The Transmission,Establishment and Cross-cultural Integration of Chinese Medicine in the Mainstream Healthcare,through the Eyes of a Generation of Visionaries and Pioneers

It has historically been very difficult to trace the history of the westward transmission of Chinese medicine through the accounts of its protagonists. Many of the early scholars such as Jack Worsley, Dick Van Buren, and Joe Goodman were reluctant to divulge information about the source of their knowledge, or their professional qualifications. Others, such as John Shen and Hong Yuan-bain were early 20th century immigrants who transmitted highly personalized versions of acupuncture and Chinese medicine to select disciples. Eventually, a new class of scholars appeared, including names such as Ted Kaptchuk, Peter Deadman, Nigel Wiseman, William Morris, Peter Eckman, John Mc Donald, Charles Buck, and the late Giovanni Maciocia who looked for answers back in China, developed translation methodologies and terminology, compiled the main textbooks currently in use at TCM colleges, overcame enormous scholastic adversity, developed courses and pursued the regulation and accreditation of TCM in various countries. This special issue synopsizes the path towards the global acculturation of TCM over the last 50 years, the main protagonists, the enormous accomplishments they have achieved for the profession, their philosophy, their clinical perspectives and visions for the future.

Real-Time 4-Mode MDM Transmission Using Commercial 400G OTN Transceivers and All-Fiber Mode Multiplexers

Weakly-coupled mode division multiplexing(MDM)technique is considered a promising candidate to enhance the capacity of an optical transmission system,in which mode multiplexers/demultiplexers(MMUX/MDEMUX)with low insertion loss and modal crosstalk are the key components.In this paper,a low-modal-crosstalk 4-mode MMUX/MDEMUX for the weakly-coupled triple-ring-core few-mode fiber(TRC-FMF)is designed and fabricated with side-polishing processing.The measurement results show that a pair of MMUX/MDEMUX and 25 km weakly-coupled TRC-FMF MDM link achieve low modal crosstalk of lower than−17.5 dB and insertion loss of lower than 11.56 dB for all the four modes.Based on the TRC-FMF and all-fiber MMUX/MDEMUX,an experiment for 25 km real-time 4-mode 3-λwavelength division multiplexing(WDM)-MDM transmission is conducted using commercial 400G optical transport network(OTN)transceivers.The experimental results prove weakly-coupled MDM techniques facilitate a smooth upgrade of the optical transmission system.

Between the City and Images:An Analysis of Mainstream Media’s Paths of Constructing the Cultural Memory of a City:Taking Chengdu Radio and Television’s“Hi Chengdu”as an Example

Mainstream media play a crucial role in constructing the cultural memory of a city.This study used 319 short videos released by“Hi Chengdu,”a new media product of Chengdu Radio and Television,as samples.Based on the grounded theory,a research framework encompassing“content,technology,and discourse”was established to explore the paths through which mainstream media construct the cultural memory.Regarding content,this paper emphasized temporal and spatial contexts and urban spaces,delving deep into the themes of the cultural memory and vehicles for it.In terms of technology,this paper discussed the practice of leveraging audio/visual-mode discourse to stitch together the impressions of a city and evoke emotional resonance to create a“flow”of memory.As for discourse,this paper looked at the performance of a communication ritual to frame concepts and shape urban identity.It is essential to break free from conventional thinking and leverage local culture as the primary driving force to further boost a city’s productivity,in order to excel in cultural communication.

An Encode-and CRT-Based Scalability Scheme for Optimizing Transmission in Blockchain

Blockchain technology has witnessed a burgeoning integration into diverse realms of economic and societal development.Nevertheless,scalability challenges,characterized by diminished broadcast efficiency,heightened communication overhead,and escalated storage costs,have significantly constrained the broad-scale application of blockchain.This paper introduces a novel Encode-and CRT-based Scalability Scheme(ECSS),meticulously refined to enhance both block broadcasting and storage.Primarily,ECSS categorizes nodes into distinct domains,thereby reducing the network diameter and augmenting transmission efficiency.Secondly,ECSS streamlines block transmission through a compact block protocol and robust RS coding,which not only reduces the size of broadcasted blocks but also ensures transmission reliability.Finally,ECSS utilizes the Chinese remainder theorem,designating the block body as the compression target and mapping it to multiple modules to achieve efficient storage,thereby alleviating the storage burdens on nodes.To evaluate ECSS’s performance,we established an experimental platformand conducted comprehensive assessments.Empirical results demonstrate that ECSS attains superior network scalability and stability,reducing communication overhead by an impressive 72% and total storage costs by a substantial 63.6%.

Age of Loop Information with Flexible Transmission Enabled Communication and Control Co-Design in Industrial IoT

Precise and low-latency information transmission through communication systems is essential in the Industrial Internet of Things(IIoT).However,in an industrial system,there is always a coupling relationship between the control and communication components.To improve the system's overall performance,exploring the co-design of communication and control systems is crucial.In this work,we propose a new metric±Age of Loop Information with Flexible Transmission(AoLI-FT),which dynamically adjusts the maximum number of uplink(UL)and downlink(DL)transmission rounds,thus enhancing reliability while ensuring timeliness.Our goal is to explore the relationship between AoLI-FT,reliability,and control convergence rate,and to design optimal blocklengths for UL and DL that achieve the desired control convergence rate.To address this issue,we first derive a closed-form expression for the upper bound of AoLI-FT.Subsequently,we establish a relationship between communication reliability and control convergence rates using a Lyapunov-like function.Finally,we introduce an iterative alternating algorithm to determine the optimal communication and control parameters.The numerical results demonstrate the significant performance advantages of our proposed communication and control co-design strategy in terms of latency and control cost.

Inferring Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Drug Resistance and Transmission using Whole-genome Sequencing in a High TB-burden Setting in China

Objective China is among the 30 countries with a high burden of tuberculosis(TB)worldwide,and TB remains a public health concern.Kashgar Prefecture in the southern Xinjiang Autonomous Region is considered as one of the highest TB burden regions in China.However,molecular epidemiological studies of Kashgar are lacking.Methods A population-based retrospective study was conducted using whole-genome sequencing(WGS)to determine the characteristics of drug resistance and the transmission patterns.Results A total of 1,668 isolates collected in 2020 were classified into lineages 2(46.0%),3(27.5%),and 4(26.5%).The drug resistance rates revealed by WGS showed that the top three drugs in terms of the resistance rate were isoniazid(7.4%,124/1,668),streptomycin(6.0%,100/1,668),and rifampicin(3.3%,55/1,668).The rate of rifampicin resistance was 1.8%(23/1,290)in the new cases and 9.4%(32/340)in the previously treated cases.Known resistance mutations were detected more frequently in lineage 2 strains than in lineage 3 or 4 strains,respectively:18.6%vs.8.7 or 9%,P<0.001.The estimated proportion of recent transmissions was 25.9%(432/1,668).Multivariate logistic analyses indicated that sex,age,occupation,lineage,and drug resistance were the risk factors for recent transmission.Despite the low rate of drug resistance,drug-resistant strains had a higher risk of recent transmission than the susceptible strains(adjusted odds ratio,1.414;95%CI,1.023–1.954;P=0.036).Among all patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis(DR-TB),78.4%(171/218)were attributed to the transmission of DR-TB strains.Conclusion Our results suggest that drug-resistant strains are more transmissible than susceptible strains and that transmission is the major driving force of the current DR-TB epidemic in Kashgar.

Review of the Configuration and Transient Stability of Large-scale Renewable Energy Generation through Hybrid DC Transmission

Based on the complementary advantages of Line Commutated Converter(LCC)and Modular Multilevel Converter(MMC)in power grid applications,there are two types of hybrid DC system topologies:one is the parallel connection of LCC converter stations and MMC converter stations,and the other is the series connection of LCC and MMC converter stations within a single station.The hybrid DC transmission system faces broad application prospects and development potential in large-scale clean energy integration across regions and the construction of a new power system dominated by new energy sources in China.This paper first analyzes the system forms and topological characteristics of hybrid DC transmission,introducing the forms and topological characteristics of converter-level hybrid DC transmission systems and system-level hybrid DC transmission systems.Next,it analyzes the operating characteristics of LCC and MMC inverter-level hybrid DC transmission systems,provides insights into the transient stability of hybrid DC transmission systems,and typical fault ride-through control strategies.Finally,it summarizes the networking characteristics of the LCC-MMC series within the converter station hybrid DC transmission system,studies the transient characteristics and fault ridethrough control strategies under different fault types for the LCC-MMC series in the receiving-end converter station,and investigates the transient characteristics and fault ride-through control strategies under different fault types for the LCC-MMC series in the sending-end converter station.

Dynamics of information diffusion and disease transmission in time-varying multiplex networks with asymmetric activity levels

While the interaction between information and disease in static networks has been extensively investigated,many studies have ignored the characteristics of network evolution.In this study,we construct a new two-layer coupling model to explore the interactions between information and disease.The upper layer describes the diffusion of disease-related information,and the lower layer represents the disease transmission.We then use power-law distributions to examine the influence of asymmetric activity levels on dynamic propagation,revealing a mapping relationship characterizing the interconnected propagation of information and diseases among partial nodes within the network.Subsequently,we derive the disease outbreak threshold by using the microscopic Markov-chain approach(MMCA).Finally,we perform extensive Monte Carlo(MC)numerical simulations to verify the accuracy of our theoretical results.Our findings indicate that the activity levels of individuals in the disease transmission layer have a more significant influence on disease transmission compared with the individual activity levels in the information diffusion layer.Moreover,reducing the damping factor can delay disease outbreaks and suppress disease transmission,while improving individual quarantine measures can contribute positively to disease control.This study provides valuable insights into policymakers for developing outbreak prevention and control strategies.

Characterization of local chemical ordering and deformation behavior in high entropy alloys by transmission electron microscopy

Short-range ordering(SRO)is one of the most important structural features of high entropy alloys(HEAs).However,the chemical and structural analyses of SROs are very difficult due to their small size,complexed compositions,and varied locations.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)as well as its aberration correction techniques are powerful for characterizing SROs in these compositionally complex alloys.In this short communication,we summarized recent progresses regarding characterization of SROs using TEM in the field of HEAs.By using advanced TEM techniques,not only the existence of SROs was confirmed,but also the effect of SROs on the deformation mechanism was clarified.Moreover,the perspective related to application of TEM techniques in HEAs are also discussed.

Probing the Nucleation and Growth Kinetics of Bismuth Nanoparticles via In-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

The nucleation and growth mechanism of nanoparticles is an important theory,which can guide the preparation of nanomaterials.However,it is still lacking in direct observation on the details of the evolution of intermediate state structure during nucleation and growth.In this work,the evolution process of bismuth nanoparticles induced by electron beam was revealed by in-situ transmission electron microscopy(TEM)at atomic scale.The experimental results demonstrate that the size,stable surface and crystallographic defect have important influences on the growth of Bi nanoparticles.Two non-classical growth paths including single crystal growth and polycrystalline combined growth,as well as,corresponding layer-by-layer growth mechanism along{012}stable crystal plane of Bi nanoparticles with dodecahedron structure were revealed by in-situ TEM directly.These results provide important guidance and a new approach for in-depth understanding of the nucleation and growth kinetics of nanoparticles.

Design and Analysis of Power and Transmission System of Downhole Pure Electric Command Vehicle

Electric vehicles use electric motors, which turn electrical energy into mechanical energy. As electric motors are conventionally used in all the industry, it is an established development site. It’s a mature technology with ideal power and torque curves for vehicular operation. Conventional vehicles use oil and gas as fuel or energy storage. Although they also have an excellent economic impact, the continuous use of oil and gas threatened the world’s reservation of total oil and gas. Also, they emit carbon dioxide and some toxic ingredients through the vehicle’s tailpipe, which causes the greenhouse effect and seriously impacts the environment. So, as an alternative, electric car refers to a green technology of decarbonization with zero emission of greenhouse gases through the tailpipe. So, they can remove the problem of greenhouse gas emissions and solve the world’s remaining non-renewable energy storage problem. Pure electric vehicles (PEV) can be applied in all spheres, but their special implementation can only be seen in downhole operations. They are used for low noise and less pollution in the downhole process. In this study, the basic structure of the pure electric command vehicle is studied, the main components of the command vehicle power system, namely the selection of the drive motor and the power battery, are analyzed, and the main parameters of the drive motor and the power battery are designed and calculated. The checking calculation results show that the power and transmission system developed in this paper meets the design requirements, and the design scheme is feasible and reasonable.

Facial aesthetics is shaped not only by genetic predispositions but also by the cultural norms and values

The positioning of teeth is of significant importance,both in terms of function and aesthetics.Aesthetics is a subjective matter,and there is often a discrepancy between the perceptions of patients and those of medical professionals.The act of wearing a mask has been demonstrated to impair the ability to evaluate facial attractiveness,thereby reaffirming the visual importance of the oral cavity in the context of facial aesthetics.The notion that a face perceived as beautiful is inherently exceptional is a fallacy.An average face is defined as one that exhibits characteristics that are common to the group.However,cultural mutations occur at a faster rate than genetic mutations.With regard to changes in facial aesthetics,cultural differences have a more immediate effect than genetic mutations.The advent of the internet meme may herald the advent of an era in which the average face that defines a beautiful face is determined by the internet.

Barriers to Global Recognition of Traditional African Medicines: A Systematic Review of Cultural, Scientific, Regulatory, and Economic Factors

Despite the profound cultural and medicinal heritage of traditional African medicines (TAM), their global recognition remains notably limited. This study investigates the factors behind this issue, focusing on cultural perceptions, scientific validation, regulatory frameworks, and pharmaceutical industry influence. Utilizing a systematic literature review (SLR) to provide a thorough and structured overview, the research addresses these factors with transparency and reproducibility. Key findings reveal that negative cultural perceptions, the dominance of Western medicine, and skepticism towards traditional healers, especially in urban and educated populations, marginalize TAM. Additionally, religious beliefs and historical influences, such as colonialism, further devalue indigenous knowledge systems. The study also highlights a significant lack of scientific research and clinical trials, which challenges the conventional validation of TAM’s efficacy. Moreover, inconsistent international and national regulatory frameworks and the pharmaceutical industry’s dominance impede TAM’s integration into global healthcare systems. To enhance TAM’s credibility and global acceptance, the study advocates for standardized regulatory policies, increased scientific research, and a reevaluation of intellectual property laws. This shift towards a more inclusive and integrative approach in global health systems could bridge the gap between traditional and modern medical practices, promoting a more holistic understanding of health and wellness.

Studying the co-evolution of information diffusion,vaccination behavior and disease transmission in multilayer networks with local and global effects

Today,with the rapid development of the internet,a large amount of information often accompanies the rapid transmission of disease outbreaks,and increasing numbers of scholars are studying the relationship between information and the disease transmission process using complex networks.In fact,the disease transmission process is very complex.Besides this information,there will often be individual behavioral measures and other factors to consider.Most of the previous research has aimed to establish a two-layer network model to consider the impact of information on the transmission process of disease,rarely divided into information and behavior,respectively.To carry out a more in-depth analysis of the disease transmission process and the intrinsic influencing mechanism,this paper divides information and behavior into two layers and proposes the establishment of a complex network to study the dynamic co-evolution of information diffusion,vaccination behavior,and disease transmission.This is achieved by considering four influential relationships between adjacent layers in multilayer networks.In the information layer,the diffusion process of negative information is described,and the feedback effects of local and global vaccination are considered.In the behavioral layer,an individual's vaccination behavior is described,and the probability of an individual receiving a vaccination is influenced by two factors:the influence of negative information,and the influence of local and global disease severity.In the disease layer,individual susceptibility is considered to be influenced by vaccination behavior.The state transition equations are derived using the micro Markov chain approach(MMCA),and disease prevalence thresholds are obtained.It is demonstrated through simulation experiments that the negative information diffusion is less influenced by local vaccination behavior,and is mainly influenced by global vaccination behavior;vaccination behavior is mainly influenced by local disease conditions,and is less influenced by global disease conditions;the disease transmission threshold increases with the increasing vaccination rate;and the scale of disease transmission increases with the increasing negative information diffusion rate and decreases with the increasing vaccination rate.Finally,it is found that when individual vaccination behavior considers both the influence of negative information and disease,it can increase the disease transmission threshold and reduce the scale of disease transmission.Therefore,we should resist the diffusion of negative information,increase vaccination proportions,and take appropriate protective measures in time.

Analysis of the Reform of Ideological and Political Education in College English Curriculum from the Perspective of“Cultural Confidence”

With the rapid development of the education industry,higher requirements have been put forward for college English education and teaching,accelerating the pace of college English reform.Issues such as how to integrate knowledge transmission,language expression skill improvement,cultural element extraction,and ideological and political education,and present the role of curriculum education function have attracted attention.In the era of informatization,college students’thinking has undergone certain changes and gradually developed towards diversification.Therefore,universities should start from the perspective of cultural confidence,extract valuable ideological and political elements,and explore effective tourism ideological and political teaching methods.While helping college students enhance their cultural confidence,it is also beneficial for them to better inherit traditional Chinese culture.This article conducts an in-depth exploration of ideological and political education in college English courses from the perspective of“cultural confidence”and uses scientific and effective measures to solve the problems encountered,aiming to provide valuable guidelines for relevant researchers.

Opportunities to Improve the Quality of Environmental Reports and the Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment: A Case of Electric Power Transmission Systems in Brazil

A good quality Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is key for the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and consequently to the acceptability of projects subject to EIA. The international literature has contributed to the understanding of the essential aspects to be verified regarding the quality of EIS, offering a wide spectrum of good practice examples related to the content of the studies. Even so, there is a need for empirical studies that allow the identification of specific aspects related to the context of application of the EIS, which could lead to the identification of opportunities to improve both the quality of the reports and also the effectiveness of EIA. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the quality review of a number of EIS submitted to the Brazilian Federal Environmental Agency (Ibama) to instruct the assessment of electric power transmission systems. Based on the application of the EIS quality review package as proposed by Lee and Colley (1992), the outcomes reveal opportunities for improving the scope of EIA, analysis of alternatives, prediction of magnitude and the assessment of impact significance. Finally, the development and/or adaptation of a similar tool for the systematic review of the quality of EIA reports is recommended.

Implementation of an international medical student pen-pal club:survey outcomes of perceptions in cultural competency and global health

Background:Pen-pal clubs(PPC)are used worldwide for students to learn about different cultures and other skillsets without the need for travel.Many medical students are interested in global health opportunities abroad but costs,scheduling,and other barriers allow few to participate in such experiences.It is important that medical students have nuanced global medical perspectives and can contribute to the global medical community.Objective:The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that an international medical student PPC improves medical students'perspectives of cultural competency and global health engagement.Methods:In 2021,a novel medical student PPC was established that began between an American and Japanese medical school.Following a shareholders meeting,it was decided that the number of medical schools involved globally be expanded through previous institutional affiliations and online presences.In total,the club connected 50 American medical students and 52 medical students from 17 high-and middle-income countries.The primary form of communication was online;pen-pals were encouraged to communicate monthly using provided topics,although frequency and way of communication was their discretion.In February 2022,American PPC members were emailed a qualitative survey to assess the PPC's impact.Results:The survey was completed by 42%of American PPC members,95%of which were 22-26 years.Participants were preclinical medical students,60%whom were female and the majority either white(47%)or Asian(43%).Overall,the PPC positively influenced American medical students'perception of global medicine,medical education,and their cultural competency after joining the PPC compared to prior(P=0.004).Conclusion:PPCs encourage medical students to think from a global perspective and foster open-mindedness within varying social and cultural contexts.Having a global communication platform for students during medical school education may be an additional way to train aspiring global leaders.

Understanding Chinese Civilisation from the Perspective of Cultural Relics

At a meeting on cultural inheritance and development on June 2,2023,President Xi Jinping summarised with penetrating insight the distinctive features of Chinese civilisation and elucidated the significance of the“two integrations”(integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China's specific realities and the best of its traditional culture),which explain the development laws underlying Chinese civilisation.This reflects the new heights the Communist Party of China(CPC)has attained in its understanding of the path,theory,and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics,in its confidence in Chinese history and culture,and in its consciousness of promoting cultural innovation while carrying forward the traditional Chinese culture.

Reliable Data Collection Model and Transmission Framework in Large-Scale Wireless Medical Sensor Networks

Large-scale wireless sensor networks(WSNs)play a critical role in monitoring dangerous scenarios and responding to medical emergencies.However,the inherent instability and error-prone nature of wireless links present significant challenges,necessitating efficient data collection and reliable transmission services.This paper addresses the limitations of existing data transmission and recovery protocols by proposing a systematic end-to-end design tailored for medical event-driven cluster-based large-scale WSNs.The primary goal is to enhance the reliability of data collection and transmission services,ensuring a comprehensive and practical approach.Our approach focuses on refining the hop-count-based routing scheme to achieve fairness in forwarding reliability.Additionally,it emphasizes reliable data collection within clusters and establishes robust data transmission over multiple hops.These systematic improvements are designed to optimize the overall performance of the WSN in real-world scenarios.Simulation results of the proposed protocol validate its exceptional performance compared to other prominent data transmission schemes.The evaluation spans varying sensor densities,wireless channel conditions,and packet transmission rates,showcasing the protocol’s superiority in ensuring reliable and efficient data transfer.Our systematic end-to-end design successfully addresses the challenges posed by the instability of wireless links in large-scaleWSNs.By prioritizing fairness,reliability,and efficiency,the proposed protocol demonstrates its efficacy in enhancing data collection and transmission services,thereby offering a valuable contribution to the field of medical event-drivenWSNs.

The Innovative Expression of Traditional Chinese Cultural Archetypes in Animated Films: Establishing a Reliable, Admirable, and Respectable Image of China

China’s domestic animation industry is deeply rooted in its rich traditional cultural heritage.While continuously exploring and showcasing the unique charm of such cultural heritage through storytelling,imagery establishment,and spirit creation,Chinese animation also seamlessly integrates modern aesthetic characteristics and cultural values into its development within the context of the new era.By adopting a contemporary perspective,it innovatively expresses the essence of traditional culture while striving to shape and present a reliable,admirable and respectable image of China.Chinese animation aims to create credible contemporary animation images by drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese cultural archetypes.It also seeks to revitalize admirable traditional cultural imagery using vibrant and prevailing ACGN visuals,while shaping credible characters with richer cultural connotations and crafting stories with more enchanting plots to convey the spiritual essence of the Chinese nation.By establishing reliable,admirable and respectable animation images,the Chinese animation industry strives to enhance its capability to“tell China’s stories well and make the voice of China heard,”to better promote the image of China in the new era from a global perspective.