Editorial Commentary:The History of Controlling and Treating Infectious Diseases in Ancient China

I recently read the article by LIU et all entitled The History of Controlling and Treating Infectious Diseases in Ancient China with great interest.The paper comprehensively summarizes ancient Chinese approaches to combat epidemics,elucidating them through the lens of three key elements of infectious diseases.Summarizing thousands of years of records detailing major infectious disease occurrences across various dynasties is no small feat.

Correlation of personality with individual reproductive success in shrub-nesting birds depends on their life history style

Two questions in the research of animal personality—whether there is a correlation between a personality trait and individual reproductive success,and what is the genetic basis underlying a personality trait—remain unresolved.We addressed these two questions in three shrub-nesting birds,the Azure-winged Magpie(Cyanopica cyanus,AM),White-collared Blackbird(Turdus albocinctus,WB),and Brown-cheeked Laughingthrush(Trochalopteron henrici,BL).The personality type of an individual was first identified according to its response to a territorial intruder.Then,we compared the fleeing distance,breeding parameters,and differential expressed genes(DEGs) in the brain transcriptome between bold and shy breeders.In the three species,bold breeders exhibited more aggressiveness towards an intruder of their territory than did shy breeders.The reproductive success of bold breeders was significantly higher than that of shy breeders in AM but not in WB and BL.The three species shared one DEG,crabp1,which was up-regulated in bold relative to in shy individuals.By regulating the expression of corticotropin-releasing hormone,higher crabp1 gene expression can decrease cellular response to retinoic acid.Therefore,bold individuals are insensitive to external stresses and able to exhibit more aggressiveness to intruders than their shier counterparts.Aggressiveness is beneficial to bold individuals in AM but not in WB and BL because the former could evoke neighbors to make the same response of defending against intruders but the latter could not.Although a personality trait may have the same genetic basis across species,its correlation with reproductive success depends largely on the life history style of a species.

Across two phylogeographic breaks: Quaternary evolutionary history of a mountain aspen (Populus rotundifolia) in the Hengduan Mountains

Biogeographical barriers to gene flow are central to plant phylogeography.In East Asia,plant distribution is greatly influenced by two phylogeographic breaks,the Mekong-Salween Divide and Tanaka-Kaiyong Line,however,few studies have investigated how these barriers affect the genetic diversity of species that are distributed across both.Here we used 14 microsatellite loci and four chloroplast DNA fragments to examine genetic diversity and distribution patterns of 49 populations of Populus rotundifolia,a species that spans both the Mekong-Salween Divide and the Tanaka-Kaiyong Line in southwestern China.Demographic and migration hypotheses were tested using coalescent-based approaches.Limited historical gene flow was observed between the western and eastern groups of P.rotundifolia,but substantial flow occurred across both the Mekong-Salween Divide and Tanaka-Kaiyong Line,manifesting in clear admixture and high genetic diversity in the central group.Wind-borne pollen and seeds may have facilitated the dispersal of P.rotundifolia following prevalent northwest winds in the spring.We also found that the Hengduan Mountains,where multiple genetic barriers were detected,acted on the whole as a barrier between the western and eastern groups of P.rotundifolia.Ecological niche modeling suggested that P.rotundifolia has undergone range expansion since the last glacial maximum,and demographic reconstruction indicated an earlier population expansion around 600 Ka.The phylogeographic pattern of P.rotundifolia reflects the interplay of biological traits,wind patterns,barriers,niche differentiation,and Quaternary climate history.This study emphasizes the need for multiple lines of evidence in understanding the Quaternary evolution of plants in topographically complex areas.

A New Perspective in the Study of Medical History through Visuals

In pre-modern cultural history,both textual and visual documentation played crucial roles,each possessing its own narrative logic.Historically,text has been a dominant medium for cultural documentation,whereas images,which predate text,have often been undervalued.

Apatite Fission Track Thermochronology of Granite from the Xiazhuang Uranium Ore Field,South China:Implications for Exhumation History and Ore Preservation

Xiazhuang uranium ore field,located in the southern part of the Nanling Metallogenic Belt,is considered one of the largest granite-related U regions in South China.In this paper,we contribute new apatite fission track data and thermal history modeling to constrain the exhumation history and evaluate preservation potential of the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field.Nine Triassic outcrop granite samples collected from different locations of Xiazhuang Uranium ore field yield AFT ages ranging from 43 to 24 Ma with similar mean confined fission track lengths ranging from 11.8±2.0 to 12.9±1.9μm and Dpar values between 1.01 and 1.51μm.The robustness time-temperature reconstructions of samples from the hanging wall of Huangpi fault show that the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field experienced a time of monotonous and slow cooling starting from middle Paleocene to middle Miocene(~60-10 Ma),followed by relatively rapid exhumation in the late Miocene(~10-5 Ma)and nearly thermal stability in the Pliocene-Quaternary(~5-0 Ma).The amount of exhumation after U mineralization since the Middle Paleogene was estimated as~4.3±1.8 km according to the integrated thermal history model.Previous studies indicate that the ore-forming ages of U deposits in the Xiazhuang ore field are mainly before Middle Paleocene and the mineralization depths are more than 4.4±1.2 km.Therefore,the exhumation history since middle Paleocene plays important roles in the preservation of the Xiazhuang Uranium ore field.

The Many Facets of History:A Study on the Accounts of the Dunkirk Evacuation

This paper adopts a New Historicism approach to examine the shaping of the history of the Dunkirk evacuation through an analysis of Winston Churchill’s historic speech We Shall Fight on the Beaches,Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement,and Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk.The research reveals that by uncovering and representing the neglected stories of marginalized groups in Atonement and Dunkirk,new evidentiary threads both enrich and contest the History embodied in Churchill’s speech.Consequently,these alternative accounts both challenge and complement the prevailing historical discourse.

Genetic analyses of ancient tea trees provide insights into the breeding history and dissemination of Chinese Assam tea(Camellia sinensis var.assamica)

Chinese Assam tea(Camellia sinensis var.assamica)is an important tea crop with a long history of cultivation in Yunnan,China.Despite its potential value as a genetic resource,its genetic diversity and domestication/breeding history remain unclear.To address this issue,we genotyped 469 ancient tea plant trees representing 26 C.sinensis var.assamica populations,plus two of its wild relatives(six and three populations of C.taliensis and C.crassicolumna,respectively)using 16 nuclear microsatellite loci.Results showed that Chinese Assam tea has a relatively high,but comparatively lower gene diversity(H_(S)=0.638)than the wild relative C.crassicolumna(H_S=0.658).Clustering in STRUCTURE indicated that Chinese Assam tea and its two wild relatives formed distinct genetic groups,with considerable interspecific introgression.The Chinese Assam tea accessions clustered into three gene pools,corresponding well with their geographic distribution.However,New Hybrids analysis indicated that 68.48%of ancient Chinese Assam tea plants from Xishuangbanna were genetic intermediates between the Puer and Lincang gene pools.In addition,10%of the ancient Chinese Assam tea individuals were found to be hybrids between Chinese Assam tea and C.taliensis.Our results suggest that Chinese Assam tea was domesticated separately in three gene pools(Puer,Lincang and Xishuangbanna)in the Mekong River valley and that the hybrids were subsequently selected during the domestication process.Although the domestication history of Chinese Assam tea in southwestern Yunnan remains complex,our results will help to identify valuable genetic resources that may be useful in future tea breeding programs.

Retrospect and Prospect-Exploration of the Development History of Chinese Guitar Making

The guitar,an ancient stringed instrument originating from medieval Europe,was introduced to China around the 18th century.However,Chinese guitar-making technology only began to develop significantly in the 1930s and 1940s.Initially imitative,the industry later evolved toward independent research and development,eventually forming a unique identity.This paper provides a comprehensive exploration of the historical development,current status,and future trends of guitar manufacturing in China.Today,Chinese guitar production is advancing through innovation,gaining prominence on the global stage while fostering a distinctive domestic guitar culture.Nevertheless,the Chinese guitar-making industry also faces fierce market competition and diverse consumer demands.

The Islamic Religion in Course Curriculums of High School History Textbooks in the Republic of Macedonia

History textbooks can and primarily should contribute to the strengthening of students’awareness of universal human values.However,history textbooks can also deepen the divisions,prejudices,and uncritical attitudes,contrary to the goals of education.The youth population,which is still building and creating their point of view towards the world is the main group in the education process.The learning period,in the elementary,as well as in the secondary education is of utmost importance for the development of every human.To that end,history,through the contents of the past largely shapes our perceptions of every individual,ourselves,and the others.Since we are living in a multiethnic and multi-confessional society,I have decided to conduct an analysis of the teaching contents of high school textbooks related to religion.Another reason for the analysis is the role of religion in the formation of Balkan nations,which have made it one of the key elements of their national identities.It is often given the role of raising and strengthening the national awareness,patriotism,as well as the country homogeneity,which most often leads to forming prejudices,divisions,and discrimination towards people of minority religions.The large volume of content related to the religion,and also the mere fact that Muslims are the second largest religion group in the population,I have decided to analyze the contents which are related only to the Islamic religion.The goal is to look for both the positive and negative sides of those contents in history textbooks in secondary schools,which are backed by state institutions that are supposed to take care of the development of competitive,creative,progressive,and ethically formed human potential.The critical review will give an additional impulse to the efforts of eliminating those parts of the teaching contents that create divisions and prejudices,especially in history textbooks,so that its studying can become the key factor in the building of trust between people of different religions.

The Islamic Studies in China:Research in the Field of History

A history of the Islamic studies in China,not only includes studies on world Islam,it also includes research on Islam and Muslims in China.Before the Reform and Opening Up,China did not achieve much in this field,since then,the research field of Islam and Muslim in China has been expanding and the results have been published,forming a new trend.In this field,scholars such as Jin Yijiu,Li Xinghua,Qin Huibin,Zhou Guoli,Sha Qiuzhen,Zhou Xiefan,Wu Yungui,and Yang Huaizhong have made the most outstanding achievements.Especially in the collation of reference books and historical materials,in the past 20 years,The Encyclopedia of the history of Islam,The Chinese Encyclopedia of Islam have emerged,and the Chinese and World Encyclopedia of Islamic Law and other important historical books have been published.This paper focuses on the field of historical research and divided into academic research history at home and abroad,which is discussed from several fields such as general history,special history,national history,and regional history.

A Case Study of Periodical Terminologies’Mis-translations in History of Chinese Journalism by Ko Kung-chen under Analysis-Synthesis Translation Mode

From the perspective of analysis-synthesis translation mode,this paper discusses the translator’s responsibility and the translator’s role in the translation of historiography,based on the case of Ko Kung-chen’s History of Chinese Journalism.Missionary J.S.Roberts believed that translation is the logical combination of two processes of analysis and synthesis.The analysis process is characterized by understanding,emphasizing accurate understanding and professional analysis of the source text,while the synthesis process focuses on the transformation of language and culture.The two processes are dependent,forming the whole process of translation altogether.As the indisputable subject of translation,the translator should assume his own subjective responsibility in the two processes.The translator should be responsible for the fact and professional academics in the analysis process,and language and culture and translation itself in the synthesis process,playing the role of a reviewer,disseminator and translator to ensure that the translation text would be correct,accurate and professional so as to realize the value of himself and translation.

Analysis of the Innovative Path of History Teaching from an Artistic Perspective

This paper discusses the innovative ways of history teaching in depth from the unique perspective of art.By analyzing how artistic elements can effectively enrich teaching means and contents,it reveals the important value of art in history teaching for the improvement of students’comprehensive literacy and further explores the role of art in promoting the modern transformation of history education.At the same time,the article also focuses on the challenges faced in practice,such as the lack of artistic qualities among teachers,the difficulties in integrating art and history,and the differences in students’acceptance.To cope with these challenges,the article proposes specific implementation strategies,including the integration of diversified art resources,innovative teaching methods and approaches,and the construction of a scientific and reasonable evaluation mechanism,aiming to comprehensively optimize the effectiveness of history teaching and further stimulate students’potential for all-round development.

Analysis of the Teaching of Ancient Chinese History in the Heritage Conservation Technology Major

Ancient Chinese history is an important part of the curriculum of the Heritage Conservation Technology major.Students can better understand the history of cultural relics and improve their humanistic literacy,which will help them in restoring cultural relics.At present,there are numerous challenges in teaching ancient Chinese history in the Heritage Conservation Technology major.These challenges necessitate the development of effective teaching reform strategies.This paper outlines these challenges and explores effective teaching reform strategies to provide a reference for educators.

Integration of Mathematics History into Junior Middle School Education: A Pedagogical Approach to Enhance Mathematical Literacy

The integration of the history of mathematics into junior middle school mathematics education represents a significant focus of international research in mathematics and education.The mathematics curriculum standards for compulsory education have emphasized the importance of incorporating the history of mathematics,aiming to gradually integrate it into the mathematics classroom.However,in the practical implementation of junior middle school mathematics education,the effective combination of the history of mathematics with teaching methodologies remains largely unexplored.This article explores the integration of junior middle school mathematics education and the history of mathematics,aiming to provide classroom teaching recommendations for teachers and promote the formation of students’mathematical literacy.

An analysis of the interaction mechanism between the social history of medicine research and health communication from the perspective of mass communication

The mass communication model and interactive ritual chain theory,which serve as communication paradigms in the new media era,facilitate and enhance the synergy between the fields of social history of medicine and health communication.This study employs a comprehensive framework based on the five elements of the mass communication model:information source,communication subject,communication object,message content,and post-communication feedback.Additionally,it incorporates the interactive ritual chain theory to examine the evolving dynamics and developmental trajectory of research in the social history of medicine during the new media era.Conclusively,this paper acknowledges the existing interaction gaps in the interaction between health communication and the social history of medicine research while outlining the challenges for fostering collaboration and proposing strategic optimizations for effective integration.

The Application of Newmark’s Metaphor Theory in Novel Translation--A Case Study of“the Jade King:History of a Chinese Muslim Family”

This paper examines the metaphorical part of“The Jade King:History of a Chinese Muslim Family”,Hoda’s novel,under the guidance of Newmark’s theory of metaphor.Newmark proposes six categories of metaphors,namely Dead Metaphor,ClichéMetaphor,Stock or Standard Metaphor,Adapted Metaphor,Recent Metaphor,Original Metaphor;and seven strategies of metaphor translation,including reproducing the same image in the target language,replacing the image in the source language with a standard target language image,translation of metaphor by simile,translation of metaphor(or simile)by simile plus sense,conversion of metaphor to sense,deletion and same metaphor combined with sense.They can provide a strong theoretical support for analyzing the expressions of metaphors in novels and their translation methods.By deeply analyzing the expressions of metaphor and its translation methods in novels,it not only helps to understand the metaphorical meaning and cultural connotation of the original works,but also helps to explore the cultural differences and challenges faced by English and Chinese bilingualism in the process of metaphor translation,thereby significantly improving the translation level and promoting the development of translation research.

Reconstruction of Knowledge and Medical Images in the Convergence of Chinese and Western Medicine:Taking “Sweet Meat” as an Example

The pancreas is neither part of the five Zang organs(五脏) nor the six Fu organs(六腑).Thus,it has received little attention in Chinese medical literature.In the late 19th century,medical missionaries in China started translating and introducing anatomical and physiological knowledge about the pancreas.As for the word pancreas,an early and influential translation was “sweet meat”(甜肉),proposed by Benjamin Hobson(合信).The translation “sweet meat” is not faithful to the original meaning of “pancreas”,but is a term coined by Hobson based on his personal habits,and the word “sweet” appeared by chance.However,in the decades since the term “sweet meat” became popular,Chinese medicine practitioners,such as Tang Zonghai(唐宗海),reinterpreted it by drawing new medical illustrations for “sweet meat” and giving new connotations to the word “sweet”.This discussion and interpretation of “sweet meat” in modern China,particularly among Chinese medicine professionals,is not only a dissemination and interpretation of the knowledge of “pancreas”,but also a construction of knowledge around the term “sweet meat”.

Alanine aminotransferase predicts incident steatotic liver disease of metabolic etiology: Long life to the old biomarker!

Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)serum levels increase because of hepatocellular damage.Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD),which identifies steatotic liver disease(SLD)associated with≥2 metabolic abnormalities,has prominent sexual differences.The Metabolic Syndrome defines a cluster comprising abdominal obesity,altered glucose metabolism,dyslipidemia,and hypertension.Male sex,body mass index,glucose,lipids,ferritin,hypertension,and age independently predict ALT levels among blood donors.Over the last few decades,the reference range of ALT levels has been animatedly debated owing to attempts to update sex-specific reference ranges.With this backset,Chen et al have recently published a study which has two main findings.First,>80%of indi-viduals with MAFLD had normal ALT levels.Second,there was a linear increa-sing trend in the association between cumulative excess high-normal ALT levels and the rate of incident MAFLD.This study has biologically credible findings.However,it inaccurately considered sex differences in the MAFLD arena.Therefore,future studies on SLD owing to metabolic dysfunction should adopt locally determined and prospectively validated reference ranges of ALT and carefully consider sex differences in liver enzymes and MAFLD pathobiology.

Novel subtype of obesity influencing the outcomes of sleeve gastrectomy:Familial aggregation of obesity

BACKGROUND Differences in the preoperative characteristics and weight loss outcomes after sleeve gastrectomy(SG)between patients with familial aggregation of obesity(FAO)and patients with sporadic obesity(SO)have not been elucidated.AIM To explore the impact of SG on weight loss and the alleviation of obesity-related comorbidities in individuals with FAO.METHODS A total of 193 patients with obesity who underwent SG were selected.Patients with FAO/SO were matched 1:1 by propensity score matching and were categorized into 4 groups based on the number of first-degree relatives with obesity(1 SO vs 1FAO,2SO vs 2FAO).The baseline characteristics,weight loss outcomes,prevalence of obesity-related comorbidities and incidence of major surgeryrelated complications were compared between groups.RESULTS We defined FAO as the presence of two or more first-degree relatives with obesity.Patients with FAO did not initially show significant differences in baseline data,short-term postoperative weight loss,or obesity-related comorbidities when compared to patients with SO preoperatively.However,distinctions between the two groups became evident at the two-year mark,with statistically significant differences in both percentage of total weight loss(P=0.006)and percentage of excess weight loss(P<0.001).The FAO group exhibited weaker remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)(P=0.031),hyperlipidemia(P=0.012),and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)(P=0.003)as well as a lower incidence of acid reflux(P=0.038).CONCLUSION FAO patients is associated with decreased mid-to-long-term weight loss outcomes;the alleviation of T2DM,hyperlipidemia and NAFLD;and decreased incidence of acid reflux postoperatively.

Discovery and characterization of a new hydrothermal field at 2°N on the slow-spreading Carlsberg Ridge

A new hydrothermal field(Tianshi)was discovered on the rift valley wall through plume anomaly surveys and geological work conducted in 2012 and 2018 between 2°35′N and 2°43′N of the slow-spreading Carlsberg Ridge(CR).Here,the results of two expeditions conducted to detect and characterize the new hydrothermal field are reported.Mineralogical and geochemical data,as well as 14 C ages of a sediment core collected near the field are presented to reveal the hydrothermal history.Results show that the Tianshi field is a basalt-hosted hydrothermal system.Geochemical data of the sediments collected near the field indicate a strong hydrothermal contribution,and hydrothermal Fe and Cu fluxes range from 30 to 155 mg/(cm^(2)·ka)and 0.59 to 11.49 mg/(cm^(2)·ka),respectively.Temporal variations in the fluxes of hydrothermal Fe indicate that there have been at least three amplified hydrothermal venting events(H 1,H 2,and H 3)in the Tianshi field over the last 35.2 ka,in 28.6-35.2 ka BP,22.0-27.6 ka BP,and 1.2-11.4 ka BP,respectively.Hydrothermal event H 2 was driven by an increased magmatic production associated with sea level fall during the Last Glacial Maximum,while event H 3 was promoted by tectonic activity associated with a rapid sea level rise.This study further verified the role of sea level change in modulating hydrothermal activity on mid-ocean ridges.