Xunzi and the primitivists on natural spontaneity (xìng性) and coercion

This article explores two opposing views from Warring States China concerning the value of human natural spontaneity (hereafter xìng 性) and large-scale government coercion. On the one hand, the Ruist (Confucian) philosopher Xunzi championed a comprehensive and coercive ethical, political, and social system or Way (dào 道) that he believed would lead to social order and moral cultivation while opposing people’s xìng. On the other hand, the authors of roughly books 8–10 of Zhuangzi, the primitivists, criticized a Way bearing a striking resemblance to Xunzi’s on the grounds that it seriously harms people by opposing their xìng. I argue that the primitivists offer compelling reasons for Xunzi to modify his own Way regarding its relationship with xìng, though their own proposed alternative Way is not very attractive. I conclude with a brief discussion of one primitivist-inspired alternative view found in the Lü Shi Chun Qiu, which plausibly suggests that one way of respecting people’s xìng is by offering them opportunities to explore their natural abilities

Carbonyl sulfide, dimethyl sulfide and carbon disulfide in the Pearl River Delta of southern China: Impact of anthropogenic and biogenic sources

Reduced sulfur compounds (RSCs) such as carbonyl sulfide (OCS), dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and carbon disulfide (CS2) impact radiative forcing, ozone depletion, and acid rain. Although Asia is a large source of these compounds, until now a long-term study of their emission patterns has not been carried out. Here we analyze 16 months of RSC data measured at a polluted rural/coastal site in the greater Pearl River Delta (PRD) of southern China. A total of 188 canister air samples were collected from August 2001 to December 2002. The OCS and CS2 mixing ratios within these samples were higher in autumn/winter and lower in summer due to the influence of Asian monsoon circulations. Comparatively low DMS values observed in this coastal region suggest a relatively low biological productivity during summer months. The springtime OCS levels in the study region (574 ± 40 pptv) were 25% higher than those on other East Asia coasts such Japan, whereas the springtime CS2 and DMS mixing ratios in the PRD (47 ± 38 pptv and 22 ± 5 pptv, respectively) were 3-30 times lower than elevated values that have been measured elsewhere in East Asia (Japan and Korea) at this time of year. Poor correlations were found among the three RSCs in the whole group of 188 samples, suggesting their complex and variable sources in the region. By means of backward Lagrangian particle release simulations, air samples originating from the inner PRD, urban Hong Kong and South China Sea were identified. The mean mixing ratio of OCS in the inner PRD was significantly higher than that in Hong Kong urban air and South China Sea marine air (p < 0.001), whereas no statistical differences were found for DMS and CS2 among the three regions (p > 0.05). Using a linear regression method based on correlations with the urban tracer CO, the estimated OCS emission in inner PRD (49.6 ± 4.7 Gg yr-1) was much higher than that in Hong Kong (0.32 ± 0.05 Gg yr-1), whereas the estimated CS2 and DMS emissions in the study region accounted for a very few percentage of the total CS2 and DMS emission in China. These findings lay the foundation for better understanding sulfur chemistry in the greater PRD region of southern China. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd

Source origins, modeled profiles, and apportionments of halogenated hydrocarbons in the greater Pearl River Delta region, southern China

We analyze 16-month data of 13 major halocarbons measured at a southern China coastal site in the greater Pearl River Delta (PRD). A total of 188 canister air samples were collected from August 2001 to December 2002. Overall inspection indicated that CH2Cl2, C2Cl 4, and C2HCl3 had similar temporal variations while CFC-11, CFC-12, and CFC-113 showed the same emission patterns during the sampling period. Diurnal variations of halocarbons presented different patterns during ozone episode days, mainly related to emission strength, atmospheric dispersion, and photochemical lifetimes. For further statistics and source appointment, Lagrangian backward particle release simulations were conducted to help understand the potential source regions of all samples and classify them into different categories, including local Hong Kong, inner PRD, continental China, and marine air masses. With the exception of HCFC-142b, the mixing ratios of all halocarbons in marine air were significantly lower than those in urban and regional air (p < 0.01), whereas no significant difference was found between urban Hong Kong and inner PRD regional air, reflecting the dominant impact of the greater PRD regional air on the halocarbon levels. The halocarbon levels in this region were significantly influenced by anthropogenic sources, causing the halocarbon mixing ratios in South China Sea air to be higher than the corresponding background levels, as measured by global surface networks and by airborne missions such as Transport and Chemical Evolution Over the Pacific. Interspecies correlation analysis suggests that CHCl3 is mainly used as a solvent in Hong Kong but mostly as a feedstock for HCFC-22 in the inner PRD. Furthermore, CH3Cl is often used as a refrigerant and emitted from biomass/biofuel burning in the inner PRD. A positive matrix factorization receptor model was applied to the classified halocarbon samples in the greater PRD for source profiles and apportionments. Seven major sources were identified and quantified. Emissions from solvent use were the most significant source of halocarbons (71 ± 9%), while refrigeration was the second largest contributor (18 ± 2%). By further looking at samples from the inner PRD and from urban Hong Kong separately, we found that more solvent was used in the dry cleaning industry in Hong Kong, whereas the contribution of cleaning solvent in the electronic industry was higher in the inner PRD. Besides the two common sources of solvent use and refrigeration, the contributions of biomass/biofuel burning and feedstock in chemical manufacturing was remarkable in the inner PRD but negligible in Hong Kong. These findings are of help to effectively control and phase out the emissions of halocarbons in the greater PRD region of southern China Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union

Examination of Parental Effect on the Progeny Diapause by Reciprocal Cross Test in the Cabbage Beetle, Colaphellus bowringi

The cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a serious pest of crucifers in China, undergoes summer or winter diapause in the soil as an adult. In the present study, the incidence of diapause were measured in reciprocal crosses between a high—diapause strain (HD strain) and a laboratory—selected nondiapausing strain (ND strain) under different photoperiods and temperatures, to explore parental influences on the progeny diapause. Sensitivity to photoperiod in the selected nondiapausing strain was nearly eliminated at 25 °C, whereas sensitivity to temperature of the selected nondiapausing strain was retained under continuous darkness at 20 and 22 °C. Reciprocal crosses between the HD strain and the ND strain showed that the incidence of diapause in the progeny was always intermediate to that of the parents under different photoperiods and temperatures, suggesting that diapause induction was determined by both female and male parents. There was a significant effect of temperature; temperature interacted with reciprocal cross on diapause induction, whereas no significant effect of reciprocal cross was demonstrated. The incidence of diapause in ♀ND × ♂HD was the same as in ♀HD × ♂ND under continuous darkness at 18 °C (100%) and 26 °C (0%), but the former was higher than that in ♀HD × ♂ND under continuous darkness at 22 °C, suggesting that female parent does not exhibit strong influence on the diapause response to temperature. There was a significant effect of photoperiod and reciprocal cross on diapause induction, whereas no significant interactive effect on diapause induction was demonstrated. Incidence of diapause in ♀HD × ♂ND was always higher than in ♀ND × ♂HD at 25 °C and 12:12 L:D, 14:10 L:D, and 16:8 L:D, suggesting a strong maternal influence on the diapause response to photoperiod, though a significant difference was observed only at 14:10 L:D. Our results support the idea that diapause induction is determined by both female and male parents. However, results also indicated that a strong maternal influence on diapause was exhibited only in response to photoperiod

Emission patterns and spatiotemporal variations of halocarbons in the Pearl River Delta region, southern China

Author name used in this publication: H. Guo2009-2010 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Source origins, modeled profiles, and apportionments of halogenated hydrocarbons in the greater Pearl River Delta region, southern China

Author name used in this publication: H. GuoAuthor name used in this publication: T. WangAuthor name used in this publication: W. T. HungAuthor name used in this publication: Y. S. Li2008-2009 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Professional learning needs in using video calls identified through workshops

BACKGROUND: Most people want to die at home but only half do. Supporting patients in rural locations is challenging. Video calls such as Skype, might help but are not routinely used; we should consider learning needs to increase uptake and ensure effective use. We aimed to identify learning needs of healthcare professionals (HCPs) in using video calls to support patients (and their carers) to die at home. METHODS: Face-to-face workshops were held in five Southwest England locations. Participants discussed advantages, disadvantages, scenarios for use, and the learning needs of video call users. Ideas were documented on flipcharts and discussions audio-recorded. The 116 participants included nurses, allied HCPs, doctors and previously bereaved volunteers. Lists of advantages, disadvantages, scenarios and learning needs were compiled and circulated to participants. In a subsequent online workshop, 21 participants ranked seven groups of learning needs in priority order. RESULTS: Most participants thought video calls could be used to advantage in many end-of-life scenarios, especially in rural areas. Seven themes, covering 59 learning needs for HCPs, were identified (in priority order): (i) confidence and technical ability in using video calls; (ii) being aware of how video calls fit into clinical practice; (iii) managing video calls; (iv) communication skills on ‘camera’; (v) understanding how patients and families may be affected by video call use; (vi) presenting video calls as an option to patients and families to assess their readiness; (vii) normal professional skills that become essential for effective video calls. CONCLUSIONS: Although almost ubiquitous, video call software is not routinely and effectively used in British clinical practice. Supporting patients and families at end-of-life is one example where it could be used to advantage, but clinicians need to plan and practise before using it in real situations. Learning needs were identified that could be developed into learning modules and/or courses. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12909-016-0657-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Exhaustive prediction of disease susceptibility to coding base changes in the human genome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most abundant form of genomic variation and can cause phenotypic differences between individuals, including diseases. Bases are subject to various levels of selection pressure, reflected in their inter-species conservation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We propose a method that is not dependant on transcription information to score each coding base in the human genome reflecting the disease probability associated with its mutation. Twelve factors likely to be associated with disease alleles were chosen as the input for a support vector machine prediction algorithm. The analysis yielded 83% sensitivity and 84% specificity in segregating disease like alleles as found in the Human Gene Mutation Database from non-disease like alleles as found in the Database of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms. This algorithm was subsequently applied to each base within all known human genes, exhaustively confirming that interspecies conservation is the strongest factor for disease association. For each gene, the length normalized average disease potential score was calculated. Out of the 30 genes with the highest scores, 21 are directly associated with a disease. In contrast, out of the 30 genes with the lowest scores, only one is associated with a disease as found in published literature. The results strongly suggest that the highest scoring genes are enriched for those that might contribute to disease, if mutated.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This method provides valuable information to researchers to identify sensitive positions in genes that have a high disease probability, enabling them to optimize experimental designs and interpret data emerging from genetic and epidemiological studies.</p

Association of Glomerular Filtration Rate with High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T in a Community-Based Population Study in Beijing

BACKGROUND: Reduced renal function is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality, and persistently elevated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) is frequently observed in patients with end-stage renal disease. In the general population the relationship between renal function and cTnT levels may not be clear because of the low sensitivity of the assay. In this study, we investigated the level of cTnT using a highly sensitive assay (hs-cTnT) and evaluated the association of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with detectable hs-cTnT levels in a community-based population. METHODS: The serum hs-cTnT levels were measured in 1365 community dwelling population aged ≥45 years in Beijing, China. eGFR was determined by the Chinese modifying modification of diet in renal disease (C-MDRD) equation. RESULTS: With the highly sensitive assay, cTnT levels were detectable (≥3pg/mL) in 744 subjects (54.5%). The result showed that eGFR was associated with Log hs-cTnT (r = -0.14, P<0.001). After adjustment for the high predicted Framingham Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk (10-year risk >20%) and other prognostic indicators, moderate to severe reduced eGFR was independently associated with detectable hs-cTnT, whereas normal to mildly reduced eGFR was not independently associated with detectable hs-cTnT. In addition, after adjustment for other risk factors, the high predicted Framingham CHD risk was associated with detectable hs-cTnT in the subjects with different quartile levels of eGFR. CONCLUSION: The levels of hs-cTnT are detectable in a community-based Chinese population and low eGFR is associated with detectable hs-cTnT. Moreover, eGFR and high predicted Framingham CHD risk are associated with detectable hs-cTnT in subjects with moderate-to-severe reduced renal function

Sleep-Deprivation Regulates α-2 Adrenergic Responses of Rat Hypocretin/Orexin Neurons

We recently demonstrated, in rat brain slices, that the usual excitation by noradrenaline (NA) of hypocretin/orexin (hcrt/orx) neurons was changed to an inhibition following sleep deprivation (SD). Here we describe that in control condition (CC), i.e. following 2 hours of natural sleep in the morning, the α2-adrenergic receptor (α2-AR) agonist, clonidine, had no effect on hcrt/orx neurons, whereas following 2 hours of SD (SDC), it hyperpolarized the neurons by activating G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels. Since concentrations of clonidine up to a thousand times (100 µM) higher than those effective in SDC (100 nM), were completely ineffective in CC, a change in the availability of G-proteins is unlikely to explain the difference between the two conditions. To test whether the absence of effect of clonidine in CC could be due to a down-regulation of GIRK channels, we applied baclofen, a GABAB agonist known to also activate GIRK channels, and found that it hyperpolarized hcrt/orx neurons in that condition. Moreover, baclofen occluded the response to clonidine in SDC, indicating that absence of effect of clonidine in CC could not be attributed to down-regulation of GIRK channels. We finally tested whether α2-ARs were still available at the membrane in CC and found that clonidine could reduce calcium currents, indicating that α2-ARs associated with calcium channels remain available in that condition. Taken together, these results suggest that a pool of α2-ARs associated with GIRK channels is normally down-regulated (or desensitized) in hcrt/orx neurons to only become available for their inhibition following sleep deprivation