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The first Macanese diaspora to Hong Kong in the 1840s saw not only the movement of Macau's Luso-Asians to British territory, but also the unfolding of decades of discussion regarding the repressive rule of the Portuguese colonial administration over Macau. From establishing Portuguese-language newspapers to writing to Hong Kong's English-language newspapers, the Macanese found a relatively liberal space in British Hong Kong to address Macau's social and political issues and criticise the Portuguese colonial administration and Portugal away from the Portuguese empire's strict press censorship. Through exploring the ways Macanese newspaper editors and contributors challenged Portuguese policies and maladministration on British soil, this study aims to first, analyse the experience of Hong Kong within the wider context of British press control in its Asian colonies and second, show how trans-border interaction came to be facilitated between Hong Kong and Macau by the movement and activities of a multiracial diasporic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using eyewitness accounts by some French writers who sojourned in Macau during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this article investigates Macanese history from French perspectives. Attention is given to history, culture, and literature within writers' interpretations. A distinct feature of Macanese history in this period is a story of the conflict between changed and unchanged, glory and decline, temporariness and timelessness. Imbued with admiration, reminiscence, and critique, the observations made by the French writers form a unique panoramic view over Macau. Such observations illustrate how Western culture examined itself, here represented as Portuguese culture, and the manifestations of this particular culture after being transplanted into another country far from the homeland. Integration of French perspectives can enhance the writing of Macanese history by providing particular insights and literary discernment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sets out to investigate how multilingual youth perceive and represent their linguistic repertoires. To achieve this goal, we introduced a computer-vision-aided analytical method to deal with the obtained visual data, which comprised digital images of language portraits created by a group of young multilingual speakers. An OpenCV module is used to build and complete the graphic data processing, enabling quantitative evaluations of participants' colored clusters and linguistic codes that express their language repertoires. In combination with oral narratives provided in their language portraits, the findings demonstrate that Macanese heritage speakers show a higher degree of "scope" than the Chinese mainland sojourners in Macao but a lower degree of "access". Follow-up interviews further corroborated the self-perceptions of their linguistic resources across different registers. Overall, the computer-vision-aided analysis of language portraits enhances the current understanding of the "scope" and "access" of multilingual repertoires in lived experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Qing History Journal is the property of Renmin University of China, Institute of Qing History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Macanese, the near-extinct Portuguese creole of Macao, is an Asian Portuguese Creole language closely related to Malaccan Papia Kristang. In this paper, I argue that a distinctive feature of Macanese vis-à-vis other Asian Portuguese Creoles is its system of negation; specifically, its usage of the negators nunca and nádi. Negators deriving from Portuguese nunca 'never' and não há-de 'shall not' are attested in several Asian Portuguese Creoles: while their usage varies considerably, the former usually acts as the negator for realis predicates, whereas the latter typically negates irrealis predicates. In this paper I argue that, differently from other Asian Portuguese Creoles, Macanese nunca is also the only available negator for adjectival and nominal predicates, independently from TAM features. Through a comparison with other Asian Portuguese creoles, and with the adstrates and substrates of Macanese, I also discuss the possible origin of these features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cultura Latinoamericana is the property of Universidad Catolica de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article rethinks a Luso-Asian community that existing literature has termed 'Portuguese' or 'Macanese' by exploring the differences between the Macanese communities of Macau, Hong Kong and Shanghai. It examines inter-port debates between 1926 and 1929 that triggered wide discussion in Portuguese and English-language newspapers regarding the political loyalty of the Macanese. Set against the framework of a burgeoning print capitalism and vibrant associational culture in Asia's port-cities, the article argues that varying urban circumstances and political structures influenced the negotiation of the Macanese between imperial, civic and colonial identities to eventually construct three new imagined communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study follows the multiple migrations of a middle class 'Portuguese'/'Macanese' family in two imperial contexts and explores the complex relationship between 'race', 'class' and social mobility as wider social experiences shaped by imperial traditions, personal ambitions, social networks, and identity transformations. Through an examination of four generations of the Pereira family, from the late seventeenth century to the early twentieth century, I trace their movement from Portugal to Portuguese Macau to British Hong Kong, and finally to Britain, in order to reveal the shifting meanings and strategic value of being 'Portuguese', 'Macanese', and 'British' under different social settings and timeframes. Ultimately, this study aims, through the lens of middle-class migrants, to understand the construct of 'race' beyond the coloniser-colonised spectrum and to reconsider the colonial encounter as a pragmatic response to migration opportunities, social traditions and life challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article intends to contribute towards the study of harbour cities, reflecting on the circulation of things and people, matters associated with national borders and multiple identities that cross paths there. Considering the history of Macao, its relationship with the Portuguese colonial empire and the challenges posed to the Macanese identity, this article intends to analyse representations of Macao and the Macanese produced in Portugal during the colonial period, considering some of them may still have repercussions today. Representations in generally accessed documents, such as the periodical press, will be analysed, as will events, such as great exhibitions, that were directed to a broader audience and which were frequently incorporated into colonial propaganda. By realizing that even today the movement towards the internationalization of Macao and China itself also involves Portugal, one concludes this is an interesting place for reflecting on power strategies, the circulation of individuals and the formation of identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macanese, the near-extinct Portuguese creole of Macao, is an understudied contact language with strong Malayo-Portuguese features. It is also characterised by Sinitic influence, which however has sometimes been downplayed in the literature (see Ansaldo and Matthews 2004). In this paper, I argue that a distinctive element of Macanese vis-à-vis other Asian Portuguese Creoles is the stronger role of Sinitic in its "typological matrix" (Ansaldo 2004, 2009). Sinitic influence on Macanese has already been invoked to account e.g. for reduplication (Ansaldo and Matthews 2004); however, little research on multi-verb constructions has been conducted so far. The main object of my study comprise constructions expressing indirect causation, and I focus on the chomá [call]-NP-VP pattern. I argue that, whereas in other Asian Portuguese Creoles the syntax of indirect causatives appears to be modelled mainly on Malay or on Indian substrate languages, for Macanese the model is clearly Sinitic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Elevated resting heart rate (RHR) has been reported to be associated with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to explore whether a positive relationship exists between RHR and impaired glucose regulation (IGR) among middle-aged and older Chinese individuals.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis that included a total of 9898 subjects (3194 men and 6704 women) in a Chinese population. The RHRs were derived from ECG recordings, and the subjects were stratified based on RHR quartiles.Results: RHR levels were significantly higher in the subjects with isolated impaired fasting glucose (i-IFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (i-IGT), IFG + IGT and diabetes than in those with normal glucose regulation. When multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, the odds ratios were substantially higher for the subjects with IGR (odds ratio 2.19, 95% confidence interval 1.85-2.58) in the fourth RHR quartile compared with those in the first quartile after adjustment for potential confounding covariates, and the corresponding OR for the combined IGR and type 2 diabetes group was 2.56 (95% CI 2.20-2.98, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that RHR was significantly associated with fasting plasma glucose, 2-h OGTT plasma glucose and A1c.Conclusions: Our cross-sectional findings provide evidence that high RHR is associated with existing IGR among middle-aged and older Chinese individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is one of the most critical factors hindering the growth and development of plants. Paclobutrazol (PBZ) is widely used to minimize this problem in agriculture because it can induce salt stress tolerance in plants. This study investigated the effects of PBZ on salt tolerance of seedlings from two Chinese bayberry cultivars ( i.e., Wangdao and Shenhong). Plants were treated with three salt concentrations (0, 0.2, and 0.4 % NaCl) and two PBZ concentrations (0 and 2.0 μmol L). Application of PBZ increased a relative water content, proline content, chlorophyll ( a+b) content, and antioxidant enzyme activities in both cultivars, resulting in a better acclimation to salt stress and an increase in dry matter production. We concluded that PBZ ameliorated the negative effects of salt stress in Chinese bayberry seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate longitudinal changes in refraction and biometry in Chinese adults. Design: Population-based prospective cohort study. Methods: 1817 subjects aged ≥ 35 years were randomly recruited from Yuexiu district, Guangzhou, China in 2008. Of which 1595 (87.8%) were reexamined in 2010 and 1427 (78.5%) were reexamined in 2014. Non-cycloplegic automated refraction and visual acuity test were performed at baseline and the 6-year follow-up examination for all participants. In addition, 50% of the participants were randomly selected for axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and lens thickness (LT) measurements using non-contact partial coherence laser interferometry. Lens power (LP) was calculated with the Bennett’s equation. Results: A total of 1300 participants were included in current analysis (2008 mean [SD] age, 51.4 [10.6] years; 54.5% women). Mean change in spherical equivalence (SE) was +0.24 (95% confidence interval [CI], +0.19 to +0.30), +0.51 (95% CI, +0.46 to +0.57), +0.26 (95% CI, +0.15 to +0.38) and -0.05 (95% CI, -0.21 to +0.10) diopters (D) for individuals in the age groups of 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 to 64 and 65+ years at baseline, respectively. Corneal power, AL and LT increased while ACD and LP decreased during the follow-up. Baseline SE and changes in biometric factors could explain 97.2% of the variance in longitudinal SE change while LP solely could explain 65.2%. Six-year mean change in cylinder power was -0.16 (95% CI, -0.19 to -0.13) D, the axis of astigmatism changed from “with-the-rule” to “against-the-rule” in 16.4% of the participants and to “oblique” in 0.9%. Conclusions: This study confirms a hyperopic shift in the elderly before 65 years old and a myopic shift thereafter. Longitudinal refraction change could be well explained by corresponding biometry changes, especially LP. There is also a shift to “against-the-rule” astigmatism for the adult population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is part of an on-going research project about the inuences on fashion tradition, following the cultural encounters between Europe and Asia (16 c.) in the context of Macau, currently a special administrative region in China, formerly occupied and administrated by the Portuguese. In this text, we address how the ceremonial wedding costume was adopted in Macau, where cross-cultural and interracial marriages occurred. The analysis focuses on two historical segments: from the earlier colonial era until the end of the 19th century and from the 19th century until nowadays. The article includes a historical background of Macau, with its social classes and castes from the 16th to the 20th centuries, and the evolution of the wedding ceremonies and wedding dress in Asia, Macau and Europe, from the 16th century to nowadays. The research combines three methodological approaches: 1) historical bibliographical research; 2) visual anthropology from paintings and early photographs; 3) interviews with traditional Macau tailors and Macanese families. The gathered data suggests that the ceremonial wedding costume remained unaltered until the 1st Republic of China (1912-1949). After that, some Chinese men began to wear Western suits or a morning dress for their marriage ceremonies, and middle and upper class brides in cities like Shanghai, latterly Hong Kong and Macau, also adopted the Western style white wedding dress. In Macau, mixed wedding ceremonies and costumes were also very popular, as well as the "double wedding" ( 陳勁峰, 2013), where the bride and the bridegroom marry twice, in different ceremonies, with completely different clothing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong is the property of Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

What is the relationship with environmental factors of phytoplankton community dynamics in saline lakes? We analyzed a data set of phytoplankton community and environmental parameters in seasonal periods (i.e., summer and autumn) in order to describe seasonal variations within the phytoplankton community and its relationship with environmental variables in Chagan Nur Lake on the Ordos Plateau in China. The lake's phytoplankton species was not abundant, with a mean density of 222.43×104 cells/L (ranging from 62.35×104 cells/L in autumn to 382.5×104 cells/L in summer 2014). However, the groups with highest densities were essentially limited to Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, and Cyanophyta. There were considerable seasonal variations in phytoplankton composition. Eleven environmental variables were selected to explore the relationship between phytoplankton structure and environmental factors by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The results of the CCA applied to the environmental factors indicated that total phosphorus (TP), pH, total ion degrees (Tds), salinity (Sal), and electrical conductivity (Con) significantly influenced the phytoplankton community (p<0.01; Monte Carlo test of first constrained axis). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linked Article:Cameron et al. Br J Dermatol 2016; 174: 786–794. Linked Article:Hoorens et al. Br J Dermatol 2016; 174: 847–852. Linked Article:Blok et al. Br J Dermatol 2016; 174: 839–846. Linked Article:Pariser et al. Br J Dermatol 2016; 174: 770–777. Linked Article:Frauchiger et al. Br J Dermatol 2016; 174: 823–830. Linked Article:Eisemann et al. Br J Dermatol 2016; 174: 778–785. Linked Article:Olsen et al. Br J Dermatol 2016; 174: 853–861. Linked Article:Nilsen et al. Br J Dermatol 2016; 174: 730–740. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson’s disease (PD, OMIM 168600) is a neurodegenerative disorder featured by degeneration of melanin-positive dopaminergic neurons. Epidemiologic studies have suggested that PD and malignant melanoma (MM) might share common genetic components. Recently, the p.R160W variant in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene ( MC1R , OMIM 155555), a risk factor for MM, has been identified to be associated with PD in Spanish population. To explore whether the MC1R variants are associated with sporadic PD in Chinese population, we designed a case-control comparison study and studied three variants, including rs3212366 (p.F196L), rs33932559 (p.I120T) and rs34090186 (p.R67Q), in the MC1R gene in 512 Chinese Han patients with sporadic PD and 512 age, gender and ethnicity matched normal controls. For rs3212366, only the TT genotype was identified in both PD and control cohorts. For variants rs33932559 and rs34090186, we did not identify any statistically significant difference in either genotypic distribution or allelic distribution between the PD cohort and control cohort, and in addition, we did not identify any related haplotype that would either increase the risk for PD or play a protective role against PD. Our data suggest that none of the three variants of the MC1R gene and related haplotypes be associated with sporadic form of PD in Chinese Han population from Mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Halasu porphyry copper belt situated in the East Junggar is one of the major porphyry copper belts in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China. Copper and molybdenum mineralization occurs as disseminated sulfides or veinlets mainly in granodiorite porphyry and diorite porphyry, with the intense development of zoned alteration from potassic, through sericitic to an outer zone of propylitic alteration. New LA–ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating reveals that magmatism in the belt can be divided into three periods during the Middle Devonian and Early Carboniferous, namely the pre-mineralization stage of 390 Ma, syn-mineralization stage of 382–372 Ma, and post-mineralization stage of 350–320 Ma. The syn-mineralization intrusions are calc-alkaline, whereas pre- and post-mineralization intrusions are shoshonitic and high-K calc-alkaline. The syn-mineralization intrusions are enriched in highly incompatible trace elements but depleted in Nb, Ta, Hf and Ti relative to the pre- and post-mineralization intrusions. Zircon trace elements analyses demonstrate a negative correlation between Ti-in-zircon temperatures and oxygen fugacity. Ore-bearing syn-mineralization granitoids are characterized by higher water content, oxygen fugacity and low temperatures with higher mineralization potential than pre- and post-mineralization ones. These characteristics, together with the geochemical signature of the intrusions, suggest that the ore-bearing porphyries are derived from relative high ƒH 2 O magma reservoir. The remarkably homogeneous Hf isotopic compositions (εHf(t) = 8 to 13) from syn-mineralization intrusions span over 10 m.y., suggesting the existence of a long-lived reservoir beneath Halasu belt during the Middle Devonian. All the intrusions have low initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values (0.703935 to 0.707172), high εNd(t) values (4.7 to 5.5) and young crustal model ages (650 to 750 Ma). Combined with the mantle-derived Pb isotope characteristics, the Sr–Nd–Hf data suggest that the parental magma was probably derived from flat subduction triggered partial melting of juvenile crust generated during subduction–accretionary process with no significant input of old crust, whereas pre-mineralization and post-mineralization intrusions are supposed to emplaced in immature island arc setting and post-orogenic setting, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper's central claim is that China's speed and ability to leapfrog its peernations in the last three decades stems, largely, from the fact that it is a fully developed Entrepreneurial State (ES). The discussion seeks to dig deeper on ES as a bridging concept that fits well with the Schumpeter-Keynes-Minsky analytical framework and one that is particularly appropriated analyzing contemporary China's development trajectory. Although rooted in a historical perspective and using historical examples, the main purpose of the paper is analytical, not descriptive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large inputs of phosphorus (P) in chemical fertilizers and feed supplements since 1978 have improved soil P status in arable land in China, but have also created challenges by increasing P concentrations in manure and exacerbating water quality degradation. Arable land in China can be divided into five management zones based on soil P chemistry, with 15-92 % of arable land having lower P status than the agronomic optimum and 0.3-7.2 % having severe risks of P leaching losses. A scenario analysis of soil P budget and agronomic P demand during 2011-2030 highlighted the great pressure China faces in sustainable P management and the need for drastic changes in current practices. This includes new policies to reduce P supplementation of feed and improved P use efficiency by livestock and programs to expand the adoption of appropriate fertilization, soil conservation, and drainage management practices to minimize P losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This empirical study explores the characteristics of and motivations for pauses in Chinese-English (C-E) simultaneous interpreting (SI). The data were collected from a simultaneous interpreting task in which five expert interpreters and five trainee interpreters interpreted an authentic speech from Chinese into English. A bilingual corpus was built comprising transcripts of the speech and the interpretations and pauses were codified for analysis. Retrospective interviews were conducted to stimulate subjects' recall of their motivations for unnatural pauses in SI production. The major findings are: First, pauses are less frequent but longer in C-E simultaneous interpreting than in the original speech. Second, there is a hierarchical distribution of pauses corresponding to syntactic complexity, except that pauses inside phrases are disproportionately frequent. Third, major motivations for unnatural pauses in C-E simultaneous interpreting can be attributed to SI-specific strategies such as waiting, formulating and restructuring. Fourth, compared with trainees, expert interpreters have fewer and shorter pauses and their pauses tend to be more appropriate and occur mainly at major syntactic junctions. Although both groups share major motivations for unnatural pauses, expert interpreters have remarkably fewer pauses due to formulating, waiting, conceptualising and split attention but more pauses due to monitoring and adoption of strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses are heritable lysosomal storage diseases characterized by progressive neurological impairment and the accumulation of autofluorescent storage granules in neurons and other cell types. Various forms of human neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis have been attributed to mutations in at least 13 different genes. So far, mutations in the canine orthologs of 7 of these genes have been identified in DNA from dogs with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. The identification of new causal mutations could lead to the establishment of canine models to investigate the pathogenesis of the corresponding human neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses and to evaluate and optimize therapeutic interventions for these fatal human diseases. Case presentation We obtained blood and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded brain sections from a rescue dog that was reported to be a young adult Chinese Crested. The dog was euthanized at approximately 19 months of age as a consequence of progressive neurological decline that included blindness, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. A diagnosis of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis was made based on neurological signs, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, and fluorescence microscopic and electron microscopic examination of brain sections. We isolated DNA from the blood and used it to generate a whole genome sequence with 33-fold average coverage. Among the 7.2 million potential sequence variants revealed by aligning the sequence reads to the canine genome reference sequence was a homozygous single base pair deletion in the canine ortholog of one of 13 known human NCL genes: MFSD8:c.843delT. MFSD8:c.843delT is predicted to cause a frame shift and premature stop codon resulting in a truncated protein, MFSD8:p.F282Lfs13*, missing its 239 C-terminal amino acids. The MFSD8:c.843delT allele is absent from the whole genome sequences of 101 healthy canids or dogs with other diseases. The genotyping of archived DNA from 1478 Chinese Cresteds did not identify any additional MFSD8:c.843delT homozygotes and found only one heterozygote. Conclusion We conclude that the neurodegenerative disease of the Chinese Crested rescue dog was neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and that homozygosity for the MFSD8:c.843delT sequence variant was very likely to be the molecular-genetic cause of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taijiquan (TJQ) is a Chinese martial art, in the West known primarily as a stand-alone version of moving meditation, which was developed mainly on the experience of martial art. The main goal of TJQ as a martial art is to control the opponent's balance with as little force as possible and can be described with the well-known metaphor that "4 ounce can defeat 1000 ounce." This metaphor usually stands for a special effect in TJQ, called fajing. To understand the basic movement principles of TJQ we have to analyse the experience itself. On the basis of first- person analysis, we designed a number of pilot and one extensive study. In this article we will present an intervention method that uses TJQ movement principles to modulate motoric (MM) process and produces the fajing effect - which usually takes years of proper exercise - in just 15 to 20 minutes. A pilot study was designed to measure the influence of MM method on our movement. The participants had to use each arm to work on a different task. They used one arm to move the computer mouse and the cursor on the computer screen trying to catch the marker on the screen as fast and as accurately as possible. The other arm was interfered with constant steady movement forward-backward in the lateral direction. We measured the accuracy and speed of movement before and after the intervention. It turned out that the participants were more accurate in performing their task after the MM intervention than before it. Before the intervention the accuracy was 0,443 ± 0,058 and after the intervention it improved to 0,498 ± 0,053, p < 0,01. The participants could follow the disturbances much more easily after the MM intervention, they could concentrate more on their task and they were better in using their arms separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Symmetric melasma-like hyperpigmentation (MLH) has been identified in several patients following intense pulsed laser (IPL) treatment sessions. These patients exhibited no typical signs of melasma prior to IPL therapy. Objectives: To investigate the incidence of MLH in Chinese patients receiving IPL treatment and to discuss potential causative factors for this condition and potential preventive measures. Methods: 675 patients with skin types III-IV who were treated with IPL were retrospectively studied. Results: MLH was noted in 20 cases (20/675, 2.96%) within 3 months following IPL treatment session. All the patients had a pigmentary disorder prior to their IPL treatment s, the most common being photoaging or the presence of freckles. The lesions seen in 14 of the 20 cases (14/20, 70%) were multiple pigmented lesions along a wide distribution of the skin with undefined borders. Six of the cases had a strong post-treatment local reaction which also may have contributed to the MLH. In 2 cases, the original skin concern became worse following the IPL therapy and may have been a reason for the formation of MLH. In 6 cases, we noted that these individuals were not regular users of sunscreen post-therapy, despite our recommendations, which also may have contributed to the formation of their MLH. Conclusions: The adverse event and formation of IPL-induced MLH seen in Chinese individuals does have a relationship to a primary pigmentary lesion(s) and trend toward melasma prior to the IPL therapy. The IPL parameters chosen should be suitable for the skin condition being treated and should follow the recommendations of the manufacturer's default settings prior to undertaking the treatments. Post-therapy skin care and the use of appropriate sun protection are also important factors in preventing MLH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since being returned to China in 1999, Macau's government has actively cooperated with transnational companies to insert casino capitalism into the territory. This paper asks: How is this latest Macanese version of ‘modernization’ being experienced and imagined at the individual level? This research investigates young dealers, the main labor subjects in Macau's gambling industry, to reveal the contradictions unleashed in the city's neoliberalization process. We use dealers' interviews as examples to illustrate how casino capitalism has become deeply entrenched in the fabric of Macau life, and the risks being proliferated across the body in new material conditions. The study focuses on how these individuals respond to and negotiate the specific disposition of casino capitalism that affects the daily experiences, emotions and desires associated with the expansion of the gambling sector. It investigates the techniques adopted by the casino regime and how the new government has come to construct the individual as a subject of interest, and identifies a form of exploitation and control characterized by voluntary consent. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Silva Lusitana is the property of Unidade de Investigacao de Silvicultura e Productos Florestais and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Silva Lusitana is the property of Unidade de Investigacao de Silvicultura e Productos Florestais and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The chief problematic for contemporary systematic metaphysics is to develop categories for understanding the world as having value at the same time that it is explicable by science. Western philosophical thinking, with major exceptions, has tracked science by understanding the world to be factual but not intrinsically valuable. Chinese philosophy in all periods has understood human beings to be embedded within society which in turn is embedded within nature, all of which bear values of appropriate types. Themes in Chinese philosophy contribute to this problematic of systematic metaphysics in important ways, explored in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The P2X7 receptor is a ligand-gated cationic channel receptor that is actived by ATP and normally expressed by a variety of immune system cells, including macrophages and lymphocytes. Because it leads to release of IL-1β and cell death by apoptosis or necrosis, it is a potential therapeutic target for a variety of autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The P2X7R gene is highly polymorphic, and many single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been detected. A case–control study was performed to investigate the associations of SNPs in the P2X7R gene (rs1718119, rs2230911 and rs3751143) with susceptibility to SLE in 535 Chinese SLE patients and 532 controls. Results showed that rs1718119 was associated with SLE; in particular carriers of the A allele and AA/AG/(AG+AA) genotypes were at lower risk of the disease [A versus G, P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 0.543, 95% CI: 0.424–0.697; AG versus GG, P = 0.018, OR = 0.659, 95% CI: 0.466–0.931; AA versus GG, P = 0.011, OR = 0.176, 95% CI: 0.046–0.668; AG+AA versus GG, P = 0.004, OR = 0.607, 95% CI: 0.433–0.850], but no significant differences in rs2230911 and rs3751143 were observed between SLE patients and controls. Stratification of cases for the presence of nephritis showed that rs2230911 G allele and CG/(CG+GG) genotypes were at a lower risk of SLE with nephritis (LN) (G versus C, P = 0.011, OR = 0.640, 95% CI: 0.454–0.903; CG versus CC, P = 0.035, OR = 0.645, 95% CI: 0.429–0.970; GG versus CC, P = 0.101, OR = 0.349, 95% CI: 0.099–1.228; CG+GG versus CC, P = 0.015 OR = 0.612, 95% CI: 0.411–0.910), but rs1718119 and rs3751143 were not associated with LN. Analysis of the haplotypes revealed one haplotype (ACA) that appeared to be a significantly ‘protective’ haplotype (P = 0.009, OR = 0.708, 95% CI: 0.546–0.918) with SLE. The findings suggest that the P2X7R gene might contribute to SLE susceptibility in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes research conducted on Portuguese language allegiance among the extant Macanese community in the Special Administrative Region of Macau (MSAR), formerly a territory under Portuguese administration until its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1999, and the diaspora which resulted from the migration of members of this unique community. A case study explains the use of Portuguese in the MSAR which continues to officially recognize the function of the language for communication in administration, education, and cultural discourse. The study aims to examine the allegiance of the Macanese in perpetuating this function, while drawing attention to the incidence of language switch namely to Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, as the preferred mediums of discourse. This predicament is compared to the Portuguese language allegiance among the diaspora represented by the ‘Casas de Macau' in each country with a Macanese community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas no studies have previously been carried out on the δ13C chemostratigraphy of the Sandbian-Katian (Upper Ordovician) succession anywhere in Norway, such investigations in Sweden and the East Baltic region have made the δ13C chemostratigraphy of that interval well known. In an attempt to document for the first time the presence of the globally distributed and stratigraphically important Guttenberg Carbon Isotope Excursion (GICE), 45 samples were collected at 2 m intervals through the Furnesfjorden and Galas members of the Mjosa Formation from two sections at Furuberget in the Nes-Hamar District 70 km north of the City of Oslo. Relatively high δ13C values, which are interpreted to represent the GICE, were obtained throughout the Galas Member. The presence of this δ13C excursion in the middle part of the Mjosa Formation, combined with biostratigraphic and other evidence, are used for detailed correlations of the Mjosa Formation with other successions in Baltoscandia, North America, and on the Yangtze Platform in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes discussions pertaining to the autonomy of Macau within Portuguese historical works. As Macau was a former Portuguese colony, the author is largely concerned with the administration of the colony along with the formation and operations of Macau's municipal government. The impact of self-government on the collective memory of the Macanese is examined by the author in connection to the development of a specific Macanese national identity. The eventual establishment of an autonomous Macau is also described, along with the rise of liberalism.

The essay discusses the emigration of Macanese peoples from Macao to both Shanghai, China and Hong Kong during the 19th century. The author analyzes the connection established between these diaspora communities, their cities of residence, and their homeland. The role of these Macanese immigrants to the growth of Hong Kong and Shanghai is examined.