Identifikationsangebote im späten Artusroman

Die Arbeit widmet sich Fragen nach Identifikationsangeboten im späten Artusroman. Ausgehend von soziologischen und psychologischen Begriffsdefinitionen von Identität und Identifikation wende ich mich signifikanten Identifikationsangeboten in der höfischen Literatur zu. Diese werden zunächst unter den Aspekten von Literatur und Kommunikation, gefolgt von gattungsspezifischen und chronologischen Merkmalen des Artusromans betrachtet. Im Zentrum stehen zwei klassische Artusromane Hartmanns von Aue, Erec und Iwein und zwei postklassische Artusromane, Strickers Daniel vom blühenden Tal und Pleiers Garel vom blühenden Tal. Die Suche und Rechtfertigung literarischer Identifikationsangebote der späteren Gattung erfolgt zum einen über die Voraussetzung der klassischen Texte und zum anderen durch eine punktuelle, textimmanente Methode, die jedes Werk für sich beansprucht. Die Beschäftigung mit der Materie der Identifikation zeigte divergierende Schwerpunkte in der Beurteilung bezogen auf Figuren-, Rezipienten-, bzw. Autorebene. Diesen Aspekten wurde daher eine Metastruktur, die ich als direkte, indirekte oder indirekte Identifikation zweiter Ordnung, bzw. als verschleifende Identifikation bezeichnete, übergeordnet. Die Untersuchung des Erec - Textes ergab im Kontext von Unbewusstheit, Männlichkeit und Identitätskonstituenten, Identifikationangebote auf der direkten Figurenebene. Unter den Aspekten von auf Christus bezogener Affektion, auf Handlung, Leistung und im archetypischen Zusammenhang, konnte auf eine indirekte Rezipientenebene verwiesen werden. Betrachtet man den Iwein-Roman, so ergeben sich verschleifende Identifikationsangebote sowohl bei Iwein als Einzelkämpfer, als auch beim Protagonisten mit dem Löwen. Im Blick auf die Dimension der negativen Erfahrungen kommt dagegen ein direktes Identifikationsangebot zum Tragen. Der weiblichen Hauptrolle fallen im Rahmen der idealisierten höfischen Dame indirekte Identifikationsangebote zu, während in der Heiratsthematik sowohl direkte als auch indirekte Angebote zur Identifikation aufscheinen. Im Daniel vom blühenden Tal ist die Hauptfigur als selbstbestimmte Erscheinung in der Ebene der verschleifenden Identifikation zu sehen. Im späten Artusroman des Daniel sind sowohl die Auswirkungen der umstrukturierten Gattung, als auch die Umwertung der höfischen Werte der indirekten Rezipientenebene zuzurechnen. Der Garel vom blühenden Tal zeigt im archaischen Kontext, bezogen auf das Vater-Sohn-Verhältnis, bzw. der Rache-Thematik, Identifikationsangebote auf der direkten Ebene. Indirekte, rezeptionsnahe Angebote lassen sich über eine autorintendierte Dramaturgie und die fragliche Stellung des Artushofs feststellen. Unter den genealogischen Aspekten bezüglich Artus´ Neffen und Garels Kriegshandlungen, die dem Ruhm dienen, sehe ich verschleifende Identifikationangebote. In den Kapiteln über Memoria, über den Autor in der Funktion als Stifter und Garel im Netz seiner sozialen Beziehungen, habe ich Möglichkeiten zur indirekten Identifikation zweiter Ordnung festgestellt. Abschließend erscheint mir in den späten Artus-romanen eine Tendenz zur indirekten, bzw. indirekten Identifikation zweiter Ordnung evident. Gegenüber dem klassischen Genre zeichnet sich daher eine rezeptionsnahe Richtung ab

KRAS mutation analysis in ovarian samples using a high sensitivity biochip assay

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mutations in the <it>KRAS </it>gene are one of the most frequent genetic abnormalities in ovarian carcinoma. They are of renewed interest as new epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapies are being investigated for use in ovarian carcinoma. As <it>KRAS </it>mutations are associated with poor response and resistance to EGFR-targeting drugs, this study was conducted to obtain more information on the spectrum of <it>KRAS </it>mutations in ovarian carcinoma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The presence of <it>KRAS </it>mutations in codon 12 and 13 was analyzed in frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue with a low density biochip platform. 381 malignant (29 borderline malignancy, 270 primary carcinomas, and 82 recurrent carcinomas) and 22 benign tissue samples from a total of 394 patients were examined. <it>KRAS </it>mutational status of each sample was correlated with dignity, FIGO stage, grade, histology, and survival.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>KRAS </it>mutations were found in 60 (15%) samples with 58 samples deriving from malignant tissue and 2 samples deriving from benign tissue. In 55 (92%) samples codon 12 was found to be mutated. Frozen and FFPE samples concurred with respect to <it>KRAS </it>mutation status.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>KRAS </it>mutation is a common event in ovarian cancer primarily in carcinomas of lower grade, lower FIGO stage, and mucinous histotype. The <it>KRAS </it>mutational status is no prognostic factor for patients treated with standard therapy. However, in line with experience from colorectal cancer and non-small-cell-lung cancer (NSCLC), it may be important for prediction of response to EGFR-targeted therapies.</p

Biochip-Based Detection of KRAS Mutation in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This study is aimed at evaluating the potential of a biochip assay to sensitively detect KRAS mutation in DNA from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue samples. The assay covers 10 mutations in codons 12 and 13 of the KRAS gene, and is based on mutant-enriched PCR followed by reverse-hybridization of biotinylated amplification products to an array of sequence-specific probes immobilized on the tip of a rectangular plastic stick (biochip). Biochip hybridization identified 17 (21%) samples to carry a KRAS mutation of which 16 (33%) were adenocarcinomas and 1 (3%) was a squamous cell carcinoma. All mutations were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Using 10 ng of starting DNA, the biochip assay demonstrated a detection limit of 1% mutant sequence in a background of wild-type DNA. Our results suggest that the biochip assay is a sensitive alternative to protocols currently in use for KRAS mutation testing on limited quantity samples

In Vitro Evaluation of Oxoplatin: An Oral Platinum(IV) Anticancer Agent

Platinum(IV) compounds like oxoplatin (cis, cis, trans-diammine-dichlorido-dihydroxido-platinum(IV)) show increased stability and therefore can be applied orally. In a panel of 38 human cancer cell lines this drug induced S-phase arrest and cell death with IC50 values 2.5-fold higher than cisplatin. Oxoplatin may be converted to cisplatin by intracellular reducing agents, however, exposure to 0.1 M HCl mimicking gastric acid yielded cis-diammine-tetrachlorido-platinum(IV) exhibiting twofold increased activity. Similar results were obtained for another platinum(IV) compound, JM 149 (ammine-dichlorido-(cyclohexylamine)-dihydroxido-platinum(IV)), but not for its parent drug JM 216/satraplatin. Genome-wide expression profiling of H526 small cell lung cancer cells treated with these platinum species revealed clear differences in the expression pattern of affected genes between oxoplatin and cisplatin. In conclusion, oxoplatin constitutes a potent oral agent that is either reduced or converted to distinct active compounds, for example, by gastric acid or acidic areas prevailing in solid tumors, in dependence of the respective pharmaceutical formulation

Concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the serum of patients with suspected ovarian cancer.

As a promoter of angiogenesis, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is believed to play a pivotal role in tumour growth and metastasis. The aim of this study was to determine the value of preoperative serum VEGF levels in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses. We examined preoperative serum VEGF levels in healthy women (n = 131), patients with benign ovarian cysts (n = 81) and in ovarian cancer patients (n = 44) by using an ELISA (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA). A logistic regression model was carried out to determine the influence of VEGF and CA 125 on the probability of malignancy. VEGF revealed a significant influence on the odds of presenting with malignancy vs healthy women (P = 0.001). At 363.7 pg ml(-1), VEGF achieved a sensitivity of 54% and a specificity of 77%. With respect to the differentiation between benign cysts and ovarian cancer, CA 125 (P < 0.0001) but not VEGF (P = 0.229) predicts the presence of malignancy in a multivariate model. In conclusion, VEGF does not appear to be a useful tool in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer or for indicating the absence or presence of malignancy in patients with an adnexal mass

DNA amplifications at 20q13 and MDM2 define distinct subsets of evolved breast and ovarian tumours.

DNA amplification seems to be particularly frequent in human breast tumours and has been associated with cancer evolution and aggressiveness. Recent data indicate that new events should be added to the list, such as the amplifications at chromosome 20q13 or the MDM2 gene. The present work aimed at determining the incidence and clinicopathological signification of these amplifications in a large series of breast and ovarian tumours. We tested 1371 breast and 179 ovarian tumours by Southern blotting and observed amplification of 20q13 in 5.4% breast and 2.8% ovarian carcinomas, whereas MDM2 was found amplified in 5.3% and 3.8% of breast and ovarian tumours respectively. MDM2 RNA expression levels were analysed in a subset of 57 breast tumours and overexpression was observed in 4/57 (7%) of the tumours. Elevated expression levels coincided with amplification of the gene. In breast cancer, 20q13 and MDM2 amplifications seem to define subsets of aggressive tumours. Indeed, 20q13 was correlated to axillary nodal involvement and occurred preferentially in younger patients (< 50 years). Furthermore, 20q13 correlated, as did MDM2 amplification, to aneuploidy. In parallel, we had also tested our tumour DNAs for amplification of CCND1, ERBB-2 and MYC, which made it possible to test for correlations with 20q13 or MDM2 amplifications. Whereas 20q13 showed a very strong correlation to CCND1 amplification, that of MDM2 was prevalent in MYC-amplified tumours. Interestingly, 20q13 and MDM2 amplifications showed some degree of correlation to each other, which may possibly be owing to the fact that both events occurred preferentially in aneuploid tumours. In ovarian cancer, no statistically significant correlation was observed. However, 20q13 amplification occurred preferentially in stage 3 tumours and MDM2 was correlated to ERBB-2 amplification. This may suggest that in ovarian tumours also, 20q13 and MDM2 amplifications occur in late or aggressive cancers