4 research outputs found
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ART OF SCULPTURE IN CHINA’S LONGMEN GROTTOES: “RELIGIOUS COLORS, CULTURE, AND RELIEF SCULPTURE”
No full textThis paper examines the art of sculpture in China from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, focusing on the Longmen Grottoes located in Luoyang City, Henan Province. The study focuses on the religious colours and relief techniques of Longmen Grottoes sculpture, exploring the influence of Buddhism on the styling of Chinese royalty and the development of sculpture in later generations. By comparing the statues of the Longmen Grottoes of the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Tang Dynasty, the sculptures are analysed in terms of their demeanour, colour, statue assemblage, and relief content. It is found that religious concepts have had a profound influence on the evolution of Chinese sculpture art at different historical stages. At the same time, with the change of times, religious ideas also influenced the development of sculpture technology. In addition, by analysing the typology and modelling mechanics of the representative sculptures of Buddha, Bodhisattva and Flying Sky in the Longmen Grottoes, the sculpture modelling is integrated with the Buddhist beliefs, classics and national culture of the time. Ultimately, the influence of religious culture on ancient Chinese sculpture art is explored to provide new perspectives for the establishment of a sculpture teaching and modelling system with local characteristics
Enhanced Mechanical Properties of 3D Printed Concrete Sculpture Material with Wood Fibers Reinforcement
No full textThis study examined the mechanical characteristics of 3D printed concrete utilized in sculpture materials, with an emphasis on the incorporation of wood fibers. A series of experiments were conducted to probe into the wood fiber-reinforced 3D printed concrete sculpture materials. Through mechanical and microscopic examinations, the role of flexible fibers in enhancing the bearing capacity of concrete 3D printed components was investigated. The results indicated that an optimal amount of wood fiber addition significantly improved the mechanical properties of the concrete sculpture materials. At the interlayer interface, wood fibers exhibited elongation, thereby mitigating the specimen damage. However, beyond a certain threshold, the mechanical properties tended to decline due to either the agglomeration or direct dislodgment of wood fibers at the interlayer interface, which resulted in an absence of notable deformation. This scenario thereby failed to impede crack propagation. Hydrophobic performance assays revealed an elevation in surface hydrophobicity of 3D printed concrete sculpture materials with the inclusion of wood fibers. Yet, an excessive amount of wood fibers caused a gradual reduction in the contact angle, implying a decrease in the hydrophobicity of the material surface
From plural society to Bangsa Malaysia : ethnicity and nationalism in the politics of nation-building in Malaysia
No full textThe question of nation-building has always been a central issue in Malaysian politics. Whilst the country has been able to sustain a relatively stable politics since the 1969
tragedy, and hence spawn a rapid economic development (at least until the 1997 Asian economic crisis), the project of nation-building remained a basic national agenda yet
to be fully resolved. This study investigates the delicate process of nation-building in Malaysia in the post 1970s, especially in the context of the vision of constructing the
Bangsa Malaysia or 'a united Malaysian nation' enshrined in Mahathir's Vision 2020 project which was introduced in 1991. The aim of the study is firstly, to examine the
underlying socio-political parameters that shaped and influenced the politics of nation-building in the country, and secondly, to explore the viability of the project of
Bangsa Malaysia in the context of the daunting challenges involved in the process of nation-building. Drawing from a range of theoretical frameworks as well as from
both primary and secondary data, the study contends that, based on the Malaysian experience, the potent interplay between the forces of ethnicity and nationalism
constitute the crux of the problems in the politics of nation-building in Malaysia. This dialectic it is argued, stems from the prevalence of the varying perceptions of 'nation-of-intent' within and across ethnic groups. These phenomena have not only shaped the pattern of ethnic political mobilisation in the country, but above all, laid the most complex set of obstacles in the path of the project of nation-building. This study argues that the project of constructing the Bangsa Malaysia therefore, can be seen as a significant attempt by the state to reconcile the varying ethnic ideologies of nation-of-intent.
It can also be considered as an attempt to consolidate Malay nationalism and cultural pluralism, thus, depicting 'the nation' as a 'mosaic of cultures', or reflecting a creation of 'a supra-ethnic' national identity. However, the viability of the envisaged
project is yet to be tested. The concept itself is still vague to many people and the challenges ahead are enormous, involving political, economic, socio-cultural and
religious issues. Indeed, the project risks becoming the 'latest' in the series of competing notions of nation-of-intent circulating in Malaysia. This study contends
that whilst, to some extent, the socio-political landscape of Malaysian society has been rapidly changing, especially under the eighteen years of Mahathir's reign,ethnicity still pervades Malaysian political life. This study differs from many previous studies on nation-building in Malaysia which have mainly focused on either the historical dimensions or those which have examined the impact of key national policies. As such, it is hoped that this study would be able to provide an alternative perspective in the analysis of ethnic relations and nation-building in Malaysia, thus broadening the understanding of Malaysian politics and society
Global, regional, and national burden of stroke and its risk factors, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
No full textBackground: Up-to-date estimates of stroke burden and attributable risks and their trends at global, regional, and national levels are essential for evidence-based health care, prevention, and resource allocation planning. We aimed to provide such estimates for the period 1990-2021. Methods: We estimated incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) counts and age-standardised rates per 100 000 people per year for overall stroke, ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, and subarachnoid haemorrhage, for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. We also calculated burden of stroke attributable to 23 risk factors and six risk clusters (air pollution, tobacco smoking, behavioural, dietary, environmental, and metabolic risks) at the global and regional levels (21 GBD regions and Socio-demographic Index [SDI] quintiles), using the standard GBD methodology. 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) for each individual future estimate were derived from the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles of distributions generated from propagating 500 draws through the multistage computational pipeline. Findings: In 2021, stroke was the third most common GBD level 3 cause of death (7·3 million [95% UI 6·6-7·8] deaths; 10·7% [9·8-11·3] of all deaths) after ischaemic heart disease and COVID-19, and the fourth most common cause of DALYs (160·5 million [147·8-171·6] DALYs; 5·6% [5·0-6·1] of all DALYs). In 2021, there were 93·8 million (89·0-99·3) prevalent and 11·9 million (10·7-13·2) incident strokes. We found disparities in stroke burden and risk factors by GBD region, country or territory, and SDI, as well as a stagnation in the reduction of incidence from 2015 onwards, and even some increases in the stroke incidence, death, prevalence, and DALY rates in southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania, countries with lower SDI, and people younger than 70 years. Globally, ischaemic stroke constituted 65·3% (62·4-67·7), intracerebral haemorrhage constituted 28·8% (28·3-28·8), and subarachnoid haemorrhage constituted 5·8% (5·7-6·0) of incident strokes. There were substantial increases in DALYs attributable to high BMI (88·2% [53·4-117·7]), high ambient temperature (72·4% [51·1 to 179·5]), high fasting plasma glucose (32·1% [26·7-38·1]), diet high in sugar-sweetened beverages (23·4% [12·7-35·7]), low physical activity (11·3% [1·8-34·9]), high systolic blood pressure (6·7% [2·5-11·6]), lead exposure (6·5% [4·5-11·2]), and diet low in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (5·3% [0·5-10·5]). Interpretation: Stroke burden has increased from 1990 to 2021, and the contribution of several risk factors has also increased. Effective, accessible, and affordable measures to improve stroke surveillance, prevention (with the emphasis on blood pressure, lifestyle, and environmental factors), acute care, and rehabilitation need to be urgently implemented across all countries to reduce stroke burden. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
