205 research outputs found
Reading and Writing in Negotiations: Studies in the Chinese Harry Potter Danmei Tongren Fandom
No full textUsing the Chinese "Harry Potter" danmei tongren fandom as an example, this thesis discusses the specific reading and writing habits of the Chinese danmei tongren fans. "Danmei tongren" is a Chinese umbrella term for fan fiction about male homoerotic romance that uses characters from popular texts. It is a type of popular culture appreciated mainly by young Chinese female netizens. The thesis is divided into two chapters. The first chapter discusses the reasons why danmei has become the mainstream genre/modality of tongren writing in contemporary PRC, by exploring the lineage of Chinese tongren culture and the desire and needs of its major female participants. The second chapter analyzes the specific fannish reading and writing habits fostered by online communities from the perspectives of the relationship between fans and the source texts, the interactions and conflicts between tongren readers and writers, and fans' literary innovation under communal limitations. Based on participant observation of fan practices, textual analysis of fan texts, and qualitative interviews with eight Harry Potter danmei tongren fans, I argue that danmei tongren fans' reading and writing are shaped and mediated by the complex negotiations in the intimate online community built and connected by fans' emotional investments.</p
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Danmei Literature as Indicator of Social Change: A Sociocultural Analysis of Xiao Chun’s Collide
No full textDuring the last two decades, Mainland China has seen a rise in the emergence of homosexually charged themes in popular underground literature via the spread of the “Danmei” novel. Mandarin for “indulge in beauty,” the term refers to works of fiction centering on graphic depictions of same-sex love between two central male characters. By the late nineties, an explosion of online Danmei forums proved to be a powerful tool in circumventing government censors, and authorship (mainly by young heterosexual women) skyrocketed. Xiao Chun’s Collide, first uploaded to the internet in 2006, swept through online message boards and reading forums to become one of the cornerstone pieces of the Danmei genre. Banned for its lascivious homosexual content, its rabid Internet consumption throughout China and Taiwan has contributed to (and, indeed, sheds light on) a wide array of observable changes occurring in the modern Chinese social landscape. This paper begins with a brief explanation of what little is known about the author of Collide, as well as an introduction to the background of the Danmei movement. Following these sections, a discussion of the sociocultural relevance of the Danmei movement will be presented with special attention paid to the significance of female-dominated authorship and readership, to the voyeurism associated with the genre, and to the relationship between Danmei literature and changing attitudes toward homosexuality. The remaining sections will provide notes from the translator and further remarks on Collide. The analysis will conclude with a full translation of the novel.Master of Arts (M.A.
Ambivalências de gênero e sexualidade nas narrativas danmei: uma análise da obra de Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
No full textThe paper discusses the work of Chinese author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, whose novels have been achieving worldwide success. The author’s work is part of a literary genre known as danmei, which focuses on romantic relationships between male characters, commonly produced and consumed by women. The paper begins by exploring the ambivalences of gender and sexuality present in danmei works, as well as discussing the impact of Chinese state censorship on such content. Next, the text seeks to understand how Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's work incorporates these ambivalences, acting, paradoxically, with the reinforcement and the rupture of gender stereotypes.O presente ensaio discute a obra da autora chinesa Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, cujas novels vêm alcançando sucesso mundial. A obra da autora é parte de um gênero literário conhecido como danmei, que se concentra em relacionamentos românticos entre personagens masculinos, comumente produzido e consumido por mulheres. O texto começa por explorar as ambivalências de gênero e sexualidade presentes nas obras de danmei, além de discutir o impacto da censura do Estado chinês sobre tais conteúdos. Em seguida, através de uma análise descritiva, o texto busca compreender como a obra de Mo Xiang Tong Xiu incorpora essas ambivalências, atuando, paradoxalmente, com o reforço e a ruptura de estereótipos de gênero
Ambivalências de gênero e sexualidade nas narrativas danmei: uma análise da obra de Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Full text linkThe paper discusses the work of Chinese author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, whose novels have been achieving worldwide success. The author’s work is part of a literary genre known as danmei, which focuses on romantic relationships between male characters, commonly produced and consumed by women. The paper begins by exploring the ambivalences of gender and sexuality present in danmei works, as well as discussing the impact of Chinese state censorship on such content. Next, the text seeks to understand how Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's work incorporates these ambivalences, acting, paradoxically, with the reinforcement and the rupture of gender stereotypes.O presente ensaio discute a obra da autora chinesa Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, cujas novels vêm alcançando sucesso mundial. A obra da autora é parte de um gênero literário conhecido como danmei, que se concentra em relacionamentos românticos entre personagens masculinos, comumente produzido e consumido por mulheres. O texto começa por explorar as ambivalências de gênero e sexualidade presentes nas obras de danmei, além de discutir o impacto da censura do Estado chinês sobre tais conteúdos. Em seguida, através de uma análise descritiva, o texto busca compreender como a obra de Mo Xiang Tong Xiu incorpora essas ambivalências, atuando, paradoxalmente, com o reforço e a ruptura de estereótipos de gênero
Boys' Love (Danmei) fiction on the Chinese internet : Wasabi Kun, the BL forum Young Nobleman Changpei, and the development of an online literary phenomenon
No full textThis study is a brief history of the development of danmei 耽美, or Boys’ Love (BL) fiction on mainland Chinese websites. Focusing on Gongzi Changpei 公子长佩 (Young Nobleman Changpei) – a danmei forum –and writings by the danmei author Wasabi Kun 芥末君, it conducts a case study of danmei as a literary phenomenon, encompassing factors such as industry, aesthetics, and community, including reader response.
In sketching the ecology of one type of online literature, this study draws on primary literary texts, online reader responses by so-called fu nü 腐女 (“rotten girls”), industry data, and previous scholarly studies. Appendices include a glossary of terms and two non-exhaustive tables: one details the main websites/forums where the writing, reading, discussion, and circulation of danmei fiction takes place; the other lists representative novels from 2001 to 2015.
Chapter 2 offers an introduction to the Chinese BL forum Gongzi Changpei (Young Nobleman Changpei), detailing the subgenres on offer, analyzing a selection of popular novels, and describing the forums’ operations. Chapter 3 offers a detailed analysis of the career and reception of author Wasabi Kun 芥末君, as well as of Kun’s serialized novel If You Have Been Through Winter 如你走过冬天 (2015-2016). Through analyzing Kun’s work, I show a line of development in the genre. I argue that Kun tries to avoid creating simply a hybrid combination of various genre elements or a series of utopian but improbable cute stories. Instead, Kun’s novel emphasizes romance and individual growth, refined language and emotional realism.
In tracing a broader history of the genre, I argue that danmei fiction is being influenced by Japanese and Western models at a time when Chinese women are pursuing non-traditional gender roles and becoming comfortable discussing and reading about sex. Yet after a dozen years of development, the mainstream of online writing shows that even as the novels become more entertaining, fewer focus solely on homosexual relationships. More authors are writing novels with hybrid genre elements, in which the familiar Boys’ Love tropes of sex and pleasure are becoming more or less sidelined.Arts, Faculty ofAsian Studies, Department ofGraduat
Experimental and numerical studies of thermoregulating textiles incorporated with phase change materials
Full text linkPhase change materials (PCMs) provide thermal management solution to textiles for the protection of wearer from extreme weather conditions. PCMs are the substances which can store or release a large amount of energy in the form of latent heat at certain melting temperature. This research reports practical and theoretical studies of textiles containing PCMs.
Mono and multifilament filaments incorporated with microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) have been developed through melt spinning process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) have been performed for the characterisation of MPCM polypropylene filaments. The parameters for optimum fibre processing and their effect on mechanical properties of filaments with respect to the amount of MPCM have also been studied.
A plain woven fabric has been constructed using the developed MPCM multifilament yarn. The heat transfer property of the multifilament yarn and fabric has been investigated using finite element method. The time dependent thermoregulating effect of yarn and fabric incorporated with MPCM has also been predicted according to the validated models.
The synthesis of Nanocapsules containing mixture of paraffins and Glauber’s salt as PCM and its characterisation using DSC and SEM has also been carried out. Polypropylene monofilament incorporated with the nanoencapsulated paraffins was developed and its properties have been compared to its MPCM counterpart. Furthermore the developed nanocapsules were applied on a cotton fabric via a pad-dry-cure process and the resultant fabric was evaluated using DSC and SEM in comparison with MPCM treated fabric.
The research work described in this thesis has established a better understanding of use of phase change materials in textiles, the evaluation and application. It is anticipated that this research will broaden the understanding and potential use of encapsulated phase change materials in textiles especially in the field of active smart textiles
Geometrical modelling and numerical analysis of thermal behaviour of textile structures
Full text linkThe thermal properties of fabric are an important factor in the understanding of the thermo-physiological comfort of clothing. The principal aim of this research was to develop novel numerical methods, Graphical User Interface (GUI) plug-ins and experimental setup to evaluate the effective thermal conductivity and thermal resistance of different textile structures which has significant impact on the thermal comfort of clothing. The numerical methods also include the analysis of the effect of fibre orientation, thermal anisotropy of fibre, temperature dependent thermal conductivity and fibre volume fraction on the effective thermal conductivity and thermal resistance of textile fabrics.
The research covers the development of geometrical models of woven, knitted, nonwoven and the composites fabric structures, evaluation of their thermal properties by using finite element method, creation of user friendly plug-ins and the extended application tools. Micro and mesoscopic scale modelling approaches were used to investigate the effective thermal conductivity and thermal resistance of textile structures. Various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, x-ray microtomography and experimental method have been adopted to obtain the actual 3D dimensional parameters of the fabrics for finite element analysis.
Research revealed that, the thermal anisotropy of fibres, fibres material orientation and temperature dependent thermal conductivity of fibre have significant impact on the effective thermal conductivity of fabrics because experimental and simulated results were highly correlated with the consideration of above mentioned factors. In addition a unique technique has been developed in modelling fabric coated by microencapsulated phase change material for temperature stable textile and clothing system.
User friendly GUI plug-ins have been developed to generate both microscopic and mesoscopic scale models for finite element analysis. The plug-ins were developed by using Abaqus/CAE as a platform. The GUI Plug-ins enable automatic model generation and property analysis of knitted fabrics and composites.
Apart from finite element analysis of various fabric structures, an experimental device has been developed for testing thermal conductivity of fabrics which is capable of testing small sample size within very short period of time. The device was validated by commercial available apparatus for testing of fabric thermal conductivity
Assessing bone microstructure at the distal radius in children and adolescents using HR-pQCT: A methodological pilot study
No full textWe examined the use of high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT [XtremeCT; Scanco Medical, Switzerland]) to assess bone microstructure at the distal radius in growing children and adolescents. We examined forearm radiographs from 37 children (age 8–14 yr) to locate the position of the ulnar and radial growth plates. We used HR-pQCT to assess bone microstructure in a region of interest (ROI) at the distal radius that excluded the growth plate (as determined from the radiographs) in all children (n = 328; 9–21 yr old). From radiographs, we determined that a ROI in the distal radius at 7% of bone length excluded the radial growth plate in 100% of participants. We present bone microstructure data at the distal radius in children and adolescents. From the HR-pQCT scans, we observed active growth plates in 80 males (aged 9.5–20.7 yr) and 92 females (aged 9.5–20.2 yr). The ulnar plate was visible in 9 male and 17 female participants (aged 11.2 ± 1.9 yr). The HR-pQCT scan required 3 min with a relatively low radiation dose (<3 μSv). Images from the radial ROI were free of artifacts and outlined cortical and trabecular bone microstructure. There is currently no standard method for these measures; therefore, these findings provide insight for investigators using HR-pQCT for studies of growing children.
[ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]Peer reviewedFinal article publishedGrowth plateBone imagingBone microstructureHR-pQC
Development of additively manufactured novel 3D cellular structures for protective clothing
Full text linkProtective clothing shields body parts from impact, absorbing energy to minimise or
prevent damage. Recent research has shown significant emphasis on the use of hard or a
combination of hard and soft materials. The aim of this research was to design and
manufacture novel 3D cellular structures that could provide low-velocity impact
resistance and flexibility to wearers. Six different types of 3D cellular structures were
developed using stereolithography (SLA) additive manufacturing technique with two
different types of flexible resin materials. Theoretical and experimental studies were
conducted to evaluate the low-velocity impact resistance of these flexible 3D cellular
structures. Experimental studies were carried out using a customised inhouse free fall
“impact drop test” setup, where impact forces transmitted through the impacted structures
were captured via a capacitive force sensor underneath the structure, in the form of a real-time impact force versus time plot. The results indicated that the re-entrant honeycomb
(AU) cellular structure made from Liqcreate and Prusa flexible materials experienced the
lowest peak impact force, respectively. Additionally, a static uniaxial compression test
was performed to examine the deformation behaviour of all 3D-printed cellular structures.
The results revealed that the AU cellular structure had excellent energy absorption in a
wide displacement range. To predict and validate the impact resistance response of two
novel, AU and 3D honeycomb (HC) cellular structures, finite element (FE) models were
developed using commercial FE software ABAQUS. Moreover, the predicted responses
of FE models were highly correlated to the experimental results. Overall, the research for
this study indicates that such a novel 3D AU cellular structure, made from a single flexible
material, has the potential for application as personal protective equipment (PPE) to
prevent impact injuries to knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders. This structure would ensure
wear comfort, enable body motions while offering an impact-resistant solution
Developing sustainable fabrics with plant-based formulations
Full text linkSustainability is at the fore, so the textile industry is ambitiously parading towards alternative
ecological materials to refute the air and water pollution from petroleum-based contenders.
Hence the envisaged research aimed to create plant-based formulations for application on
wool and cotton fabrics. Firstly, the instigated study explored and identified eight new sources
of native flora enclosing copper and ferrous element to be implemented as biomordants and
colourants on cotton fabrics. These discoveries would assist in circumventing the depletion
of corresponding mineral ores hence sustainable. The techniques of extraction, mordanting
and colouration with natural plant materials were executed ecologically. The ATR-FTIR,
FAAS, UV-Vis Spectrophotometer and ANOVA outcomes inferred the cotton fabric
biomordanted with black cherry stems and coloured with hops flowers to be most
concentrated in the chelated form of ferrous element content of 11 mg/l and copper element
content of 6.49 mg/l, respectively hence gaining the K/S value of 7.05 and demonstrating
87.02% of protection from ultraviolet rays. The spent solution DO and ORP levels measured
8.05 and 129.2 mV, respectively hence safe to aquatic life and could be readily upscaled. The
sustainable fabrics developed with rue leaves and mugwort leaves, dandelion, nettle, and
bilberry leaves were equally promising.
Secondly, water-based inks were formulated from plant extracts distilling blue from bio
indigo leaves, red from quebracho red bark and yellow from the flame of the forest flowers
extracts. The sought-after black colour was achieved by implementing the primary colour
theory. The concocted plant-based inks were scrutinised for stoichiometry, rheology, colour
yield, inkjet print quality and coffee ring effect employing a viscometer, conductivity meter
and USB microscope. The viscosity range of 8.5 to 10 cP, the relative density of 1.06,
conductivity value of 2.51 mS/cm, the surface tension of 60 mN/m and pH of 4.9 was inferred
to be most effective in obtaining the K/S values acquired on inkjet printing of wool and cotton
fabrics. Another objective was to study the implications of plasma surface modification upon
the treated and untreated wool and cotton fabrics, subsequently inkjet printed with plant based inks. The colour values and fastness properties remarkedly improved after plasma
surface treatment. These findings were supported by data achieved from optical tensiometer,
ATR-FTIR, drop test and SEM, justifying the enhanced wettability of the modified fabrics.
The factorial experiment was designed for this segment of research, and it was further
validated with ANOVA one-way test
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