Decorative Scheme Research Articles

Immersive VR experience based on virtual robots in decorative material environment design simulation

Virtual robot and immersive VR experiences provide consumers with new ways of perception in the design process of decorative material environments. This experiential process is virtual, intuitive, and entertaining, and is widely recognized by consumers.The purpose of this study is to improve the processing effect of virtual images of decorative materials by image denoising algorithm. In this paper, the image acquisition and modeling technology based on sensor network and image denoising algorithm are used to process the acquired image data, and the processed image is applied to the virtual system of decorative materials. Through the application of image denoising algorithm, the noise in the image is reduced, and the clarity and authenticity of the virtual image of decorative materials are improved. This makes it possible to select the best decoration scheme more accurately when comprehensive calculation is carried out from various aspects such as aesthetic and functional data, and provides a new feasibility and method for environmental design and decoration material selection. The research results demonstrate that the system can achieve virtual image processing in environmental decoration scene design, thereby improving the level of indoor environmental art design.

Ab initio property characterisation of thousands of previously unexplored 2D materials

We perform extensive density functional theory calculations to determine the stability and elementary properties of 4249 previously unexplored monolayer crystals. The monolayers comprise the most stable subset (energy within 0.1 eV/atom of the convex hull) of a larger portfolio of two-dimensional (2D) materials recently discovered using a deep generative model and systematic lattice decoration schemes. The relaxed 2D structures are run through the basic property workflow of the Computational 2D Materials Database (C2DB) to evaluate the dynamical stability and obtain the stiffness tensor, piezoelectric tensor, deformation potentials, Born and Bader charges, electronic band structure, effective masses, plasma frequency, Fermi surface, projected density of states, magnetic moments, magnetic exchange couplings, magnetic anisotropy, topological indices, optical- and infrared polarisability. We provide statistical overviews of the property data and highlight a few specific examples of interesting materials. Our work exposes previously unknown parts of the 2D chemical space and provides a basis for the discovery of 2D materials with specific properties. All data is available in the C2DB.

In Pursuit of Equanimity: Managing Change and Adversity in Early Modern English Households, c.1570–c.1670

Abstract This article establishes equanimity as an important emotional ideal in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In showing how equanimity served to strengthen positive emotions and temper disruptive states, it promotes a more positive view of the era’s emotional landscape. The article employs the pursuit of equanimity as an intimate analytical device for uncovering the agency of ordinary people, and thus offers historians a new perspective on momentous change and adversity in the early modern period. It charts personal experiences of adversity—from physical and spiritual threats to familial disputes, uncertain patriarchal power and economic precarity—alongside individual management of religious, social and political change following the English Reformations and during the Civil War. Where other scholars have examined how different social groups reactively negotiated new realities, this microhistorical study of one gentry family in the North West of England urges historians to refocus their attention on the proactive courses that people took. Through a detailed examination of 541 manuscript letters, domestic decorative schemes, and archaeological evidence of ritual practices of protection, the article uncovers how the Moretons of Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire managed change and mitigated disaster. It discusses instances where equanimity played a persistent role in motivating the family’s actions and behaviours in daily life, and argues that practices designed to promote emotional harmony were crucial for preserving kinship networks and managing personal well-being, as well as gender relations within households, in early modern England.

Then the Lord said, 'Let there be natural light': The naturalness preference in Tibetan Buddhists’ evaluations of light

The naturalness preference refers to the tendency of individuals to perceive natural items as inherently superior, healthier, or more desirable compared to artificial or synthetic alternatives. Previous research has provided evidence that this cognitive bias is also operative in people's appraisal of light. Here, we took advantage of a testbed in Tibetan areas to examine the hypothesis that religious work may moderate individuals' assessment of different light sources. Drawing upon the exclusive utilization of daylight in the printing practices of the Buddhists at the Dege Sutra-Printing House, we postulated that they would exhibit a stronger preference for natural light compared to their fellow Buddhists. Consistent with our hypothesis, Study 1 found that printers demonstrated a heightened inclination towards natural light compared to other Tibetan Buddhists, despite their shared commitment to the religion. In a field study (Study 2), printers exhibited a greater propensity to choose a decoration scheme featuring natural light resources when compared to other Tibetan Buddhists. Across both studies, our findings indicated that perceptions of the morality and sacredness of light explained the differences between groups. Together, these findings highlight the important role of religious work when examining phenomena related to the evaluation of natural and artificial elements.

GLASS BEAKER WITH MYTHOLOGICAL FIGURES FROM THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA IN ISAURIA

Built in the region of Isauria - Cilicia Trachea, the ancient city of Philadelphia is located today in the north of the Gökçeseki village in the Ermenek district of the Karaman province. In 2015, a rescue excavation was conducted in this ancient city’s necropolis. During the excavations, sarcophagi that were raised on podiums were discovered. Also, a large number of archaeological finds were unearthed in an area of 10x10 m just west of these sarcophagi. The subject of this study is a glass beaker with mythological figures found in this area. There are very few beakers with mythological figures in the literature. These are a special group of glass bearing high relief decorations, produced through mould-blowing, a technique that was discovered some seventy years after the free-blowing technique of Roman glassmaking. The body of this glass type features four male figures standing between columns joined by garlands of ivy. The identities of the figures are a matter of debate. There seems to be a consensus on the identity of two of them as Poseidon (Weinberg's Figure A) and Dionysus (Weinberg's Figure C), based on the attributes they hold in their hands. Various suggestions exist for the identities of the other two figures. Six fragments belonging to the rim and body of the Philadelphia beaker were discovered. The vessel that has been partially preserved is identical in form and decorative scheme to the glasses that have been published so far. The glass beakers of this type were found in both the eastern and western provinces of the Roman empire. Their origin is a matter of controversy. They were generally dated to the 2nd half of the 1st century AD. For the Philadelphia beaker, it can be suggested that it also dates back to the second half of the 1st century AD, taking into consideration the other finds from the area, in which the highest concentration of the artifacts point to the 1st-3rd centuries AD. There is no evidence of glass production in Philadelphia or its vicinity. Therefore, the Philadelphia find must have been imported to the city. The fact that the fragmentary glass was found in the necropolis of the city suggests that these beakers might have been used during funeral rituals.

Bronze Art, Cultural Norms, and Group Identity: A Group of Late Western Zhou and Early Spring and Autumn He Vessels Analyzed in Their Temporal and Spatial Contexts

abstract: A new generation of scholars has called into question the homogeneous nature of Western Zhou culture and the sweeping imposition of this culture over a large region that covers much of present-day China. Our study contributes to this debate by focusing on a coherent group of bronze vessels dated to the end of the Western Zhou and beginning of the Spring and Autumn periods. He (盉) vessels with drum-shaped bodies, bird-like lids, and human-like legs are among the most unique and artistically innovative artifacts of this period. While these unique artifacts have been found in and near the center of the Western Zhou polity, they are not associated with the rituals of the royal house, but rather with those of other aristocratic lineages. We argue that the artistic style of the vessels was part of the culture developed around the royal Zhou house and in areas close to it, although it is not strictly representative of the royal culture of the Western Zhou, being instead associated with minor lineages. A multi-dimensional analysis of this group of vessels, addressing their geographical distribution, location within their archaeological context, and social associations, combined with an analysis of their decorative scheme and the inscriptions cast inside them, enables us to better understand the sociocultural landscape of this period. Our study suggests that diversity existed not only in remote border areas or among the lower strata of society, but also within the cultural core of the Western Zhou polity and among the highest echelons of the aristocracy. Such processes of diversification are associated with the development of local and regional identities and with the growth of the political independence of aristocratic lineages during the final years of the transition from the Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn periods.

Ménestrier on Emblems in the Context of “Erudite Images” and His Wider “Philosophy of Images”

Abstract This paper shows how Ménestrier’s theorizing on emblems developed from his practice as devisor of decorative schemes and festivals, as indeed did that of fellow Jesuits. It explains his concern for developing a theoretical framework (whereas fellow Jesuits usually published collections of emblems with little theory) in terms of the influence exerted by his Jesuit training in Aristotelian philosophy and Thomist theology and the example set by the (ex-)Jesuit theorist Emanuele Tesauro. It puts Ménestrier’s theory and practice of emblems within the context of his more general concern for “erudite,” or symbolic, images and how he conceived such images, in general, operate on humans. In conclusion, I suggest how this understanding of such images’ potential within the context of Catholic renewal affects how Ménestrier understands the purpose and creation of emblems. This article is part of the special issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies on Jesuit emblems and emblematic edited by Walter S. Melion.

The Emblematic Decoration of the Staircase at the Former Jesuit College of Győr in the Context of Jesuit Marian Iconography

Abstract This article contextualizes the emblematic decoration of the main staircase at the Jesuit College in Győr, northwestern Hungary. Painted in 1697, this fresco cycle visualizes the prayer of Salve Regina. The staircase emblems were designed as a visual aid to the Jesuits who wished to meditate on the significance of the Virgin Mary. Earlier scholarship has connected the decorative scheme to Jesuit emblem literature in general. In this article, I argue that the visual source of the program can be identified as the Salve Regina print series by Anton Wierix (1598). The emblems and their program, key examples of applied emblematics, demonstrate how and to what degree Jesuit meditative praxis underlay the decoration of Győr college. Focusing on the practical function of the decorative program also expands our knowledge of early modern practices of emblematic meditation in religious communities. This article is part of the special issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies on Jesuit emblems and emblematic edited by Walter S. Melion.

White Spirit: Situating Whiteness in Contemporary Church Architecture

In his polemical tract, The Present State of Ecclesiastical Architecture in England published in 1843, AWN Pugin condemned the ‘vogue’ for whitewashed church interiors that had characterised Protestant iconoclasm: for him, the return to colour and darkness was an indispensable backdrop to the reawakening of ritual, tradition and the sacred. In 19th-century Christian theologies, colour (or the lack of it) was profoundly important: no decorative scheme was ever applied without considering the religious implications. The long history of whiteness as a trope in Christian visual culture has been well documented but little attention has been paid to its meaning in late modernity. In the 21st century, whiteness is understood as a polyvalent and freighted concept, bearing implications that reach beyond the religious and into secular critical discourses. In this essay, I explore the contemporary vogue for whiteness as a motif in church architecture, focusing on its political and cultural significance in relation to the decline of traditional Christian worship and the rise of ‘believing without belonging’.

Computational Screening and Stabilization of Boron-Substituted Type-I and Type-II Carbon Clathrates.

Boron substitution represents a promising approach to stabilize carbon clathrate structures, but no thermodynamically stable substitution schemes have been identified for frameworks other than the type-VII (sodalite) structure type. To investigate the possibility for additional tetrahedral carbon-based clathrate networks, more than 5000 unique boron decoration schemes were investigated computationally for type-I and type-II carbon clathrates with a range of guest elements including Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba. Density functional theory calculations were performed at 10 and 50 GPa, and the stability and impact of boron substitution were evaluated. The results indicate that the boron-substituted carbon clathrates are stabilized under high-pressure conditions. Full cage occupancies of intermediate-sized guest atoms (e.g., Na, Ca, and Sr) are the most favorable energetically. Clathrate stability is maximized when the boron atoms are substituted within the hexagonal rings of the large [51262]/[51264] cages. Several structures with favorable formation enthalpies <-200 meV/atom were predicted, and type-I Ca8B16C30 is on the convex hull at 50 GPa. This structure represents the first thermodynamically stable type-I clathrate identified and suggests that boron-substituted carbon clathrates may represent a large family of diamond-like framework materials with a range of structure types and guest/framework substitutions.

Bronze Art, Cultural Norms, and Group Identity: A Group of Late Western Zhou and Early Spring and Autumn He Vessels Analyzed in Their Temporal and Spatial Contexts

A new generation of scholars has called into question the homogeneous nature of Western Zhou culture and the sweeping imposition of this culture over a large region that covers much of present-day China. Our study contributes to this debate by focusing on a coherent group of bronze vessels dated to the end of the Western Zhou and beginning of the Spring and Autumn periods. He (盉) vessels with drum-shaped bodies, bird-like lids, and human-like legs are among the most unique and artistically innovative artifacts of this period. While these unique artifacts have been found in and near the center of the Western Zhou polity, they are not associated with the rituals of the royal house, but rather with those of other aristocratic lineages. We argue that the artistic style of the vessels was part of the culture developed around the royal Zhou house and in areas close to it, although it is not strictly representative of the royal culture of the Western Zhou, being instead associated with minor lineages. A multi-dimensional analysis of this group of vessels, addressing their geographical distribution, location within their archaeological context, and social associations, combined with an analysis of their decorative scheme and the inscriptions cast inside them, enables us to better understand the socio-cultural landscape of this period. Our study suggests that diversity existed not only in remote border areas or among the lower strata of society, but also within the cultural core of the Western Zhou polity and among the highest echelons of the aristocracy. Such processes of diversification are associated with the development of local and regional identities and with the growth of the political independence of aristocratic lineages during the final years of the transition from the Western Zhou to the Spring and Autumn periods. KEYWORDS: homogeneous culture, ritual and identity, bronze art, he vessels, winged animal and human figurines, Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn periods

Smart design of universally decorated nanoparticles for drug delivery applications driven by active transport.

Targeting the cell nucleus remains a challenge for drug delivery. Here, we present a universal platform for the smart design of nanoparticle (NP) decoration that is based on: (i) a spacer polymer, commonly biotin-polyethylene-glycol-thiol, whose grafting density and molecular weight can be tuned for optimized performance, and (ii) protein binding peptides, such as cell penetrating peptides (CPPs), cancer-targeting peptides, or nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptides, that are linked to the PEG free-end by universal chemistry. We manifested our platform with two different bromo-acetamide (Br-Ac) modified NLSs. We used cell extract-based and live cell assays to demonstrate the recruitment of dynein motor proteins, which drive the NP active transport toward the nucleus, and the enhancement of cellular and nuclear entry, manifesting the properties of NLS as a CPP. Our control of the NP decoration scheme, and the modularity of our platform, carry great advantages for nano-carrier design for drug delivery applications.

The Otherness of the Duchess and her Authorship of the Decorative Schemes for the Baptisms of her Sons Adrian, John, Amadeus and Emmanuel Philibert

This paper argues that Beatrice of Portugal used her cultural and social otherness as a device to construct an image and manage her power as the Duchess of Savoy. Considering the narratives of her sons Adrian, John, Amadeus and Emmanuel Philibert's christening festivities, written respectively by Antonino Dal Pozzo and Bonnes Nouvelles, this text discusses Beatrice's role and intentions as the author of the decorative programs.

Preliminary Report on the Twenty-Second Excavation Season of the Archaeological Expedition to Wad Ben Naga

The twenty-second excavation season of the Archaeological Expedition to Wad Ben Naga focused on the continued exploration of the so-called Isis Temple (WBN 300). The works covered the south-eastern part of the hypostyle hall (WBN 301), a part of the central vestibule (WBN 302) including its front entrance, the entire southern vestibule (WBN 310), and a large part of the southern corridor (WBN 312). The excavation in the hypostyle hall yielded most notably many fragments of columns and a complete abacus with relief decoration, which allowed for partial reconstruction of their decorative scheme. There were also many pieces of modelled and painted plaster fragments apparently coming from the southern tower of the pylon and depicting King Natakamani and the god Horus. The stone-built entrance from the hypostyle hall to the central vestibule was found to be covered with relief depictions of King Natakamani and Queen Amanitore and Egyptian hieroglyphic texts. The southern vestibule and the southern corridor were recognised to have had painted decoration, which was especially well preserved in the southern corridor. Besides the paintings, a stairway leading to the roof of the building and a later burial of a non-adult individual were located there as well.

New Perspectives on Studying Art of the Baltic Region in the 10th–12th Centuries: The Issue of Artistic Interaction between Scandinavia and Ancient Rus’

The aim of this research is to study the development of Scandinavian art outside of Scandinavia. The main attention is focused on the process of influence of the Borre style elementon the applied art development in North-West Russia of the 10th–12th centuries. The main sources of artistical influence should be not Scandinavia, but the territory of distribution of Scandinavian art, in particular, Pomerania and the British Isles. The stylistic analysis revelates the use of identical elements of decor, where the main place have the highly simplified Borre style motifs (chains and scale motifs), supplemented by a double contour and hatching. It is possible to trace the process of Borre’s assimilation using carved wooden artefacts from Novgorod the Great. Development of this art in the 10th century was influenced by the art of Viking Age. The preservation of these stylistic features can be traced in Novgorod art up to and including the 12th century. One of the actual problems of this phenomenon is the analysis of the decorative schemes and the appearance of the main visual elements.

Liu Hai teases the golden toad

This paper analyses auspicious motifs on the wooden mirror frame from the Skušek Collection, housed in the Slovene Ethnographic Museum. The auspicious patterns are discussed in the broader context of Chinese cultural and linguistic structures, which in the visual representation of combined plant, animal, and figure motifs, leads to innumerable combinations of rebuses and puns with homonyms based on Chinese historical, literary, philosophical, religious, and mythological tradition. In this way, auspicious motifs developed into a standard decorative scheme, providing a rich source for both literati and artisans, and were exported to neighbouring countries and the West. They are particularly widespread on objects for daily use given as tokens of good wishes for happiness, prosperity, wealth, longevity and progeny, which are also meant to ensure their fulfilment. This can be seen on the wooden mirror frame purchased in Beijing between 1914 and 1920 by naval officer Ivan Skušek Jr. In the first part of the paper, an iconographic analysis of the motifs is made, while in the second part, the messages contained in the visual symbolic codes are analysed in more detail, taking into account the arrangement of the motifs in the completed narrative and the way in which these images are interpreted.

Adsorption of ammonia on ZrOx-modified graphene nanoribbon: a first-principle investigation

Ammonia (NH3) is a main environmental pollutant related to global warming, and reduction of its emission is the subject of multiple international agreements and regulations. Accordingly, the development of highly precise detectors to monitor its content in the environment is essential to track and limit its emission. This work examines the influence of modifying of armchair–graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) by zirconium (Zr) and its oxides on its adsorption for NH3 gas. Density functional theory (DFT) computations are utilized to investigate the band structure, adsorption energy ({E}_{d}), adsorption length (D), charge transferred (Delta Q), and density of states (DOS) of pristine and modified structures with ZrOx (x=0, 1, mathrm{or }2). ZrOx is presented to AGNR nanostructure by two pathways: substitution of carbon atoms (doping) and introduction on top of the AGNR surface (decoration). The findings of the investigation illustrate great improvement of NH3 adsorption on AGNR due to its modification. Although the adsorption energy is enhanced in general upon modification, AGNR structures where ZrOx substitute carbon atoms exhibit greater adsorption energy as compared with the decoration scheme. The maximum energy of adsorption is for the AGNR structure doped with ZrO2, followed by that doped with Zr. The adsorption energy of NH3 on the ZrO2-doped AGNR is − 10.05 eV with an adsorption length of 2.4 Å and − 0.214e charge transferred. As compared to the pristine structure, the adsorption energy for NH3 on AGNR doped with ZrO2 increases 22.2 times. Therefore, AGNR nanostructure doped with ZrOx can be considered for practical sensors for the applications of detection and control of ammonia emission.

Queen’s Tombs Made Earlier than King’s and Changes of the Royal Tomb System in the Joseon Dynasty

The Joseon royal tombs exhibit remarkable consistencies as they were modeled on precedents stipulated by the convention of “upholding the achievements of the forefathers” (&lt;i&gt;gye ji sul sa&lt;/i&gt; 繼志述事). That said, the stone figures erected around the royal tombs underwent constant changes, of which the turning point was the construction of the eleven tombs of the queen consorts who died before the kings (Jeongneung, Yeongneung, Sulleung, Huireung, Mongneung, Jangneung, Ingneung, Myeongneung, Hongneung 弘陵, Gyeongneung, Hongneung 洪陵). This article argues that those changes resulted from the Joseon rulers’ exercise of &lt;i&gt;quandao&lt;/i&gt; 權道, or political expediency, to resolve practical challenges in observance of traditions and inherited norms.&lt;/br&gt;In general, the notion of filial piety (&lt;i&gt;xiao&lt;/i&gt; 孝) lay at the heart of the funerary procedures for the kings and queens. In comparison, however, when the queen died before the king, the funerary procedures were dictated by the notion of righteousness (&lt;i&gt;yi&lt;/i&gt; 義) toward the royal spouse. When the heir to the throne, either the prince regent or the newly crowned, presided over the funeral, the notion of filial piety was still the principal guideline for arranging the funeral. Yet, since the funeral of the queen consort was officiated by the king as her spouse, fidelity between husband and wife was of paramount importance. When the queen consort died after the king had already built experience in dealing with state affairs, the king intended to have the system of stone figures, as part of the decorative scheme of the tomb, reflect circumstantial factors. In particular, when the tomb of the royal consort was prearranged before her demise, the king carried out quandao by involving himself in decision-making for the tomb construction and brought about changes in the arrangement of stone figures. Thereafter, the newly instated decorative system was deemed as an invariable norm to be followed (&lt;i&gt;changjing&lt;/i&gt; 常經), serving as a paradigm for later construction of royal tombs. The political philosophy of &lt;i&gt;changjing&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;quandao&lt;/i&gt; underpinned the changes in the otherwise conservative construction of royal tombs. The stone figures in the Joseon royal tombs, therefore, attest that the concept of &lt;i&gt;quandao&lt;/i&gt; was exercised in managing actual state affairs beyond the theoretical level of political discourse.

Evaluation of the effect of decorated sidewall in tunnels based on driving behavior characteristics

As a novel traffic safety facility, the decorated sidewall in tunnels plays a crucial role in improving the safety and upgrading the driving environment. The design element spacing, frequency patterns and color, are important elements in the design of the tunnel wall decoration. In order to analyze the impact of the tunnel sidewall decoration element complexity on the driving behavior under different driving conditions, this paper performs a detailed visual-action-cognitive driving task design. In the driving simulation test, three sidewall decoration schemes for different element complexities (character, character and ribbon, ribbon and snowflake) are designed at the level of pattern frequency and spacing respectively fixed at 1.26 Hz and 17.5 m, compared with the tunnel without sidewall decoration. Therefore, thirty drivers are recruited. Six indexes, including the acceleration and lateral position, are considered to construct the evaluation index system from the aspects of speed adjustment, operation stability and attention concentration levels. The significance and effect size of the indexes are explored using the ANOVA two-way repeated measures. The fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model based on the entropy weight method, is used to compare the effects of four sidewall decoration schemes.The results show that the complexity of the sidewall decoration elements highly affects the speed adjustment level, operation stability level and attention dispersion level of the drivers. The results of the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation show that, compared with the four sidewall decoration schemes in the whole and middle sections of the tunnel, the design scheme with the mural elements as characters under the condition of fixed frequency and spacing, has a higher comprehensive score. This indicates that adding appropriate mural elements on the sidewall of the tunnel improves the longitudinal driving stability and speed control ability of the driver, and makes the driving experience more comfortable. This paper demonstrates that a reasonable tunnel sidewall decoration plays a crucial role in improving the safety of the tunnel driving environment. Finally, it provides a theoretical support and technical guarantee for improving the traffic safety using tunnel sidewall decoration.

MS Bodley Or. 621 as a “Study Psalter” for Christian Hebraists

Because of its diminutive size, unconventional decorative scheme and total lack of built-in translations, MS Bodley Or. 621 is an anomaly among the nine “Hebrew Psalters for Christian Use” listed by Raphael Loewe. It has received scant attention principally because, as a book that appears to have been intended for Jews only to be later appropriated by Christians, it seems to be of lesser relevance to discussions of thirteenth-century English Hebraism than those psalters that were unambiguously custom-made for gentile scholars.