10,314 research outputs found
Dong Zhou jin wen suo jian jia ci tan lun.
No full textIn ancient times, words of praying were often inscribed on the bottom of newly made bronzewares. Such words are now named "Jia-ci". Jia-ci originated in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, with much enrichent and diversification in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Most of the Jia-ci used in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty inscribed bronzes cannot be found in literature today. The scope of their contents is wide, contributing to their being complete reflections of ancient lives and culture. Not only is the notion of providence and spirits in primitive religious beliefs included, but the ancients' quests for immortality, good fortune, peacefulness and power are also revealed. In addition, Jia-ci can be seen as an important criterion for distinguishing the age and origin of bronzewares, due to the strong sense of time and place shown by their use. Variances can often been seen in the forms and use of words differing in the period. Using inscribed bronzes found on the Eastern Zhou Dynasty bronzewares as the focus, alongside their comparison with ancient books found, this study aims to provide a clear picture of Jia-ci in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty with proper cataloguing.This study contains nine chapters. The first chapter would mainly elaborate the definition and origin of Jia-ci, together with a literature review on inscribed bronzes. Motive and methodology of present studies would also be mentioned. Moreover, Jia-ci are the ancients' words of praying with targets of such praying being gods and ghosts. As a result, the second chapter would provide a completely new research on the notion of providence and spirits in the early Qin Dynasty, assisted by the reference to ancient books and related materials from excavations. The third to eighth chapter would have an in-depth study of more commonly found phrases in Jia-ci according to their content types. In turn, the properties of Jia-ci in terms of forms and wordings, together with the reflected beliefs and religious ideas, would be looked into. The contents of Jia-ci in the Eastern Zhou inscribed bronzes can be primarily divided into four types, namely "the quest for health and longevity", "good fortune", "power of nation" and "peacefulness". Those belonging to "the quest for health and longevity" are chiefly "mei-shou", "wan-nian", "yong-shou", "da-shou", "wan-shou", and so on. The quest for "good fortune" includes "dou-fu", "wan-fu", "da-fu", "duo-xi", "fan-xi", and soon. Concerning "power of nation" are "jun-hui-zai-wei", "jun-ling-zai-wei", "bao-yi-X-guo", "X-bang-shi-bao", "pu-you-s i-fang". The quest for "peacefulness" involves such phrases as "kang-he", "kang-xie", "he-hao", "kang-le", "kang-shu". In these chapters, their time of emergence, rules of use, and evolutions of meanings would be respectively looked into. The ninth chapter would be a conclusion on providing a insight into such aspects as the forms, formulation of maxims, relationships with literature handed down to generations, characteristics of those in specific times, properties of those in specific regions, and cultural contents.鄧佩玲.論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2006.參考文獻(p. 395-414).Adviser: Kwong Yue Cheung.Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0543.Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web.Abstracts in Chinese and English.School code: 1307.Lun wen (zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2006.Can kao wen xian (p. 395-414).Deng Peiling
Complete solo piano works of Zhou Long
No full textAccess to thesis restricted until 07/2023.Zhou Long is a contemporary composer of Chinese American descent, who
belongs to a generation of Chinese composers that began introducing traditional
Chinese music to western audiences. He gained international recognition after
receiving the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for his opera, Madame White Snake (2011). Very
few performances, recordings, and publications currently exist on Zhou’s piano
music, and this doctoral lecture recital is the first time an artist has performed the
complete collection of Zhou’s solo piano pieces. The pieces include: Mongolian Folk-
Tune Variations, Wu Kui, Pianogongs, and Pianobells. In his piano music, Zhou
makes use of unconventional extended piano techniques, imitates and evokes Chinese
traditional instruments, and likes to make connections with other art genres. Also, the
prominence of percussive elements in Zhou’s music is of a great importance. In this
lecture recital, the author has mainly focused on 1) the background information of
Zhou Long and his solo piano works; 2) the influence of Chinese traditional
instruments, ancient literatures and aesthetic concepts, in addition to folk elements on
his piano music; 3) how the composer combined those elements with western music
and compositional skills; and 4) the exploration of the percussive usage of the piano
along with various sound effect. Much of the discussion were from the author’s own
observations; it also include insights from an interview the author conducted with the
composer. Through the combined presentation of the lecture and performance of Zhou
Long’s four piano pieces, the author intended to help bring exposure to his piano
works, and to serve as a guide for piano students and teachers interested in exploring
Zhou’s piano music.Thesis (D.A.
Application of particle swarm optimization in adaptive self-interference cancellation
No full textThis thesis investigates the application of particle swarm optimization in self-interference cancellation. To achieve cancellation, the receiver has to differentiate between the transmit and receive signal. The transmit signal is already known at the transmitting side but it undergoes some distortion before it reaches the receiving end. An adaptive filter proves to be useful in estimating the distortion, but its weight remains an unknown factor. This thesis uses the particle swarm optimization algorithm to dynamically adjust the weights of the filter.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2022-08-01The student, Jingchao Zhou, accepted the attached license on 2020-07-07 at 14:08.The student, Jingchao Zhou, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2020-07-07 at 14:14.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2020-07-07 at 17:20.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #15513 on 2020-10-02 at 15:31:36Made available in DSpace on 2020-10-07T22:44:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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The Death of the Author, or Not: An Examination of Contemporary Western Literary Theory (Book Review)
No full textZhou, M. (2017) The Death of the Author, or Not: An Examination of Contemporary Western Literary Theory (Book Review). Journal of East-West Thought, 2(7), 103-104.Jiang Zhang, The Death of the Author, or Not: An Examination of Contemporary Western Literary Theory. Beijing; China Social Sciences Press, 2017. 500 pp
Angiotensin II induces soluble fms-Like tyrosine kinase-1 release via calcineurin signaling pathway in pregnancy
No full textMaternal endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia is associated with increased soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), a circulating antagonist of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factor. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a potent vasoconstrictor that increases concomitant with sFlt-1 during pregnancy. Therefore, we speculated that Ang II may promote the expression of sFlt-1 in pregnancy. Here we report that infusion of Ang II significantly increases circulating levels of sFlt-1 in pregnant mice, thereby demonstrating that Ang II is a regulator of sFlt-1 secretion in vivo. Furthermore, Ang II stimulated sFlt-1 production in a dose- and time-dependent manner from human villous explants and cultured trophoblasts but not from endothelial cells, suggesting that trophoblasts are the primary source of sFlt-1 during pregnancy. As expected, Ang II-induced sFlt-1 secretion resulted in the inhibition of endothelial cell migration and in vitro tube formation. In vitro and in vivo studies with losartan, small interfering RNA specific for calcineurin and FK506 demonstrated that Ang II-mediated sFlt-1 release was via Ang II type 1 receptor activation and calcineurin signaling, respectively. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized regulatory role for Ang II on sFlt-1 expression in murine and human pregnancy and suggest that elevated sFlt-1 levels in preeclampsia may be caused by a dysregulation of the local renin/angiotensin system
DMM Prize 2018 winner: Wenqing Zhou
No full textDisease Models & Mechanisms (DMM) is delighted to announce that the winner of the DMM Prize 2018 is Wenqing Zhou, for her paper entitled ‘Neutrophil-specific knockout demonstrates a role for mitochondria in regulating neutrophil motility in zebrafish’ (Zhou et al., 2018a). The prize of $1000 is awarded to the first author of the paper that is judged by the journal's editors to be the most outstanding contribution to the journal that year. To be considered for the prize, the first author must be a student or a postdoc of no more than 5 years standing
Epidemiology and burden of soil-transmitted helminth infections among school-aged Bulang children in Yunnan province, People's Republic of China
No full textBackground: The three most common soil-transmitted helminths are Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), Trichuris trichiura (whipworm), and Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus (hookworms). Collectively, they infect around 1 billion people and put approximately 5 billion people at risk of infection worldwide. Strongyloides stercoralis is a less common soil-transmitted helminth than the species mentioned above, but still significant from a public health perspective. The global prevalence of S. stercoralis is estimated to be 30-100 million. Populations most affected by these parasitic worms are often impoverished, living on less than US$ 2 per day, and have poor sanitation facilities and hygiene habits. Despite the low prevalence levels of soil-transmitted helminth infections observed on a national level in the People’s Republic of China (P.R. China), hotspots of these infections, particularly within ethnic minority groups residing in rural areas, still exist.
Single-species infections with the common soil-transmitted helminths can cause symptoms ranging from abdominal pain to anaemia, and impaired development of cognitive abilities. For S. stercoralis infections, symptoms such as severe abdominal pain and blood in the stool have been reported. Due to the chronic and subtle nature of most morbidities commonly associated with soil-transmitted helminthiasis, it is difficult to assess the true burden due to these infections.
Objectives: The goal guiding this Ph.D. project was to deepen the understanding of the epidemiology and burden of soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school-aged children from the Bulang ethnic minority group in P.R. China. The following objectives were pursued: (i) to evaluate the feasibility of deploying different tools for the assessment of physical fitness in soil-transmitted helminth-endemic settings; (ii) to monitor changes in physical fitness, strength and anthropometric measurements over a six-month period among treated children and their untreated peers; (iii) to predict and visualize the change in physical fitness of school-aged children due to soil-transmitted helminth infections over a 1-month period across P.R. China; (iv) to assess the efficacy of triple-dose albendazole and study soil-transmitted helminth re-infection patterns after deworming; and (v) to estimate the odds of re-infection with soil-transmitted helminths for different natural nutritional statuses and types of nutritional supplementation.
Methods: For the field studies, parasitological examination of stool samples was performed. The Kato-Katz technique was used to identify the eggs of A. lumbricoides, hookworm, T. trichiura and other helminths, while the Baermann technique was used to identify the larvae of S. stercoralis. In addition, each stool sample was visually inspected for Taenia spp. proglottids. Physical fitness was estimated with the 20-m shuttle run test and physical strength was assessed with the grip strength and standing broad jump tests. Anthropometric measurements, including body height and weight and sum of skinfolds, and haemoglobin level were also recorded. Physical fitness and strength scores, anthropometric measurements, and haemoglobin level were expressed as means, and compared among children of distinct soil-transmitted helminth infection status and intensity. For the prediction and visualization exercise, the change in physical fitness over 1 month across P.R. China was predicted over a smooth surface of soil-transmitted helminth risk. Maps, with lower and upper boundaries of the predicted values as well as population-adjusted estimates, were further created. Finally, for the systematic review, the odds of re-infection with soil-transmitted helminths for different natural nutritional statuses and types of nutritional supplementation were estimated and qualitative content analysis was conducted for all studies included in the review.
Results: In a cross-sectional survey, the maximum aerobic capacity in 1 min of exhaustive exercise (VO2 max estimate) of T. trichiura-infected children was 1.9 ml kg-1 min-1 lower than that of their non-infected counterparts (P=0.01). Until exhaustion, T. trichiura-infected children had completed six 20-m laps less (P<0.01). No significant association between anthropometric indicators and infection with any soil-transmitted helminth species could be established.
In a randomised controlled trial, which investigated the effects of triple-dose albendazole on physical fitness of school-aged children, baseline prevalences of T. trichiura, A. lumbricoides, hookworm, and S. stercoralis were 94.5%, 93.3%, 61.3%, and 3.1% respectively, with more than half harboring triple-species infections. During the course of the trial, rapid re-infection with A. lumbricoides was observed and low cure rate was achieved with T. trichiura infections. Children receiving triple-dose albendazole scored slightly higher values in physical fitness and strength scores, anthropometric measurements, and haemoglobin level than placebo recipients, but the difference lacked statistical significance. The increase in VO2 max estimate from baseline was 1.6 ml kg-1 min-1 (P=0.02) less and the increase in the number of 20-m laps completed from baseline was five 20-m laps (P=0.04) less for T. trichiura-infected children compared to their non-infected peers. In addition, children with low infection intensity of T. trichiura and hookworm had consistently more increase in the VO2 max estimate from baseline than their peers with high infection intensity of all soil-transmitted helminths (range: 1.9-2.1 ml kg-1 min-1; all P <0.05).
In the systematic review, multi-micronutrients seemed to have the clearest effect with regards to lowering re-infection rates and intensity of soil-transmitted helminths, whereas consumption of zinc or vitamin A alone might have a negative impact on these two outcomes measures. With regards to the natural nutrition status of the host, the general trend observed was that individuals with poor nutrition status suffered higher re-infection rates and intensities when compared to their well-nourished peers. Overall, only fifteen studies met our inclusion criteria and majority of them were of low quality.
Conclusions/significance: The negative associations observed between T. trichiura infections and physical fitness among school-aged Bulang children in Yunnan suggests that the current burden estimate of soil-transmitted helminth infections, in particular T. trichiura infections, might be underestimated and there are still subtle and hidden morbidities to be quantified. A paradigm shift is needed to further understand the burden of soil-transmitted helminth infections as the presence of co-infections and co-morbidities add layers of complexity to the task. Finally, the epidemiological findings on soil-transmitted helminthiasis from this thesis highlight that a national soil-transmitted helminth control programme is overdue and urgently needed as P.R. China further develops into a global powerhouse. With many of their rural communities starting to have their hands on the first rung of the development ladder, P.R. China seems to be in a good position to set a leading example on how to control and eliminate soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and possibly other neglected tropical diseases, for developing countries around the world
Author-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.
No full textAuthor-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.</p
Advances in heterologous biosynthesis of plant and fungal natural products by modular co-culture engineering
No full textHeterologous biosynthesis has been long pursued as a viable approach for high efficiency production of natural products with various industrial values. Conventional methods for heterologous biosynthesis use the mono-culture of an engineered microbe for accommodating the whole target biosynthetic pathway to produce the desired product. The emergence of modular co-culture engineering, which divides the pathway between multiple co-culture strains, presents a new perspective to conduct heterologous biosynthesis and improve the bioproduction performance of natural products. This review highlights recent advances in utilizing the modular co-culture engineering approaches to address the challenges of plant and fungal natural productbiosynthesis. Potential directions for future research in this promising field are also discussed
The Princess in the Castle: Challenging Serious Game Play for Integrated Policy Analysis and Planning
No full textWhat are the principles that make societal problems socio-technically complex? And, even more important, how can we support public policymaking in the wake of socio-technical complexity? In The Princess in the Castle, the author investigates if, why and how serious games and game-like simulations (SGs) can support integrated policy making and planning, especially in relation to managing rivers and oceans. She argues that ‘playful methods’ are particularly suited to surround sophisticated analysis with extensive participation. The book contains many examples and illustrations but centres on: the Climate Game, used in a neighbourhood reconstruction project incorporating climate adaptation measures; The Blokkendoos Planning Kit, used in the Netherlands’ planning project Room for the River for integrated flood management; the MSP Challenge, used to further the development of integrated, eco-system based marine spatial planning. The book provides a de- and re-construction of the ‘principles of play’ that underlying integrated policy analysis. The perceived usefulness of game-like tools in the Dutch and Chinese policy contexts is empirically studied. The author concludes that serious games for policy-making and planning are powerful methods with largely untapped potential. Yet, without room to play they can be easily turn into ineffective and expensive toys. Qiqi Zhou is a researcher at Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. She is involved in several research projects with Dutch and Chinese universities.Policy, Organization, Law and Gaming (POLG)Technology, Policy and Managemen
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