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This paper examines the critical perspectives of scholars during the Han Dynasty on customs and beliefs related to ghosts and deities. Focusing on Wang Chong as an example, it explores the naturalistic explanations of life and death, the concept of ghosts and deities, and the associated customs of funerals, sacrifices, and taboos. Wang Chong's criticisms focused on the core ideologies that underpinned funeral practices, sacrifices, and taboos and attempted to undermine the essence of these traditional customs. By reinterpreting funeral practices, sacrifices, and taboos from a ritualistic perspective that emphasized the social function rather than their supernatural implications, Wang Chong aimed to reconcile local tradition with rationality and promote a more profound understanding of the world. His approach, though complex and at times seemingly contradictory, holds an important position among the intellectual critiques of customs and beliefs during the Han Dynasty, and it sheds light on the challenges faced by ancient Chinese scholars in navigating the intersections between rationality, morality, and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silk manuscripts of Huang-Lao, unearthed at the Mawangdui Han Tombs, articulate a theory that advocates nurturing penal virtue through the prioritization of virtue before punishment. Many scholars have used Han Fei's concept of xingde-erbing 刑德二柄 to explain the theory and give it context. Contrasted with Legalism, represented by Shang Yang and Han Fei, which emphasizes rewards and punishments – with Shang Yang advocating punishment before reward – the Huang-Lao doctrine extends beyond this dichotomy. It notably diverges in its exploration of the relationship between the heavens and humanity, as well as theories on motivations underlying human nature. Han Fei's concept of the xingde-erbing fundamentally aligns with Shang Yang's approach to governance through the mechanisms of punishment and reward. Moreover, Han Fei's notion of yindao quanfa 因道全法 posits that sovereigns, by governing according to universal principles and fully understanding the law, can ensure state peace and deter major crimes. However, this concept is distinct from Huang-Lao thought, which does not share the same ideological framework as the reward-punishment methods of Shang Yang and Han Fei. The analogous approach of the prioritization of virtue before punishment found in Guanzi , which stresses that wise and virtuous monarchs govern by aligning their decrees with the natural progression of the seasons, is closely aligned with Huang-Lao philosophy. The present analysis clarifies the longstanding intellectual debates between Huang-Lao and Legalism, affirming the distinctiveness of Huang-Lao's penal virtue theory and illuminating the conceptualization of the heaven-human relationship during the Warring States period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While air safety issues caused by indoor decoration have received extensive attention, real-time monitoring of toxic gases is still a severe technical challenge. Therefore, a xylene and formaldehyde dual gas sensor with easy operation and high stability is proposed in this study. Herein, a NiO–MXene heterostructure was constructed by recombining NiO nanoparticles with a two dimensional layered material Ti3C2Tx MXene by in situ precipitation. The results revealed that the NiO–MXene based sensors not only showed good responses to xylene at room temperature, but also showed 5.36 times higher response than that of the pure NiO based sensor to 100 ppm formaldehyde at 170 °C. It also showed good repeatability and long-term stability. The formation of a hybrid heterojunction by single-layered MXene nanosheets combined with a p-type semiconductor NiO is an essential factor for the enhanced gas sensing performance. This work is of significance for the preparation of dual or multiple gas sensors, and has an application potential in ensuring the safety of the indoor environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Qin and Han times, the establishment of a complex legal system that applied to every member of the empire brought about an unprecedented transformation of the husband–wife relationship, changing it from a bond largely determined by custom, ritual, and family concerns to one regulated by law. Laws recorded in the Zhangjiashan bamboo legal texts reveal that women's legal status in Qin and Han times was far higher and allowed for greater autonomy than previously imagined. Their increased legal standing may be traced to reduced household size, a policy set to counteract the mounting death toll and social chaos that followed Qin expansion and the transition from Qin to Han rule. I analyze exemplary cases to demonstrate how the small family system in conjunction with a legal order that empowered women as household heads created a new space for widows and wives to exercise their autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this work, the unipolar pulse electrodeposition (UPED) method is used to electrodeposit the conductive polyaniline (PANI) on the carbonized polyhedron zeolitic imidazole particles (C-ZIF-8). The composite film of C-ZIF-8/PANI coated on the flexible substrate stainless steel wire mesh (SSWM) offers large contact area between the electrode material and the electrolyte, which provides enough active sites for charge storage. The obtained flexible electrode exhibits efficient-specific capacity of 363 F g−1 with 300° stretching angle and excellent long-term cycling stability after 10,000 cycles at 5 mA g−1 in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte. It is found that the flexible electrode shows obvious improvement in the electrochemical properties when it was bent or stretched. Asymmetrical all-solid-state supercapacitor device is fabricated by using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solid gel as electrolyte and separator, which shows general gravimetric capacitance of 147, 156, and 156 F g−1 with energy densities of 8.66, 9.16, and 9.16 W kg−1 at stretching angle of 0°, 120°, and 300°, respectively, and stable power density of 162.5 W kg−1 in the different conditions. It indicates that such a composite C-ZIF-8/PANI/SSWM is a favorable material for portable and flexible energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Wang Chong has often been categorized as a kind of fatalist, many scholars maintain that his fatalism does not include one's moral autonomy, as he argues that one's inborn moral tendencies can be changed through education. He even acknowledges that a person can live a different life from what one's ming must have dictated. But in this article, I show that even when Wang seems to claim that personal effort is important in life, he soon claims that even the abilities to make efforts or to strive to be a better person are more or less decided at birth. And even when he claims that people born with evil nature can be guided to goodness, nowhere does he suggest that to be good or evil is a matter of our choice. And if there is an occasion where one does not live up to what one's ming has predetermined, it is only because there was another ming, one that is more powerful than that of an individual, that interfered with the realization of one's original ming, not because that one's original ming has changed. In the end, I argue that even though Wang Chong may not be a fatalist in its fullest sense, since fatalism means that every event is necessitated, he comes very close to being one, as he sees that in so many instances of our lives, we are not free to act in any other way than in the way that ming has prearranged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Telecommunication Engineering is the property of Telecommunication Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A table of contents for the issue is presented.

Carotenoids are key precursor for aroma compounds in plants. Although the fruit of Lycium chinense contains numerous carotenoids, the formation mechanism of aroma compounds in L. chinense is still poorly understood. In this study, a new carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (termed LmCCD1) was identified from the leaves of L. chinense. Expression analysis by semiquantitative PCR reveals that LmCCD1 gene is expressed in different tissues of L. chinense, and dominant expression of LmCCD1 gene was found in leaves, flowers, and ripe fruits. In addition, the expression level of LmCCD1 in fruits is in accordance with the content of β-ionone. Finally, recombinantly expressed LmCCD1 can cleave β-carotene and lycopene to produce β-ionone and pseudoionone in in vitro assays. These results indicate that LmCCD1 a novel carotenoids cleavage dioxygenase gene that may regulate the metabolic pathways responsible for aroma metabolite production (such as β-ionone and pseudoionone) in L. chinense has been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in plant adaptations to environmental stress, growth, and development, such as seed dormancy and germination. 9- cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is a rate-limiting enzyme in regulation of ABA biosynthesis in plants. To understand the potential role of NCED in fruit ripening and stress tolerance, a NCED gene ( LcNCED1) was cloned from the leaves of Lycium chinense. LcNCED1 has an ORF of 1824 bp, which encodes a peptide of 607 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of the LcNCED1 protein shares high identity with other NCEDs. Tissue distribution analysis reveals that LcNCED1 is abundantly expressed in leaves, stems, and flowers. In fruits, the expression level of LcNCED1 is in accordance with the accumulation of ABA. In addition, ABA accumulation in leaves was associated with enhanced expression of LcNCED1 induced strongly by abiotic stresses (drought, salt, and CdCl). Collectively, our results indicated that LcNCED1 might play a key role in the regulation of fruit ripeness and abiotic stress adaption in L. chinense possibly through regulation of ABA biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the relationship between Huang-Lao Chinese school of thought and folk techniques and calculations. According to the author, the relationship has academic importance, specially for studies of the Huang-Lao school. The author uses the term "words of the Yellow Emperor" to analyze the ideas in Huang-Lao thought which are different from the "Lao school" thought.

Carotenoids are essential components of the photosynthetic apparatus involved in plant photoprotection. To investigate the protective role of zeaxanthin and the xanthophyll cycle under high-light stress, we increased the capacity for their biosynthesis in Eustoma grandiflorum Shinn by overexpression of a gene ( AtchyB) from Arabidopsis thaliana encoding β-carotene hydroxylase (BCH). This enzyme is involved in the conversion of β-carotene into zeaxanthin and plays an important role in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. Not only was the total carotenoid content of the transgenics enhanced (1.046- to 3.141-fold) but zeaxanthin biosynthesis was also faster and the compound was produced in larger quantities in transgenics (up to 3.344-fold) than in controls upon exposure to high-light stress. Additionally, a greater amount of xanthophyll cycle pigments (1.46- to 2.44-fold) was detected in the transgenics. Under high-light stress, untransformed controls showed obvious growth retardation, while transformants were more tolerant. The net addition of biomass in the transformants was more than that of non-transformants under high-light exposure. Furthermore, a new phenomenon was found: high-light stress induced an apparent periodical accumulation of biomass and zeaxanthin in transformants. Our results supplement data from previous research, and indicate that the periodic enhancement of zeaxanthin formation together with the periodic enlargement of the xanthophyll cycle pool contributes to long-term high-light stress protection and prevents plant damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An author index for the 2011 issue of "IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications" is presented.

In modern times, academics have used the perspective of political liberty and spiritual freedom to interpret and explain Zhuang Zi’s “happy excursion” as well as the substance of all his other thoughts. The starting point of the former is the political idea of laissez-faire; the latter involves the unique character of Zhuang Zi’s philosophy on life. But it misses the spiritual deficiency contained in Zhuang Zi, and so it is difficult to respond to criticism from modern liberals. This article argues that it is not quite accurate to use “happy excursion” to express modern freedom, but the spiritual tradition of “happy excursion” as a kind of native resource could still serve as a way to introduce the idea of liberalism at the level of a life philosophy based on independence, individual consciousness and the personal conscience and virtues embraced by the “happy excursion” thought of Zhuang Zi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the view of Mou Zongsan regarding the interpretation of Confucianism through moral autonomy in China. Accordingly, Mou Zongsan uses the highest moral principle of autonomy in order to interpret the benevolence of Confucius and the inherent benevolence and righteousness of Mencius. It has been described that the said teaching of Mencius is conducive to the communication between Chinese and Western philosophies. Information about the significance of the views of Mou Zongsan as compared to other views is discussed.

Copyright of Journal of the Economic & Social History of the Orient is the property of Brill Academic Publishers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the study of ancient and modern text classics. According to scholars in the Han dynasty and later periods, the Five Classics and various other records that were venerated, and subsequently transcribed in Clerical script by the Former and Late Han dynasty governments, should be referred to as "Modem Text." The classics and commentaries that were part of the Six Arts category were transcribed in the different scripts of the Six States, and according to scholars in the Han dynasty and later periods, should be referred to as "Ancient Text."

Study of the history of Chinese philosophy has been in full swing in China over the recent years. The Society of the History of Chinese Philosophy has been set up, and in publication are two journals entitled Studies of the History of Chinese Philosophy and Chinese Philosophy, dedicated to publishing research results in this area. A number of books specializing in the subject have come off press and dozens of seminars have been held to discuss special issues. Thus a variety of different views in regard to Chinese philosophers ranging from Confucius to Sun Yat-sen have come forth. All this signals the new progress made in the study of the history of Chinese philosophy. However, I do not propose to discuss here the concrete issues; rather, I would like to talk about the prevailing trends in the study. They can probably, I think, give a better picture of the new progress made in this area and project what new prospects will open up in the studies. In light of this, I would like to address myself to four mutually related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]