From Erasmus to Maius:The History of Codex Vaticanus in New Testament Textual Scholarship

The famous Codex Vaticanus (Vat. gr. 1209 in the Vatican Library) is currently regarded as one of the most essential sources for reconstructing the Greek text of the New Testament. Although it had already been used by textual critics from the sixteenth century onward, the manuscript only rose to the prominent status it now holds in the course of the nineteenth century. This PhD thesis writes the scholarly history of Codex Vaticanus, beginning from Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) and his Greek New Testament editions until the editio princeps of this manuscript prepared by Cardinal Angelus Maius (1782–1854). In this time-period that spans 350 years, perceptions of this manuscript changed profoundly. For a long time it had been seen as an inferior witness, useless for making the Greek New Testament edition. However, scholars gradually discovered its value and importance, and their appreciation eventually led to the consensus that considers its text as foundational for the Modern Critical Text, the basis for many contemporary vernacular translations of the New Testament.By examining critical editions, analysing monographs and articles, considering book reviews and pamphlets, and delving into archive collections, the present study delineates the stages of the manuscript’s progression from an ancient manuscript held at the Vatican Library to its designation as the ‘Codex Vaticanus’. It is a study of the many individuals and their stories surrounding this very manuscript, stories about accessibility and the dissemination of knowledge, authority and head-on collisions between the most learned critics, and of continuity and changing paradigms in scholarship. All in all, this thesis sets out how Codex Vaticanus became the manuscript par excellence in the history of New Testament textual scholarship

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in relation to atherosclerotic lipid profiles in middle-aged and elderly diabetic patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>To evaluate the association between AGEs and atherosclerotic lipid profiles among aging diabetic patients in Taiwan.</p> <p>Design and Methods</p> <p>After age and gender matching, we selected 207 diabetic subjects and 174 diabetic subjects with proteinuria. Lipid profiles, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density cholesterol-lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) were measured using standard methods. AGEs were measured with the immunoassay method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In general, males were heavier; however, females had higher AGEs, fasting glucose (GLU), TC, HDL-C and LDL-C levels than males, and had higher TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C, and TG/HDL-C ratios compared to males. AGEs were more strongly correlated with TG levels and TCL/LDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and TG/HDL-C ratios when compared to glucose or hemoglobin A1c. Subjects had higher AGEs levels (≧ 2.0 AU) with more adverse lipid profiles.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>AGEs seem to be a good biomarker to evaluate the association between diabetes and atherosclerotic disorders in aging diabetes.</p

In response to the English divide : our ten-year service-learning journey

Whether a small-scale intensive Service-Learning project makes an impact or not? This is a question we have been asking ourselves over the past ten years. In 2005, this S-L project was initiated to respond to a call from an elementary school located in central Taiwan. Since then, students and faculty of the English Department have been collaborating closely with teachers in the local community. The driving force behind this ten-year long journey is our urge to bridge this English Divide, a socially-rooted issue in education and also the ugly reality we hate to confront. In this AR research study, we intend to examine the developmental process of partnership building among student participants, faculty, institutions and communities in the five S-L stages through the lens of Service-Learning Program Planning Model (SLPPM). Researchers argue that program planning would impact on the quality of S-L practices, and call for improving research as a tool to involve community voices and to enhance reciprocity. Well-integrated program design that includes academic studies/professional knowledge, structured reflections, and continuous dialogue with the community, is essential to maximize and sustain learning and to improve the pedagogy. To analyze the complex negotiation and communication throughout the whole process, qualitative data including reflections, interviews, and observation logs are collected. Through interactions with community partners during service and through further data analysis after service, a deeper understanding of various contextual factors and the local community\u27s needs is gained and reciprocity facilitated. Aspects addressed in our study include: 1. Which contextual factors underlying the English Divide are crucial in this S-L project? 2. What transformation process do participating students undergo during the process of partnership building? 3. Which possible roles do the participants carry and which meaning perspective do they construct in the research process? This action research provides a more systematic analysis of our ten-year S-L experiences. It demonstrates how students\u27 active participation in the research process helps to develop a deeper understanding of the community needs and to contribute to a sustainable partnership

FOXO/Fringe is necessary for maintenance of the germline stem cell niche in response to insulin insufficiency

AbstractThe stem cell niche houses and regulates stem cells by providing both physical contact and local factors that regulate stem cell identity. The stem cell niche also plays a role in integrating niche-local and systemic signals, thereby ensuring that the balance of stem cells meets the needs of the organism. However, it is not clear how these signals are merged within the niche. Nutrient-sensing insulin/FOXO signaling has been previously shown to directly control Notch activation in the Drosophila female germline stem cell (GSC) niche, which maintains the niche and GSC identity. Here, we demonstrate that FOXO directly activates transcription of fringe, a gene encoding a glycosyltransferase that modulates Notch glycosylation. Fringe facilitates Notch inactivation in the GSC niche when insulin signaling is low. We also show that the Notch ligand predominantly involved is GSC niche-derived Delta. These results reveal that FOXO-mediated regulation of fringe links the insulin and Notch signaling pathways in the GSC niche in response to nutrition, and emphasize that stem cells are regulated by complex interactions between niche-local and systemic signals

Comparison between Subjective Sensations during First and Second Phacoemulsification Eye Surgeries in Patients with Bilateral Cataract

Purpose. To evaluate and compare the subjective sensations reported by patients during first and second cataract extractions. Methods. Consecutive patients undergoing bilateral sequential cataract extraction using phacoemulsification were recruited. Following cataract surgery, patients completed questionnaires designed to evaluate subjective sensations, including anxiety, eye bulges, pain, and light sensitivity. Changes in painful sensations experienced by patients between the two surgeries were also recorded. Comparisons were also performed for each subjective sensation between different age groups (<50, 50–59, 60–69, 70–79, and >79 years). Results. A total of 127 patients were included in the final evaluation. Statistical comparison of the results showed that there were significant differences in perception of anxiety, eye bulges, and pain scores between the first and second cataract surgeries (P<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference for light sensitivity scores between the two surgeries (P=0.555). The differences in anxiety, perception of eye bulges, pain, and light sensitivity scores between both the surgeries showed no correlation with age (P>0.05 for all). Conclusions. Our research confirms the common observation that patients with bilateral cataracts often report more ocular discomfort during the second surgery. There are, therefore, additional factors that should be considered upon treating patients with bilateral cataracts, and the provision of preoperative counseling could play an important role in providing adequate patient care

The Phytochemical Shikonin Stimulates Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in Skin Wound Healing

Although various pharmacological activities of the shikonins have been documented, understanding the hierarchical regulation of these diverse bioactivities at the genome level is unsubstantiated. In this study, through cross examination between transcriptome and microRNA array analyses, we predicted that topical treatment of shikonin in vivo affects epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the expression of related microRNAs, including 200a, 200b, 200c, 141, 205, and 429 microRNAs, in mouse skin tissues. In situ immunohistological analyses further demonstrated that specific EMT regulatory molecules are enhanced in shikonin-treated epidermal tissues. RT-PCR analyses subsequently confirmed that shikonin treatment downregulated expression of microRNA-205 and other members of the 200 family microRNAs. Further, expression of two RNA targets of the 200 family microRNAs in EMT regulation, Sip1 (Zeb2) and Tcf8 (Zeb1), was consistently upregulated by shikonin treatment. Enhancement of these EMT activities was also detected in shikonin-treated wounds, which repaired faster than controls. These results suggest that topical treatment with shikonin can confer a potent stimulatory effect on EMT and suppress the expression of the associated microRNAs in skin wound healing. Collectively, these cellular and molecular data provide further evidence in support of our previous findings on the specific pharmacological effects of shikonin in wound healing and immune modulation