The Book of Poetry and Diplomacy : Who is the boss?

This episode uses two scenes of reciting odes to explore the struggle for hegemony. The first shows how a fugitive Jin Prince declare his ambition despite his precarious and dependent position. The second features a Jin leader pushing back against the hubristic self-aggrandizement of a Chu prince

The Book of Poetry and Diplomacy : Who is the barbarian?

This episode discusses how a “barbarian” chief gains diplomatic advantages by reciting an ode now included in Shijing. The recitation both asserts and effaces differences between “Chinese” and “barbarian” states. It seeks to redefine the past and argues for equality and amity between Jin and the Rong

The Book of Poetry and Diplomacy : What does it mean to say, “I love you”?

This episode discusses how the language of love and kinship is used in diplomatic negotiations through the recitation of odes. For example, aLu minister uses a wedding song to compare smaller states to a bride welcomed by her groom (the powerful Jin). A woman picking artemisia with care becomes the analogue for a powerful state cherishing a weak one. A Zheng minister uses an ode about seduction to forestall or resist aggression. A Jin leader affirms an alliance through an ode celebrating brotherhood

華夷之辨、華夷之辯 : 從《左傳》談起

蠻、夷、戎、狄等稱謂可以是具體專指，亦可以是類别泛稱，但是中文没有一個字或詞涵蓋所有外族，同時貫撤始終地包羅“外來”與“野蠻”的語意。論者多謂《左傳》以及其他載籍中“我者”與“他者”的分際是文化習俗而非種族。但是文化習俗差異如何精準地界定，並不容易。本文探究三個問題。(1) 華夷之“辯”如何界定華夷之辨？戰事方式、土地運用、禮制儀節是否爲決定因素？楚、吳形象，爲何游移於“華化”與“夷化”之間？魯與“東夷”的關係，顯示“他者”的描摹與自我定位不可分割。同源近俗似乎正是衍生突顯差異的原動力。(2) 文化聯繫的存在或否定，往往建基於歷史回顧。承認“戎化”或刻意淡化與周的歷史淵源，可以是抗拒周王之要求、不受其羈縻的方法。相反的，重寫歷史，泯滅“他者”身份，也許是圖霸的途徑。作者分析“有史爲證”的辯論方式，探討華夷同、異的觀點如何藉重塑歷史尋找論據。(3) 貶損蠻、夷、戎、狄的論點往往出現於人物的言説，所以我們應該考慮“他者”屬性道德化背後的修辭框架。辯論的焦點可能是軍事策略、和與戰的選擇、“獻捷”的儀節、周王與盟主的關係等等。《左傳》透過追捕歷史事件的因果關係及歷史人物的動機，超越了簡單化、道德化的華夷之辨程式，呈現了一個複雜而多元的畫面。 There is no fixed categorical term for barbarians in Chinese. Specific groups are identified as “aliens” or “cultural others” through words like Man 蠻, Yi 夷, Rong 戎, and Di 狄, but all four terms can be specific or categorical. It is often said that the us-versus-them formula in Zuozhuan (and early Chinese texts in general) is cultural rather than ethnic, but precise definitions of cultural difference can be elusive. This article focuses on three issues regarding the representation of cultural difference: (1) Who is the barbarian? Can we find the decisive criterion in modes of warfare, relationship to the land, or ritual? Why does the representation of Chu and Wu shifts between idealization and “barbarization”? Lu’s dealings with the eastern Yi domains are especially interesting, since they show how representation of cultural others is inseparable from cultural self-definition. Similarities and shared roots seem to have generated the impetus for emphasizing distinctions. (2) Arguments on cultural connections or lack thereof are often built on historical retrospection. Embracing historical ties with barbarians can be a way to resist Zhou dynasty demands, even as using the ancient past to disclaim the status of cultural other can function to assert hegemonic ambition. The author examines the uses of history to manipulate notions of shared roots and radical difference. (3) Since the negative qualities attributed to barbarians come up in speeches, we need to consider the rhetorical context of moralizing otherness. Whether the issue is debates on military strategy, the choice of war or peace, the etiquette of presenting the spoils of victory, or the relationship between Zhou and the leader of the covenant, we see how attention to particular motives and circumstances driving historical developments results in a complex and nuanced picture that resists simplistic and moralized formulations of cultural identity and cultural difference

女英雄的想像與歷史記憶

明季女英雄是一個具彈性的象徵符號，代表異彩紛呈的議論、抒情和想像空間。歷史與文學如何交錯？滄桑巨變的經歷與記憶，為何藉女英雄想像為媒介？不同的歷史環境如何塑造歷史記憶？明季女英雄的壓抑與重構，如何應運而生？清末民初與抗戰期間述説明末女英雄，激勵人心，救亡圖存的目標極明顯。相對而言，明末清初的同題書寫複雜而多元。其中有記實的層面，即不願獨立特行的奇女子湮没無聞，亦有馳騁想像，純屬虚構的故事。然而無論虚實，均呈現晚明以來對此話題之特殊興趣。廣義而言，這主題也許可溯源於“好奇”的文學傳統，其中包涵追求解脱、投射理想、抒發憤懣，種種創作動機。間或緊扣時代，成為歷史判斷的關鍵，歷史記憶的依附。同時，世變與女詩人的英雄想像息息相關。明清之際女性文學主流之一是憂國傷時的詩詞。從戎靖亂的記憶或幻想，間或引發對性別定位的質疑，間或醖釀詩心之覺醒。書寫１９ 世紀離亂的女詩人，乃至晚清秋瑾，均屬於此一隱約的系譜

Visible Spectra of Some Monoacidopentaammine and Diacidotetraammine Complexes of Cobalt(III)

The spin-allowed transitions in the visible spectra of some rr.onoacidopentaammine and diacidotetraammine complexes of Co(III), with the acido groups being C03z--, H20, N02-, 02C3H5-, p-, No3-, ci-, and Br-, have been resolved and the relevant crystal field and Racah parameters determined with a modified version of the model originally proposed by Wentworth and Piper. The tesults appear to be consistent within the series and agree well with those reported in the literature for structurally related systems

Review on the characteristic and feasibility of leachate for biogas production by anaerobic digestion

The sound handling of municipal solid waste (MSW) is of high priority to minimise environmental degradation and pollution. MSW can be treated via various technologies including landfilling, incineration, composting, anaerobic digestion (AD) and more. Landfill without landfill gas capturing serves as an enclosed bioreactor to store and stabilise waste. Other technologies such as incineration, composting and AD allow substantial volume reduction and generate value-added products. The treatment for MSW is commonly focusing on the solid part. Organic waste contains high moisture content of 70 - 90 %. The pressing of the water content before entering treatment unit, the release of water during and after the treatment, can generate high strength wastewater, known as leachate. Leachate is rich in organic matter, organic pollutants, pathogens, heavy metals and more, which can lead to severe secondary environmental pollution if not properly treated. Leachate from different treatment units showed certain unique characteristics, such as high Na, high Ca, different species and availability of heavy metals. This review summarised some of the important characteristics of different leachates and the suitability of AD as a mean of treatment. The efficiency of AD to treat leachate was presented in terms of the removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biogas production. The COD removal efficiency was between 60 - 98 %, following the treatment of different leachates under different reactors and operational parameters. Among the different stream of leachates, the leachate from landfill is most commonly studied as a co-digestion substrate for AD, as compared to leachate from the composting facility

Immunopanning purification and long-term culture of human retinal ganglion cells

Purpose: To establish a robust method to isolate primary retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) from human fetal retina for long-term culture while maintaining neuronal morphology and marker protein expression. Methods: A total of six human retinas were obtained from aborted fetuses at 10 to 12 weeks of gestation with informed consent from mothers. RGCs were isolated and purified by a modified two-step immunopanning procedure. The cells were maintained in a serum-free defined medium supplemented with brain-derived neurotrophic factor, ciliary neutrophic factor, and forskolin. The viable RGCs and the extent of neurite outgrowth were examined by calcein-acetoxymethylester assay. Expression of RGC markers was studied by immunocytochemistry. Results: Primary RGCs from human fetal retinas were isolated and maintained in vitro for one month with substantial neurite elongation. In cell culture, almost 70% of the isolated cells attached, spread, and displayed numerous dendrites. They were immunoreactive to RGC-specific markers (Thy-1, TUJ-1, and Brn3a) and negative for glial fibrillary acidic protein and amacrine cells marker HPC-1. Conclusions: Human RGCs were successfully isolated and maintained in long-term culture. This can serve as an ideal model for biologic, toxicological, and genomic assays of human RGCs in vitr

Triple-Top Signal of New Physics at the LHC

We present leading-order (LO) cross sections for the production of three top quarks (tt\tb,t\tb\tb) at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We find a total LO cross section for triple-top production in the Standard Model of $\sigma \approx 2$ fb at $\sqrt{s}=14$ TeV and we give examples of two new physics models which have a significant enhancement to this channel. In the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), there are regions of parameter space where the decays of gluino pairs into final states including three tops has a cross section $\sigma \approx 41$ fb. In a leptophobic $Z'$ model featuring right-handed couplings of the $u$-quark to the top, we find $\sigma \approx 28$ fb. With efficient identification and reconstruction of the top quarks, the triple-top signal could potentially provide evidence for new physics at the LHC.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 3 table

Multiple gene polymorphisms analysis revealed a different profile of genetic polymorphisms of primary open-angle glaucoma in northern Chinese

Purpose: To evaluate the individual and interactive effects of polymorphisms in the myocilin (MYOC), optineurin (OPTN), WD repeat domain 36 (WDR36), and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genes on primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in northern Chinese. Methods: Northern Chinese study subjects, 176 POAG patients and 200 controls, were recruited for screening of the coding exons and splicing regions of MYOC. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in OPTN (M98K, R545Q, IVS5+38T>G, IVS8-53T>C, and IVS15+10G>A), one SNP in WDR36 (IVS5+30C>T) as well as the APOE promoter and epsilon 2/epsilon 3/epsilon 4 polymorphisms were also examined. Association analysis was performed by using chi(2) analysis. High-order gene-gene interaction was also analyzed using the multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method. Results: In MYOC, 22 variants were identified. Four of them were novel but found in controls only. The missense mutation, Val53Ala, is likely a glaucoma causing mutation, accounting for 0.6% of cases. No individual polymorphism in OPTN, WDR36, or APOE was associated with POAG. MDR analysis identified a best 6-factor model for POAG: MYOC IVS2+35A>G, OPTN Met98Lys, OPTN IVS5+38T>G, OPTN IVS8-53T>C, WDR36 IVS5+30C>T, and APOE -491A>T. Conclusions: The association pattern between the genes, MYOC, OPTN, WDR36, and APOE, and POAG in northern Chinese is different from that of southern Chinese. Disease-causing mutations in MYOC accounted for a small proportion of northern Chinese POAG patients. Common polymorphisms in these genes were not associated with POAG individually but might interactively contribute to the disorder, supporting a polygenic etiology.Biochemistry & Molecular BiologyOphthalmologySCI(E)20ARTICLE9-1189-981