A Hybrid Model for Improving Software Cost Estimation in Global Software Development

Accurate software cost estimation in Global Software Development(GSD)remains challenging due to reliance on historical data and expert judgments.Traditional models,such as the Constructive Cost Model(COCOMO II),rely heavily on historical and accurate data.In addition,expert judgment is required to set many input parameters,which can introduce subjectivity and variability in the estimation process.Consequently,there is a need to improve the current GSD models to mitigate reliance on historical data,subjectivity in expert judgment,inadequate consideration of GSD-based cost drivers and limited integration of modern technologies with cost overruns.This study introduces a novel hybrid model that synergizes the COCOMO II with Artificial Neural Networks(ANN)to address these challenges.The proposed hybrid model integrates additional GSD-based cost drivers identified through a systematic literature review and further vetted by industry experts.This article compares the effectiveness of the proposedmodelwith state-of-the-artmachine learning-basedmodels for software cost estimation.Evaluating the NASA 93 dataset by adopting twenty-six GSD-based cost drivers reveals that our hybrid model achieves superior accuracy,outperforming existing state-of-the-artmodels.The findings indicate the potential of combining COCOMO II,ANN,and additional GSD-based cost drivers to transform cost estimation in GSD.

The Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:seeking linkages for global environmental governance

Global environmental cooperation serves as an important part in the Chinese ideal of building a Community with a Shared Future for all Human Beings. The report of 19 th CPC National Congress indicates that China is committed to proactive mitigation under the Paris Agreement and further participating in global environmental governance under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and both of which are largely integrated to the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI). BRI are also closely linked with South-South environmental and climate cooperation proposed by China from previous UN summits. Based on shared ideas, intersected agendas, and compatible governance approaches, BRI and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development grow increasingly relevant and they might form synergies based on increasingly interactive relations. In sum,seeking and intensifying the linkages between BRI and 2030 sustainable development goals(SDGs) could address global environmental governance deficits and enhance cooperation among nations.

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

China's"Belt and Road"initiative is emerging as the Westerndominated world order is declining. Capitalism has intensified the richpoor 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-economic 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.

The Interactive Development of China’s Retail Industry “Going global” Strategy in the Context of the Belt & Road Initiative

Helping China’s retail industry to "go global" and get actively involved in global value chain competition is an effective way to improve the international competitiveness of China’s retail industry and an important measure to enhance the Chinese manufacturing industry’s position in international markets. The Belt and Road Initiative is China’s national strategy providing guidance for strategic decision-making for China’s retail industry in terms of overseas target market selection, market access selection and overseas investment risk management. As such, efforts should be made to maximize the interactive development of China’s retail industry through the strategies outlined in the Belt and Road Initiative.

An Initial Perturbation Method for the Multiscale Singular Vector in Global Ensemble Prediction

Ensemble prediction is widely used to represent the uncertainty of single deterministic Numerical Weather Prediction(NWP) caused by errors in initial conditions(ICs). The traditional Singular Vector(SV) initial perturbation method tends only to capture synoptic scale initial uncertainty rather than mesoscale uncertainty in global ensemble prediction. To address this issue, a multiscale SV initial perturbation method based on the China Meteorological Administration Global Ensemble Prediction System(CMA-GEPS) is proposed to quantify multiscale initial uncertainty. The multiscale SV initial perturbation approach entails calculating multiscale SVs at different resolutions with multiple linearized physical processes to capture fast-growing perturbations from mesoscale to synoptic scale in target areas and combining these SVs by using a Gaussian sampling method with amplitude coefficients to generate initial perturbations. Following that, the energy norm,energy spectrum, and structure of multiscale SVs and their impact on GEPS are analyzed based on a batch experiment in different seasons. The results show that the multiscale SV initial perturbations can possess more energy and capture more mesoscale uncertainties than the traditional single-SV method. Meanwhile, multiscale SV initial perturbations can reflect the strongest dynamical instability in target areas. Their performances in global ensemble prediction when compared to single-scale SVs are shown to(i) improve the relationship between the ensemble spread and the root-mean-square error and(ii) provide a better probability forecast skill for atmospheric circulation during the late forecast period and for short-to medium-range precipitation. This study provides scientific evidence and application foundations for the design and development of a multiscale SV initial perturbation method for the GEPS.

The Dissemination and Development of Chinese Medicine in Pakistan

The article focuses on the dissemination and development of Chinese medicine in Pakistan.Religious records show that Chinese medicine was introduced to Pakistan as early as 1,400 years ago,while Hijama(Chinese cupping)was used by Prophet Hazrat Muhammad to cure different types of diseases.Exchanges and cooperations between China and Pakistan continue to the present day.Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy,cupping therapy and herbal medicine are practiced with significant merits in today’s Pakistan.In the future,with the proposal of the Belt and Road Initiative and the landmark project of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,Chinese medicine can be strengthened through cooperations at the herbal medicine trade level,the research and development level,the educational level,and the social association level.

Global oil and gas development in 2022:Situation,trends and enlightenment

Through analysis of four aspects,including the distribution and production of global oil and gas fields,the distribution and changes of remaining recoverable reserves,the differences in oil and gas production between regions/countries,and the development potential of oil and gas fields with production capacity not built and to be built,this paper presents the situation and trends of global oil and gas development in 2022.It is found that,in 2022,oil and gas fields are widely distributed worldwide,and upstream production activities continue to recover;the oil and gas reserves decrease slightly year on year,and the oil and gas reserves in sea areas increase significantly;the oil and gas production increases continuously,and the key resource countries make a significant contribution in oil and gas production growth;the oil and gas fields with production capacity not built and to be built hold abundant reserves,and their development potential will be gradually released with the economic benefits increase.Further analysis is conducted from the perspectives of global oil and gas resources continuity,geopolitical risks,potential of international cooperation,and upgrade of unconventional oil and gas technology.Finally,in view of core business domains and strategies under the new situation,the Chinese oil companies are recommended to:(1)keep a foothold in onshore conventional oil and gas development by virtue of their comparative advantages and learning from other’s experience in cooperation;(2)carry out pilot tests on development adjustment,and deepen the international cooperation in enhanced oil/gas recovery;(3)improve the oil and gas operation capabilities in sea areas to transform from follower as minority shareholder to joint venture and then to independent operations;and(4)seek appropriate ways for shale oil/gas development to reduce the dependence on foreign oil and gas.

Preliminary validation of Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria in cancer patients:A cross-sectional study

Background:The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition(GLIM)has been used in China since 2019.This study aimed to test the use of the GLIM criteria in Chinese cancer patients and to compare the diagnostic performance of the GLIM criteria with the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment(PG-SGA)and modified PG-SGA(mPG-SGA). Methods:A total of 2,000 cancer patients were consecutively screened using the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 instrument on ad-mission.Patients at nutritional risk(Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 score≥3)were enrolled to obtain the complete GLIM,PG-SGA,and mPG-SGA criteria.To evaluate the convergent validity,Spearman correlation analysis was used to compare the test-retest reliability of the GLIM criteria and its results with the scores of various nutritional tools and objective parameters.Kruskal-Wallis tests and χ2 tests were used to test the discriminant validity among groups with different nutritional status.We calculated the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,and negative predictive value for the various tools. Results:There were 562 patients found to be at nutritional risk,accounting for 28.1%of all patients.One hundred seventy-four patients(8.7%)were diagnosed as moderately malnourished,and 333 patients(16.6%)were severely malnourished based on the PG-SGA.When assessed using the GLIM criteria,185 patients(9.3%)were diagnosed as moderately malnourished and 311 patients(15.5%)were severely malnourished.The content validity of the GLIM criteria was 95%,evaluated by 60 medical staff members.The test-retest reliability was good.For the diagnosis of malnutrition versus the PG-SGA,the sensitivity of the GLIM was"good"(90.5%;95%confidence interval[95%CI]=88.0%-93.1%),with a positive predictive value of 92.5%(95%CI=90.2%-94.9%),but the spec-ificity and negative predictive value were"poor."Similar results were obtained when the mPG-SGA was used as the criterion. Conclusions:Overall,this cross-sectional study suggests that the GLIM criteria comprise a valid and reliable tool to assess the nutri-tional status of Chinese cancer patients.

The value of China-Africa health development initiatives in strengthening 'One Health' strategy

Implementing national to community-based 'One Health' strategy for human,animal and environmental challenges and migrating-led consequences offer great opportunities,and its value of sustained development and wellbeing is an imperative.'One Health' strategy in policy commitment,partnership and financial investment are much needed in advocacy,contextual health human-animal and environmental development.Therefore,appropriate and evidence-based handling and management strategies in moving forward universal health coverage and sustainable development goals (SDGs) are essential components to the China-Africa health development initiatives.It is necessary to understand how to strengthen robust and sustainable 'One Health' approach implementation in national and regional public health and disaster risk reduction programs.Understanding the foundation of'One Health' strategy in China-Africa public health cooperation is crucial in fostering health systems preparedness and smart response against emerging and re-emerging threats and epidemics.Building the value of China-Africa 'One Health' strategy partnerships,frameworks and capacity development and implementation through leveraging on current and innovative China-Africa health initiatives,but also,mobilizing efforts on climatic changes and disasters mitigation and lifestyle adaptations strategies against emerging and current infectious diseases threats are essential to establish epidemic surveillance-response system under the concept of global collaborative coordination and lasting financing mechanisms.Further strengthen local infrastructure and workforce capacity,participatory accountability and transparency on 'One Health' approach will benefit to set up infectious diseases of poverty projects,and effective monitoring and evaluation systems in achieving African Union 2063 Agenda and SDGs targets both in Africa and China.

The Contribution of the Belt and Road Initiative to the World's Right to Development

The Belt and Road Initiative makes an important contribution to the right to development in theory and practice in the current world. Since the reform and opening-up, the Chinese government puts the rights to subsistence and development before any other human rights, which effectively guarantees and accelerates a rapid economic development in China. Nowadays, countries along the Belt and Road have joined a "community of common destiny". Inside the "community of common destiny," countries have enjoyed not only the responsibility, rights and benefit of the right to development, but also a win-win cooperation that ensured the right to development. Therefore, the Belt and Road initiative enriches the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, and "community of common destiny" of countries becomes a higher form of the right to development.

The Status Quo, Opportunity and Approach——the Development of Ethnic Minorities in the Context of the Belt and Road Initiative

Currently, China is advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, which creates a new opportunity of historical significance and provides guidance for the economic and social development of ethnic minority communities(particularly those in western China). Under the new historical conditions, it is necessary to innovate and improve China's regional aid policies and regional development strategies such as the "pairing assistance" and the Western Development, and organically combine them with the Belt and Road Initiative. In the meantime, China should revolve tightly around the internal and external "connectivity," and give full play to the functions of the "pairing assistance" policy and the "Western Development" strategy in a bid to boost the ethnic development of contemporary China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Contributing More Chinese Wisdom to the Belt and Road Initiative:Exploration and Practice of the China Region Development & Reform Institute

As the"Belt and Road"is gaining ground with higher quality,China’s think tanks have played a unique role in facilitating policy communication,enhancing people-to-people connectivity and promoting practical cooperation,and have contributed a lot of"Chinese wisdom"to the development of BRI.

Belt and Road Initiative and Realization of the Right to Development

The Belt and Road Initiative not only represents a new blueprint for realizing the right to development, but also provides a realistic approach and a possible solution for it. With clear goals and paths, the Belt and Road Initiativ e serves as a model for SouthSouth cooperation to promote development. Under the background of China’s economic progress, given China has the strong political will, adequate financial resources, and advanced technology to advance the initiative it will prove to be reliable driver of development. With the joint efforts of China and relevant countries, the Belt and Road Initiative will greatly promote the right to development of countries along the routes.

“Belt and Road Initiative” promotes textile industry to create new international development advantages

On September 7th,Sun Huaibin,vice president of China National Textile and Apparel Council,made a speech with the theme of''Belt and Road Initiative' and the development of China's textile industry',to discuss the harvest and direction of China's textile industry under the background of 'Belt and Road Initiative',in the warming-up section of 2017 the the 2nd China(Zhengzhou)International Futures Forum.

Global Warming Effects on Irrigation Development and Crop Production: A World-Wide View

Despite the enormous advances in our ability to understand, interpret and ultimately manage the natural world, we have reached the 21st century in awesome ignorance of what is likely to unfold in terms of both the natural changes and the human activities that affect the environment and the responses of the Earth to those stimuli. One certain fact is that the planet will be subjected to pressures hitherto unprecedented in its recent evolutionary history. The “tomorrow’s world” will not simply be an inflated version of the “today’s world”, with more people, more energy consumption and more industry, rather it will be qualitatively different from today in at least three important respects. First, new technology will transform the relationship between man and the natural world. An example is the gradual transition from agriculture that is heavily dependent on chemicals to one that is essentially biologically intensive through the application of bio-technologies. Consequently, the release of bio-engineered organisms is likely to pose new kinds of risks if the development and use of such organisms are not carefully controlled. Second, society will be moving beyond the era of localized environmental problems. What were once local incidents of natural resource impairment shared throughout a common watershed or basin, now involve many neighboring countries. What were once acute, short-lived episodes of reversible damage now affect many generations. What were once straightforward questions of conservation versus development now reflect more complex linkages. The third major change refers to climate variations. It is nowadays widely accepted that the increasing concentration of the so-called greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is altering the Earth’s radiation balance and causing the temperature to rise. This process in turn provides the context for a chain of events which leads to changes in the different components of the hydrological cycle, such as evapotranspiration rate, intensity and frequency of precipitation, river flows, soil moisture and groundwater recharge. Mankind is expected to respond to these effects by taking adaptive measures including changing patterns of land use, adopting new strategies for soil and water management and looking for non-conventional water resources (e.g. saline/brackish waters, desalinated water, and treated wastewater). All these problems will become more pronounced in the years to come, as society enters an era of increasingly complex paths towards the global economy. In this context, engineers and decision-makers need to systematically review planning principles, design criteria, operating rules, contingency plans and management policies for new infra-structures. In relation to these issues and based on available information, this report gives an overview of current and future (time horizon 2025) irrigation and food production development around the world. Moreover, the paper analyses the results of the most recent and advanced General Circulation Models for assessing the hydrological impacts of climate variability on crop requirements, water availability and the planning and design process of irrigation systems. Finally, a five-step planning and design procedure is proposed that is able to integrate, within the development process, the hydrological consequences of climate change. For researchers interested in irrigation and drainage and in crop production under changing climate conditions, references have been included, under developments in irrigation section on Page 3. Many climate action plans developed by few cities, states and various countries are cited for policy makers to follow or to make a note off. Few citations are also included in the end to educate every one of us, who are not familiar with the scientific work of our colleagues, related to global warming. The colleagues are from different areas, physics, mathematics, agricultural engineering, crop scientists and policy makers in United Nations. Most of the citation links do open, when you click on them. If it does not, copy and paste the link on any web browsers.

ALMOST SURE GLOBAL WELL-POSEDNESS FOR THE FOURTH-ORDER NONLINEAR SCHR?DINGER EQUATION WITH LARGE INITIAL DATA

We consider the fourth-order nonlinear Schr?dinger equation(4NLS)(i?t+εΔ+Δ2)u=c1um+c2(?u)um-1+c3(?u)2um-2,and establish the conditional almost sure global well-posedness for random initial data in Hs(Rd)for s∈(sc-1/2,sc],when d≥3 and m≥5,where sc:=d/2-2/(m-1)is the scaling critical regularity of 4NLS with the second order derivative nonlinearities.Our proof relies on the nonlinear estimates in a new M-norm and the stability theory in the probabilistic setting.Similar supercritical global well-posedness results also hold for d=2,m≥4 and d≥3,3≤m<5.

Research on Coordinated Development and Optimization of Distribution Networks at All Levels in Distributed Power Energy Engineering

The uncertainty of distributed generation energy has dramatically challenged the coordinated development of distribution networks at all levels.This paper focuses on the multi-time-scale regulation model of distributed generation energy under normal conditions.The simulation results of the example verify the self-optimization characteristics and the effectiveness of real-time dispatching of the distribution network control technology at all levels under multiple time scales.

Economic Globalization 3.0 and the Concept of Interconnection under the Belt and Road Initiative

At present,the third wave of economic globalization is emerging.After the setbacks in Economic Globalization 1.0 and rejuvenation in Economic Globalization 2.0,China's economy is bound to occupy an important international position in the new chapter of Economic Globalization 3.0 and exert profound influence globally.The benefits of globalization cannot be realized without a number of realistic conditions,including the level of technology and infrastructure,geopolitical pattern and market power structure,international institutional arrangements(global governance structure),among others.Under Economic Globalization 3.0,the nature of international competition is good governance,rather than brutal force and hegemony.What matters for China is for it to become an innovative and vibrant country and demonstrate its economic vitality,competitiveness and creativity.Therefore,China's position under Economic Globalization 3.0 depends on its transition from a "world leader of high growth " into a future "world leader of good governance and vibrancy." In the new chapter of Economic Globalization 3.0,the interests of world economies become interwoven and interdependent.Despite unavoidable frictions and disputes,more inclusive and balanced development serves the interests of most countries in the world.For major countries with global interests,maintaining the new balance of power for economic globalization is consistent with their respective national interests.The shared interests of countries promise a more peaceful and interconnected world than ever before.

Status, trends and enlightenment of global oil and gas development in 2021

By analyzing the distribution of global oil and gas fields and the reasons why some oil and gas fields are not in production, the distribution characteristics of oil and gas remaining recoverable reserves and their year-on-year changes, the distribution characteristics of oil and gas production and their year-on-year changes, and the development potential of oil and gas to be tapped in 2021, this paper sorts out systematically the current status and characteristics of global oil and gas development, summaries the major trends of global oil and gas development, puts forward enlightenment for international oil and gas cooperation. In 2021, oil and gas fields were widely distributed, the number of non-producing oil and gas fields was large;the whole oil and gas remaining recoverable reserves declined slightly, unconventional oil and gas remaining recoverable reserves dropped significantly;the overall oil and gas production continuously increased, the outputs of key resource-host countries kept year-on-year growth;undeveloped oilfields had abundant reserves and great development potential. Combined with global oil and gas geopolitics, oil and gas industry development trends, oil and gas investment intensity, and the tracking and judgment of hotspot fields, the major trends of global oil and gas development in 2021 are summarized. On this basis, the four aspects of enlightenment and suggestions for international oil and gas cooperation and development strategies are put forward: attach great importance to the obligation of marine abandonment to ensure high-quality and long-term benefit development of offshore oil and gas;adhere to the principle of not going to dangerous and chaotic places, strengthen the concentration of oil and gas assets, and establish multi stable supply bases;based on the multi-scenario demand of natural gas, realize the transformation from integrated collaboration to full oil and gas industry chain development;increase the acquisition of high-quality large-scale assets, and pay attention to the continuous optimization of the shareholding ratio of projects at different stages.

People's Well-rounded Development:The Value Orientation of Common Prosperity in the New Era

Achieving common prosperity for all is an important feature of Chinese modernization and an essential requirement of socialism with Chinese characteristics,with the core value orientation of promoting the people’s well-rounded development.This reflects the close relationship between people’s well-rounded development and common prosperity and implies that common prosperity is not just an economic issue,but also a political matter,a moral subject,and a human rights goal.Being“people-centered”is the core positioning of common prosperity,with its inherent collective and individual attributes.In terms of the object dimension of prosperity,it encompasses a wide range of rights such as material and spiritual well-being,which are advanced in a coordinated manner,and a deepening level of guarantee gradually improving.In the practical concept of“shared development,”it emphasizes the unity of state obligations and individual responsibilities,as well as the phased approach and promotion of common prosperity through the rule of law.Therefore,the essence of common prosperity lies in shifting from a“material-centered”perspective to a“people’s well-rounded development-centered”perspective.It combines the principles of fairness and inclusiveness with the recognition of diverse developmental needs.The focus is on enhancing the subjective initiative of the people,aiming to truly achieve the happiness of the people and promote people’s well-rounded development through the realization of“common prosperity.”