Science, Medicine and Culture in the Nineteenth Century Seminars in Michaelmas Term 2017

Constructing Scientific Communities Posted: 02 Oct 2017 02:59 AM PDT Our programme for Michaelmas Term 2017 is now announced with three seminars at St Anne’s College. Drinks will be served after each seminar. All welcome, no booking is required. MTSeminar picture Tuesday 24 October 2017 (Week 3) Dr Helen Cowie, University of York From the Andes to the Outback: Acclimatising Alpacas in the British Empire 5.30—7.00, Seminar Room 3, St Anne’s College Abstract: This paper examines attempts to naturalise the alpaca in the British Empire. In the nineteenth century Britain made concerted efforts to appropriate useful plants and animals and acclimatise them within its own colonies. The alpaca was a prime target for acclimatisers on account of its silken wool, which was manufactured into a range of luxury textiles. Its export was, however, banned by law in Peru and Bolivia, so the animals had to be smuggled out of the Andean states and shipped illegally to Britain and Australia. The paper studies the circuits of exchange that facilitated the transfer of alpacas from one continent to another and considers how British subjects in places as diverse as Bradford, Liverpool, Sydney and Arequipa promoted and benefited from the naturalisation scheme. It situates alpaca acclimatisation within a wider discourse of agricultural ‘improvement’, bio-piracy and imperial adventure. Tuesday 7 November 2017 (Week 5) Professor Martin Willis, Cardiff University The Good Places of Sleep: Nineteenth-Century Utopian Fictions and Sleep Research 5.30—7.00, Seminar Room 3, St Anne’s College Abstract: We seem obsessed by the quality of our sleep in the early twenty-first century, yet the high point of sleep research was the second half of the nineteenth century, and particularly the period from 1880-1900, when modern sleep studies began. For the Victorians, sleep was an active state, (linked often to other cognitive pathologies and dissonances such as catalepsy and epilepsy) which enabled or disabled certain functions of mind and body. How one slept was therefore of considerable interest to the general public as well as to physiologists, physicians and neurologists. Concurrent with this avid attention to the epistemologies of sleep, utopian fictions employed sleep as a foundation for asking questions of ideal lives and worlds. Often, other worlds were entered through the medium of sleep. This seminar will consider the connections between sleep and utopia and ask whether sleep is itself a good place. Tuesday 21 November (Week 7) Professor Kirsten E Shepherd-Barr, University of Oxford Infectious Ideas: Mechanisms of Transmission in the 19th Century 5.30—7.00, Seminar Room 3, St Anne’s College Abstract: This paper explores the semantic instability of the term “contagion” in the nineteenth century as refracted through theatre and performance, with key examples as case studies. I’ll look at 19th-century theatrical engagements with evolution, biology, and other related sciences, to show theatre’s preoccupation with mechanisms of transmission broadly conceived—from imaginative versions of heredity (including telegony in Ibsen and Strindberg, for instance) to breastfeeding on stage in Herne and Brieux to the “contagious” theatricality at the heart of Charlotte Mew’s short story “A White Night.” These and other examples can help us think about how and when the line began to blur between a strictly medical definition of contagion and a fuzzier “social disease” usage, onto which theatre cottoned very early on. I will then trace the powerful legacy of these theatrical engagements with contagion, looking first at how Artaud radically extends earlier metaphoric uses of contagion into his immersive, experiential “plague” and finally exploring the present day in which virtual contagion games allow the user to “perform” plagues and pandemics. A unifying thread running through all of these examples is how contagion relates to definitions of culture (e.g. Greenblatt, Foucault) founded, paradoxically, on containment and control. Finally, I will explore briefly how all of this relates to the wider issue of how to forge productive disciplinary cross-contaminations in a professional environment that increasingly regulates, directs, and manages trans- or interdisciplinarity.

Oil Secretory System in Vegetative Organs of Three Arnica Taxa: Essential Oil Synthesis, Distribution and Accumulation

Plant Cell Physiol. 2016 May;57(5):1020-37. doi: 10.1093/pcp/pcw040. Epub 2016 Mar 2. . Kromer K1, Kreitschitz A2, Kleinteich T3, Gorb SN3, Szumny A4. Author information 1 Botanical Garden, Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory, University of Wroc ław, ul. Sienkiewicza 23, 50-325 Wroc ław, Poland kromer@biol.uni.wroc.pl krystyna.kromer@uwr.edu.pl. 2 Department of Plant Developmental Biology, Institute of Experimental Biology, University of Wrocław, ul. Kanonia 6/8, 50-328 Wrocław, Poland. 3 Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24098 Kiel, Germany. 4 Department of Chemistry, The Faculty of Food Science, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Norwida 25; 50-375 Wrocław, Poland. Abstract Arnica, a genus including the medicinal species A. montana, in its Arbo variety, and A. chamissonis, is among the plants richest in essential oils used as pharmaceutical materials. Despite its extensive use, the role of anatomy and histochemistry in the internal secretory system producing the essential oil is poorly understood. Anatomical sections allowed differentiation between two forms of secretory structures which differ according to their distribution in plants. The first axial type is connected to the vascular system of all vegetative organs and forms canals lined with epithelial cells. The second cortical type is represented by elongated intercellular spaces filled with oil formed only between the cortex cells of roots and rhizomes at maturity, with canals lacking an epithelial layer.Only in A. montana rhizomes do secretory structures form huge characteristic reservoirs. Computed tomography illustrates their spatial distribution and fusiform shape. The axial type of root secretory canals is formed at the interface between the endodermis and cortex parenchyma, while, in the stem, they are located in direct contact with veinal parenchyma. The peripheral phloem parenchyma cells are arranged in strands around sieve tube elements which possess a unique ability to accumulate large amounts of oil bodies. The cells of phloem parenchyma give rise to the aforementioned secretory structures while the lipid components (triacylglycerols) stored there support the biosynthesis of essential oils by later becoming a medium in which these oils are dissolved. The results indicate the integrity of axial secretory structures forming a continuous system in vegetative plant organs. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com. KEYWORDS: Arnica; Essential oils; Lipids; Oil bodies; Secretory system; triacylglycerol PMID: 26936790 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcw040

Inhibition of Phytophthora species, agents of cocoa black pod disease, by secondary metabolites of Trichoderma species.

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2017 Sep 30. doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-0283-9. [Epub ahead of print] Pakora GA1,2, Mpika J3, Kone D4, Ducamp M5, Kebe I6, Nay B1, Buisson D7. Author information 1 Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS UMR 7245), 57 rue Buffon, CP54, 75005, Paris, France. 2 Département de Biosciences, Laboratoire Pharmacodynamie Biochimique, Université Felix Houphouët-Boigny, BP 582, Abidjan, 22, Côte d'Ivoire. 3 Station de Recherche de Bimbresso, CNRA, 01 BP 1536, Abidjan, 01, Côte d'Ivoire. 4 Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale, Université de Cocody Abidjan, BP V34, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. 5 UMR BGPI-CIRAD, TA A 54/K, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398, Montpellier Cedex 5, France. 6 Laboratoire de Phytopathologie, CNRA, BP 808, Divo, Côte d'Ivoire. 7 Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS UMR 7245), 57 rue Buffon, CP54, 75005, Paris, France. buisson@mnhn.fr. Abstract Cocoa production is affected by the black pod disease caused by several Phytophthora species that bring, about each year, an estimated loss of 44% of world production. Chemical control remains expensive and poses an enormous risk of poisoning for the users and the environment. Biocontrol by using antagonistic microorganisms has become an alternative to the integrated control strategy against this disease. Trichoderma viride T7, T. harzanium T40, and T. asperellum T54, which showed in vivo and in vitro antagonistic activity against P. palmivora, were cultured and mycelia extracted. Inhibition activity of crude extracts was determined, and then organic compounds were isolated and characterized. The in vitro effect of each compound on the conidia germination and mycelia growth of four P. palmivora, two P. megakaria, and one P. capsici was evaluated. T. viride that displayed best activities produced two active metabolites, viridin and gliovirin, against P. palmivora and P. megakaria strains. However, no activity against P. capsici was observed. Besides being active separately, these two compounds have a synergistic effect for both inhibitions, mycelia growth and conidia germination. These results provide the basis for the development of a low-impact pesticide based on a mixture of viridin and gliovirine. KEYWORDS: Cacao; Gliovirin; Phytophthora; Synergistic effect; Trichoderma virens; Viridin PMID: 28965291 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0283-9

2013 Plant consumption by grizzly bears reduces biomagnification of salmon-derived polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and organochlorine pesticides

Environ Toxicol Chem. 2013 Apr;32(5):995-1005. doi: 10.1002/etc.2162. Epub 2013 Mar 25. . Christensen JR1, Yunker MB, MacDuffee M, Ross PS. Author information 1 Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, Sidney, British Columbia, Canada. Abstract The present study characterizes the uptake and loss of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) by sampling and analyzing their terrestrial and marine foods and fecal material from a remote coastal watershed in British Columbia, Canada. The authors estimate that grizzly bears consume 341 to 1,120 µg of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 3.9 to 33 µg of polybrominated diphenyl ethers daily in the fall when they have access to an abundant supply of returning salmon. The authors also estimate that POP elimination by grizzly bears through defecation is very low following salmon consumption (typically <2% of intake) but surprisingly high following plant consumption (>100% for PCBs and organochlorine pesticides). Excretion of individual POPs is largely driven by a combination of fugacity (differences between bear and food concentrations) and the digestibility of the food. The results of the present study are substantiated by a principal components analysis, which also demonstrates a strong role for log KOW in governing the excretion of different POPs in grizzly bears. Collectively, the present study's results reveal that grizzly bears experience a vegetation-associated drawdown of POPs previously acquired through the consumption of salmon, to such an extent that net biomagnification is reduced. Copyright © 2013 SETAC. PMID: 23401324 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2162 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

The environmental legacy of historic Pb-Zn-Ag-Au mining in river basins of the southern edge of the Massif Central (France).

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2017 Jul 17. doi: 10.1007/s11356-017-9669-y. [Epub ahead of print] Elbaz-Poulichet F1, Resongles E2, Bancon-Montigny C2, Delpoux S2, Freydier R2, Casiot C2. Author information 1 Laboratoire HydroSciences, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France. francoise.elbaz-poulichet@umontpellier.fr. 2 Laboratoire HydroSciences, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, IRD, Montpellier, France. Abstract The main rivers (Aude, Orb, Herault) that discharge into the Gulf of Lions and the west bank tributaries of the Rhone River including the Gardon have former non-ferrous metal mines in their upper drainage basin. Using unpublished data and data from the literature, this study provides an integrated overview of the contamination of water and sediment along the continent-sea continuum and of its impacts on the biota and on human health. In the upper part of these basins, water and stream sediments are enriched in metal(-loids) compared to median European concentrations. Arsenic is the main contaminant in the rivers Aude and Gardon d'Anduze, Sb in the Orb and Gardon d'Alès, and Tl in the Herault river. A rapid reduction in dissolved and particulate concentrations was systematically observed along the river due to dilution and precipitation. The high concentrations of metal(-loid)s observed suggest that the former mining activity still represents a potential threat for the environment, but the lack of high temporal resolution monitoring, especially during Mediterranean floods, prevents accurate assessment of metal fluxes from these rivers to the Mediterranean Sea. Studies dedicated to the impacts on human health are too rare, given that studies have shown a higher rate of arsenic-specific cancer near Salsigne mine in the Aude River basin and cases of saturnism in children in the upper Herault River basin. These studies underline the need to take environmental health issues into consideration not only in these watersheds but around the entire Mediterranean basin, which harbors numerous metalliferous ores that have been mined for millennia. KEYWORDS: Historical mining legacy; Mediterranean continent-sea continuum; Metalloids; Metals PMID: 28718018 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9669-y

Novel triterpenoids and glycosides from durian exert pronounced anti-inflammatory activities.

Food Chem. 2018 Feb 15;241:215-221. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.08.097. Epub 2017 Sep 1. Feng J1, Yi X1, Huang W1, Wang Y2, He X3. Author information 1 School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Lead Compounds & Drug Discovery, Guangzhou 510006, China. 2 School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Lead Compounds & Drug Discovery, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: wangyih88@163.com. 3 School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Lead Compounds & Drug Discovery, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: hexj@gdpu.edu.cn. Abstract Durian, known for its abundant nutrition, is a delicious fruit from Southeast Asia with increasing popularity worldwide. In this study, a series of chromatographic methods and bioactivity assays were applied to identify major compounds from durian shells. Two new triterpenoids, two new phenolics, and seven new glycoside esters, as well as sixteen known compounds, were isolated and identified. Anti-inflammatory activities were assayed and evaluated for the isolated compounds. Most of the isolated compounds exhibited pronounced inhibitory activities on lipopolysaccharides-induced NO production in RAW 264.7 cells. The results indicated that durian shells could serve as anti-inflammatory agents for functional food or medicinal use. This study additionally provided motivation for the ecological protection of durian shells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KEYWORDS: Anti-inflammatory activity; Durian; Durio zibethinus; Glycosides; Triterpenoids PMID: 28958521 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.08.097

Gender Affect: Experiencing Political and Economic Insecurity in a Post-Neoliberal Age

Nottingham Trent University | School of Arts and Humanities | Nottingham | United Kingdom Full or part time Dr S Genz Dr C Cakirlar Application Deadline Thursday, November 30, 2017 Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide) Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide) School of Arts and Humanities, Nottingham Trent University About This PhD Project Project Description Project Description We would welcome applications from prospective PhD students wishing to work on questions of gender and affective labour under the supervision of Dr Stéphanie Genz. The project is interested in examining the affective dimensions of contemporary gendered experiences that typify gender politics and its narratives about socioeconomic privilege and insecurity. It aims to investigate and quantify different forms of affective labour that make meaningful (i.e. valuable) specific forms of gendered/racial/class identities and evaluate how this affective labour functions within these different domains in order to better understand gendered experiences in post-neoliberal societies. Proposals relating to any of the following areas may be especially welcome: gender and recession; self-branding and emotive consumption; postfeminist/neoliberal politics; online modes of self-fashioning and activist campaigning; bodily entrepreneurship. Specific qualifications/subject areas required of the applicants for this project Entrants must have a first/undergraduate Honours degree, with an Upper Second Class or a First Class grade, in Communication, Cultural and Media Studies and/or Gender Studies. Entrants with a Lower Second Class grade at first degree must also have a postgraduate Masters Degree at Merit. Panel members who will perform shortlisting Chair: Professor Nahem Yousaf, E-mail Panel member 1: Professor Gill Allwood, E-mail Panel member 2: Dr Stéphanie Genz, stephanie.genz@ntu.ac.uk Panel member 3: Professor Martin O’Shaughnessy, martin.oshaughnessy@ntu.ac.uk Interviews are likely to take place on the following dates: TBC 17/1/2018 to 18/1/2018

Investigating Hypermasculinity in the Construction Industry

University of Reading | School of the Built Environment | Reading | United Kingdom Full or part time Dr Dylan Tutt Assoc Prof Florence Phua Application Deadline Applications accepted all year round Self-Funded PhD Students Only Self-Funded PhD Students Only School of the Built Environment, University of Reading Project Description Construction remains one of the most male-dominated industries in the UK, with men making up 85.5% of the total workforce, including 98% of all manual workers. This picture is reflected globally with women accounting for 10% of construction sector employment, according to the World Economic Forum (2016). There are notable exceptions in some countries of South Asia, where women participate in unskilled, low paid work, and in India, where up to 30% of construction workers are women, mostly operating in informal construction as unskilled manual workers (Parry, 2014). In a UK context, construction has been described as one of the last traditional male working-class jobs, with Thiel (2014) characterising construction as a pre-modern ‘industry’ that exists in a post-industrial world, in which “time banditry, the builders’ fierce protection of their autonomy, and the frequency of ‘the crack’” are a central part of informal work culture. A recent survey of 1500 employers, undertaken by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB, 2015), part of the Sector Skills Council for construction, revealed that 73% believe perceptions of a sexist culture are a major reason why women are under-represented in the industry. Yet, Construction Management research has so far failed to really engage with changing configurations of masculinity in different construction contexts, or how the masculine work culture and stereotypes function, including in socially excluding entire social groups. Masculinity is one of the many social constructs that shape gender relationships. It is produced from its mutually constitutive relationship with other identities of race, ethnicity, class, nationality etc. and shaped in different contexts and under different conditions. Hypermasculinity refers to an exaggeration of male stereotypical behaviour – aggression, physical strength, and sexuality – but may also be manifested in such traits as risk-taking, total availability and long working hours. Given the stubborn gender imbalance in the sector, there has been surprising little ethnographic or other empirical research into construction workplace masculinities or how the performances of embodied, gendered and spatial practices help maintain the construction of the “tough, aggressive and dirty working-class-bound world of the building site” (Thiel, 2014). A better understanding of the prevalence and performance of hypermasculine stereotypes in different international construction labour markets is needed. Kitiarsa’s (2012) research on the masculinity of Thai construction workers in Singapore, and Parry (2014) on social class and gender relationships in the management of Indian informal construction sector provide rare examples. This project will examine the functions of (hyper)masculine culture and practice in in a particular construction labour market. It will investigate the relationship between masculine stereotypes and particular global construction trends (such as deregulation of labour markets and outsourcing of labour, deskilling, growth in health and safety culture etc.) and failures to fill construction skill-gaps or attract ‘local’ workers into the sector. The research will combine knowledge of construction management processes with qualitative research methods. Applications for PhDs are invited that focus on the gender dimensions of construction. There are many different angles to this issue, and the precise focus can be determined in relation to the applicant’s own field of expertise, as can the geographical focus. Funding Notes Candidates should have first class or 2.1 degree and preferably a Masters degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate subject and should be interested in applying social science approaches to construction and engineering topics. References CITB (2015), “CITB challenges construction industry to stand up to sexism”: http://www.citb.co.uk/news-events/uk/citb-challenges-construction-industry-to-stand-up-to-sexism/ Kitiarsa, P. (2012) “Masculine Intent and Migrant Man-hood: Thai workmen talking sex”, in Men and Masculinities in South- East Asia, edited by Ford, M., Lyons, L. London: Routledge, pp. 38–55. Parry, J. (2014) "Sex, bricks and mortar: constructing class in a central Indian steel town", Modern Asian Studies 48 (5): 1242-1275. Thiel, D. (2012), 'Ethnography and Flux: Identity and Epistemology in Construction Fieldwork', in S. Pink, A. Dainty and D. Tutt (eds) Ethnographic Research in The Construction Industry. Routledge

Yoga versus non-standard care for schizophrenia.

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Sep 28;9:CD012052. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012052.pub2. [Epub ahead of print] Broderick J1, Crumlish N, Waugh A, Vancampfort D. Author information 1 Discipline of Physiotherapy, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Abstract BACKGROUND: Yoga is an ancient spiritual practice that originated in India and is currently accepted in the Western world as a form of relaxation and exercise. It has been of interest for people with schizophrenia as an alternative or adjunctive treatment. OBJECTIVES: To systematically assess the effects of yoga versus non-standard care for people with schizophrenia. SEARCH METHODS: The Information Specialist of the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group searched their specialised Trials Register (latest 30 March 2017), which is based on regular searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, BIOSIS, AMED, PsycINFO, and registries of clinical trials. We searched the references of all included studies. There are no language, date, document type, or publication status limitations for inclusion of records in the register. SELECTION CRITERIA: All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) including people with schizophrenia and comparing yoga with non-standard care. We included trials that met our selection criteria and reported useable data. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The review team independently selected studies, assessed quality, and extracted data. For binary outcomes, we calculated risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI), on an intention-to-treat basis. For continuous data, we estimated the mean difference (MD) between groups and its 95% CI. We employed a fixed-effect models for analyses. We examined data for heterogeneity (I2 technique), assessed risk of bias for included studies, and created a 'Summary of findings' table for seven main outcomes of interest using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). MAIN RESULTS: We were able to include six studies (586 participants). Non-standard care consisted solely of another type of exercise programme. All outcomes were short term (less than six months). There was a clear difference in the outcome leaving the study early (6 RCTs, n=586, RR 0.64 CI 0.49 to 0.83, medium quality evidence) in favour of the yoga group. There were no clear differences between groups for the remaining outcomes. These included mental state (improvement in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, 1 RCT, n=84, RR 0.81 CI 0.62 to 1.07, low quality evidence), social functioning (improvement in Social Occupational Functioning Scale, 1 RCT, n=84, RR 0.90 CI 0.78 to 1.04, low quality evidence), quality of life (mental health) (average change 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) quality-of-life sub-scale, 1 RCT, n=69, MD -5.30 CI -17.78 to 7.18, low quality evidence), physical health, (average change WHOQOL-BREF physical-health sub-scale, 1 RCT, n=69, MD 9.22 CI -0.42 to 18.86, low quality evidence). Only one study reported adverse effects, finding no incidence of adverse events in either treatment group. There were a considerable number of missing outcomes, which included relapse, change in cognition, costs of care, effect on standard care, service intervention, disability, and activities of daily living. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We found minimal differences between yoga and non-standard care, the latter consisting of another exercise comparator, which could be broadly considered aerobic exercise. Outcomes were largely based on single studies with limited sample sizes and short-term follow-up. Overall, many outcomes were not reported and evidence presented in this review is of low to moderate quality - too weak to indicate that yoga is superior or inferior to non-standard care control for management of people with schizophrenia. PMID: 28956893 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012052.pub2

Birds’ nests and parasites Some birds use discarded cigarettes to fumigate their nests

https://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21729739-they-help-keep-parasites-bay-some-birds-use-discarded-cigarettes-fumigate?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ed/somebirdsusediscardedcigarettestofumigatetheirnests

Why we're adding Black Mathematician Month to our calendars

https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2017/oct/02/why-were-adding-black-mathematician-month-to-our-calendars?CMP=share_btn_tw

We, the undersigned students of Harvard University, write to condemn Harvard’s complicity in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s destructive policies and her attacks on survivors, students, and public education.

A Call Against Complicity By AMELIA Y. GOLDBERG, ANDREW GREENIA, and NIHARIKA N. SINGH4 days ago 7 http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/9/29/call-against-compliity/#.WdJYTxCDa6M.twitter We, the undersigned students of Harvard University, write to condemn Harvard’s complicity in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s destructive policies and her attacks on survivors, students, and public education. Last Friday, the Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter that withdrew critical Title IX guidance on campus sexual violence. This letter was the result of meetings with so-called “men’s rights activists,” who have dismissed sexual violence, endorsed victim-blaming tactics, and opposed protections for LGBTQ+ people. It was signed by Candice Jackson, head of the Department’s Office for Civil Rights, who claimed that 90 percent of campus sexual assault accusations are false. This unsubstantiated narrative of false accusations merely serves to silence survivors and invalidate their experiences. In interim guidance, the Department has allowed schools to revert from the preponderance of the evidence standard to a “clear and convincing” standard. This is problematic because it fails to allow all parties a level playing field. It advocates an interim measures process under which the burden to seek accommodations rests on survivors. In addition, it withdraws school accountability for 60-day investigations, allowing drawn-out processes that are often re-traumatizing and unfair to all parties involved. These measures are unjust to survivors. On Harvard’s campus, the far reach of rape culture is well-documented. According to survey data, 19.9 percent of women, 5.2 percent of men, and 27.5 percent of trans and gender nonconforming students at Harvard reported experiencing sexual assault during their time in college, and offenders include faculty members. Yet unlike many other schools, Harvard has failed to publicly affirm that improvements to our policy made under the 2011 guidance and Title IX investigation against the University—including the adoption of the preponderance of the evidence standard—will not be rolled back. It has failed to commit to continue improving the policy, regardless of federal standards. And it has failed to commit its significant influence to ensure that survivors’ rights are maintained in new Title IX rules and regulations. This makes Harvard complicit in DeVos’s agenda to silence survivors. The Harvard administration’s failure to protect survivors also extends to graduate student workers. Harvard continues to block efforts to hold a new and fair student union election as recently ordered by the Regional Director of the National Labor Relations Board, choosing instead to file an appeal to the Trump NLRB that threatens the foundations of fair union elections across the country. A union contract allows for the establishment of a neutral process completely removed from the University’s bureaucracy to handle sexual harassment complaints. The recent complaints filed to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against a faculty member at University of Rochester continue to highlight why such alternative measures are required. Given the uncertainty at the national level, the Harvard administration should be standing with its student workers rather than actively thwarting efforts to establish more robust protections against sexual assault and other forms of discrimination on our campus. In addition to the recent Title IX reversals, Secretary DeVos’s agenda advocates scaling back federal regulations and returning public education in the United States to de facto segregation, a phenomenon already occurring under the guise of “school choice.” Harvard’s invitation for Secretary DeVos to give the keynote at a pro-school choice conference, which fails to include any critics of this stance on education policy, legitimizes her opinion as the most salient solution for issues in public education. We believe that Secretary DeVos is unqualified to lead “A Conversation on Empowering Parents” as her policies are yet another example of how the education of Black, Latinx, and other marginalized communities are unaccountably placed in the hands of private entities. Additionally, because research shows that school vouchers effectively subsidize segregation and disproportionately serve white middle class students, we question whose parents her initiatives supposedly “empower.” In rolling back restrictions for for-profit colleges and hiring former for-profit college officials, Secretary DeVos legitimizes the dangerous and unchecked systems that for-profit colleges use to further disenfranchise vulnerable populations. Secretary DeVos recently attempted to simplify the narrative of victims of for-profit college defraudment to just wanting free money in order to promote her agenda. Secretary DeVos’s poor understanding of predatory lending relates to her inexperience with school loans, another federal program that stands to lose protections As an elite institution, Harvard should be deeply concerned at the Secretary’s efforts to enable an elite few to profit from higher education. We urge our fellow students and the greater Harvard community to question our complicity in this administration’s wielding of white supremacy and toxic toppling of public education. We, the undersigned, support students and survivors in all communities. In lieu of our University, we chose to stand in opposition to the leadership of the Department of Education and the plundering policies for which it stands. Our Harvard Can Do Better Harvard Graduate School of Education Students for Education Justice Harvard Graduate Students Union-UAW Organizing Committee Harassment/Assault Law-Student Team Amelia Y. Goldberg ’19 is a Social Studies concentrator in Adams House. She writes on behalf of Our Harvard Can Do Better. Andrew Greenia is a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He writes on behalf of Harvard Graduate School of Education Students for Education Justice. Niharika N. Singh is a doctoral student in public policy at the Graduate School of Arts and Science. She writes on behalf of Harvard Graduate Students Union-UAW Organizing Committee. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to o

Phytochemical Analysis and In Vitro Antibacterial Properties of Selected Medicinal Plants

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283854346_Phytochemical_Analysis_and_In_Vitro_Antibacterial_Properties_of_Selected_Medicinal_Plants Article · October 2015 with 43 Reads Cite this publication Arumugam Thangavel V. Kadirvel Murugan V. Tamilvannan Suresh Ravikumar at Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University Suresh Ravikumar 41.18Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University Abstract Crude extracts from leaves, stem and root viz., five different medicinal plants namely, Abrus precatorius L., Decalepis hamiltonii Wight & Arn., Mucuna atropurpurea (Roxb.) DC., Santalum album L. and Senna tora (L.) Roxb, were examined using agar well diffusion method against some bacterial microbes namely, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Plant leaves were extracted using different solvents such as Aqueous, Ethanol, Methanol, Acetone, Ethyl acetate, Chloroform and Petroleum ether. Phytochemical screening of these plants was performed for constituents: Carbohydrates, Amino acids, Proteins, Vitamin, Tannins, Phenolic compounds, Flavanoids, Alkaloids, Saponins, Steroids and Glycosides. Among these different extracts, methanol extract showed more antibacterial activity and moderate recorded with aqueous, ethyl acetate and chloroform extracts. Decalepis hamiltonii showed a maximum antibacterial activity against all the tested bacterial strains than the other plants. All the bacterial strains were more susceptible to methonolic extracts than the other organic extracts. In future these plants can be subjected to isolate of the major antimicrobials constituents after pharmacological evaluation.

Temporal trends of mercury and organohalogen contaminants in great blue heron eggs from the St. Lawrence River, Québec, Canada, 1991-2011, and relationships with tracers of feeding ecology

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Dec 31;609:1270-1285. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.223. Epub 2017 Aug 6. Champoux L1, Boily M2. Author information 1 Environment and Climate Change Canada, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Science and Technology Branch, 801-1550 av d'Estimauville, Québec, Québec G1J 0C3, Canada. Electronic address: louise.champoux@canada.ca. 2 Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada. Abstract Since 1991, great blue heron (Ardea herodias) eggs have been collected and analyzed for mercury (Hg), persistent organic contaminants (OCs), brominated and non-brominated flame retardants (FRs) as well as stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N. In the present study, temporal trends of contaminants were analyzed in eggs sampled in four regions along the St. Lawrence River (Quebec, Canada) and inland sites using new and previously published data. Most contaminants declined significantly over time in most regions. Globally, the highest annual change, -17.5%, was found for pp'-DDD, while the smallest annual decline, -0.54%, was observed for Hg. Concentrations of ΣDDT and ΣFR8 (sum of 8 congeners) decreased by -11.6% and -7.3%, respectively. Declines in ΣPCBs differed among regions, from -5.6% in the fluvial section to -14.7% in the inland region. The highest concentration of ΣFR8 was measured in eggs from Grande Ile in the fluvial section of the river in 1996 (2.39μg/g). Stable isotope ratios also showed temporal trends in some regions: δ13C decreased in the fluvial section and increased in Gulf region, while δ15N decreased in the fluvial section and increased in the upper estuary. Significant positive relationships were found between ΣDDT, ΣPCBs and ΣFRs and δ15N and δ13C in freshwater colonies, but not in estuarine or marine colonies. These results suggest that changes in trophic level and foraging areas over time were influential factors with respect to contaminant burden in great blue heron eggs in the fluvial section, but not in the other regions. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KEYWORDS: Ardeids; Flame retardants; Persistent contaminants; St. Lawrence River; Stable isotopes PMID: 28797142 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.07.223

Marine debris in harbour porpoises and seals from German waters

Mar Environ Res. 2017 Sep;130:77-84. doi: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.07.009. Epub 2017 Jul 6. Unger B1, Herr H2, Benke H3, Böhmert M2, Burkhardt-Holm P4, Dähne M3, Hillmann M2, Wolff-Schmidt K2, Wohlsein P5, Siebert U2. Author information 1 Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstraße 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany. Electronic address: Bianca.Unger@tiho-hannover.de. 2 Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Werftstraße 6, 25761 Büsum, Germany. 3 German Oceanographic Museum, Katharinenberg 14-20, 18439 Stralsund, Germany. 4 University of Basel, Programme Man-Society-Environment, Department of Environmental Sciences, Vesalgasse 1, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland. 5 Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany. Abstract Records of marine debris in and attached to stranded harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were studied comprising information on 6587 carcasses collected along the German coast between 1990 and 2014, the decomposition state allowed for necropsy in 1622 cases. Marine debris items were recorded in 31 carcasses including 14 entanglements (5 harbour porpoises, 6 harbour seals, 3 grey seals) and 17 cases of ingestion (4 harbour porpoises, 10 harbour seals, 3 grey seals). Objects comprised general debris (35.1%) and fishing related debris (64.9%). Injuries associated with marine debris included lesions, suppurative ulcerative dermatitis, perforation of the digestive tract, abscessation, suppurative peritonitis and septicaemia. This study is the first investigation of marine debris findings in all three marine mammal species from German waters. It demonstrates the health impacts marine debris can have, including severe suffering and death. The results provide needed information on debris burdens in the North and Baltic Seas for implementing management directives, such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KEYWORDS: Baltic Sea; Environmental impact; Fishing gear; Grey seal; Harbour porpoise; Harbour seal; Health status; North Sea; Pollutant burden; Pollution effects PMID: 28735731 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.07.009

I Want My 2.3 Bonus Years

查看简体中文版 查看繁體中文版 By MONA CHALABISEPT. 29, 2017 A version of this op-ed appeared in print on October 1, 2017, on Page SR2 of the New York edition with the headline: I Want My 2.3 Bonus Years. Credit Mona Chalabi If I could prolong my time as a young adult by, say, 2.3 years, here is a list of things I would like to do: • Go to more parties. Preferably wild parties that I can think about, years later, at mild parties. • Get fit (i.e., get at least one ab before I die). This, I’m told, is easier to achieve when you’re young. • Have more romantic partners. Preferably ones with abs. • Get a bit higher up the career ladder a bit earlier on. That would probably boost my earnings, giving me more financial security. I could use that money to go to more parties, get a membership to a fancy gym and maybe even meet a romantic partner on the ab machines. Most men who date women don’t fantasize about what they would do if they had these bonus years, they simply get them. In two-thirds of heterosexual couples, the man is at least a year older than his partner. The average age difference is 2.3 years according to the Census Bureau. Continue reading the main story 1285 COMMENTS Do you think a big age gap in a relationship matters? Share your thoughts » Continue reading the main story Study of Attraction Dating website OkCupid collected data showing the most attractive ages to both men and women. Illustration by Mona Chalabi. Source: “Dataclysm” by Christian Rudder. I know what you’re thinking: “What’s dating got to do with your weird list?” You’re right, in theory — life doesn’t stop once you settle down, so you could complete your own 2.3-year list regardless of your relationship status. But in reality, most couples who do commit long-term end up having children, so the age gap carries over into parenthood. The average age of a new father in the United States is 31 years, compared with 26 years for a new mother. Continue reading the main story Typically, becoming a parent has an enormous impact on your health, your career and your ability to party. It’s already bad enough that those burdens are more likely to be shouldered by mothers than fathers. The fact that women end the childless part of our lives earlier than our male partners is just salt in the wound. And looking even farther down the line, the bigger the age difference, the more likely that it will be women who take care of their male partners in old age. Outraged at these numbers, I send my mom a text outlining my plans to find a much younger man and redress this scourge. She replies, “Women are more mature than men.” I roll my eyes. If there is any truth to her claim, maybe it’s because men know they can settle down at a later age. Where’s the incentive to grow up before you have to? Before I can reply, I get the rest of her message: “The French president’s marriage is an exception, and it is too early to know what is next.” Harsh, Mom. Maybe she’s right, though. I change tactics and organize a date with a fellow 30-year-old. He waits in the garden of a Brooklyn bar while I get us two spicy margaritas. When I come back, I ask him what he is looking for. “What do you mean?” “I mean, do you want something serious?” Leaning back in the sunlight, he smiles and says, “Oh, no, I don’t think so. I’m not in a rush.” Hmm. My eyes fall upon his sleeveless T-shirt. I imagine pouring my drink on it. My friend Jon tells me that these are “intrusive thoughts” and everyone has them. Which gives me permission to also imagine setting the shirt on fire. Ah, peaceful lakes! Birdsong! Newsletter Sign UpContinue reading the main story Sign Up for the Opinion Today Newsletter Every weekday, get thought-provoking commentary from Op-Ed columnists, the Times editorial board and contributing writers from around the world. Enter your email address Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. SEE SAMPLE PRIVACY POLICY OPT OUT OR CONTACT US ANYTIME I know I’m not a fun first date. I want to ask prospective partners whether they want to become parents and when — and excuse me? You haven’t given it much thought? A shrug from a man who already has a couple of gray hairs strikes me as wild arrogance. This arrogance has, as I see it, two main causes — one, a belief that their spermatozoa are good for a very long time, indeed, and two, a belief that they could get a younger woman if they wanted to. Let me examine the evidence for each of those male beliefs; fertility first. Your sperm is not immortal. A study that tracked 8,559 pregnancies found that “conception during a 12-month period was 30 percent less likely for men over age 40 years as compared with men younger than age 30 years.” That research was gathered in 2000 and was one of the few studies that focused on male fertility. See, scientists have invested a lot of time in poking and prodding women to understand conception, but only a small fraction of those studies have controlled for the age of the father. In other words, all that data we have about how women in their late 30s are struggling to get pregnant doesn’t take into consideration the fact that many of those women are trying to conceive with men who are in their 40s. Men are much less fooled when it comes to that second belief — that they could get a younger woman if they wanted to. I’m not just basing this on the Census Bureau data I cited. There’s also the information gleaned from OkCupid’s millions of preferences. The dating site’s researchers found that most conversations take place between an older man and a younger woman and in almost half of them, the age gap is at least five years. But men might still be mistaken about just how much younger their next partner could be. That same OkCupid data shows that even when men are in their late 40s, they carry on looking at the profiles of women age 20 to 24 (women, by contrast look at older men’s profiles as they get older). Where do 50-year-old men get this strange impression that they could date a 23-year-old? Perhaps it’s their TV screens. When New York magazine looked at the careers of 10 leading men, it found that as they aged, their onscreen love interests didn’t. Take Liam Neeson. In 1990, he appeared alongside Frances McDormand, who was five years younger than he. By the time he starred in “Third Person” in 2013, the 61-year-old Neeson’s lover was played by 29-year-old Olivia Wilde. We are socialized into thinking that men are like wine, they get better with time. Whereas women are like cheese, they get blue veins and start to stink. At some point, I subconsciously signed up, too. I find George Clooney hot and Justin Bieber not (Clooney is 26 years older than me and Bieber is seven years younger). Do I sound angry? Maybe, but I’m also scared. I inspect my body when I step out of the shower and I can see the skin loosening above my knees. I don’t want to choose between being single or dating a much older man with much older knees. I think, maybe, I could deal with dying if the person I love is creaking along at the same rate I am. 1308 COMMENTS So, this is where I ask for help from other single women seeking men. Sign a pledge with me here today. Not of celibacy (where’s the fun in that?), but let’s end this scourge once and for all by committing to contemporaries. I understand your reluctance. Perhaps we’ve dipped a toe in the younger male waters and been burned by the sleeveless shirts, the sheetless beds, the unbridled selfishness. But sisters! We must persevere. If not for ourselves, then for one another. I hereby swear that I will not take an eligible older man out of the dating pool — to do so would be to slap future-me in the face but it would also signal to men my age that it’s O.K., you have time. Time is too precious to donate — so don’t give away 2.3 years of it. Mona Chalabi is an illustrator and the data editor at Guardian U.S.

The Elusive Giant Coconut-Cracking Rat of the Solomon Islands

https://nyti.ms/2yyCwHM

PAIN, POISON, AND SURGERY IN FOURTEENTH-CENTURY CHINA

26/09/2017 AMANDA HERBERT Yi-Li Wu It’s hard to set a compound fracture when the patient is in so much pain that he won’t let you touch him. For such situations, the Chinese doctor Wei Yilin (1277-1347) recommended giving the patient a dose of “numbing medicine” (ma yao). This would make him “fall into a stupor,” after which the doctor could carry out the needed surgical procedures: “using a knife to cut open [flesh], or using scissors to cut away the sharp ends of bone.” Numbing medicine was also useful when extracting arrowheads from bones, Wei said, enabling the practitioner to “use iron tongs to pull it out, or use an auger to bore open [the bone] and thus extract it.” More generally, Wei recommended using numbing medicines for all fractures and dislocation, for it would allow the doctor to manipulate the patient’s body at will. Wei’s preferred numbing medicine was “Wild Aconite Powder” (cao wu san), and he detailed the recipe in his influential compendium, Efficacious Formulas of a Hereditary Medical Family (Shiyi dexiao fang), completed in 1337 and printed by the Imperial Medical Academy of the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). In his preface, Wei affirmed that medical formulas were the foundation of medicine and that a doctor’s ability to cure depended on his ability to use these tools skillfully. Wei’s family had practiced medicine for five generations, and he synthesized their knowledge with that of other doctors to produce a comprehensive treatise encompassing internal medicine; the diseases of women and children; eye diseases; illnesses of the mouth, teeth, and throat; ulcers and swellings; and diseases caused by invasions of “wind” (ailments with sudden onset, including febrile epidemics and paralytic strokes). Numbing medicine appeared in Wei’s chapters on bone setting and weapon wounds. Wei’s Wild Aconite Powder is the earliest datable recipe that I have found for surgical anesthesia in a Chinese text, and it is a valuable window onto practices that were largely transmitted orally, whether in medical families or from master to disciple. Dynastic histories relate that the legendary doctor Hua Tuo (110-207) employed a formula called mafeisan to render his patients insensible prior to cutting them, even opening up their abdomens to excise rotting flesh and noxious accumulations. Some scholars have hypothesized that mafeisan (literally “hemp-boil-powder) may have contained morphine or cannabis (ma), but its ingredients remain a mystery. A text attributed to the twelfth-century physician Dou Cai (ca. 1146) recommended using a mixture of powdered cannabis and datura flowers (shan qie zi, also called man tuo luo hua) to put patients to sleep prior to moxibustion treatments, which in this text could involve a hundred or more cones of burning mugwort placed directly on the patient’s skin. Wei Yilin’s recipe provides important additional textual evidence for a tradition of anesthetic formulas based on toxic plants, one that was clearly in circulation long before he wrote it down. At least as far back as the Divine Farmer’s Classic of Materia Medica (3rd c.), medical authors had described aconite as highly toxic (for contemporary Roman views of aconite, see blogpost by Molly Jones-Lewis). In the right hands, however, aconite was a powerful drug, and part of the Chinese practice of using poisons to cure (see blogpost by Yan Liu). Warm and acrid, aconite could drive out pathogenic wind and cold from the body, break up stagnant accumulations, and invigorate the body’s vitalities. In the language of Chinese yin-yang cosmology, it nourished yang—all that was active, heating, external, and ascending. The main aconite root was considered more toxic than the subsidiary roots (designated by the separate name fu zi, “appended offspring”), and the wild form was more potent than the cultivated variety. Images of toxic medicinal plants from China’s most celebrated pharmacological work, Li Shizhen (1518-93), Compendium of Materia Medica (author’s preface dated 1590). Woodblock edition of 1603. Wild aconite is the middle image in the top row. Cultivated aconite (main and subsidiary roots) are in the bottom right corner. Image credit: National Library of China. Posted on-line at the World Digital Library. Images of toxic medicinal plants from China’s most celebrated pharmacological work, Li Shizhen (1518-93), Compendium of Materia Medica (author’s preface dated 1590). Woodblock edition of 1603. Wild aconite is the middle image in the top row. Cultivated aconite (main and subsidiary roots) are in the bottom right corner. Image credit: National Library of China. Posted on-line at the World Digital Library. Wei’s numbing recipe consisted of 13 plant ingredients, including the main roots of both wild and cultivated (Sichuanese) aconite, along with drugs known as good for treating wounds: Young fruit of the honey locust (zhu yao zao jiao) Momordica seeds (mu bie zi) Tripterygium (zi jin pi) Dahurian angelica (bai zhi) Pinellia (ban xia) Lindera (wu yao) Sichuanese lovage (chuan xiong) Aralia (tu dang gui) Sichuanese aconite (chuan wu) Five taels each[1] Star anise (bo shang hui xiang) “Sit-grasp” plant (zuo ru), simmered in wine until hot Wild aconite (cao wu) Two taels each Costus (mu xiang), three mace Combine the above ingredients. Without pre-roasting, make into a powder. In all cases of crushed or broken or dislocated bones, use two mace, mixed into high quality red liquor. Wei most likely learned this formula from his great-uncle Zimei, a specialist in bonesetting and wounds. Its local origins are also suggested by its use of zuo ru, literally “sit-grasp”, a toxic plant whose botanical identity is unclear. However, according to the eighteenth-century Gazetteer of Jiangxi (Jiangxi tong zhi), sit-grasp was native to Jiangxi, Wei’s home province, and was used by indigenes to treat injuries from blows and falls. While classical pharmacology focused on the curative effects of aconite, Wei’s anesthetic relied on aconite’s ability to stupefy and numb, while curbing its ability to kill. If an initial dose failed to make the patient go under, Wei said, the doctor could carefully administer additional doses of wild aconite, sit-grasp herb and the datura flower. Additional images of toxic medicinal plants from Li Shizhen, Compendium of Materia Medica. Sit-grasp herb is in the middle of the top row, and datura flower in the middle of the bottom. Image credit: National Library of China. Posted on-line at the World Digital Library. Additional images of toxic medicinal plants from Li Shizhen, Compendium of Materia Medica. Sit-grasp herb is in the middle of the top row, and datura flower in the middle of the bottom. Image credit: National Library of China. Posted on-line at the World Digital Library. In subsequent centuries, as medical texts proliferated, we find additional examples of numbing medicines that employed aconite, datura, and other toxic plants, employed when setting bones and draining abscesses, and to numb injured flesh before repairing tears and lacerations to ears, noses, lips, and scrotums. Such manual and surgical therapies are an integral part of the history of healing in China. Yi-Li Wu is a Center Associate of the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (US) and an affiliated researcher of EASTmedicine, University of Westminster, London (UK). She earned a Ph.D. in history from Yale University and was previously a history professor at Albion College (USA) for 13 years. Her publications include Reproducing Women: Medicine, Metaphor, and Childbirth in Late Imperial China (University of California Press, 2010) and articles on medical illustration, forensic medicine, and Chinese views of Western anatomical science. She is currently completing a book on the history of wound medicine in China. Acknowledgements This research was funded by the Wellcome Trust Medical Humanities Award “Beyond Tradition: Ways of Knowing and Styles of Practice in East Asian Medicines, 1000 to the present” (097918/Z/11/Z). I am also grateful to Lorraine Wilcox for directing me to the work of Dou Cai. ***** [1] The weight of the tael (Ch. liang) has varied over time, but during Wei’s lifetime would have been equivalent to 40 grams. A mace (Ch. qian) is one-tenth of a tael.

1900: Major Van Buren Stephens, the Hero Dog of New York’s Chelse

a Posted: 20th October 2016 by The Hatching Cat in Dog Heroes, Dog Tails, Uncategorized Tags: Chelsea Gardens, Clement C. Moore, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, John T. Stephens, London Terrace, Myra Van Buren Stephens, New York History Comments Off on 1900: Major Van Buren Stephens, the Hero Dog of New York’s Chelsea majorcasket Major Van Buren Stephens in his custom-made casket on the day of his funeral in July 1900. “I am heartbroken. I loved him as much as a human being, and he had more intelligence than a good many human beings and was far more faithful.”–Mrs. John T. Stephens, July 12, 1900 In July 1900, Mrs. John T. Stephens lost the canine love of her life. Having lost her young son just two years before, the death of her dog Major was more than she could bear. Major, an eleven-year-old brown and white collie, entered Myra Stephens’ life when he was only three weeks old and she still went by the maiden name of Myra Van Buren. The aspiring actress from Louisiana (her stage name was Myra St. Maur) raised Major and his brother on her own until her marriage to John Stephens, a wealthy produce merchant, in 1891. During their early married years, the Stephens traveled extensively throughout Europe, the United States, and Mexico. On every trip, Major was at their side (I don’t know if his brother also traveled with them). The childless couple doted on Major, teaching him over 50 tricks (according to Myra he could “talk in a way” and sing in three languages) and letting him dine with them at the table. Major was especially fond of coffee — every morning a servant brought him coffee in his bedroom, but he would not drink it until a napkin was tied under his chin. After he finished, he’d hold up his mouth for someone to wipe it. Major was also a big hit with the residents of London Terrace, a set of 36 grand brownstone row houses on West 23rd Street between 9th and 10th Avenue, where Myra and John Stephens made their home. londonterrace1845 Major lived with the Stephens at 427 West 23rd Street, which was one of 36 Greek revival brownstone townhouses designed by Alexander Jackson Davis and constructed in 1845 on the former “Chelsea” estate of Clement C. Moore. The old 9th Avenue elevated train tracks are visible at the end of the street. NYPL digital collections Sometime around 1895, Myra gave birth to a baby boy. Major instantly bonded with the child, and they became best friends. According to Myra, in 1897 Major saved a young boy from drowning in Atlanta, Georgia. For his heroics, the father of the boy presented the dog with a gold medal. A year later, Major saved two other little boys from drowning at Rockaway Beach in New York. That same year, in 1898, the Stephens lost their young son, leaving a huge void in their lives. Major’s Passing In July 1900, Myra Stephens took Major to the New York Veterinary Hospital, located just a few blocks away at 117 West 25th Street. Major was not treated by chief surgeon Dr. S. K. Johnson, but Dr. Edward M. Leavy — also a very experienced surgeon — did his very best to treat the collie in his final days. Dr Samuel Johnson Dr. Samuel King Johnson in an early photo of the Hartsdale Canine Cemetery, where Major was reportedly buried. Photo courtesy of Hartsdale Pet Cemetery. The Stephens chose to bury their cherished dog in a small pet cemetery that had once been Dr. Johnson’s apple orchard in Hartsdale, New York. On the day of his funeral, Major was washed, combed, and placed in a satin-lined rosewood casket. The casket featured four silver handles and an oval glass plate at the top for viewing. A gold collar adorned his neck, and flowers covered his body. As the Stephens’ many friends came to call and place more flowers on the casket, Major’s surviving brother collie stood by and howled. Major was taken by an animal ambulance to Grand Central Station, where the casket was placed on a Harlem Line train bound for Hartsdale in Westchester County. The Clement C. Moore Estate at Chelsea chelseamap The Clement C. Moore property — formerly the Bishop Benjamin Moore property and the old Jacob and Teunis Somerindyke farm — was bounded by the Hudson River and present-day Eighth Ave., 19th St., and 24th St. For several years, Major and his brother collie lived with the Stephens at 427 West 23rd Street, which was then one of a group of brownstone townhouses called London Terrace. The property has a very interesting history, dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan was all hilly forest and farmland owned by Jacob and Teunis Somerindyke. This large farm of several hundred acres was bounded by what was then called the North River (Hudson) and 8th Avenue (then called Fitzroy Road) from 14th to 24th Street. The land featured a river that flowed near present-day 10th Avenue and a small creek by the shoreline at 22nd Street. In 1750, Captain Thomas Clarke, a retired British military man, bought a large piece (about 100 acres) of the old farm and named it Chelsea, after his native London’s Royal Hospital at Chelsea, where old soldiers lived out their final days. There, near the intersection of today’s 8th Avenue and 24th Street, he built a “snug harbor” that he called the Chelsea House. In 1776, the year Captain Clarke died, a fire destroyed the three-story frame house. His widow, Mary Stillwell Clarke, replaced it with a larger brick Chelsea House near what would now be lots 422 and 424 on West 23rd Street. Mary defended the house against the British troops during the Revolutionary War, and remained there until her death in 1802. The house and much of the property stayed in the family, passing to Mary’s daughter, Charity, and her husband, Benjamin Moore, the Episcopal bishop of New York and president of Columbia College. chelseahouse2Chelsea House was on a high bluff overlooking the Hudson River, near today’s West 23rd Street between 9th and 10th Avenue. In 1779, Clement Clarke Moore was born in Chelsea House. Here, in 1822, he first recited the poem he wrote for his two daughters — “A Visit from St. Nicholas” — the classic holiday poem that begins, “T’was the night before Christmas, when all through the house…” Legend has it that Moore based his Santa Claus on the family’s jovial and plump Dutch handyman, and that he was inspired to write the poem while being driven home one snowy night in a sleigh pulled by a horse with jingling bells. StNicholas.jpg From Clement C. Moore’s A Visit From Saint Nicholas, illustrated by F.O.C. Darley and published by James G. Gregory in 1862. Sometime around the 1830s, Moore began dividing his land into lots and selling them for fine residences. In 1845, working with William Torrey (who leased the land), Moore erected a large housing development called London Terrace and Chelsea Gardens, which encompassed West 23rd and 24th streets between 9th and 10th Avenue. Then in 1853 he razed the family seat (Chelsea House) across from London Terrace and sold the land. On that site, elaborate row houses later called Millionaires’ Row were constructed. Moore moved into a new townhouse on West 22nd Street, where he lived until his death in 1863. This house is still standing today. ChelseaCottages.jpg On West 24th Street, Moore built the Chelsea Cottages, which were wood-framed, two-and three-story houses occupied by writers and artists who painted them and added sleeping porches. Behind these, facing West 23rd Street, were the London Terrace townhouses, where Major and the Stephens lived. NYPL digital collections In 1907, a financial panic marked the beginning of the downfall for the 1845 London Terrace. The once pricey one-family homes were subdivided into rooming houses and apartments. Extra floors were added to several of the buildings, and some were converted to institutions (for example, in 1930 the townhouse where the Stephens once lived was the Florence Crittenden Home for Girls; three London Terrace homes near 10th Avenue were combined with three of the Chelsea Cottages to form the School for Social Research campus.) londonterrace1925 London Terrace in 1925, just four years before its demise. NYPL digital collections By 1929, developer Henry Mandel had acquired control of the block — well, all of the buildings except the house at 429 West 23rd Street. As Mandel began demolishing all of the buildings, Tillie Hart, once the next-door neighbor of the Stephens, held her ground, barricading herself in and refusing to leave until the sheriffs forced her out in October of that year. Mandel replaced the old townhouses with ten apartment buildings and four taller tower-like structures at each corner. The buildings contained 1,665 apartments, plus an abundance of amenities such as an indoor swimming pool, supervised rooftop play area, gymnasium, penthouse recreational club, sun deck for infants, courtyard garden, and a rooftop marine deck furnished to look like an ocean liner. londonterrace1930 The new London Terrace in 1930. NYPL digital collections The Passing of Myra Van Buren Stephens In the years following Major’s death, Myra Stephens became more attached to dogs and less attached to the real world. In February 1904, she headed up an enterprise called the Idlewild Canine Cemetery Association. The association reportedly purchased five acres of land just north of the train depot in Central Islip for use as a cemetery for poodles. There are no further reports of this dog cemetery (although I did find this recent story about a woman charged with having a pet cemetery in her Central Islip yard. Hmm…) In 1920, while living in a friend’s 17-room house at 1155 Guion Avenue (108th Street) in Richmond Hill, Queens, Myra was charged with keeping numerous dogs in a boarding kennel without a kennel permit. By this time her life had taken a turn for the worse, and she was often seen knocking on theater stage doors and begging for assistance from the actors and actresses. On November 12, 1931, the sound of whimpering dogs got the attention of a policeman, who broke into Myra’s squalid, six-room tenement apartment at 1250 Second Avenue. There, Myra was found dead on the floor surrounded by her 11 dogs. Myra was taken to the city morgue and the dogs were taken to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 427west23rd_hatchingcatMajor’s old home at 427 West 23rd Street is now part of London Terrace Gardens.

Twitter war between Natural History and Science museums

https://www.indy100.com/article/twitter-war-natural-history-science-museum-funny-social-media-7949936?utm_source=indy&utm_medium=top5&utm_campaign=i100