• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.44
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• pp.411-430
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• 2016

One of central issues in the Literature and Science discourses during the Victorian era is the relation of physiology to psychology. Many thinkers tackle the question of whether or not psychic phenomena can be reducible to their physiological bases. For instance, Victorian physiologist William Benjamin Carpenter claims that there should be a boundary between physiological and psychological qualities. Yet, his contemporary writer Grant Allen contends for the reduction of psychology into physiology. In the essay, I discuss Grant Allen's work Physiological Aesthetics (1877) so as to eventually problematize his physiological reductionism. I especially highlight the paradox of his physiological aesthetics. In order to clarify my argument, I introduce two concepts: evolutionary aesthetics and physiological reductionism. On the one hand, Allen argues for the development of aesthetic appreciation. The gradual evolution from gaudy to serene colors, for instance, reflects the fine differentiation of sensory organs. He believes that the existence of varied aesthetic pleasures corresponds to the evolution of sensory nerve structures. Nonetheless, Allen ironically gives more weight to the commonality of aesthetic experiences than to this teleological ordering of aesthetic experiences. He argues that there is no fundamental difference among humans in terms of their aesthetic assessments. Furthermore, there is even no essential distinction among plants, animals, and humans in light of their aesthetic appraisals, he states firmly. Although he asserts the gradual advance of aesthetic feelings caused by the intricacy of nervous systems, he simultaneously trivializes the evolution of aesthetic appraisal. In the essay, I highlight this paradox in Allen's physiological aesthetics. It should be underscored, lamentably enough, that Allen seeks biological purity by erasing fine lines among physiology, psychology, and sociality. He estranges aesthetic experiences from subjective variations and their socio-cultural contexts. He makes great efforts to eliminate individual differences and socio-cultural specificities in order to extremely biologize aesthetic experiences. Hence, Allen's physiological aesthetics is marked as the politics of physiological purification.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2019.04a
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• pp.21-22
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• 2019

Melanin is a mixture of pigmented biopolymers synthesized by epidermal melanocytes that determine the skin, eye, and hair colors. Melanocytes produce two different kinds of melanin, eumelanin (dark brown/black insoluble pigments found in dark skin and dark hair and pheomelanin (lighter red/yellow). The biological role of melanin is to prevent skin damage by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. However, the overproduction or deficiency of melanin synthesis could lead to serious dermatological problems, which include melasma, melanoderma, lentigo, and vitiligo. Therefore, regulating melanin production is important to prevent the pigmentation disorders. Myanmar has a rich in natural resources. However, the chemical constituents of these natural resources in Myanmar have not been fully investigated. In the effort to search for compounds with anti-melanin deposition activity from Myanmar natural resources, five plants were collected in Myanmar. Extracts of these collected five plants were tested for anti-melanin deposition activity against a mouse melanoma cell line (B16-F10) induced with ${\alpha}$-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (${\alpha}$-MSH) and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX), and their anti-melanin deposition activities were compared with the positive control, arbutin. Among the tested extracts, the CHCl3 extracts of the Premna serratifolia (syn: P. integrifolia) wood showed anti-melanin deposition activities with IC50 values of $81.3{\mu}g/mL$. Hence, this study aims to identify secondary metabolites with anti-melanin deposition activity from P. serratifolia wood of Myanmar. P. serratifolia belongs to the Verbenaceae family and is widely distributed in near western sea coast from South Asia to South East Asia, which include India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. People in Tanintharyi region located in the southern part of Myanmar utilize the P. serratifolia, Sperethusa crenulata, Naringi crenulata, and Limonia acidissima as Thanaka, traditional cosmetics in Myanmar. Thanaka is applied in the form of paste onto skins to make it smooth and clear, as well as to prevent wrinkles, skin aging, excessive facial oil, pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. However, the chemical constituents responsible for their cosmetic properties are yet to be identified. Moreover, the chemical constituents of P. serratifolia was almost uncharacterized. Investigation of the P. serratifolia chemical constituents is thus an attractive endeavor to discover new anti-melanin deposition active compounds. The investigation of the chemical constituents of the active CHCl3 extract of P. serratifolia led to isolation of four new lignoids, premnan A (1), premnan B (2), taungtangyiol C (3), and 7,9-dihydroxydolichanthin B (4), together with premnan C (5) (assumed to be an artifact), one natural newlignoid,(3R,4S)-4-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylcarbonyl)-3-[(R)-1-(1,3-benzo dioxol-5-yl)-1-hydroxy methyl]tetrahydro-2-furanone (6), and five known compounds (7-11)1,2). The structures of all isolated compounds were determined on the basis of their spectroscopic data and by comparison with the reported literatures. The absolute configurations of 1-3 and 5 were also determined by optical rotation and circular dichroism (CD) data analyses1). The anti-melanin deposition activities of all the isolated compounds were evaluated against B16-F10 cell line. 7,9-Dihydroxydolichanthin B (4) and ($2{\alpha},3{\alpha}$)-olean-12-en-28-oic acid (11) showed strong anti-melanin deposition activities with IC50 values of 18.4 and $11.2{\mu}M$, respectively, without cytotoxicity2). On the other hand, compounds 1-3, 5, and 7 showed melanogenesis enhancing activities1). To better understand their anti-melanin deposition mechanism, the effects of 4 and 11 on tyrosinase activities were investigated. The assay indicated that compounds 4 and 11 did not inhibit tyrosinase. Furthermore, we also examined the mRNA expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1), and tyrosinase-related protein-2 (TRP-2). Compounds 4 and 11 down-regulated the expression of Tyr and Mitf mRNAs, respectively. Although the P. serratifolia wood has been used as traditional cosmetics in Myanmar for centuries, there are no scientific evidences to support its effectiveness as cosmetics. Investigation of the anti-melanin deposition activity of the chemical constituents of P. serratifolia thus provided insight into the effectiveness of the P. serratifolia wood as a cosmetic agent.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.163-177
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• 2019

This study aims to review the relations between the dyeing conditions (i.e., dye concentration, addition amounts of salt and alkali, and dyeing temperature) and dyeing properties and color fastness to light for identifying the optimal dyeing conditions when dyed regenerated woody fibers were obtained through the defibration of waste medium density fiberboard (MDF) using reactive Red H-E3B (Bis-monochlorotriazine (MCT)/MCT type) and reactive Red RB133% (Bis-MCT/Vinyl sulphone type). The dyeing yield (K/S) obtained using two types of reactive dyes increased as the dye concentration increased by 1-10% (on the weight of fiber (OWF)). In addition, the K/S of H-E3B was higher than that of RB133% irrespective of the dye concentration. The color difference of H-E3B after ultraviolet (UV) radiation was lower than that of RB133%, denoting good resistance to discoloration by UV. As the amount of sodium sulfate increased, the color difference and K/S also increased, and the adequate salt content was determined to be 50-70 g/L. Further, the color difference and K/S significantly increased only the addition of 2 g/L of sodium carbonate; however, almost no difference was observed when more than 2 g/L of sodium carbonate was added. The addition amount of sodium carbonate was adequate 5-10 g/L to dyeing the fiber and the pH at this addition level was 10. The dyeing yield of H-E3B increased when the dyeing temperature increased; however, it subsequently decreased after the dyeing temperature became $80^{\circ}C$. The dyeing yield of RB133% was almost the same up to $60-70^{\circ}C$ but declined subsequently. Thus, the adequate temperatures were $80^{\circ}C$ and $60^{\circ}C$ for H-E3B and RB133%, respectively. If the waste MDF woody fiber was dyed under the aforementioned optimal conditions, dyed regenerated woody fiber can be obtained having the following colors: 1.5 to 2.0R with the H-E3B dye and 9.6 to 10.0 PR with RB133%.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.132-149
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• 2011

In ancient period, a variety of inorganic or organic pigments had been used as colorants in various kinds of religious and secular paintings such as tomb paintings and wall and scroll paintings in buddhist temples, and danchung(cosmic patterns) for the surface of wooden buildings. This study discusses the results obtained from an analysis of the pigments on the wall paintings of Yeongsanjeon(Hall of Vulture Peak) in Tongdo temple by a qualitative analysis using a field-XRF. The results can be briefly summarized as follows. Firstly, assuming from the major components examined from F-XRF analysis, raw materials of pigment of each color are: red to be Cinnabar(HgS) or Hematite($Fe_2O_3$); white to be White Lead[$2PbCO_3{\cdot}Pb(OH)_2$] in most cases and Calcite($CaCO_3$) or Chalk($CaCO_3$), Kaolin($Al2O_3{\cdot}SiO_2{\cdot}4H_2O$) in some cases; yellow to be Yellow Ocher[$FeO(OH){\cdot}nH_2O$]; black to be carbon(C); green on the painted surface to be Celadonite[$K(Mg,Fe^{2+})(Fe^{3+},Al)(Si_4O_{10})(OH)_2$] in most cases; dark green on the halo of figures to be Malachite[$CuCO_3{\cdot}Cu(OH)_2$], Copper Green[$2CuO{\cdot}CO_2{\cdot}H_2O$] or Atacamite[$Cu_2Cl(OH)_3$]. Secondly, incarnadine and pink were made by mixing with more than two pigments such as red and white for making various tone of colors. The qualitative analysis of pigments on the wall paintings of Yeongsanjeon, in conclusion, displays that the all pigments for ancient periods are inorganis pigments. However, it has the limitation to identify a definite kinds of mineral for each pigment because it was not possible to collect samples from cultural heritage for conducting a crystalline analysis of XRD.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.177-186
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• 2021

For disaster management and mitigation of earthquakes in Korea Peninsula, active fault investigation has been conducted for the past 5 years. In particular, investigation of sediment-covered active faults integrates geomorphological analysis on airborne LiDAR data, surface geological survey, and geophysical exploration, and unearths subsurface active faults by trench survey. However, the fault traces revealed by trench surveys are only available for investigation during a limited time and restored to the previous condition. Thus, the geological data describing the fault trench sites remain as the qualitative data in terms of research articles and reports. To extend the limitations due to temporal nature of geological studies, we utilized a terrestrial LiDAR to produce 3D point clouds for the fault trench sites and restored them in a digital space. The terrestrial LiDAR scanning was conducted at two trench sites located near the Yangsan Fault and acquired amplitude and reflectance from the surveyed area as well as color information by combining photogrammetry with the LiDAR system. The scanned data were merged to form the 3D point clouds having the average geometric error of 0.003 m, which exhibited the sufficient accuracy to restore the details of the surveyed trench sites. However, we found more post-processing on the scanned data would be necessary because the amplitudes and reflectances of the point clouds varied depending on the scan positions and the colors of the trench surfaces were captured differently depending on the light exposures available at the time. Such point clouds are pretty large in size and visualized through a limited set of softwares, which limits data sharing among researchers. As an alternative, we suggested Potree, an open-source web-based platform, to visualize the point clouds of the trench sites. In this study, as a result, we identified that terrestrial LiDAR data can be practical to increase reproducibility of geological field studies and easily accessible by researchers and students in Earth Sciences.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.98
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• pp.54-77
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• 2020

Produced during the Goryeo period (718-1392), the statue of the monk Huirang Daesa at Haeinsa Temple in Hapcheon is almost life-size, with a height of 82.4 cm, a width of 66.6 cm at the knees, and a maximum width of 44 cm at the torso (front and back). Notably, it is the only known example of an East Asian Buddhist sculpture made from wood and dry lacquer that was formed by joining the front and back halves. However, a similar technique was used on a dry lacquer statue of the Medicine Buddha at Cheongnyangsa Temple in Bonghwa, which is estimated to date from the late Goryeo or early Joseon period. As such, this technique is thought to represent this particular time period. In an eighteenth-century travelogue about a trip to Mt. Gayasan, the author describes a sculpture that is believed to be the statue of Huirang Daesa at Haeinsa Temple, based on various unique features that closely correspond to the sculpture's current appearance. For example, the sculpture is said to have a hole in the chest and rough, knobby tendons and bones, two features that can still be seen today. Another sculpture of a Buddhist monk who was active in the western regions during the third and fourth century also has a hole in the chest, which is said to be a symbol of spiritual strength. The travelogue also states that the statue was lacquered black at the time, which means that it must have been painted with its present colors some time in the nineteenth century. Over time, the sculpture has been enshrined in various halls of Haeinsa Temple, including Haehaengdang, Jinsangjeon, and later Josajeon (Hall of the Patriarchs), and Bojangjeon. Records show that images of Buddhist monks, or "seungsang," were produced in Korea as early as the Three Kingdoms period (18 BCE-660 CE), but few of these works have survived. At present, only four such sculptures are extant, including the images of Huirang Daesa from the Goryeo period, and those of Monk Naong and Uisang Daesa from the Joseon period. Of these, the sculpture of Huirang Daesa has special significance for its early production date (i.e., CE. tenth century), outstanding production techniques, and superb artistic quality, realistically capturing both the external appearance and internal character of the subject. The tradition of producing, sanctifying, and worshipping statues of monks was prevalent not only in Korea, but also in China and Japan. However, each country developed its own preferred materials and techniques for producing these unique images. For example, while China has a large number of mummified Buddhist images (yuksinbul), Japan produced diverse images with various materials (e.g., dry lacquer, wood, clay) according to period. But despite the differences in materials and techniques, the three nations shared the same fundamental purpose of expressing and honoring the inherent spirituality of the monks.

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.271-286
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• 2023

The global COVID-19 pandemic has transformed face masks from situational accessories to indispensable items in daily life, prompting a shift in public perception and behavior. While the relaxation of mandatory mask-wearing regulations is underway, a significant number of individuals continue to embrace face masks, turning them into a form of personal expression and identity. This phenomenon has given rise to the Fashion Mask industry, characterized by unique designs and colors, experiencing rapid growth in the market. However, existing research on masks is predominantly focused on their efficacy in preventing infection or exploring attitudes during the pandemic, leaving a gap in understanding consumer preferences for mask design. We address this gap by investigating consumer perceptions and preferences for two prevalent mask designs-horizontal fold flat masks and vertical fold flat masks. Through a comprehensive approach involving surveys and eye-tracking experiments, we aim to unravel the subtle differences in how consumers perceive these designs. Our research questions focus on determining which design is more appealing and exploring the reasons behind any observed differences. The study's findings reveal a clear preference for vertical fold flat masks, which are not only preferred but also perceived as unique, sophisticated, three-dimensional, and lively. The eye-tracking analysis provides insights into the visual attention patterns associated with mask designs, highlighting the pivotal role of the fold line in influencing these patterns. This research contributes to the evolving understanding of masks as a fashion statement and provides valuable insights for manufacturers and marketers in the Fashion Mask industry. The results have implications beyond the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of design elements in sustaining consumer interest in face masks.