Attention-based spatio-temporal graph convolutional network considering external factors for multi-step traffic flow prediction

Traffic flow prediction is an important part of the intelligent transportation system. Accurate multi-step traffic flow prediction plays an important role in improving the operational efficiency of the traffic network. Since traffic flow data has complex spatio-temporal correlation and non-linearity, existing prediction methods are mainly accomplished through a combination of a Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) and a recurrent neural network. The combination strategy has an excellent performance in traffic prediction tasks. However, multi-step prediction error accumulates with the predicted step size. Some scholars use multiple sampling sequences to achieve more accurate prediction results. But it requires high hardware conditions and multiplied training time. Considering the spatiotemporal correlation of traffic flow and influence of external factors, we propose an Attention Based Spatio-Temporal Graph Convolutional Network considering External Factors (ABSTGCN-EF) for multi-step traffic flow prediction. This model models the traffic flow as diffusion on a digraph and extracts the spatial characteristics of traffic flow through GCN. We add meaningful time-slots attention to the encoder-decoder to form an Attention Encoder Network (AEN) to handle temporal correlation. The attention vector is used as a competitive choice to draw the correlation between predicted states and historical states. We considered the impact of three external factors (daytime, weekdays, and traffic accident markers) on the traffic flow prediction tasks. Experiments on two public data sets show that it makes sense to consider external factors. The prediction performance of our ABSTGCN-EF model achieves 7.2%–8.7% higher than the state-of-the-art baselines.

The Internal and External Factors That Help to Push English into a Popular World Language

It is well known that English is the world language nowadays, and it is an official language in most countries. It is also currently the language most often taught as a foreign language. The reasons of the popularity lie in both internal factors and external factors. In this paper, the author will analyze the factors that help to push English into a popular world language.

Exploring the Internal and External Factors that Influence Chinese EFL Students' Speaking Performance: A Case Study

This case study on one Chinese EFL learner examined both the internal and external factors that affect Chinese EFL learner's speaking performance. Three interviews and three tests have been conducted in the whole process, and the findings revealed:(1) interference from first language is the most influential factor that hinders speaking performance;(2) learner attitude significantly affects speaking performance;(3) learning strategies and practicing help improving performance.

Impact of external factors on sperm motility of Sepiella maindroni

Sperm motility is important in reproductive biology. To understand the physiological ecology characteristics of sperm of Sepiella maindroni, we studied the activation rate, active time, and lifespan of sperm to evaluate the influence of external factors, including temperature, salinity, pH, glucose, NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2, EDTA-2Na and artificial seawater on sperm motility. The results show that the appropriate activation and motility condition for sperm were： temperature 20-30℃ （optimum 25℃）, salinity 10.6-30.6 （optimum 15.9） and pH 8.0-8.6 （optimum 8.0-8.4）. Sperm activity varied in different concentrations of glucose, NaCl, KCl, MgCl2 and CaCl〉 None of the selected concentrations of EDTA-2Na solution could activate the sperm. The activation rate in artificial seawater devoid of Ca2＋, Mg2＋ or HCO3- was low. The results should help further studies on the preservation and activation of squid sperm.

Static Model Classification Status： Taking Into Account Emerging External Factors

Analysis of the problem of predicting bankruptcy shows that foreign and domestic models included only internal factors of enterprises. But the same indicators of internal factors in the rapidly changing external environment can lead to bankruptcy, and not in others. External factors are the most dangerous, because the possible influence on them is minimal and the impact of their implementation can be devastating. This paper focuses on the same factors to assess the impact of the macroeconomic indicators （extemal factors） on the parameters of static models predicting a local approximation of the crisis at the plant. To accomplish the purpose, a Spark set of 100 companies was compiled, including 50 companies which officially declared bankruptcy in the period of 2000-2009 and 50 stable operating companies with a random sample of the same time period. External factors were extracted from the Joint Economic and Social Data Archive1 The author compared two data sets： （1） microeconomic indicators--money to the total liabilities, retained earnings to total assets, net profit to revenue, Earnings Before Interest and Taxes （EBIT） to assets, net income to equity, net profit to total liabilities, current liabilities to total assets, the totality of short-term and long-term loans to total assets, current assets to current liabilities, assets to revenue, equity to total assets, and current assets to revenue; and （2） external factors--index of real gross domestic product （GDP）, industrial production index, the index of real cash incomes, an index of real investments, consumer price index, the refinancing rate, unemployment rate, the price of electricity, gas prices, oil price, gas price, dollar to ruble, ruble euro Standard ＆ Poor （S＆P） index, the Russian Trading System （RTS） index, and region. The aim of the comparison results paging classes ＂insolvent＂ and ＂non-bankrupt＂ is achieved using two methods： classification and discrimination. In both methods, computational procedures are realized with the use of algorithms linear regression, artificial neural network, and genetic algorithm. In the 2-m model, data set includes both internal and external factors. The results showed that the inclusion of only the microeconomic indicators, excluding external factors, impedes models about two times.

Factors Influencing Foreign Language Learning

For many years, scholars have been studying the factors that influence foreign language learning. Generally speaking,the factors that influence foreign language learning can be divided into internal and external factors. Whether internal or external factors, they are interconnected in playing their different roles in learners' process of acquiring a foreign language. Internal factors are things like learners' age, intelligence, language aptitude, attitude, personality, etc while design of curriculum, teachers' instruction, the status of target language culture, and access to native speakers can be categorized into external factors influencing learners' foreign language learning.

Genetic and environmental control of rice tillering

Increasing tiller number is a target of high-yield rice breeding. Identification of tiller-defect mutants and their corresponding genes is helpful for clarifying the molecular mechanism of rice tillering. Summarizing research progress on the two processes of rice tiller formation, namely the formation and growth of axillary meristem, this paper reviews the effects of genetic factors, endogenous hormones, and exogenous environment on rice tillering, finding that multiple molecular mechanisms and signal pathways regulating rice tillering cooperate rice tillering, and discusses future research objectives and application of its regulatory mechanism. Elucidation of theis mechanism will be helpful for breeding high-yielding rice cultivars with ideal plant type via molecular design breeding.

The Causes of Hiking Ethiopian Consumer Prices

A growing consumer price is creating instability in the macroeconomic environment and hinders the consumption level of especially the poor society.This paper then explored the major causes of such increasing consumer prices using Ethiopian cases.Using data from the National Bank of Ethiopia from 1982/1983 to 2019/2020,it condensed the information of monetary sector,external sector and fiscal sector variables to a small set to estimate the causes of Ethiopian consumer price hiking using the ARDL model.The factors determining consumer price differ from food to non-food.The most important factors determining food price are price expectation and fiscal factors.On the other hand,the main determinant of non-food consumer prices is the fiscal factor.The author also found evidence of fiscal factors and price expectation effects on general consumer prices.Therefore,to contain the rise in consumer prices,it needs to exercise conservative fiscal stances,which require minimizing deficit financing,reducing the import tax rate and reducing domestic indirect tax rates such as excise tax and value added tax on basic consumer goods and services.Moreover,sound government policies are essential to address inflation anticipations(providing information for society about the future of inflation)to change public opinion.

A Study of Fossilization among Chinese Students in English Writing

This thesis investigates the causes of fossilization in English writing among two groups of English majors as well as the measures to deal with it. The experiment was conducted among 62 English majors from National University of Defense Technology, and both their questionnaires and written texts were collected as the source of data analyzed. With data collected from questionnaires and written texts, the study aimed to explore （a） the causal factors leading to fossilization in writing, （b） the strategies to deal with students＇ fossilization. Relevant information was elicited from the questionnaire, written texts. Quantitative data were treated with SPSS for descriptive analysis and correlation analysis. The results indicated that both external and internal factors can lead to fossilization in English writing. The external factors include input, instruction and environment in the learning, and the internal factors incorporate students＇ interest, learning strategy, motivation with their systematic knowledge. Based on the results of the experiment, the author attempts to discuss measures to deal with fossilization.

Preterm Labor,a Syndrome Attributed to the Combination of External and Internal Factors

Preterm labor(before 37 weeks’gestation)is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity,which can be divided into iatrogenic preterm labor,infectious preterm labor,and spontaneous preterm labor(sPTL).Up to now,there continue to be great difficulties in prediction and prevention of sPTL,owing to multiple risk factors,pathogenesis,and pathologic processes contributing to the event,which have not been fully clarified.Pregnancy maintenance and parturition is a complicated process with continuous maternal-fetal dialogue,in which both maternal and fetal factors participate and affect the outcome of pregnancy,including sPTL.Besides,external factors can also participate in sPTL,individually or through the interaction with internal factors.In this article,we summarize recent studies regarding sPTL from our and other groups,and discuss the risk factors and pathogenesis of preterm birth from both external and internal(maternal and fetal)aspects,so as to provide theoretical evidences for the diagnosis,prevention,and treatment of sPTL in the future.

Calculation of the external quality factor of the high power input coupler for the BEPCⅡ superconducting cavity

It is very important to predict the coupling between the cavity and the high power input source in the coupler design. In this paper, a time domain method is used to calculate the external quality factor Qext for the BEPC Ⅱ superconducting cavity. A comparison between simulation results and experimental results is presented. The results of simulation and measurement of Qext have a good agreement within an error of 10%. The geometry parameters related with Qext are also studied.

Internal structural changes in China-Arab League relations:characteristics,motivations and influences

It is a common phenomenon in international relations that the interaction between international actors leads to structural changes,which are often manifested as a positive friendly relationship or an escalation of contradictions or even conflicts among actors.Taking the relations between China and the Arab League as an example,this paper investigates the characteristics and influences of building friendly relations between the two sides.China-Arab relations are undergoing structural changes in the new era,generally reflected as follows:China and Arab countries enhance each other’s position in their overall diplomacy;there is a strategic docking between‘Looking East’of the Arab League and China’s‘Belt and Road Initiative’;China has become the second largest trading partner of the Arab League;ChinaArab cooperation has expanded in new frontiers such as high technology;the multilateral cooperation mechanism between China and Arab countries has been increasingly improved,and the strategic positioning of both sides has been constantly promoted.There are both internal and external driving forces to promote the structural upgrading of China-Arab relations.The former includes the economic interdependence between China and the Arab League,the changes in the policy orientation and priorities of the two sides,and the domestic political changes of Arab League countries,while the latter involves the changes in the surrounding situation of both sides,the changes in the international situation and the strategic contraction of the United States from the Middle East.The structural upgrading of China-Arab relations is conducive to the multi-polar development of the Middle East.Nevertheless,the two sides need to take precautions to cope with the changes in power,interests and identity brought about by this structural upgrading.

Why Is the East Asian Summer Monsoon Extremely Strong in 2018?——Collaborative Effects of SST and Snow Cover Anomalies

In 2018,summer precipitation was above normal in North and Northwest China and below normal around the Yangtze River valley,due to an extremely strong East Asian summer monsoon(EASM).The atmospheric circulation anomalies in East Asia and key external forcing factors that influence the EASM in 2018 are explored in this paper.The results show that there existed an anomalous cyclonic circulation near the Philippines,while the western Pacific subtropical high was located more northward than its normal position.In the mid–high latitudes,a negative geopotential height anomaly center was found near the Ural Mountains,suppressing the blocking activity.Under such a circulation pattern,precipitation near the Yangtze River valley decreased because local divergence and subsidence intensified,whereas precipitation in northern China increased due to large amounts of water vapor transport by anomalously strong southerly winds.Further analyses reveal that the strong EASM circulation in 2018 might result from the joint influences of several external forcing factors.The weak La Ni?a event that started from October 2017,the positive North Atlantic Tripolar mode(NAT)in spring 2018,and the reduced snow cover over the Tibetan Plateau in winter 2017/18 all collaboratively contributed to formation of the cyclonic circulation anomaly near the Philippines,leading to the extremely strong EASM.Especially,the positive NAT and the reduced Tibetan snow cover may have caused the negative geopotential height anomaly near the Ural Mountains,in favor of a strong EASM.The above external factors and their reinforcing impacts on the EASM are further verified by two groups of similar historical cases.