bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting the Risk of Ischemic Stroke among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Using a Simplified RA-CHADSV Score Based on the CHA2DS2-VASc Score
Authors: Hsu Chia-Wen , Ng Khai-Jing , Lu Ming-Chi , Koo Malcolm
Published: February 2020

Background and Objectives: The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to develop a new score (RA-CHADSV) (rheumatoid arthritis - congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years, diabetes mellitus, stroke/transient ischemic attack/thromboembolism, and vascular disease), modified from the CHA2DS2-VASc score (congestive heart failure, hypertension, age ≥75 years (doubled), diabetes mellitus, stroke/transient ischemic attack (doubled), vascular disease, age 65–74 years, and female), in predicting the risk of ischemic stroke in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients without atrial fibrillation (AF). Materials and Methods: Using the Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database, 592 patients with RA diagnosed between 2000 and 2002 were identified and followed until first occurrence of ischemic stroke or the last available date in the database. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of ischemic stroke for the CHA2DS2-VASc score were calculated using Poisson regression models. A new prediction score RA-CHADSV was developed using multiple logistic regression analysis with bootstrap validation. Results: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the newly developed RA-CHADSV score and the CHA2DS2-VASc score were 0.73 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64–0.82) and 0.70 (95% CI 0.61–0.79), respectively. The RA-CHADSV score was significantly associated with a higher ischemic stroke incidence in the patients who scored ≥1 (adjusted IRR 7.39, p < 0.001). Conclusions: A simplified RA-CHADSV score, with comparable efficiency as the CHA2DS2-VASc score, but easier to use clinically was developed for predicting the risk of ischemic stroke among non-AF RA patients.
Vegetarian Diets along with Regular Exercise: Impact on High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels among Taiwanese Adults
Authors: Chang Shu-Lin , Lee Kuan-Jung , Nfor Oswald Ndi , Chen Pei-Hsin , Lu Wen-Yu , Ho Chien Chang , Lung Chia-Chi , Chou Ming-Chih , Liaw Yung-Po
Published: February 2020

Background and objectives: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is important for improving risk estimates of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. We investigated the effect of omnivore and diverse vegetarian diets in connection with exercise on HDL-C. Materials and Methods: Historical data of 9588 biobank participants (4025 exercisers and 5563 non-exercisers) aged 30–70 years were categorized as omnivores (n = 8589), former vegetarians (n = 544), lacto-ovo vegetarians (n = 417), and strict vegetarians (n = 38). We used multiple linear regression for analyses. Results: HDL-C levels were higher in exercisers compared to non-exercisers. Compared with omnivores, strict vegetarians had decreased levels of HDL-C (β = −5.705; p = 0.001) followed by lacto-ovo vegetarians (β = −3.900; p < 0.001) and former vegetarians (β = −0.329; p = 0.475). The test for trend was significant (p < 0.001). After categorization by exercise modalities, the β-value was −13.984 for strict vegetarians, −4.419 for lacto-ovo vegetarians, and −1.864 for former vegetarians, respectively (p < 0.05). There was an interaction between diet and exercise (p = 0.009). Omnivores who exercised regularly had significantly higher HDL-C, whereas strict vegetarians who exercised regularly had significantly lower HDL-C. Conclusions: In summary, strict vegetarian diets in conjunction with regular exercise might not serve as healthful behaviors to be implemented in everyday life considering the negative impact on HDL-C.
Optical Micromachines for Biological Studies
Authors: Andrew Philippa-Kate , Williams Martin , Avci Ebubekir
Published: February 2020

Optical tweezers have been used for biological studies since shortly after their inception. However, over the years research has suggested that the intense laser light used to create optical traps may damage the specimens being studied. This review aims to provide a brief overview of optical tweezers and the possible mechanisms for damage, and more importantly examines the role of optical micromachines as tools for biological studies. This review covers the achievements to date in the field of optical micromachines: improvements in the ability to produce micromachines, including multi-body microrobots; and design considerations for both optical microrobots and the optical trapping set-up used for controlling them are all discussed. The review focuses especially on the role of micromachines in biological research, and explores some of the potential that the technology has in this area.
A Skin-Conformal, Stretchable, and Breathable Fiducial Marker Patch for Surgical Navigation Systems
Authors: Lee Sangkyu , Seong Duhwan , Yoon Jiyong , Lee Sungjun , Baac Hyoung Won , Lee Deukhee , Son Donghee
Published: February 2020

Augmented reality (AR) surgical navigation systems have attracted considerable attention as they assist medical professionals in visualizing the location of ailments within the human body that are not readily seen with the naked eye. Taking medical imaging with a parallel C-shaped arm (C-arm) as an example, surgical sites are typically targeted using an optical tracking device and a fiducial marker in real-time. These markers then guide operators who are using a multifunctional endoscope apparatus by signaling the direction or distance needed to reach the affected parts of the body. In this way, fiducial markers are used to accurately protect the vessels and nerves exposed during the surgical process. Although these systems have already shown potential for precision implantation, delamination of the fiducial marker, which is a critical component of the system, from human skin remains a challenge due to a mechanical mismatch between the marker and skin, causing registration problems that lead to poor position alignments and surgical degradation. To overcome this challenge, the mechanical modulus and stiffness of the marker patch should be lowered to approximately 150 kPa, which is comparable to that of the epidermis, while improving functionality. Herein, we present a skin-conformal, stretchable yet breathable fiducial marker for the application in AR-based surgical navigation systems. By adopting pore patterns, we were able to create a fiducial marker with a skin-like low modulus and breathability. When attached to the skin, the fiducial marker was easily identified using optical recognition equipment and showed skin-conformal adhesion when stretched and shrunk repeatedly. As such, we believe the marker would be a good fiducial marker candidate for patients under surgical navigation systems.
Comment on “Enumeration of Escherichia coli in Probiotic Products. Microorganisms 2019, 7, 437”
Authors: Wassenaar Trudy M. , von Bünau Rudolf , Zimmermann Kurt
Published: February 2020

Recently, Zimmer and Dorea published a communication on the enumeration of Escherichia coli in probiotic products containing this species [...]
Geochemistry and Geochronology of Southern Norilsk Intrusions, SW Siberian Traps
Authors: Sereda Elena , Belyatsky Boris , Krivolutskaya Nadezhda
Published: February 2020

The Norilsk ore region is characterized by the occurrence of numerous intrusions comprising the PGE–Cu–Ni deposits. The Turumakit area, within the Southern Norilsk Trough, also contains many mineralized mafic intrusions of probably similar economic potential to the known Norilsk deposits. We study igneous rocks from three boreholes within the Turumakit area, sampling gabbro-dolerites and trachydolerites related to the Norilsk and Ergalakh complexes, as well as an outcrop of the Daldykan gabbro-dolerite intrusion. Our petrographical, mineralogical and geochemical data, as well as the U–Pb dating of extracted baddeleyites and zircons, primarily discriminate between the sub-alkaline rocks of the main Turumakit area and the Ergalakh trachydolerites located in the Norilsk and Talnakh ore junctions. Coarser grained Turumakit trachydolerites (with pegmatite segregations) contrast finer grained Ergalakh trachydolerites by having: (1) higher TiO2 (up to 5.5 wt %) compared with 2.2 wt %–3.3 wt % in the typical Ergalakh rocks; (2) low U, lower La/Yb and La/Sm ratios (5–7), in contrast to 8–10 ppm, 2.5–2.6 and 3.0–3.3, respectively, for the Ergalakh trachydolerites; and (3) their age was determined by U–Pb methods on baddeleyite and zircon (244.8 ± 2.7 Ma), and it appears likely that the mafic rocks traditionally attributed to the Ergalakh complex within the Turumakit area are younger than the Norilsk intrusions (250 ± 1.4 Ma). These data strongly indicate an emplacement of Turumakit intrusions during the end of a ~5 Myr magmatic evolution of the Norilsk district. It is therefore proposed that the sub-alkaline rocks of the Turumakit area belong to a separate intrusive complex within the Norilsk district.
Test-System for Bacteria Sensing Based on Peroxidase-Like Activity of Inkjet-Printed Magnetite Nanoparticles
Authors: Zakharzhevskii Maxim , Drozdov Andrey S. , Kolchanov Denis S. , Shkodenko Liubov , Vinogradov Vladimir V.
Published: February 2020

Rapid detection of bacterial contamination is an essential task in numerous medical and technical processes and one of the most rapidly developing areas of nano-based analytics. Here, we present a simple-to-use and special-equipment-free test-system for bacteria detection based on magnetite nanoparticle arrays. The system is based on peroxide oxidation of chromogenic substrate catalyzed by magnetite nanoparticles, and the process undergoes computer-aided visual analysis. The nanoparticles used had a pristine surface free of adsorbed molecules and demonstrated high catalytic activities up to 6585 U/mg. The catalytic process showed the Michaelis–Menten kinetic with Km valued 1.22 mmol/L and Vmax of 4.39 µmol/s. The nanoparticles synthesized were used for the creation of inkjet printing inks and the design of sensor arrays by soft lithography. The printed sensors require no special equipment for data reading and showed a linear response for the detection of model bacteria in the range of 104–108 colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter with the detection limit of 3.2 × 103 CFU/mL.
Cation Disorder and Local Structural Distortions in AgxBi1–xS2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Kopula Kesavan Jagadesh , d’Acapito Francesco , Scardi Paolo , Stavrinadis Alexandros , Akgul Mehmet Zafer , Burgués-Ceballos Ignasi , Konstantatos Gerasimos , Boscherini Federico
Published: February 2020

By combining X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray diffraction measurements with density functional and molecular dynamics simulations, we study the structure of a set of AgxBi1−xS2 nanoparticles, a materials system of considerable current interest for photovoltaics. An apparent contradiction between the evidence provided by X-ray absorption and diffraction measurements is solved by means of the simulations. We find that disorder in the cation sublattice induces strong local distortions, leading to the appearance of short Ag–S bonds, the overall lattice symmetry remaining close to hexagonal.
Efficient and Stable CdSe/CdS/ZnS Quantum Rods-in-Matrix Assembly for White LED Application
Authors: Chen Yujuan , Xing Weishuo , Liu Yixuan , Zhang Xinsu , Xie Yangyang , Shen Chongyu , Liu Jay Guoxu , Geng Chong , Xu Shu
Published: February 2020

CdSe/CdS core-shell quantum rods (QRs) are a promising prospect in optoelectronic applications but usually have a relatively low quantum efficiency and stability. Here, we report on an efficient and stable CdSe/CdS/ZnS QRs-in-matrix assembly (QRAs) by growing and embedding CdSe/CdS QRs in ZnS matrices. Structural characterizations show that the CdSe/CdS QRs are encapsulated and interconnected by ZnS in the QRAs structure. The stable ZnS encapsulation renders the CdSe/CdS QRs high quantum efficiency (QE) up to 85%. The QRAs also present high photo- and thermal-stability and can preserve 93% of the initial QE at 100 °C. The QRAs powder presents a light degradation of only 2% under continuous excitation for 100 h, displaying profound potential in optoelectronic applications. White light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) are fabricated by packaging the QRAs powder as phosphor on top of blue GaN chip. The WLED shows high optical performance and light quality.
Synthesis of Magnetic Wires from Polyol-Derived Fe-Glycolate Wires
Authors: Fujieda Shun , Gaudisson Thomas , Grenèche Jean-Marc , François Michel , Ammar Souad
Published: February 2020

Fe-glycolate wires with micrometer-scale lengths can be synthesized by the polyol process. Although the as-produced wires are in the paramagnetic state at room temperature, they are transformed into ferrimagnetic iron oxides and ferromagnetic metallic iron wires by reductive annealing. The shape of the wires is unchanged by reductive annealing, and it is possible to control the magnetic properties of the resulting wire-shaped ferri/ferromagnets by adjusting the annealing conditions. Consequently, the reductive annealing of polyol-derived Fe-glycolate wires is an effective material-processing route for the production of magnetic wires.
Quantitative Flow Cytometric Evaluation of Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Impairment in RAW 264.7 Macrophages after Exposure to Pristine, Acid Functionalized, or Annealed Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Sabido Odile , Figarol Agathe , Klein Jean-Philippe , Bin Valérie , Forest Valérie , Pourchez Jérémie , Fubini Bice , Cottier Michèle , Tomatis Maura , Boudard Delphine
Published: February 2020

Conventional nanotoxicological assays are subjected to various interferences with nanoparticles and especially carbon nanotubes. A multiparametric flow cytometry (FCM) methodology was developed here as an alternative to quantify oxidative stress, mitochondrial impairment, and later cytotoxic and genotoxic events. The experiments were conducted on RAW264.7 macrophages, exposed for 90 min or 24 h-exposure with three types of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs): pristine (Nanocyl™ CNT), acid functionalized (CNTf), or annealed treatment (CNTa). An original combination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) probes allowed the simultaneous quantifications of broad-spectrum ROS, superoxide anion (O2•−), and hydroxyl radical (•OH). All MWCNTs types induced a slight increase of broad ROS levels regardless of earlier antioxidant catalase activity. CNTf strongly stimulated the O2•− production. The •OH production was downregulated for all MWCNTs due to their scavenging capacity. The latter was quantified in a cell-free system by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR). Further FCM-based assessment revealed early biological damages with a mitochondrial membrane potential collapse, followed by late cytotoxicity with chromatin decondensation. The combined evaluation by FCM analysis and cell-free techniques led to a better understanding of the impacts of MWCNTs surface treatments on the oxidative stress and related biological response.
Facile One-Step Hydrothermal Fabrication of (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7/SnO2 Heterojunction with Excellent Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Zhu Di , Wang Xinling , An Huiting , Zhong Yan , Wang Dianhui , Tang Chengying , Hu Chaohao
Published: February 2020

The pyrochlore-type (Sr0.6Bi0.305)2Bi2O7 (SBO), containing Bi3+ and Bi5+ mixed valent states, was recently found to be used as a new visible light responsive photocatalyst. Novel SBO/SnO2 heterostructured composites were synthesized through a facile one-step hydrothermal method. The phase structure, morphology, chemical composition, and optical properties of the obtained samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, and UV-vis DRS. Compared to pure SBO and SnO2, the synthesized SBO/SnO2 composites exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency. The results indicated that the photoinduced holes and superoxide radicals play a dominant role and are the main reactive species during the degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) solution under visible light irradiation. Heterojunctions, formed in samples, directly contribute to the improvement of photocatalytic efficiency of SBO/SnO2 composites, since it not only broadens the light response range, but also accelerates the separation of photogenerated carriers.
Multi-Tissue DNA Methylation Remodeling at Mitochondrial Quality Control Genes According to Diet in Rat Aging Models
Authors: D’Aquila Patrizia , De Rango Francesco , Guarasci Francesco , Mandalà Maurizio , Corsonello Andrea , Bellizzi Dina , Passarino Giuseppe
Published: February 2020

An adequate mitochondrial quality control system ensures the maintenance of a healthy mitochondrial pool so as to slow down the progressive accumulation of damage affecting mitochondrial function during aging and diseases. The amount and quality of nutrients availability were demonstrated to induce a process of bioenergetics adaptation by influencing the above system via epigenetic modifications. Here, we analyzed DNA samples from differently-aged rats fed a standard or low-calorie diet to evaluate tissue-specific changes in DNA methylation of CpG sites falling within Polg, Polg2, Tfam, Fis1, and Opa1 genes. We found significant changes according to age and tissue type and the administration of the low-calorie diet is responsible for a prevalent increase in DNA methylation levels. Particularly, this increase was more appreciable when this diet was administered during adulthood and at old age. Regression analysis demonstrated that DNA methylation patterns of the analyzed genes were negatively correlated with their expression levels. Data we obtained provide the first evidence about changes in DNA methylation patterns of genes involved in the mitochondrial biogenesis in response to specific diets and demonstrated that epigenetic modifications are involved in the modulation of mitochondrial dynamics driven by age and nutrition.
Intestinal TG3- and TG2-Specific Plasma Cell Responses in Dermatitis Herpetiformis Patients Undergoing a Gluten Challenge
Authors: Sankari Hanna , Hietikko Minna , Kurppa Kalle , Kaukinen Katri , Mansikka Eriika , Huhtala Heini , Laurila Kaija , Reunala Timo , Hervonen Kaisa , Salmi Teea , Lindfors Katri
Published: February 2020

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), a cutaneous manifestation of coeliac disease, is characterized by transglutaminase (TG) 3-targeted dermal immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposits. The treatment for DH is the same as for coeliac disease, namely a life-long gluten-free diet. DH patients typically have gluten-dependent circulating autoantibodies targeting TG3 and TG2, and plasma cells secreting such autoantibodies have been detected in the small intestinal mucosa. This study investigates the gluten-responsiveness of intestinal TG3 and TG2 antibody-secreting plasma cells in 16 treated DH patients undergoing a gluten challenge. The frequency of both plasma cell populations increased significantly during the challenge, and their frequency correlated with the corresponding serum autoantibody levels at post-challenge. TG3-specific plasma cells were absent in all 18 untreated coeliac disease patients and seven non-coeliac control subjects on gluten-containing diets. These findings indicate that, in DH, both intestinal TG3- and TG2-antibody secreting plasma cells are gluten-dependent, and that TG3-antibody secreting plasma cells are DH-specific.
Nutrients and Microbiota in Lung Diseases of Prematurity: The Placenta-Gut-Lung Triangle
Authors: Piersigilli Fiammetta , Van Grambezen Bénédicte , Hocq Catheline , Danhaive Olivier
Published: February 2020

Cardiorespiratory function is not only the foremost determinant of life after premature birth, but also a major factor of long-term outcomes. However, the path from placental disconnection to nutritional autonomy is enduring and challenging for the preterm infant and, at each step, will have profound influences on respiratory physiology and disease. Fluid and energy intake, specific nutrients such as amino-acids, lipids and vitamins, and their ways of administration —parenteral or enteral—have direct implications on lung tissue composition and cellular functions, thus affect lung development and homeostasis and contributing to acute and chronic respiratory disorders. In addition, metabolomic signatures have recently emerged as biomarkers of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and other neonatal diseases, suggesting a profound implication of specific metabolites such as amino-acids, acylcarnitine and fatty acids in lung injury and repair, inflammation and immune modulation. Recent advances have highlighted the profound influence of the microbiome on many short- and long-term outcomes in the preterm infant. Lung and intestinal microbiomes are deeply intricated, and nutrition plays a prominent role in their establishment and regulation. There is an emerging evidence that human milk prevents bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants, potentially through microbiome composition and/or inflammation modulation. Restoring antibiotic therapy-mediated microbiome disruption is another potentially beneficial action of human milk, which can be in part emulated by pre- and probiotics and supplements. This review will explore the many facets of the gut-lung axis and its pathophysiology in acute and chronic respiratory disorders of the prematurely born infant, and explore established and innovative nutritional approaches for prevention and treatment.
Food Insecurity and Micronutrient Status among Ghanaian Women Planning to Become Pregnant
Authors: Pobee Ruth Adisetu , Aguree Sixtus , Colecraft Esi Komeley , Gernand Alison D. , Murray-Kolb Laura E.
Published: February 2020

We examined the association between food insecurity (FIS) and micronutrient status among Ghanaian women planning to become pregnant. A cross-sectional analysis was completed of 95 women aged 18–35 years, living in the Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Questionnaires were administered to collect sociodemographic and food security data; weight and height were measured. Blood was drawn from an antecubital vein; one drop was used to assess hemoglobin via Hemocue. Zinc and copper were analyzed using flame atomic spectrophotometry while iron biomarkers, retinol and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were analyzed using ELISA, ultra-performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to determine the relationship between food insecurity (FIS) and micronutrient deficiencies. FIS was reported among 23% of the households, while micronutrient deficiencies ranged from 7–28% irrespective of FIS status. Retinol concentrations were negatively associated with FIS (p = 0.043) after controlling for covariates, although levels were within the normal range in both groups. No statistically significant associations between FIS and micronutrient deficiencies were found. Among those with FIS, 59% were deficient in at least one nutrient with 18% deficient in two nutrients. Unmarried women were at higher risk of FIS (p = 0.017) than married women. FIS was associated with retinol concentrations but not other micronutrient biomarkers in Ghanaian women expecting to become pregnant in the next 6 months.
Protective Role of Shiitake Mushroom-Derived Exosome-Like Nanoparticles in D-Galactosamine and Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice
Authors: Liu Baolong , Lu Yizhu , Chen Xingyi , Muthuraj Philma Glora , Li Xingzhi , Pattabiraman Mahesh , Zempleni Janos , Kachman Stephen D. , Natarajan Sathish Kumar , Yu Jiujiu
Published: February 2020

Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a rare, life-threatening liver disease with a poor prognosis. Administration of D-galactosamine (GalN) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers acute liver injury in mice, simulating many clinical features of FHF in humans; therefore, this disease model is often used to investigate potential therapeutic interventions to treat FHF. Recently, suppression of the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat related (NLR) family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, was shown to alleviate the severity of GalN/LPS-induced liver damage in mice. Therefore, the goal of this study was to find dietary exosome-like nanoparticles (ELNs) with therapeutic potential in curbing FHF by suppressing the NLRP3 inflammasome. Seven commonly consumed mushrooms were used to extract ELNs. These mushrooms were found to contain ELNs composed of RNAs, proteins, and lipids. Among these mushroom-derived ELNs, only shiitake mushroom-derived ELNs (S-ELNs) substantially inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation by preventing inflammasome formation in primary macrophages. S-ELNs also suppressed the secretion of interleukin (IL)-6, as well as both protein and mRNA levels of the Il1b gene. Remarkably, pre-treatment with S-ELNs protected mice from GalN/LPS-induced acute liver injury. Therefore, S-ELNs, identified as potent new inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome, represent a promising class of agents with the potential to combat FHF.
The Mediterranean Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) as Intermediate Host for the Anisakid Sulcascaris sulcata (Nematoda), a Pathogen Parasite of the Mediterranean Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Authors: Santoro Mario , Marchiori Erica , Palomba Marialetizia , Degli Uberti Barbara , Marcer Federica , Mattiucci Simonetta
Published: February 2020

Sulcascaris sulcata (Anisakidae), a pathogenic nematode of sea turtles, may cause ulcerous gastritis with different degrees of severity. Previous studies demonstrated a high prevalence of infection in the Mediterranean loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), although no data on the potential intermediate hosts of this nematode has been published thus far from the Mediterranean basin. Here, using molecular analyses, we demonstrated that the cross sections of nematode larvae observed histologically in Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected from a farm along the Tyrrhenian coast of southern Italy belong to S. sulcata. The BLAST analysis of sequences at the ITS2 region of rDNA and mtDNA cox2 gene loci here obtained from samples of two Mediterranean mussels containing nematode larvae showed 100% homology with those at the same gene loci from the adults of S. sulcata collected from the Mediterranean Sea and deposited in GenBank. To our knowledge, this study is the first to present data on a potential intermediate host of S. sulcata in the Mediterranean basin and to report a nematode parasite from the Mediterranean mussel.
The African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem and Ben Ammi’s Theology of Marginalisation and Reorientation
Authors: Miller Michael T
Published: February 2020

This paper will look at the way the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem have utilised the theological narrative of marginalisation in their quest for identity and self-determination. The African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem are an expatriate black American group who have lived in Israel since 1969, when their spiritual leader, Detroit-born Ben Ammi, received a vision commanding him to take his people back to the Promised Land. Drawing on a long tradition in the African American community that self-identified as the biblical Israelites, the African Hebrew Israelites are marginalised in their status as Americans, as Jews, and as Israelis. We will examine the writings of Ben Ammi in order to demonstrate that this biblically based motif of marginalisation was a key part of his theology, and one which enabled his movement to grow and sustain itself; yet, in comparison with other contemporaneous theological movements, Ben Ammi utilised a specific variant of this motif. Rejecting the more common emphasis on liberation, Ammi argued for an eschatological reorientation around the marginalised. This article will conclude that Ben Ammi’s theology is key to understanding how the community has oriented itself and how it has proved successful in lasting 50 years against both internal disputes and external attacks.
Women’s Ijtihad and Lady Amin’s Islamic Ethics on Womanhood and Motherhood
Authors: Rahbari Ladan
Published: February 2020

Women’s position, identity, and value in Islam have been affected by androcentric interpretations of the Qur’an and hadith throughout Islamic history. Women’s roles in society, as well as their position vis-à-vis Islamic sources and authority, have been shaped by these interpretations. In Shi’a Islam, due to the majority male clergy’s resistance, women have rarely reached the highest loci of Shi’i authority and jurisprudence. However, there have been women scholars who have transgressed these normative frameworks. Lady Amin, who was one of the most prominent Iranian theologians of the 19th and 20th centuries, is a notable example. Lady Amin had great knowledge of jurisprudence and gained the status of mujtahida at the age of forty. Her scholarly work addressed not only interpretations of the Qur’an and hadith, but also women’s issues and gender politics of her time. This study addresses women’s ijtihad in Shi’a Islam and investigates Lady Amin’s teachings on the topics of womanhood and motherhood. This study focuses on Lady Amin’s book of Islamic ethics, titled Ways of Happiness: Suggestions for Faithful Sisters, written as a Shi’i source of guidance with a specific focus on women and gender in Shi’a Islam.
Análise da patogênese da doença de Alzheimer: revisão narrativa da literatura
Authors: Miranda Rodrigues Nathan , De Souza Bayão Taciana , Barbosa Thomaz Isadora , Almeida Cardoso Silvia
Published: February 2020

Introdução: A patogênese de doenças neurodegenerativas, como a doença de Alzheimer (DA), têm sido cada vez mais objeto de estudo em inúmeras pesquisas científicas. Objetivo: A presente revisão narrativa teve por objetivo descrever a contribuição de fatores como o estresse oxidativo e o processo de netose para a patogênese de doenças neurodegenerativas, como a DA. Material e métodos: Realizou-se revisão de literatura de forma não sistemática nos bancos de dados das plataformas PubMed e Scielo com os seguintes descritores: Alzheimer + oxidative stress, Alzheimer + netosis e Alzheimer + inflammation, em periódicos nacionais e internacionais de 2000 a 2018. Ao final da seleção foram utilizados 26 artigos nesta revisão. Resultados: Diversos estudos demostraram importantes componentes ligados à neuroinflamação como peças-chave para o entendimento do acometimento neurológico causado pela DA, tais como, o estresse oxidativo, respostas inflamatórias por parte de neutrófilos e da micróglia, alterações vasculares e da barreira hematoencefálica. Conclusão: Em função de tais descobertas, faz-se necessário a continuidade e o avanço no entendimento da fisiopatologia da DA bem como da busca por eficazes abordagens terapêuticas para esta doença.
Rowe’s Temple-haunting Martlet Re-examined
Authors: Lagarde Fernand
Published: February 2020

L’émendation proposée par Rowe («Martlet» au lieu de «Barlet», Macbeth I. vi. 3) semble pouvoir se justifier par l’existence de martinets dans le blason de la reine Margaret ; l’adjectif «Temple-haunting» se justifierait alors par l’œuvre et l’influence de Ste Margaret sous le règne de son mari, Malcolm.
Antony and Cleopatra : a play to suit the new Jacobean taste
Authors: Costa de Beauregard Raphaëlle
Published: February 2020

Autour des années 1610, les références mythologiques deviennent de plus en plus à la mode. Dans sa tragédie Antoine et Cléopâtre (ca 1607), Shakespeare fait plusieurs allusions au mythe d’Hercule. En effet, ce mythe était déjà connu de l’auditoire. De plus, les représentations d’Hercule soulignent les deux aspects opposés du même mythe : la fureur et la sérénité. Or, ceci répond à l’hésitation dramatique d’Antoine entre Alexandrie et Rome.
Analyse des motifs religieux dans les images des trois tragédies de Webster
Authors: Damisch Isabel M.
Published: February 2020

L’attitude équivoque de Webster à l’égard de la religion trouve un parallèle dans l’ambiguïté des images à thème ou à motif religieux : thèmes de l’athéisme, du jugement dernier, d’attitudes religieuses ; motifs : Dieu-le ciel, références bibliques, l’Eglise et ses manifestations. Les images sont placées dans un contexte défavorable, et leur application est cynique.

Les éléments concrets et profanes l’emportent sur l’élément sacré. Il y a parodie de la liturgie et des rites. Les images ont un usage fonctionnel dramatique ; sur le plan esthétique, elles sont d’une grande banalité. La religion ne paraît pas être une source d’inspiration poétique pour Webster.
James VI & I and Revelation. How to Discourage Millenarian Aspirations
Authors: Borot Luc
Published: February 2020

Entre le début de son règne en Ecosse et la fin de son règne en Angleterre, Jacques 1er a produit un certain nombre de traités théologiques. Très tôt (1588), il écrit une paraphrase et une méditation de l'Apocalpyse de saint-Jean (Ap 20, 7-10), pour rétablir une saine doctrine sur ce texte aux interprétations si dangereuses. A la fin de sa vie (1619), il écrit une méditation sur le Notre Père, dont les implications anti-puritaines et anti-millénaristes sont très claires. Les années de son règne britannique sont marquées par le débat interne à l'Eglise dAngleterre sur le libre arbitre, dans lequel il prend position contre les Puritains les plus extrêmes, mais aussi contre Vorstius, Arminius et Bellarmin. Ces controverses ne sont pas sans influence sur les attitudes envers l'attente de la venue du Royaume. On aura en permanence à l'esprit certaines attitudes contemporaines envers cet événement, qu'elles proviennent d'illuminés, d'astrologues, ou de théologiens conservateurs ou millénaristes.

On étudiera moins l'évolution des positions du roi que celle des formulations que l'expérience et la polémique lui dictent face à des adversaires multiples et variés. On examinera comment Jacques VI d'Ecosse atténue les potentialités révolutionnaires de l'Apocalypse et s'il reste quelque chose de sa paraphrase dans la traduction autorisée de 1611 placée sous son patronage. Enfin les méditations sur le Notre Père et sur le couronnement parodique du Christ dans la Passion selon saint Matthieu nous permettront défaire le bilan du cheminement spirituel et exégétique du premier roi de Grande-Bretagne, pour qui traiter du Millénium revenait à nier l'imminence de sa venue.
"Apocalypse Now" : Blake et le millénarisme
Authors: Bulckaen-Messina Denise
Published: February 2020

Blake belongs to the end of a century. He also witnessed two upheavals : the French Revolution that was already germinating before 1789, the taking of the Bastille, and that began rotting with the massacres of the Terreur ; in 1793, it could no longer please those the Revolution had seduced. Meanwhile, the American colonies first coveted, then conquered, independence. Blake, though politically minded, offers another interpretation of the byways of evolution. To him, "Apocalypse"," that is to say "Revelation," is not a God-preempted date in a planetary future, but a moment in time that may be now for the individual man, the meeting of one — and self— he unbearable "all" Blake's work endeavours to contain, and the final unity (which may not be much more bearable) of the Divine, beyond religions and particular perceptions of an oppressive God. "Apocalypse Now, " beyond dates and millenarist trends is, to Blake, a way to individual freedom that transcends theologies and religions.
Lineaments of Ungratified Desire : William Morris's News from Nowhere as Utopian Romance
Authors: Lawton Lesley Suzanne
Published: February 2020

Nouvelles de Nulle part de William Morris décrit une utopie qui se situe, comme le millenium, dans l'avenir. Comme le dit Hélène Greven-Borde, toute oeuvre utopique présente deux mondes, le pays d'origine qui correspond au monde réel auquel appartient le voyageur (et pourrait-on même ajouter, celui auquel réagit l'auteur en écrivant) et le monde imaginaire. Le projet de Morris décrivant "comment pourrait-on vivre" est étroitement lié aux insatisfactions créées par la société capitaliste de la fin du XIXème siècle : aux problèmes d'urbanisation Morris oppose une vision pastorale de Londres ; au problème du travail aliéné, il oppose la dignité et la joie du travail.

Cette étude ne porte pas seulement sur la vision de la société idéale de Morris mais elle dégage aussi les stratégies narratives complexes dont Morris se sert pour positionner le lecteur par rapport aux deux mondes et l'amener à désirer la "bonne société" toute en suggérant, paradoxalement, que sa réalisation reste éloignée dans le temps.
The Four-Gated City : Utopie et fin du monde chez Doris Lessing
Authors: Munnick Yvonne
Published: February 2020

Doris Lessing's The Four-Gated City, the final volume of the Children of Violence series, ends with a long epilogue relating how the survivors of a major catastrophe turn out to be mutants, specimens of a new, regenerated breed of human beings who herald a new era.

The aim of this article is to show the link between the heroine’s early commitment to Communism and her subsequent involvement in a form of mysticism, a mixture of Sufism and theories about madness, especially R.D. Laing's.

The apocalyptic vision of history which is brought about by this shift, cannot be dissociated from the utopian dream of an ideal city, the four-gated city of the title. A modern version of the Millennium, Lessing's novel can be read as an answer to the eschatological fears pervading the post-war era.
Les bienfaits de l'environnement, source d'un monde utopique, de l'époque victorienne à la seconde guerre mondiale et la Reconstruction
Authors: Moreau Gilbert
Published: February 2020

The last stage of the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century reshaped both the urban landscape and the countryside, making some observers of society aware of the serious social and aesthetic problems generated by the economic boom.

The struggle for acceptable living conditions for the urban poor was taken up by reformers with liberal tendencies. One of them, Octavia Hill, was involved both in social reform by tackling the problem of housing and in the preservation of the environment as a founder of the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest and Natural Beauty.

The liberal movement went beyond a pragmatic and bureaucratic approach and bore spiritual and quasi-mystical features. Both approaches, the spiritual and the pragmatic one were at work in the first half of the twentieth century and the missionary spirit was taken up by some circles within the Labour party whose ambition was to promote change in the conditions of life of the great mass of the British population.

Such proposals were reinforced by the new spirit of awareness boosted by the second world war and the provision of amenities for all was seen as an essential feature of democratic reform. A planned economic structure was to give birth to a New Social Order, a Utopia which could be achieved.
"The Great Work begins" : Apocalyptic and Millenarian Vision in Angels in America
Authors: Elkin-Squitieri Michelle
Published: February 2020

Les Anges en Amérique sont composés de deux pièces de théâtre concernant cinq homosexuels vivant à New -York au milieu des années quatre-ving. Deux d'entre eux sont ou ont été des travestis. Deux de ces personnages sont des Juifs dont l'un souffre du Sida. Enfin il y a un jeune juriste mormon, originaire de l'Utah, qui découvre que le mariage est un refuge inadapté contre ses désirs homosexuels. La toile de fond de leurs histoires consiste en une série de vignettes traitant des changements historiques irrémédiables.

La première partie d'Angels in America a pour titre Le Millénium s'approche ; la seconde, intitulée Perestroika, commence par la vision d'un ange et se conclut par une prophétie millénariste s'appuyant explicitement sur la tradition des Mormons, mais qui s’adresse à la population homosexuelle ravagée par le Sida. Les deux pièces sont pleines d'allusions aux peurs, aux visions, aux prophéties et aux déceptions des traditions juive, marxiste soviétique et mormone. Le traitement par le dramaturge de ces éléments qu'il range sous le parapluie de la "Théorie" est tout à la fois parodique et nostalgique, comique et tragique, critique et bienveillant. Cet article s'efforce de mettre au jour certains des procédés grâce auxquels les pièces en question jouent avec la notion de Millénium.
Du fragment, du tout et de la clôture : Réflexions sur quelques stratégies artistiques contemporaines
Authors: Morel Michel
Published: February 2020

The Gestalt Theory shows that an individual figure can only be understood in reference to its contextual background. In the domain of story lines, and more generally of sequential structuration, this puts the question of the relation between local facts and the framing whole, in particular in terms of teleology, that is the expectation of an end, be it in novels, in plays and in poems. Referring to the archeological levels in the text, levels to be found exemplified in the fairy tale and the epic, one may observe a whole spectrum of textual structuration, going from a commanding and imperative resolution of the plot and cf the text, to moderately deviant forms still conforming to the classical schemes of story-telling, to transgressive and subversive practices. Flann O'Brien's novels may seem to illustrate the latter category in which the normal reading operations concerning fragment v. whole are hampered, if not exploded ; which puts the question of the type of meaning finally constructed by the reader. Conversely, Howard Barker adopts another strategy in The Possibilities, a play in ten fragments which are conceived as absolutely autonomous though implicitly integrated in a demonstrative whole. One thus discovers that the specific nature of the relation established between fragment and whole— from linear and one-sided to reversible— offers the possibility of a critical insight into the actual workings of the text, and provides a central criterion, and a functional means, in view of the evaluation of what, in the final count, is being done to the reader.
Etude d'un tout (The Woodlanders de Thomas Hardy) à partir d'un fragment
Authors: Persyn Catherine
Published: February 2020

The present paper is a reading of Thomas Hardy's novel, The Woodlanders, approached from the vantage-point of a memorable passage. The close, «organic » link that will almost invariably be found between any given «part» and the «whole» to which it belongs, is thrown into light here thanks to numerous cross-references. The passage is also analysed as a microcosm mirroring both the themes and the main sequences of the novel, and as an exemplar of the author's «literary pictorialism.» The profound pessimism which is the hallmark of Hardy is dwelt upon but also shown to be balanced— and possibly, to a certain extent, belied— by his acute sense of the beauty and mystery of the world.
Hanif Kureishi's Fragmentation of Self and of Text in The Buddha of Suburbia
Authors: Cacqueray Elisabeth de
Published: February 2020

En surface The Buddha of Suburbia paraît suivre les conventions du roman réaliste en imposant un ordre rassurant à la narration, en suggérant, par extension, que Von puisse entrevoir un ordre similaire dans l'existence humaine. Cependant, cette impression d'ordre rassurant est contredite par certaines caractéristiques du roman : doit-on considérer que la progression de Karim constitue une ascension culturelle et sociale positive ou s'agit-il, au contraire, d'une descente morale négative ? L'impossibilité de choisir entre ces deux possibilités suggère que le roman offre en fait, sous sa surface illusoire, un commentaire sur la nature même de l'ordre, que ce soit dans un texte ou dans la société à laquelle il se réfère. Le désir de trouver un ordre à l'existence repose le plus souvent sur une recherche d'unité, celle qu'un «tout » nous offrirait. The Buddha suggère, à travers sa thématique et sa structure, qu'un «tout,» qu'il s'agisse d'un individu, d'une société ou d'un texte, n'est fait que d'un nombre considérable de fragments, momentanément juxtaposés dans un mouvement de flux permanent. Mettant en scène des êtres fragmentés, du fait de leurs origines culturelles, le texte, selon un principe d'auto-similarité, est composé d'un collage de fragments littéraires— citations tronquées et cachées de textes antérieurs (Tennessee Williams, W. B. Yeats, Jonathan Swift...) Chaque lecteur créera pour le texte sa propre lecture, son propre «tout,» à partir de ses connaissances : il n'y a pas possibilité d'un «tout» absolu.
Edward Wilmot Blyden : « Many Thresholds to Cross »
Authors: Moore-Gilbert Bart J.
Published: February 2020

La vie et les idées de Edward Wilmot Blyden (1832-1912) nous offrent l'un des premiers commentaires sur ce qui est devenu une préoccupation de V Afrique contemporaine : la question des seuils et des échanges entre les cultures. Né dans les Antilles hollandaises , E. W. Blyden émigra aux Etats-Unis et, en 1851, au Libéria, où il demeura jusqu'à la fin de ses jours. U tenta de faire une synthèse entre les traditions des Caraïbes, des Africains-Américains et des Libérians de souche dans le but de créer une nouvelle culture africaine qui serait puissante et indépendante. De plus, et toujours dans le même objectif, il essaya d'instaurer un dialogue entre l’islam et le christianisme. Il y avait pourtant certains seuils que E.W. Blyden ne pouvait pas ou ne voulait pas franchir. En particulier, au cours de sa carrière, il devint de plus en plus hostile au métissage, révélant ainsi à quel point il était imbriqué dans la pensée raciale dominante de l’époque. Educateur, homme politique et homme de lettres distingué, Edward Wilmot Blyden devance de nombreux arguments de la Négritude et, plus récemment, une certaine pensée africaine prônant le nationalisme culturel.
Pappy Joe and Moonshine Solidarity : A Key Moment in Nigerian Theatre Practice
Authors: Dunton Chris
Published: February 2020

A la fin des années 1970, de nombreuses initiatives théâtrales, en particulier en ce qui concerne le théâtre populaire et le «théâtre pour le développement », ont eu lieu à l'Université d’Amadou Bello à Zaria, au Nigéria. Cet article explore l'adaptation théâtrale par Tunde Lakoju de Pappy Joe — bande dessinée en pidgin English très populaire à l'époque — dans la pièce intitulée Moonshine Solidarity. L’étude du passage d’un moyen d’expression à un autre, d’un texte imprimé à la dramaturgie d’une pièce hybride qui allie théâtre satirique et théâtre didactique, est révélatrice de seuils d’adaptation, de tension et de contradiction et nous donne accès au discours populaire et aux préoccupations de l’époque. Ces initiatives devraient également contribuer à nous faire mieux saisir certains aspects de l’histoire du théâtre au Nigéria.
« White » South African Writing and the Politics of Resistance
Authors: Kossew Sue
Published: February 2020

Cet article s’intéresse à un élément liminal de la littérature africaine anglophone : la littérature et la critique sud-africaines «blanches ». Nombreux de ces écrits sont évalués en fonction de leur contribution à la «résistance ». La «résistance blanche » - notion complexe - est une question qui occupe une place effective mais difficilement définissable dans les discours de pouvoir au seuil de la culture de l’« après-apartheid ». Cet article explore la problématique des écrits de la « résistance blanche » à partir de ces « seuils critiques ».