Characterisation and durability of contemporary unsized Xuan paper

In China, Xuan paper has been the paper of choice as artwork support and for conservation, for several centuries. However, little is known about its material properties, especially given the many grades of sized and unsized Xuan paper. In addition, there is a lack of information on its degradation. In this research, a selection of contemporary unsized Xuan papers was investigated, representing diverse raw materials. Seven out of twelve contemporary unsized Xuan papers were determined to be approximately neutral and contain > 2% alkaline reserve, indicating good durability. Viscometry was used to determine the degree of polymerisation (DP) as none of the samples gave significant reactions to the phloroglucinol spot test. The average DP of ten contemporary unsized Xuan papers is ~ 1700, excluding two papers that have presumably been sun-bleached, and that exhibit significantly lower DP. Using X-ray fluorescence, it can be demonstrated that Ca and Si are the dominant elements and interestingly, Ca content is directly correlated with ash content and with alkaline reserve. Accelerated degradation was performed at two sets of environmental conditions, i.e. 90 °C, 30% RH and 60 °C, 70% RH, and the established degradation rates agreed with the Collections Demography model of paper degradation meaning that degradation of Xuan papers proceeds in the same way as other types of paper. This research gives fundamental insights into contemporary unsized Xuan papers, which exhibit good stability during accelerated degradation despite the low starting DP in the context of the samples used in this study. Our findings may inform methods of Xuan paper production, selection of Xuan paper for conservation purposes, as well as preventive conservation of Xuan paper-based artefacts

Silk Road Traveler Identity Quest: Lesson Plan

In this lesson, students will explore intercultural contact in the Silk Road trade networks by examining the writings of Xuan Zang, a 7th century Chinese Buddhist monk who made a pilgrimage to India to collect Buddhist texts. The text used in this exercise is Xuan Zang’s Record of the Western Regions, which was a text commissioned by the Tang Chinese Emperor. This text includes rich details of the communities Xuan Zang visited

Researchers who lead the trends

Xuan-Hung Doan, Phuong-Tram T. Nguyen, Viet-Phuong La, Hong-Kong T. Nguyen (2019). Chapter 5. Researchers who lead the trends. In Quan-Hoang Vuong, Trung Tran (Eds.), The Vietnamese Social Sciences at a Fork in the Road (pp. 98–120). Warsaw, Poland: De Gruyter. DOI:10.2478/9783110686081-010 Online ISBN: 9783110686081 © 2019 Sciend

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of an Herbal Medicine (Xuan-Ju Agent) on Carrageenan- and Adjuvant-Induced Paw Edema in Rats

Xuan-Ju agent is an herbal formula containing aqueous extract of Formica fusca, Herba epimedii, Fructus cnidii, and Fructus lycii, all of which are reputed for their beneficial effects in the treatment of the immunodeficient diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. We performed a study on the anti-inflammatory effects of this agent using carrageenan- and adjuvant-induced paw edema in rats. Xuan-Ju agent showed a marked inhibitory effect on edema in two models of inflammation in rats, at the dose of 0.20, 0.40 and 0.80 g/kg. Based on this study, Xuan-Ju agent is considered to be a potentially useful drug suitable for further evaluation for rheumatoid arthritis

Asset market equilibrium with short-selling and differential information

We introduce differential information in the asset market model studied by Cheng (1991), Dana and Le Van (1996) and Le Van and Truong Xuan (2001). An equilibrium existence result is proven assuming that the economy's information structure satisfies the conditional independency property.Asset market, differential information, competitive equilibrium

A HIDDEN THEORY OF MIND IN JOUREY TO THE WEST

The essay demonstrates that ‘Journey to the West’ (JW) treats all Buddhist and Daoist scriptures as cannons for cultivating the mind. Since the novel explicitly states that Sun Wukong is resolved to cultivate Xuan (玄), Xuan should be interpreted as a faculty of the mind, which has never been done before. A hermeneutic reading of the novel and Dao De Jing (DDJ) under the constraint that all text are referring to minds gives rise to a tri-part model, which consists of an “empty” mind state free of concepts, a mindful state filled with concepts, and a dualistic mind faculty that goes between the other two (Xuan). By this token, it can be established that the protagonist Tripitaka represented the “empty” mind, while the protagonist Wukong represents the dualistic Xuan. This understanding thus makes it possible to explain the relationship between Daoism and Buddhism in JW. Without Buddhist Tripitaka, Wukong would be lost due to his desires that drive Xuan. Without Daoist Wukong, who had insight into the forms of the Way, Tripitaka would fall for distractions and misunderstandings. Thus, only when Buddhism and Daoism are combined, we can get the true Buddhist sutras. This analysis also makes it possible to understand the core debate between the southern and northern lineage of Daoism, and JW’s stance on such debates

Mosaic Atlas: Interview with Xuan My Ho

Interview with Xuan My Ho, conducted as part of the Mosaic Atlas project. Xuan My Ho identifies as Vietnamese-American. Topics discussed include making mosaics, immigrating from Vietnam, developing as an artist, galleries and materials, including venues in downtown San Jose, Kaleid, and Woodside. As part of the Mosaic Atlas project, SJSU students and faculty from the Anthropology and Geography Departments interviewed people who support and produce art throughout the Bay Area