Journal articles on the topic 'Cleopatra II'

ABSTRACTThis paper explores a variety of evidence for relations between Cleopatra VII, the last Ptolemaic ruler of Egypt, and her Jewish subjects. In the first part of the paper, the focus is on the profoundly negative portrait of the queen in the works of Josephus, with particular attention to Cleopatra's alleged antipathy to Alexandrian Jews in Josephus's Against Apion. Analysis of Josephus's evidence confirms, I argue, that his case against the queen does not stand up. The second part of the paper offers a detailed consideration of other evidence, epigraphic and literary, which, I suggest, confirms a picture of the queen as continuing the policy of her predecessors with regard to the Jews of the Ptolemaic kingdom, by participating in the long-established practice of extending royal support and protection to Jewish proseuchai (places of prayer). While the evidence does not permit definitive conclusions, it suggests that Cleopatra looked to particular Jewish groups – as to others – within Egypt for support and in this, followed a path taken by Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III. Finally, a few details in Plutarch's Life of Antony may also suggest the queen's political and personal alliances with individual Jews, in Egypt and Judea.

This article examines the so-called ‘Africa’ dish, part of a treasure trove of silver table-ware discovered in a cistern at the Villa della Pisanella, avilla rusticadestroyed in the eruption of Vesuvius inad79. It proposes a new interpretation of the dish's iconography and argues that the woman in the centre of the emblema is Cleopatra Selene, while the attributes surrounding her reference her parents Cleopatra VII and Marcus Antonius, her brothers Alexander Helios and Ptolemy Philadelphus, her husband Juba II of Mauretania, and their mythological ancestor the demi-god Heracles. Thus the emblema serves as a meditation on the fates of Antony and Cleopatra VII, descendants of Heracles who chose the path of vice, a choice that resulted in their defeat by Octavian at the Battle of Actium. Octavian's virtue, victory and clemency, combined with his guardianship of their children, ensured the subsequent promotion of their daughter Cleopatra Selene as a key figure in his dynastic and political strategy, through her marriage to Juba II and the couple's appointment as client rulers of Mauretania. Also supposedly descended from Heracles, Juba II and Cleopatra Selene chose to follow in their illustrious ancestor's footsteps along the path of virtue. In common with other pieces from the treasure trove, the ‘Africa’ dish alludes to recent historical events and personages, utilizes death as a means of promoting the enjoyment of life, and incorporates popular elements of Greek mythology, all the while offering banqueters an erudite puzzle to solve during the course of their banquet.

In this paper – the revised text of a public lecture given in Athens on 23 February 1989 – the author reviews both the historical and anatomical evidence for identifying the occupants of the royal tombs at Vergina as: Tomb I: not known; Tomb II: Philip II and either Cleopatra or Meda; Tomb III: Alexander IV. The case for Philip III Arrhidaios and Eurydice in Tomb II is shown to be anthropologically weak. The paper also includes a catalogue of the human remains from Tomb II antechamber (Cleopatra or Meda) and Tomb III (Alexander IV). The arrival of cremation in Greece, and both Homeric and later Macedonian attitudes to the rite are also discussed. The general conclusion is that cremations are a valuable source of biological and archaeological information.

Abstract The epithet “god Neos Philopatôr” was used for the prince Ptolemy “Memphitês”, killed in 130 BC by his father Ptolemy VIII Euergetês II during the conflict against his mother Cleopatra II, but then introduced in the Ptolemaic dynastic cult before the amnesty decrees of 118 BC, as a sign of reconciliation. This Greek title led to different translations in Demotic, which depended on the geographical origin of the scribes.

El presente trabajo constituye la segunda parte de un estudio amplio sobre la presencia de la figura del emperador Augusto en la cultura popular, con especial atención a las recreaciones en el cómic y en el cine. Se estudian aquí las imágenes que de la figura de Augusto han proyectado algunas producciones cinematográficas y televisivas, como Cleopatra, Yo, Claudio, Roma, Imperio, Augusto el primer emperador y Los cántabros.

Production of tetraploid somatic hybrids that combine complementary diploid rootstock germplasm via protoplast fusion has become a practical strategy for citrus rootstock improvement, with the overall objective of packaging necessary disease and pest resistance into horticulturally desirable, widely adapted rootstocks. Citrus somatic hybridization techniques have been advanced to the point where numerous somatic hybrid rootstocks can now be produced and propagated for evaluation on a timely basis. Herein we report the production of 11 new somatic hybrid rootstock candidates from 12 different parents, including Milam lemon hybrid (Citrus jambhiri Lush.), Cleopatra mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco), sour orange (C. aurantium L.), `Succari' sweet orange [C. sinensis (L.) Osbeck], `Redblush' grapefruit (C. paradisi Macf.), `Nova' tangelo [C. reticulata × (C. paradisi × C. reticulata)], `Kinkoji' (C. obovoidea Hort. Ex Takahashi), Swingle citrumelo [C. paradisi × Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.], Carrizo citrange (C. sinensis × P. trifoliata), rough lemon 8166 (C. jambhiri), and Palestine sweet lime (C. limettoides Tan.). All hybrids were confirmed by cytological and VNTR-PCR analyses, and have been propagated, budded with a commercial scion, and field-planted for performance evaluation.

134 Background: Pertuzumab (P) is a monoclonal antibody which binds to extracellular domain II of HER2 distally from trastuzumab (H), disrupting HER2 dimerization and signaling. The CLEOPATRA phase III trial showed that HP + docetaxel in HER2+ MBC prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) compared to placebo + H + docetaxel. We report preliminary results of a phase II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of weekly paclitaxel (T) with HP (THP). Methods: Patients (pts) with HER2+ MBC with 0-1 prior treatment (Rx) are eligible. Pts receive weekly (w) paclitaxel (80mg/m2), q3w trastuzumab (loading dose 8mg/kg → 6mg/kg), and q3w pertuzumab (flat loading dose 840mg → flat dose 420mg). The primary endpoint is PFS at 6 months (mo). Secondary endpoints include response, safety (including cardiac events), and tolerability. Evaluable pts are those who have started study Rx and are assessed at 6 mo for PFS. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is monitored by echocardiogram every 3 mo. Cardiac events are defined as symptomatic LV systolic dysfunction (LVSD), non-LVSD cardiac death, or probable cardiac death. Results: As of 5-1-12, 33 of the planned 69 pts were enrolled; 16 were evaluable at 6 mo. Of the 16 pts, G 3/4 toxicities included sepsis (1pt, 6%), cholecystitis (1pt, 6%), fatigue (1pt, 6%), skin ulceration (1pt, 6%) and cystic macular degeneration (1 pt with prior prolonged Rx with paclitaxel, 6%). G 1/2 toxicities included alopecia (16 pts, 100%), fatigue (15 pts, 94%), ALT/AST elevation (14 pts, 88%), neuropathy (14 pts, 88%), diarrhea (12 pts, 75%), rash (9 pts, 56%), nail changes (8 pts, 50%), nausea (7 pts, 44%), mucositis (7 pts, 44%), and dry skin (6 pts, 38%). Median LVEF was 63% at baseline, 60% at 3 mo and 58% at 6 mo. There were no cardiac events. At 6 mo, 12/16 pts (75%) were progression-free (2 CR, 7 PR and 3 SD); 4 pts progressed. Conclusions: Our single-center phase II study continues to accrue, with no significant diarrhea or signal of increased cardiac toxicity to date. If the estimate of activity is similar to results with docetaxel in CLEOPATRA, this will provide support for THP as an alternative option in this setting.

King Philip II was the father of Alexander the Great. He suffered a notorious penetrating wound by a lance through his leg that was nearly fatal and left him lame in 339 B.C.E. (i.e., 3 y before his assassination in 336 B.C.E.). In 1977 and 1978 two male skeletons were excavated in the Royal Tombs II and I of Vergina, Greece, respectively. Tomb I also contained another adult (likely a female) and a newborn skeleton. The current view is that Philip II was buried in Tomb II. However, the male skeleton of Tomb II bears no lesions to his legs that would indicate lameness. We investigated the skeletal material of Tomb I with modern forensic techniques. The male individual in Tomb I displays a conspicuous case of knee ankylosis that is conclusive evidence of lameness. Right through the overgrowth of the knee, there is a hole. There are no obvious signs that are characteristic of infection and osteomyelitis. This evidence indicates that the injury was likely caused by a severe penetrating wound to the knee, which resulted in an active inflammatory process that stopped years before death. Standard anthropological age-estimation techniques based on dry bone, epiphyseal lines, and tooth analysis gave very wide age ranges for the male, centered around 45 y. The female would be around 18-y-old and the infant would be a newborn. It is concluded that King Philip II, his wife Cleopatra, and their newborn child are the occupants of Tomb I.

597^ Background: In CLEOPATRA, the HER2-dimerization inhibitor pertuzumab (P) was combined with trastuzumab (T) and docetaxel (D) in HER2-positive 1st-line MBC. P+T+D significantly improved efficacy compared with placebo (Pla)+T+D while having little effect on safety. Pts were recommended to receive ≥6 cycles of D but could discontinue D prior to Cycle 6 due to poor tolerability or progressive disease (PD) or continue D beyond Cycle 6 at investigators’ discretion. Once D was discontinued, pts received Pla+T or P+T until PD. To understand the full safety profile of the regimen, adverse events (AEs) occurring before and after D discontinuation were analyzed. Methods: Treatment was given q3w (Pla/P: 840 mg loading, then 420 mg; T: 8 mg/kg loading, then 6 mg/kg; D: 75 mg/m2, escalating to 100 mg/m2 if tolerated; de-escalation by 25% allowed). AEs were graded according to NCI-CTCAE v3.0, monitored continuously during the treatment period, and their relationship to study drugs was assessed by investigators. Results: From 808 pts enrolled, 804 were analyzed in the safety population (pts who received ≥1 dose of study treatment). AEs that led to discontinuation of all study treatment were experienced by 5.3% (Pla+T+D) and 6.1% (P+T+D) of pts, whereas discontinuation of D alone due to AEs occurred in 23.2% (Pla+T+D) and 23.6% (P+T+D) of pts. Conclusions: Treatment in both arms was well tolerated. After discontinuation of D, there was a clear reduction in grade ≥3 AEs; however, the incidence of grade ≥3 diarrhea remained slightly elevated with P+T+D. The AE profile of P+T is consistent with that seen in previous Phase II studies (Gianni Lancet Oncol 2012; Baselga JCO 2010). These data suggest that the combination of P+T may also be well tolerated in other breast cancer settings, such as in adjuvant therapy, which is currently under phase III study (APHINITY; NCT01358877). [Table: see text]

La historia de la reina Eurídice de Macedonia da inicio a lo que, con los años, se convertirá en una constelación de soberanas helenísticas que disputarán el trono a sus maridos e hijos y que concluye con la famosa Cleopatra VII. El presente artículo comienza por señalar algunos puntos de importancia para la comprensión del poder femenino antiguo: por principio revisa los procesos ideológicos que conllevaron a la construcción social del patriarcado, para luego analizar brevemente el papel de las mujeres en Macedonia y de las reinas en particular con las personas de las primeras princesas y su posible vínculo con la religión y, merced a ésta, con el poder. Se procede al estudio de la personalidad de Eurídice, madre de Filipo II, desde las teorías con respecto a su origen ilirio, su matrimonio con Amintas y la necesidad que de aquél pudo tener el rey, para concluir con su papel en la conjura de Ptolomeo de Aloro y su rostro como madre y soberana que inaugura el interés de las mujeres por el poder en Macedonia.

Two scab diseases are recognized currently on citrus: (i) citrus scab caused by Elsinoe fawcettii, which has several pathotypes; and (ii) sweet orange scab caused by E. australis. Pathogenicity and cultural characteristics among 36 isolates collected from Jeju Island were investigated. Of 30 isolates from satsuma mandarin, yuzu, and kinkoji, all were E. fawcettii; 27 were similar to the Florida broad host range pathotype and 3 were similar to the Florida narrow host range pathotype by inoculation of differential hosts. Six isolates from natsudaidai were nonpathogenic to satsuma mandarin, rough lemon, sour orange, grapefruit, cleopatra mandarin, and natsudaidai leaves, and were only pathogenic to natsudaidai fruit. Isolates from natsudaidai usually produced unique tomentose colonies on potato dextrose agar compared with isolates from other citrus species. The colonies were relatively fast growing, radially sulcate, larger, and more expansive than the gummy, mucoid colonies of other isolates. Isolates from Florida, Australia, Argentina, and Jeju Island (Korea) were genetically differentiated using random amplified polymorphic DNA markers. E. fawcettii from Korea, Florida, and Australia, E. australis from Argentina, and natsudaidai isolates clustered closely within groups, but were clearly distinguishable among groups.

For perennial crop production conditions, major portion of nutrient removal from the soil-tree system is that in harvested fruits. Nitrogen in the fruits was calculated for 22-year-old `Hamlin' orange (Citrus sinensis) trees on Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reticulata) rootstock, grown in a Tavares fine sand (hyperthermic, uncoated, Typic Quartzipsamments) that received various N rates (112, 168, 224, and 280 kg N/ha per year) as either i) broadcast of dry granular form (DGF; four applications/year), or ii) fertigation (FRT; 15 applications/year). Total N in the fruits (mean across 4 years) varied from 82 to 110 and 89 to 111 kg N/ha per year for the DGF and FRT sources, respectively. Proportion of N in the fruits in relation to N applied decreased from 74% to 39% for the DGF and from 80% to 40% for the FRT treatments. High percentage of N removal in the fruits in relation to total N applied at low N rates indicate that trees may be depleting the tree reserve for maintaining fruit production. This was evident, to some extent, by the low leaf N concentration at the low N treatments. Furthermore, canopy density was also lower in the low N trees compared to those that received higher N rates.

Young citrus trees and seedlings in Florida's commercial nurseries are often grown under shade cloth netting to avoid high light and temperature. To investigate the potential benefit of altering radiation by colored shade nets, `Cleopatra' mandarin (Cleo, C. reticulata Blanco) seedlings and potted `Valencia' trees [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] on Cleo or Carrizo [Carr, C. sinensis × Poncirus trifoliate (L.) Raf.] rootstocks were grown in full sun or under 50% shade from blue, black, silver, grey, and red colored shade nets. Changes in photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and temperatures under the shade were monitored. Leaf function and leaf chlorophyll contents were measured, and plants were harvested by the end of the experiment for shoot and root growth measurements. Plants under the shade received an average of 45% PAR and had lower mid-day leaf temperature than plants in full sun. Plants under blue nets had greatest leaf chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll content, whereas those under red nets had the lowest. However, shading improved photosystem II efficiency from measurements of leaf chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) regardless of the color of shade nets. Shading increased shoot growth, shoot to root ratio, and total plant dry weight of Cleo seedlings, especially those under silver nets.

Citrus sudden death (CSD) transmission was studied by graft-inoculation and under natural conditions. Young sweet orange trees on Rangpur rootstock were used as indicator plants. They were examined regularly for one or two characteristic markers of CSD: (i) presence of a yellow-stained layer of thickened bark on the Rangpur rootstock, and (ii) infection with the CSD-associated marafivirus. Based on these two markers, transmission of CSD was obtained, not only when budwood for graft-inoculation was taken from symptomatic, sweet orange trees on Rangpur, but also when the budwood sources were asymptomatic sweet orange trees on Cleopatra mandarin, indicating that the latter trees are symptomless carriers of the CSD agent. For natural transmission, 80 young indicator plants were planted within a citrus plot severely affected by CSD. Individual insect-proof cages were built around 40 indicator plants, and the other 40 indicator plants remained uncaged. Only two of the 40 caged indicator plants were affected by CSD, whereas 17 uncaged indicator plants showed CSD symptoms and were infected with the marafivirus. An additional 12 uncaged indicator plants became severely affected with citrus variegated chlorosis and were removed. These results strongly suggest that under natural conditions, CSD is transmitted by an aerial vector, such as an insect, and that the cages protected the trees against infection by the vector.

The history of the Hellenistic kingdoms remains the subject of many scientific discussions. The question of the peculiarities of the Macedonian monarchy has been widely discussed again in recent years. To solve this problem, they study certain aspects of the political, social and cultural life of the state, which confirms the relevance of the chosen topic. The purpose of this study is to identify the role of the royal wedding ceremony in the politics of the Macedonian rulers. The research is based on narrative and epigraphic sources. The main methods are analysis and synthesis, as well as comparative-historical. The celebration of the royal wedding is designed to demonstrate the power of the dynasty and seal the political union of the two states. However, with regard to Hellenistic Macedonia, these statements should be considered in the context of the reign of Philip II. Although narrative sources have preserved little information, but their comparison allows us to assert that the beginning of such luxurious events was laid by Philip II. At the same time, his own weddings, apparently, were limited to a feast and did not serve as a guarantor of peace and the union of the two states. The changes took place at the wedding of his daughter Cleopatra. Probably, the changes are connected with the new status of the king himself, who became the head of the Corinthian League. Since that time, the marriage ceremonies of the Hellenistic kings have been held on the same scale. Conclusions. In fact, Philip has established a new tradition. Marriage was not a guarantee of non-aggression of new relatives against each other. The pomp of the ceremony, on the one hand, was a demonstration of the power and authority of the dynasty, and on the other hand, it was used to promote a particular political idea.

Purpose The CLEOPATRA (Clinical Evaluation of Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab) study demonstrated superior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival when pertuzumab was added to trastuzumab and docetaxel. Paclitaxel given once per week is effective and less toxic than docetaxel. We performed a phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pertuzumab and trastuzumab with paclitaxel given once per week. Patients and Methods Patients with metastatic human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive breast cancer with zero to one prior therapy were enrolled. Treatment consisted of paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 once per week plus trastuzumab (8 mg/kg loading dose → 6 mg/kg) once every 3 weeks plus pertuzumab (840 mg loading dose → 420 mg) once every 3 weeks, all given intravenously. The primary end point was 6-month PFS assessed by Kaplan-Meier methods. Results From January 2011 to December 2013, we enrolled 69 patients: 51 (74%) and 18 (26%) treated in first- and second-line metastatic settings, respectively. At a median follow-up of 21 months (range, 3 to 38 months), 6-month PFS was 86% (95% CI, 75% to 92%). The median PFS was 19.5 months (95% CI, 14 to 26 months) overall. PFS was 24.2 months (95% CI, 14 months to not reached [NR]) and 16.4 months (95% CI, 8.5 months to NR) for those without and with prior treatment, respectively. At 1 year, Kaplan-Meier PFS was 70% (95% CI, 56% to 79%) overall, 71% (95% CI, 55% to 82%) for those without prior therapy, and 66% (95% CI, 40% to 83%) for those with prior therapy. Treatment was well-tolerated; there was no febrile neutropenia or symptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Conclusion Paclitaxel given once per week with trastuzumab and pertuzumab is highly active and well tolerated and seems to be an effective alternative to docetaxel-based combination therapy.

Since citrus flowering is a key process in citriculture and its evaluation is often difficult due to the canopy structure and field sampling, the aim of this research was to give some directions regarding the evaluation of flowering in field-grown sweet orange plants. This study was conducted in a citrus orchard of sweet orange plants cv. 'Valencia' [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] grafted on 'Cleopatra' mandarin (Citrus reshni hort. ex Tanaka) or 'Rangpur' lime (Citrus limonia Osbeck) rootstocks, with North-South orientation. Generative structures [buds, flowers and fruitlets (diameter < 3 cm)] were quantified weekly between August and November 2005, by using a 1 m² frame positioned at the middle third of plant canopy, sampling a volume of about 1 m³. Frames were divided in two parts so that two people could take measurements, and were positioned at Southeast, Southwest, Northeast and Northwest orientations, using seven plants. The following flowering parameters were: (i) number of plants necessary for a representative evaluation of flowering; (ii) plant canopy position to be sampled, and (iii) volume to be evaluated. When considering practical aspects of crop production, a rapid, simple and representative method for flowering evaluation is necessary, especially for growers that frequently have to make strategic decisions about the management of citrus groves. The flowering of field-grown 'Valencia' sweet orange plants can be rapidly assessed by considering at least five plants and sampling canopy volumes of 0.5 m³ in at least one canopy position on each side of the plant row.

TPS653 Background: Pertuzumab (P) is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the dimerization domain of HER2: it prevents HER2 heterodimerization and thus activation of downstream signaling. Since P targets a different epitope than trastuzumab (H), a more comprehensive HER2 blockade is achieved by combining the two agents. Data from CLEOPATRA showed improved efficacy for P and H plus docetaxel. The combination of P and H has not yet been assessed with other chemotherapy partners in the metastatic setting. H plus vinorelbine (V) has shown comparable efficacy to H plus docetaxel but with a superior safety profile. VELVET will assess the overall response rate (ORR) of P with H+V in first-line patients (pts) with HER2-positive MBC. Co-administration of P and H within the same infusion bag will also be investigated as this could increase pt convenience by reducing administration and observation time. Methods: VELVET is a multicenter, open-label, two-cohort, Phase II trial. Pts with HER2-positive LABC or MBC not previously treated in the metastatic setting with non-hormonal anticancer therapy are eligible. Pts must have an LVEF >55% at baseline and an ECOG PS of 0 or 1. Study enrollment started in January 2012. A total of 210 pts will be included. Based on statistical assumptions, 95 pts must be evaluable per cohort, which assumes a withdrawal rate around 10%. Pts in Cohort 1 (the first 105 pts enrolled) will receive P and H sequentially and pts in Cohort 2 (the next 105 pts) will receive P and H in the same infusion bag at Cycle 2 onwards if drug administration in Cycle 1 was well tolerated. V will be given in both cohorts. Treatment duration is until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Study dose: P: 840 mg loading dose, 420 mg q3w (iv); H: 8 mg/kg loading dose, 6 mg/kg q3w (iv), and V: 25 mg/m2 Day 1 and 8 (first cycle) then 30−35 mg/m2 Day 1 and 8 q3w (iv) (dose escalation at investigator’s discretion). The primary endpoint is ORR by independent assessment. Secondary endpoints include investigator assessment of ORR, time to response, duration of response, PFS, time to progression, overall survival, safety and tolerability, and QoL.

Conversion of wastewater to reclaimed water for crop irrigation conserves water and is an effective way to handle a growing urban problem: the disposal of wastewater. Water Conserv II is a large reclaimed water project developed by Orlando and Orange County, Fla., that presently irrigates ≈1900 ha of citrus. The project includes a research component to evaluate the response of citrus to irrigation using reclaimed water. Citrus trees in an experimental planting responded well to very high application rates of reclaimed water. Irrigation treatments included annual applications of 400 mm of well water, and 400, 1250, and 2500 mm of reclaimed water. The 2500-mm rate is excessive, and since disposal was of interest, this rate was used to determine if citrus could tolerate such high rates of irrigation. The effects of these treatments were compared on `Hamlin' orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] and `Orlando' tangelo (C. paradisi Macf. × C. reticulata Blanco) combined with four rootstocks: Carrizo citrange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb. × Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.], Cleopatra mandarin (C. reticulata Blanco), sour orange (C. aurantium L.), and Swingle citrumelo (C. paradisi × P. trifoliata). Growth and fruit production were greatest at the highest irrigation rate. Concentration of soluble solids in the juice was usually lowered by the highest irrigation rate, but total soluble solids per hectare were 15.5% higher compared to the 400-mm rate, due to the greater fruit production. While fruit soluble solids were usually lowered by higher irrigation, the reduction in fruit soluble solids observed on three of the rootstocks did not occur in trees on Carrizo citrange. Fruit peel color score was lower but juice color score was higher at the highest irrigation rate. Crop efficiency (fruit production per unit of canopy volume) was usually lower at the 2500-mm rate and declined as trees grew older. Weed cover increased with increasing irrigation rate, but was controllable. Irrigation with high rates of reclaimed water provided a satisfactory disposal method for treated effluent, benefited growth and production of citrus, and eliminated the need for other sources of irrigation water. Reclaimed water, once believed to be a disposal problem in Florida, is now considered to be one way to meet irrigation demands.

1025 Background: Pertuzumab (P) provided overall and progression-free survival (PFS) benefits in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in the CLEOPATRA study as a first-line therapy. However, long-term administration of intravenous docetaxel at a dose of 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks in MBC patients is difficult. Eribulin (E) is a well-tolerated cytotoxic agent. We report the efficacy and safety of E in combination with trastuzumab (T) plus P as first- and second-line therapy for metastatic or advanced BC in a multicenter, open-label phase II study (UMIN000012232). Methods: HER2-positive advanced or recurrent BC patients with no or a single prior therapy as advanced or recurrent chemotherapy were enrolled. All patients were administered T and taxane as adjuvant or first-line chemotherapy. Treatment consisted of E 1.4 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle and T (8 mg/kg loading dose > 6 mg/kg) plus P (840 mg loading dose > 420 mg) once every 3 weeks, all given intravenously. The primary end point was PFS. Results: From November 2013 to April 2016, 50 patients were enrolled. Forty-nine patients were eligible for safety analysis; full analysis set (FAS) includes 46 patients. The median patient age was 56 years (range 23–70), and 8 (16%) and 41 (84%) patients were treated in first- and second-line settings, respectively. Twenty-eight patients out of 49 patients (57%) continued the protocol therapy at the end of 8 cycles and median PFS was not yet reached. The response rate by RECIST ver.1.1 was 56.5% in FAS. The relative dose intensity of E, T, and P were 93.3% (range 77.0%–100%), 100% (range 96.0%–100%) and 100% (range 89.7%–100%), respectively in FAS. The grade 3/4 adverse effects (AE) were neutropenia in 5 patients (10.2%) including 2 patients (4.1%) with febrile neutropenia, hypertension in 3 patients (6.1%), and other AEs in only one patient. Average of the ejection fraction did not decrease significantly. Symptomatic left ventricular systolic dysfunction was not observed. Conclusions: E in combination with T plus P was well-tolerated and could be an alternative to docetaxel-based combination therapy for HER2-positive MBC. Clinical trial information: 000012232.

ObjectiveCervical cancer is the third most frequent cancer in women, worldwide and etiologically associated with infection by human papillomavirus (HPV). Following the results of the first epidemiologic population-based CLEOPATRE study in Portugal, it was important to understand the HPV type-specific distribution in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grades 2 and 3 and invasive cervical cancer (ICC).MethodsThis was an observational, multicenter, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection. Between January 2008 and May 2009, paraffin-embedded samples of histologically confirmed cases of CIN2, CIN3, and ICC were collected from the 5 regional health administrations in mainland Portugal. Eligible samples were sent to 2 central laboratories for histological reassessment and HPV genotyping. Prevalence estimates were calculated together with 95% confidence intervals.ResultsA total of 582 samples, 177 cases of CIN2, 341 of CIN3, and 64 of ICC, were included. The mean age of participants was 41.8 years (range, 20–88 years). The overall HPV prevalence was 97.9% with a higher prevalence of high-risk genotypes, particularly HPV 16. Multiple infections were observed in 11.2% of the cases. Human papillomavirus prevalence was 95.5% in CIN2, 99.4% in CIN3, and 96.9% in ICC. The 8 more frequent genotypes in order of decreasing frequency were HPV 16, 31, 58, 33, 51, 52, 18, and 35 in CIN2 and HPV 16, 31, 33, 58, 52, 35, 18, and 51 in CIN3. In ICC cases, the 12 detected HPV genotypes were HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, and 73. However, HPV 53 and 73 were always associated to other high-risk genotypes. Human papillomavirus types 31, 51, 52, 56, and 59 were detected in 1 case each.ConclusionsHuman papillomavirus prevalence and patterns of type-specific HPV positivity were comparable with other studies. Current HPV vaccines should protect against HPV genotypes responsible for 77.4% of ICC in Portugal.

Marriages arranged to support political alliances between Hellenistic kingdoms were a symbol of peace between dynasties. These marriages were especially applied between the two important kingdoms of the Hellenistic world, the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties. With diplomatic marriages, the Seleucid and Ptolemaic kingdoms aimed to make the peace process permanent. In the peace text that will come into effect after the Second Syrian War (260-253 BC) between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic kingdoms, the marriage to be realized between these two dynasties was reflected in the text of the treaty and the Seleucid King II. Antiochos Theos and Ptolemaic Princess Berenike Phernophoros formalized their marriage in 252 BC. With the political marriages between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic kingdoms, the peace establishment was tried to be preserved and consolidated. Cleopatras of Ptolemaic origin took place in the Seleucid Dynasty and assumed an active role in the kingdom, with Cleopatra Thea as of 150 BC. The increasing dominance of Queen Cleopatra Thea with her attempts to gain political power in the Seleucid Kingdom showed that Cleopatras of Ptolemaic origin tried to be permanent and active. Cleopatra Trypheana, Cleopatra IV and Cleopatra V Selene, as Seleucid queens of Ptolemaic origin, entered into a struggle for existence with a series of political and social activities in the Seleucid Dynasty. In this study, the political existence struggles of the Ptolemaic origin Cleopatras in the Seleucid Kingdom were examined, and it was aimed to analyze the effects of these activities on the Seleucid Kingdom in line with ancient and modern sources.

In 135 BC, the gymnasium of Omboi (Upper Egypt) issued a decree immortalising on stone the correspondence concerning some philanthropa bestowed by Ptolemy VIII, Cleopatra II, and Cleopatra III. Only a few years later, the dossier was defaced and the royal names were erased (damnatio memoriae) except for that of Cleopatra II. The inscription has thus been interpreted as an epigraphic evidence of the civil war between Ptolemy VIII, flanked by Cleopatra III, and Cleopatra II. In spite of its poor state of preservation, the Omboi dossier allows some useful considerations on its vicissitudes, along with some further restorations.

“In Nature’s book of infinite secrecy/ A little I can read”. These words of the soothsayer in Shakespeare’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ (Act I, Scene ii) is symbolic. It is uttered in the company of Charmian and Iras, maidens attending on Cleopatra (Hutchinson n.d.: pl. facing p. 39); perhaps designed to foretell the end of Mark Antony[i] in the near future after the battle of Actium. Everything existing on this earth must pass through nature to eternity that is denoted by the common word “death”. But, death at a young age is cruel whether natural, volunteered, accidental or due to any injunction. The brilliant Tamil woman-mystic ?????[ii] and the versatile English poet, John Keats[iii] died at a young age that was a great loss to the world of literature. The Buddha as a novice-monk was in pursuit of death but gave up the unnatural process of suicidal mortification (Le-Bon 1974: fig. p. 55, Yiengpruksawan 2007: 44-63, Ahuja 2013: fig. 6, pp. 21-24) and resorted to yoga to realize cosmic realities under the Bodhi tree at S?ran?th (Parimoo et al. 1991: I, pls. 50-45, 106-107)[iv]. Jesus of Nazareth (cf. Gallico 1999: figures on pages 111, 20 & 42, Ahuja 2013: fig. 39) and Mu?ammad of Mecca (cf. Stewart 1980: figures on pages 36-37) died at a relatively young age; otherwise the history of world’s greatest religions would have been different. If they had lived long […]; this “if” factor in history is difficult to answer. Neither Jesus nor Mu?ammad “invited” nor “pursued” death (Settar 1986, 1990); one was crucified by Jewish treachery of those times and other of some other malady. Preachers of terrorism do not die under a peaceful environment. “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9.6).

Authors have considered a special stage in the life and its reflection on the works of the world-famous Russian poet, novelist, and the Nobel Prize winner in literature Boris Pasternak in his three year evacuation period during the World War II in Chistopol – a small town on the Kama River. During that time Boris Pasternak was mostly translating. The study is focused on the cultural specifics of fiction texts, i.e. texts translated or created by B. Pasternak. Within the first two months staying in Chistopol the poet translated the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by Shakespeare, and then the great cycle of poems by Juliusz Slowacki, poems and the tragedy ‘Mary Stuart’ written by Shiller. At the same time he implements a great idea he had planned long before – he translates ‘Antony and Cleopatra’. The study highlights cultural peculiarities of Pasternak’s translations and his own style reflected in fiction. The research states the ambiguous attitude of critics to Pasternak's translations. He was both considered as the brilliant translator and criticized for liberty, inadequacy and excessive individuality.

Nutrient deficiency, in particular when this involves a major macronutrient (N, P, and K), is a limiting factor on the performance of plants in their natural habitat and agricultural environment. In the citrus industry, one of the eco-friendliest techniques for improving tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress is based on the grafting of a rootstock and a scion of economic interest. Scion tolerance may be improved by a tetraploid rootstock. The purpose of this study was to highlight if tolerance of a common clementine scion (C) (Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan) to nutrient deficiency could be improved by several diploid (2×) and their tetraploid (4×) counterparts citrus genotypes commonly used as rootstocks: Trifoliate orange × Cleopatra mandarin (C/PMC2x and C/PMC4x), Carrizo citrange (C/CC2x and C/CC4x), Citrumelo 4475 (C/CM2x and C/CM4x). The allotetraploid FlhorAG1 (C/FL4x) was also included in the experimental design. The impact of nutrient deficiency on these seven scion/rootstock combinations was evaluated at root and leaf levels by investigating anatomical parameters, photosynthetic properties and oxidative and antioxidant metabolism. Nutrient deficiency affects foliar tissues, physiological parameters and oxidative metabolism in leaves and roots in different ways depending on the rootstock genotype and ploidy level. The best known nutrient deficiency-tolerant common clementine scions were grafted with the doubled diploid Citrumelo 4475 (C/CM4x) and the allotetraploid FlhorAG1 (C/FL4x). These combinations were found to have less foliar damage, fewer changes of photosynthetic processes [leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pnet), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration (E), maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), electron transport rate (ETR), ETR/Pnet], and effective quantum yield of PSII [Y(II)], less malondialdehyde accumulation in leaves and better functional enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. Common clementine scions grafted on other 4× rootstocks did not show better tolerance than those grafted on their 2× counterparts. Chromosome doubling of rootstocks did not systematically improve the tolerance of the common clementine scion to nutrient deficiency.

In the contemporary era, media spectacle organizes and mobilizes economic life, political conflict, social interactions, culture, and everyday life. My recently published book Media Spectacle explores a profusion of developments in hi-tech culture, media-driven society, and spectacle politics. Spectacle culture involves everything from film and broadcasting to Internet cyberculture and encompasses phenomena ranging from elections to terrorism and to the media dramas of the moment. For ‘Logo’, I am accordingly sketching out briefly a terrain I probe in detail in the book from which these examples are taken.1 During the past decades, every form of culture and significant forms of social life have become permeated by the logic of the spectacle. Movies are bigger and more spectacular than ever, with high-tech special effects expanding the range of cinematic spectacle. Television channels proliferate endlessly with all-day movies, news, sports, specialty niches, re-runs of the history of television, and whatever else can gain an audience. The rock spectacle reverberates through radio, television, CDs, computers networks, and extravagant concerts. The Internet encircles the world in the spectacle of an interactive and multimedia cyberculture. Media culture excels in creating megaspectacles of sports championships, political conflicts, entertainment, "breaking news" and media events, such as the O.J. Simpson trial, the Death of Princess Diana, or the sex or murder scandal of the moment. Megaspectacle comes as well to dominate party politics, as the political battles of the day, such as the Clinton sex scandals and impeachment, the 36 Day Battle for the White House after Election 2000, and the September 11 terrorist attacks and subsequent Terror War. These dramatic media passion plays define the politics of the time, and attract mass audiences to their programming, hour after hour, day after day. The concept of "spectacle" derives from French Situationist theorist Guy Debord's 1972 book Society of the Spectacle. "Spectacle," in Debord's terms, "unifies and explains a great diversity of apparent phenomena" (Debord 1970: #10). In one sense, it refers to a media and consumer society, organized around the consumption of images, commodities, and spectacles. Spectacles are those phenomena of media culture which embody contemporary society's basic values, and dreams and nightmares, putting on display dominant hopes and fears. They serve to enculturate individuals into its way of life, and dramatize its conflicts and modes of conflict resolution. They include sports events, political campaigns and elections, and media extravaganzas like sensational murder trials, or the Bill Clinton sex scandals and impeachment spectacle (1998-1999). As we enter a new millennium, the media are becoming ever more technologically dazzling and are playing an increasingly central role in everyday life. Under the influence of a postmodern image culture, seductive spectacles fascinate the denizens of the media and consumer society and involve them in the semiotics of a new world of entertainment, information, a semiotics of a new world of entertainment, information, and drama, which deeply influence thought and action. For Debord: "When the real world changes into simple images, simple images become real beings and effective motivations of a hypnotic behavior. The spectacle as a tendency to make one see the world by means of various specialized mediations (it can no longer be grasped directly), naturally finds vision to be the privileged human sense which the sense of touch was for other epochs; the most abstract, the most mystifiable sense corresponds to the generalized abstraction of present day society" (#18). Today, however, I would maintain it is the multimedia spectacle of sight, sound, touch, and, coming to you soon, smell that constitutes the multidimensional sense experience of the new interactive spectacle. For Debord, the spectacle is a tool of pacification and depoliticization; it is a "permanent opium war" (#44) which stupefies social subjects and distracts them from the most urgent task of real life -- recovering the full range of their human powers through creative praxis. The concept of the spectacle is integrally connected to the concept of separation and passivity, for in passively consuming spectacles, one is separated from actively producing one's life. Capitalist society separates workers from the products of their labor, art from life, and consumption from human needs and self-directing activity, as individuals passively observe the spectacles of social life from within the privacy of their homes (#25 and #26). The situationist project by contrast involved an overcoming of all forms of separation, in which individuals would directly produce their own life and modes of self-activity and collective practice. Since Debord's theorization of the society of the spectacle in the 1960s and 1970s, spectacle culture has expanded in every area of life. In the culture of the spectacle, commercial enterprises have to be entertaining to prosper and as Michael J. Wolf (1999) argues, in an "entertainment economy," business and fun fuse, so that the E-factor is becoming major aspect of business.2 Via the "entertainmentization" of the economy, television, film, theme parks, video games, casinos, and so forth become major sectors of the national economy. In the U.S., the entertainment industry is now a $480 billion industry, and consumers spend more on having fun than on clothes or health care (Wolf 1999: 4).3 In a competitive business world, the "fun factor" can give one business the edge over another. Hence, corporations seek to be more entertaining in their commercials, their business environment, their commercial spaces, and their web sites. Budweiser ads, for instance, feature talking frogs who tell us nothing about the beer, but who catch the viewers' attention, while Taco Bell deploys a talking dog, and Pepsi uses Star Wars characters. Buying, shopping, and dining out are coded as an "experience," as businesses adopt a theme-park style. Places like the Hard Rock Cafe and the House of Blues are not renowned for their food, after all; people go there for the ambience, to buy clothing, and to view music and media memorabilia. It is no longer good enough just to have a web site, it has to be an interactive spectacle, featuring not only products to buy, but music and videos to download, games to play, prizes to win, travel information, and "links to other cool sites." To succeed in the ultracompetitive global marketplace, corporations need to circulate their image and brand name so business and advertising combine in the promotion of corporations as media spectacles. Endless promotion circulates the McDonald’s Golden Arches, Nike’s Swoosh, or the logos of Apple, Intel, or Microsoft. In the brand wars between commodities, corporations need to make their logos or “trademarks” a familiar signpost in contemporary culture. Corporations place their logos on their products, in ads, in the spaces of everyday life, and in the midst of media spectacles like important sports events, TV shows, movie product placement, and wherever they can catch consumer eyeballs, to impress their brand name on a potential buyer. Consequently, advertising, marketing, public relations and promotion are an essential part of commodity spectacle in the global marketplace. Celebrity too is manufactured and managed in the world of media spectacle. Celebrities are the icons of media culture, the gods and goddesses of everyday life. To become a celebrity requires recognition as a star player in the field of media spectacle, be it sports, entertainment, or politics. Celebrities have their handlers and image managers to make sure that their celebrities continue to be seen and positively perceived by publics. Just as with corporate brand names, celebrities become brands to sell their Madonna, Michael Jordan, Tom Cruise, or Jennifer Lopez product and image. In a media culture, however, celebrities are always prey to scandal and thus must have at their disposal an entire public relations apparatus to manage their spectacle fortunes, to make sure their clients not only maintain high visibility but keep projecting a positive image. Of course, within limits, “bad” and transgressions can also sell and so media spectacle contains celebrity dramas that attract public attention and can even define an entire period, as when the O.J. Simpson murder trials and Bill Clinton sex scandals dominated the media in the mid and late 1990s. Entertainment has always been a prime field of the spectacle, but in today's infotainment society, entertainment and spectacle have entered into the domains of the economy, politics, society, and everyday life in important new ways. Building on the tradition of spectacle, contemporary forms of entertainment from television to the stage are incorporating spectacle culture into their enterprises, transforming film, television, music, drama, and other domains of culture, as well as producing spectacular new forms of culture such as cyberspace, multimedia, and virtual reality. For Neil Gabler, in an era of media spectacle, life itself is becoming like a movie and we create our own lives as a genre like film, or television, in which we become "at once performance artists in and audiences for a grand, ongoing show" (1998: 4). On Gabler’s view, we star in our own "lifies," making our lives into entertainment acted out for audiences of our peers, following the scripts of media culture, adopting its role models and fashion types, its style and look. Seeing our lives in cinematic terms, entertainment becomes for Gabler "arguably the most pervasive, powerful and ineluctable force of our time--a force so overwhelming that it has metastasized into life" to such an extent that it is impossible to distinguish between the two (1998: 9). As Gabler sees it, Ralph Lauren is our fashion expert; Martha Stewart designs our sets; Jane Fonda models our shaping of our bodies; and Oprah Winfrey advises us on our personal problems.4 Media spectacle is indeed a culture of celebrity who provide dominant role models and icons of fashion, look, and personality. In the world of spectacle, celebrity encompasses every major social domain from entertainment to politics to sports to business. An ever-expanding public relations industry hypes certain figures, elevating them to celebrity status, and protects their positive image in the never-ending image wars and dangers that a celebrity will fall prey to the machinations of negative-image and thus lose celebrity status, and/or become figures of scandal and approbation, as will some of the players and institutions that I examine in Media Spectacle (Kellner 2003). Sports has long been a domain of the spectacle with events like the Olympics, World Series, Super Bowl, World Soccer Cup, and NBA championships attracting massive audiences, while generating sky-high advertising rates. These cultural rituals celebrate society's deepest values (i.e. competition, winning, success, and money), and corporations are willing to pay top dollar to get their products associated with such events. Indeed, it appears that the logic of the commodity spectacle is inexorably permeating professional sports which can no longer be played without the accompaniment of cheerleaders, giant mascots who clown with players and spectators, and raffles, promotions, and contests that feature the products of various sponsors. Sports stadiums themselves contain electronic reproduction of the action, as well as giant advertisements for various products that rotate for maximum saturation -- previewing environmental advertising in which entire urban sites are becoming scenes to boost consumption spectacles. Arenas, like the United Center in Chicago, America West Arena in Phoenix, on Enron Field in Houston are named after corporate sponsors. Of course, after major corporate scandals or collapse, like the Enron spectacle, the ballparks must be renamed! The Texas Ranger Ballpark in Arlington, Texas supplements its sports arena with a shopping mall, office buildings, and a restaurant in which for a hefty price one can watch the athletic events while eating and drinking.5 The architecture of the Texas Rangers stadium is an example of the implosion of sports and entertainment and postmodern spectacle. A man-made lake surrounds the stadium, the corridor inside is modeled after Chartes Cathedral, and the structure is made of local stone that provides the look of the Texas Capitol in Austin. Inside there are Texas longhorn cattle carvings, panels of Texas and baseball history, and other iconic signifiers of sports and Texas. The merging of sports, entertainment, and local spectacle is now typical in sports palaces. Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, Florida, for instance, "has a three-level mall that includes places where 'fans can get a trim at the barber shop, do their banking and then grab a cold one at the Budweiser brew pub, whose copper kettles rise three stories. There is even a climbing wall for kids and showroom space for car dealerships'" (Ritzer 1998: 229). Film has long been a fertile field of the spectacle, with "Hollywood" connoting a world of glamour, publicity, fashion, and excess. Hollywood film has exhibited grand movie palaces, spectacular openings with searchlights and camera-popping paparazzi, glamorous Oscars, and stylish hi-tech film. While epic spectacle became a dominant genre of Hollywood film from early versions of The Ten Commandments through Cleopatra and 2001 in the 1960s, contemporary film has incorporated the mechanics of spectacle into its form, style, and special effects. Films are hyped into spectacle through advertising and trailers which are ever louder, more glitzy, and razzle-dazzle. Some of the most popular films of the late 1990s were spectacle films, including Titanic, Star Wars -- Phantom Menace, Three Kings, and Austin Powers, a spoof of spectacle, which became one of the most successful films of summer 1999. During Fall 1999, there was a cycle of spectacles, including Topsy Turvy, Titus, Cradle Will Rock, Sleepy Hollow, The Insider, and Magnolia, with the latter featuring the biblical spectacle of the raining of frogs in the San Fernando Valley, in an allegory of the decadence of the entertainment industry and deserved punishment for its excesses. The 2000 Academy Awards were dominated by the spectacle Gladiator, a mediocre film that captured best picture award and best acting award for Russell Crowe, thus demonstrating the extent to which the logic of the spectacle now dominates Hollywood film. Some of the most critically acclaimed and popular films of 2001 are also hi-tech spectacle, such as Moulin Rouge, a film spectacle that itself is a delirious ode to spectacle, from cabaret and the brothel to can-can dancing, opera, musical comedy, dance, theater, popular music, and film. A postmodern pastiche of popular music styles and hits, the film used songs and music ranging from Madonna and the Beatles to Dolly Parton and Kiss. Other 2001 film spectacles include Pearl Harbor, which re-enacts the Japanese attack on the U.S. that propelled the country to enter World War II, and that provided a ready metaphor for the September 11 terror attacks. Major 2001 film spectacles range from David Lynch’s postmodern surrealism in Mulholland Drive to Steven Spielberg’s blending of his typically sentimental spectacle of the family with the formalist rigor of Stanley Kubrick in A.I. And the popular 2001 military film Black-Hawk Down provided a spectacle of American military heroism which some critics believed sugar-coated the actual problems with the U.S. military intervention in Somalia, causing worries that a future U.S. adventure by the Bush administration and Pentagon would meet similar problems. There were reports, however, that in Somalian cinemas there were loud cheers as the Somalians in the film shot down the U.S. helicopter, and pursued and killed American soldiers, attesting to growing anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world against Bush administration policies. Television has been from its introduction in the 1940s a promoter of consumption spectacle, selling cars, fashion, home appliances, and other commodities along with consumer life-styles and values. It is also the home of sports spectacle like the Super Bowl or World Series, political spectacles like elections (or more recently, scandals), entertainment spectacle like the Oscars or Grammies, and its own spectacles like breaking news or special events. Following the logic of spectacle entertainment, contemporary television exhibits more hi-tech glitter, faster and glitzier editing, computer simulations, and with cable and satellite television, a fantastic array of every conceivable type of show and genre. TV is today a medium of spectacular programs like The X-Files or Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and spectacles of everyday life such as MTV's The Real World and Road Rules, or the globally popular Survivor and Big Brother series. Real life events, however, took over TV spectacle in 2000-2001 in, first, an intense battle for the White House in a dead-heat election, that arguably constitutes one of the greatest political crimes and scandals in U.S. history (see Kellner 2001). After months of the Bush administration pushing the most hardright political agenda in memory and then deadlocking as the Democrats took control of the Senate in a dramatic party re-affiliation of Vermont’s Jim Jeffords, the world was treated to the most horrifying spectacle of the new millennium, the September 11 terror attacks and unfolding Terror War that has so far engulfed Afghanistan and Iraq. These events promise an unending series of deadly spectacle for the foreseeable future.6 Hence, we are emerging into a new culture of media spectacle that constitutes a novel configuration of economy, society, politics, and everyday life. It involves new cultural forms, social relations, and modes of experience. It is producing an ever-proliferating and expanding spectacle culture with its proliferating media forms, cultural spaces, and myriad forms of spectacle. It is evident in the U.S. as the new millennium unfolds and may well constitute emergent new forms of global culture. Critical social theory thus faces important challenges in theoretically mapping and analyzing these emergent forms of culture and society and the ways that they may contain novel forms of domination and oppression, as well as potential for democratization and social justice. Works Cited Debord, Guy. Society of the Spectacle. Detroit: Black and Red, 1967. Gabler, Neil. Life the Movie. How Entertainment Conquered Reality. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. Kellner, Douglas. Grand Theft 2000. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2001. Kellner, Douglas. From 9/11 to Terror War: Dangers of the Bush Legacy. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield, 2003. Kellner, Douglas. Media Spectacle. London and New York: Routledge, 2003. Ritzer, George. The McDonaldization Thesis: Explorations and Extensions. Thousand Oaks, Cal. and London: Sage, 1998. Wolf, Michael J. Entertainment Economy: How Mega-Media Forces are Transforming Our Lives. New York: Times Books, 1999. Notes 1 See Douglas Kellner, Media Spectacle. London and New York: Routledge, 2003. 2 Wolf's book is a detailed and useful celebration of the "entertainment economy," although he is a shill for the firms and tycoons that he works for and celebrates them in his book. Moreover, while entertainment is certainly an important component of the infotainment economy, it is an exaggeration to say that it drives it and is actually propelling it, as Wolf repeatedly claims. Wolf also downplays the negative aspects of the entertainment economy, such as growing consumer debt and the ups and downs of the infotainment stock market and vicissitudes of the global economy. 3 Another source notes that "the average American household spent $1,813 in 1997 on entertainment -- books, TV, movies, theater, toys -- almost as much as the $1,841 spent on health care per family, according to a survey by the US Labor Department." Moreover, "the price we pay to amuse ourselves has, in some cases, risen at a rate triple that of inflation over the past five years" (USA Today, April 2, 1999: E1). The NPD Group provided a survey that indicated that the amount of time spent on entertainment outside of the home –- such as going to the movies or a sport event – was up 8% from the early to the late 1990s and the amount of time in home entertainment, such as watching television or surfing the Internet, went up 2%. Reports indicate that in a typical American household, people with broadband Internet connections spend 22% more time on all-electronic media and entertainment than the average household without broadband. See “Study: Broadband in homes changes media habits” (PCWORLD.COM, October 11, 2000). 4 Gabler’s book is a synthesis of Daniel Boorstin, Dwight Macdonald, Neil Poster, Marshall McLuhan, and other trendy theorists of media culture, but without the brilliance of a Baudrillard, the incisive criticism of an Adorno, or the understanding of the deeper utopian attraction of media culture of a Bloch or Jameson. Likewise, Gabler does not, a la cultural studies, engage the politics of representation, or its economics and political economy. He thus ignores mergers in the culture industries, new technologies, the restructuring of capitalism, globalization, and shifts in the economy that are driving the impetus toward entertainment. Gabler does get discuss how new technologies are creating new spheres of entertainment and forms of experience and in general describes rather than theorizes the trends he is engaging. 5 The project was designed and sold to the public in part through the efforts of the son of a former President, George W. Bush. Young Bush was bailed out of heavy losses in the Texas oil industry in the 1980s by his father's friends and used his capital gains, gleaned from what some say as illicit insider trading, to purchase part-ownership of a baseball team to keep the wayward son out of trouble and to give him something to do. The soon-to-be Texas governor, and future President of the United States, sold the new stadium to local taxpayers, getting them to agree to a higher sales tax to build the stadium which would then become the property of Bush and his partners. This deal allowed Bush to generate a healthy profit when he sold his interest in the Texas Rangers franchise and to buy his Texas ranch, paid for by Texas tax-payers (for sources on the scandalous life of George W. Bush and his surprising success in politics, see Kellner 2001 and the further discussion of Bush Jr. in Chapter 6). 6 See Douglas Kellner, From 9/11 to Terror War: Dangers of the Bush Legacy. Lanham, Md.: Rowman and Littlefield Citation reference for this article Substitute your date of access for Dn Month Year etc... MLA Style Kellner, Douglas. "Engaging Media Spectacle " M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture< http://www.media-culture.org.au/0306/09-mediaspectacle.php>. APA Style Kellner, D. (2003, Jun 19). Engaging Media Spectacle . M/C: A Journal of Media and Culture, 6,< http://www.media-culture.org.au/0306/09-mediaspectacle.php>