The Ordination of Deaconesses as a Reconciliatory and Liberating Praxis

The main purpose of this article is to analyze the event of female diaconal ordination in the Eastern Early Church in response to very important needs. The hypothesis of this work is to retrieve and also analyze contextual elements in relation to needs in the praxes of the early church and its great Fathers, in ordaining women to the diaconate, and to identify significant theoethical values that are derived from those praxes in the early Tradition of the church

The Synod Guiding the Church: A Patristic and Theoethical Perspective

The notion of the synod of hierarchs of the Orthodox Church, as a final authority for guiding the church derives from the biblical example of the first synod of the Apostles. This Synod in Jerusalem even included the Apostle Paul. In this paper, I will focus on the idea of the synod of the hierarchs of a national church which also accepts the principle of freedom of religion. The synod of hierarchs guides the church by defining praxes for the needs of others in its ministry. Our present discussion turns around principles of Orthodox contextual theoethical thought. To that end, I will argue that the hierarchs of the synod require additional input, apart from their own priestly insights, in order appropriately to fulfill their mission of guiding the church. One of the chief motives of this paper is to examine the reasons why Orthodox hierarchs in synod need ideas and creative input from the other ranks of clergy, including ordained deaconesses, as well the laity, both male and female; all with their own irreplaceable perspectives on truth gained from life-experiences

Castrati singers: surgery for religion and art

The act of castration was practiced from ancient times. In countries of Middle and Far East, castration was often done to provide eunuchs as guardians of the harems. In Europe and especially in Italy, it was carried out to preserve the male voice unbroken into adult life. From 16th century till the end of 18th century, castrati singers dominated opera with their supernatural voices. Boys were castrated mainly before the age of 9 years and when they grew up they had feminine characteristics, such as smooth, hairless bodies, breasts, infantile penis. The training procedure to become a castrato singer was very intense and lasted up to ten years. The most common surgical technique was either to sever the spermatic cords or crush the testis with the fingers. The voice of a castrato was the outcome of a larynx the size of a child’s combined with the lung volume of an adult male. The castrati singers became superstars who dominated opera, singing both male and female roles for more than 200 years. Castrated for art, the beauty, range and flexibility of their voices raised them to mythical status

Power and Authority in Eastern Christian Experience: Papers of the Sophia Institute Academic Conference New York, December 2010

The essays in this volume were delivered at the Third Annual Conference of the Sophia Institute in December 2010 at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. The theme of that conference, “Power and Authority in Eastern Christian Experience,” brought forth a diverse group of scholars who contributed their perspectives on the ways the Eastern Orthodox Church, in its broadest sense, has negotiated the notions of power, authority, (dis)obedience, and resistance over time and space. These insightful essays promise to draw the Orthodox world into a dynamic and productive discourse

Diseases in the Byzantine world with special emphasis on the nephropathies

Using medical manuscripts and texts from the Byzantine period (330-1453), this article describes various, to date little discussed, aspects of Byzantine nosology, public health and therapeutics. Many diseases in the Byzantine era were widespread and had a high morbidity such as respiratory diseases, various kinds of anaemia, pestilential diseases (e.g. quartan fever, plague, dysentery and cholera), parasitic diseases, orthopaedic, rheumatic and psychiatric disorders, trachoma and alcoholism. Other very serious and relatively frequent conditions included leprosy, mania, gout, cancerous tumours and ulcers. Important elements of nephrology and various renal diseases were described and investigated, such as acute and chronic renal failure, acute and chronic nephritis, pyelonephritis, necrotic renal diseases, crush syndrome, and ulcers of the kidneys, i.e. tuberculosis or renal tumours. The microhistology and physiology of the kidneys were first studied by Oribasius, who discerned the existence of the capillaries - <tau rho iota chi omicron epsilon iota delta(eta)over tilde> - some centuries before Malpighi. He also correctly described the blood circulation, general and pulmonary, as a precursor to Harvey. The first hospitals were organised during the Byzantine period, and the practice of Byzantine medical science and its social applications were regulated by a special medical legislation and deontology. Byzantine medicine was fruitfully connected with the Christian faith and developed the supreme model of the saints unmercenary - alpha nu alpha rho gamma nu rho omicron iota - physicians such as Cosmas and Damian (3rd century), Panteleemon (3rd-4th centuris) and the women physicians and miracle-worker saints, Zenais and Philonilla (1st century), the ‘friends of peace’, and Hermione (1st-2nd centuries)

Μελέτη των μορίων RPA και NFkB σε διάχυτα αστροκυτώματα εγκεφάλου

Replication protein A (RPA), is a single stranded DNA (ssDNA)-binding protein which is required for stabilization of ss-DNA and identified in replication foci where members of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) –cyclin complexes are also present. It is a protein of heterotrimer composed of three tightly associated subunits of 70, 32 and 14kDa, referred as RPA1, RPA2 and RPA3 respectively.NF-κB proteins comprise a family of structurally- related transcription factors, including NF-κB1 (p50), p65 (RelA), c-Rel, p52 and RelB, all of which have a conserved N-terminal Rel homology domain (RHD) that contains the DNA-binding and dimerization regions. NF-κB is present in the cytosol in an inactive state, complexed with the inhibitory IkB protein. Following several signaling events, free NF-κB accumulates in the nucleous, where it is able to transactivate several target genes implicated in cell survival/apoptosis, cell growth, immune response, and inflammation. Although NF-κB has been reported to be constitutively activated in various neoplasms, little information is available about its clinical significance in astrocytomas.In this study we investigated the association of NF-κB1/p50 and pIkBa immunohistochemical expression with clinicopathologic features in paraffin- embedded tissue from 82 patients with astrocytomas. We also investigated the expression of RPA1 and RPA2 subunits of RPA protein in correlation with cyclin D2, cyclin D3 and NF-κB expression and assessed their prognostic significance in 61 patients with astrocytomas.pIkBa expression was positively correlated with nuclear (p=0,0010) and negatively with cytoplasmic (p=0,0008) NF-κB1/p50 expression. Nuclear NF-κB1/p50 and pIkBa expression increased with tumor grade (p=0,0001 and p<0,0001 respectively). Nuclear NF-κB1/p50 expression was positively correlated with RPA1, RPA2, Cyclin D2 and D3 expression, although these relationships failed to retain their statistical significance when they were adjusted for histologic grade.Statistically significant positive associations emerged also between: RPA1 and RPA2 protein expression (p<0,0001). Cyclin D2 and D3 expression (p<0,0001). RPA1, RPA2, cyclins D2 and D3 expression and histologic grade (p=0,0001 in all correlations). RPA1 and cyclin D2 or D3 expression (p<0,0001). RPA2 and cyclin D2 or D3 expression (p<0,0001).Myltivariated analysis selected NF-κB/p50 expression as an independent prognostic factor not only for the entire cohort (p= 0,0220), but also for grades II/III (p=0,0029) and grade IV cases (p=0,0310).RPA2 expression appeared to independently affect survival in grade IV (p=0,005) as well as in the entire cohort (p=0,006). RPA1 , cyclin D2 and cyclin D3 appeared not to influence survival in lower grades (II/III), either by univariate of by multivariate analysis.Our results suggest that nuclear NF-κB1/p50 expression is dictated by its interaction with IkBa in astrocytomas and is associated with tumor grade, denoting the importance of nuclear NF-κB/p50 expression in patient’s prognosis.On the other hand RPA1, RPA2, cyclin D2 and cyclin D3, seem to have a parallel role in the promotion of cell cycle in astrocytic tumors, being implicated in the malignant progression of these neoplasms. Moreover, RPA2 protein appears also to be another useful prognostic indicator in patients with astrocytomas.Η πρωτεΐνη αντιγραφής Α (RPA) είναι μια πρωτεΐνη σύνδεσης της μονής έλικας DNA η οποία απαιτείται για την σταθεροποίησή της και ανευρίσκεται στις θέσης αντιγραφής όπου ανευρίσκονται, επίσης, μέλη των συμπλεγμάτων κυκλινών- εξαρτομένων από τις κυκλίνες κινασών. Είναι μια ετεροτριμερής πρωτεΐνη που αποτελείται από τρεις ισχυρά συνδεδεμένες υπομονάδες των 70, 32 και 14kDa που καλούνται RPA1, RPA2 και RPA3 αντίστοιχα.Οι πρωτεΐνες NF-κB αποτελούν μία οικογένεια δομικά σχετιζόμενων μεταγραφικών παραγόντων, που συμπεριλαμβάνει τις: NF-κB1 (p50), p65 (RelA), c-Rel, p52 και RelB. Οι πρωτεΐνες αυτές έχουν διατηρήσει την αμινοτελική Rel ομόλογη περιοχή που συμπεριλαμβάνει περιοχές σύνδεσης του DNA και διμερισμού. Ο NF-κB βρίσκεται στο κυτταρόπλασμα σε ανενεργή μορφή συνδεδεσμένος με την πρωτεΐνη αναστολέα IkB. Ως αποτέλεσμα σηματοδότης, ελεύθερα μόρια NF-κB συσσωρεύονται στον πυρήνα, όπου μπορούν να ενεργοποιήσουν γονίδια στόχους που εμπλέκονται στην κυτταρική επιβίωση/απόπτωση, κυτταρική αύξηση, ανοσοαπόκριση και φλεγμονή. Παρότι έχει αναφερθεί η συστηματική ενεργοποίηση του παράγοντα NF-κB σε διαφορετικούς τύπους νεοπλασμάτων, λίγα είναι γνωστά για την κλινική σημασία του σε αστροκυτώματα.Στην παρούσα μελέτη μελετήθηκε η συσχέτιση της ανοσοϊστοχημικής έκφρασης του NF-κB1/p50 και του pIkBa με κλινικοπαθολογοανατομικές παραμέτρους σε υλικό από κύβους παραφίνης, προερχόμενο από 82 ασθενείς με αστροκυτώματα. Μελετήθηκε, επίσης, η έκφραση των υπομονάδων RPA1 και RPA2 της πρωτεΐνης RPA σε σχέση με τις κυκλίνες D2, D3 και τον NF-κB και διερευνήθηκε η προγνωστική σημασία τους σε 61 ασθενείς με αστροκυτώματα Η έκφραση του pIkBa συσχετιζόταν θετικά με την πυρηνική (p=0,0010) και αρνητικά με την κυτταροπλασματική (p=0,0008) έκφραση του NF-κB1/p50. Tόσο η πυρηνική έκφραση του NF-κB1/p50, όσο και η έκφραση του pIkBa αυξάνονταν παράλληλα με το βαθμό κακοηθείας (grade) (p=0,0001, p<0,0001 αντίστοιχα). Η πυρηνική έκφραση του NF-κB1/p50 συσχετιζόταν θετικά με την έκφραση των RPA1, RPA2, κυκλίνης D2 κυκλίνης D3, αν και οι συσχετίσεις αυτές απέτυχαν να διατηρήσουν τη στατιστική σημαντικότητά τους όταν διορθώθηκαν ως προς τον ιστολογικό βαθμό κακοηθείας (grade).Θετικές στατιστικά σημαντικές συσχετίσεις προέκυψαν επίσης μεταξύ: RPA1 και RPA2 (p<0,0001). Κυκλίνης D2 και D3 (p<0,0001). Κάθε ενός των παραγόντων RPA1, RPA2, κυκλίνης D2 και D3 και του ιστολογικού βαθμού κακοηθείας (grade) (p=0,0001 σε όλες τις συσχετίσεις). RPA1 και κυκλίνης D2 ή D3 (p<0,0001). RPA2 και κυκλίνης D2 ή D3 (p<0,0001).Η πολυπαραγοντική ανάλυση επέλεξε την έκφραση του NF-κB/p50 ως ανεξάρτητου προγνωστικού δείκτη όχι μόνο για το συνολικό δείγμα (p= 0,0220), αλλά επίσης και για τις υποομάδες των grades II/III (p=0,0029) και grade IV περιπτώσεων (p=0,0310).Η έκφραση της RPA2 φαίνεται να επηρεάζει ανεξάρτητα την επιβίωση στην υποομάδα των grade IV ασθενών (p=0,005), όπως επίσης και στο συνολικό δείγμα (p=0,006). Οι παράγοντες RPA1, κυκλίνη D2 και κυκλίνη D3 φαίνεται να μην επηρρεάζουν την επιβίωση στην ομάδα των χαμηλότερων grades (II/III), τόσο σε μονοπαραγοντική όσο και σε πολυπαραγοντική ανάλυση. Τα αποτελέσματά μας υποδηλώνουν ότι η πυρηνική έκφραση του NF-κB1/p50 υπαγορεύεται από την αλληλεπίδρασή του με τον IkBa στα αστροκυτώματα και συσχετίζεται με το βαθμό κακοηθείας, κάνοντας φανερή τη σημασία της πυρηνικής έκφρασης του NF-κB/p50 ως προς την πρόγνωση του ασθενούς.Παράλληλα οι παράγοντες RPA1, RPA2, κυκλίνη D2 και κυκλίνη D3, φαίνεται να διαδραματίζουν παράλληλο ρόλο στην πρόοδο του κυτταρικού κύκλου σε αστροκυτταρικούς όγκους, εμπλέκόμενοι στην κακοήθη εξέλιξη των νεοπλασμάτων αυτών. Ιδιαιτέρως η πρωτεΐνη RPA2 φαίνετα να αποτελεί έναν νεό χρήσιμο προγνωστικό παράγοντα σε ασθενείς με αστροκύτωμα

Saint Marina: The protectress of nephrology

Saint virgin and martyr Marina (Margarita) of Antioch in Pisidia (255-270) is recognized as the patron saint of kidney sufferers and the protectress of nephrology. Beginning in the 13th century she heals in particular patients suffering from nephropathies, pregnant women having a difficult childbirth, barren women and sickly children. She protects the patients from every side effect and complication. Saint Marina is represented in hagiography as a victor, defeating the dragon satan, holding a hammer or a cross and wearing a belt around her back in the area of kidneys. According to writers, artists and sculptors the belt is the perceivable means of Saint Marina for the miraculous recovery from and healing of kidney diseases. Therefore, kidney sufferers and pregnant women put belts upon her relies for blessing and then wore them. From the Middle Ages and Renaissance and up to the contemporary period Saint Marina (Margarita) was considered the patron saint of kidney sufferers. Justifiably she is recognized by the modern medical world as the protectress of nephrology