71 research outputs found

    Participation of literary elite in the compilation of Buddhist monastery gazetteers in Ming-Qing China - using as an example the activities of Liu Mingfang in the Jiangnan region in 1740s-1750s

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    The research topic of this article is the relationship between secular literati and Buddhist monasteries in China, one of the forms of which was the recruitment of literati by the monasteries for the composition of monastery chronicles. This paper focuses on the activities on Liu Mingfang (Liu Nanlu), the author of "The Chronicle of Mt. Baohua," in the Jiangnan region in 1740-1750s. The importance of studying the circumstances of the compilation of this chronicle is justified by the fact that Mt. Baohua was the seat of the patriarchs of the Qianhua school, which claimed dominance within the Vinaya tradition of Chinese Buddhism in the late Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. The article examines what place the composition of this Buddhist mountain chronicle had in the activities of Liu Mingfang, who was a member of the secular literati. This research relies on several chronicles compiled by Liu Mingfang, as well as the texts of his contemporary associates. The main conclusions of this research are as follows: Liu Mingfang primarily associated himself with poetry and the Daoist culture. Lacking a stable income, Liu Mingfang compiled local chronicles under commission. Accordingly, on the one hand, "The Chronicle of Mt. Baohua" is not supposed to reflect any personal Buddhist ideas of Liu Mingfang, but on the other hand, it is very probable that the text of this chronicle reflects the wishes of its commissioner – Wenhai Fuju, the abbot of Mt. Baohua

    Call for papers. "Transformations of the Earth: International Graduate Student Worshop in Environmental History". Renmin University, China.

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    Transformations of the Earth: International Graduate Student Workshop in Environmental History Location: Renmin University, China Conveners: Christof Mauch (Rachel Carson Center), Mingfang Xia (Renmin University), Donald Worster (Renmin University) Consulter l'appel à communication Cette conférence aura lieu du 21 au 23 mai 2015

    An experimental study of vertical greenery systems for window shading for energy saving in summer

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    Past studies have demonstrated the remarkable energy-saving effect of vertical greenery systems. The vast majority of these works focus on opaque building walls. While external shadings on windows are more effective than these on walls. Inspired by the climbing plants (vines) raised outside windows by residents, the present study proposed the design of movable green window shading systems (MGWSS) that can shade beam solar radiation but allows soft daylighting. On the basis of simplified MGWSS models, experiments were conducted in summer to evaluate the shading performance with three plant species. First, the energy-saving effect and climatic data were measured for test rooms with west-facing windows. The results indicated that the presence of green shading reduced the impact of solar radiation on the cooling energy consumption with the correlation coefficients from 0.94 to 0.61. Then, the shading coefficient, which is a key parameter for energy saving, was measured by a new technique using photovoltaic panels. The correlation between the coverage rate and the surface-averaged shading coefficient was established. The results showed that when the coverage rate of the MGWSS with Dishcloth gourd was 80%, the shading coefficient was 0.28, and the cooling energy consumption and heat flux transferred through the window glass were reduced by 11.5% and 64.8%, respectively. The shading characteristic was investigated using the instantaneous data. It found that stronger ambient solar radiation resulted in better shading performance (lower shading coefficient). For a west-facing window, the best shading performance was found at oblique solar incidence angles.Accepted Author ManuscriptHistory, Form & Aesthetic

    Development of American motorization and implications for China

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    This graduate project studies the development of American motorization and explores the implications for China. The fundamental objective of the study is to serve as a wake-up call and policy suggestions for Chinese government to mitigate the negative impacts of motorization. The study analyzes the motorization trends in China and negative impacts of motorization. The study emphasizes on four types of negative impacts of the current motorization in China: traffic safety, air pollution, energy consumption, and traffic congestion. How has American government coped with similar problems? What are their public policies and measures? What are the results? With all these questions, the author reviews the motorization of America in 20th century and studies the regulations and measures dealing with negative impacts of motorization. The study respectively examines auto air pollution and the Clean Air Act in America, energy consumption and CAFE regulations, road safety and FMVSS, traffic congestion and the traffic congestion mitigation. All the regulations and measures to deal with negative social impacts of American motorization discussed in this project follow the same process of American public policy. The author then narrows the scope of study to one specific problem: traffic congestion and discusses in depth the traffic congestion mitigation in the city of Santa Clarita as a case study. By learning the experience and lessons of American motorization, especially in the aspect of traffic congestion mitigation, the author applies the American policy analysis model to explore the traffic congestion mitigation measures in the City of Beijing, as a case study. A number of alternatives are given according to the several reasons that cause the traffic congestion in Beijing. They are increasing capacity, pricing strategy, public transportation, management of bicycles, staggered starting times of workday, upgrade of drivers' and pedestrians' behaviors. The conclusion is made that when the variety of alternatives is used as a combination, the outcome will be the most effective.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-71)California State University, Northridge. Department of Public Administration

    Electrical characteristics of semiconductor bridge initiator-automobile airbag igniters

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    To study the ignition characteristics of semiconductor bridges (SCB) for automobile airbag igniters, a model was proposed to compute the electrical characteristics of SCB based on the structural characteristics, resistance properties, and the working process of the bridge. Numerical simulation was conducted to analyze the voltage and current trends at two ends of bridges with various geometric dimensions and those with identical geometric dimensions and oxide layers of different thicknesses. Voltage–current curves for bridges of three different dimensions were obtained through numerical simulation. Bridges of larger geometric dimensions were found to require higher voltage to reach the melting point, which means higher energy input is required. </jats:p
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