bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between hyperhomocysteinemia and the presence and severity of acute coronary syndrome in young adults ≤ 35 years of age
Authors: Sun Jiayin , Han Wei , Wu Sijing , Jia Shuo , Yan Zhenxian , Guo Yonghe , Zhao Yingxin , Zhou Yujie , Liu Wei
Published: January 2021

Background

The prevalence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) continues to increase among young Chinese adults. Homocysteine (HCY) has been suggested as a promoter of atherosclerosis leading to coronary artery disease (CAD). Yet, it remains uncertain whether HCY is associated with the ACS and the severity of coronary artery stenosis in young adults.

Methods

Young patients (18–35 years of age) diagnosed with ACS who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) at Anzhen Hospital between January 2013 and June 2019 were assigned to the ACS group. As confirmed by CAG during the same period, an equivalent age-matched population without CAD was assigned to the non-CAD group. A serum HCY level > 15 µmol/L was defined as hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY). The Gensini score assessed the severity of coronary artery stenosis.

Results

A total of 1103 participants, including 828 ACS patients and 275 non-CAD subjects, were enrolled in this study. Young ACS patients had higher level of serum HCY and greater prevalence of HHCY compared with non-CAD subjects [for HCY, 16.55 (11.93–29.68) vs 12.50 (9.71–17.42), P < 0.001; for HHCY prevalence, 62.08% vs 26.18%, P < 0.001]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with the stepwise method indicated that HHCY was an independent predictor associated with the presence of ACS, after adjusting for traditional confounders (OR, 4.561; 95% CI, 3.288–6.327; P < 0.001). Moreover, young ACS patients with HHCY had increased prevalence of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (P = 0.041), multi-vessel disease (P = 0.036), and decreased value of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P = 0.01). Also, the HCY level was significantly correlated with Gensini Score in ACS patients (r = 0.142, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

HHCY is significantly associated with the presence of ACS and the severity of coronary artery stenosis in young adults ≤ 35 years of age.
A rare case of adult herpes simplex encephalitis complicated with rhabdomyolysis
Authors: Yu Qinwei , Han Chao , Pei Lei , Huang Jinsha , Xu Yan , Wang Tao
Published: January 2021

Background

Compelling evidence indicates that status epilepticus is a prevalent cause of rhabdomyolysis. However, cases of rhabdomyolysis induced by a single seizure accompanied by viral encephalitis are rarely reported. Herein, we present a case of adult Herpes Simplex Encephalitis complicated with rhabdomyolysis.

Case presentation

A 32-year-old male was patient presented with fever accompanied by episodes of convulsions, myalgia, and oliguria, which exacerbated the delirium. Routine blood examination showed impaired kidney function and elevated myoglobin (Mb) and creatine phosphokinase (CK) levels. MRI scanning revealed a damaged frontotemporal lobe and limbic system. In addition, herpes simplex virus (HSV) pathogen was identified in the cerebrospinal fluid thus indicating HSV infection. Therefore, a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis triggered by HSV infection accompanied by epilepsy was made. Notably, the patient recovered well after early intervention and treatment.

Conclusion

The case presented here calls for careful analysis of rhabdomyolysis cases with unknown causes, minor seizures, and without status epilepticus. This case also indicates that HSV virus infection might contribute to the rhabdomyolysis.
Molecular subtypes based on DNA methylation predict prognosis in lung squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Li Xiu-Shen , Nie Ke-Chao , Zheng Zhi-Hua , Zhou Rui-Sheng , Huang Yu-Sheng , Ye Zeng-Jie , He Fan , Tang Ying
Published: January 2021

Background

Due to tumor heterogeneity, the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) are difficult. DNA methylation is an important regulator of gene expression, which may help the diagnosis and therapy of patients with LUSC.

Methods

In this study, we collected the clinical information of LUSC patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the relevant methylated sequences of the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) database to construct methylated subtypes and performed prognostic analysis.

Results

Nine hundred sixty-five potential independent prognosis methylation sites were finally identified and the genes were identified. Based on consensus clustering analysis, seven subtypes were identified by using 965 CpG sites and corresponding survival curves were plotted. The prognostic analysis model was constructed according to the methylation sites’ information of the subtype with the best prognosis. Internal and external verifications were used to evaluate the prediction model.

Conclusions

Models based on differences in DNA methylation levels may help to classify the molecular subtypes of LUSC patients, and provide more individualized treatment recommendations and prognostic assessments for different clinical subtypes. GNAS, FZD2, FZD10 are the core three genes that may be related to the prognosis of LUSC patients.
Study protocol: randomized controlled trial of opioid-free vs. traditional perioperative analgesia in elective orthopedic surgery
Authors: Shing Elaine Z. , Leas Daniel , Michalek Caleb , Wally Meghan K. , Hamid Nady
Published: January 2021

Background

The medical community is beginning to recognize the contribution of prescription opioids in the growing national opioid crisis. Many studies have compared the safety and efficacy of alternative analgesics to opioids, but none utilizing a completely opioid-free perioperative protocol in orthopedics.

Methods

We developed and tested an opioid-free perioperative analgesic pathway (from preoperative to postoperative period) among patients undergoing common elective orthopedic procedures. Patients will be randomized to receive either traditional opioid-including or completely opioid-free perioperative medications. This study is being conducted across multiple orthopedic subspecialties in patients undergoing the following common elective orthopedic procedures: single-level or two-level ACDF/ACDA, 1st CMC arthroplasty, Hallux Valgus/Rigidus corrections, diagnostic knee arthroscopies, total hip arthroplasty (THA), and total shoulder arthroplasty/reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA/RTSA). The primary outcome measure is pain score at 24 h postoperatively. Secondary outcome measures include pain scores at additional time points, medication side effects, and several patient-reported variables such as patient satisfaction, quality of life, and functional status.

Discussion

We describe the methods for a feasibility randomized controlled trial comparing opioid-free perioperative analgesics to traditional opioid-including protocols. We present this study so that it may be replicated and incorporated into future studies at other institutions, as well as disseminated to additional orthopedic and/or non-orthopedic surgical procedures. The ultimate goal of presenting this protocol is to aid recent efforts in reducing the impact of prescription opioids on the national opioid crisis.

Trial registration

The protocol was approved by the local institutional review board and registered with clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04176783) on November 25, 2019, retrospectively registered
Quality of online self-management resources for adults living with primary brain cancer, and their carers: a systematic environmental scan
Authors: Schaefer Isabelle , Heneka Nicole , Luckett Tim , Agar Meera R. , Chambers Suzanne K. , Currow David C. , Halkett Georgia , Disalvo Domenica , Amgarth-Duff Ingrid , Anderiesz Cleola , Phillips Jane L.
Published: January 2021

Background

A primary brain cancer diagnosis is a distressing, life changing event. It adversely affects the quality of life for the person living with brain cancer and their families (‘carers’). Timely access to evidence-based information is critical to enabling people living with brain cancer, and their carers, to self-manage the devastating impacts of this disease.

Method

A systematic environmental scan of web-based resources. A depersonalised search for online English-language resources published from 2009 to December 2019 and designed for adults (> 25 years of age), living with primary brain cancer, was undertaken using the Google search engine. The online information was classified according to: 1) the step on the cancer care continuum; 2) self-management domains (PRISMS taxonomy); 3) basic information disclosure (Silberg criteria); 4) independent quality verification (HonCode); 5) reliability of disease and treatment information (DISCERN Sections 1 and 2); and readability (Flesch-Kincaid reading grade).

Results

A total of 119 online resources were identified, most originating in England (n = 49); Australia (n = 27); or the USA (n = 27). The majority of resources related to active treatment (n = 76), without addressing recurrence (n = 3), survivorship (n = 1) or palliative care needs (n = 13). Few online resources directly provided self-management advice for adults living with brain cancer or their carers. Just over a fifth (n = 26, 22%) were underpinned by verifiable evidence. Only one quarter of organisations producing resources were HonCode certified (n = 9, 24%). The median resource reliability as measured by Section 1, DISCERN tool, was 56%. A median of 8.8 years of education was required to understand these online resources.

Conclusions

More targeted online information is needed to provide people affected by brain cancer with practical self-management advice. Resources need to better address patient and carer needs related to: rehabilitation, managing behavioural changes, survivorship and living with uncertainty; recurrence; and transition to palliative care. Developing online resources that don’t require a high level of literacy and/or cognition are also required.
Brain–computer interface robotics for hand rehabilitation after stroke: a systematic review
Authors: Baniqued Paul Dominick E. , Stanyer Emily C. , Awais Muhammad , Alazmani Ali , Jackson Andrew E. , Mon-Williams Mark A. , Mushtaq Faisal , Holt Raymond J.
Published: January 2021

Background

Hand rehabilitation is core to helping stroke survivors regain activities of daily living. Recent studies have suggested that the use of electroencephalography-based brain-computer interfaces (BCI) can promote this process. Here, we report the first systematic examination of the literature on the use of BCI-robot systems for the rehabilitation of fine motor skills associated with hand movement and profile these systems from a technical and clinical perspective.

Methods

A search for January 2010–October 2019 articles using Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PEDro, PsycINFO, IEEE Xplore and Cochrane Library databases was performed. The selection criteria included BCI-hand robotic systems for rehabilitation at different stages of development involving tests on healthy participants or people who have had a stroke. Data fields include those related to study design, participant characteristics, technical specifications of the system, and clinical outcome measures.

Results

30 studies were identified as eligible for qualitative review and among these, 11 studies involved testing a BCI-hand robot on chronic and subacute stroke patients. Statistically significant improvements in motor assessment scores relative to controls were observed for three BCI-hand robot interventions. The degree of robot control for the majority of studies was limited to triggering the device to perform grasping or pinching movements using motor imagery. Most employed a combination of kinaesthetic and visual response via the robotic device and display screen, respectively, to match feedback to motor imagery.

Conclusion

19 out of 30 studies on BCI-robotic systems for hand rehabilitation report systems at prototype or pre-clinical stages of development. We identified large heterogeneity in reporting and emphasise the need to develop a standard protocol for assessing technical and clinical outcomes so that the necessary evidence base on efficiency and efficacy can be developed.
Cohesin promotes HSV-1 lytic transcription by facilitating the binding of RNA Pol II on viral genes
Authors: Li Xin , Yu Yafen , Lang Fengchao , Chen Guijun , Wang Erlin , Li Lihong , Li Zhuoran , Yang Liping , Cao Xia , Fraser Nigel W. , Zhou Jumin
Published: January 2021

Background

Herpes Simplex Virus type I (HSV-1) is a large double-stranded DNA virus that enters productive infection in epithelial cells and reorganizes the host nucleus. Cohesin, a major constituent of interphase and mitotic chromosomes comprised of SMC1, SMC3, and SCC1 (Mcd1/Rad21), SCC3 (SA1/SA2), have diverse functions, including sister chromatid cohesion, DNA double-stranded breaks repair, and transcriptional control. Little is known about the role of cohesin in HSV-1 lytic infection.

Methods

We measured the effect on HSV-1 transcription, genome copy number, and viral titer by depleting cohesin components SMC1 or Rad21 using RNAi, followed by immunofluorescence, qPCR, and ChIP experiments to gain insight into cohesin's function in HSV-1 transcription and replication.

Results

Here, we report that cohesion subunits SMC1 and Rad21 are recruited to the lytic HSV-1 replication compartment. The knockdown results in decreased viral transcription, protein expression, and maturation of viral replication compartments. SMC1 and Rad21 knockdown leads to the reduced overall RNA pol II occupancy level but increased RNA pol II ser5 phosphorylation binding on viral genes. Consistent with this, the knockdown increased H3K27me3 modification on these genes.

Conclusions

These results suggest that cohesin facilitates HSV-1 lytic transcription by promoting RNA Pol II transcription activity and preventing chromatin's silencing on the viral genome.
Caffeine improves biochemical and specific performance after judo training: a double-blind crossover study in a real judo training situation
Authors: Carmo Kelvin Euton Oliveira , Pérez Diego Ignácio Valenzuela , Valido Charles Nardelli , dos Santos Jymmys Lopes , Miarka Bianca , Mendes-Netto Raquel Simões , Leite Marina Macedo Rodrigues , Antoniêtto Naiara Ribeiro , Aedo-Muñoz Esteban Ariel , Brito Ciro José
Published: January 2021

Background

Nutritional ergogenic aids are foods or nutrients that can improve physical performance. Among these foods with ergogenic properties, caffeine has shown that it can increase the fat catabolism, strength, and improve the cognition and time reaction of an athlete, therefore, it is hoped that it can improve the performance of judokas. This study through a double-blind crossover (supplement X placebo) protocol, investigated the effects caffeine supplementation (single capsule containing 5 mg/kg body mass intake 60 min before the session) on biochemical, anthropometrical, physical, subjective and hemodynamic variables measured before, during and after two typical judo trainingcxs sessions (120-min: 40-min of gymnastics; 40-min of specific technics and; 40-min of judo combat).

Methods

8 high-level athletes (21.4 ± 2.0 years; 83.6 ± 15.2 kg; 1.8 ± 0.1 m; 17.9 ± 7.0 Fat%) were evaluated before and after each training for body mass, hydration, upper and lower limb power, performance in the special judo fitness test (SJFT), free fatty acids (FFA) in plasma, uric acid, glucose, lactate, heart rate, and pain. In addition, heart rate, FFA in plasma, uric acid, glucose, lactate, rating of perceived exertion and pain were assessed during the training.

Results

At 120 min, supplementation resulted in a higher concentration of plasma FFA (1.5 ± 0.5 vs. 1.0 ± 0.3 mmol/L; p = 0.047) and lactate (4.9 ± 1.8 vs. 3.0 ± 1.2 mmol/L; p = 0.047), and a lower concentration of uric acid (5.4 ± 0.9 vs. 7.0 ± 1.5 mg/dL; p = 0.04). Supplementation also resulted in performance maintenance (fatigue index) in the SJFT (Δ0.3 ± 2.0 vs Δ1.7 ± 2.5, for caffeine and placebo respectively, p = 0.046). No adverse effects were observed.

Conclusion

Based on the applied dose, intake time, and sample of this study, we can conclude that caffeine produces an ergogenic biochemical effect, and improves performance in judo athletes.
Relationship of post-traumatic stress disorder with disrespect and abuse during childbirth in a group of Iranian postpartum women: a prospective study
Authors: Hajizadeh Khadije , Mirghafourvand Mojgan
Published: January 2021

Background

Disrespect and abuse (D&A) violate the fundamental principles of ethics, human rights, and basic obligations to protect and relieve patients. This study aimed to identify the status of D&A and its relationship with the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Iranian women.

Methods

This prospective study was conducted on 288 mothers admitted to the maternity wards of three public and three private hospitals in Tabriz. The data collection tools were socio-demographic and obstetric questionnaires as well as D&A (6–18 h postpartum) and PTSD (one month postpartum) scales, which were completed by participants in interviews. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to determine the relationship between PTSD and D&A in adjusting the socio-demographic and obstetric variables.

Results

In this study, 74.7% of mothers reported one or multiple types of D&A. According to the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, 16.3% of the participants experienced postpartum PTSD. The mean (± standard deviation) of the PTSD score was reported 7.32 (± 2.0) in the women experiencing D&A, whereas it was 1.0 (± 0.0) in the women having no experiences of D&A. According to the Mann–Whitney U test results, there was a significant relationship between the total and all subscales of PTSD score and D&A (p < 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression results indicated that the likelihood of PTSD was significantly lower in the participants without any D&A experiences than in those with D&A experiences (aOR: 0.06; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.58; p = 0.015).

Conclusion

Given the PTSD–D&A relationship, it is recommended to improve maternal care in maternity facilities to prevent any unintended PTSD complications.
Comprehensive metabolic profiling of Parkinson’s disease by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry
Authors: Shao Yaping , Li Tianbai , Liu Zheyi , Wang Xiaolin , Xu Xiaojiao , Li Song , Xu Guowang , Le Weidong
Published: January 2021

Background

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent neurological disease in the elderly with increasing morbidity and mortality. Despite enormous efforts, rapid and accurate diagnosis of PD is still compromised. Metabolomics defines the final readout of genome-environment interactions through the analysis of the entire metabolic profile in biological matrices. Recently, unbiased metabolic profiling of human sample has been initiated to identify novel PD metabolic biomarkers and dysfunctional metabolic pathways, however, it remains a challenge to define reliable biomarker(s) for clinical use.

Methods

We presented a comprehensive metabolic evaluation for identifying crucial metabolic disturbances in PD using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry-based metabolomics approach. Plasma samples from 3 independent cohorts (n = 460, 223 PD, 169 healthy controls (HCs) and 68 PD-unrelated neurological disease controls) were collected for the characterization of metabolic changes resulted from PD, antiparkinsonian treatment and potential interferences of other diseases. Unbiased multivariate and univariate analyses were performed to determine the most promising metabolic signatures from all metabolomic datasets. Multiple linear regressions were applied to investigate the associations of metabolites with age, duration time and stage of PD. The combinational biomarker model established by binary logistic regression analysis was validated by 3 cohorts.

Results

A list of metabolites including amino acids, acylcarnitines, organic acids, steroids, amides, and lipids from human plasma of 3 cohorts were identified. Compared with HC, we observed significant reductions of fatty acids (FFAs) and caffeine metabolites, elevations of bile acids and microbiota-derived deleterious metabolites, and alterations in steroid hormones in drug-naïve PD. Additionally, we found that L-dopa treatment could affect plasma metabolome involved in phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism and alleviate the elevations of bile acids in PD. Finally, a metabolite panel of 4 biomarker candidates, including FFA 10:0, FFA 12:0, indolelactic acid and phenylacetyl-glutamine was identified based on comprehensive discovery and validation workflow. This panel showed favorable discriminating power for PD.

Conclusions

This study may help improve our understanding of PD etiopathogenesis and facilitate target screening for therapeutic intervention. The metabolite panel identified in this study may provide novel approach for the clinical diagnosis of PD in the future.
Irigenin exerts anticancer effects on human liver cancer cells via induction of mitochondrial apoptosis and cell cycle arrest
Authors: Xu Wanggang , Kuang Yingmin , Wang Dan , Li Zhen , Xia Renpin
Published: January 2021

Irigenin has been reported to exhibit remarkable anticancer effects against several human cancers. Nonetheless, the anticancer effects of irigenin against the human liver cancer cells are still largely unexplored. Consistently, this study was designed to evaluate the anticancer effects of irigenin against human liver cancer cells and to unveil the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results showed that irigenin significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the growth of the human HepG2 and SNU-182 liver cancer cells with an IC50value of 14 µM. Nonetheless, the cytotoxic effects of irigenin against the normal THLE-2 cells were comparatively lower as evident from the IC50of 120 μM. The AO/EB and DAPI staining showed that irigenin induces apoptosis in the human liver cancer cells. Annexin V/PI staining assay revealed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the percentage of apoptotic HepG2 and SNU-182 liver cancer cells upon treatment with irigenin. It was found that the number of apoptotic HepG2 and SNU-182 cells enhanced from 2.3 to 41.75% and 1.16 to 51.9% at IC50, respectively. Western blot showed a considerable increase in Bax and decrease in the Bcl-2 expression upon irigenin treatment further confirming the induction of apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that irigenin also induces G2/M cell cycle arrest of HepG2 and SNU-182 cells. The percentage of G2/M phase HepG2 and SNU-182 cells increased from 17.92 to 34.35% and 23.97 to 38.23% at IC50, respectively This was also accompanied by decrease in the expression of CDK1 and Cyclin-B in HepG2 and SNU-182 cells. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that irigenin inhibits the growth of the human liver cancer cells via induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. These results point towards the potential of irigenin as a lead for the development of chemotherapy for liver cancer.
Simultaneous isolation of cellulose and lignin from wheat straw and catalytic conversion to valuable chemical products
Authors: Yu Bowei , Fan Guozhi , Zhao Sijiu , Lu Yuchan , He Qiao , Cheng Qunpeng , Yan Juntao , Chai Bo , Song Guangsen
Published: January 2021

Convertible cellulose and lignin were simultaneously isolated from wheat straw using a two-stage process via simply varying temperature and H2SO4 concentration. At the first-stage, cellulose was obtained by pretreating wheat straw at lower temperature and acid concentration using an organosolv process. The purity, yield and recovery rate of cellulose reached 86.8 wt%, 55.2 and 92.8% at 150 °C with 1 wt% H2SO4. At the second stage, the residual liquid was further treated at higher temperature and acid concentration, giving 17.4% lignin yield with 86.6% recovery rate and 93.2 wt% purity at 180 °C with 1.5 wt% H2SO4. The conversion of the as-isolated cellulose and lignin into chemicals was further investigated. The total yield of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and glucose derived from wheat straw cellulose reached 82.5%, and 18.3% yield of monophenolic compounds from lignin were obtained, respectively. These results indicated that the two-stage process was effective for obtaining high-quality cellulose and lignin from wheat straw. Both of them displayed excellent convertible property.
Colorectal resection in endometriosis patients: correlation between histopathological findings and postoperative outcome
Authors: Tschann Peter , Vitlarov Nikola , Hufschmidt Martin , Lechner Daniel , Girotti Paolo N. C. , Offner Felix , Abendstein Burghard , Königsrainer Ingmar
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Endometriosis is associated with a high number of chronic pelvic pain and reduced quality of life. Colorectal resections in case of bowel involvement of endometriosis are associated with an unneglectable morbidity in young and healthy patients. There is no linear correlation established between the degree of symptoms and stage of endometriosis. The aim of this study was to correlate the histological findings to preoperative pain scores in colorectal resected patients with endometriosis.

Methods

Twenty-five patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal resection for endometriosis between 2014 and 2019 were included in this retrospective study. Pain level was assessed preoperatively and postoperatively via phone call in May 2020. Histopathology was correlated to preoperative symptoms and postoperative outcome.

Results

Average follow-up time was 38.68 months (± 19.92). Preoperative VAS-score was 8.32 (± 1.70). We observed a significant reduction of pain level in all patients after surgery (p ≤ 0.005). Pain levels were equal regarding the presence of satellite spots and various degrees of infiltration depth. The resection margins were clear in all patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 6 cases (24%) and anastomotic leakage was observed in 3 patients (12%). Average VAS-score at time of follow-up was 1.70 (± 2.54).

Conclusion

Our data demonstrate that adequate colorectal resection leads to reduction of pain and an increase of quality of life irrespective of histopathological findings. An experienced team is necessary to improve intraoperative outcome and to reduce postoperative morbidity in case of complication.
Phytochemical screening and anticancer activity of the aerial parts extract of Xanthium strumarium L. on HepG2 cancer cell line
Authors: Ly Hai Trieu , Truong Trieu Minh , Nguyen Thi Thu Huong , Nguyen Hoang Dung , Zhao Yuxia , Le Van Minh
Published: January 2021

Background

Cancer is one of the most considerable concerns because of increasing the death rate all over the world. Recent studies have disclosed that plant extracts exhibit anticancer activity through various mechanisms. Xanthium strumarium has been used by Vietnamese in herbal medicines to support the medication of infirmities. This study is to consider the secondary metabolites, antioxidant and anticancer capacities of extract from the aerial parts (stems and leaves) of X. strumarium (AP-XS).

Methods

AP-XS was analyzed for the presence of phytochemicals via qualitative chemical tests and determined total polyphenol and flavonoid contents. DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) quenching assay and sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay were selected to investigate antioxidant capacity and anti-proliferative activity, respectively. Besides, acridine orange-ethidium bromide (AO-EB) dual staining was applied to evaluate the ability to induce apoptosis on HepG2 cancer cells.

Results

Results of present study indicated that AP-XS contains the main phytochemicals such as flavonoids, tannins, saponins, alkaloids, and triterpenes. Ethanol extract had highest content of polyphenol (84.86 mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry mass), and exhibited the great total antioxidant property (IC50 = 184.13 μg/mL) and anti-proliferative activity on HepG2 cancer cells (IC50 = 81.69 μg/mL). Furthermore, the characteristics of apoptosis including shrinkage of the cell and apoptotic bodies were found following 60 h of AP-XS extract treatment through AO-EB dual staining.

Conclusion

The data suggest that AP-XS extract had antioxidant potential and anti-proliferative effect. The anti-proliferative property was considered to have an association with a rising of apoptosis. These results were reliable for further research on X. strumarium as a source of phytochemicals with anticancer activity potential for cancer therapeutics.
“Caring for Our Own”
Authors: Gutterman Lauren Jae
Published: January 2021

This article traces the founding of Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE), the nation’s oldest and largest social service organization for LGBT elders. Drawing on archival documentation as well as interviews with SAGE founders and early members, the article shows how SAGE was born of two largely disconnected social transformations: the gay and lesbian movement and the national expansion of services and programs for the elderly that was enabled by the Older Americans Act of 1965. SAGE’s institutionalization and its relationship with the state allowed it to grow in an increasingly conservative political context while ensuring that the organization would not take a broadly intersectional approach to the challenges gay and lesbian elders faced. Despite its political limitations, however, SAGE provided a setting in which some white gay and lesbian elders began to see themselves as agents of social change.
Nahmanides’s Philosophy of Halakhah
Authors: Halbertal Moshe
Published: January 2021

This chapter notes the tension between Maimonides and the Geonim about anchoring halakhah in a tradition from Sinai versus preserving the reliability of the tradition. It explains how Nahmanides is able to envision the entirety of halakhah within the divine word because of his expansive understanding of revelation. The chapter takes a closer look at Nahmanides's concept of the Torah as he articulates it in the introduction to his commentary on the Torah, which reveals the profundity of the idea that divine revelation is all-inclusive. It analyzes Nahmanides's thought that the Torah is an extremely long sequence of divine names. It also assesses the approach to the Torah as a sequence of divine names that implies revelation is not a moment of linguistic communication between God and humans.
Nahmanides’s Conception of History
Authors: Halbertal Moshe
Published: January 2021

This chapter this explores Nahmanides's conception of history that reflects a profound departure from the linear model in favor of a cyclical one. It looks into the cyclical model of time as the doctrine of cosmic cycles or torat ha-shemittot, in which the seventh millennium, the World to Come, will be followed by a new cosmic cycle. It also talks about the linear model, in which the End of Days represents a stable period of the ultimate redemption and the World to Come marks the end of the twists and turns of history. The chapter highlights the cyclical model where the End of Days morphs into the beginning and the World to Come signals the end of a divine movement that is reborn with the obliteration of the World to Come. It also mentions the cyclical paradigm of history in R. Abraham b. Hiyya's thought as a reasonable corollary of Nahmanides's astrological worldview.
A Tridentine Response
Authors: Austin Kenneth
Published: January 2021

This chapter analyzes “Counter Reformation,” a terminology that implies the developments within the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century and beyond of reactions to the Protestant challenge. It explains how historians generally prefer the term “Catholic Reformation” over Counter Reformation as it is more neutral and better able to accommodate the range of initiatives witnessed in the period. It also points out reform efforts that predate the Protestant challenge, in which a new ethos developed within the Catholic Church in the middle of the sixteenth century. The chapter talks about the fathers of the Council of Trent, who sought to address a wide range of issues relating to belief and practice. It looks at the “Tridentine” decrees that were implemented alongside various papal initiatives and efforts at the local level.
Gesamtwissenschaftswerk
Authors: Dobrenko Evgeny
Published: January 2021

This chapter examines the aspects of political romanticism. It focuses on the 1948 campaign centered on the biological theories of Lysenko, Ol'ga Lepeshinskaia, Gevorg Bosh'ian, and others that were revealed in science fiction novels, plays, films, and popular science literature. The chapter explores romanticism as a component from the very beginning of Socialist Realism, which proclaimed “life in its revolutionary development” as its object. It explains how Socialist Realism absorbed revolutionary romanticism and transformed it into state romanticism, which assumed its definitive shape in the late-Stalinist era. It also highlights the materialization of Socialist Realism into phantasms and agronomic miracles produced by the magical science of the “people's academician,” Trofi m Lysenko.
Socialist Surrealism
Authors: Dobrenko Evgeny
Published: January 2021

This chapter analyzes how the masses' and individual's experience were refashioned, and the view of the world was structured in postwar Soviet art. It describes the complexes and traumas of the nation that emerged after the war, its worries and phobias, illusions, and the conceptions of its own greatness and messianic role that were all harmonized into the Soviet nation. It also assesses the principle of verisimilitude as the stylistic shape of realism. The chapter discusses the real-life experience of war that presented various reasons in being a substantial threat to the Stalinist Regime and subject to transformation and substitution. It narrates the experience of contact with the West that was transformed into a simulation of inferiority complex called “kowtowing.”
Exile
Authors: Licence Tom
Published: January 2021

This chapter recounts Edward the Confessor's exile that was mostly spent in in Normandy for almost twenty-five years. It reviews the responses to proper exile that barely changed between the ninth century and Edward's day. It explains how an exile was expected to feel hardship and affliction and the bitterness of loss. The chapter looks at how Edward contemplated his state of deprivation and dwelled on the comforts he had lost. It also highlights Edward's acceptance that joy yields to sorrow as surely as night follows day. It describes Edward's belief that he would transcend earthly cares in wisdom in order to seek mercy and comfort from God and involve much searching for the soul.
The Multifarious Mr. Banks
Authors: Musgrave Toby
Published: January 2021

As official botanist on James Cook's first circumnavigation, the longest-serving president of the Royal Society, advisor to King George III, the “father of Australia,” and the man who established Kew as the world's leading botanical garden, Sir Joseph Banks was integral to the English Enlightenment. Yet he has not received the recognition that his multifarious achievements deserve. This book reveals the true extent of Banks's contributions to science and Britain. From an early age Banks pursued his passion for natural history through study and extensive travel, most famously on the HMS Endeavour. He went on to become a pivotal figure in the advancement of British scientific, economic, and colonial interests. With his enquiring, enterprising mind and extensive network of correspondents, Banks's reputation and influence were global. Drawing widely on Banks's writings, the book sheds light on his profound impact on British science and empire in an age of rapid advancement.
The Father of Australia
Authors: Musgrave Toby
Published: January 2021

This chapter explores how Joseph Banks earned his sobriquet of “Father of Australia.” It examines projects and activities with which Banks was involved in the 1770s and scrutinize his significant domestic transformation. It talks about the alternative “rebel” club that Banks and seven friends formed because of the petty way the Club of the Royal Philosophers invited guests. The chapter discusses Bank's unofficial guardianship of Mai, a young Raiatean whom he and James Cook had met at Tahiti in 1769 and whom Cook encountered again on his second voyage. It also mentions Mai as the second Pacific Islander visitor to Europe and the first to Britain, where he was considered quite the society celebrity.
Poulenc
Authors: Nichols Roger
Published: January 2021

Francis Poulenc is a key figure in twentieth-century classical music, as well as an unorthodox and striking individual. This book draws upon Poulenc's music and other primary sources to write an authoritative life of this great artist. Although associated with five other French composers in what came to be called “Les Six,” Poulenc was very much sui generis in personality and in his music, where he excelled over a wide repertoire-opera, songs, ballet scores, chamber works, piano pieces, sacred and secular choral works, orchestral works and concertos. This book fully covers this wide range, while also describing the vicissitudes of Poulenc's life and the many important relationships he had with major figures such as Satie, Ravel, Stravinsky, Diaghilev, Cocteau and others.
Depression and Recovery 1929–1934
Authors: Nichols Roger
Published: January 2021

This chapter explains what made the years from 1929 to 1934 terrible and not easy to decipher for Francis Poulenc. It speculates that the cause of Poulenc's depression was due to the arrival of his thirtieth birthday and the ongoing question on how Raymonde Linossier might fit into his future. It points out Poulenc's documentation of his depression through his letter to Charles de Noailles around February 1929. The chapter narrates Poulenc's meeting and serious homosexual relationship with the artist Richard Chanlaire. It also talks about the production at the Opéra of the L'Éventail de Jeanne that helped Poulenc's mood.
Administrative Revolution
Authors: Gorlizki Yoram , Khlevniuk Oleg
Published: January 2021

This chapter recounts the most radical, most puzzling, and least understood organizational reform launched by Nikita Khrushchev. It examines Khrushchev's proposal to cleave the regional party-state in two, which entailed not only dividing the obkoms, the obkom buros, and the obkom bureaucracies but also having two obkom first secretaries in each region. It points out how Khrushchev's reform struck at the nerve center of the regional power network and the regional party apparatus. The chapter traces the effects of the reforms on regional leaders and their networks in order to see what they can reveal about the nature of their power. It also emphasizes how the institutional reforms of 1962 became a genuine test of the cohesiveness and resilience of the regional networks that had formed in the 1940s.
The New Course
Authors: Gorlizki Yoram , Khlevniuk Oleg
Published: January 2021

This chapter looks at why Leonid Brezhnev extended the principles of indigenization to the Slavic republics. It assesses the changing balance of co-optation, repression, and political exclusion after Khrushchev. It also discusses how political exclusion took on a more muted form as levels of repression fell. The chapter highlights how Nikita Khrushchev's heirs reunified the regional party committees, dismantled the system of party-state control, dissolved the sovnarkhozy, and reinstated the central industrial ministries. It describes how Brezhnev oversaw a massive infusion of resources into the agricultural sector and adopted a more inclusive, conciliatory approach to the countryside. The chapter also discusses the acknowledgment of the diminished motivational power of Marxism–Leninism, in which functionaries at the Central Committee apparatus turned to Russian nationalism as an agent of mobilization.
The Drama of Ascent
Authors: Schaumann Caroline
Published: January 2021

This chapter delves deeper into Alexander von Humboldt's multilayered style. It traces Humboldt's language as it oscillates between superlatives and negation, amazement and protest, exaggeration and humility, detailed measurement, and silence. It also presents a multitude of representations of Humboldt's mountain climbs in his travel diary, letters, published travelogues, and pictorial atlases, which attest to a multifaceted, shifting, and often inconsistent discourse. The chapter looks into Humboldt's exploration of some of the highest mountains in the world, specifically the volcanoes of the Andean Cordillera, which was an integral and underpublicized aspect of Humboldt's trip to the Americas. It also mentions Humboldt's vision and anticipation for the era of reconnaissance climbing in the twentieth century, in which climbers acclimatized in gradual, graduated steps.
Icecapades
Authors: Schaumann Caroline
Published: January 2021

This chapter focuses on James David Forbes and Louis Agassiz, two glaciologists that fueled a passion for ice and snow that prominently figured in the public imagination. It looks into Agassiz's “Études sur les glaciers” and its accompanying atlas of thirty-two plates that stirred sublime awe and scientific curiosity. It also talks about how Forbes, in contrast to Agassiz, fashioned his “Travels Through the Alps of Savoy” in a format and style after Horace-Bénédict de Saussure's publication as a reference for both scientists and mountaineers. The chapter emphasizes how Forbes and Louis Agassiz's works divulge their infatuation with glaciers as a highly dynamic, volatile, and agentic environment. It also discloses Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz who assumed Agassiz's legacy after his death in December 1873 by publishing “Louis Agassiz: His Life and Correspondence.”
The Selling of the Alps and the Beginning of the “Golden Age”
Authors: Schaumann Caroline
Published: January 2021

This chapter draws attention to the Golden Age of Mountaineering. It assesses the contested discourses of Alpinism in the years between 1854 and 1865 at the intersection of science, romanticism, athleticism, and escapism. The chapter juxtaposes Albert Smith's fortieth ascent of Mont Blanc in an extravagant guided caravan with Alfred Wills's September 1854 Wetterhorn ascent that was commonly regarded as the beginning of the sport in the Golden Age. It points out how Smith and Wills's ascents foreshadowed the emergent militarization and nationalization of the sport, a more prominent gender discourse, and the ensuing competition in the first ascent of the Matterhorn. It also mentions Edward Whymper, who became obsessed with being the first person to climb the Matterhorn and succeeded on July 14, 1865.
Peppermint Bank
Authors: Allosso Dan
Published: January 2021

This chapter recounts how Hiram Hotchkiss opened his own Peppermint Bank in order to avoid the difficulties he continually had with local bankers. It explains how Hiram used his Peppermint Bank primarily as a payment mechanism for his essential oil business. It also discusses how Hiram spent his money in western New York and in Michigan to pay for oil rather than loan his notes into the local market. The chapter traces back free banking, which was the dominant regulatory system for antebellum banks that has taken too much of the blame for economic instability before the Civil War. It also explains that free banking refers to the ability of banks to be established without legislative charters, but the lack of state charters does not imply that the banks were allowed to print money indiscriminately.
Years of Success 1234–1241
Authors: Carpenter David
Published: January 2021

This chapter details the first phase of Henry III's personal rule, between 1234 and 1241, which was the most successful period of his reign. He adopted Edward the Confessor as his patron saint and thereafter drew strength from the Confessor's support. He at last found a bride for himself in Eleanor of Provence, and soon had a son and heir named Edward, after the Confessor. He also gained loyal and clever councillors and an entirely new profile in international affairs. Henry made a statesmanlike settlement with the king of Scots, exploited the resources of Ireland without ever having to go there, gained the county of Chester for the crown and, after the death of Llywelyn, reasserted royal authority in Wales. He appears both as a legislator, concerned with the welfare of his realm, and as a reformer, reordering the finances of the crown. His accommodation with the political community was shown in the concession of a tax by parliament in return for his confirmation of Magna Carta. The relative calm of this period was helped by a long truce with France.
Defeat: Poitou and Gascony 1242–1243
Authors: Carpenter David
Published: January 2021

This chapter looks at the battle for Poitou and the battle for Gascony. On December 14, 1241, King Henry III summoned his magnates to London at the end of January ‘to discuss arduous affairs specially touching our state and that of our kingdom’. His aim was to explain a project to which he was already passionately committed, namely an expedition to Poitou to recover the province lost to the king of France back in 1224. Far more than in 1230, this project was to be Henry's own. There was no longer Hubert de Burgh beside him to guide policy and counsel caution. Nor was there any other mentor of the stature of Peter des Roches, William, bishop-elect of Valence, or the legate Otto. Success or failure would be Henry's alone.
The Court of Henry III
Authors: Carpenter David
Published: January 2021

This chapter assesses the court of Henry III. King Henry III was keen to impress with the magnificence of his entourage and person. Yet in one key respect his court was fundamentally different from that of his predecessors. Henry travelled far less often and remained stationary for far longer periods than his father. The many courtiers who worked across the reigns thus had a far easier time, in terms of travel, under Henry than under John, yet they would have noticed little change in the actual structure of the court. The chapter begins with Henry's itinerary and the homes in which he lived, the court's physical environment. It then looks at the chancery, the wardrobe, the food and drink departments, the stewards, the household knights, and the place of the queen. The chapter also discusses the role of liveries, the rituals of gift-giving, and the question of access to the king and the power of his presence. The court was a highly political place, but it was also a place for pleasure. The chapter concludes by looking at the pleasure Henry had from books, jokes, jesters, and falconry.
The Revolution of 1258
Authors: Carpenter David
Published: January 2021

This chapter discusses the revolution of 1258. Between the parliaments of October 1257 and April 1258, Henry III spent all his time at Westminster apart from visits to Merton, Guildford, and Windsor. The king was anxiously awaiting the return of his envoys from both the papal court and the court of Louis IX. On both depended the future of the Sicilian enterprise. If that were not enough, Henry was also facing the prospect of war on two fronts in Britain. With the king denying justice to John FitzGeoffrey while asking for a monstrous tax to pursue his Sicilian dreams, seven magnates decided to take action. The aim of the seven was to bring down the Lusignans and force through a general reform of the realm. On April 30, 1258, Roger Bigod demanded action against the ‘intolerable’ Lusignans and the reform of the realm by twenty-four men chosen by the baronage. No tax was to be imposed without the consent of the twenty-four and they were to appoint someone to keep the king's seal. Henry had resisted such demands for fourteen years. Now confronted by men in armour and fearing imprisonment, he gave way.