On the typology and the worship status of sacred trees with a special reference to the Middle East

This article contains the reasons for the establishment of sacred trees in Israel based on a field study. It includes 97 interviews with Muslim and Druze informants. While Muslims (Arabs and Bedouins) consider sacred trees especially as an abode of righteous figures' (Wellis') souls or as having a connection to their graves, the Druze relate sacred trees especially to the events or deeds in the lives of prophets and religious leaders. A literary review shows the existence of 24 known reasons for the establishment of sacred trees worldwide, 11 of which are known in Israel one of these is reported here for the first time. We found different trends in monotheistic and polytheistic religions concerning their current worship of sacred trees

160 SURVIVAL ANALYSIS OF 18F-FDG PET/CT QUANTITATIVE PARAMETERS MEASURED IN PRIMARY TUMOR AND SUSPICIOUS LYMPH NODES IN PATIENTS WITH ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA

Abstract   18F-FDG PET/CT quantitative techniques have been described as prognostic indicators in esophageal cancer. Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of the maximal Standardized Uptake Value (SUVmax), the Metabolic Tumor Value (MTV) and the Total Lesion Glycolysis (TLG) measured in the primary tumor and in the suspicious lymph node. Methods A cohort study was performed to assess the association of SUVmax, MTV and TLG measured prior and post to neoadjuvant therapy, as well as the variation of these values between the two studies, with overall survival (OS) in patients with esophageal cancer submitted to trimodal therapy. The quantitative techniques were applied in the primary tumor (PT) and in the suspicious nodes (LN) by a nuclear medicine physician. The OS rates were analysed. Before neoadjuvant therapy, 106 patients had PET/CT, and 39 patients had post neoadjuvant PET/CT exams. Results Before neoadjuvant period all the variables related to LN were able to predict OS. MTV of primary (HR: 1.89; 95%CI: 1.01–3.52) tumor were also able to predict OS. On post neoadjuvant period and the variation pre-to-post neoadjuvant periods, none of the PET/CT variables related to LN were related to prognosis. All primary tumor volumetric variables were related to OS. MTV (HR: 4.66; 95%CI: 1.54–14.08) and TLG (HR: 4.86; 95%CI: 1.66–14.26) of PT of post neoadjuvant period; and the variation of MTV (HR: 2.95; 95%CI: 1.01–3.52) and TLG (HR: 3.49; 95%CI: 1.01–3.52) of the PT pre-to-post neoadjuvant periods were prognostic variables. Conclusion In patients with esophageal cancer, the burden of disease in the suspicious nodes and primary tumor prior to therapy and the residual burden of disease in PT in post therapy 18F-FDG PET/CT were associated with dismal prognosis. </jats:sec

302 IS 18F-FDG PET/CT PARAMETERS USEFUL IN PREDICTING PATHOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO NEOADJUVANT CHEMORADIOTHERAPY FOR ESOPHAGEAL CARCINOMA?

Abstract   The 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET/CT) provides an ability to functionally evaluate metabolic activity improving patient selection for surgical treatment. The value of SUVmax, MTV and TLG from FDG PET/CT of primary tumor and lymph nodes in the setting of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer in predicting pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy is the aim of this study. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed, assessing the correlation of SUVmax and volumetric parameters (MTV and TLG) of 18F-FDG PET/CT prior and post to neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal carcinoma with the pathological response as outcomes. Results One hundred and seventeen patients were included. The higher AUC values in predicting pathological complete response were obtained for the primary tumor, on post neoadjuvant therapy. These variables showed high sensibility, but low specificity (SUVmax: AUC: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.55–0.87; MTV: AUC: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.54–0.86; TLG: AUC 0.71, 95% CI: 0.55–0.87). Conclusion PET-Scan functionally evaluates metabolic activity, and the absolute values and changes of SUVmax and volumetric variables provide important information for pathological tumor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. </jats:sec

Unraveling the Fabric of the Past: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Archaeological Textiles

Textiles are rarely preserved in archaeological contexts, often leading to an incomplete and even biased picture of their role in past cultures. When textiles do survive, however, a wide range of interdisciplinary methods and approaches can be applied to them, leading to information regarding their date, raw materials, and provenance. Indirect evidence consisting of archaeological textile tools, written sources, iconography, as well as archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains can provide additional evidence about textile production, use, and economy of the resources. These empirical data obtained from the extant archaeological textile finds inform cultural aspects, such as the role of gender in cloth manufacture, long‐distance trade in textiles, and the use of textiles for signalling identities

Worked and decorated shell discs from southern Arabia and the wider Near East

This article presents and discusses a corpus of worked and decorated shell discs from recently excavated archaeological sites in southern Arabia, including Dibba (northern Oman), Saruq al-Hadid (UAE) and Sumhuram/Khor Rori (southern Oman). The artefacts are compared to a wide range of shell discs from controlled excavations in Arabia and the broader Near East in order to better understand their date, manufacture and use. The comparative study highlights the wide distribution of decorated shell discs across the ancient Near East, particularly during the early Iron Age, and the complex economic and cultural connections that underpinned the collection, crafting, exchange and significance of such items