surface receptors and intracellular signaling, and its role in several inflammatory diseases. Finally, the therapeutic potential of blocking HMGB1 in the treatment of inflammatory diseases is discussed.
Preoperative Serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen Levels in Clinical Decision Making for Patients With Early-Stage Cervical Cancer
Authors: Reesink-Peters Nathalie , van der Velden Jacobus , ten Hoor Klaske A. , Boezen H. Marike , de Vries Elisabeth G.E. , Schilthuis Marten S. , Mourits Marian J.E. , Nijman Hans W. , Aalders Jan G. , Hollema Harry , Pras Elisabeth , Duk Jitze M. , van der Zee Ate G.J.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To prevent morbidity associated with double modality treatment, early-stage cervical cancer patients should only be offered surgery when there is a low likelihood for adjuvant radiotherapy. We analyzed whether serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-ag) analysis allows better preoperative identification of patients with a low likelihood for adjuvant radiotherapy than currently used clinical parameters.

Patients and Methods

In a cohort study, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, tumor size, and preoperative serum SCC-ag levels, as determined by enzyme immunoassay, were related to the frequency of postoperative indications for adjuvant radiotherapy in 337 surgically treated, FIGO stage IB/IIA, squamous cell cervical cancer patients.

Results

In patients with normal preoperative SCC-ag, 16% of IB1 and 29% of IB2/IIA had postoperative indications for adjuvant radiotherapy, in contrast to 57% of IB1 and 74% of IB2/IIA patients with elevated (> 1.9 ng/mL) serum SCC-ag (P < .001). Serum SCC-ag was the only independent predictor for a postoperative indication for radiotherapy (odds ratio, 7.1; P < .001). Furthermore, in IB1 patients that did not have indications for adjuvant radiotherapy, 15% of patients with elevated preoperative serum SCC-ag levels recurred within 2 years, compared with 1.6% of patients with normal serum SCC-ag levels (P = .02).

Conclusion

In early-stage cervical cancer, determination of serum SCC-ag levels allows more refined preoperative estimation of the likelihood for adjuvant radiotherapy than current clinical parameters, and simultaneously identifies patients at high risk for recurrence when treated with surgery only. The role of preoperative serum SCC-ag in the management of patients with early-stage cervical cancer deserves further investigation.
TP53 Mutations and Outcome in Osteosarcoma: A Prospective, Multicenter Study
Authors: Wunder Jay S. , Gokgoz Nalan , Parkes Robert , Bull Shelley B. , Eskandarian Sasha , Davis Aileen M. , Beauchamp Chris P. , Conrad Ernest U. , Grimer Robert J. , Healey John H. , Malkin David , Mangham D.C. , Rock Michael J. , Bell Robert S. , Andrulis Irene L.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Mutations of the TP53 gene have been associated with resistance to chemotherapy as well as poor prognosis in many different malignancies. This is the first prospective study of the prognostic value of somatic TP53 mutations in patients with newly diagnosed extremity osteosarcoma.

Patients and Methods

One hundred ninety-six patients with high-grade, nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of the extremities were enrolled from seven tertiary care institutions and observed prospectively for tumor recurrence (median follow-up duration, 44 months). All patients received neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy and surgery. Tumors were analyzed for the presence of TP53 mutations by polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis and direct DNA sequencing. The association of the status of the TP53 gene with the risk of systemic recurrence was examined using survival analyses with traditional and histologic markers as prognostic factors.

Results

Patient age was the only factor that varied with TP53 gene status (P = .05). No relationship was identified between TP53 status and systemic relapse (relative risk, 1.24; P = .41). Analyses based on missense or nonsense mutations gave similar results (P > .10). In multivariate analysis, large (> 9 cm) tumor size (relative risk, 1.9; P = .006) and poor histologic response (≤ 90% necrosis) to chemotherapy (relative risk, 2.14; P = .02) were the only significant independent predictors of systemic outcome.

Conclusion

We found no evidence that TP53 mutations predict for development of metastases in patients with high-grade osteosarcoma. Identification of other genes that influence chemotherapy response and clinical outcome in osteosarcoma is needed to facilitate further improvements in patient outcomes.
Prognostic Significance of Activated Akt Expression in Melanoma: A Clinicopathologic Study of 292 Cases
Authors: Dai Derek L. , Martinka Magdalena , Li Gang
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Akt is a serine/threonine kinase that leads to stimulation of cell cycle progression, cell proliferation, and inhibition of apoptosis. To investigate the role of Akt in melanoma pathogenesis, we examined the expression of phospho-Akt (p-Akt; Ser-473) in melanocytic lesions at different stages and analyzed the correlations between the p-Akt expression level and clinicopathologic factors and patient survival.

Patients and Methods

We evaluated the p-Akt expression in 12 cases of normal nevi, 58 cases of dysplastic nevi, 170 cases of primary melanomas, and 52 cases of melanoma metastases using tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry.

Results

Strong p-Akt expression was observed in 17%, 43%, 49%, and 77% of the biopsies in normal nevi, dysplastic nevi, primary melanoma, and melanoma metastases, respectively. Significant differences for p-Akt staining pattern were observed between normal nevi and primary melanomas (P < .05), and between primary melanomas and melanoma metastases (P < .001). Furthermore, our Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that strong p-Akt expression is inversely correlated with both overall and disease-specific 5-year survival of patients with primary melanoma (P < .05 for both). Strikingly, our multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that p-Akt is an independent prognostic factor in low-risk melanomas (thickness ≤ 1.5 mm; relative risk, 6.44; 95% CI, 1.28 to 32.55; P = .018).

Conclusion

The expression of p-Akt increases dramatically with melanoma invasion and progression and is inversely correlated with patient survival. In addition, p-Akt may serve as an independent prognostic marker and help to identify those patients with low-risk melanomas who are at increased risk of death.
Circulating Tumor Cells: A Novel Prognostic Factor for Newly Diagnosed Metastatic Breast Cancer
Authors: Cristofanilli Massimo , Hayes Daniel F. , Budd G. Thomas , Ellis Mathew J. , Stopeck Alison , Reuben James M. , Doyle Gerald V. , Matera Jeri , Allard W. Jeffrey , Miller M. Craig , Fritsche Herbert A. , Hortobagyi Gabriel N. , Terstappen Leon W.M.M.
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is incurable; its treatment is palliative. We investigated whether the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) predicts treatment efficacy, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) in patients with newly diagnosed MBC who were about to start first-line therapy.

Patients and Methods

One hundred seventy-seven patients with measurable MBC were enrolled onto a prospective study. Eighty-three of the 177 patients were entering first-line treatment, and these patients are the focus of this analysis. CTCs from 7.5 mL of whole blood drawn before treatment initiation (baseline) and monthly thereafter for up to 6 months were isolated and enumerated using immunomagnetics.

Results

The mean (± standard deviation) follow-up time was 11.1 ± 4.4 months (median, 12.2 months). Forty-three patients (52%) had ≥ five CTCs at baseline. The median PFS was 7.2 months (95% CI, 4.9 to 9.4 months), and the median OS was more than 18 months. Patients with ≥ five CTCs at baseline and at first follow-up (4 weeks) had a worse prognosis than patients with less than five CTCs (baseline: median PFS, 4.9 v 9.5 months, respectively; log-rank, P = .0014; median OS, 14.2 v > 18 months, respectively; log-rank, P = .0048; first follow-up: median PFS, 2.1 v 8.9 months, respectively; log-rank, P = .0070; median OS, 11.1 v > 18 months, respectively; log-rank, P = .0029). CTCs before and after the initiation of therapy were strong, independent prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Detection of CTCs before initiation of first-line therapy in patients with MBC is highly predictive of PFS and OS. This technology can aid in appropriate patient stratification and design of tailored treatments.