bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High amino acid accumulating 5‐methyltryptophan‐resistant rice mutants may include an increased antioxidative response system
Authors: Kim Dong Sub , Lee In Sok , Jang Cheol Seong , Kang Si‐Yong , Park In Sook , Song Hi Sup , Seo Yong Weon
Published: February 2005

In a previous study, we developed 5‐methyltryptophan (5MT)‐resistant rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutant lines via in vitro mutagenesis. These mutant lines exhibited elevated free amino acid content, in addition to a marked tolerance to a 5MT inhibition. In this study, we verified these increased protein and amino acid contents in the advanced mutant lines, and discovered that the anthranilate synthase (AS, EC 4.1.3.27) activity of the mutant plants was 2.2–3 times as high as that of the control. In all four tested 5MT‐resistant mutant lines, AS activity proved to be less sensitive to tryptophan inhibition than that of the control. Proteins produced, either in elevated amounts or de novo in response to 5MT were studied by comparison of silver‐stained two‐dimensional gels of leaf proteins, between the control and two 5MT‐resistant mutant lines. At least 20 proteins exhibited either elevated expression or de novo generation following exposure to growth‐inhibitory concentrations of 5MT in MRI‐40. We assessed the 5MT stress‐mediated responses of the four antioxidant enzymes; catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7), superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) and aspartate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11). We found that the activity levels of all four enzymes were increased as a result of 5MT treatment, in both the control and the 5MT‐resistant mutant lines. However, the mutant lines exhibited more pronounced increases in the antioxidant enzymes than did the control. Significant differences in these activity increases were observed between the control and the mutant lines in the SOD and APX activity assays. Native PAGE confirmed these differences in SOD and APX activity, with the separation patterns of the isoforms of SOD and APX. These results mean that the 5MT‐resistant mutants might possess active antioxidant systems which protect the cell from 5MT stress that may induce the production of reactive oxygen species.
Effect of Acute Sublethal Endotoxaemia onIn VitroDigital Vascular Reactivity in Horses
Authors: Zerpa H. , Vega F. , Vasquez J. , Ascanio E. , Campos G. , Sogbe E. , Romero E. , Ascanio M. , García H.
Published: February 2005

Endotoxaemia is a syndrome linked to the development of equine laminitis; however, the relationship between them is uncertain. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of an experimental acute sublethal endotoxaemia model onin vitroequine palmar digital vascular reactivity. Rings of arteries and veins of each forelimb were obtained from 11 clinically healthy horses submitted to two surgical procedures, 3 weeks apart. Before the second surgery, 0.25 μg/kg of lipopolysaccharide fromEscherichia coliO55:B5 in saline, was administered i.v. in 30 min. After 3 h, the vessels were harvested and submitted toin vitrovascular reactivity experiments and histopathology. The response to depolarizing Krebs solution (DKS, 40 mm), phenylephrine (PHE), acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were evaluated. All horses showed colic pain and watery diarrhoea, tachycardia, tachypnea, hyperthermia and leucopenia. Concentration–response curve (CRC) to PHE was shifted to the left in arteries rings from endotoxemic horses without any effect on vein rings. The CRC to ACh was shifted to the right with a reduction in the maximal response. The response to SNP and DKS was similar between groups. There was no evidence of histopathological effects. The increased response to PHE in digital arteries together with a reduction of the endothelium‐dependent response to ACh in arteries and veins, confirm the existing reports where endotoxaemia was found to modify the digital vascular reactivity during the acute phase. As the digital endothelial function is impaired, there may be an increased potential to develop a digital prothrombotic state with a reduced vasodilatory capacity.
Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Characteristics of Two Canine Lipid‐Rich Mammary Carcinomas
Authors: Pérez‐Martínez C. , García‐Iglesias M. J. , Durán‐Navarrete A. J. , Espinosa‐Alvarez J. , García‐Fernández R. A. , Lorenzana‐Robles N. , Fernández‐Pérez S. , García‐Marín J. F.
Published: February 2005

Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical findings of two uncommon canine lipid‐rich mammary carcinomas are described. The predominant histological feature in both tumours was the presence of at least 80% of cells with intracytoplasmic vacuoles which stained positively with Sudan IV but not with alcian‐blue periodic acid‐schiff method. In both tumours, small groups of non‐vacuolated cells were identified among the vacuolated cells. However, histological and immunohistochemical differences were also found between these tumours. Thus, one of them was composed of tumour cells with a large and single vacuole, which were arranged in lobular pattern, while the other neoplasm showed an intraductal growth of tumour cells with a fine vacuolated cytoplasm. Immunohistochemically, in the first tumour most vacuolated cells were positive for CK (cytokeratin)8‐7, indicating a secretory epithelial immunophenotype while CK5 and CK8‐7‐expressing non‐vacuolated cells were associated with luminal duct immunophenotype. However, in the second tumour the expression of CK14 in most of vacuolated cells and α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) in non‐vacuolated cells, alone or in combination with CK5 suggested a myoepithelial immunophenotype for both cell types. These results suggest heterogeneity of the cell type and growth pattern for this type of canine tumour as has been described in women but not in dogs.
Preliminary Observations on the Effect of Parity on First Day Ultrasonic Detection of Embryo and its Organs in Bovine
Authors: Kolour A. Kheradmand , Batavani R. A. , Ardabili F. Farrokhi
Published: February 2005

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of parity on the first day of ultrasonic detection of embryo and its organs using 8 MHz frequency. For this purpose, six nulliparous heifers, five primiparous cows and six multiparous cows of the Holstein breed were selected and mated by a single bull from the herd. From day 16 after mating, cows and heifers were examined by ultrasonography thrice weekly for the day of first detection of the embryo and its organs. The mean of first‐day detection in heifers, primiparous and multiparous cows was as follows, respectively: allantois on days 22.3, 23 and 25.8; embryo proper on days 21.8, 23 and 27; heartbeat of embryo on days 26.1, 26.6 and 31.1; amnion on days 31, 31 and 30.8; limb buds on days 29.5, 28.8 and 30.6; stomach (abomasum) on days 32.2, 38.6 and 36.8; spinal column on days 32.6, 33.4 and 37.3; placentomes on days 33.3, 37 and 35.3; eyes on days 35.1, 35.4 and 38.6 and lens on days 40, 41.4 and 44. Although the mean of first day observation of all structures in heifers tends to be earlier than in the other groups, statistically, allantois, the embryo proper and its heartbeat in heifers and primipara were visualized significantly earlier than in multiparous cows. However, there were no differences between heifers and primiparous cows.
Evidence for canalization of Distal‐less function in the leg of Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Dworkin Ian
Published: February 2005

Summary
A considerable body of theory pertaining to the evolution of canalization has emerged recently, yet there have been few empirical investigations of their predictions. To address this, patterns of canalization and trait correlation were investigated under the individual and joint effects of the introgression of a loss‐of‐function allele of the Distal‐less gene and high‐temperature stress on a panel of iso‐female lines. Variation was examined for number of sex comb teeth and the length of the basi‐tarsus on the pro‐thoracic leg of male Drosophila melanogaster. I demonstrate that whereas there is evidence for trait canalization, there is no evidence to support the hypothesis of the evolution of genetic canalization as a response to microenvironmental canalization. Furthermore, I demonstrate that although there are genetic correlations between these traits, there is no association between their measures of canalization. I discuss the prospects of the evolutionary lability of the Distal‐less gene within the context of changes in genetic variation and covariation.
Both endogenous and environmental factors affect embryo proliferation in the polyembryonic wasp Copidosoma floridanum
Authors: Corley Laura S. , White Michael A. , Strand Michael R.
Published: February 2005

Summary
Copidosoma floridanum is a polyembryonic, parasitic wasp of the moth Trichoplusia ni. Following oviposition into a host, the C. floridanum egg initially undergoes complete (holoblastic) cleavage to form a single morula stage embryo. This embryo then undergoes a proliferation phase in which multiple, secondary morulae develop. C. floridanum has also evolved a caste system whereby some secondary morulae develop into soldier larvae whose function is defense whereas others develop into reproductive larvae that become adult wasps. In the current study, we conducted manipulative and candidate gene studies to identify factors affecting the proliferation phase of C. floridanum development. Transplantation of morulae of different ages into different host stages indicated that both embryo age and host environment affected the total number of offspring produced per morula. Morula age and brood size also significantly affected whether offspring of one or both castes were produced in a brood. In contrast, the host environment did not significantly affect caste formation. A putative homolog of the gene hedgehog (Cf‐hh) was partially cloned from C. floridanum. In situ hybridization studies indicated that Cf‐hh was expressed in secondary morulae during the proliferation phase of development, suggesting a possible role for the Hh signaling pathway in the evolution of polyembryony.
Exploring the impact of foreign direct investment on tobacco consumption in the former Soviet Union
Authors: Gilmore A B , McKee M
Published: February 2005

Background:Tobacco is the single largest cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world; in the former socialist bloc tobacco kills twice as many men as in the west. Although evidence shows that liberalisation of the cigarette trade through the elimination of import barriers leads to significant increases in consumption, far less is known about the impact of foreign direct investment on cigarette consumption. This paper seeks to explore the impact that the substantial transnational tobacco company investments have had on patterns of tobacco trade and consumption in the former Soviet Union.

Design:Routine data were used to explore trends in cigarette trade and consumption in the 15 countries of the former Soviet Union from the 1960s to the present day. Comparisons were made between trends in countries that have received substantial investment from the tobacco transnationals and countries that have not.

Results:Between 1991 and 2000 cigarette production increased by 96% in countries receiving industry investment and by 11% in countries that did not. Over the same period cigarette consumption increased by 40%; the increase was concentrated in countries receiving investments. Despite these investments, cigarette imports still outweigh exports and no trade surplus has yet to result.

Conclusions:The findings suggest that liberalisation of inward investment has a significant and positive impact on cigarette consumption and that without appropriate safeguards, market liberalisation may have long term negative impacts on health. Specific trade rules are needed to govern trade and investment in this uniquely harmful product. Implementation of effective tobacco control policies should precede tobacco industry privatisation. International financial organisations pressing for privatisation should ensure this occurs.
Smokeless tobacco use among professional baseball players: survey results, 1998 to 2003
Authors: Severson H H , Klein K , Lichtensein E , Kaufman N , Orleans C T
Published: February 2005

Objective:The use of smokeless tobacco (ST) (snuff and chewing tobacco) has long been associated with baseball in the USA. This article reviews six years of survey data from major and minor league baseball players to evaluate trends in tobacco use and quitting patterns over time in order to gain insight into the effects of past interventions and to document continued intervention needs.

Method:Surveys were distributed by athletic trainers to major and minor league professional baseball players during spring training session in the six years from 1998 to 2003. The surveys were anonymous and identified only by team, level of league, and other self reported demographic data.

Results:ST use among professional baseball players remains much higher than among young males in the general population, and use is most prevalent among white non-Hispanic players. There was a significant decrease in ST use among minor league players from 1998 to 2003, with seven day self reported use declining from 31.7% in 1998 to 24.8% in 2003. No significant year to year changes were observed for major league players. Major league players’ self reported past week use rates, estimated at 35.9% in 1998 and at 36% in 2003, were consistently higher than those of minor league players. Self reported prevalence of past month cigarette and cigar smoking was much lower than ST use for both major and minor league players.

Conclusions:Six years of survey data confirm a continuing high use of ST among professional baseball players. Results suggest that the effects of the broad spectrum ST control efforts launched over the past decade may have been stronger among minor than major league players. Stronger policy interventions at the major league level and multi-level efforts, including programmes to increase the use of effective quitting aids and assistance, at both levels of play are needed. Future research is needed to further clarify changes in ST practices among professional players and set policy intervention directions.
Smoke-free law did not affect revenue from gaming in Delaware
Authors: Mandel L L , Alamar B C , Glantz S A
Published: February 2005

Objective:To determine the effect of the Delaware smoke-free law on gaming revenue.

Methods:Linear regression of gaming revenue and average revenue per machine on a public policy variable, time, while controlling for economic activity and seasonal effects.

Results:The linear regression showed that the smoke-free law was associated with no effect on total revenue or average revenue per machine.

Conclusion:Smoke-free laws are associated with no change in gaming revenue.
An extremely compensatible cigarette by design: documentary evidence on industry awareness and reactions to the Barclay filter design cheating the tar testing system
Authors: Kozlowski L T , Dreschel N A , Stellman S D , Wilkenfeld J , Weiss E B , Goldberg M E
Published: February 2005

Background:The Barclay cigarette (Brown & Williamson) was introduced in 1980 in the USA in the most expensive launch in history. In the USA and around the world, Barclay was later determined to have a grooved filter design that was compromised by human smokers in the normal act of smoking, but that was measured as ultra-low tar using the standard tar testing protocol.

Objectives:To evaluate whether Brown & Williamson knew of the compensatability of Barclay during the design process and before it was released; to evaluate initial responses of competing tobacco companies to Barclay, before complaints were made to the Federal Trade Commission in 1981.

Methods:Internet databases of industry documents (Tobacco Documents Online, Legacy Tobacco Documents Library, Brown & Williamson Litigation discovery website, Guildford and major company websites) were searched using key words, key dates, and targeted searches. Documents related specifically to the development, evaluation and release of the Barclay cigarette and related to the responses by competing tobacco companies were examined.

Results:Documents indicate the manufacturer was aware of Barclay design problems and was planning, before release, to respond to criticism. Competing companies quickly detected the filter groove stratagem and considered developing their own similar filter, but eventually backed off.

Conclusion:The design problems with Barclay were readily understood by cigarette manufacturers, including the maker of Barclay, before official governmental evaluations occurred. Testing involving measured exposures to human smokers may in the end be crucial to identifying problems with novel cigarette designs.
Delineating the guide-wire flow obstruction effect in assessment of fractional flow reserve and coronary flow reserve measurements
Authors: Roy Abhijit Sinha , Banerjee Rupak K. , Back Lloyd H. , Back Martin R. , Khoury Saeb , Millard Ronald W.
Published: February 2005

Hemodynamic analysis was conducted to determine uncertainty in clinical measurements of coronary flow reserve (CFR) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) over pathophysiological conditions in a patient group with coronary artery disease during angioplasty. The vasodilation-distal perfusion pressure (CFR-p̃rh) curve was obtained for 0.35- and 0.46-mm guide wires. Our hypothesis is that a guide wire spanning the lesions elevates the pressure gradient and reduces the flow during hyperemic measurements. Maximal CFR-p̃rhwas uniquely determined by the intersection of measured CFR and calculated p̃rhof native and residual epicardial lesions in patients without microvascular disease, during angioplasty. Extrapolation of the linear curve gave a zero-coronary flow mean pressure (p̃zf) of ∼20 mmHg and a corresponding p̃rhof 55 mmHg in the native lesions, which coincided with the level that causes ischemia in human hearts. On this linear curve, values of CFR and FFRmyo(pathophysiological condition) and CFRgand FFRmyog(in the presence of the guide wire) were obtained in native and residual lesions. A strong linear correlation was found between CFR and CFRg[CFR = CFRg× 0.689 + 1.271 ( R2= 0.99) for 0.46 mm and CFR = CFRg× 0.757 + 1.004 ( R2= 0.99) for 0.35 mm] and between FFRmyoand FFRmyog[FFRmyo= FFRmyog× 0.737 + 0.263 ( R2= 0.99) for 0.46 mm and FFRmyo= FFRmyog× 0.790 + 0.210 ( R2= 0.99) for 0.35 mm]. This study establishes a strong correlation between CFR and CFRgand between FFRmyoand FFRmyog, which could be used to obtain the true state of occlusion in the coronary artery during angioplasty.
Diazoxide preserves hypercapnia-induced arteriolar vasodilation after global cerebral ischemia in piglets
Authors: Domoki Ferenc , Kis Béla , Nagy Krisztina , Farkas Eszter , Busija David W. , Bari Ferenc
Published: February 2005

Diazoxide (Diaz), an activator of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive K+(mitoKATP) channels, is neuroprotective, but the mechanism of action is unclear. We tested whether Diaz preserves endothelium-dependent (hypercapnia) or -independent [iloprost (Ilo)] cerebrovascular dilator responses after ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in newborn pigs and whether the effect of Diaz is sensitive to 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD), an inhibitor of mitoKATPchannels. Anesthetized, ventilated piglets ( n = 48) were equipped with closed cranial windows. Changes in diameter of pial arterioles were determined with intravital microscopy in response to graded hypercapnia (5–10% CO2-21% O2-balance N2, n = 25) or Ilo (0.1–1 μg/ml, n = 18) before and 1 h after 10 min of global I/R. Experimental groups were pretreated with vehicle, NS-398 (a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, 1 mg/kg), Diaz (3 mg/kg), or 5-HD (20 mg/kg) + Diaz. Potential direct effects of Diaz and 5-HD on hypercapnic vasodilation were also tested in the absence of I/R ( n = 5). To confirm the direct effect of Diaz on mitochondria, mitochondrial membrane potential in cultured piglet cerebrovascular endothelial cells was monitored using Mito Tracker Red. Hypercapnia resulted in dose-dependent pial arteriolar vasodilation, which was attenuated by ∼70% after I/R in vehicle- and NS-398-treated animals. Diaz and 5-HD did not affect the CO2response. Diaz significantly preserved the postischemic vasodilation response to hypercapnia, but not to Ilo. Diaz depolarized mitochondria in cultured piglet cerebrovascular endothelial cells, and 5-HD completely abolished the protective effect of Diaz, both findings indicate a role for mitoKATPchannels. In summary, preservation of arteriolar dilator responsiveness by Diaz may contribute to neuroprotection.
Lung infection with γ-herpesvirus induces progressive pulmonary fibrosis in Th2-biased mice
Authors: Mora Ana L. , Woods Charles R. , Garcia Anapatricia , Xu Jianguo , Rojas Mauricio , Speck Samuel H. , Roman Jesse , Brigham Kenneth L. , Stecenko Arlene A.
Published: February 2005

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fibrotic lung disease of unknown etiology. A viral pathogenesis in IPF has been suggested since >95% of IPF patients have evidence of chronic pulmonary infection with one or more herpesviruses. To determine whether pulmonary infection with herpesvirus can cause lung fibrosis, we infected mice with the murine γ-herpesvirus 68 (MHV68). Because IPF patients have a T helper type 2 (Th2) pulmonary phenotype, we used IFN-γR−/−, a strain of mice biased to develop Th2 responses. Chronic MHV68 infection of IFN-γR−/− mice resulted in progressive deposition of interstitial collagen as shown by light and electron microscopy. A significant decrease in tidal volume paralleled the collagen deposition. Five features typically seen in IPF, increased transforming growth factor-β expression, myofibroblast transformation, production of Th2 cytokines, hyperplasia of type II cells, and increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7, were also present in chronically infected IFN-γR−/− mice. There also was altered synthesis of surfactant proteins, which is seen in some patients with familial IPF. MHV68 viral protein was found in type II alveolar epithelial cells, especially in lung areas with extensive alveolar remodeling. In summary, chronic herpesvirus pulmonary infection in IFN-γR−/− mice causes progressive pulmonary fibrosis and many of the pathological features seen in IPF.
PPARγ agonists inhibit TGF-β induced pulmonary myofibroblast differentiation and collagen production: implications for therapy of lung fibrosis
Authors: Burgess Heather A. , Daugherty Louis Eugene , Thatcher Thomas H. , Lakatos Heather F. , Ray Denise M. , Redonnet Michelle , Phipps Richard P. , Sime Patricia J.
Published: February 2005

Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive life-threatening disease for which no effective therapy exists. Myofibroblasts are one of the key effector cells in pulmonary fibrosis and are the primary source of extracellular matrix production. Drugs that inhibit the differentiation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts have potential as antifibrotic therapies. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ is a transcription factor that upon ligation with PPARγ agonists activates target genes containing PPAR response elements. PPARγ agonists have anti-inflammatory activities and may have potential as antifibrotic agents. In this study, we examined the abilities of PPARγ agonists to block two of the most important profibrotic activities of TGF-β on pulmonary fibroblasts: myofibroblast differentiation and production of excess collagen. Both natural (15d-PGJ2) and synthetic (ciglitazone and rosiglitazone) PPARγ agonists inhibited TGF-β-driven myofibroblast differentiation, as determined by α-smooth muscle actin-specific immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis. PPARγ agonists also potently attenuated TGF-β-driven type I collagen protein production. A dominant-negative PPARγ partially reversed the inhibition of myofibroblast differentiation by 15d-PGJ2 and rosiglitazone, but the irreversible PPARγ antagonist GW-9662 did not, suggesting that the antifibrotic effects of the PPARγ agonists are mediated through both PPARγ-dependent and independent mechanisms. Thus PPARγ agonists have novel and potent antifibrotic effects in human lung fibroblasts and may have potential for therapy of fibrotic diseases in the lung and other tissues.
Singular Address in the Deuteronomic Law and the Politics of Legal Administration
Authors: McConville J. G.
Published: February 2005

This article asks why the deuteronomic law, like the Book of the Covenant, differs from ancient Near Eastern law codes in adopting the second person singular form of address. It also considers the relationship between the deuteronomic code and ancient Near Eastern treaties, especially the Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon (VTE), where the singular address is used. Accepting a formal similarity between the deuteronomic code and VTE, it is argued that Deuteronomy adapts the use of the singular address in laws to support its theology of the responsibility of the people as such for the keeping of the Torah. This is in contrast to the idea of the king as sovereign, especially in relation to administration of law, which, it is argued, Deuteronomy opposes.
The Book of Job as Polyphonic Text
Authors: Newsom Carol A.
Published: February 2005

The problem of the 'unity' of the book of Job has been an issue since the rise of historical criticism. Historical-critical analyses, final form literary approaches, and deconstructive readings engage the problem in enlightening but not wholly satisfying ways. A Bakhtinian approach that makes use of the categories of dialogic truth and polyphonic composition provides a means of acknowledging the sharp disjunctions in the book while still providing an account of the unity of the book as a whole. The book of Job can be seen as a dialogue of genres and 'voice ideas' in which no one voice is privileged as the voice of truth. At the same time issues raised in the book of Job disclose limitations in Bakhtin' s analysis of dialogue.

In its structure Job's dialogue is internally endless, for the opposition of the soul to God-whether the opposition be hostile or humble-is conceived in it as something irrevocable and eternal.

—M.M. Bakhtin, Problems of Dostoevsky's Art1
The Curse and the Blessing: Narrative Discourse Syntax and Literary Form
Authors: Levine Nachman
Published: February 2005

This article discusses the particular literary significance of opposed and contrasted verb forms in Gen. 3.11-14, the series of God’s speeches and curses to the man, the woman, and the serpent, respectively, after the sin in Eden. In the narrative, discourse syntax analysis can assist interpretation so that analysis of form can have implications for the narrative’s content and meaning, in the relationship between syntax and semantics or text-interpretation in clauses and larger textual units. Once the elements of contrast, tension, and reversal are established within the unit, the narrative at the beginning of Genesis can be read in contrast and counterpoint to larger intertextual patterns, specifically the blessing of Moses to Israel at the end of Deuteronomy.
Building the Second Temple: Questions of Time, Text, and History in Haggai 1.1-15
Authors: Kessler John
Published: February 2005

The people’s reticence expressed in Hag. 1.2 has been understood by some interpreters as reflecting the belief that Yahweh had not yet authorized the temple’s reconstruction, rather than as a rationalization for the community’s misplaced priorities. However, exegetical, text-, form-, literary- and ideological-critical considerations cast doubt upon this reading. Rather, the text’s redactor presents Haggai as a successful prophet whose words of reproach pierce the people’s recalcitrant hearts. In the light of broader ancient Near Eastern parallels, it is, nevertheless, plausible that objections to the temple’s reconstruction on ideological grounds did exist in Early Persian Yehud. Haggai 1.2 may demonstrate the selectivity with which a historical context may be portrayed, and provides an example of the difficulties of using prophetic texts in historical reconstructions.
Graves, Caves, and Refugees: An Essay in Microhistory
Authors: Parker Simon B.
Published: February 2005

Building on previous interpretation of the graffiti from Khirbet Beit Lei, this article argues that a larger number of Iron Age graffiti found in graves and caves in Judah, or ostensibly from such, may be interpreted as expressions of refugees hiding from enemies. It explores the concerns, status, and situations of the refugees, correlating them with literary (biblical) texts reflecting similar language and concerns, or referring to people of similar status and in similar situations. The lapidary utterances, this article argues, give immediacy, while the literary expressions supply imaginative and aesthetic richness to the common concerns. Material, epigraphic, and literary sources from later centuries, and archaeological sources from much earlier, suggest that the historical experience of such refugees was perennial, indeed permillennial, in ancient Palestine.
Pharaoh’s Daughter, Solomon’s Palace, and the Temple: Another Look at the Structure of 1 Kings 1-11
Authors: Olley John W.
Published: February 2005

In an earlier issue of this journal (JSOT 86 [1999], pp. 49-66), David Williams sought to bring some methodological rigour to the debate on the structure of the Solomon narrative (1 Kgs 1-11). In the present article, those arguments are examined and a further proposal made that more adequately takes account of features of the narrative overlooked by him: (1) references to Pharaoh’s daughter and to Solomon’s house; (2) the structure of 6.38-7.12; (3) the language and content of the words of YHWH to Solomon (two ‘appearances’ and two ‘sayings’), David’s words to Solomon and YHWH’s to Jeroboam; and (4) parallels noted by previous writers. The proposed structure has three intertwining chiasms, with the centre being 7.1-12, framed by the construction and dedication of the temple. The outer frames, chs. 1-2 and 11.14-43, also have parallels. The significance of the structure for readers in the exile is considered, with a relativizing of the temple and of Solomon, and emphasis upon ‘walking in YHWH’s ways’.
Aesthetic Behaviour in the Jewish Scriptures: A Preliminary Sketch
Authors: Downing F. Gerald
Published: February 2005

Although some biblical commentators nowadays do refuse an aesthetic disjunction between ‘art’ and ‘craft’, so allowing that ancient Israel’s ‘crafts’ might have aesthetic value, there seems to be little attention accorded the aesthetics—the aesthetic behaviour—presupposed in the canonical literature. In part this is due to the obsessions of our now questionable, socially restrictive ‘Enlightenment’ inheritance. But there is discernible in the canonical writings an aesthetics of abundance, intensification, plenitude, especially in much of the Psalter, and in concentration in Song of Songs. And this aesthetic celebration which we may discern here tallies well with much of the everyday aesthetic behaviour in which we ourselves engage.
Has the Narrator Come to Praise Solomon or to Bury Him? Narrative Subtlety in 1 Kings 1-11
Authors: Hays J. Daniel
Published: February 2005

This article presents a close narrative reading of 1 Kings 1-11, interpreting the account of Solomon and his realm through the lenses of the book of Deuteronomy. On the surface, the narrator appears to be praising Solomon and his kingdom for the first ten chapters, ending with a negative assessment in 1 Kings 11. However, noting the extensive use of irony and subtlety, especially in light of specific prohibitions in Deuteronomy, the conclusion drawn from this study is that the narrator in 1 Kings 1-11 is not praising Solomon or his kingdom at all, even in the first ten chapters, but instead, is presenting a scathing critique.
Symmetry, Ruth and Canon
Authors: Bovell Carlos
Published: February 2005

The book of Ruth has proven problematic insofar as scholars have not been able to agree upon its structure, purpose or meaning. This article proposes that a key to each of these may be found in the first six verses of the book. After suggesting that these verses evince a symmetrical pattern, the author then explores what canonical connections might be implied by such an arrangement. The author argues for a ‘Davidic’ reading of the entire book, not by emphasizing the genealogy, but by focusing on the book’s introduction and presenting it, and the story that follows, as a figurative expression of an exilic (or post-exilic) hope for the restoration of the Davidic dynasty.
Biblical Wa[UNKNOWN]sfs Beyond Song of Songs
Authors: Bernat David
Published: February 2005

The wa[UNKNOWN]sf rubric, which has been applied by biblicists exclusively to the poetic praise of physical beauty in Song of Songs, is extended to a broader spectrum of passages in the Hebrew Bible. Two groups of text are examined. The initial group, labeled ‘Enemy-wa[UNKNOWN]sf ’, includes the depictions of Behemoth and Leviathan in Job 40-41 and the semi-poetic description of Goliath and his armor in 1 Samuel 17. The segments in question exalt the might of two colossal monsters and one giant, who are the classic foes, respectively, of Yahweh and David. Highlighting the near invincibility of the enemies in Samuel and Job serves to magnify the power of the only warriors able to subdue them, namely, David and Yahweh. The second set of texts, consisting of the ‘Woman of Valor’ poem in Prov. 31.10-31, and the portrait of the ‘Wicked Woman’ in the Qumran Wisdom document, 4Q184, warrants the appellation ‘anti-wa[UNKNOWN]sf ’. The designation is appropriate because the two poems exploit the wa[UNKNOWN]sf format to polemicize against the idealization of beauty expressed in Song of Songs. The acrostic in Proverbs 31 lists the accomplishments and character traits of the ‘Woman of Valor’ while eschewing physical description altogether. The penultimate verse of the poem speaks directly of the treachery of beauty in contrast to the values of wisdom and fear of God. The anti-wa[UNKNOWN]sf in 4Q184 is a vivid catalogue of body parts, accentuating the corrupting attributes of the ‘Wicked Woman’.
Deutero-Isaiah of Jerusalem
Authors: Goulder Michael
Published: February 2005

It is usually thought that Deutero-Isaiah (DI) prophesied in Babylon. However, this article argues that DI addresses ‘my people’, most of whom were left in Judah, and equates them with Zion/Jerusalem. This is often a physical city, with towns of Judah close by, with walls and gates; Cyrus will rebuild it, and bring the produce of Africa and Sabean slaves to ‘thee’ (feminine). It becomes necessary for DI to ‘oscillate’ between the literal Zion and a metaphorical name for the exiles who did not live there. Also Yahweh will provide her poor with springs streaming from the bare heights, and they hide in holes in the earth, which hardly suit the banks of the Tigris; and Media is a ‘distant land’, although it shares a frontier with Babylonia. There are many details suggesting that DI lived in Jerusalem.
An understanding of poverty from those who are poor
Authors: Collins Stephanie Baker
Published: February 2005

Participatory research in the study of poverty invites those living in difficult circumstances to participate in an analysis of their own livelihood situation. A participatory poverty assessment was facilitated with a small group of women who are members of a food co-operative in Niagara Falls, Canada and who live in poverty. The women explored together issues of well-being, the stress of living in poverty, the role of the social assistance system in shaping their lives and community attitudes. Important themes which emerged included an emphasis on social relationships, the impact of the pervasive scrutiny of the social assistance bureaucracy, the importance of community good will and the possibilities for community action. This article discusses the contribution of local knowledge to an understanding of poverty as well as the limitations of participation in changing social policy.
Reflections on Erica Gabrielle Foldy’s first-person inquiry
Authors:   European-American Collaborative Challenging Whiteness
Published: February 2005

In support of Erica Foldy’s premise that we cannot learn about race until we make it a ‘discussable’, we join her in reflecting on the relationship between her white identity and her dissertation research. We describe experiences of our own that are very like Erica’s – seeking absolution and approval from people of color, hoping that we can develop relationships with people of color that will somehow transcend race, taking responsibility for our limited consciousness about white hegemony so that people of color won’t have to spend so much effort educating us. We also explore what we think are unanswered questions in Erica’s first-person inquiry and conclude by describing an important state of inquiring mind that we call critical humility.
Astrocyte production of the chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-2 is inhibited by the spice principle curcumin at the level of gene transcription
Authors: Tomita Michiyo , Holman Brita J , Santoro Christopher P , Santoro Thomas J
Published: February 2005

Background

In neuropathological processes associated with neutrophilic infiltrates, such as experimental allergic encephalitis and traumatic injury of the brain, the CXC chemokine, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) is thought to play a pivotal role in the induction and perpetuation of inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). The origin of MIP-2 in inflammatory disorders of the brain has not been fully defined but astrocytes appear to be a dominant source of this chemokine.

Curcumin is a spice principle in, and constitutes approximately 4 percent of, turmeric. Curcumin's immunomodulating and antioxidant activities suggest that it might be a useful adjunct in the treatment of neurodegenerative illnesses characterized by inflammation. Relatively unexplored, but relevant to its potential therapeutic efficacy in neuroinflammatory syndromes is the effect of curcumin on chemokine production. To examine the possibility that curcumin may influence CNS inflammation by mechanisms distinct from its known anti-oxidant activities, we studied the effect of this spice principle on the synthesis of MIP-2 by astrocytes.

Methods

Primary astrocytes were prepared from neonatal brains of CBA/CaJ mice. The cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide in the presence or absence of various amount of curcumin or epigallocatechin gallate. MIP-2 mRNA was analyzed using semi-quantitative PCR and MIP-2 protein production in the culture supernatants was quantified by ELISA. Astrocytes were transfected with a MIP-2 promoter construct, pGL3-MIP-2, and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide in the presence or absence of curcumin.

Results

The induction of MIP-2 gene expression and the production of MIP-2 protein were inhibited by curcumin. Curcumin also inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced transcription of the MIP-2 promoter reporter gene construct in primary astrocytes. However MIP-2 gene induction by lipopolysaccharide was not inhibited by another anti-oxidant, epigallocatechin gallate.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that curcumin potently inhibits MIP-2 production at the level of gene transcription and offer further support for its potential use in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the CNS.
Plasma Bikunin As a Favorable Prognostic Factor in Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Matsuzaki Hidenori , Kobayashi Hiroshi , Yagyu Tatsuo , Wakahara Kiyoshi , Kondo Toshiharu , Kurita Noriyuki , Sekino Hideo , Inagaki Kiyokazu , Suzuki Mika , Kanayama Naohiro , Terao Toshihiko
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Bikunin is a multifunctional glycoprotein, which mediates suppression of tumor cell invasion and metastasis. The measurement of bikunin levels in the tissue of patients with malignant diseases has been introduced as a new and simple diagnostic tool for the evaluation of prognosis. The high bikunin expression in ovarian cancer tissue would enable the use of soluble bikunin protein present in the circulation of ovarian cancer patients as a biomarker of disease.

Patients and Methods

We developed a double-antibody immunoassay for bikunin and detected its presence in normal human circulation. We quantified, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or immunoblot assay bikunin in sera from 200 healthy women (controls), 200 patients with benign gynecologic diseases, and 327 patients with ovarian cancer before surgical removal of the tumor.

Results

When the values of bikunin corresponding to the median were used as the cutoff value (11.5 μg/mL), low plasma bikunin was strongly associated with late-stage, suboptimal debulking with large residual tumor (> 2 cm) and low response to chemotherapy. The median survival time of the patients with a high bikunin level was more than 60 months as compared with 26 months among those with low bikunin level (P = .002). This difference corresponded to a 2.2-fold increased risk of dying for the lower plasma bikunin patients (hazard ratio, 0.45; P = .023) and remained significant in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.63; P = .041).

Conclusion

Preoperative plasma bikunin concentration is a strong and independent favorable prognostic marker for ovarian cancer.
Supradose Intra-Arterial Cisplatin and Concurrent Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Stage IV Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Feasible and Efficacious in a Multi-Institutional Setting: Results of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Trial 9615
Authors: Robbins K. Thomas , Kumar Parvesh , Harris Jonathan , McCulloch Timothy , Cmelak Anthony , Sofferman Robert , Levine Paul , Weisman Robert , Wilson William , Weymuller Ernest , Fu Karen
Published: February 2005

Purpose

To determine the feasibility of high-dose intra-arterial (IA) cisplatin and concurrent radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in the multi-institutional setting (Multi-RADPLAT).

Patients and Methods

Eligibility included T4 squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx. Patients received cisplatin (150 mg/m2 IA with sodium thiosulfate 9 g/m2 intravenous [IV], followed by 12 g/m2 IV over 6 hours, weekly for 4 weeks) and concurrent RT (70 Gy, 2.0 Gy/fraction, daily for 5 days over 7 weeks). Between May 1997 and December 1999, 67 patients from three experienced and eight inexperienced centers were enrolled, of whom 61 were eligible for analysis.

Results

Multi-RADPLAT was feasible (ie, three or four infusions of IA cisplatin and full dose of RT) in 53 patients (87%). The complete response (CR) rate was 85% at the primary site and 88% at nodal regions, and the overall CR rate was 80%. At a median follow-up of 3.9 years for alive patients (range, 0.9 to 6.1 years), the estimated 1-year and 2-year locoregional tumor control rates are 66% and 57%, respectively. The estimated 1-year and 2-year survival rates are 72% and 63%, respectively. The estimated 1-year and 2-year disease-free survival rates are 62% and 46%, respectively. The rates of grade 4 and 5 toxicities at the experienced and the inexperienced institutions were 14% and 0% v 47% and 4%, respectively.

Conclusion

This intensive treatment regimen for head and neck cancer is feasible and effective in a multi-institutional setting.
High Risk of Brain Metastases in Surgically Staged IIIA Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Surgery, Chemotherapy, and Radiation
Authors: Mamon Harvey J. , Yeap Beow Yong , Jänne Pasi A. , Reblando Jason , Shrager Sarah , Jaklitsch Michael T. , Mentzer Steven , Lukanich Jeanne M. , Sugarbaker David J. , Baldini Elizabeth H. , Berman Stuart , Skarin Arthur , Bueno Raphael
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. We sought to review our experience with surgically staged IIIA (N2) non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), focusing on the patterns of failure in consecutively treated patients from 1988 to 2000.

Patients and Methods

The records of 177 patients were reviewed. Collected data included stage, histology, use of chemotherapy and radiation, initial and subsequent sites of failure, and survival. One hundred twenty-four patients have died; follow-up time is 35 months among the remaining patients.

Results

The median survival from the time of surgery was 21.0 months, with a 3-year overall survival (OS) of 34%. Nodal downstaging to N0 disease correlated with OS and progression-free survival (PFS; P < .001). The most common site of recurrence was the brain. Thirty-four percent of patients recurred in the brain as their first site of failure, and 40% of patients developed brain metastases at some point in their course. In patients with nonsquamous histology and residual nodal involvement after neoadjuvant therapy, the risk of brain metastases was 53% at 3 years.

Conclusion

Patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy for N2-positive stage IIIA NSCLC enjoy an advantage in both OS and PFS if their lymph node status is downstaged to N0. Because brain metastases constitute the most common site of failure in these patients, future studies focusing on prophylaxis of brain metastases may improve the outcome in patients with stage IIIA NSCLC.
Pivotal Study of Iodine-131–Labeled Chimeric Tumor Necrosis Treatment Radioimmunotherapy in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer
Authors: Chen Shaoliang , Yu Like , Jiang Changying , Zhao Yan , Sun Da , Li Shenyu , Liao Guoqing , Chen Yangchun , Fu Qing , Tao Qun , Ye Dan , Hu Peisheng , Khawli Leslie A. , Taylor Clive R. , Epstein Alan L. , Ju Dian Wen
Published: February 2005

Purpose

Tumor necrosis treatment (TNT) uses degenerating tumor cells and necrotic regions of tumors as targets for radioimmunotherapy. Previous studies in animal tumor models and clinical trials have demonstrated that when linked to the therapeutic radionuclide iodine-131, recombinant chimeric TNT antibody (131I-chTNT) can deliver therapeutic doses to tumors regardless of the location or type of malignancy. Therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of 131I-chTNT in advanced lung cancer patients were studied in this pivotal registration trial.

Patients and Methods

Patients with advanced lung cancer were treated with systemic or intratumoral injection of 131I-chTNT in eight oncology centers in China. The objective response rate (ORR) was assessed as the primary end point.

Results

All 107 patients who were entered onto the study and completed therapy had experienced treatment failure after prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy a mean of three times. The results showed an ORR of 34.6% (complete response, 3.7%; partial response, 30.8%; no change, 55.1%; and progressive disease, 10.3%) in all patients and 33% in 97 non–small-cell lung cancer patients. A biodistribution study demonstrated excellent localization of the radioactivity in tumors in both systemically and intratumorally injected patients. The most obvious adverse side effect was mild and reversible bone marrow suppression.

Conclusion

Radioimmunotherapy with 131I-chTNT was well tolerated and can be used systemically or locally to treat refractory tumors of the lung.