Academic literature on the topic 'Zhong yang guo shu guan'

Abstract Objective: Benign breast disease (BBD), especially benign proliferative breast disease (BPBD), is related to increased breast cancer risk. However, few studies have examined whether conventional breast cancer risk factors influence risk of breast cancer among women with BBD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of lifestyle factors with risk of breast cancer among women biopsied for BBD within a multi-center, hospital-based, case-control study in China, in order to provide scientific basis of health guidance for BBD patients and lay the foundation for primary prevention of breast cancer. Methods: A multi-center, hospital-based, case-control study was conducted. Patients with BPBD (n=608) and patients with non-proliferative breast disease (NPBD) (n=366) were collected from 23 hospitals in 11 provinces during April 2012 to April 2013. A face-to-face survey, baseline data and fasting blood was collected with all study subjects. Serum adiponectin levels were assayed using ELISA. After 10 years, the cumulative incidence rate of breast cancer in the two groups was counted through follow-up. Logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the association between specific factors and risk of breast cancer. Results: After 10 years’ follow-up, 388 BPBD and 240 NPBD cases were included in the final analysis (Table 1), of which 16 (4.12%) and 3 (1.25%) developed breast cancer, respectively. The cumulative incidence of breast cancer between the two groups was significant difference (P=0.041). Compared with women in the NPBD group, BPBD group were more likely to be central obesity (with higher waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)) (OR 24.98, 95% CI 1.845-336.203, P=0.015) and less likely to have physical activity (OR 0.626, 95% CI 0.416-0.943, P=0.025) and less often to eat carrots (OR 0.616, 95% CI 0.398-0.953, P=0.030) (Table 2). Subgroup analyze indicated that, physical activity, eat carrots and ham sausage, body weight, BMI, waist circumference and WHR were statistical differences in premenopausal BPBD patients, while only physical activity (OR 0.423, 95% CI 0.269-0.665 P < 0.001) was the independent risk factors. Meanwhile, among the factors of Tea consumption, Glycemia, Body weight, BMI, Waist circumference, WHR and HMW/total adiponectin ratio in postmenopausal group, only HMW/total adiponectin ratio (OR 0.041, 95% CI 0.002-0.820 P=0.037) was statistically significant factor. These stratified multivariate logistic regression analysis results are shown in Table 3. Conclusion: In patients with BBD, physical activity may be the protect factor for breast cancer carcinogenesis in premenopausal women while lower HMW/total adiponectin ratio is a risk factor for postmenopausal women, which can provide direction for primary prevention of breast cancer. Table 1. Pathological types of all subjects. Table 2. The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Table 3. Stratified multivariate Logistic regression analysis by menopause status. Citation Format: Chao Zheng, Dandan Ma, Linfeng Zhao, Maolin Guo, Shude Cui, Fuguo Tian, Zhimin Fan, Cuizhi Geng, Xuchen Cao, Zhenlin Yang, Xiang Wang, Hong Liang, Shu Wang, Hongchuan Jiang, Xuening Duan, Haibo Wang, Guolou Li, Qitang Wang, Jianguo Zhang, Feng Jin, Jinhai Tang, Liang Li, Shi-Guang Zhu, Wenshu Zuo, Fei Wang, Lixiang Yu, Fei Zhou, Yujuan Xiang, Mingming Guo, Yongjiu Wang, Wenzhong Zhou, Shuya Huang, Zhaohui Li, Yajie Zhou, Lijuan Hou, Xinyi Yang, Xuan Zhang, Liyuan Liu, Zhigang Yu. Lifestyle factors are associated with breast cancer risk in women biopsied for benign breast diseases in China: 10-year results of a multi-center, hospital-based, case-control study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-03-31.

Recently, sulfonamides have been shown to be promising electrolyte components due to their high chemical and electrochemical stability in lithium batteries [1, 2]. The electrolyte stability becomes critical when applying high voltage and/or utilizing Ni-rich layered oxides in high energy density lithium-ion batteries. Another approach to successful Ni-rich cathode performance is to develop a stable and effective cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). Given the success of sultones and sulfates in this regard [3, 4], it is hypothesized that nitrogen analogs, like sulfonamides, could be tailored to provide a similar benefit. Indeed, Yim et al. [5, 6] have shown that N,N,N’,N’-tetraethylsulfamide (TES) forms a CEI on NMC811 that imparts high voltage cycling stability and less cathode corrosion. Our earlier studies of TES with Ni-rich NCA also formed a favorable CEI and these results are the topic of this presentation. Herein, we examine the performance of 0 - 4 wt.% TES in our commercially available, high power INR18650-P28A. These cells contain a composite SiO/graphite anode in addition to a Ni-rich cathode. As shown in Fig 1, TES significantly decreased the impedance of the cathode interface after conditioning compared to the control electrolyte. Thereafter, cells containing up to 2%TES show improved capacity retention during long-term high-rate cycling (+1C/-80W). Part of this success was due to a suppression of resistance growth during cycling by TES. Fast charge cycling (+3C/-2C), however, was moderately impaired with increased TES. Considering the largely reduced impedance of the cathode, fast-charge performance may have suffered due to anode rate limitations. These results will be discussed as well as gas generation, storage performance, and additional rate and cycling tests. [1] Shuting Feng, Mingjun Huang, Jessica R. Lamb, Wenxu Zhang, Ryoichi Tatara, Yirui Zhang, Yun Guang Zhu, Collin F. Perkinson, Jeremiah A. Johnson, Yang Shao-Horn. Chem, 5, 2630-2641 (2019) [2] Weijiang Xue, Mingjun Huang, Yutao Li, Yun Guang Zhu, Rui Gao, Xianghui Xiao, Wenxu Zhang, Sipei Li, Guiyin Xu, Yang Yu, Peng Li, Jeffrey Lopez, Daiwei Yu, Yanhao Dong, Weiwei Fan, Zhe Shi, Rui Xiong, Cheng-Jun Sun, Inhui Hwang, Wah-Keat Lee, Yang Shao-Horn, Jeremiah A. Johnson, Ju Li. Nature Energy, 6, 495-505 (2021) [3] Koji Abe, Manuel Colera, Kei Shimamoto, Masahide Kondo, Kazuhiro Miyoshi. Journal of Electrochemical Society, 161 (6) A863-A870 (2014) [4] Jian Xia, N. N. Sinha, L. P. Chen, J. R. Dahn. Journal of Electrochemical Society, 161 (3) A264-A274 (2014) [5] Kwangeun Jung, Taeeun Yim. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 834,155155 (2020) [6] Ji Won Kim, Kwangeun Jung, Taeeun Yim. Journal of Mater. Sci & Tech. 86, 70-76 (2021) Figure 1

Abstract Background: Morpho-physiological alternations of platelets provided a rationale to harness RNA sequencing of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) for preoperative diagnosis of cancer. Timely, accurate, and non-invasive detection of ovarian cancer in women with adnexal masses presents a significant clinical challenge. Patients and Methods: This intercontinental, hospital-based, diagnostic study included 761 treatment-naïve inpatients with histologically confirmed adnexal masses and 167 healthy controls from nine medical centers (China, n=3; Netherlands, n=5; Poland, n=1) between September 2016 and May 2019. The main outcomes were the performance of TEPs and their combination with CA125 in two Chinese (VC1 and VC2) and the European (VC3) validation cohorts collectively and independently. Exploratory outcome was the value of TEPs in public pan-cancer platelet transcriptome datasets. Results: The AUCs for TEPs in the combined validation cohort, VC1, VC2, and VC3 were 0.918 (95% CI 0.889-0.948), 0.923 (0.855-0.990), 0.918 (0.872-0.963), and 0.887 (0.813-0.960), respectively. Combination of TEPs and CA125 demonstrated an AUC of 0.922 (0.889-0.955) in the combined validation cohort; 0.955 (0.912-0.997) in VC1; 0.939 (0.901-0.977) in VC2; 0.917 (0.824-1.000) in VC3. For subgroup analysis, TEPs exhibited an AUC of 0.858, 0.859, and 0.920 to detect early-stage, borderline, non-epithelial diseases and 0.899 to discriminate ovarian cancer from endometriosis. Analysis of public datasets suggested that TEPs had potential to detect multiple malignancies (Table 1). Conclusions: TEPs had robustness, compatibility, and universality for preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer since it withstood validations in populations of different ethnicities, heterogeneous histological subtypes, early-stage ovarian cancer as well as other malignancies. However, these observations warrant prospective validations in a larger population before clinical utilities. Table 1. Performance for TEPs in public pan-cancer datasets. Disease n Healthy Control AUC, area under the curve (95% CI) Women NSCLC (non-small-cell lung cancer) 126 77 0.758 (0.691-0.825) Breast cancer 38 77 0.817 (0.726-0.909) Colorectal cancer 18 77 0.973 (0.945-1.000) Pancreatic cancer 16 77 0.993 (0.981-1.000) Glioblastoma 10 77 0.923 (0.831-1.000) Men NSCLC 119 82 0.746 (0.677-0.815) Colorectal cancer 25 82 0.933 (0.884-0.982) Pancreatic cancer 22 82 0.993 (0.984-1.000) Glioblastoma 19 82 0.981 (0.959-1.000) All NSCLC 245 159 0.774 (0.728-0.820) Colorectal cancer 40 159 0.978 (0.961-0.996) Breast cancer 38 159 0.821 (0.736-0.906) Pancreatic cancer 35 159 0.987 (0.974-0.999) Glioblastoma 35 159 0.931 (0.890-0.972) Hepatobiliary carcinomas 14 159 0.991 (0.978-1.000) Citation Format: Yue Gao, Chun-Jie Liu, Hua-Yi Li, Xiao-Ming Xiong, Sjors G.j.g. In ‘t Veld, Gui-Ling Li, Jia-Hao Liu, Guang-Yao Cai, Gui-Yan Xie, Shao-Qing Zeng, Yuan Wu, Jian-Hua Chi, Qiong Zhang, Xiao-Fei Jiao, Lin-Li Shi, Wan-Rong Lu, Wei-Guo Lv, Xing-Sheng Yang, Jurgen M.j. Piek, Cornelis D de Kroon, C.a.r. Lok, Anna Supernat, Sylwia Łapińska-Szumczyk, Anna Łojkowska, Anna J. Żaczek, Jacek Jassem, Bakhos A. Tannous, Nik Sol, Edward Post, Myron G. Best, Bei-Hua Kong, Xing Xie, Ding Ma, Thomas Wurdinger, An-Yuan Guo, Qing-Lei Gao. Platelet RNA signature enables early and accurate detection of ovarian cancer: An intercontinental, biomarker identification study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr LB168.

Abstract Background: Resistance to chemotherapy remains an obstacle for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. The core components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system have been demonstrated to regulate chemoresistance of TNBC. As a novel deubiquitinase (DUB), ubiquitin-specific peptidase 51 (USP51) plays a pivotal role in chemotherapeutic resistance in multiple malignancies. Herein, we sought to better understand how USP51 performs a cell-intrinsic role in mediating chemotherapeutic resistance in TNBC. Methods: Western blotting, RNA-sequencing and CCK8 assays were used to identify the DUBs for chemoresistance of breast cancer. Coimmunoprecipitation, GST-pulldown, protein deubiquitination and immunohistochemistry assays were then used to determine the biological phenotypes of ectopic USP51 in TNBC chemoresistance and associated signaling pathways in several different cell lines, mouse models and patient tissue samples. Ubiquitin-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (Ub-AMC)-based deubiquitinase activity, cellular thermal shift and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analyses were performed to investigate the activity of USP51 inhibitors. Results: To identify the critical DUBs involved in breast cancer chemoresistance, we established doxorubicin-resistant Cal51 and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cell lines by multiple dose exposure. We found ectopic USP51 in doxorubicin-resistant cells compared with their parental cells. Moreover, USP51-interfered chemoresistant tumor cells exhibited impaired cell viability as well as increased DNA damage and cell apoptosis upon treatment with doxorubicin. On the contrary, overexpression of USP51 performed the opposite effects to enhance cell viability but decrease DNA damage and apoptosis in response to doxorubicin; however, these outcomes were not shown for its catalytically inactive mutant USP51C372S. At the molecular level, GRP78 was identified as a bona fide substrate of USP51. Importantly, knockdown USP51 increased doxorubicin-induced DNA damage and apoptosis, which was rescued by overexpression of GRP78 in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the activity of ABCB1, the main efflux pump of doxorubicin, was enhanced by GRP78. Consistently, the expression of USP51, GRP78 and ABCB1 were correlated with chemoresistant phenotypes in TNBC patients. Of note, we also explored a small molecular inhibitor of USP51, WCY-4-1, which conferred chemosensitization in TNBC. Conclusion: These findings collectively indicated that ectopic USP51 enhances the activity of ABCB1 by deubiquitinating and stabilizing GRP78, which leads to decreased accumulation of doxorubicin as well as decreased DNA damage and cell apoptosis in TNBC. Our results also revealed that specific inhibition of USP51 significantly impairs doxorubicin-resistance in TNBC. Citation Format: Yang Ou, Kun Zhang, Qiuying Shuai, Chenyang Wang, Huayu Hu, Lixia Cao, Chunchun Qi, Min Guo, Zhaoxian Li, Jie Shi, Yuxin Liu, Siyu Zuo, Xiao Chen, Yanjing Wang, Mengdan Feng, Hang Wang, Yi Shi, Guang Yang, Shuang Yang. USP51-GRP78-ABCB1 axis promotes chemoresistance of triple negative breast cancer by decreasing the accumulation of doxorubicin in cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4556.

Graphene-based composites have received a great deal of attention in recent year because the presence of graphene can enhance the conductivity, strength of bulk materials and help create composites with superior qualities. Moreover, the incorporation of metal oxide nanoparticles such as Fe3O4 can improve the catalytic efficiency of composite material. In this work, we have synthesized a composite material with the combination of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and Fe3O4 modified tissue-paper (mGO-PP) via a simple hydrothermal method, which improved the removal efficiency of the of methylene blue (MB) in water. MB blue is used as the model of contaminant to evaluate the catalytic efficiency of synthesized material by using a Fenton-like reaction. The obtained materials were characterized by SEM, XRD. The removal of materials with methylene blue is investigated by UV-VIS spectroscopy, and the result shows that mGO-PP composite is the potential composite for the color removed which has the removal efficiency reaching 65% in acetate buffer pH = 3 with the optimal time is 7 h. Keywords Graphene-based composite, methylene blue, Fenton-like reaction. References [1] Ma Joshi, Rue Bansal, Reng Purwar, Colour removal from textile effluents, Indian Journal of Fibre & Textile Research, 29 (2004) 239-259 http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/24631.[2] Kannan Nagar, Sundaram Mariappan, Kinetics and mechanism of removal of methylene blue by adsorption on various carbons-a comparative study, Dyes and pigments, 51 (2001) 25-40 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0143-7208(01)00056-0.[3] K Rastogi, J. N Sahu, B. C Meikap, M. N Biswas, Removal of methylene blue from wastewater using fly ash as an adsorbent by hydrocyclone, Journal of hazardous materials, 158 (2008) 531-540.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2008.01. 105.[4] Qin Qingdong, Ma Jun, Liu Ke, Adsorption of anionic dyes on ammonium-functionalized MCM-41, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 162 (2009) 133-139 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat. 2008.05.016.[5] Mui Muruganandham, Rps Suri, Sh Jafari, Mao Sillanpää, Lee Gang-Juan, Jaj Wu, Muo Swaminathan, Recent developments in homogeneous advanced oxidation processes for water and wastewater treatment, International Journal of Photoenergy, 2014 (2014). http://dx. doi.org/10.1155/2014/821674.[6] Herney Ramirez, Vicente Miguel , Madeira Luis Heterogeneous photo-Fenton oxidation with pillared clay-based catalysts for wastewater treatment: a review, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 98 (2010) 10-26 https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.apcatb.2010.05.004.[7] Guo Rong, Jiao Tifeng, Li Ruifei, Chen Yan, Guo Wanchun, Zhang Lexin, Zhou Jingxin, Zhang Qingrui, Peng Qiuming, Sandwiched Fe3O4/carboxylate graphene oxide nanostructures constructed by layer-by-layer assembly for highly efficient and magnetically recyclable dye removal, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 6 (2017) 1279-1288 https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b03635.[8] Sun Chao, Yang Sheng-Tao, Gao Zhenjie, Yang Shengnan, Yilihamu Ailimire, Ma Qiang, Zhao Ru-Song, Xue Fumin, Fe3O4/TiO2/reduced graphene oxide composites as highly efficient Fenton-like catalyst for the decoloration of methylene blue, Materials Chemistry and Physics, 223 (2019) 751-757 https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2018.11.056.[9] Guo Hui, Ma Xinfeng, Wang Chubei, Zhou Jianwei, Huang Jianxin, Wang Zijin, Sulfhydryl-Functionalized Reduced Graphene Oxide and Adsorption of Methylene Blue, Environmental Engineering Science, 36 (2019) 81-89 https://doi. org/10.1089/ees.2018.0157.[10] Zhao Lianqin, Yang Sheng-Tao, Feng Shicheng, Ma Qiang, Peng Xiaoling, Wu Deyi, Preparation and application of carboxylated graphene oxide sponge in dye removal, International journal of environmental research and public health, 14 (2017) 1301 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14111301.[11] Yu Dandan, Wang Hua, Yang Jie, Niu Zhiqiang, Lu Huiting, Yang Yun, Cheng Liwei, Guo Lin, Dye wastewater cleanup by graphene composite paper for tailorable supercapacitors, ACS applied materials & interfaces, 9 (2017) 21298-21306 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.7b05318.[12] Wang Hou, Yuan Xingzhong, Wu Yan, Huang Huajun, Peng Xin, Zeng Guangming, Zhong Hua, Liang Jie, Ren MiaoMiao, Graphene-based materials: fabrication, characterization and application for the decontamination of wastewater and wastegas and hydrogen storage/generation, Advances in Colloid and Interface Science, 195 (2013) 19-40 https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cis.2013.03.009.[13] Marcano Daniela C, Kosynkin Dmitry V, Berlin Jacob M, Sinitskii Alexander, Sun Zhengzong, Slesarev Alexander, Alemany Lawrence B, Lu Wei, Tour James M, Improved synthesis of graphene oxide, ACS nano, 4 (2010) 4806-4814 https://doi.org/10.1021/nn1006368.[14] Zhang Jiali, Yang Haijun, Shen Guangxia, Cheng Ping, Zhang Jingyan, Guo Shouwu, Reduction of graphene oxide via L-ascorbic acid, Chemical Communications, 46 (2010) 1112-1114 http://doi. org/10.1039/B917705A [15] Gong Ming, Zhou Wu, Tsai Mon-Che, Zhou Jigang, Guan Mingyun, Lin Meng-Chang, Zhang Bo, Hu Yongfeng, Wang Di-Yan, Yang Jiang, Nanoscale nickel oxide/nickel heterostructures for active hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis, Nature communications, 5 (2014) 4695 https:// doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5695.[16] Wu Zhong-Shuai, Yang Shubin, Sun Yi, Parvez Khaled, Feng Xinliang, Müllen Klaus, 3D nitrogen-doped graphene aerogel-supported Fe3O4 nanoparticles as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 134 (2012) 9082-9085 https://doi.org/10.1021/ja3030565.[17] Nguyen Son Truong, Nguyen Hoa Tien, Rinaldi Ali, Nguyen Nam Van, Fan Zeng, Duong Hai Minh, Morphology control and thermal stability of binderless-graphene aerogels from graphite for energy storage applications, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 414 (2012) 352-358 https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2012.08.048.[18] Deng Yang, Englehardt James D, Treatment of landfill leachate by the Fenton process, Water research, 40 (2006) 3683-3694 https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.watres.2006.08.009.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension has become one of the most pathogenic diseases in the world. OBJECTIVE: This paper summarizes and analyzes the acupuncture point combinations and treatment principles of acupuncture for hypertension in a systematic way by means of big data mining. METHODS: The literature for this paper was obtained from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed and PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Ovid databases. Thedata were collected to obtain combinations of acupoints with strong associations through association rule analysis, complex networks for screening to obtain core acupoint nuclei, and cluster analysis to derive treatment principles. RESULTS: A total of 127 acupuncture prescriptions involving 66 acupoints were included in this study. Tai-chong (LR3), Qu-chi (LI11), Zu-san-li (ST36), Feng-chi (GB20), and He-gu (LI4) were the most commonly used acupoints. The large intestine meridian was the preferred meridian, and most of the extremity acupoints, especially the lower extremities, were selected clinically. The association rule reveals that Qu-chi (LI11) and Zu-san-li (ST36) are the dominant combination acupoints. 3 core association points obtained after complex network analysis, the 1st association, Bai-hui (DU20), Tai-xi (KI3), Gan-shu (BL18), Shen-shu (BL23); The 2nd association, Qu-chi (LI11), He-gu (LI4), San-yin-jiao (SP6), Zu-san-li (ST36), Feng-chi (GB20), Tai-chong (LR3); The 3rd association, Qi-hai (RN6), Guan-yuan (RN4), Zhong-wan (RN12), Zhao-hai (KI6), Tai-yang (EX-HN5), Lie-que (LU7), Yang-ling-quan (GB34), Xing-jian (LR2), Yin-ling-quan (SP9). Cluster analysis yielded the treatment principles of nourishing Yin and submerging Yang, pacifying the liver and submerging Yang, tonifying Qi and Blood, and calming the mind and restoring the pulse, improving clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: By means of big data mining, we can provide reference for acupuncture point grouping and selection for clinical acupuncture treatment of hypertension.

Alloys used in engines are subjected to challenging environments characterized by thermal and mechanical cyclic loadings during start-up and shut-down processes. These conditions can significantly increase the occurrence of fatigue failure mechanisms. Therefore, this study focuses on investigating the low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of directionally-solidified alloy at two distinct temperatures, namely 600 °C and 800 °C. Strain-controlled LCF tests were conducted at the specified temperatures, utilizing constant total strain amplitudes of 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1% under a totally reversed loading ratio (R = -1). The Coffin-Manson model, based on plastic deformation, along with a hysteresis energy-based criterion model, were employed to predict and evaluate fatigue life and LCF behavior. Notably, the hysteresis energy and Coffin-Manson models exhibited superior capability in predicting LCF life at 800 °C compared to 600 °C. REFERENCES Salehnasab, J. Marzbanrad, E. 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The curtain rose. The howling of desert wind filled the performance hall in the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Into the center stage, where a scenic construction of a mountain cliff and a desert landscape was dimly lit, entered the character of the Daoist priest Wang Yuanlu (1849–1931), performed by Chen Yizong. Dressed in a worn and dusty outfit of dark blue cotton, characteristic of Daoist priests, Wang began to sweep the floor. After a few moments, he discovered a hidden chambre sealed inside one of the rock sanctuaries carved into the cliff.Signaled by the quick, crystalline, stirring wave of sound from the chimes, a melodious Chinese ocarina solo joined in slowly from the background. Astonished by thousands of Buddhist sūtra scrolls, wall paintings, and sculptures he had just accidentally discovered in the caves, Priest Wang set his broom aside and began to examine these treasures. Dawn had not yet arrived, and the desert sky was pitch-black. Priest Wang held his oil lamp high, strode rhythmically in excitement, sat crossed-legged in a meditative pose, and unfolded a scroll. The sound of the ocarina became fuller and richer and the texture of the music more complex, as several other instruments joined in.Below is the opening scene of the award-winning, theatrical dance-drama Dunhuang, My Dreamland, created by China’s state-sponsored Lanzhou Song and Dance Theatre in 2000. Figure 1a: Poster Side A of Dunhuang, My Dreamland Figure 1b: Poster Side B of Dunhuang, My DreamlandThe scene locates the dance-drama in the rock sanctuaries that today are known as the Dunhuang Mogao Caves, housing Buddhist art accumulated over a period of a thousand years, one of the best well-known UNESCO heritages on the Silk Road. Historically a frontier metropolis, Dunhuang was a strategic site along the Silk Road in northwestern China, a crossroads of trade, and a locus for religious, cultural, and intellectual influences since the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.). Travellers, especially Buddhist monks from India and central Asia, passing through Dunhuang on their way to Chang’an (present day Xi’an), China’s ancient capital, would stop to meditate in the Mogao Caves and consult manuscripts in the monastery's library. At the same time, Chinese pilgrims would travel by foot from China through central Asia to Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, playing a key role in the exchanges between ancient China and the outside world. Travellers from China would stop to acquire provisions at Dunhuang before crossing the Gobi Desert to continue on their long journey abroad. Figure 2: Dunhuang Mogao CavesThis article approaches the idea of “abroad” by examining the present-day imagination of journeys along the Silk Road—specifically, staged performances of the various Silk Road journey-themed dance-dramas sponsored by the Chinese state for enhancing its cultural and foreign policies since the 1970s (Kuang).As ethnomusicologists have demonstrated, musicians, choreographers, and playwrights often utilise historical materials in their performances to construct connections between the past and the present (Bohlman; Herzfeld; Lam; Rees; Shelemay; Tuohy; Wade; Yung: Rawski; Watson). The ancient Silk Road, which linked the Mediterranean coast with central China and beyond, via oasis towns such as Samarkand, has long been associated with the concept of “journeying abroad.” Journeys to distant, foreign lands and encounters of unknown, mysterious cultures along the Silk Road have been documented in historical records, such as A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms (Faxian) and The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions (Xuanzang), and illustrated in classical literature, such as The Travels of Marco Polo (Polo) and the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West (Wu). These journeys—coming and going from multiple directions and to different destinations—have inspired contemporary staged performance for audiences around the globe.Home and Abroad: Dunhuang and the Silk RoadDunhuang, My Dreamland (2000), the contemporary dance-drama, staged the journey of a young pilgrim painter travelling from Chang’an to a land of the unfamiliar and beyond borders, in search for the arts that have inspired him. Figure 3: A scene from Dunhuang, My Dreamland showing the young pilgrim painter in the Gobi Desert on the ancient Silk RoadFar from his home, he ended his journey in Dunhuang, historically considered the northwestern periphery of China, well beyond Yangguan and Yumenguan, the bordering passes that separate China and foreign lands. Later scenes in Dunhuang, My Dreamland, portrayed through multiethnic music and dances, the dynamic interactions among merchants, cultural and religious envoys, warriors, and politicians that were making their own journey from abroad to China. The theatrical dance-drama presents a historically inspired, re-imagined vision of both “home” and “abroad” to its audiences as they watch the young painter travel along the Silk Road, across the Gobi Desert, arriving at his own ideal, artistic “homeland”, the Dunhuang Mogao Caves. Since his journey is ultimately a spiritual one, the conceptualisation of travelling “abroad” could also be perceived as “a journey home.”Staged more than four hundred times since it premiered in Beijing in April 2000, Dunhuang, My Dreamland is one of the top ten titles in China’s National Stage Project and one of the most successful theatrical dance-dramas ever produced in China. With revenue of more than thirty million renminbi (RMB), it ranks as the most profitable theatrical dance-drama ever produced in China, with a preproduction cost of six million RMB. The production team receives financial support from China’s Ministry of Culture for its “distinctive ethnic features,” and its “aim to promote traditional Chinese culture,” according to Xu Rong, an official in the Cultural Industry Department of the Ministry. Labeled an outstanding dance-drama of the Chinese nation, it aims to present domestic and international audiences with a vision of China as a historically multifaceted and cosmopolitan nation that has been in close contact with the outside world through the ancient Silk Road. Its production company has been on tour in selected cities throughout China and in countries abroad, including Austria, Spain, and France, literarily making the young pilgrim painter’s “journey along the Silk Road” a new journey abroad, off stage and in reality.Dunhuang, My Dreamland was not the first, nor is it the last, staged performances that portrays the Chinese re-imagination of “journeying abroad” along the ancient Silk Road. It was created as one of many versions of Dunhuang bihua yuewu, a genre of music, dance, and dramatic performances created in the early twentieth century and based primarily on artifacts excavated from the Mogao Caves (Kuang). “The Mogao Caves are the greatest repository of early Chinese art,” states Mimi Gates, who works to increase public awareness of the UNESCO site and raise funds toward its conservation. “Located on the Chinese end of the Silk Road, it also is the place where many cultures of the world intersected with one another, so you have Greek and Roman, Persian and Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cultures, all interacting. Given the nature of our world today, it is all very relevant” (Pollack). As an expressive art form, this genre has been thriving since the late 1970s contributing to the global imagination of China’s “Silk Road journeys abroad” long before Dunhuang, My Dreamland achieved its domestic and international fame. For instance, in 2004, The Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteśvara—one of the most representative (and well-known) Dunhuang bihua yuewu programs—was staged as a part of the cultural program during the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. This performance, as well as other Dunhuang bihua yuewu dance programs was the perfect embodiment of a foreign religion that arrived in China from abroad and became Sinicized (Kuang). Figure 4: Mural from Dunhuang Mogao Cave No. 45A Brief History of Staging the Silk Road JourneysThe staging of the Silk Road journeys abroad began in the late 1970s. Historically, the Silk Road signifies a multiethnic, cosmopolitan frontier, which underwent incessant conflicts between Chinese sovereigns and nomadic peoples (as well as between other groups), but was strongly imbued with the customs and institutions of central China (Duan, Mair, Shi, Sima). In the twentieth century, when China was no longer an empire, but had become what the early 20th-century reformer Liang Qichao (1873–1929) called “a nation among nations,” the long history of the Silk Road and the colourful, legendary journeys abroad became instrumental in the formation of a modern Chinese nation of unified diversity rooted in an ancient cosmopolitan past. The staged Silk Road theme dance-dramas thus participate in this formation of the Chinese imagination of “nation” and “abroad,” as they aestheticise Chinese history and geography. History and geography—aspects commonly considered constituents of a nation as well as our conceptualisations of “abroad”—are “invariably aestheticized to a certain degree” (Bakhtin 208). Diverse historical and cultural elements from along the Silk Road come together in this performance genre, which can be considered the most representative of various possible stagings of the history and culture of the Silk Road journeys.In 1979, the Chinese state officials in Gansu Province commissioned the benchmark dance-drama Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, a spectacular theatrical dance-drama praising the pure and noble friendship which existed between the peoples of China and other countries in the Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.). While its plot also revolves around the Dunhuang Caves and the life of a painter, staged at one of the most critical turning points in modern Chinese history, the work as a whole aims to present the state’s intention of re-establishing diplomatic ties with the outside world after the Cultural Revolution. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, it presents a nation’s journey abroad and home. To accomplish this goal, Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road introduces the fictional character Yunus, a wealthy Persian merchant who provides the audiences a vision of the historical figure of Peroz III, the last Sassanian prince, who after the Arab conquest of Iran in 651 C.E., found refuge in China. By incorporating scenes of ethnic and folk dances, the drama then stages the journey of painter Zhang’s daughter Yingniang to Persia (present-day Iran) and later, Yunus’s journey abroad to the Tang dynasty imperial court as the Persian Empire’s envoy.Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road, since its debut at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on the first of October 1979 and shortly after at the Theatre La Scala in Milan, has been staged in more than twenty countries and districts, including France, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Russia, Latvia, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and recently, in 2013, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York.“The Road”: Staging the Journey TodayWithin the contemporary context of global interdependencies, performing arts have been used as strategic devices for social mobilisation and as a means to represent and perform modern national histories and foreign policies (Davis, Rees, Tian, Tuohy, Wong, David Y. H. Wu). The Silk Road has been chosen as the basis for these state-sponsored, extravagantly produced, and internationally staged contemporary dance programs. In 2008, the welcoming ceremony and artistic presentation at the Olympic Games in Beijing featured twenty apsara dancers and a Dunhuang bihua yuewu dancer with long ribbons, whose body was suspended in mid-air on a rectangular LED extension held by hundreds of performers; on the giant LED screen was a depiction of the ancient Silk Road.In March 2013, Chinese president Xi Jinping introduced the initiatives “Silk Road Economic Belt” and “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” during his journeys abroad in Kazakhstan and Indonesia. These initiatives are now referred to as “One Belt, One Road.” The State Council lists in details the policies and implementation plans for this initiative on its official web page, www.gov.cn. In April 2013, the China Institute in New York launched a yearlong celebration, starting with "Dunhuang: Buddhist Art and the Gateway of the Silk Road" with a re-creation of one of the caves and a selection of artifacts from the site. In March 2015, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China’s top economic planning agency, released a new action plan outlining key details of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. Xi Jinping has made the program a centrepiece of both his foreign and domestic economic policies. One of the central economic strategies is to promote cultural industry that could enhance trades along the Silk Road.Encouraged by the “One Belt, One Road” policies, in March 2016, The Silk Princess premiered in Xi’an and was staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing the following July. While Dunhuang, My Dreamland and Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road were inspired by the Buddhist art found in Dunhuang, The Silk Princess, based on a story about a princess bringing silk and silkworm-breeding skills to the western regions of China in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) has a different historical origin. The princess's story was portrayed in a woodblock from the Tang Dynasty discovered by Sir Marc Aurel Stein, a British archaeologist during his expedition to Xinjiang (now Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region) in the early 19th century, and in a temple mural discovered during a 2002 Chinese-Japanese expedition in the Dandanwulike region. Figure 5: Poster of The Silk PrincessIn January 2016, the Shannxi Provincial Song and Dance Troupe staged The Silk Road, a new theatrical dance-drama. Unlike Dunhuang, My Dreamland, the newly staged dance-drama “centers around the ‘road’ and the deepening relationship merchants and travellers developed with it as they traveled along its course,” said Director Yang Wei during an interview with the author. According to her, the show uses seven archetypes—a traveler, a guard, a messenger, and so on—to present the stories that took place along this historic route. Unbounded by specific space or time, each of these archetypes embodies the foreign-travel experience of a different group of individuals, in a manner that may well be related to the social actors of globalised culture and of transnationalism today. Figure 6: Poster of The Silk RoadConclusionAs seen in Rain of Flowers along the Silk Road and Dunhuang, My Dreamland, staging the processes of Silk Road journeys has become a way of connecting the Chinese imagination of “home” with the Chinese imagination of “abroad.” Staging a nation’s heritage abroad on contemporary stages invites a new imagination of homeland, borders, and transnationalism. Once aestheticised through staged performances, such as that of the Dunhuang bihua yuewu, the historical and topological landscape of Dunhuang becomes a performed narrative, embodying the national heritage.The staging of Silk Road journeys continues, and is being developed into various forms, from theatrical dance-drama to digital exhibitions such as the Smithsonian’s Pure Land: Inside the Mogao Grottes at Dunhuang (Stromberg) and the Getty’s Cave Temples of Dunhuang: Buddhist Art on China's Silk Road (Sivak and Hood). 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Han Shu is our first history book which narrates the story by dynasty. It carries a lot of valuable information of the Han dynasty, both historically and literarily. However, because of the long-ago history, a lot of language, pronunciation, naming system, names of officials and places are now difficult to read and understand. Throughout the history, a number of people had analyzed Han Shu. These people have solved a lot of queries. Yang Shuda has high achievements in analyzing Han Shu. He is not only good at etymology and phonology but also analyzing parts of speech and sentence patterns. In terms of the use of materials, not only does he compare different versions of literature, but also uses inscriptions and even cultural data such as marriage and death for analysis. All these contribute to his unique analysis. The analysis of Han Shu has opened up a new field as more and more materials are excavated. Bronze, lacquer and even lute and currency are used in research. This has broadened the academic horizons and solved many mysteries. In 1983, in Hubei province, a lot of Han bamboo slips were excavated, which have provided tremendous help to our understanding of the medicine, law, mathematics and others of the Han dynasty. By the time when current books of Han analysis such as Yang Shuda’s Han Shu Kui Guan were punished, bamboo clips of Zhangjiashan were not yet unearthed. It is unable to invoke this important information, resulting in some doubtful content. I hereby try to make use of these bamboo slips to supplement previous comments, provide new research directions, or affirm previous results. This dissertation is divided to six parts. Each uses the notes of current analysts as the starting point while incorporating Zhangjiashan Han bamboo slips. My analysis is based on Yang Shuda Han Shu Kui Guan, together with the analysis of some current analysts.
published_or_final_version
Chinese Language and Literature
Master
Master of Arts

In the Reform Proposals for the Education in Hong Kong published in 2000, it was clearly stated that the priotity of education in the 21st century should be ―to enable our students to enjoy learning, enhance their effectiveness in communication and develop their creativity and sense of commitment‖. This paper aims to respond to two of the aspects — the enhancement of effectiveness in communication and the development of students’ creativity. For years, schools have focused on promoting students’ creavity in reading and writing, but not in speaking. In fact, among the various language skills, ‘speaking’ is the skill students have to demonstrate the most in their daily interaction. Compared to reading and writing, the ability to express one‘s views verbally in a creative manner can give rise to more direct interaction, acting as a genuine reflection of a student’s wisdom, knowledge, capability and potential. It is also a lifelong skill that students can apply when they join the workforce in the future. It is therefore meaningful to place emphasis on cultivating students’ creativity in speaking. This research aims to explore the correlation between the Chinese oral proficiency and creative ability of senior secondary students in Hong Kong based on existing theories on the development of creativity and speaking. Target participants, recruited from two aided secondary schools of different abilities, receive training on speaking and creative thinking, and analysis is done adopting both the quantitative and qualitative approaches. Students of each school are first randomly divided into two groups — the experimental group and control group. Students of both groups are required to take a pre-test and a post-test, as well as complete a set of questionnaire in each session. Results obtained are compared and contrasted to gauge the changes in their oral proficiency and creative ability. In between the tests, the experiemental group receives seven experimental design lectures on News and Report, one of the elective modules of the NSS curriculum in Chinese Language Education, while the control group receives lectures on News and Report which reference on the samples from Education Bureau only, no experimental design lectures will be delivered. In the end, the three teachers involved in the study were interviewed, during which the teachers offered their observations on the change in the students’ learning behaviour and attitude. Based on the data collected from the administration of tests, questionnaires and interviews, the following conclusions are made: first, there is a correlation between oral proficiency and creative ability; second, students’ attitude and values have a direct impact on the effectiveness of the module; third, the Speaking and Creativity Assessment rubric used in the study proved to be successful in assessing the said abilities, enhancing learning effectiveness. Through the analysis of data collected, this research contributed to Chinese Language Education to some extent, especially in the teaching of oral proficiency and creativity. It opened up a new set of criteria for the assessment of creative speaking ability from different perspectives to ensure objectivity of results, offered diversified course materials that can effectively raise the standard of students’ speaking and critical thinking ability. 香港在2000 年教育制度改革建議中明確指出教育首要目標是培養學生成為「樂於學習、善於溝通、勇於承擔、敢於創新」的新一代，其中，本研究特別回應「善於溝通」和「敢於創新」這兩個重點。過往，學校及教師多注重學生閱讀能力及寫作能力創意的培養，而忽略說話能力的創意訓練。其實，在各種語文能力中，「說話」是學生日常生活最主要的表達能力。口語表達比閱讀及寫作語言起著更直接的交流及溝通作用，是一個人智慧、知識、能力、素質的綜合體現，是學生立足社會、終生受用的語文能力。因此語文教學以創意思維培養學生的說話能力是有實在意義的。 為探索本港高中學生口語表達和創意能力的相互關係，本研究以創造力(Creativity) 和說話能力訓練的理論為依據，對上述課題展開試驗及分析工作。本計劃以香港兩所不同程度的津貼中學學生的說話能力為研究對象， 施行融合創意和說話能力訓練的實驗教學模式。本研究採用量化和質化方式為主要研究的方法。首先， 每所學校的研究對象隨機分為實驗組 (Experimental Group) 和控制組 (Control Group)。兩組對象分別安排前測和後測來量度實驗前後的數據變化。在前測及後測之間， 實驗組將會進行結合了創意思維訓練元素的中國語文選修單元「新聞與報道」共七節課的教學，從而探究這次實驗課能否提高學生創意說話能力學習的成效。而控制組卻不會在實驗教學施行期間安排進行任何實驗教學，有關的課堂教學，只按照原本學校的「新聞與報道」課程進行。在公平的原則下，所有控制組的學生會在暑假補回教授有關的實驗課程知識。本研究同時在兩班實驗組學生發出前後兩次的問卷調查，以檢視受試者的說話能力及創意能力的變化。最後，訪問兩所受試學校參與研究的三位老師，以深入瞭解學生整體的學習行為和態度情意的改變。 透過分析實驗教學資料、問卷調查數據和訪談結果，本研究主要有以下幾方面的總結：第一，確立說話能力和創意能力的相互關係。第二，學生的學習態度和品德情意直接影響課程的學習成效。第三，本研究所採用的「說話及創意能力評量表」能客觀評估學生的說話及創意能力，促進學習效能。經各種測試及結果分析，本研究對中國語文教育作出了一些貢獻，尤其是在融合說話與創意能力方面，以提高學生說話和思考水平；開發創意說話能力的評核標準，包含多角度的評審考量為評核精神，以客觀的等級描述為評量依據；提供多元化的創意說話課程設計，有助提升學生的創意說話能力表現等多方面的意義。
published_or_final_version
Education
Doctoral
Doctor of Education

The Sixteen Kingdoms was a period of political disintegration in medieval China. Foreign rulers of Wu Hu (“Five Barbarian Tribes”) captured the northern China during the 3rd – 5th centuries and established independent states through continuous military actions. This thesis aims at studying the relationship between the emperors and Buddhist monks in the Northwest empires in the Sixteen Kingdoms Period, including the Former Liang (320-376), the Western Qin (385-400; 409-431), the Later Liang (386-403), the Northern Liang (397-439) and the Xia (407-431), by developing a theoretical model called “Hourglass Model”. The model provides a holistic framework for investigating not only the emperors’ changing attitudes towards Buddhism but also the dissemination of the Dharma by monks. In addition, the concept of “data visualization” is implemented to re-interpret various historical sources. The complex interaction among imperial clans and Buddhist practitioners is further analyzed with computer-aided historical research methods. This thesis hopes to reveal the inspiring nature of the political religion in China’s early medieval age and expand the scope of Chinese Studies by rethinking about foreign rulers and Buddhist monks’ roles in reshaping and vitalizing the Chinese civilization. Moreover, this study develops alternative approaches to the research on the history of Chinese Buddhism, and attempts to shed new lights on theories and research methodology.
published_or_final_version
Chinese
Master
Master of Philosophy

近年來，香港有不少國際學校和直資學校開辦國際文憑課程（IB，International Baccalaureate），很多非華語學生選擇學習中文作為第二語言。然而，當中很多學生在使用詞彙上產生偏誤，而在二零零八年，香港教育局發布了《中國語文課程補充指引（非華語學生）》諮詢文件中，指出漢字的字形、聲調、語彙都是中文第二語言學習者的難點（香港課程發展議會，2008），這些難點均涉及語素。以往曾有不少研究，探討語素意識與詞彙知識習得的關係，因此，研究者期望以中文第二語言學習者作為研究對象，探討漢語語素意識與詞彙能力的關係。 本研究為量性研究，以語素意識與詞彙能力測驗和單元評估試卷來蒐集數據，並採用相關度測量研究方法分析數據，從而探討國際文憑課程中學項目學生在詞彙上的偏誤類型以及漢語語素意識與詞彙能力的關係，並提出建議以提升中文第二語言學習者的詞彙能力。本研究目的有三：（一）探究香港國際文憑課程中學項目學生在詞彙上的偏誤類型；（二）探究香港國際文憑課程中學項目學生的漢語語素意識與詞彙能力的關係；（三）歸納研究結果，並就教學和後續研究上提出具體建議，作為對外漢語教學之參考。 研究結果顯示，中文第二語言學習者的詞彙偏誤類型以「語音」為主，發展同音語素意識對於減少詞彙偏誤相當重要，此外亦需要加強發展部件規則的意識以及組字規則的概念，幫助他們掌握字形，對於減少詞彙偏誤亦有相當重要的作用。在漢語語素意識與詞彙能力的關係方面，中文第二語言學習者的語素意識對於詞彙能力有預測作用，同音語素意識對詞彙能力的預測作用大於同形語素意識的作用；而心理詞彙的語素意識、心理詞彙的數量及用詞能力三者有互相影響的關係，但仍需要進一步的研究。 International Baccalaureate (IB) Curriculum is adopted by more and more international schools and direct-subsidy schools in Hong Kong. At the same time, more and more non-Chinese speaking (NCS) students choose to study Chinese Language as a second language in IB curriculum. However, the vocabulary learning is one of the difficulties when they learn Chinese. The Education Bureau has published ‘Consultation Paper on Developing a “Supplementary Guide to the Chinese Language Curriculum for Non-Chinese Speaking Students” ’ and points out those NCS students encounter difficulties in learning Chinese graphemes, tones, vocabulary, etc. These difficulties are related to morpheme. Many researchers have conducted to study on relationship between morphological awareness and lexical knowledge. This dissertation aims to study on the relationship between morphological awareness and lexical ability of IB Middle Year Programme (MYP) students in Hong Kong. This is a quantitative research. Data collection includes two tests of the morphological awareness and lexical ability paper-pencil tests and one summative unit test of Chinese Language subject in a school. IB MYP students of two classes participated in this study and their morphological awareness and lexical ability were tested and analyzed by the statistical analysis software. The objectives of the study are: (1) Analysis on the types of lexicon errors of IB MYP students in Hong Kong; (2) Analysis on the relationship between morphological awareness and lexical ability of IB MYP students in Hong Kong; (3) Suggestions on developing of morphological awareness in learning Chinese Language as a second language. The results find that most of the lexicon errors were related to the tones and radical components of Chinese character, it is suggested to develop the homophone awareness and the orthographic awareness of Chinese character to reduce the lexicon errors. The morphological awareness of students has influence on student’s lexical ability. The homophone awareness has a closer relationship with lexical ability. The morphological awareness of the mental lexicon has an influence on the amount of mental lexicon and the ability of using lexicon. It is suggested to develop the morphological awareness of students in teaching Chinese as a second language to further study the relationship between the development of morphological awareness and mental lexicon in the future.
published_or_final_version
Education
Master
Master of Education