Power, identity and antiquarian approaches in modern Chinese art

The pursuit of antiquity was important for scholarly artists in constructing their knowledge of history and cultural identity in late Imperial China. Following various publications by Bi Yuan 畢沅 (1730-1797), Wu Yi 武億 (1745-1799) and Qian Daxin 錢大昕 (1728-1804) in the 18th century, the study and collecting of rubbings of Northern Wei stone inscriptions and steles was popular. Such spread of interest in jinshi, inscriptions on metal and stone, also formed a base for studying seal carving, epigraphy and archaic painting. While traditional antiquarians would cherish inscriptions which enabled them to correct mistakes in the transmitted historical texts and the Classics, however, much of the antiquarian activity was adapted to mere literary exercise or connoisseurship, for instance, to supplying materials which could provide models for seal-carving and calligraphy. Examples could be seen in the calligraphy works and seal carvings of the Xiling bajia 西泠八家 (Eight Masters of Xiling, i.e. Hangzhou), also known as Zhe School of Calligraphy and Carving. Their keen interest in seeking inspiration from steles for their artistic presentations has been recorded in their writing and painting. In addition, the way the scholar-collector of the 19th and early 20th centuries mounted the rubbings, seals, inscriptions, paintings, letters and textual evidence studies into one album shows a changing ideology: rubbings were not only for scholarly study in classical learning, but were regarded as part of the art form and were appreciated on various social occasions. The antiquarian movement ultimately served as a tool for re-writing art historiography in modern China. This paper aims to address the phenomenon and formation of the jinshi painting that dominated in late Imperial and early modern China. Through case studies of three important jinshi societies in Shanghai, I will investigate in what way literary taste from the southern region gradually replaced imperial patronage which was in decline after the Qianlong emperor’s reign, and how the shift of the cultural centre from Beijing to the southern regions from the mid-19th century onwards became a reflection of changing power and identity for cultural leaders and their perspectives in history and the history of objects

Exploring the Possibilities of Online Learning Experiences

This reflective study, which explored how students learn in an online setting, involved an initial sample of 588 students who have taken the Health Education for Teachers course from fall 2013 to spring 2018 at Teachers College. A survey featuring open-ended questions were administered by email to the students, among whom 57 returned their questionnaires in June 2019. Of these participants, six agreed to be interviewed face to face or via Skype. The semi-structured interviews were conducted in July and August 2019, but when necessary, follow-up questions were asked in September and October that year. Professor Katherine Roberts, the instructor of the course, was also interviewed. The results showed that the students did not consider online discussions or email correspondence as interactions and desired more human exchanges. They decided on an online course for convenience and flexibility, but had they been given a choice, more of them would have opted for face-to-face settings. The themes emerging from the interview data were the necessity of flexibility and convenience rather than choice, the belief that flexibility is not beneficial to studying, and the difficulty of having a social presence. In recounting their learning experiences, the most memorable moments recalled by the students were places they have been to and people with whom they interacted. The interview with Professor Roberts revealed the difficulty of evaluating student progress in an online context and the importance of technical support from the institution. This research explored the validity of online communities, illuminated the significance of phatic communication, raised questions about educational costs, and identified the need for technical assistance from institutions. The findings suggested that instead of building an online community, which can rarely exist, educators should incorporate local community participation into educational programs. Finally, when institutions want to offer online courses, they should do so for pedagogical reasons and not solely for income. Educators need to continue exploring learning possibilities in both online and face-to-face avenues

Monodansylpentane as a Blue-Fluorescent Lipid-Droplet Marker for Multi-Color Live-Cell Imaging

Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic cellular organelles responsible for the storage of neutral lipids, and are associated with a multitude of metabolic syndromes. Here we report monodansylpentane (MDH) as a high contrast blue-fluorescent marker for LDs. The unique spectral properties make MDH easily combinable with other green and red fluorescent reporters for multicolor fluorescence imaging. MDH staining does not apparently affect LD trafficking, and the dye is extraordinarily photo-stable. Taken together MDH represents a reliable tool to use for the investigation of dynamic LD regulation within living cells using fluorescence microscopy

Application of the SUSTAIN Model to a Watershed-Scale Case for Water Quality Management

[[abstract]]Low impact development (LID) is a relatively new concept in land use management that aims to maintain hydrological conditions at a predevelopment level without deteriorating water quality during land development. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) developed the System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration model (SUSTAIN) to evaluate the performance of LID practices at different spatial scales; however, the application of this model has been limited relative to LID modeling. In this study, the SUSTAIN model was applied to a Taiwanese watershed. Model calibration and verification were performed, and different types of LID facilities were evaluated. The model simulation process and the verified model parameters could be used in other cases. Four LID scenarios combining bioretention ponds, grass swales, and pervious pavements were designed based on the land characteristics. For the SUSTAIN model simulation, the results showed that pollution reduction was mainly due to water quantity reduction, infiltration was the dominant mechanism and plant interception had a minor effect on the treatment. The simulation results were used to rank the primary areas for nonpoint source pollution and identify effective LID practices. In addition to the case study, a sensitivity analysis of the model parameters was performed, showing that the soil infiltration rate was the most sensitive parameter affecting the LID performance. The objectives of the study are to confirm the applicability of the SUSTAIN model and to assess the effectiveness of LID practices in the studied watershed.[[notice]]補正完畢[[incitationindex]]SCI[[booktype]]電子

Identification of overexpressed cytokines as serum biomarkers of hepatitis C virus-induced liver fibrosis using bead-based flexible multiple analyte profiling

Hepatic inflammation is the stimulator to activate hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and triggers fibrogenesis. Cytokines are produced during liver inflammation and maybe considered as liver fibrosis biomarker. The aim of this study was to investigate whether cytokines can be used as reliable biomarkers of liver fibrosis using flexible multi-analyte profiling (xMAP). A total of 61 chronic hepatitis C patients with different severity of liver fibrosis were enrolled. Liver biopsy was used as standard to assess the severity of fibrosis according to METAVIR classification. Afterward, 15 samples from healthy controls were analyzed and totally 50 cytokines were screened using flexible multi-analyte profiling to discover differential biomarkers. Finally, levels of protein expressions of individual stages of liver fibrosis were measured. In histological examination, the necroinflammatory score (histology activity index, HAI) was increased from F1 to F4 stage in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients, indicating that inflammation was accompanied with the progression of liver fibrosis. Using flexible multi-analyte profiling, four serum cytokines, including IFN-α2 (p=0.023), GRO-α (p=0.013), SCF (p=0.047) and SDF-1α p=0.024), were identified under antibody specific recognition and elevated with HAI score. This study reveals the relationship between cytokines and liver fibrosis, and demonstrated that IFN-α2, GRO-α, SCF and SDF-1 α may be used as biomarkers to predict liver fibrosis. The overexpressed cytokines may play a role in the progression of liver fibrosis and deserves further investigation.Keywords: Cytokine, flexible multi-analyte profiling, hepatitis C virus, liver fibrosisAfrican Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 11(29), pp. 7535-7541, 29 April, 201

Oromotor variability in children with mild spastic cerebral palsy: a kinematic study of speech motor control

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Treating motor speech dysfunction in children with CP requires an understanding of the mechanism underlying speech motor control. However, there is a lack of literature in quantitative measures of motor control, which may potentially characterize the nature of the speech impairments in these children. This study investigated speech motor control in children with cerebral palsy (CP) using kinematic analysis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We collected 10 children with mild spastic CP, aged 4.8 to 7.5 years, and 10 age-matched children with typical development (TD) from rehabilitation department at a tertiary hospital. All children underwent analysis of percentage of consonants correct (PCC) and kinematic analysis of speech tasks: poly-syllable (PS) and mono-syllable (MS) tasks using the Vicon Motion 370 system integrated with a digital camcorder. Kinematic parameters included spatiotemporal indexes (STIs), and average values and coefficients of variation (CVs) of utterance duration, peak oral opening displacement and velocity. An ANOVA was conducted to determine whether PCC and kinematic data significantly differed between groups.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CP group had relatively lower PCCs (80.0-99.0%) than TD group (<it>p </it>= 0.039). CP group had higher STIs in PS speech tasks, but not in MS tasks, than TD group did (<it>p </it>= 0.001). The CVs of utterance duration for MS and PS tasks of children with CP were at least three times as large as those of TD children (<it>p </it>< 0.01). However, average values of utterance duration, peak oral opening displacement and velocity and CVs of other kinematic data for both tasks did not significantly differ between two groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>High STI values and high variability on utterance durations in children with CP reflect deficits in relative spatial and/or especially temporal control for speech in the CP participants compared to the TD participants. Children with mild spastic CP may have more difficulty in processing increased articulatory demands and resulted in greater oromotor variability than normal children. The kinematic data such as STIs can be used as indices for detection of speech motor control impairments in children with mild CP and assessment of the effectiveness in the treatment.</p

Dry Needling at Myofascial Trigger Spots of Rabbit Skeletal Muscles Modulates the Biochemicals Associated with Pain, Inflammation, and Hypoxia

Background and Purpose. Dry needling is an effective therapy for the treatment of pain associated with myofascial trigger point (MTrP). However, the biochemical effects of dry needling that are associated with pain, inflammation, and hypoxia are unclear. This study investigated the activities of β-endorphin, substance P, TNF-α, COX-2, HIF-1α, iNOS, and VEGF after different dosages of dry needling at the myofascial trigger spots (MTrSs) of a skeletal muscle in rabbit. Materials and Methods. Dry needling was performed either with one dosage (1D) or five dosages (5D) into the biceps femoris with MTrSs in New Zealand rabbits. Biceps femoris, serum, and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) were sampled immediately and 5 d after dry needling for β-endorphin, substance P, TNF-α, COX-2, HIF-1α, iNOS, and VEGF immunoassays. Results. The 1D treatment enhanced the β-endorphin levels in the biceps femoris and serum and reduced substance P in the biceps femoris and DRG. The 5D treatment reversed these effects and was accompanied by increase of TNF-α, COX-2, HIF-1α, iNOS, and VEGF production in the biceps femoris. Moreover, the higher levels of these biochemicals were still maintained 5 d after treatment. Conclusion. Dry needling at the MTrSs modulates various biochemicals associated with pain, inflammation, and hypoxia in a dose-dependent manner