bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Action Phase of the 1915 Riots
Authors: Blackton Charles S.
Published: April 2006

In 1915, riots broke out in the British colony of Ceylon, the climax of a controversy between Sinhalese Buddhists and a new clement among the commercial “Moors” (Muslims). A court ruling disappointing to the Buddhists, combined with economic complaints against Moors in this centenary of British conquest, led to a communal clash in Kandy during Wesak (Buddha's birthday) in May 1915. During the following two weeks, the riots spread to Colombo and along the west coast, greed increasingly matching creed as a prime motive.

The colonial government reacted slowly, allowing disorder to spread, and then changed to a policy of heavy repression of a presumed anti-British uprising at a time the Empire was fighting for survival.

Three months of martial law ensued, more deaths caused by police and military action than had occurred during the actual riots. Prominent citizens were arrested without cause. Shoot-on-sight orders were issued, and over 8000 were arrested and imprisoned. This colonial maladministration reflected the gap between officialdom and the colonial peoples. Little evidence of a general plot against government came to light. Since, however, headmen, monks and traders had planned anti-Moor action, especially in coastal areas, the question of conspiracy remains unsettled.

The 1915 Riots in Ceylon seriously undermined Ceylonese confidence in British justice, led to peaceful mass protests and a mission to London, and stimulated the maturation of nationalism, with independence as its objective.
Revolution or Just Another Bloody Cycle? Swatow and the 1911 Revolution
Authors: Friedman Edward
Published: April 2006

The 1911 Revolution in China is usually considered a failure. Changing the perspective of judgement from the national level to the local level permits a reassessment. Enough information is available from Chinese memoirs, contemporary newspapers, and foreign consular reports to make the new judgement somewhat secure if attention is focused on one particular location—Swatow.

The old administration was overthrown by expeasants led by deracinated rural intellectuals. They took power in the name of modern merchants. These merchants easily pushed the young radicals out because the ideology of the radical prevented them from using force against the wealth and status of the merchants. Rural disorder of the ex-peasants and republican election victorier for the radicals forced the urban merchants to rely on foreign election victories for the radicals forced the urban merchants to rely on foreign wealth and rural power to maintain law and order needed for trade and to maintain their own urban power base. Armed peasants and the young radicals were suppressed or bought off. Power fell to rural warlords and other political allies in urban enclaves. Only a rejoining of radical intellectuals and ex-peasants could offer China a revolution instead of just another bloody cycle.
Further Light on the Expansion of Russia in East Asia: 1792–1860
Authors: Quested R.
Published: April 2006

The article discusses recently published material on the subject of the author's book on Sino-Russian relations entitled The Expansion of Russia in East Asia 1857–60 (with an introductory chapter on 1792–1856). The two Chinese document collections Szu-kuo hsintang and Chou-pan i-wu shih-mo, edited by Kuo Ting-i, contain a number of hitherto unpublished Chinese government papers. One document in the Szu-kuo hsintang confirms that Putiatin defied Russian government orders when he negotiated for the Amur at Tientsin. Others throw light on the activities of the anti-Russian clique of princes and dignitaries, who influenced Ch'ing policy in these years, on Perovskii's mission to China and on the mutual present giving after the conclusion of the Sino-Russian treaties. The Soviet document collection Vneshnaia politika Rossii v XIX i nachale XX veka gives new facts about the Golovkin mission to China in 1805, but excludes all mention of the Amur. The extracts from K. A. Skachkov's Peking diary published in Moscow also exclude foreign affairs. Finally, the author's researches into the private papers of the 8th Earl of Elgin are described. They appear to confirm Ignatiev's claim that Elgin was ignorant of his negotiations with the Chinese in Peking in autumn 1860.
Problems in Contemporary Asian Archeology
Authors: Treistman Judith M.
Published: April 2006

Archeology in Asia during the past twenty years has taken great strides. The three main areas of new research have been in paleoanthropology, investigation of post-pleistocene neolithic sites, and ethnology. The population of Asia is now known to have been distributed over the entire mainland and Indonesia during the Paleolithic period which embraced the first million years of human evolution. There is growing evidence for the existence of many centers of plant domestication in Asia, each of which appears to have developed out of an indigenous “mesolithic” period of collecting and gathering. Recent research in linguistics and ethnology point the way to unravelling the separate histories of Asia's many cultures.
The Kiangsi Soviet Period—A Bibliographical Review on the Ch'en Ch'eng Collection
Authors: Wu Tien-wei
Published: April 2006

The Kiangsi Soviet period, the second phase of the Chinese Communist movement, began with the establishment of the Chingkangshan base by Mao Tse-tung in late 1927 and ended in the “Long March” in October 1934. The study of this important period had long remained sketchy because of lack of materials. With the release of the Ch'en Ch'eng Collection—a collection of Communist documents, papers, and publications from the Kiangsi Soviet period—in 21 microfilm reels, a comprehensive study of this period is possible for the first time. The bulk of materials of the Collection falls in the years, 1930–1934. The Collection contains over 70 periodicals, six of which were published with regularity and duration. Scattered in several journals, we found 17 articles from the pen of Mao Tsc-tung, which are not included in his Selected Works (Peking, 1965). The materials cover a variety of subjects from the Soviet congresses, the establishment of the Soviet economy, peasantry and labor, the intraparty struggle to the Red Army and its many campaigns against the Chinese Nationalists. Major works in all these areas are briefly introduced here.
Truong Vinh Ky and Phan Thanh Gian: The Problem of a Nationalist Interpretation of 19th Century Vietnamese History
Authors: Osborne Milton E.
Published: April 2006

Vietnamese historians in North and South Vietnam have, in writings since 1954, given considerable attention to the problem of reassessing and interpreting developments during the nineteenth century. For historians in Hanoi the test of Vietnamese nationalism has been whether or not an individual resisted the French. Saigon historians have not applied such a restrictive standard of judgement. The approach of the two schools of history is exemplified in dieir respective treatment of two notable nineteenth century figures; the linguist and journalist Truong Vinh Ky, and the mandarin Phan Thanh Gian. Both these men are condemned by Hanoi historians for their failure to work against the French. Saigon historians are more ready to consider sympathetically the factors which led to these men acting as they did. Resistance-oriented scholarship along the Hanoi model presents a grave risk of distortion. In the case of Truong Vinh Ky it tends to disguise the extent to which his views on Vietnam's future development were echoed in the twentieth century. For Phan Thanh Gian condemnation of his failure to fight to the death against the French diverts attention from the extent to which his decision represented an important reflection of a widespread attitude among many members of the mandarinate.
The Influence of Jurchen Rule on Chinese Political Institutions
Authors: Tao Jing-Shen
Published: April 2006

This paper is an attempt to assess the influences of the Jurchen Chin dynasty (1115–1234) on the Chinese political system, with emphasis on the bearing of alien rule on the establishment of a highly centralized despotism. The thesis is that the Jurchen solutions to the political problems arisen from the conquest situation seem to require measures of centralized control. During the initial phase of conquest, the political struggles between the bureaucrats and the aristocrats entailed the brutalization of the political process. Subsequently the need for centralized control led to wholesale sinicization. There are, however, several aspects of Jurchen rule in the formation of a centralized despotism: the establishment of a prototype of the provincial system, the abolition of important government councils, the monopoly of state affairs by a single administrative organization, the degradation of scholar-officials by inflicting corporal punishment, and the transformation of the censorate into an imperial instrument. The alien rules also adopted and modified the Chinese civil service examination system to stabilize their regime. The Chin, as a successor state of the Northern Sung, served as an important link in Chinese cultural and political developments, and transferred its institutions to later conquest dynasties.
Labor Institutions in Japan and Her Economic Growth
Authors: Chao Kang
Published: April 2006

Japan provides a fascinating case for studying economic development. With her real GNP rising at an annual rate of 4 percent during the period 1878–1942, Japan was the only Asian country that emerged from a backward agrarian society to become a modern industrial power. Her postwar economic performance has been even more phenomenal; the average growth rate of real GNP in 1955–1964 was 10.4 percent—the highest in the world. Her investment rate reached an astonishingly high level of over 40 percent in several years in early nineteen sixties. Believing that there is no miracle in economic affairs, economists began to search the secrets of Japan's extraordinary achievements in economic development. To offer possible explanations, they usually stress the active role played by the Japanese government in economic modernization, the vigor of the country's response to new stimuli, and a strong national consciousness. These factors, while undoubtedly important, do not reveal the whole story. There are in Japan a number of institutional traits which, in my opinion, are highly conducive to economic growth. However, the contribution of these institutions to Japan's economic development has not been fully recognized because, in part, they were not designed for that purpose. Their growth-stimulating effects are accidental and unexpected. As a matter of fact, some of these institutions may even appear as economically irrational or socially unjust. Consequently, when students of the Japanese economy study these institutional factors, attention is usually directed to the negative side.
China's Response to Foreign Investment in Her Mining Industry (1902–1911)
Authors: Lee En-Han
Published: April 2006

One of the most striking phenomena in early twentieth-century China is her rapid adaptability to modern nationalism. Viewed from the events of the period 1902 to 1911, this newly emerged spirit was expressed in many ways, and China's response to foreign investment in her mining industry was certainly one index of them. Indeed, this response had fully developed into a national movement in which China's major purpose was first to confront the established interests of foreign powers in China, and second, to implement what later proved to be an unsuccessful program of industrialization under her own control, with heavy emphasis on mining and railway development. However, the development of the spirit, in this phase, did not constitute an overall defiance of the treaty system which consisted of unequal terms and served as the foundation of Sino-foreign relations. China's objective was basically a negative one and had only limited positive perspective.
Wang Fu-chih's Views on History and Historical Writing
Authors: Teng S. Y.
Published: April 2006

In the seventeenth century, at the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Ch'ing dynasties, China produced three outstanding scholars: Huang Tsung-hsi (1619–95), Ku Yen-wu (1613–82), and Wang Fu-chih (1619–92), all great thinkers, voluminous writers, and ardent patriots. The social and political chaos, economic deterioration, excess of Wang Yang-ming's intuitionism, and, above all, the conquest of China by the Manchus must have stimulated the best minds to develop their ideas in a more practical direction. They were contemporaries of René Descartes 1596–1650) and Blaise Pascal (1623–62) and only slightly earlier than Isaac Newton (1642–1727). Confined by their cultural tradition and living in a vast but largely isolated empire, these men naturally developed ideas different from those of their European contemporaries. But they had enough challenges of their own to meet. The originality in their ideas bespeaks the intellectual vigor of late imperial China.
The Kwangtung Provincial Archives at the Public Record Office of London: A Progress Report
Authors: Pong David
Published: April 2006

The predominance of British interests in China from the closing years of the eighteenth century up until the nineteen thirties has left us a voluminous documentation, not only of the activities of the British in China but also of the activities of other people, foreigners as well as the Chinese themselves. The English language records of the Foreign Office and missionary archives in London have already been consulted by scholars from all over the world. The recent addition of Chinese language materials, deposited at the Public Record Office (hereafter, PRO), undoubtedly makes London one of the most important centers outside China for research in modern Chinese history.
A Quiet Transformation in Tokugawa Economic History
Authors: Hanley Susan B. , Yamamura Kozo
Published: April 2006

This is a brief bibliographical essay which surveys the literature published in Japanese during the past decade on various aspects of the Tokugawa economy. The purpose of the essay is twofold: the first is to present an annotated bibliography of selected books and a list of relevant articles for the convenience of scholars interested in sources relating to economic changes in Tokugawa Japan. The second is to present in summary form what appears to the authors to be the newly emerging consensus in the interpretation of these changes.

The emerging consensus is an acceptance of the hypothesis that the Tokugawa economy and its institutions steadily developed, resulting in a rise in the standard of living for most of the population during the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. A majority of Japanese economic historians now seem to agree that the peasant class also benefitted from the economic growth, and numerous scholars through exacting case studies have produced evidence to show that agricultural productivity was rising faster than effective tax rates. Other research has documented the rapid development of economic institutions, including the market, credit mechanisms, and guilds. The old theme of stagnation and demise for the late Tokugawa economy has been discharged in favor of a new theme of continuous growth and development.
Cheng Kuan-ying (1841–1920): A Source of Sun Yat-sen's Nationalist Ideology?
Authors: Chong Key Ray
Published: April 2006

Chinese scholarship, in its quest for an explanation of the beginning of Sun Yat-sen's nationalist ideology,San-min chu-i(“The Three Principles of the People”), has yet to grapple with the complexity of his ideological makeup. Unfortunately, scholarship has been inhibited (and will probably continue to suffer, at least in the foreseeable future) a great deal by a certain persistent point of view in both Nationalist and Communist Chinas when it comes to the study of Sun Yat-sen as a whole. This inhibition has stemmed, in the main, from the fact that Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of modern China, has thus far been regarded as someone to worship rather than someone to study with a critical mind.
Results and Problems of the Study of Oriental Despotism
Authors: Wittfogel Karl A.
Published: April 2006

Periodic gatherings of Orientalists are fully meaningful only when they serve as forums for the discussion of important developments in the major fields of their professional concern: Oriental languages, literature and ideas, history and institutions. Having worked for decades in the latter fields with China as a starting point and the comparison of institutions as a central target, I would like to discuss here some of the problems connected with the power structure that Montesquieu, the men of the Enlightenment, and Marx and Engels called “Oriental despotism.”

For a variety of reasons, there has been a growing interest in the institutional conditions of the “Orient.” Hence any significant change in the interpretation of these conditions is bound to affect a growing number of Orientalists—and of social scientists who, although not Orientalists, deal with Oriental institutions.
Theravāda Buddhist Sangha: Some General Observations on Historical and Political Factors in its Development
Authors: Bechert Heinz
Published: April 2006

The emergence of an historiographical tradition in Ceylon was caused by the importance of an unbroken succession of ordinations in the Sangha for the survival of Theravada Buddhism and by the emergence of the Sinhalese nation. One of the main factors of this nation-building process was the acceptance of Buddhism as the national religion. The survival of Buddhism depended on the state of the Sangha. History of Theravada Sangha is largely a history of efforts towards monastic reforms, and most reforms were implemented by the worldly power. The description of Asoka's religious politics in Sinhalese chronicles laid a basis for state-Sangha relations. Political thinking shows a dualism of ideological concepts based on religious values and of a tradition of practical political science. The impact of historical factors in the development of Sangha structures becomes visible from a comparison of these structures is the predominantly Buddhist countries and in the Buddhist minority community in Bengal. In this context, recent changes in state-Sangha within society, and the interrelations of Buddhism and popular cults can be analyzed as a result of the interaction of ideological, historical and political factors.
Government Ethics Textbooks in Late Meiji Japan
Authors: Fridell Wilbur M.
Published: April 2006

As one means of uniting the people behind the new regime, Japanese government authorities employed a series of ethics (shushin) textbooks in the schools during the Meiji period (1868–1912) and beyond. With the appearance of fully government-produced texts in 1903 and their first revision in 1910, ideological patterns were established which were influential down to the last revision of the series in 1941. The 1910 revision fused old and new socio-ideological patterns and values under the designation of “national morals,” retrospectively known as the “family state” (kazoku kokka) ideology. This was comprised of (1) a German “state organism” theory of state sovereignty, as the intellectual superstructure; (2) Confucian-like familyism, as the ethical base; and (3) ancient Shinto imperial mythology as the religious sanction. Progression of thought in the textbooks placed crucial emphasis on the extension of loyalty from home and parents to nation and emperor through the absolute equation of filial piety and emperor-loyalty. The frondine soldier, however, found difficulty reconciling the call to die for the emperor with his filial obligation to live for his parents. This may be one reason why in successive revisions (especially 1941) the familial approach to national loyalty was downgraded in favor of a direct national-imperial appeal.
Administrative Policy and Practice in Sarawak: Continuity and Change Under the Brookes
Authors: Reinhardt Jon M.
Published: April 2006

One hundred years of Brooke rule in Sarawak seem to present a stark contrast to the political and social foment in Burma, Indonesia and Vietnam. Cognizant of the ill effects of European domination in the archipelago, the Brookes established a paternalistic rule whose policies were designed to curtail European economic investment in the area and to protect the indigenous inhabitants from internal and external exploitation. However, despite the fact that Brooke rule was structured for maintaining traditional order, not development, the European interlude in north Bornean history may have been more of a deviation than is apparent. The suppression of “piracy” in the area and the political domination of the Brookes over most of the northeastern part of the island had several important results. First, the area trade patterns—if piracy can be seen as a form of luxury trade—were altered to the ultimate economic advantage of the Chinese who came to dominate retail trade. Second, the natural northeastern expansion of the Iban people was halted to the chief benefit of the indigenous Malays who gained significant political advantage under die Brookes. Finally, an inevitable depersonalization of rule occurred as the administration of the state became increasingly complex. If, in a “modern” world, a rule of law, not economic development per se, is the essential ingredient for political stability, Brooke rule made a significant contribution to the political viability of northern Borneo by fostering a White, civilized way of settling disputes.
Thai Regional Elites and the Reforms of King Chulalongkorn
Authors: Vickery Michael
Published: April 2006

Beginning in 1892 Prince Damrong as minister of the interior in King Chulalongkorn's reformed government began a reorganization of provincial administration. At that time the country was divided into provinces of four different classes and vassal states. The latter were recognized as quasi-independent under their own hereditary ruling families, and many of the former, although in theory completely subordinate to the capital were in fact ruled by local elite families in which the governorship remained from one generation to the next. Over this structure Prince Damrong established the monthon as a supra-provincial unit headed by an appointed official from the central government bureaucracy, and within a few years was able to replace the old-style hereditary governors with appointed officials changed at frequent intervals. The elite families of the different regions appear to have been affected in different ways. The old rulers of the vassal states kept their nominal positions until death. Many of the governing elite of the southern provinces maintained themselves in the national bureaucracy in positions of comparable rank. The greatest change was in the northeast where the governing elite families lost their old positions and were unable to integrate into the reformed bureaucracy.
Japanese Policy and Views Toward Formosa
Authors: Mendel Douglas H.
Published: April 2006

Japan controlled Taiwan from 1895 to 1945, longer than the United States ruled the Philippines, and sent more of its people to live in that colony. The pervasive impact of Japanese colonial rule helped insure a continuing Japanese influence in postwar Taiwan. “The dogs treated us better than the pigs,” was a common Formosan phrase heard by the writer in 1961–64 to denote the invidious comparison between Japanese and Nationalist Chinese rule. This article will discuss the trend of official relations between Japan and Nationalist China since their bilateral peace treaty in 1952; Japanese leadership views obtained through interviews with government, opposition, and bureaucratic specialists; and attitudes of public and various interest groups in Japan toward Formosa.
A Thai Village Headman as a Synaptic Leader
Authors: Moerman Michael
Published: April 2006

Anthropological data is typically produced in single villages, but consumed by persons interested in peoples, regions, and nations. Although this paper suffers from the disabilities implied by that situation, its goal is to attempt to ameliorate them. The status of headman which I will describe in Ban Ping is found, named, and assigned the same legal duties in all Thai villages. This should permit other fieldworkers to make straightforward comparisons with their communities.
Incident at Nabha: Interaction between Indian States and British Indian Politics
Authors: Ramusack Barbara N.
Published: April 2006

With this one sentence paragraph Jawaharlal Nehru began a description of his visit to and subsequent arrest and trial in the Punjab state of Nabha during the agitation over the abdication of its princely ruler, Maharaja Ripudaman Singh. Though Nehru treated his experiences as an alarming but politically insignificant initiation into Indian state politics, the abdication of Nabha and concomitant events came to have major repercussions on political developments within the Sikh community and on the evolution of British policies within the Punjab. This incident at Nabha originated in a senseless but bitter personal feud between Ripudaman Singh and his neighbor, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. It assumed wider ramifications when each rival sought support for his respective position from such varied groups as the British government, Sikh organizations like the newly formed Shiromani Gurdawara Parbandhak Committee (the Central Gurdwara Management Committee which will hereafter be referred to as the S.G.P.C.) and the Akali Dal, the Indian National Congress and assorted Indian nationalist and Sikh religious leaders. As these new forces entered the dispute, the area of controversy was broadened and issues of political significance were raised.
The Beginnings of Civilization in South India
Authors: Maloney Clarence
Published: April 2006

Abstracts

The diffusion of Indian Civilization and its “great tradition” to the extreme south of the peninsula occurred in the earliest stages by sea, not by land. Such characteristics of civilization as script and literacy, kingship and the state, and organized religions, developed at first in the earliest urban centers in Tamil Nadu, which were located on the coast opposite Ceylon. In the half millennium before Christ there was sea traffic between the coasts of Gujarat and Sind, and Ceylon, which laid the basis for the development of civilization in that island. Early civilization in soutliern Tamil Nadu developed parallel with this, and most of its intrusive features were analogous with those in the island, or were inspired by them. The earliest attractions of the far southern coasts were pearls and gems, which brought merchants, and ultimately, script, religions, and the Pandiyan dynastic traditon. Early civilizations characterized by the Colas and Keralas, as well as in the Andhra deltas, were inspired by sea traffic. Sources are early Tamil and Ceylon Brahmi inscriptions, Tamil Sangam literature, early Ceylon chronicles, etymologies, legends, and some archeology.
Two Poems of Mao Tse-tung in the Light of Chinese Literary Tradition
Authors: Tay C. N.
Published: April 2006

Abstracts

It has been said that poetry is the voice of the heart. In Mao Tse-tung's first poemChangsha, andSwimmingwritten after his success, we have a picture of his aspiration and inspiration, his classical literary background, and the vicissitudes of his life and times.
A Note of Ambiguity: Asian Studies in America
Authors: Fairbank John K.
Published: April 2006

In reviewing the progress of Asian studies and of this Association, it is necessary both to point with pride and to view with alarm.

For the former, no doubt, there is some justification. There has been a great increase since the early beginnings at Columbia, Berkeley, and Yale. Looking back over the last thirty years, one can recall the new stimulus to Far Eastern studies in the 1930's provided by David Stevens at the Rockefeller Foundation through his support of Mortimer Graves of the American Council of Learned Societies and fellowship programs for American trainees in Tokyo and Peking. The imagination and initiative of these men and a few others laid important foundations.
Feudal Revenue in Japan at the Time of the Meiji Restoration
Authors: Beasley W. G.
Published: April 2006

Despite the existence of an enormous literature dealing with the Meiji Restoration and its origins, it is still surprisingly difficult to acquire precise information about some aspects of Japanese society in the middle of the nineteenth century. One such difficulty is that of obtaining general quantitative data about the great feudal domains (han) which constituted the major political and economic units of the country. This is not to say that details concerning the domains are impossible to find. Many records are readily available, even in print, and some have been used by scholars to support or illustrate general statements. It is commonly accepted, for example, that agrarian productivity increased greatly in Japan between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries and that land dues were extremely high, especially at the end of the period. It is possible to cite domains as examples for each of these generalisations. On the other hand, it is never very clear whether the examples themselves are typical or merely random, how far they approximate to or differ from the norm. Nor has there been much attempt to discover whether the wide differences which existed between one domain and another in these matters followed any identifiable pattern. It is with these problems that the present article will deal.
The Japanese Gold Rush of 1859
Authors: McMaster John
Published: April 2006

One hundred years ago the patient efforts of Townsend Harris bore fruit and on July 4, 1859, Japan opened her doors to traders from the West. It was a small beginning, for Consul Harris' treaty allowed foreigners to live and trade at only three Japanese ports; two of which, Nagasaki and Hakodate, lacked the hinterland to make them much more than coaling or victualling stations. The third port was a small fishing village of twenty or thirty huts. It was built on a mud bank, backed by an odious swamp and commanded by surrounding hills. The Japanese called the place Yokohama.
Portrait of a Warlord: Yen Hsi-shan in Shansi Province, 1911–1930
Authors: Gillin Donald G.
Published: April 2006

In the years that followed the overthrow of the Ch'ing dynasty in 1911, China was ruled by military men who set up virtually independent governments in the various provinces. This inquiry into the policies of Yen Hsi-shan, governor of die north-western province of Shansi between 1911 and 1930, has been undertaken in the hope that a study of one of these warlords will result in a broader understanding of war-lordism as a political phenomenon and in this way illuminate further the whole subject of regional government in China during the early decades of the twentieth century.
What Is the Dai Nihon Shi?
Authors: Webb Herschel
Published: April 2006

It has often been claimed that the Dai Nihon shi is one of the towering monuments of traditional Japanese historiography, and it is indeed a work of rare scope: a general history of Japan in 397 kan, or chapters, dealing primarily with the affairs of the imperial dynasty from its legendary founding in 660 B.C. to the healing of Japan's only extended dynastic schism in 1392. The entire text is in literary Chinese, and the pattern of organization is that of the Chinese dynastic histories. The Dai Nihon shi was conceived by Tokugawa Mitsukuni (1628–1701), the second daimyo of the Mito han, and compiled by the Confucian retainers of Mitsukuni and his successors. Two large sections of chronological Main Annals and Biographies (approximately half of the finished book) were completed by 1715, but the rest remained unfinished at the time of the Meiji Restoration.
Plassey: A New Account from the Danish Archives
Authors: Furber Holden , Glamann Kristof
Published: April 2006

We present below, accompanied by a translation into English, the Danish text of an eye-witness account of Robert Clive's victory at Plassey which, to the best of our knowledge, has not previously been noticed. Although this account does not significantly alter accepted views about the battle, it gives corroborative evidence on several points. Any new contemporary narrative of this battle, universally regarded as opening the era of European political domination in southern Asia should, we feel, receive attention. This document in particular raises baffling problems, especially as to its authorship, and we hope, through publishing it in this journal of wide circulation among students of Asian history, to learn the answers to some of these mysteries. From internal evidence, it is clear that this narrative was originally written in English within two weeks after the battle by a young British military officer named John Wood.
New FDA Policies Could Limit the Full Value of AI in Medicine
Authors: Gottlieb Scott
Published: February 2025

This JAMA Forum discusses the ways in which recent changes to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policies related to the regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) have added new uncertainties for the use of AI tools in medicine.
Outcomes of Glaucoma Referrals in Adults Aged 18 to 40 Years
Authors: Frediani Tanner , Yoo Kristy , Cho Austin , Louie Jennifer , Nguyen Kent , Richter Grace , Shan John , Xu Benjamin Y.
Published: February 2025

Importance

While early detection of glaucoma is vital to prevent irreversible vision loss, there are sparse data on the effectiveness of glaucoma referrals and methods to establish evidence-based referral guidelines in large, diverse populations.

Objective

To assess the prevalence and risk factors for diagnosed glaucoma and loss to follow-up among adult patients aged 18 to 40 years after a new diagnosis of referable glaucoma (ie, with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma).

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective cohort study included patients aged 18 to 40 years presenting to Kaiser Permanente Southern California, a large managed health care system, for first-time eye examinations between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018. Data analysis occurred between September 2022 and August 2024.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was glaucoma diagnosed within 2 years of the first eye examination. The secondary outcome was the loss to follow-up, defined as failure to receive a glaucoma evaluation with visual field or optical coherence tomography testing within 2 years.

Results

The cohort included 292 453 patients aged 18 to 40 years who underwent first-time eye evaluations (mean [SD] age, 29.8 [6.4] years). Among 12 050 identified patients with referable glaucoma (52.3% female), 6827 (56.7%) completed glaucoma evaluations, of whom 563 (8.2%) were diagnosed with glaucoma (344 [61.1%] with open angle, 28 [5.0%] with angle closure, 84 [14.9%] with secondary glaucoma, and 107 [19.0%] with unspecified glaucoma). On multivariable analysis, male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.55 [95% CI, 1.07-2.27]), higher intraocular pressure (IOP) (OR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.15-1.23] per 1 mm Hg), and greater cup-disc ratio (CDR) (OR, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.34-1.75] per 0.1 unit) were associated with greater odds of glaucoma. Dichotomized age, IOP, and CDR models stratified 51 of 1613 patients (3.2%) into the low-risk group and 202 of 1477 patients (13.7%) into the high-risk group. Being younger than 32 years and having an IOP less than 18 mm Hg and a CDR less than 0.7 yielded a negative predictive value of 98.2% for a glaucoma diagnosis.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study, the diagnostic yield of glaucoma referrals was low among adults aged 18 to 40 years with first-time eye examinations. A simple risk-stratification strategy could help identify individuals with low and high risks of developing glaucoma, and adoption of evidence-based risk stratification and referral guidelines by health care systems and clinicians could improve equity of glaucoma care and use of eye-care resources.
Public Understanding of Risk and Benefit of Mifepristone
Authors: Krishnamurti Tamar , White Gianna , Dewitt Barry , Mosley Elizabeth , Fischhoff Baruch
Published: February 2025

This randomized clinical trial investigates whether a 1-page information sheet proposed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can provide patients with sufficient information to use mifepristone safely and effectively.
The Lily Foundation: supporting patients, raising awareness and funding research into mitochondrial diseases
Authors: Curtis Liz , O'Hanlon Maria E. , Waller Katie , Wright Duncan E.
Published: February 2025

Primary mitochondrial diseases (‘mito’) are a group of genetically and phenotypically diverse disorders caused by defects in mitochondrial structure or function. Although they are individually rare, they collectively have an incidence of around 1 : 4300. Mitochondrial diseases can arise from mutations in either mitochondrial or nuclear genes, complicating genetic diagnosis. The Lily Foundation was founded by Liz Curtis in the UK in 2007 in order to raise awareness of mitochondrial diseases and to fund research into diagnosis and treatment. In this first of a new series on patient advocacy, FEBS Letters interviews Founder and CEO Liz Curtis MBE, Head of Patient Programmes Katie Waller and Research Manager Dr. Maria O'Hanlon on the aims, achievements and activities of the Lily Foundation.
Novel pathogenic mtDNA variants in Chinese children with neurological mitochondrial disorders
Authors: Liu Zhimei , Pan Kexin , Wang Mingzhao , Jin Yijun , Yang Wenxin , Chen Keer , Xu Chaolong , Duan Xin , Zou Ying , Ren Changhong , Dai Lifang , Zhao Suzhou , Wang Ya , Shen Lijun , Fang Fang , Fang Hezhi
Published: February 2025

Objective

Pathogenic variations in the mitochondrial genome are tightly linked to neurological mitochondrial disorders in children. However, the mutation spectrum of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the Chinese population remains incomplete. Therefore, the primary objective of our study was to comprehensively characterize pathogenic mtDNA variants in Chinese children with mitochondrial disorders at clinical, molecular, and functional levels.

Methods

Between February 2019 and September 2023, we analyzed pathogenic mtDNA variants in a cohort of over 600 Chinese children suspected of having mitochondrial disorders. Whole‐exome sequencing (WES) and whole‐mtDNA sequencing were performed on the cohort.

Results

We identified 54 pathogenic or likely pathogenic mtDNA variants in 227 Chinese children with neurological mitochondrial disorders. Among the eight novel heteroplasmic variants detected in seven patients, in silico analyses suggested likely pathogenic features. Functional analyses using either primary fibroblasts or cybrid cells carrying different mutant loads of mtDNA variants showed impaired mitochondrial respiration, ATP generation, and mitochondrial membrane potential in five of the eight novel variants, including m.4275G>A, m.10407G>A, m.5828G>A, m.3457G>A, and m.13112T>C. The m.8427T>C variant was identified as a rare polymorphism because, despite being located at MT‐ATP8, it does not affect both the assembly and activity of mitochondrial complex V in cells carrying homoplasmic m.8427T>C variation. Transcriptome profiling further confirmed the pathogenic contributions of these five variants by altering mitochondrial pathways.

Conclusion

In summary, we revisited the mtDNA mutation spectrum in Chinese children with mitochondrial disorders, and identified five novel pathogenic mtDNA variants with functional verification that are related to neurological mitochondrial disorders in children.
Extrusion Forming, Microstructure Evolution, and Mechanical Properties of Al Core Reinforced Mg Matrix Composites
Authors: Zhao Hui , Du Wenyu , Liu Yujiang , Wang Yan , Zhou Yisong , Xie Xufeng , Hu Hongjun , Zeng Zhuoran
Published: February 2025

Al core reinforced Mg matrix composites are successfully prepared by composite extrusion process. The microstructures of single Mg and Mg/Al composites are characterized and compared. The properties of composites with different volume fractions (Al core) are studied. The strengthening mechanism of composites and the effect of composite extrusion on texture and microstructure are discussed. The research shows that the addition of Al core refines the grains of Mg matrix, but does not change the deformation texture type of Mg matrix. The thickness of Mg/Al interface bonding layer is about 18 μm, and there are intermetallic compounds (Al3Mg2, Al12Mg17). As the volume fraction of the Al core increases, the yield strength and compressive strength of the Mg/Al composites are improved. The strengthening effect of Al core on Mg matrix is dislocation strengthening mechanism, fine grain strengthening mechanism, and load transfer effect.
Elucidating and Biomimicking the Coloration Mechanisms Responsible for the Vibrant Blue Hues of the Common Kingfisher
Authors: Kang Jihun , Moon Seunghwan , Jeon Deok‐Jin , Ji Seungmuk , Lee Eunok , Yeo Jong‐Souk
Published: February 2025

Structural plumage coloration has been well‐studied, yet the mechanisms responsible for non‐iridescent structural colors still need to be fully understood. In this study, quasi‐ordered keratin nanochannels within the back feathers of the common kingfisher are analyzed to determine the origin of their non‐iridescent blue hues. It is found that the reflectance intensity varies depending on the overall width of the keratin nanochannels, with different volume fractions of keratin leading to a peak shift and broadening. Based on these mechanisms, inverse photonic glass (IPG) structures are designed to mimic the kingfisher's colors. Using IPG samples with different Al2O3 shell thicknesses, a broad band of non‐iridescent blue colors, including those hues observed in the natural feathers, is achieved. These findings not only elucidate the natural coloration mechanisms of kingfisher feathers but also present a method for mimicking their blue hues.
Glaucoma animal models in rabbits: State of the art and perspectives—A review
Authors: Hu Rong , Wu Kai , Shi Jian , Yu Juan , Yao Xiao‐lei
Published: February 2025

Glaucoma, a visual thief, is characterized by elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Selecting suitable animals for preclinical models is of great significance in research on the prevention, early screening, and effective treatments of glaucoma. Rabbit eyeballs possess similar vascularity and aqueous humor outflow pathways to those of humans. Thus, they are among the earliest in vivo models used in glaucoma research. Over the years, rabbit models have made substantial contributions to understanding glaucomatous pathophysiology, surgical adaptations, biomedical device development, and drug development for reducing IOP, protecting RGCs, and inhibiting fibrosis. Compared to other animals, rabbits fit better with surgical operations and cost less. This review summarizes the merits and demerits of different ways to produce glaucomatous rabbit models, such as intracameral injection, vortex vein obstruction, Trendelenburg position, laser photo‐coagulation, glucocorticoid induction, limbal buckling induction, retinal ischemia–reperfusion models, and spontaneous models. We analyzed their mechanisms in the hope of providing more references for experimental design and promoting the understanding of glaucoma treatment strategies.
Application of Graphene Oxide/Polymer Composites as Filter Loss Reduction Agents With Water‐Based Drilling Fluids
Authors: Li Xinrong , Bai Yang , Gu Deng , He Jianing , Hu Qiang , Chen Zhongxiang , Wang Haibo , Badr Shahad Ali , Liu Lu
Published: February 2025

In deep and ultra‐deep wells, drilling fluids often experience increased filtration loss due to elevated temperatures and high salinity. To solve this problem, 5 g of N, N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAA), 13 g of 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid (AMPS), 2 g of 4‐acryloylmethiolane (ACMO), and 0.2 g of graphene oxide (GO) were polymerized through aqueous phase polymerization at 50°C for 2 h to form the Graphene oxide and DMAA, AMPS, ACMO Composites (GO‐NAA). The synthesized nanocomposite, GO‐NAA, was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and thermogravimetric analysis to confirm its structure. The experimental results showed that under the conditions of 220°C and 15% NaCl, water‐based drilling fluid (WBDF) containing 3% GO‐NAA reduced the filtration value of the American Petroleum Institute(FLAPI) by 82.15% (from 76.2 to 13.6 ml) and the high‐temperature and high‐pressure filtration value (FLHTHP) by 88.50% (from 238.2 to 27.4 ml) compared to water‐based drilling fluid without GO‐NAA. Morphological analysis revealed that GO‐NAA adhered to bentonite particles through hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, promoting uniform dispersion of particles in the aqueous drilling fluid. This mechanism facilitated the formation of a thin and dense mud cake, which effectively minimized filtration loss. These findings quantitatively demonstrate the potential of GO‐NAA as a temperature‐ and salt‐resistant filtration loss reduction agent, offering significant performance improvements under extreme drilling conditions.
The Sea‐Island Structured EPDM/PP TPV With Shape Memory Performance In Situ Compatibilized by Magnesium Maleic and Maleic Anhydride
Authors: Xu Mengmeng , Zong Chengzhong
Published: February 2025

It is challengeable to obtain shape memory effect in the traditional thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) with sea‐island microstructure. Herein, we successfully achieved shape memory behavior in the type of ethylene propylene diene monomer/polypropylene thermoplastic vulcanizate (EPDM/PP TPV) compatibilized by the graft products of magnesium maleic (MgMA) and maleic anhydride (MAH) on the interface of EPDM/PP. MgMA and MAH derived from the in situ neutralization reaction of maleic acid (MA) with magnesium oxide (MgO) and the dehydration reaction of MA respectively. In this paper, the mole ratio of MA and MgO on the performance of EPDM/PP TPV was studied. With the incorporation of MA and MgO, the mechanical property and shape memory performance were improved. The result of DMA, FTIR, and SEM verified the successful graft reaction of MgMA and MAH on the polymer chains. The compatibilized EPDM/PP TPV achieved the improved mechanical property of tensile strength (12.9 MPa) and elongation at break (583.5%), the increased Rf of 96.2% and Rr of 86.7% at the tailoring mole ratio of MA:MgO (1:1.5).
Influence of Branch Side‐Chains on the Foaming Properties of Thermoplastic Polyether Ester Elastomers in Supercritical CO2
Authors: Yen Hao‐Chen , Mao Hsu‐I , Chang Yen‐Yu , Chan Tzu‐Hsien , Lin Wei‐Hsiang , Chen Chin‐Wen
Published: February 2025

Ester‐based polymers are widely used in numerous applications today. However, thermoplastic polyether ester elastomer (TPEE), despite being an ester‐based elastomer, is typically unsuitable for lightweight applications due to its limited foamability, caused by low melt strength and a narrow molecular weight distribution. This study performed a series of TPEE modifications using a methyl‐branched diol (neopentyl glycol) as the monomer and a tri‐block polymer (ENHOL BE‐3520) as the soft segment. Adjustments to the methyl‐branched diol content notably impacted the thermal properties of the TPEE. All modified samples demonstrated decomposition temperatures exceeding 300°C at 5% weight loss, and melting temperatures ranging from 159°C to 219°C. Tensile strengths varied between 14.66 and 22.96 MPa, while the foam samples achieved expansion rates of 1.50% to 2.45% at temperatures 5°C below the melting point, and 2.19% to 3.88% at 10°C below the melting point. These modifications resulted in TPEE foams with enhanced mechanical properties and stable structures, significantly expanding their potential applications.