Assessment of body mapping sportswear using a manikin operated in constant temperature mode and thermoregulatory model control mode

Regional sweating patterns and body surface temperature differences exist between genders. Traditional sportswear made from one material and/or one fabric structure has a limited ability to provide athletes sufficient local wear comfort. Body mapping sportswear consists of one piece of multiple knit structure fabric or of different fabric pieces that may provide athletes better wear comfort. In this study, the ‘modular’ body mapping sportswear was designed and subsequently assessed on a ‘Newton’ type sweating manikin that operated in both constant temperature mode and thermophysiological model control mode. The performance of the modular body mapping sportswear kit and commercial products were also compared. The results demonstrated that such a modular body mapping sportswear kit can meet multiple wear/thermal comfort requirements in various environmental conditions. All body mapping clothing (BMC) presented limited global thermophysiological benefits for the wearers. Nevertheless, BMC showed evident improvements in adjusting local body heat exchanges and local thermal sensations.     

Thermal bioclimatic conditions and patterns of behaviour in an urban park in Göteborg,Sweden

People in urban areas frequently use parks for recreation and outdoor activities. Owing to the complexity of the outdoor environment, there have only been a few attempts to understand the effect of the thermal environment on people's use of outdoor spaces. This paper therefore seeks to determine the relationship between the thermal environment, park use and behavioural patterns in an urban area of Sweden. The methods used include structured interviews, unobtrusive observations of the naturally occurring behaviour and simultaneous measurements of thermal comfort variables, i.e., air temperature, air humidity, wind speed and global radiation. The thermal environment is investigated through the mean radiant temperature (T_mrt) and the predicted mean vote (PMV) index. The outcome is compared to the subjective behaviour and thermal sensation of the interviewees. It is found that the thermal environment, access and design are important factors in the use of the park. In order to continue to use the park when the thermal conditions become too cold or too hot for comfort, people improve their comfort conditions by modifying their clothing and by choosing the most supportive thermal opportunities available within the place. The study also shows that psychological aspects such as time of exposure, expectations, experience and perceived control may influence the subjective assessment. Comparison between the thermal sensation of the interviewees and the thermal sensation assessed by the PMV index indicates that steady-state models such as the PMV index may not be appropriate for the assessment of short-term outdoor thermal comfort, mainly because they are unable to analyse transient exposure.     

Anthropology at Home in Australia

This introductory essay takes ‘anthropology at home’ to refer to the conduct of fieldwork and other kinds of anthropological research in or about communities which Australian anthropologists regard as culturally familiar. In that sense, anthropology at home raises two interrelated questions: 1) ‘What is an appropriate anthropological object?’ and 2) ‘What are the appropriate methods for studying that object?’ I argue that anthropology remains overdetermined by its colonial heritage and that it is still overly concerned with the study of ‘the other’ through long-term fieldwork. My feeling is that we should displace the idea of ‘the other’ in favour of an anthropological object construed in terms of self-other relationships. This not only implies that anthropology at home should cease to appear as an oxymoron, but also suggests that a more comprehensive employment of various study methods should displace long-term fieldwork as metonymic of the discipline.     

Climate change and thermal comfort in Hong Kong

Thermal comfort is a major issue in cities and it is expected to change in the future due to the changing climate. The objective of this paper is to use the universal thermal comfort index (UTCI) to compare the outdoor thermal comfort in Hong Kong in the past (1971–2000) and the future (2046–2065 and 2081–2100). The future climate of Hong Kong was determined by the general circulation model (GCM) simulations of future climate scenarios (A1B and B1) established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Three GCMs were chosen, GISS-ER, GFDL-CM2.1 and MRI-CGCM2.3.2, based on their performance in simulating past climate. Through a statistical downscaling procedure, the future climatic variables were transferred to the local scale. The UTCI is calculated by four predicted climate variables: air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and solar radiation. After a normalisation procedure, future UTCI profiles for the urban area of Hong Kong were created. Comparing the past UTCI (calculated by observation data) and future UTCI, all three GCMs predicted that the future climate scenarios have a higher mode and a higher maximum value. There is a shift from ‘No Thermal Stress’ toward ‘Moderate Heat Stress’ and ‘Strong Heat Stress’ during the period 2046–2065, becoming more severe for the later period (2081–2100). Comparing the two scenarios, B1 exhibited similar projections in the two time periods whereas for A1B there was a significant difference, with both the mode and maximum increasing by 2 °C from 2046–2065 to 2081–2100.     

Effects of ambient temperature steps on thermal comfort requirements

The purpose of this study was to determine the thermal comfort requirements for steps in temperature. Thirty male subjects were exposed for 50 min to a 34 or 37°C condition, and then quickly transferred to a cooler environment of 31, 28, 25, and 22°C for 50 min. Mean skin temperature was continuously measured, and the subjects reported their thermal sensation and comfort sensation every 2 min. Just after the step changes, the mean skin temperature immediately decreased, while the thermal sensation overshot and gradually rose again. Both the skin temperature and the thermal sensation seemed to reach a constant level within about 20 min. However, there were differences in the mean skin temperature and the neutral temperature derived from the correlation between the ambient temperature and the thermal sensation even 50 min after the steps, due to the thermal environmental condition before the changes of temperature. The change in the neutral temperature with time was expressed as two attenuating equations. These equations indicate that there is an obvious difference between the neutral temperatures due to the thermal condition before step changes, and that it takes >50 min after the step changes to reach the steady state. It is expected that these equations predict in quantitative terms the thermal comfort requirements within a given experimental condition.     

The interpretation of physiological correlates of differential housing in laboratory rats

A critical review is presented of studies in which (for one reason or another) physiological measures in individually-housed rats are contrasted with those of group-housed counterparts. Most studies seem to focus on adrenocortical activity; gonadal hormone secretion and estimation of localized putative neuro-transmitters. An attempt is made to link these factors and to correlate them with the well-documented behavioral changes seen in ‘isolated’ rats. It is concluded that it is possible that the changes in biogenic amines and hormones are related. It seems unlikely, however, that one can dismiss the physiological changes seen in individually-housed rats as ‘isolation stress’. Adrenocortical reactivity may be increased in ‘isolated’ rats and this may account for their apparent increased basal activity. It is concluded that there is a distinct lack of ‘in depth’ studies in this area.     

Thermal sensation at index finger while applying external pressure at upper arm

In this study we focused on thermal sensation at fingertip under the influence of applied external pressure via a tourniquet at the upper arm. The perceived thermal sensation has found to be closely related to the skin temperature (Tsk) that is regulated by the skin blood flow (SkBF), whereas SkBF is easily influenced by external pressure. We thus hypothesized that the perceived thermal sensation, the Tsk and SkBF form such a cross-coupled triad that jointly affects our feeling of thermal comfort. Such interconnections among them were examined in this study using two protocols to investigate the perceived thermal sensation from a given heat stimulus under an exerted external pressure: (1) the SkBF and Tsk, at the right hand index finger under different external pressures at the right upper arm of one male subject, were monitored by a laser-Doppler flowmeter (LDF); (2) subjective thermal feelings (cold, normal and warm) at the right index fingertip of 10 test takers were recorded, while contacting a glass tube filled with water at different temperatures, with/without 50 mm Hg external pressure at the upper arm, while the temperatures of the glass tube and the index fingertip were recorded by an infrared camera. First, it is found that the SkBF and Tsk at the index fingertip reduced significantly with high external pressure applied at the upper arm, while the pressure from our daily clothing is not large enough to generate such an effect. Next, the applied pressure suppresses the variations in subjective sensory responses towards the thermal stimuli. Our hypothesis on the interconnections among the perceived thermal sensation, the Tsk and SkBF is thus confirmed. Overall, females appear more discerning to temperature change under the given conditions compared to males.     

Regional differences in temperature sensation and thermal comfort in humans

Sensations evoked by thermal stimulation (temperature-related sensations) can be divided into two categories, "temperature sensation" and "thermal comfort." Although several studies have investigated regional differences in temperature sensation, less is known about the sensitivity differences in thermal comfort for the various body regions. In the present study, we examined regional differences in temperature-related sensations with special attention to thermal comfort. Healthy male subjects sitting in an environment of mild heat or cold were locally cooled or warmed with water-perfused stimulators. Areas stimulated were the face, chest, abdomen, and thigh. Temperature sensation and thermal comfort of the stimulated areas were reported by the subjects, as was whole body thermal comfort. During mild heat exposure, facial cooling was most comfortable and facial warming was most uncomfortable. On the other hand, during mild cold exposure, neither warming nor cooling of the face had a major effect. The chest and abdomen had characteristics opposite to those of the face. Local warming of the chest and abdomen did produce a strong comfort sensation during whole body cold exposure. The thermal comfort seen in this study suggests that if given the chance, humans would preferentially cool the head in the heat, and they would maintain the warmth of the trunk areas in the cold. The qualitative differences seen in thermal comfort for the various areas cannot be explained solely by the density or properties of the peripheral thermal receptors and thus must reflect processing mechanisms in the central nervous system.     

亚热带住区不同景观空间夏季微气候实测与优化设计研究—— 以佛山居住区为例

以佛山为例,运用实地调查法对亚热带居住区10种常见景观空间夏季微气候指标(风速、温度、湿度)进行实测,结合居民主观舒适度问卷调查研究成果,对常见住区景观空间夏季舒适性进行对比分析.结果显示"架空层通风良好处"综合得分最高,其次为"乔木林下铺装广场"、"露天广场",得分最低的为"架空层通风欠佳处".研究表明亚热带住区景观...     

Mutational randomness as conditional independence and the experimental vindication of mutational Lamarckism

The Modern Synthesis enshrined natural selection as the driver of adaptive evolution mainly by eliminating competing explanations. One of the eliminated competitors was Lamarckism, particularly ‘mutational Lamarckism’, a hypothesis according to which mutations may be directed towards producing phenotypes that improve the performance of the organism in a particular environment. Contrary to this hypothesis, the Modern Synthesis' view claims that mutations are ‘random’, even though the precise meaning of the term was never formally explicated. Current evidence seemingly in favour of the existence of legitimate cases of mutational Lamarckism has revitalized interest to seek a clarification of the meaning of the term ‘random’ in this context. Herein we analyse previous definitions of random mutations and show that they are deficient in three ways: either they are too wide, or too narrow, or dyadic. We argue that the linguistic expression ‘random mutation’ refers to a triadic rather than a dyadic relationship, propose a new, formal and precise definition based on the probabilistic concept of conditional independence, and finally provide examples of its application. One important consequence of our analysis is that the genomic specificity of the mutational process is not a necessary condition for the existence of mutational Lamarckism.     

Edgetic perturbation models of human inherited disorders

Cellular functions are mediated through complex systems of macromolecules and metabolites linked through biochemical and physical interactions, represented in interactome models as ‘nodes’ and ‘edges’, respectively. Better understanding of genotype‐to‐phenotype relationships in human disease will require modeling of how disease‐causing mutations affect systems or interactome properties. Here we investigate how perturbations of interactome networks may differ between complete loss of gene products (‘node removal’) and interaction‐specific or edge‐specific (‘edgetic’) alterations. Global computational analyses of ～50 000 known causative mutations in human Mendelian disorders revealed clear separations of mutations probably corresponding to those of node removal versus edgetic perturbations. Experimental characterization of mutant alleles in various disorders identified diverse edgetic interaction profiles of mutant proteins, which correlated with distinct structural properties of disease proteins and disease mechanisms. Edgetic perturbations seem to confer distinct functional consequences from node removal because a large fraction of cases in which a single gene is linked to multiple disorders can be modeled by distinguishing edgetic network perturbations. Edgetic network perturbation models might improve both the understanding of dissemination of disease alleles in human populations and the development of molecular therapeutic strategies.     

On the reconceptualization of Alzheimer’s disease

In the hope of future treatments to prevent or slow down the disease, there is a strong movement towards an ever‐earlier detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In conjunction with scientific developments, this has prompted a reconceptualization of AD, as a slowly progressive pathological process with a long asymptomatic phase. New concepts such as ‘preclinical’ and ‘prodromal’ AD have been introduced, raising a number of conceptual and ethical questions. We evaluate whether these new concepts are theoretically defensible, in light of theories of health and disease, and whether they should be understood as disease or as an at‐risk state. We introduce a pragmatic view on disease concepts and argue that an evaluation of the reconceptualization of AD should also take its aims and effects into account, and assess their ethical acceptability. The reconceptualization of AD is useful to coordinate research into preventive strategies, and may potentially benefit future patients. However, in the short term, early detection and labelling of ‘preclinical AD’ can potentially harm people. Since there is no treatment available and the predictive value is unclear, it may only create a group of ‘patients‐in‐waiting’ who may suffer from anxiety, uncertainty and stigmatization, but will never actually develop dementia. We conclude that only if the promise of preventive medication materializes, will the reconceptualization of AD turn out unequivocally to be for the better. Otherwise, the reconceptualization may do more harm than good.     

Volunteering,Dana, and the Cultivation of ‘Good People’ in Thailand

The article explores a popular volunteer movement in Thailand and its connection to Buddhist morality and contemporary Thai politics. The article argues that volunteering in Thailand is often conceived of as a gift in various ways: as a form of dana or selfless giving; a gift from ‘good people’ to those defined as ‘in need’ in society and a gift to the Thai nation as a whole. Indeed, when volunteering is said to be a gift to the Thai nation, it is not necessarily because of its ability to redistribute resources, but because of its perceived ability to cultivate moral values and ‘good people’ for the Thai nation. The paper explores the implications that stem from presenting volunteering as a gift, with a strong emphasis on morality and ‘good people’, and how this popular discourse on volunteering may contribute to the maintenance of political status quo in Thailand, particularly in the context of the ongoing political struggles in recent years.     

Measurement of leaf biomechanical properties in studies of herbivory: Opportunities,problems and procedures

Leaf biomechanical properties have the potential to act as antiherbivore defences. However, compared with studies on chemical defences, there are few studies that have demonstrated that the physical or biomechanical structure of plants can prevent or influence herbivory. This difference in focus by ecologists may relate to the dominant paradigm of plant chemical defences in ecological research and the perceived difficulties that ecologists have with the engineering principles embedded in biomechanics. The advantage of using materials engineering concepts is that each property is precisely defined and quantifiable, although the latter may be difficult in leaves because of their composite and anisotropic nature. Most herbivory studies have used simple penetrometers to measure leaf properties, often termed ‘toughness’. As defined in materials engineering, the measured properties are ‘force to fracture’ and ‘strength’, not toughness. Measurement of strength, the resistance to crack initiation, is relevant to understanding herbivory. Measurement of ‘toughness’ as defined by materials engineering is also relevant. Toughness is the resistance to crack propagation and is a measure of the energy required to fracture the leaf. This requires more sophisticated equipment than simple penetrometers because it requires a simultaneous measure of the punch displacement. In addition, purists would argue that a punch cannot be used to measure true toughness because the crack is not controlled and plastic deformation is also involved. However, it may be the only method that allows detection of fine‐scale pattern in mechanical properties across a leaf surface at a scale that is relevant to herbivory. There is very little work on the scale at which these properties vary, particularly with regard to different sized herbivores. In addition, few studies have investigated a broad range of relevant biomechanical properties in relation to herbivory. Therefore, it is not possible yet to be definitive about the relative merits of the various types of tests. A single test might show a pattern in relation to herbivore damage at a gross level. However, to really understand the functional and ecological significance of leaf texture in relation to herbivory, a more reductionist approach is needed. Only then can we move on to the larger scales of pattern that many ecologists are seeking.     

A biological relativity view of the relationships between genomes and phenotypes

This article explores the relativistic principle that there is no privileged scale of causality in biology to clarify the relationships between genomes and phenotypes. The idea that genetic causes are primary views the genome as a program. Initially, that view was vindicated by the discovery of mutations and knockouts that have large and specific effects on the phenotype. But we now know that these form the minority of cases. Many changes at the genome level are buffered by robust networks of interactions in cells, tissues and organs. The ‘differential’ view of genetics therefore fails because it is too restrictive. An ‘integral’ view, using reverse engineering from systems biological models to quantify contributions to function, can solve this problem. The article concludes by showing that far from breaking the supervenience principle, downward causation requires that it should be obeyed.     

On Setting Limits on Bodily Fluids for Classifying Individuals as Pathological

The problem solved in this paper is that of determining the minimum sample size for setting the ‘normal’ range for bodily fluids. The proportions of too low and too high values which are considered ‘abnormal’ are chosen based upon medical considerations. The criterion used to determine the minimum sample size is that the proportions of the too low and too high values will be not exceeded by more than a prescribed amount with a given probability. The resulting limits are β-expectation tolerance limits with the added condition just noted, and are labeled β-expectation inner tolerance limits.     

Do we know enough about vegetation dynamics to manage fire regimes in central Australia?

Ecologists have long been concerned that contemporary fire regimes of central Australia have poor consequences for some plant species, vegetation communities and the native animals they support. Fire frequency, size and intensity (the ‘fire regime’) have all been implicated in the decline of native biota and in vegetation changes that potentially constitute ecological drift. However, not all perceived declines and changes are quantified or proven. The fire regimes themselves defy quantification and are arguably unknowable. We examine the relationships between fire, vegetation and the physical landscape and consider the adequacy of available knowledge for guiding fire management. Devising targeted ‘fire management regimes’, which take into account vegetation type and management objectives such as pastoral production, conservation and cultural observance, and which actively use fire to achieve those objectives, is a more realistic goal than controlling unquantifiable fire regimes in spatially diverse landscapes.     

EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION OF AMMONOIDS AT MESOZOIC SYSTEM BOUNDARIES

1. Biological revolutions at major stratigraphical boundaries have been given numerous explanations involving endogenous biological, exogenous ecological, physical, and cosmic, as well as sedimentary or chemical factors. In an attempt to elucidate the true nature of these faunal revolutions and to assess the possible influence of biological and/or physical factors, the evolution of ammonites at the boundaries of Mesozoic stratigraphical Systems is reviewed. It is believed that the more detailed data now available can give a clearer impression of evolutionary events at these boundaries. 2. It can be demonstrated that there is neither an abrupt and world-wide extinction, nor a spontaneous replacement by new elements at these caesuras as had been generally supposed to have occurred at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, for example. Instead, one can recognize three distinct phases in the sequence of events: (1) a continuous disappearance of the ‘antique’ faunal elements; (2) a similarly continuous, gradual, and largely synchronous appearance of, or substitution by, qualitatively distinguishable ‘modern’ elements in small populations, yet in various parallel lineages (mosaic evolution); (3) a quite revolutionary, and quantitatively very sudden, diversification of these new elements, occurring at or with some delay above the boundary. 3. Thus one can demonstrate both continuous evolution of the modern faunas (‘preadaptational phase’), as well as ‘discontinuous’ spontaneous revolution, which does not produce qualitatively new characters and must be explained by diversification or adaptive radiation. This means that no further explanation by internal factors or by higher mutation rates resulting from the impact of cosmic rays becomes necessary. It is believed that, preceded by high extinction rates, world-wide ecological factors promoting higher niche diversity suffice to explain these adaptive radiations. The high degree of provincialism, endemism and specialization of the ‘antique’ faunas and the constant survival of smooth oxycones — regarded as inhabitants of a deep-sea environment — demonstrate that marine regressions and transgressions were the most effective ecological factors. 4. If there is not too much time involved between the two events, the caesura (Faunenschnitt) between final extinction of the old faunas and the radiation of the new is the most appropriate point by which to define System boundaries.     

Low levels of extraneous agents in vaccine starting materials

There are different ways to define the concept of ‘low levels’ of extraneous agents in vaccines and vaccine starting materials, based on the amount of extraneous agents as such, the sensitivity of the detection method and the probability approach linked to the sampling method. None of these approaches, however, is entirely satisfactory – a general definition of a ‘low level’ cannot be provided. Since the main point is the safety of medicinal products, the risk analysis approach to ‘low level’ contaminations can be considered as a way to overcome the abovementioned deadlock. But as too many variables impact the risk analysis, it cannot be properly performed either. In practice, seeds are tested to show freedom from extraneous agents, the other raw materials are inactivated through a validated method. However, there are technical and regulatory limits in both cases, and neither testing nor inactivation entirely guarantees freedom from extraneous agents. Despite this unsatisfactory situation, it should be acknowledged that no truly significant disease outbreak linked to an extraneous agent has been identified until today. Regulatory actions are mainly undertaken when a sanitary problem occurs. In the end, companies remain responsible for their products.