Articoli di riviste sul tema "English (0593)"

The performance of Valencia sweet orange grafted onto 41 hybrid citrus rootstocks was evaluated for 11 years in rainfed cultivation under tropical savannah climate (Aw type) in Brazil, in addition to three selections of the standard drought-tolerant Rangpur lime and two selections of Sunki mandarin. Drought tolerance, assessed by visual score of leaf wilting, was directly related to the mean fruit yield. Indio and Riverside citrandarins, Tropical Sunki mandarin and the hybrid TSKC × CTSW-028 were grouped with the most productive selections of Rangpur lime, all of them inducing large tree size, intermediate fruit production efficiency, and high drought tolerance. The hybrid TSK × TR English-CO was similar except by inducing a higher mean soluble solids concentration in the orange juice. A third group of rootstocks induced high yield and drought tolerance, and a mean 30% reduction in tree size that led to high production efficiency, which comprised the hybrids HTR-053, TSKC × (LCR × TR)-017 and-059, TSKC × CTSW-041, LCR × TR-001 and San Diego citrandarin. The tree mortality on Rangpur lime selections was as least as 46%, while more than 80% of trees grafted onto the aforementioned rootstocks survived without visual symptoms of citrus sudden death disease or graft incompatibility. The selected hybrids and Tropical Sunki mandarin also induced fruit quality, mainly soluble solids, superior to the Rangpur lime and, therefore, are potential rootstocks for rainfed cultivation of Valencia sweet orange.

Abstract Background Cancer survival statistics are typically reported by using measures discounting the impact of other-cause mortality, such as net survival. This is a hypothetical measure and is interpreted as excluding the possibility of cancer patients dying from other causes. Crude probability of death partitions the all-cause probability of death into deaths from cancer and other causes. Methods The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service is the single cancer registry for England. In 2006–2015, 1,590,477 malignant tumours were diagnosed for breast, colorectal, lung, melanoma and prostate cancer in adults. We used a relative survival framework, with a period approach, providing estimates for up to 10-year survival. Mortality was partitioned into deaths due to cancer or other causes. Unconditional and conditional (on surviving 1-years and 5-years) crude probability of death were estimated for the five cancers. Results Elderly patients who survived for a longer period before dying were more likely to die from other causes of death (except for lung cancer). For younger patients, deaths were almost entirely due to the cancer. Conclusion There are different measures of survival, each with their own strengths and limitations. Careful choices of survival measures are needed for specific scenarios to maximise the understanding of the data.

In the article the authors analyze a mistake as an integral part of any studying process on the example of studying English at University. The authors point out that making mistakes is quite natural, moreover it helps reveal major problems in terms of both studying and teaching. Thanks to students’ mistakes the teacher has an opportunity to understand how to work with a definite group, what aspects and methods need more attention and activity. The article considers basic reasons which lead to mistakes and ideas how to deal with them based on the authors’ experience. It is pointed out that the teacher has to decide how to prevent and work with mistakes in every occasion as every student and every lesson are unique and require individual approach and attention.

Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Depressive Störungen erfordern eine differenzierte Behandlung. Zur Dokumentation und Begründung der Indikationsstellung für ein Behandlungssetting wurde ein Algorithmus (STEP-D, englisch: Setting Guide for Patients with Depression) entwickelt und evaluiert. Methodik Der STEP-D wurde unter Berücksichtigung aktueller Behandlungsleitlinien entwickelt und von 36 Klinikern getestet. Ergebnisse Besondere Stärken des Instrumentes sind die Nachvollziehbarkeit der Indikationsentscheidung, die Unterstützung der Kommunikation im Behandlungsteam und die verbesserte Dokumentation. Schlussfolgerung Durch den STEP-D wird der Entscheidungsprozess für ein Behandlungssetting dokumentiert und kann damit die Kommunikation zwischen Patienten, Behandlern und Kostenträgern erleichtern.

Pandemics are stressful times, full of uncertainty and fear. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have experienced feelings of stress, grief, and loss. How Right Now (HRN)–and its Spanish-language counterpart, Qué Hacer Ahora (QHA)–is an evidence-based, culturally-relevant communication campaign designed to promote and strengthen the emotional well-being and resiliency of populations adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with support from the CDC Foundation, the campaign aims to help all Americans but has a specific focus on some of the disproportionately affected groups, including adults over 65 and their caregivers, individuals with pre-existing physical and mental health conditions, people experiencing violence, and those experiencing economic distress. Based on rapid, but robust, formative research, HRN offers audience-centric messages representing the real, everyday experiences and emotions that these audiences are having and addresses them in actionable ways. These include messages that address the social and structural barriers that disproportionately-affected groups have been facing long before the pandemic—and which are felt more acutely now. This paper provides an overview of the rapid, mixed-method, culturally-responsive formative research process undertaken to inform the development of HRN. Specifically, it describes how HRN’s disproportionately-affected audiences describe and discuss their emotional well-being during COVID-19 through the lens of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). We introduce a secondary theory, Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being (VCHW), which conceptualizes holistic well-being and the conditions that give rise to it and identifies levers for community change and improvement. Data collection methods included an environmental scan (n ≥ 700 publications); social listening (n ≥ 1 million social media posts); partner needs-assessment calls (n = 16); partner-convened listening sessions with community members (n = 29), online focus groups (n = 10), and a national probability survey (n = 731), all in English and Spanish. Findings suggest that HRN’s priority audiences’ emotional well-being and SDOH are interconnected. Disruptions in SDOH due to the COVID-19 pandemic can lead to emotional well-being challenges, eg, anxiety, for HRN’s priority audiences. While some disruptions may lead some people to adapt, connect with others, and be more resilient, there is a disparate impact of emotional well-being amid COVID-19 for those already experiencing disparities linked to SDOH. Understanding the perspectives and experiences of disproportionately affected populations through the lens of SDOH is vital to identifying the kinds of supports and services–like How Right Now/Qué Hacer Ahora–required for these populations.

Abstract Plasma cell granuloma of the thyroid is an uncommon lesion; only 6 cases have been reported in the English literature to date. All reported cases occurred in women, mostly after the age of 50 years. We report a case of plasma cell granuloma of the thyroid in a 46-year-old woman with a 20-year history of euthyroid goiter and a positive family history of goiter in 3 close relatives. The lesion was composed of sheets of plasma cells involving the entire parenchyma that histologically resembled plasmacytoma. Plasmacytoma was excluded by demonstration of polyclonal κ/λ light chain immunostaining and by lack of evidence of clonal bands by polymerase chain reaction for immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene rearrangement. Similarly, the predominant histologic pattern in all previously reported cases is that of marked plasma cell infiltration. A family history of thyroid disease (goiter, thyroiditis) was associated with diffuse involvement of the thyroid. Prognosis after surgery is excellent, and to our knowledge no cases of malignant transformation or recurrence have been described.

AbstractFindings from previous studies on the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) and the risk of chronic diseases and mortality have been inconsistent. We aimed to summarize studies on the association of the DII and the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), metabolic syndrome (MetS), and mortality in a systematic review and meta-analysis. We performed a systematic search in PubMed/Medline, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus databases for relevant studies written in English and published until 31 December 2017. Studies that reported the relative risk (RR), odd ratio (OR) or hazard ratio (HR) for the most pro-inflammatory versus the most anti-inflammatory diets were included. Finally, 17 studies [CVD (n=6), MetS (n=5), mortality (n=6)] were included for systematic review and meta-analysis. Findings indicated a trend toward a positive relationship between the DII and the risk for CVD (pooled RR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.60; I2: 28.6%, p=0.21), all-cause mortality (pooled HR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.35; I2: 72.6%, p=0.003), CVD mortality (pooled HR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.57; I2: 74.0%, p=0.009) and cancer mortality (pooled HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.53; I2: 62.5%, p=0.03). However, no significant association was found between the DII and the risk for MetS (pooled RR: 1.01; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.24; I2: 32.6%, p=0.20). Although in the current meta-analysis the most pro-inflammatory diet versus the most anti-inflammatory diet was not associated with the risk of MetS, we observed a substantial association between the DII and the risk for CVD and all types of mortality. However, further cohort studies in different populations are needed to clarify this association.

BACKGROUND The term amblyopia literally means dullness of vision. It is defined as unilateral or bilateral reduction of visual acuity due to pattern vision deprivation or abnormal binocular interaction for which no ocular causes can be detected by ocular examination and can be reversed by therapeutic measures. The study was undertaken to estimate the proportion of non-compliance and factors affecting it in children undergoing occlusion therapy for amblyopia. METHODS The study was designed as a hospital based cross sectional study. Children aged 5 - 12 years undergoing occlusion therapy for amblyopia due to strabismus, anisometropia or both, who had been prescribed occlusion for a period of minimum 3 months were included in the study. Children with developmental or neurological disorders and other ocular conditions causing visual impairment, whose parents were not willing to participate in the study or follow up, and uncooperative children were also excluded from the study. RESULTS 52.5 % were non-compliant to occlusion therapy, 31.1 % were partially compliant and only 16.4 % were compliant. 38.5 % had final visual acuity in the range of 6 / 60 - 6 / 24 and 6 / 18 – 6 / 12, 20 % had 6 / 9 - 6 / 6. Different variables were assessed against compliance to check for any association. Significant association was found between compliance to occlusion and socioeconomic status (p = .006), visual acuity at presentation (p = .026), type of amblyopia (p = .038) and final visual acuity (p < .01) and association with educational status were found to be borderline (p = .059). CONCLUSIONS Occlusion therapy for amblyopia is a long drawn process which needs strict compliance and regular follow up. Compliance is a major factor affecting final visual outcome. Poor compliance leads to unsuccessful amblyopia therapy which in turn can have negative impact on child’s learning ability and psychosocial wellbeing. For this reason it is critical that care givers leave the clinic with clear knowledge of how and why patching is being recommended and its importance in improving child’s vision. KEYWORDS Amblyopia, Occlusion, Compliance

✓ Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disease characterized by noncaseating epithelioid granulomata that affects the lung in over 90% of patients and the central nervous system (CNS) in 5–9%. Neurosarcoidosis often occurs as multifocal meningeal and parenchymal lesions, and its diagnosis is particularly difficult in the absence of concomitant systemic disease. Hypothalamic-pituitary sarcoidosis occurs in fewer than 10% of patients with neurosarcoidosis and has been previously reported in association with profound endocrinological dysfunction. The authors report the case of a patient with isolated pituitary sarcoidosis who was first evaluated for visual symptoms and showed no preoperative endocrinological dysfunction or evidence of multisystemic or other CNS involvement. To the authors' knowledge, only 1 other such presentation is previously reported in the English literature. Such presentations are diagnostically and therapeutically challenging, and definitive diagnosis requires obtaining a biopsy specimen of the lesion with histological proof of noncaseating epithelioid granuloma, as well as the exclusion of other possible entities.

ABSTRACT: In two simultaneous experiments, we evaluated the impact of brackish irrigation water and nitrogen (N) fertilization on the production of citrus (scion-rootstock combinations) and its associated gas exchanges. These experiments were conducted at the Campus of Federal University of Campina Grande, Brazil in a protected environment (shade screens on the sides) using drainage lysimeters. Experiment I used a randomized block design (3 replicates), in a 5 × 3 factorial arrangement, corresponding to five water salinity levels (0.6, 1.2, 1.8, 2.4, and 3.0 dS m-1) and three scion-rootstock combinations: RS1- Common Sunki mandarin (TSKC) × Poncirus trifoliata English (TRENG) - 256; RS2- Common Rangpur lime (LCRSTC); and RS3- TSKC × (Rangpur lime (LCR) × P. trifoliata (TR)) - 059; with Mimo do Céu orange as the scion variety. Experiment II used a randomized block design (3 replicates), in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, corresponding to the three scion/rootstock combinations and two nitrogen (N) doses (100 and 200 mg kg-1 of soil). Plants were irrigated with water of 3.0 dS m-1. For both experiments, gas exchanges and mean mass of fruits were evaluated at harvest. Gas exchanges were inhibited in plants under saline stress. Plants grafted with Common Rangpur lime showed greater production potential than did the other genotypes studied, even under brackish water conditions.

Objective: Planned for the purpose of determining the validity and reliability of Intercultural Awareness and Intercultural Effectiveness scales, which were developed abroad for measuring the intercultural communication competence of nurses taking care of patients from different cultures. The study is planned as methodological and descriptive.Material and Method: The data were filled by 204 nurses via Nurse Identification Form, Intercultural Awareness Scale and Intercultural Effectiveness Scale. Within the scope of the study, introductory characteristics of nurses were presented with percentiles, mean or median. During the examination of the reliability of Intercultural Awareness and Intercultural Effectiveness scales; internal consistency coefficient was calculated by using the cronbach’s alpha coefficient via test-retest correlation pearson product- moment correlation technique. During the validity examination; confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed for evaluating the construct validity after performing language equivalence and content validity.Findings: In order to provide the language equivalence, the scale was primarily translated into Turkish and then back-translated. After receiving the expert opinion, Content Validity Index (CVI) values of scale items were calculated. Content Validity Index scores were calculated as 3,5 for the Intercultural Awareness Scale and 2,8 for the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale. Examining reliabilities of the scales; it was determined that the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.73 for the Intercultural Awareness Scale and 0.85 for the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale, and the test-retest correlation coefficient was 0.89 for the Intercultural Awareness Scale and 0.71 for the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale. In the confirmatory factor analysis of the Intercultural Awareness Scale, the scale is collected under one lower dimension unlike the original scale and consists of totally 9 items like the original scale. Examining the general adhesion coefficients; /sd value 1.64; CFI: 1.00, RMSEA: .019 and SRMR index 0.053. Factor loads vary between .25 and .83. In the confirmatory factor analysis of the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale, the scale has the same number of lower dimensions as the original scale and consists of totally 24 items. Examining the general adhesion coefficients for the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale; /sd value 1.66; CFI: 0.98, RMSEA: .059 and SRMR index 0.077. Factor loads vary between .41 and .85. Items of both scales sufficiently represent their own factor dimensions.Conclusion: Intercultural Awareness Scale and Intercultural Effectiveness Scale are valid and reliable scales. Extended English abstract is in the end of PDF (TURKISH) file. ÖzetAmaç: Farklı kültürlerden gelen hastalara bakım veren hemşirelerin kültürlerarası iletişim yeterliliğini ölçmek amacıyla yurt dışında geliştirilen Kültürlerarası Farkındalık ve Kültürlerarası Etkililik ölçeklerinin güvenirlik ve geçerliğinin belirlenmesi amacıyla metodolojik ve tanımlayıcı olarak planlanmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntem: Veriler Hemşire Tanılama Formu, Kültürlerarası Farkındalık Ölçeği, Kültürlerarası Etkililik Ölçeği ile 204 hemşire tarafından dolduruldu. Araştırma kapsamında hemşirelerin tanıtıcı özellikleri yüzdelik dilimler, ortalama veya ortanca ile sunuldu. Kültürlerarası Farkındalık ve Kültürlerarası Etkililik ölçeklerinin güvenirlik incelemesinde iç tutarlılık katsayısı cronbach’s alpha katsayısı kullanılarak, test-retest korelasyonu pearson momentler çarpımı korelasyon tekniği ile hesaplandı. Geçerlik incelemesinde; dil eşdeğerliği ve kapsam geçerliği yapıldıktan sonra; yapı geçerliliğini değerlendirmek amacıyla doğrulayıcı faktör analizi (DFA) yapıldı.Bulgular: Ölçeğin ilk olarak dil eşdeğerliliğinin sağlanması için Türkçeye çevirisi ve geri çevirisi yapılmıştır. Uzman görüşü sonrasında ölçekteki maddelerin Kapsam Geçerlik İndeks (KGİ) değeri hesaplanmıştır. Kapsam geçerlik indeks puanları Kültürlerarası Farkındalık Ölçeği için 3,5; Kültürlerarası Etkililik Ölçeği için ise 2,8 dir.Ölçeklerin güvenirlik inceleme sonuçlarında; Cronbach’s alpha katsayısı Kültürlerarası Farkındalık Ölçeği için 0.73, Kültürlerarası Etkililik Ölçeği için 0.85 olup; test-retest korelasyon katsayıları ise Kültürlerarası Farkındalık Ölçeği için 0.89, Kültürlerarası Etkililik Ölçeği için 0.71’dir . Kültürlerarası Farkındalık ölçeğinin doğrulayıcı faktör analizinde ölçek orjinalinden farklı olarak tek alt boyutta toplanmaktadır ve orijinal ölçekle aynı olarak toplamda 9 maddeden oluşmaktadır. Genel uyum katsayılarına bakıldığında; /sd değerinin 1.64; CFI: 1.00, RMSEA: .019 ve SRMR indeksi 0.053’dür. Faktör yükleri .25 ile .83 arasında değişmektedir. Kültürlerarası Etkililik Ölçeği’nin doğrulayıcı faktör analizinde ölçek orijinaliyle aynı altı alt boyutta ve toplamda 24 maddeden oluşmaktadır. Kültürlerarası etkililik ölçeği için genel uyum katsayıları incelendiğinde; ; /sd değerinin 1.66;CFI: 0.98, RMSEA: .059 ve SRMR indeksi 0.077’dir. Faktör yükleri .41 ile .85 arasında değişmektedir. Her iki ölçek maddeleri ait oldukları faktör boyutunu yeterli derecede temsil etmektedir.Sonuç: Kültürlerarası Farkındalık ve Kültürlerarası Etkililik ölçekleri güvenilir ve geçerli bir ölçektir.

Abstract Background Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare soft tissue tumor originally reported in the pleura. Although it has been reported in various extra-pleural sites, the occurrence of SFT in the scrotum is extremely rare. Herein, we present a 48-year-old man who had scrotal SFT. There are very few reported cases of genitourinary SFTs, this is only the fifth report of SFT of the scrotum in the English medical literature. Case presentation In this study, we report on a 48-year-old man who presented with a 5 × 8 cm scrotal mass between his testes. Physical examination revealed a 4.7 × 8.5 cm lobulated tumor mass located between his testicles. Surgical excision of the tumor with scrotal approach was done and pathology reported a SFT. The patient was alive without tumor recurrence or distant metastasis during ongoing follow-up for 9 months post-operatively.. Conclusion Scrotal SFTs are very rare and only five cases have been reported in English literature to date. Treatment often involves surgical resection, and a definite diagnosis is made with the help of immunohistochemistry. The current general consensus for the management of SFTs is long-term follow-up after surgical excision of the tumor.

The article discusses issues revealing cognitive bases of stative formatting of knowledge about the world. In line with Cognitive Linguistics commitments and basic assumptions the paper highlights the problems pertaining to 1) a universal ability of human cognition to construe the world in language statively, 2) the principles and results of stative interpretation of knowledge about the world. Conveying the necessity of investigating a set of stative forms in language within the cognitive linguistics perspective, the article introduces a conception of stative formatting of knowledge about the world. Combining cognitive-matrix analysis of the stative concept with conceptual-configurative analysis of the category of linguistic stativity the study deciphers the structure and contents of stative concept in contemporary English. The elaborated conception contributes to the problem of ascribing possible ways of construing the world in language

Abstract Background This study aimed to translate the English version of the supportive care needs scale of head and neck cancer patients (SCNS-HNC) questionnaire into Mandarin and to test the reliability and validity of the SCNS-SF34 and SCNS-HNC module in head and neck cancer patients. Methods The Mandarin version of the Supportive Care Needs Survey Short-Form (SCNS-SF34) and SCNS-HNC scales were used to assess 206 patients with head and neck cancer in Chengdu, China. Among them, 51 patients were re-tested 2 or 3 days after the first survey. The internal consistency of the scale was evaluated by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, the retest reliability of the scale was evaluated by retest correlation coefficient r, the structural validity of the scale was evaluated by exploratory factor analysis, and the ceiling and floor effects of the scale were evaluated. Results The Mandarin version of the SCNS-HNC had Cronbach’s alpha coefficients greater than 0.700 (0.737 ≤ 0.962) for all of the domains. Except for the psychological demand dimension (r = 0.674) of the SCNS-SF34 scale, the retest reliability of the other domains was greater than 0.8. Three common factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 64.39%. Conclusions The Mandarin version of the SCNS-SF34 and SCNS-HNC demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity and is able to measure the supportive care needs of Chinese patients with head and neck cancer. Trial registration ChiCTR, ChiCTR1900026635. Registered 16 October 2019- Retrospectively registered.

Background and aimsAdenoma detection rate (ADR) has been shown to correlate with interval cancers after screening colonoscopy and is commonly used as surrogate parameter for its outcome quality. ADR improvements by various techniques have been studied in randomised trials using either parallel or tandem methodololgy.MethodsA systematic literature search was done on randomised trials (full papers, English language) on tandem or parallel studies using either adenoma miss rates (AMR) or ADR as main outcome to test different novel technologies on imaging (new endoscope generation, narrow band imaging, iScan, Fujinon intelligent chromoendoscopy/blue laser imaging and wide angle scopes) and mechanical devices (transparent caps, endocuff, endorings and balloons). Available meta analyses were also screened for randomised studies.ResultsOverall, 24 randomised tandem trials with AMR (variable definitions and methodology) and 42 parallel studies using ADR (homogeneous methodology) as primary outcome were included. Significant differences in favour of the new method were found in 66.7% of tandem studies (8222 patients) but in only 23.8% of parallel studies (28 059 patients), with higher rates of positive studies for mechanical devices than for imaging methods. In a random-effects model, small absolute risk differences were found, but these were double in magnitude for tandem as compared with parallel studies (imaging: tandem 0.04 (0.01, 0.07), parallel 0.02 (0.00, 0.04); mechanical devices: tandem 0.08 (0.00, 0.15), parallel 0.04 (0.01, 0.07)). Nevertheless, 94.2% of missed adenomas in the tandem studies were small (<1 cm) and/or non-advanced.ConclusionsA tandem study is more likely to yield positive results than a simple parallel trial; this may be due to the use of different parameters, variable definitions and methodology, and perhaps also a higher likelihood of bias. Therefore, we suggest to accept positive results of tandem studies only if accompanied by positive results from parallel trials.

This article investigates the prosthesis of identity through the process of branding. It examines cross-cultural manifestations of this phenomena from sixth millennium BCE Syria to twelfth century Japan and Britain. From the Neolithic Era, humanity has sort to extend their identities using pictorial signs that were characteristically simple. Designed to be distinctive and instantly recognisable, the totemic symbols served to signal the origin of the bearer. Subsequently, the development of branding coincided with periods of increased in mobility both in respect to geography and social strata. This includes fifth millennium Mesopotamia, nineteenth century Britain, and America during the 1920s.There are fewer articles of greater influence on contemporary culture than A Theory of Human Motivation written by Abraham Maslow in 1943. Nearly seventy-five years later, his theories about the societal need for “belongingness” and “esteem” remain a mainstay of advertising campaigns (Maslow). Although the principles are used to sell a broad range of products from shampoo to breakfast cereal they are epitomised by apparel. This is with refence to garments and accessories bearing corporation logos. Whereas other purchased items, imbued with abstract products, are intended for personal consumption the public display of these symbols may be interpreted as a form of signalling. The intention of the wearers is to literally seek the fulfilment of the aforementioned social needs. This article investigates the use of brands as prosthesis.Coats and Crests: Identity Garnered on Garments in the Middle Ages and the Muromachi PeriodA logo, at its most basic, is a pictorial sign. In his essay, The Visual Language, Ernest Gombrich described the principle as reducing images to “distinctive features” (Gombrich 46). They represent a “simplification of code,” the meaning of which we are conditioned to recognise (Gombrich 46). Logos may also be interpreted as a manifestation of totemism. According to anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss, the principle exists in all civilisations and reflects an effort to evoke the power of nature (71-127). Totemism is also a method of population distribution (Levi-Strauss 166).This principle, in a form garnered on garments, is manifested in Mon Kiri. The practice of cutting out family crests evolved into a form of corporate branding in Japan during the Meiji Period (1868-1912) (Christensen 14). During the Muromachi period (1336-1573) the crests provided an integral means of identification on the battlefield (Christensen 13). The adorning of crests on armour was also exercised in Europe during the twelfth century, when the faces of knights were similarly obscured by helmets (Family Crests of Japan 8). Both Mon Kiri and “Coat[s] of Arms” utilised totemic symbols (Family Crests of Japan 8; Elven 14; Christensen 13). The mon for the imperial family (figs. 1 & 2) during the Muromachi Period featured chrysanthemum and paulownia flowers (Goin’ Japaneque). “Coat[s] of Arms” in Britain featured a menagerie of animals including lions (fig. 3), horses and eagles (Elven).The prothesis of identity through garnering symbols on the battlefield provided “safety” through demonstrating “belongingness”. This constituted a conflation of two separate “needs” in the “hierarchy of prepotency” propositioned by Maslow. Fig. 1. The mon symbolising the Imperial Family during the Muromachi Period featured chrysanthemum and paulownia. "Kamon (Japanese Family Crests): Ancient Key to Samurai Culture." Goin' Japaneque! 15 Nov. 2015. 27 July 2019 <http://goinjapanesque.com/05983/>.Fig. 2. An example of the crest being utilised on a garment can be found in this portrait of samurai Oda Nobunaga. "Japan's 12 Most Famous Samurai." All About Japan. 27 Aug. 2018. 27 July 2019 <https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/5818/>.Fig. 3. A detail from the “Index of Subjects of Crests.” Elven, John Peter. The Book of Family Crests: Comprising Nearly Every Family Bearing, Properly Blazoned and Explained, Accompanied by Upwards of Four Thousand Engravings. Henry Washbourne, 1847.The Pursuit of Prestige: Prosthetic Pedigree from the Late Georgian to the Victorian Eras In 1817, the seal engraver to Prince Regent, Alexander Deuchar, described the function of family crests in British Crests: Containing The Crest and Mottos of The Families of Great Britain and Ireland; Together with Those of The Principal Cities and Heraldic Terms as follows: The first approach to civilization is the distinction of ranks. So necessary is this to the welfare and existence of society, that, without it, anarchy and confusion must prevail… In an early stage, heraldic emblems were characteristic of the bearer… Certain ordinances were made, regulating the mode of bearing arms, and who were entitled to bear them. (i-v)The partitioning of social classes in Britain had deteriorated by the time this compendium was published, with displays of “conspicuous consumption” displacing “heraldic emblems” as a primary method of status signalling (Deuchar 2; Han et al. 18). A consumerism born of newfound affluence, and the desire to signify this wealth through luxury goods, was as integral to the Industrial Revolution as technological development. In Rebels against the Future, published in 1996, Kirkpatrick Sale described the phenomenon:A substantial part of the new population, though still a distinct minority, was made modestly affluent, in some places quite wealthy, by privatization of of the countryside and the industrialization of the cities, and by the sorts of commercial and other services that this called forth. The new money stimulated the consumer demand… that allowed a market economy of a scope not known before. (40)This also reflected improvements in the provision of “health, food [and] education” (Maslow; Snow 25-28). With their “physiological needs” accommodated, this ”substantial part” of the population were able to prioritised their “esteem needs” including the pursuit for prestige (Sale 40; Maslow).In Britain during the Middle Ages laws “specified in minute detail” what each class was permitted to wear (Han et al. 15). A groom, for example, was not able to wear clothing that exceeded two marks in value (Han et al. 15). In a distinct departure during the Industrial Era, it was common for the “middling and lower classes” to “ape” the “fashionable vices of their superiors” (Sale 41). Although mon-like labels that were “simplified so as to be conspicuous and instantly recognisable” emerged in Europe during the nineteenth century their application on garments remained discrete up until the early twentieth century (Christensen 13-14; Moore and Reid 24). During the 1920s, the French companies Hermes and Coco Chanel were amongst the clothing manufacturers to pioneer this principle (Chaney; Icon).During the 1860s, Lincolnshire-born Charles Frederick Worth affixed gold stamped labels to the insides of his garments (Polan et al. 9; Press). Operating from Paris, the innovation was consistent with the introduction of trademark laws in France in 1857 (Lopes et al.). He would become known as the “Father of Haute Couture”, creating dresses for royalty and celebrities including Empress Eugene from Constantinople, French actress Sarah Bernhardt and Australian Opera Singer Nellie Melba (Lopes et al.; Krick). The clothing labels proved and ineffective deterrent to counterfeit, and by the 1890s the House of Worth implemented other measures to authenticate their products (Press). The legitimisation of the origin of a product is, arguably, the primary function of branding. This principle is also applicable to subjects. The prothesis of brands, as totemic symbols, assisted consumers to relocate themselves within a new system of population distribution (Levi-Strauss 166). It was one born of commerce as opposed to heraldry.Selling of Self: Conferring Identity from the Neolithic to Modern ErasIn his 1817 compendium on family crests, Deuchar elaborated on heraldry by writing:Ignoble birth was considered as a stain almost indelible… Illustrious parentage, on the other hand, constituted the very basis of honour: it communicated peculiar rights and privileges, to which the meaner born man might not aspire. (v-vi)The Twinings Logo (fig. 4) has remained unchanged since the design was commissioned by the grandson of the company founder Richard Twining in 1787 (Twining). In addition to reflecting the heritage of the family-owned company, the brand indicated the origin of the tea. This became pertinent during the nineteenth century. Plantations began to operate from Assam to Ceylon (Jones 267-269). Amidst the rampant diversification of tea sources in the Victorian era, concerns about the “unhygienic practices” of Chinese producers were proliferated (Wengrow 11). Subsequently, the brand also offered consumers assurance in quality. Fig. 4. The Twinings Logo reproduced from "History of Twinings." Twinings. 24 July 2019 <https://www.twinings.co.uk/about-twinings/history-of-twinings>.The term ‘brand’, adapted from the Norse “brandr”, was introduced into the English language during the sixteenth century (Starcevic 179). At its most literal, it translates as to “burn down” (Starcevic 179). Using hot elements to singe markings onto animals been recorded as early as 2700 BCE in Egypt (Starcevic 182). However, archaeologists concur that the modern principle of branding predates this practice. The implementation of carved seals or stamps to make indelible impressions of handcrafted objects dates back to Prehistoric Mesopotamia (Starcevic 183; Wengrow 13). Similar traditions developed during the Bronze Age in both China and the Indus Valley (Starcevic 185). In all three civilisations branding facilitated both commerce and aspects of Totemism. In the sixth millennium BCE in “Prehistoric” Mesopotamia, referred to as the Halaf period, stone seals were carved to emulate organic form such as animal teeth (Wengrow 13-14). They were used to safeguard objects by “confer[ring] part of the bearer’s personality” (Wengrow 14). They were concurrently applied to secure the contents of vessels containing “exotic goods” used in transactions (Wengrow 15). Worn as amulets (figs. 5 & 6) the seals, and the symbols they produced, were a physical extension of their owners (Wengrow 14).Fig. 5. Recreation of stamp seal amulets from Neolithic Mesopotamia during the sixth millennium BCE. Wengrow, David. "Prehistories of Commodity Branding." Current Anthropology 49.1 (2008): 14.Fig. 6. “Lot 25Y: Rare Syrian Steatite Amulet – Fertility God 5000 BCE.” The Salesroom. 27 July 2019 <https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/artemis-gallery-ancient-art/catalogue-id-srartem10006/lot-a850d229-a303-4bae-b68c-a6130005c48a>. Fig. 7. Recreation of stamp seal designs from Mesopotamia from the late fifth to fourth millennium BCE. Wengrow, David. "Prehistories of Commodity Branding." Current Anthropology 49. 1 (2008): 16.In the following millennia, the seals would increase exponentially in application and aesthetic complexity (fig. 7) to support the development of household cum cottage industries (Wengrow 15). In addition to handcrafts, sealed vessels would transport consumables such as wine, aromatic oils and animal fats (Wengrow 18). The illustrations on the seals included depictions of rituals undertaken by human figures and/or allegories using animals. It can be ascertained that the transition in the Victorian Era from heraldry to commerce, from family to corporation, had precedence. By extension, consumers were able to participate in this process of value attribution using brands as signifiers. The principle remained prevalent during the modern and post-modern eras and can be respectively interpreted using structuralist and post-structuralist theory.Totemism to Simulacrum: The Evolution of Advertising from the Modern to Post-Modern Eras In 2011, Lisa Chaney wrote of the inception of the Coco Chanel logo (fig. 8) in her biography Chanel: An Intimate Life: A crucial element in the signature design of the Chanel No.5 bottle is the small black ‘C’ within a black circle set as the seal at the neck. On the top of the lid are two more ‘C’s, intertwined back to back… from at least 1924, the No5 bottles sported the unmistakable logo… these two ‘C’s referred to Gabrielle, – in other words Coco Chanel herself, and would become the logo for the House of Chanel. Chaney continued by describing Chanel’s fascination of totemic symbols as expressed through her use of tarot cards. She also “surrounded herself with objects ripe with meaning” such as representations of wheat and lions in reference prosperity and to her zodiac symbol ‘Leo’ respectively. Fig. 8. No5 Chanel Perfume, released in 1924, featured a seal-like logo attached to the bottle neck. “No5.” Chanel. 25 July 2019 <https://www.chanel.com/us/fragrance/p/120450/n5-parfum-grand-extrait/>.Fig. 9. This illustration of the bottle by Georges Goursat was published in a women’s magazine circa 1920s. “1921 Chanel No5.” Inside Chanel. 26 July 2019 <http://inside.chanel.com/en/timeline/1921_no5>; “La 4éme Fête de l’Histoire Samedi 16 et dimache 17 juin.” Ville de Perigueux. Musée d’art et d’archéologie du Périgord. 28 Mar. 2018. 26 July 2019 <https://www.perigueux-maap.fr/category/archives/page/5/>. This product was considered the “financial basis” of the Chanel “empire” which emerged during the second and third decades of the twentieth century (Tikkanen). Chanel is credited for revolutionising Haute Couture by introducing chic modern designs that emphasised “simplicity and comfort.” This was as opposed to the corseted highly embellished fashion that characterised the Victorian Era (Tikkanen). The lavish designs released by the House of Worth were, in and of themselves, “conspicuous” displays of “consumption” (Veblen 17). In contrast, the prestige and status associated with the “poor girl” look introduced by Chanel was invested in the story of the designer (Tikkanen). A primary example is her marinière or sailor’s blouse with a Breton stripe that epitomised her ascension from café singer to couturier (Tikkanen; Burstein 8). This signifier might have gone unobserved by less discerning consumers of fashion if it were not for branding. Not unlike the Prehistoric Mesopotamians, this iteration of branding is a process which “confer[s]” the “personality” of the designer into the garment (Wengrow 13 -14). The wearer of the garment is, in turn, is imbued by extension. Advertisers in the post-structuralist era embraced Levi-Strauss’s structuralist anthropological theories (Williamson 50). This is with particular reference to “bricolage” or the “preconditioning” of totemic symbols (Williamson 173; Pool 50). Subsequently, advertising creatives cum “bricoleur” employed his principles to imbue the brands with symbolic power. This symbolic capital was, arguably, transferable to the product and, ultimately, to its consumer (Williamson 173).Post-structuralist and semiotician Jean Baudrillard “exhaustively” critiqued brands and the advertising, or simulacrum, that embellished them between the late 1960s and early 1980s (Wengrow 10-11). In Simulacra and Simulation he wrote,it is the reflection of a profound reality; it masks and denatures a profound reality; it masks the absence of a profound reality; it has no relation to any reality whatsoever: it is its own pure simulacrum. (6)The symbolic power of the Chanel brand resonates in the ‘profound reality’ of her story. It is efficiently ‘denatured’ through becoming simplified, conspicuous and instantly recognisable. It is, as a logo, physically juxtaposed as simulacra onto apparel. This simulacrum, in turn, effects the ‘profound reality’ of the consumer. In 1899, economist Thorstein Veblen wrote in The Theory of the Leisure Class:Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods it the means of reputability to the gentleman of leisure… costly entertainments, such as potlatch or the ball, are peculiarly adapted to serve this end… he consumes vicariously for his host at the same time that he is witness to the consumption… he is also made to witness his host’s facility in etiquette. (47)Therefore, according to Veblen, it was the witnessing of “wasteful” consumption that “confers status” as opposed the primary conspicuous act (Han et al. 18). Despite television being in its experimental infancy advertising was at “the height of its powers” during the 1920s (Clark et al. 18; Hill 30). Post-World War I consumers, in America, experienced an unaccustomed level of prosperity and were unsuspecting of the motives of the newly formed advertising agencies (Clark et al. 18). Subsequently, the ‘witnessing’ of consumption could be constructed across a plethora of media from the newly emerged commercial radio to billboards (Hill viii–25). The resulting ‘status’ was ‘conferred’ onto brand logos. Women’s magazines, with a legacy dating back to 1828, were a primary locus (Hill 10).Belonging in a Post-Structuralist WorldIt is significant to note that, in a post-structuralist world, consumers do not exclusively seek upward mobility in their selection of brands. The establishment of counter-culture icon Levi-Strauss and Co. was concurrent to the emergence of both The House of Worth and Coco Chanel. The Bavarian-born Levi Strauss commenced selling apparel in San Francisco in 1853 (Levi’s). Two decades later, in partnership with Nevada born tailor Jacob Davis, he patented the “riveted-for-strength” workwear using blue denim (Levi’s). Although the ontology of ‘jeans’ is contested, references to “Jene Fustyan” date back the sixteenth century (Snyder 139). It involved the combining cotton, wool and linen to create “vestments” for Geonese sailors (Snyder 138). The Two Horse Logo (fig. 10), depicting them unable to pull apart a pair of jeans to symbolise strength, has been in continuous use by Levi Strauss & Co. company since its design in 1886 (Levi’s). Fig. 10. The Two Horse Logo by Levi Strauss & Co. has been in continuous use since 1886. Staff Unzipped. "Two Horses. One Message." Heritage. Levi Strauss & Co. 1 July 2011. 25 July 2019 <https://www.levistrauss.com/2011/07/01/two-horses-many-versions-one-message/>.The “rugged wear” would become the favoured apparel amongst miners at American Gold Rush (Muthu 6). Subsequently, between the 1930s – 1960s Hollywood films cultivated jeans as a symbol of “defiance” from Stage Coach staring John Wayne in 1939 to Rebel without A Cause staring James Dean in 1955 (Muthu 6; Edgar). Consequently, during the 1960s college students protesting in America (fig. 11) against the draft chose the attire to symbolise their solidarity with the working class (Hedarty). Notwithstanding a 1990s fashion revision of denim into a diversity of garments ranging from jackets to skirts, jeans have remained a wardrobe mainstay for the past half century (Hedarty; Muthu 10). Fig. 11. Although the brand label is not visible, jeans as initially introduced to the American Goldfields in the nineteenth century by Levi Strauss & Co. were cultivated as a symbol of defiance from the 1930s – 1960s. It documents an anti-war protest that occurred at the Pentagon in 1967. Cox, Savannah. "The Anti-Vietnam War Movement." ATI. 14 Dec. 2016. 16 July 2019 <https://allthatsinteresting.com/vietnam-war-protests#7>.In 2003, the journal Science published an article “Does Rejection Hurt? An Fmri Study of Social Exclusion” (Eisenberger et al.). The cross-institutional study demonstrated that the neurological reaction to rejection is indistinguishable to physical pain. Whereas during the 1940s Maslow classified the desire for “belonging” as secondary to “physiological needs,” early twenty-first century psychologists would suggest “[social] acceptance is a mechanism for survival” (Weir 50). In Simulacra and Simulation, Jean Baudrillard wrote: Today abstraction is no longer that of the map, the double, the mirror or the concept. Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being or a substance. It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal… (1)In the intervening thirty-eight years since this document was published the artifice of our interactions has increased exponentially. In order to locate ‘belongness’ in this hyperreality, the identities of the seekers require a level of encoding. Brands, as signifiers, provide a vehicle.Whereas in Prehistoric Mesopotamia carved seals, worn as amulets, were used to extend the identity of a person, in post-digital China WeChat QR codes (fig. 12), stored in mobile phones, are used to facilitate transactions from exchanging contact details to commerce. Like other totems, they provide access to information such as locations, preferences, beliefs, marital status and financial circumstances. These individualised brands are the most recent incarnation of a technology that has developed over the past eight thousand years. The intermediary iteration, emblems affixed to garments, has remained prevalent since the twelfth century. Their continued salience is due to their visibility and, subsequent, accessibility as signifiers. Fig. 12. It may be posited that Wechat QR codes are a form individualised branding. Like other totems, they store information pertaining to the owner’s location, beliefs, preferences, marital status and financial circumstances. “Join Wechat groups using QR code on 2019.” Techwebsites. 26 July 2019 <https://techwebsites.net/join-wechat-group-qr-code/>.Fig. 13. Brands function effectively as signifiers is due to the international distribution of multinational corporations. This is the shopfront of Chanel in Dubai, which offers customers apparel bearing consistent insignia as the Parisian outlet at on Rue Cambon. Customers of Chanel can signify to each other with the confidence that their products will be recognised. “Chanel.” The Dubai Mall. 26 July 2019 <https://thedubaimall.com/en/shop/chanel>.Navigating a post-structuralist world of increasing mobility necessitates a rudimental understanding of these symbols. Whereas in the nineteenth century status was conveyed through consumption and witnessing consumption, from the twentieth century onwards the garnering of brands made this transaction immediate (Veblen 47; Han et al. 18). The bricolage of the brands is constructed by bricoleurs working in any number of contemporary creative fields such as advertising, filmmaking or song writing. They provide a system by which individuals can convey and recognise identities at prima facie. They enable the prosthesis of identity.ReferencesBaudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. Trans. Sheila Faria Glaser. United States: University of Michigan Press, 1994.Burstein, Jessica. Cold Modernism: Literature, Fashion, Art. United States: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2012.Chaney, Lisa. Chanel: An Intimate Life. United Kingdom: Penguin Books Limited, 2011.Christensen, J.A. Cut-Art: An Introduction to Chung-Hua and Kiri-E. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1989. Clark, Eddie M., Timothy C. 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