Discourse Analysis of the Belt and Road Initiative From the Perspective of Central Asian Countries: A Case Study of the Republic of Kazakhstan

This study employs Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis(CDA)three-dimensional model,using the Republic of Kazakhstan as a case study,to delve into the discourse construction of China’s Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)in Central Asian countries.Through detailed analysis of policy documents,media reports,and public discussions in Central Asian countries,this paper reveals how the BRI constructs specific social practices,discourse events,and textual meanings within these nations.The findings indicate that through this global development strategy,China has not only strengthened its economic ties with Central Asian countries but has also exerted profound influences on political,cultural,and social levels.

Mobilization Initiatives for Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Enrolment into Vocational and Technical Education Program of Universities for Self Reliance in South East, Nigeria

This study focused on identification of mobilization initiatives for enhancing student’s enrolment into Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) programs in Nigerian Universities. Three research questions guided the study while three hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study was carried out in South East, Nigeria. Population for the study was 1340. Sample for the study was 753 obtained through proportionate (30%) stratified random sampling technique. A 38 item questionnaire was developed and used to collect data. Data obtained were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer research questions while t-test statistic was used to test hypotheses at probability of 0.05 level. It was found out by the study that 38 mobilization initiatives could be used to enhance students’ enrolment into Vocational and Technical Education Programs in Nigerian Universities. It was therefore recommended that the identified mobilization initiatives be implemented by relevant stakeholders to enhance secondary school students’ enrollment into VTE programs in Nigerian Universities.

Construction of Chinese Learning Mode for Overseas Students in Higher Vocational Colleges under the Background of the Belt and Road Initiative

With the deepening of exchanges between China and other countries,especially the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative,more and more foreign students come to China to study,putting forward higher requirements for the education and management of colleges and universities in China.In the process of implementing the strategy of"one belt and one road",language interaction is the basic prerequisite for achieving exchanges and cooperation among different countries.In the face of this situation,by analyzing the existing problems in the training of overseas students in higher vocational colleges in China under the background of"One Belt and One Road"strategy,in this paper,the construction of the Chinese learning mode for overseas students in higher vocational colleges was put forward,hoping to provide help for the training of overseas students and solve the problem of foreign students'language learning.

扩展目标跟踪Student’s t逆Wishart平滑算法

脉冲干扰和离群量测信息等因素通常会导致异常的厚尾噪声,这使得以高斯假设为前提的扩展目标跟踪(ETT)估计器的性能急剧降低,针对该问题该文提出一种基于扩展目标随机矩阵模型(RMM)的Student’s t逆Wishart平滑(StIWS)算法。首先,将目标的运动状态以及过程噪声和量测噪声建模为Student’s t分布以表征异常噪声对扩展目标概率分布的影响,将目标扩展状态建模为服从逆Wishart分布的随机矩阵。然后,在Student’s t贝叶斯平滑框架下,详细推导了能在扩展目标的多重特征动态演变的过程中有效估计目标状态的StIWS算法。最后,通过扩展目标跟踪的仿真实验结果和真实场景实验结果验证了所提算法的有效性。

Patterns of medication use for the treatment of menopausal symptoms before and after the women’s health initiative;implications for decision-making practices of women and women’s health professionals

Background: The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) published findings in 2002 that changed the perception of the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the reduction of cardiovascular risks. Menopausal women using HRT for the relief of vasomotor symptoms were advised to use the lowest possible dose of HRT over the shortest possible duration. Objective: This study sought to examine patterns of HRT use for the treatment of menopausal symptoms before and after the WHI among women at least 40 years of age. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on a total of 1367 women in the pre-WHI group and 6467 women in the post-WHI group using the U.S. General Electric (GE) Centricity electronic medical record database. Menopause diagnosis was assessed using ICD-9 codes. Clinical characteristics and medication use were assessed for women with at least 3 years of enrollment (1 year baseline, 2 years follow-up). Results: The proportion of women in the post-WHI group that initiated HRT was significantly less than that of women in the pre-WHI group (31.3% vs. 56.9%, respectively;p < 0.001). Combination HRT use declined significantly (21.9% pre-WHI cohort vs. 7.2% post- WHI cohort, p < 0.001) among increases in non-HRT use, namely SSRIs (15.2% pre-WHI cohort v. 22.3% post-WHI cohort, p < 0.001) and tranquilizers (9.5% pre-WHI cohort v. 15.8% post-WHI cohort, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of the WHI 2002 publication made an impression on the perception of HRT’s role in the relief of menopausal symptoms. Decision-making on the part of women seeking treatment for vasomotor symptoms and women’s health professionals demonstrates that despite HRT precautions, women continue to exhibit a need for HRT use. This study’s findings suggest that women seeking treatment for menopausal symptom relief and women’s health professionals continue to work together to find the appropriate balance between therapy use and adherence to therapy use guidelines.

Cross-Cultural Adjustment and Coping:U.S.Students in Taiwan Residents Higher Education

The aim of this study was to investigate the adjustment problems of students from the United States enrolled in universities in the East,specifically in Taiwan,their problems related to cultural adaptation,and the process of adjustment to student life in Taiwan.Under investigation were cultural adjustment and coping skills as these students transitioned from West to East.Qualitative data were collected from interviews with participants and faculty members as well as participant observations.Results indicated that U.S.students found their own ways to acclimate to their new academic setting as well as to social relations,cross-cultural issues,and the linguistic environment in Taiwan to achieve effective adaptation.They made changes in themselves to cope with all situations they encountered.This study provides suggestions for international students abroad in Taiwan,for the Taiwan Residents government,and for universities or colleges in terms of what they should offer to current and future international students.

The"Belt and Road"Initiative:A Chinese Concept for Global Development

China＇s ＂Belt and Road＂ initiative is emerging as the Western-dominated world order is declining. Capitalism has intensified the rich-poor divide and power politics have led to great upheavals. Western values have caused a ＂value dislocation＂ for non-Western countries. The world is calling for new development concepts. The ＂Belt and Road＂ initiative has emerged as an answer. It embodies China＇s ideas on global development. First, it works for the ＂common prosperity＂ of every country, which will ease contradictions between the South and the North. Second, it emphasizes geo-economie integration that will heal the fragmentation of Eurasia. Third, it advocates linkages between people and inclusiveness to create a new kind of civilization. However, many difficulties and challenges lie ahead for the implementation of the ＂Belt and Road＂ initiative.

Analysis of New Senior English for China Student’s Book 1

This article will firstly discuss the context overview of English teaching and learning in China. Under thiscircumstance, a problematic element will be examined of the New Senior English for China Student’s Book 1 and critical appraisal ofhow this element relates to other elements of curriculum development will be analyzed. The recommended changes and demonstrationmechanisms for evaluating the changes are put forward in the last two parts.

Assessment of Early Sexual Initiation and Associated Factors among Preparatory School Students of FaggetaLekoma District, Awi Zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2015

Introduction: Almost half of the world’s population is concentrated under the age of less than 25 years. The highest number of this population is living in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa youths constitute 20% - 30% of this population. Early sexual initiation is common among young people, and it has several sexual and reproductive health consequences. So, the objective of this research was to assess the prevalence of early sexual initiation and associated factors among preparatory school students of FaggetaLekoma district, Awi zone, Northwest Ethiopia, 2015. Methods and Materials: Institutional based cross-sectional study design with stratified sampling technique was used. Completeness of questionnaires was checked visually and data were coded and entered into Epi-Info version 3.5.4. and transported to SPSS version 16 software package for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with early sexual initiation at 95% confidence interval. Result: A total of 270 students were included in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 18.82 ± 1.91 years, of which 117 (43.3%) were females, and 156 (57.8%) were rural residents. Among the total students who attended their class within the study period, 55 (20.4%) students had early sexual initiation. The results of multivariable model revealed that age AOR = 4.38, 95% CI (1.75 - 10.94), grade AOR = 4.18, 95% CI (1.58 - 11.04), existence of a boy/girl friend OR = 8.56, 95% CI (3.16 - 23.14), parental supervision AOR = 0.20, 95% CI (0.04 - 0.94) and peer pressure AOR = 3.56, 95% CI (1.31 - 9.66) were found to be significantly associated with early sexual initiation in multivariable analysis with P-value < 0.05. Conclusion and Recommendation: The current study found that early sexual initiation is still the problem. Among those who had initiated sex early, most of them had sex within the past 12 months, most of them had sex with their boy/girl friends and majority of them did not use condom. Age, grade, existence of a boy/girl friend, parental supervision and peer pressure of respondents were factors affecting early sexual initiation in the study area. In order to reduce early sexual initiation in preparatory school students, stakeholders should prioritize to educate young peoples, couples, and parents about sexual and reproductive health issues.

Australia’s Fear and Greed over China’s Rise:A Discourse Analysis of Mainstream News Coverage of the Belt and Road Initiative

China’s rise has stirred up world-wide debate.In Australia,China has been one of the keywords in its foreign and strategic policies and on news media.Its rise intensifies the dual functions―benefit provider and security offender to Australia and the tensions between greed of economic gains and fear of China’s increasing geopolitical strength and influence.The“fear and greed”narration is well-presented on Australian mainstream media.Such ambivalence can also find its expressions in the recent typical case of China’s rise―the Belt and Road Initiative.It is worthwhile to find out how Australia’s ambivalence to BRI and China’s rise is represented on media and to draw the sociopolitical inferences behind“fear and greed”.The thesis is going to take BRI as a typical example of China’s rise to examine the ambivalent“fear and greed”narration on Australian mainstream news media.Data sample includes news reports of BRI from ABC News,The Australian,The Australian Financial Review,The Sydney Morning Herald,and The Age from September 1st,2013 to October 31st,2017.The discourse analysis on China’s images finds that Australia is rather biased against China,regarding China both as a lucrative friend and a threatening enemy.The bias lingers on for centuries and generates misunderstanding,mistrust,and anxiety.Profit drives Australia to establish closer economic ties with China,while value differences would not allow too much proximity but help to maintain a robust alliance with its allies.Australia’s position between its major economic partner and traditional allies has caused much concern and will have a long-term influence on its policy-making decisions.

The Belt and Road Initiatives and China＇s Middle East Energy Policy

The paper analyses the roots of the Belt and Road Initiative as well as China＇s Middle East Energy Policy in an age of great transformation. China＇s rapidly progressed economic growth leading to a dramatic increase in China＇s energy demand in recent years. The Middle East countries play a critical role in the international energy markets. Stable relations with the Middle East countries become increasingly important for Chinese energy security, and the continued development. The protection of these relations lies at the core of the Belt and Road Initiative. Within The Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Middle East energy policy proceeds according to the energy cooperation framework known as ＂1＋2＋3＂, which seeks to build a reliable China-Arab strategic cooperative relationship based on long-term friendship. To avoid over dependence on the energy resources of the Middle East, China will also continue to search for other overseas energy sources and protect transportation channels. Despite risks and challenges associated with energy imports from the Middle East, China has cultivated strong relations with states in the region and will develop these economic ties further in the coming years.

The Belt and Road Initiatives and China＇s International Energy Cooperation： Progress, Mechanisms, and Recommendations

China＇s international energy cooperation and energy security are important parts of The Belt and Road initiatives. China and the countries along the Belt and Road continue to promote cooperation, actively use the existing bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms to promote the regional and inter-regional energy cooperation. Countries along the Belt and Road are rich in oil and gas resources; their demand on the diversification of export meet with the diversification demand on imports of consumption countries; and their oil refining and chemical technology as well as construction capacity is weak, which provides a lot of new opportunities in cooperation for Chinese enterprises. However, the energy cooperation of Chinese enterprises are also facing some challenges in the complex environment of energy cooperation, the interference of big powers, non-traditional security threats, and energy policy factors. Finally, the paper puts forward the strategic thinking of China＇s international energy cooperation under the new situation.

厚尾噪声条件下星凸形扩展目标student’s t滤波器

针对非线性非高斯厚尾噪声条件下的不规则形状的扩展目标跟踪问题,提出了基于随机超曲面模型(RHM)的星凸形扩展目标student’s t滤波算法.首先,在带有非高斯厚尾过程噪声和厚尾量测噪声的系统中,基于student’s t分布给出鲁棒student’s t滤波器.其次,利用随机超曲面模型描述任意星凸形扩展目标的量测源分布,提出带厚尾噪声的星凸形扩展目标student’s t滤波器.最后通过仿真验证了所提方法的正确性和有效性.

A Research on Middle School Students'English Reading Obstacles and Strategies

English reading,a key procedure of English learning and teaching in middle school,is an essential way of getting information from the globe and communicating with others.Therefore,efficient comprehension on reading materials will directly serve for accepting the information.And it is extremely important for middle school students to acquire certain reading ability.At present,great attention has been paid to the course of reading in the instruction of English by the Chinese Education Department.But middle school students'read ing ability is still much lower than the target they should reach because of a set of existing obstacles that prevent them from being effective English readers.What are these obstacles? How to break them down? This paper will first point out and then analyze the obstacles that af fect middle school students'reading ability from two aspects:linguistic obstacles(obstacles of lexicon,grammar and background knowl edge) and non-linguistic obstacles(obstacles of psychology,interest,skill,and habit).After demonstrating different obstacles,the paper also come up with some corresponding strategies in the hope of helping middle school students to be effective English readers.

Student’s t滤波框架下的信息融合算法

针对多传感器系统的观测噪声为非高斯噪声的问题,通过Student’s t滤波框架和四元数特性相结合,以无迹变换计算Student’s t加权积分函数,设计基于Student’s t分布的无迹四元数滤波算法,作为局部滤波算法.利用拉格朗日乘子法计算最优融合权重系数,通过线性加权融合的方式,对各局部滤波结果进行融合.采用基于四元数的目标姿态运动模型进行仿真,利用3个星敏感器同时对同一目标进行观测,通过与已有的鲁棒无迹Student’s t滤波(RSTUF)算法对比,验证所提算法的有效性.仿真结果表明:所提算法在对目标姿态的估计精度、滤波收敛速度及收敛后的数值稳定性方面均高于RSTUF算法;通过多个观测信息互补,提高了估计精度及容错性.

Modeling and forecasting exchange rate volatility in Bangladesh using GARCH models:a comparison based on normal and Student's t-error distribution

Background:Modeling exchange rate volatility has remained crucially important because of its diverse implications.This study aimed to address the issue of error distribution assumption in modeling and forecasting exchange rate volatility between the Bangladeshi taka(BDT)and the US dollar($).Methods:Using daily exchange rates for 7 years(January 1,2008,to April 30,2015),this study attempted to model dynamics following generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic(GARCH),asymmetric power ARCH(APARCH),exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedstic(EGARCH),threshold generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedstic(TGARCH),and integrated generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedstic(IGARCH)processes under both normal and Student’s t-distribution assumptions for errors.Results and Conclusions:It was found that,in contrast with the normal distribution,the application of Student’s t-distribution for errors helped the models satisfy the diagnostic tests and show improved forecasting accuracy.With such error distribution for out-of-sample volatility forecasting,AR(2)–GARCH(1,1)is considered the best.

带厚尾噪声的鲁棒Student’s t容积滤波器

为了解决带厚尾过程和量测噪声的非线性状态估计问题,本文提出了一种新的鲁棒非线性滤波器.首先,对带厚尾过程和量测噪声的非线性系统进行了数学建模,并推导了基于Student’s t近似的鲁棒非线性滤波器(RSTNF)的一般结构.其次,针对RSTNF中涉及到的含有关于Student’s t分布的多维非线性函数积分的求解问题,提出了基于Student’s t分布的球径容积准则(STSRCR),并在此基础上设计了一种新的鲁棒Student’s t容积滤波器(RSTCF).最后,利用目标跟踪仿真验证了本文提出的带厚尾噪声的RSTCF的有效性以及与现有方法相比的优越性.

Analysis Approach to Durability Based on Material Initial Fatigue Quality and S-N Curve

Based on probabilistic fracture mechanics approach, a new concept of material initial fatigue quality （MIFQ） is developed. Then, the relation between S-N curve and crack propagation curve is studied. From the study, a new durability analysis method is presented. In this method, S-N curve is used to determine crack growth rate under constant amplitude loading and evaluate the effects of different factors on durability and then the structural durability is analyzed. The tests and analyses indicate that this method has lower dependence on testing, and higher accuracy, reliability and generality and is convenient for application.

Quality of Nursing Courses as Perceived by Students: Relationship with Their Academic Achievement in Palestine College of Nursing

The purpose of this study was to determine the Bachelor Science of Nursing (BSN), student’s perceptions of the quality of nursing courses taught at Palestine College of Nursing (PCN), which were fundamentals of nursing course, adult nursing course, pediatric nursing course, maternity nursing course, community nursing course, mental health and psychiatric nursing course and nursing management and leadership course, and its relationship with their academic achievement. The Palestine College of Nursing is governmental and Ministry of Health (MOH) affiliated. The sample included 467 nursing students registered in the college who studied the previously mentioned nursing courses. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire developed by the researcher, and guided by literature. That was to assess the included nine quality dimensions of the nursing courses as perceived by the students. Content validity and reliability tests were done for the tool. The study revealed that the total students’ perceptions of the quality of all nurses courses were within average quality level (80.42%). The nursing management course and community health nursing course were of the first two ranks of high quality level (84.54%, and 84.48%, respectively), where mental health and psychiatric nursing course, fundamentals of nursing course, adult health nursing course, pediatric nursing course and maternity health nursing course were the next ranks of average quality level. The study revealed that students’ perceptions of seven dimensions from nine were with average quality level (80.50%). The first rank was the “teacher/instructor characteristics and attributes”, dimension of high quality level (84.44%), while the last rank was “teaching methodology” dimension of average quality level (77.54%). There was a positive relationship between students’ achievement and the courses’ quality dimensions, pertaining objectives of the course, contents of the course, teacher/instructor competencies, teacher characteristics, teaching methodology, students/teacher interaction and course evaluation. The study recommended improving the quality of nursing courses for better level and to improve the quality of some dimensions like using different teaching strategies, the quality of clinical settings, and improve the quality of nursing instructors in some clinical areas. Finally the researcher recommend for further studies about concerning quality in nursing education.