bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
P11 KRT17 PROMOTES PROLIFERATION AND METASTASIS OF ESOPHAGEAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA LEADING TO POOR PROGNOSIS
Authors: Zhun Liu , Zhimin Shen , Peipei Zhang , Shaobin Yu , Lei Gao , Sui Chen , Mingqiang Kang
Published: November 2019

Background

Keratin17(KRT17), as a multifunction cytoskeletal protein, associated with a multitudinous of biological processes, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Previously, we have found overexpression of KRT17 genes in ESCC tissues. Currently, published kinds of researches claimed KRT17 is engaged in the tumorigenesis and progression of multiple cancers. However, the prognostic significance of KRT17 in ESCC patients and its effects in ESCC progression remain indistinct.

Methods

We verified the expression of KRT17 in ESCC tissues by Western blotting and q-PCR. And then the immunochemistry was performed to investigate the KRT17 expression in 64 ESCC tissue specimens. KRT17 upregulated, and knockdown EC9706 and Eca109 cells were constructed by Lentivirus overexpression and CRISPR-Cas9. The function of KRT17 in ESCC proliferation and metastasis were studied by CCK-8 assays, plate colony formation assays, trans-well and wound healing in vitro.

Results

overexpression of KRT17 was verified in 12 pairs of fresh ESCC tissues. We found that the expression of KRT17 was remarkably positively correlated with the depth of invasion (T) (P<0.05), lymph node metastasis (N) (P<0.05), tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage (P<0.0001). High expression of KRT17 predicted a lower 5-year survival rate(P<0.001) of ESCC patients. We verified the KRT17 malignant behavior of ESCC in vitro. We conformed proliferation and migration capacity of ESCC were significantly enhanced by overexpression of KRT17 but compromised when KRT17 was knocked down. Collectively, it supported that the increased expression of KRT17 promoted proliferation and migratory phenotype of ESCC.

Conclusion

The breakthrough indicated that the upregulation of KRT17 in ESCC is closely related to malignant progression, our findings revealed that KRT17 plays a vital role in facilitating proliferation and metastasis, and could be used as a novel predictive biomarker, thus providing a novel diagnosis and therapeutic target for ESCC patients.

Keywords: Molecular target ESCC Keratin17 Therapeutic target
P110 MANAGEMENT OF LIVER OLIGOMETASTATIC ESOPHAGEAL CANCER: REVIEW OF THE CURRENT INDICATIONS AND PROPOSAL FOR A MULTIMODALITY STRATEGY
Authors: Fabio Procopio , Salvatore Marano , Damiano Gentile , Anna Da Roit , Silvia Basato , Pietro Riva , Guido Torzilli , Carlo Castoro
Published: November 2019

Aim

Esophageal cancer (EC) is an aggressive disease associated with poor prognosis due to its metastatic spread. Surgery associated with chemotherapy (CHT)/chemo-radiotherapy represents the only curative treatment, however metastatic EC has not been treated with curative intent until now. Oligometastatic disease is defined as a relatively favorable clinical state, with a concentration metastasis to a single organ. Liver is one of the most common sites of metastasis, however treatment for liver oligometastatic EC (OEC) is still debated and its prognosis remains obscure. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of different treatments for liver OEC with a proposal of a multimodality strategy.

Methods

Literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase and Cochrane to identify articles evaluating different treatment strategies for liver OEC.

Results

Liver OEC has been treated with either palliative therapy or multimodal approach (CHT+surgery/loco-regional therapies). Some small trials reported the benefits of hepatectomy in combination with CHT when applied to patients with low tumor burden (<3 lesions), therefore liver OEC patients should not be necessarily excluded from surgery. An alternative to surgery is represented by loco-regional therapies, including radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). These treatments could be proposed to patients with small or non-resectable lesions. However, at present, there are no trials comparing these different treatment modalities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we highlighted the need of a definition of treatment protocols and we propose our treatment flow-chart. However, prospective trials are needed to define universally accepted inclusion criteria, outcomes and timing for treatments.
O114 TUMOR VOLUME REGRESSION DURING NEOADJUVANT CHEMORADIOTHERAPY FOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY WITH WEEKLY MRI
Authors: Defize Ingmar L , Boekhoff Mick R , Borggreve Alicia S , Takahashi Noriyoshi , Ruurda Jelle P , van Hillegersberg Richard , Mook Stella , Meijer Gert J
Published: November 2019

Aim

To assess changes in tumor volume during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for esophageal cancer with weekly MRI.

Background & Methods

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) for esophageal cancer can cause tumor regression, however data on the magnitude of the volumetric changes during nCRT are scarce. Tumor regression can induce changes in the thoracic anatomy, with smaller target volumes and displacement of organs at risk (OARs) in close proximity to the tumor target as a result. Adaptation of the radiotherapy treatment plan according to volumetric changes during treatment might reduce dose to the OARs while maintaining adequate target coverage. In the current study patients with histologically proven esophageal cancer undergoing nCRT for esophageal cancer underwent 6 MRI scans: 1 scan prior to nCRT and 5 weekly scans during treatment. Tumors were delineated on T2 weighted images by two gastrointestinal radiation oncologists and volumetric changes were assessed.

Results

A total of 164 MRI scans of 28 patients were included. The mean tumor volume at baseline was 45ml (SD ± 23ml). Tumor volume regression started after the first week of nCRT and appeared to be a linear process with significant declines in tumor volume every subsequent week (p-values <0.05). The mean relative volume regression was 25% (SD ±15) between baseline and the fifth week of treatment (Figure 1.)

Conclusion

This study shows a significant linear decrease in tumor volume after the first week of nCRT for esophageal cancer on weekly MRI. These findings suggest the possible benefit of radiotherapy plan adaptations during nCRT.
P124 LOCALIZED ESOPHAGEAL NEUROENDOCRINE TUMORS. REPORT ON CLINICAL AND TREATMENT PARAMETERS FROM A TERTIARY HOSPITAL
Authors: Anna Koumarianou , Jose Duran Moreno , Katerina Kampoli , Aliki Liakea , Konstantinos Kostopanagiotou , Andromachi Kougioumtzopoulou , Gregory Kaltsas , Erasmia Vlachou , Maria Theochari , Periklis Tomos , Periklis Foukas
Published: November 2019

Aim

We retrospectively analyzed the medical files of patients treated with neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) of the esophagus in our unit.

Background & Methods

Esophageal NENs are rare and lacking functional symptoms. This results in a delay of diagnosis that may compromise patient survival. Numerous single cases are reported in literature, without a consensus on their management. The true incidence of esophageal NETs is unknown but evidence indicated geographic variability while smoking and alcohol abuse are the major risk factors. Men (60-70 years) are most commonly afflicted and usual symptoms include dysphagia and loss of appetite with consequent weight loss. The histologic subtypes reported in the literature include high or low-grade NETs and mixed neuroendocrine neoplasms (MINENs). Central pathology assessment significantly contributes to the accurate diagnosis and management. Personalised treatment depends on the grade, involved anatomic region and stage of disease and most commonly comprises combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy and rarely surgery.

Results

We report on three cases with localized esophageal NET diagnosed with endoscopic biopsies and staged with FDG or Gallium-PET CT scan. The mean age was 56, two were men and histologies included 1 MINEN (lower thoracic esophagus), 1 NET G3 (upper thoracic esophagus) and 1 NET G2 (middle thoracic esophagus). The patient with MINEN was stage 1b and was treated with complete esophagectomy and lymph nodal dissection without any further adjuvant therapy. Two patients with upper and middle thoracic esophagus were treated with combination chemotherapy and definitive IMRT radiotherapy. All patients remain disease free at 12 months follow up.

Conclusion

Localized esophageal NET are often diagnosed following endoscopic investigation. Long-term survival may be achieved with excellent quality of life after careful evaluation of the clinicopathologic characteristics by a dedicated multidisciplinary group.
P172 ESOPHAGEAL SUBMUCOSAL LIPOMA AND CONCOMITANT INEFFECTIVE MOTILITY: LAPAROSCOPIC TRANSHIATAL ENUCLEATION
Authors: Daniele Bernardi , Matteo Porta , Emanuele Asti , Stefano Siboni , Veronica Lazzari , Luigi Bonavina
Published: November 2019

Aim

To describe an unusual case of benign esophageal submucosal tumor.

Background

Esophageal lipomas account for less than 1% of benign tumors of the esophagus, which represent less than 1% of all esophageal neoplasms. The presence of a concomitant esophageal motility disorder may be underestimated in patients with benign esophageal submucosal tumors.

Case report

A 77-year-old man was referred for a 12-year history of daily heartburn, occasional dysphagia progressively worsening during the last few months, and more recent onset of epigastric pain, regurgitation, and weight loss. Empirical therapy with proton-pump inhibitors was ineffective. The GERD-HRQL score was 22. Physical examination was unremarkable. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a soft submucosal mass in the posterior wall of the lower third of the esophagus, 3 cm above the esophago-gastric junction. The endoscopic finding was confirmed by a chest CT scan that documented a submucosal esophageal lesion with luminal narrowing. High resolution manometry did not reveal EGJ obstruction but showed a pan-esophageal pressurization in 100% of the swallows. The patient underwent laparoscopic transhiatal enucleation of a 11x4 cm mass, suture repair of the esophageal muscle layer, posterior cruroplasty, and 270° Toupet fundoplication. The postoperative course was uneventful. A gastrographin swallow study on day 1 showed the normal esophagogastric transit and the absence of leaks. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 2. Pathology confirmed the clinical suspicion of esophageal lipoma. At 3-month follow-up visit the GERD-HRQL score was 7 and the patient was very pleased with the results of the operation.

Conclusion

Esophageal lipoma is very rare. Laparoscopic transhiatal enucleation was feasible and safe in our experience. The choice of a Toupet fundoplication was justified by the finding of ineffective esophageal motility on high-resolution manometry.
P211 COMPARISON OF PROGNOSTIC VALUE FOR G8 SCREENING TOOLS WITH FTRST IN OLDER PATIENTS OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER
Authors: Masayoshi Terayama , Kazuhiko Yamada , Noriyuki Saito , Hitomi Wake , Atsuko Kataoka , Naoki Enomoto , Kyoko Nohara , Nobuyuki Takemura , Tomomichi Kiyomatsu , Norihiro Kokudo
Published: November 2019

Aim

We investigated two prognostic value of geriatric screening tools, G8 and Flemish version of the Triage Risk Screening Tool (fTRST), for overall survival and postoperative outcome in older patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer (EC).

Backgrounds&Method

The elderly cancer population is a very heterogeneous group due to differences in comorbidities and functional status. G8 and fTRST are short and easy tools to administer in clinical settings and reported to be useful for identifying patients with geriatric risks. However, the prognostic value of G8 and fTRST has not been compared in EC patients after surgery.

Patients aged ≥ 70 years old with EC were retrospectively included who received an operation at National Center for Global Health and Medicine from April 2014 to December 2017. G8 and fTRST were administered to all patients. The impaired were defined as a G8 ≤ 14 and fTRST ≥ 2. We evaluated overall survival (OS) and 30-day postoperative complications classified into Clavien-Dindo (CD) severity grade.

Results

63 patients were included. Median age was 76 years (range, 70 to 89 years), and 84% of patients were men. 44 patients (69%) were G8 impaired, 22 patients (34%) were fTRST impaired, 23 patients (36%) were impaired on both screening tools. G8 was an independent predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio 9.9; 95% confidence interval 1.24-79.4, p=0.02), while fTRST was not. The CD≥3 postoperative complications occurred in 33 patients (52%).

In univariable logistic regressions, ECOG-PS, G8 and fTRST were associated with CD≥3 complications. G8 alone was not independently predictive for CD≥3 complications, however combined with fTRST, the predictive value of G8 was increased (p=0.001).

Conclusions

G8 is useful for prognostic value of OS and prior to fTRST in EC. G8 combined with Ftrst has the strongest predictive value for postoperative CD≥3 complications. Further studies are needed to design interventions to improve outcomes for those frail patients.
Patent disclosure and England’s early industrial revolution
Authors: Cox Gary W
Published: November 2019

Did the English patent system helps to spark the Industrial Revolution? Most scholars addressing this question have focused on whether patents improved the economic incentive to invent. In contrast, I focus on whether patents improved access to useful knowledge—via the requirement (instituted in 1734) that patentees provide technical specifications for their inventions. I documented a structural break in per capita patenting in 1734—but only in London, where specifications were stored. I also documented a structural shift in London-based inventors’ responsiveness to non-metropolitan patents in 1734, when specifications for them became regularly available.
Long-Term Trends in Adult Socio-Economic Resemblance between Former Schoolmates and Neighbouring Children
Authors: Hermansen Are Skeie , Borgen Nicolai T , Mastekaasa Arne
Published: November 2019

Schools and residential neighbourhoods constitute key contexts of development beyond the family of origin. Yet, few prior studies address whether the overall impact of these childhood contexts on adult life chances has changed over time. In this article, we investigate changes in socio-economic resemblance between former schoolmates and neighbouring children using Norwegian administrative data covering three decades. We use cross-classified multilevel models to decompose the variance in children’s educational attainment and adult earnings into the contributions found within and between their school and neighbourhood contexts in adolescence. We find that unadjusted school and neighbourhood correlations in educational attainment are relatively modest and declining over time. These trends largely reflect declining socio-economic segregation between schools and neighbourhoods over time. After adjusting for sorting by family background, schools account for 2 per cent or less of the total variation in completed years of education in the more recent cohorts and neighbourhoods even less. For adult earnings, the adjusted school correlations are very low, accounting for around 1 per cent of the total variance, while the contribution of neighbourhoods is close to zero. Our findings suggest that adolescent school and neighbourhood contexts are not major determinants of children’s later-life socio-economic attainments in the Norwegian welfare state setting.
An Assessment of Soil Compaction after Logging Operations in Central Amazonia
Authors: DeArmond Daniel , Ferraz João B S , Emmert Fabiano , Lima Adriano José Nogueira , Higuchi Niro
Published: November 2019

In the forests of the Amazon Basin, there are still few studies on soil compaction caused by logging activities. This study evaluated an operation located on the property of a timber company in Central Amazonia, which uses harvesting techniques based on the harvesting system developed by the Centre for Agricultural Research in Suriname. The timber-extraction method employed by the timber company consists of three activities: (1) skid trail construction with a track-type tractor, (2) log winching with a winch attached to the tractor, and (3) log skidding with a rubber-tired skidder. Soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance were quantified to 20 cm in depth. After a single tractor ingress and egress for trail construction, the soil incurred an increased root growth-limiting bulk density and penetration resistance. However, log winching did not cause significant soil compaction. The conclusions of the study were: (1) the greatest impact from this harvesting system came from the skid trail construction, (2) the technique of log winching limited forest floor compaction and disturbance that damages forest regeneration, and (3) log skidding during dry soil conditions limited increases in compaction and track formation.
Assessment of Disturbances across Forest Inventory Plots in the Southeastern United States for the Period 1995–2018
Authors: Ojha Santosh K , Naka Kozma , Dimov Luben D
Published: November 2019

Disturbances of varying frequency and intensity shape the species composition, stand structure, and functions of forests. This study assessed the frequency and distribution of disturbances caused by eight agents (insects, diseases, fire, animals, weather, other vegetation, human, and unknown) in the forests of the southeastern United States from 1995 to 2018. We used data from 88,722 inventory measurements of 33,531 plots from the USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis database to assess disturbance among different forest types and to different canopy strata. Disturbances were detected in approximately 14 percent of the plots, located mostly in pine-dominated forest types. Fire was the most frequent disturbance agent (occurring 6 percent of the time), followed by weather and animal agents. The agents that caused the highest mortality rate during the period for saplings were silvicultural treatments (8.6 percent), other vegetation (5.6 percent), and fire (4.4 percent), whereas for trees they were silvicultural treatments (9.8 percent), weather (1.9 percent) and insects (1.7 percent). The forest type that appeared to have been most affected by disturbances was longleaf–slash pine of the Coastal Plain. These results are useful for understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of disturbance events in different southeastern forest types and locations and for guiding forest management activities to mitigate potential impacts.
Division of roles and endogenous specialization
Authors: Christensen Michael , Knudsen Thorbjørn
Published: November 2019

We extend a core idea in James G. March’s work, that an ecology of experiential learners may generate endogenous specialization. Although prior work has studied how division of labor, in the form of task assignments, drives experience effects, we are interested in understanding how division of roles endogenously drives a process of task division, which in turn drives experience effects. The insights from a case study in a bank allow us to capture joint learning among employees who screen loan applications. Organizational roles provide constraints on the way learners interact, and thereby shape the pattern of the learning process as reflected in the subjects’ screening functions. We develop an analytical platform—a dynamic screening model—that allow us to extract a mechanism, which can explain the observed screening functions. After fitting the model to data obtained from the case study, we find that organizations’ role structures generate distinct patterns of interaction, which in turn lead to distinct patterns of specialization among agents. Our analytical platform offers a broad range of extensions that can be applied to study organizational design and learning. More generally, we hope to revitalize the notion of the organization as a system of interacting roles as a useful analytical perspective in strategy and organization science.
Empowering Community Water Data Stakeholders
Authors: Carroll John Millar , Beck Jordan , Boyer Elizabeth W , Dhanorkar Shipi , Gupta Srishti
Published: November 2019

Access to clean water is a critical challenge and opportunity for community-level collaboration. People rely on local water sources, but awareness of water quality and participation in water management is often limited. Lack of community engagement can increase risks of water catastrophes, such as those in Flint, Michigan, and Cape Town, South Africa. We investigated water quality practices in a watershed system serving c.100 000 people in the United States. We identified a range of entities including government and nonprofit citizen groups that gather water quality data. Many of these data are accessible in principle to citizens. However, the data are scattered and diverse; information infrastructures are primitive and not integrated. Water quality data and data practices are hidden in plain sight. Based on fieldwork, we consider sociotechnical courses of action, drawing on best practices in human–computer interaction and community informatics, data and environmental systems management.
Intra-abdominal tuberculosis masquerading as ovarian carcinoma
Authors: Xu Yaying Eileen , Tan Kimberley , Hendahewa Rasika
Published: November 2019

Intra-abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is rare in Australia, but it can be found in those who emigrate from endemic areas. We report a rare case of a 28-year-old lady from the Philippines who presented with abdominal pain, ascites and an elevated cancer antigen (CA) 125 with an initial concern of ovarian malignancy. She underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy which revealed typical features of intra-abdominal TB and histological features of granulomatous inflammation. The symptoms and signs of intra-abdominal TB are non-specific and can mimic many other conditions. The gold-standard mode of diagnosis in intra-abdominal TB is laparoscopy with tissue biopsy. Ovarian malignancy is relatively rare in pre-menopausal women; hence an elevated CA 125 warrants a broader differential diagnosis. It is important to have intra-abdominal TB as a differential even in the non-endemic settings to avoid delay in diagnosis and appropriate management.
Roles of the multiplex real-time PCR assay and β-D-glucan in a high-risk population for intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC)
Authors: Fortún J , Buitrago M J , Gioia F , Gómez-Gª de la Pedrosa E , Alvarez M E , Martín-Dávila P , Pintado V , Cobeta P , Martinez-Castro N , Soriano C , Moreno I , Corral S , Muñoz P , Moreno-Jimenez G , Cuenca-Estrella M , Moreno-Guillen S
Published: November 2019

Multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (MRT-PCR) using blood can improve the diagnosis of intra-abdominal candidiasis (IAC). We prospectively studied 39 patients with suspected IAC in the absence of previous antifungal therapy. Blood cultures, MRT-PCR, and β-D-glucan (BDG) in serum were performed in all patients. IAC was defined according to the 2013 European Consensus criteria. For MRT-PCR, the probes targeted the ITS1 or ITS2 regions of ribosomal DNA. Candidaemia was confirmed only in four patients (10%), and IAC criteria were present in 17 patients (43.6%). The sensitivity of MRT-PCR was 25% but increased to 63.6% (P = .06) in plasma obtained prior to volume overload and transfusion; specificity was above 85% in all cases. BDG performance was improved using a cutoff > 260 pg/ml, and improvement was not observed in samples obtained before transfusion. In this cohort of high risk of IAC and low rate of bloodstream infection, the performance of non-culture-based methods (MRT-PCR or BDG) was moderate but may be a complementary tool given the limitations of diagnostic methods available in clinical practice. Volume overload requirements, in combination with other factors, decrease the accuracy of MRT-PCR in patients with IAC.
When a period is not a full stop: Light-curve structure reveals fundamental parameters of Cepheid and RR Lyrae stars
Authors: Bellinger Earl P , Kanbur Shashi M , Bhardwaj Anupam , Marconi Marcella
Published: November 2019

The period of pulsation and the structure of the light curve for Cepheid and RR Lyrae variables depend on the fundamental parameters of the star: mass, radius, luminosity, and effective temperature. Here, we train artificial neural networks on theoretical pulsation models to predict the fundamental parameters of these stars based on their period and light-curve structure. We find significant improvements to estimates of these parameters made using light-curve structure and period over estimates made using only the period. Given that the models are able to reproduce most observables, we find that the fundamental parameters of these stars can be estimated up to 60 per cent more accurately when light-curve structure is taken into consideration. We quantify which aspects of light-curve structure are most important in determining fundamental parameters, and find, for example, that the second Fourier amplitude component of RR Lyrae light curves is even more important than period in determining the effective temperature of the star. We apply this analysis to observations of hundreds Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud and thousands of RR Lyrae in the Magellanic Clouds and Galactic bulge to produce catalogues of estimated masses, radii, luminosities, and other parameters of these stars. As an example application, we estimate Wesenheit indices and use those to derive distance moduli to the Magellanic Clouds of μLMC,CEP = 18.688 ± 0.093, μLMC,RRL = 18.52 ± 0.14, and μSMC,RRL = 18.88 ± 0.17 mag.
Hybrid approach for treating the depolarization of the solar lines of the Ba ii, Ca ii, and Mg ii ions by collisions
Authors: Derouich M
Published: November 2019

Isotropic collisions between atoms of hydrogen and solar ions emitting polarized light contribute to reducing the observed polarization (depolarization). The aim of this work is to apply a hybrid method in order to provide new collisional depolarization rates of the 2P1/2 and 2P3/2 states of the Mg ii, Ca ii, and Ba ii ions. The hybrid method proposed in this work takes into account the spin effects in the calculation of the interaction potential and in the treatment of the collision dynamics. We detect the region of the interaction potential that is of importance in the determination of the depolarization rates. We conclude that the best strategy is to combine semiclassical and quantum potentials in order to build the so-called hybrid potentials. The dynamics of collisions proposed in this work is based on coupled differential equations that take into account the effects of the spins of the Mg ii, Ca ii, and Ba ii ions and the spin of the hydrogen. Hybrid depolarization rates are then inferred by solving the dynamics of collisions and using hybrid potentials. Comparison with previous quantum and semiclassical rates is presented. Our results should be of use for interpreting solar spectropolarimetric observations and our method can be applied to other ions.
Absolute magnitude of small cosmic dust particles
Authors: Zubko Evgenij
Published: November 2019

Agglomerated debris particles are realistic model cosmic dust particles that reproduce their highly irregular and fluffy morphology. We compute the absolute magnitude of these model particles in the broad-band filters B, V, R, and I from the widely used Johnson–Cousins photometric system. These data are aimed at providing simple quantitative interpretation of brightness of a cloud of cosmic dust, such as cometary coma, zodiacal light, lunar horizon glow, etc. Using this information, number of dust particles can be estimated from the apparent magnitude of the cloud and therefore the total volume of dust. It is significant that the smallest volume of dust is achieved using submicron particles.
Cross-subunit catalysis and a new phenomenon of recessive resurrection in Escherichia coli RNase E
Authors: Ali Nida , Gowrishankar Jayaraman
Published: November 2019

RNase E is a 472-kDa homo-tetrameric essential endoribonuclease involved in RNA processing and turnover in Escherichia coli. In its N-terminal half (NTH) is the catalytic active site, as also a substrate 5′-sensor pocket that renders enzyme activity maximal on 5′-monophosphorylated RNAs. The protein's non-catalytic C-terminal half (CTH) harbours RNA-binding motifs and serves as scaffold for a multiprotein degradosome complex, but is dispensable for viability. Here, we provide evidence that a full-length hetero-tetramer, composed of a mixture of wild-type and (recessive lethal) active-site mutant subunits, exhibits identical activity in vivo as the wild-type homo-tetramer itself (‘recessive resurrection’). When all of the cognate polypeptides lacked the CTH, the active-site mutant subunits were dominant negative. A pair of C-terminally truncated polypeptides, which were individually inactive because of additional mutations in their active site and 5′-sensor pocket respectively, exhibited catalytic function in combination, both in vivo and in vitro (i.e. intragenic or allelic complementation). Our results indicate that adjacent subunits within an oligomer are separately responsible for 5′-sensing and cleavage, and that RNA binding facilitates oligomerization. We propose also that the CTH mediates a rate-determining initial step for enzyme function, which is likely the binding and channelling of substrate for NTH’s endonucleolytic action.
Minor Socratics
Authors: Brancacci Aldo
Published: November 2019

Minor Socratics (Socratici minori, Petits Socratiques, Kleine Sokratiker) are conventionally labelled the direct disciples of Socrates that already in Antiquity were known as Sokratikoi. Indeed, they founded the so-called “Socratic Schools” or “Minor Socratic Schools.” From this perspective, it was understood that Plato was the “major” Socratic. During the 20th and 21st century a new critical approach emerged which gradually separated Plato from the group of the Socratics as such. In this way, because of the complexity of his thought and its huge theoretical influence (in Antiquity and beyond), Plato gained his own place in the history of ancient philosophy. As a consequence of that, scholarship prefers today to easily label as “Socratics” those philosophers who have been called for a long time “Minor Socratics.” The Socratics are as follows: Antisthenes of Athens, Euclides of Megara, Aristippus of Cyrene, Phaedo of Elis, and Aeschines of Sphettus. According to the ancient historiography, Antisthenes founded the Cynic school (while the modern scholarship tends to make Diogenes of Sinope the founder of Cynism); in his turn, Euclides of Megara founded the Megarian school (a school that seems to be strictly connected with the so-called Dialectic school, although the links of the two movements have been not yet entirely clarified); Phaedo of Elis was the founder of the Eliac school, whose thought was later followed by the Eretrian school, which was founded by Menedemus of Eretria; finally, Aristippus of Cyrene founded the Cyrenaic school. Aeschines of Sphettus was the only Socratic philosopher who did not found an own school. The terms Sokratikos and Sokratikoi were coined very early, during the last decades of the 4th century bce. They are already attested in the Peripatetic Phaenias of Eresus. Phaenias wrote a book On the Socratics, and this fact proves that the group of the Socratics had been already established before the Hellenistic historiography. Moreover, Phaenias explicitely refers to Antisthenes (= SSR V A 172). On this regard, also the testimonium on Antisthenes (= SSR V A 22) by the historian Theopompus of Chios is very important. In Diogenes Laertius one can find more complex distinctions. In II 47 the “most representative” successors of Socrates, who were called Socratics, are Plato, Xenophon, and Antisthenes. Within the same passage Diogenes Laertius specifies that, among the ten Socratics that the tradition knows, “the most illustrious” are four: Aeschines, Phaedo, Euclides, and Aristippus. The division of these “ten Socratics notorius to the tradition” cannot be identified with the division of the ten schools of ethics, of whom Diogenes Laertius speaks in the proemium of his work (I 18–19). However, much of these schools ideally developed from Socrates, because they were founded either by the Socratics or by their pupils.
Greek Vase Painting
Authors: Smith Tyler Jo
Published: November 2019

Greek vase-painting is one of the best studied areas of classical antiquity. Figure decorated pottery, often called “vases,” was produced in large quantities in many regions of the ancient Greek world. Although decorated pottery had been made in Greece since prehistoric times, the field of Greek vase-painting is a branch of classical archaeology which focuses on vessels produced between the late Geometric and late classical/early Hellenistic periods (8th–3rd century bce). Early modern connoisseurs and collectors during the 18th century were attracted to Greek vases coming out of tombs in Italy, often mistakenly considering them to be Etruscan rather than Greek. Formal study of vases began during the late 19th century, but it was throughout the 20th that the sub-discipline truly gained momentum. Through the efforts of J. D. Beazley (b. 1885–d. 1970), a professor at Oxford University, the black- and red-figure vases of Athens (also termed “Attic”) which survive in enormous quantities were categorized according to painter and published in his magisterial lists (Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters, 1956; Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters, 1963; see Beazley 1956 and Beazley 1963 under Connoisseurship and Attribution). Beazley concentrated on attributing unsigned works, and his attributions remain for many scholars an important framework for the study of Greek vases. A. D. Trendall (b. 1909–d. 1995) created a similar typology for the Greek vase-painters of South Italy and Sicily. Also foundational is the Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, launched by the Louvre in 1922 (see under Digital and Special Resources), which provides illustrated catalogues of Greek vases from museum collections, and also continues to feature vital information about individual vessels. Since the death of Beazley, research on Greek vase-painting has evolved greatly. The 1980s and 1990s saw increased attention to vase iconography, including studies of both myth and everyday life. At the same time, there emerged an updated series of regional studies for vases made outside of Athens, including those of Corinth, Boeotia, Laconia, East Greece, and western Greece. These studies too have focused to an extent on painter attribution, production, and distribution, while important developments in archaeological science have greatly benefited our understanding of local fabrics and techniques. In recent decades, scholarship has shifted toward contextual studies that emphasize social, historical, and religious functions and meanings of vases and their images. At present, there is an interest in the role of archaeological context and how it may have impacted the choices of both artist and consumer.
Jürgen Habermas
Authors: Cherem Max
Published: November 2019

Jürgen Habermas (b. 1929–) was born outside of Düsseldorf, Germany, and came of age at the tail end of World War II. He is the most prominent philosopher in the second generation of Frankfurt School critical theory, a tradition founded by Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno. However, Habermas rejected Horkheimer and Adorno’s claim that the Enlightenment’s model of rationality—with its focus on the technical control of the world to serve subjective ends—is inherently wedded to domination. From his early career, Habermas has strongly challenged those who would either relativize rationality or dispute its emancipatory potential. Apart from belief in scientific progress, he also believes there are “social learning processes” that yield progress in ethical, political, and legal systems. He has been consistently productive over five decades, articulating philosophical theories of human rationality, linguistic meaning, truth, ethics, deliberative democracy, and legal legitimacy. He is also a prominent public intellectual who weighs in on contested social issues—both in debates with other academics and in op-eds. He has authored several books that have impacted not only philosophy but also the social sciences more broadly as well as political theory. Some of his most notable works include The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere; Theory of Communicative Action (two volumes); Moral Consciousness and Communicative Action; and Between Facts and Norms.
Bhagavad Gita in Modern India
Authors: Palshikar Sanjay , Mukherji Gangeya
Published: November 2019

The Bhagavad Gita has a special place in the intellectual and political history of modern India. The period from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century has seen, first, a long and eventually successful nationalist struggle for freedom, and, intertwined with this struggle in complex ways, there has been a steadily growing political assertion of Hindu identity. The Gita has been a part of both these developments in a mutually reinforcing role. The text has circulated in seemingly disparate domains from devotional groups to psychology and managerial practices. But these apolitical contexts have contributed to the continued political significance of the poem, persuading writers from diverse ideological backgrounds to engage with it. The thriving print culture, a large middle class, and the swift growth of new media have ensured that the Gita will remain in India’s public culture for the foreseeable future.
Interstate Border Dispute Management in the Indo-Pacific
Authors: Westcott Stephen
Published: November 2019

The Indo-Pacific region stretches from Japan in the north to Pakistan in the west to Australia in the south and the Micronesian islands in the east. When the various colonial empires withdrew from the region, they left numerous volatile interstate border disputes (IBDs) in their wake. With the balance of power shifting away from the Northern Atlantic and into the Indo-Pacific, the IBDs in the region are gaining more salience. Yet, within academic and public circles, the IBDs in the region have often been overshadowed by discussions over the military balance of power, nuclear brinkmanship, and political economy concerns such as trade route flows or resource competition. While these are unquestionably important issues, this focus on “high politics” tends to trivialize IBDs. This is problematic because, as numerous studies have demonstrated, IBDs have proven to be a leading cause of war and a primary source of international tension during peace. Indeed, many of the IBDs in the Indo-Pacific region are right at the center of the often-volatile region, fueled in part by a growing sense of nationalism within the region, by regional rivalries, and by the competition for strategic resources. Hence, developing a strong understanding of the IBDs that are, if not at the foundation of, the flint and tinder for international conflict is important. In the Indo-Pacific region, there are a number of highly diverse IBDs, ranging in size, salience, and type (territory and maritime). Some of these IBDs are major sources of tension in the region, such as the five-nation claim over the South China Sea at the heart of the Indo-Pacific or the notably bitter and fractious dispute between India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir. The Indo-Pacific region also hosts some of the few remaining divided nations, namely, China’s claim of sovereignty over Taiwan and the two Koreas’ claims over each other. Others are relatively minor IBDs, such as Japan’s dispute with Korea over the Takeshima/Dokdo Island, which sees occasional demonstrations but otherwise has little impact on the two states’ bilateral relations. In between, there exist an array of IBDs of varying importance, ranging from the Sino-Indian border dispute, which often causes tension between the region’s rising nuclear armed superpowers, to the Thai-Cambodian dispute over the Preah Vihear temple complex, to the grossly under-researched Durand Line dispute between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This contribution to Oxford Bibliographies takes stock of the burgeoning literature on all of these issues.
Democratization in the Muslim World
Authors: Volpi Frédéric , Cavatorta Francesco
Published: November 2019

The issue of the democratization of the Muslim world has puzzled scholarship since the end of the Cold War, when the third wave of democratization swept across the world but seemed to bypass most Muslim-majority countries, particularly the Arab world. Central to the debate about democratization in the Muslim world is the relationship between the Islamic religion and the political system supposedly bound up with it. As we will see, for some authors there is an inherent contradiction between the precepts of the Muslim faith and the requirements of democracy, while for others the two can be compatible or causally separated. When the debate on democratization is framed in these terms, it becomes very important to specify the definitions, issues, and processes investigated and evaluated to avoid confusion. When discussing processes of democratization—the move away from authoritarian practices to a political system based on political pluralism—there is a tendency in the literature to consider primarily the emergence of a very specific form of democracy: liberal democracy. There is therefore an important difference between democracy and democratization. Democratization is concerned with the introduction of democratic mechanisms and procedures and not necessarily with the granting of extensive liberal individual rights. One can then imagine a democratic political system where individual rights are limited and focus on the minimal requirements for equal political participation. Liberal democracy for its part is concerned with democratic political systems seeking to operationalize the progressive extension of different liberal individual rights. When this distinction is taken into account, it becomes easier to interpret and explain the changes—or absence thereof—occurring across the Muslim world. At this stage, a further distinction is necessary: the one between the Muslim world as a geographical area, in which people belonging to the Muslim faith are the majority or a very significant part of the population, and an Islamic system in which religious precepts actually organize social and political life. In this respect, one finds that a significant number of Muslim-majority countries can be labeled procedural democratic, while authoritarianism characterizes in fact the Arab world (with exceptions) and not the Muslim world per se, suggesting that there is nothing inherently antidemocratic in the Islamic religion. It should also then be noted that an Islamic system is actually in place in a very limited number of countries and that authoritarianism in Muslim and Arab countries is commonly not the product of the adoption of an Islamic system of government.
Cantus Firmus
Authors: Anderson Michael Alan , James Aaron
Published: November 2019

A cantus firmus is a preexistent melody that forms the basis of a larger musical work. Source melodies in the cantus firmus tradition have generally been selected from the vast corpus of plainchant, but secular tunes also provide a supply of monophony for use. The term is synonymous with cantus prius factus, canto fermo, and fester Gesang. Polyphonic settings of a cantus firmus may augment appropriate liturgies or may be found in other contexts. The foundational melodies sometimes signal extramusical or allegorical meaning when cast alongside other texts. In pedagogical contexts, cantus firmi appear as a fund of fixed musical subjects for teaching oral or written counterpoint. The first exercises in counterpoint against a cantus firmus may be found as early as the 10th century, when a note-against-note style prevailed. By the 12th century, and certainly in polyphony emanating from Notre Dame in Paris, florid counterpoint over a plainchant cantus firmus may be witnessed. As discant voices were added above a fixed song, the preexisting melodies became rhythmicized for the sake of coordination. In the 14th century, composers of motets subjected cantus firmi to isoperiodic treatment, abstractly manipulating them into repeating rhythmic and melodic cells. A heyday for settings of cantus firmus can be seen in the 15th century with the proliferation of Mass Ordinaries based on a variety of melodies. Transformations of preexistent song are taken to greater lengths with experiments in ornamentation, fragmentation, transposition, migration, retrograde, and inversion. Polyphonic mass traditions based on the Caput melisma and the L’Homme armé song famously emerge in this context. Although the most familiar and frequently studied examples of cantus firmus technique occur in sacred Latin works, the technique was adapted for polyphonic works in other languages, notably German chorale settings by Lutheran composers. Cantus firmi also undergird numerous secular genres, including the French-texted chanson rustique and combinative chanson as well as the German Tenorlied. Among instrumental works using cantus firmus technique, the most obvious examples are compositions for organ based on liturgical melodies, which have formed a central part of the instrument’s repertoire from the 16th century to the present day. However, cantus firmus techniques also featured in works for instrumental ensemble, including the famous In nomine fantasia. Since 1600, the use of a cantus firmus (especially in long note values) has typically been regarded a historicist gesture, serving as a religious topos or referring to specific techniques from medieval and Renaissance music.