The Loan Arrangers

WANG Jiarui runs a small building material store in Yiwu, east China＇s Zhejiang Province. When he started his business 10 years ago, getting financing was a major headache. ＂I had to begin my enterprise by borrowing money from all my friends and relatives,＂ said the entrepreneur. In the years since then, the situation has improved Rradually.

Soybean maize strip intercropping:A solution for maintaining food security in China

The practice of intercropping leguminous and gramineous crops is used for promoting sustainable agriculture,optimizing resource utilization,enhancing biodiversity,and reducing reliance on petroleum products.However,promoting conventional intercropping strategies in modern agriculture can prove challenging.The innovative technology of soybean maize strip intercropping(SMSI)has been proposed as a solution.This system has produced remarkable results in improving domestic soybean and maize production for both food security and sustainable agriculture.In this article,we provide an overview of SMSI and explain how it differs from traditional intercropping.We also discuss the core principles that foster higher yields and the prospects for its future development.

Experimental Study on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Rough Risers with Coupling Interference Effect Under Side-by-Side Arrangement

A vortex-induced vibration(VIV)experiment of rough risers with coupling interference effect under a side-by-side arrangement was carried out in a wave-current combined flume.The roughness of the riser was characterized by arranging different specifications of surface attachments on the surface of the riser.Rough risers with three different roughnesses were arranged side by side with smooth risers to explore the VIV response of the riser under the combined action of roughness and interference effect,and to reveal the coupling mechanism between roughness and interference effect.The experimental results show that,compared with that of a smooth riser,the VIV of a rough riser under the coupling interference effect has a wider"lock-in"region,and the displacement decreases more significantly at a high reduced velocity,which is more likely to excite higher-order modes and frequency responses.In addition,the displacement response and frequency response of the smooth riser are not significantly affected by wake interference from the rough riser,which is caused by the decrease of the wake region due to the delay of the boundary layer separation point of the rough riser.

Experimental Study on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Rough Risers Coupling with Interference Effect in Tandem Arrangement

In order to study the response law of vortex-induced vibration(VIV)of marine risers under the combined action of roughness and interference effects,and to reveal the coupling mechanism of roughness and interference effects on the riser,a VIV experiment of rough risers in tandem arrangement was conducted in a wave−current combined flume.The experiment characterized the risers’roughness by arranging different specifications of attachments on the surface of the risers.Three rough risers with different roughness and smooth risers were arranged in tandem arrangement,with the rough risers arranged downstream.The experimental results indicate that the suppression of the attachments on the downstream risers’vibration are more significant both in the CF and IL directions as the reduced velocity increases.For the downstream riser,the amplitude response of rough riser is more significantly weakened compared with the smooth one at high reduced velocity.For the upstream risers,changes in the roughness and spacing ratio have an impact on their‘lock-in’region.When the roughness of downstream risers is relatively large(0.1300)and the spacing between risers is small(S/D=4.0),the reduced velocity range of‘lock-in’region in the CF direction of upstream risers is obviously expanded,and the displacement in the‘lock-in’region is severer.

Interaction Mechanisms between Natural Debris Flow and Rigid Barrier Deflectors:A New Perspective for Rational Design and Optimal Arrangement

Rigid barrier deflectors can effectively prevent overspilling landslides,and can satisfy disaster prevention requirements.However,the mechanisms of interaction between natural granular flow and rigid barrier deflectors require further investigation.To date,few studies have investigated the impact of deflectors on controlling viscous debris flows for geological disaster prevention.To investigate the effect of rigid barrier deflectors on impact mechanisms,a numerical model using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)method with the Herschel–Bulkley model is proposed to simulate the interaction between natural viscous flow and single/dual barriers with and without deflectors.This model was validated using laboratory flume test data from the literature.Then,the model was used to investigate the influence of the deflector angle and multi-barrier arrangements.The optimal configuration of multi-barriers was analyzed with consideration to the barrier height and distance between the barriers,because these metrics have a significant impact on the viscous flow pile-up,run-up,and overflow mechanisms.The investigation considered the energy dissipation process,retention efficiency,and dead-zone formation.Compared with bare barriers with similar geometric characteristics and spatial distribution,rigid barriers with deflectors exhibit superior effectiveness in preventing the overflow and overspilling of viscous debris flow.Recommendations for the rational design of deflectors and the optimal arrangement of multi-barriers are provided to mitigate geological disasters.

全国标准化工作会议在京召开

The National Standardization Work Conference was held in Beijing on January 11 to summarize the standardization work in 2023 and arrange the key standardization tasks in 2024. Luo Wen, Minister of SAMR, Wang Jingtao, Vice Administrator of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission.

世界政治变革向纵深演进

The year 2023 marked an important year of change, in which multiple old orders have given way to new arrangements. “The end of the post-Cold War era,” “the beginning of the post-pandemic era,” “the ebb of the era of economic globalization,” “the return of the era of geopolitical conflict.”

Evaluation of the Living Conditions and Health Perceptions of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Handlers in the Informal Sector in Dakar

Electrical and electronic devices are becoming an increasingly important part of our society. In Africa, and in Senegal in particular, the handling and management of electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) that has reached the end of its life is mainly informal. This professional environment is characterized by the disintegration of the sector and the social heterogeneity that can be found there. The objective of this study is to assess the standard of living of electrical and electronic equipment waste handlers in the Dakar region, as well as their perception of their health. A survey was used to obtain information on sociodemographic background, living arrangements, perception of health status, and good practices to be implemented in case of work-related health problems. Life style, perception of general health and health problems were ranged as excellent, very good, good, average and poor. Informal recyclers in the Dakar region lived mainly in rooms and buildings as tenants (49.1%), or in family homes (48.4%) before starting this activity, and 51.2% continue to live in rooms and buildings as tenants compared to 41.4% who still live in a family home. The perception of health status ranged from poor to excellent, and 4.9% believe that they are limited in work due to a disability or health problem. Informal work is a heterogeneous phenomenon that makes research and policymaking particularly complex. There are several external factors within informal WEEE re-cyclers that can cause health problems or functional disability. However, the living conditions and the perception they have of their state of health are contradictory to the working conditions and the social environment to which they belong. A biomedical approach would consolidate these achievements by confirming or invalidating them.

Smart Parking Management System “MOTAH”

With a surge in the university’s student and staff population, parking problems and congestion have rapidly intensified. The recent inclusion of women drivers, particularly during official working hours, has exacerbated these challenges. This pressing issue underscores the critical necessity for a structured approach to managing university entries and overseeing parking at the gates. The proposed smart parking management system aims to address these concerns by introducing a design concept that restricts unauthorized access and provides exclusive parking privileges to authorized users. Through image processing, the system identifies available parking spaces, relaying real-time information to users via a mobile application. This comprehensive solution also generates detailed reports (daily, weekly, and monthly), aiding university safety authorities in future gate management decisions.

Easy Paying Optimizing payment options for international visitors to China

As of January 31,2024,China had concluded mutual visa exemption agreements covering different types of passports with 157 countries,reached agreements or arrangements on simplified visa procedures with 44 countries,and enjoyed comprehensive mutual visa exemptions with 23 countries including Thailand,Singapore,Maldives,and the United Arab Emirates.

THE SUMMIT OF U.S.,JAPAN AND PHILIPPINES:A STEP CLOSER TO NEW COLD WAR

The leaders’summit of the United States,Japan,and the Philippines held in Washington,D.C.is billed as“historic.”Manila will join the Washington-led new arrangements targeted at China.

"Investing in China is to Invest in the Future"

This year's government work report proposed to strengthen the service guarantee for foreign investment and build a brand of"Invest in China".Recently,the General Office of the State Council issued the Action Plan for Steadily Prom oting High-level Opening-up and Making Greater Efforts to Attract and Utilize Foreign Investment,which made specific arrangements for building the brand of"Invest in China"."Invest in China"has become one of the key words for stabilizing foreign investment in 2024.

Electricity Generation from Heatwaves

We chose a definition of heatwaves (HWs) that has ~4-year recurrence frequency at world hot spots. We first examined the 1940-2022 HWs climatology and trends in lifespan, severity, spatial extent, and recurrence frequency. HWs are becoming more frequent and more severe for extratropical mid- and low-latitudes. To euphemize HWs, we here propose a novel clean energy-tapping concept that utilizes the available nano-technology, micro-meteorology knowledge of temperature distribution within/without buildings, and radiative properties of earth atmosphere. The key points for a practical electricity generation scheme from HWs are defogging, insulation, and minimizing the absorption of infrared downward radiation at the cold legs of the thermoelectric generators. One sample realization is presented which, through relay with existing photovoltaic devices, provides all-day electricity supply sufficient for providing air conditioning requirement for a residence (~2000-watt throughput). The provision of power to air conditioning systems, usually imposes a significant stress on traditional city power grids during heatwaves.

规则波作用下不同构型的近海网箱浸没工况数值研究

The present research work concerns about the hydrodynamic behaviors of the open net offshore fish cages of single,double and 4-cage systems subjected to regular sinusoidal waves.The open net semisubmersible rigid cage is square in shape and analyzed numerically using ANSYS AQWA software.Frequency and time domain analyses are carried out for each case.The hydrodynamic parameters such as added mass,radiation potential damping,motion responses and mooring line tensions are considered as performance indicators to conclude as the best arrangements among three different cages.The single cage and windward side of all cages exhibit identical performance in all hydrodynamic parameters.The leeward side of each cage shows lesser parametric values than the windward side cages.Based on the performance indicators,it is concluded that the grid system containing four cage arrangements provides better performance than three other cage configurations.An experimental model of 1∶75 scale is fabricated and wave flume studies are conducted to validate the present numerical model.The cage is placed at a water depth of 55 cm and subjected to wave heights of 12 cm and 14 cm with wave periods ranging from 0.8 s to 2.2 s with an interval of 0.2 s are considered.The same wave flume boundary conditions are adopted for numerical simulations and results are in good agreement with experimental work results.

RCEP and East Asian Regional Economic Cooperation

On January 1,2022,the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership(RCEP)formerly entered into force.As the largest global free trade area accounting for about 30 percent of world total in population size,economic scale and trade volume,the RCEP has important bearings on the international economic and trade pattern.Not only did it integrate“fragmented”economic and trade arrangements in the East Asian region,it has also improved comprehensive development environment of the region and facilitated in-depth development of East Asian regional economic integration.

Characteristics of snow cover distribution along railway subgrade and the protective effect of snow fences

Railways built in cold,snowy,and lightly populated areas are subjected to wind and snow disasters.In this study,we selected a snow hazard prevention and control section of the Altay–Zhundong Railway in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China as the research object.We investigated the deposited snowfall variation characteristics on the two sides and in the embankment pavement area of snow fences with different porosities,fence heights,and arrangement distances using single-factor tests and orthogonal tests based on global atmospheric reanalysis climate data,field survey data,and a multi-phase flow analysis model.The results showed significant differences in the characteristics of snow cover distribution and snow cover thickness between the embankment and the cutting in the absence of snow protection measures.The maximum snow cover thickness of the embankment pavement decreased by 12.6%relative to the cutting pavement.The snow cover thickness of the embankment exhibited an increasing trend from windward shoulder to leeward shoulder,whereas the snow cover thickness of the cutting presented a declining trend from windward shoulder to leeward toe.In the collaborative prevention and control of snow fences and embankments,the three factors can be ranked in terms of their sensitivity to deposited snowfall within the influence scope of snow fences as follows:fence height>arrangement distance>porosity.At the same time,fence height yielded a significant relationship for the influence scope of snow fences(P<0.05).The three factors can also be ranked in terms of their sensitivity to deposited snowfall on the pavement as follows:porosity>fence height>arrangement distance.For the embankment protection of the Altay–Zhundong Railway against wind and snow,snow fence with a porosity of 75%,a fence height of 4.8 m,and an arrangement distance from the embankment of 60 m produced the best snow control effect.By revealing the characteristics of snow cover distribution along railway subgrade and the protective effect of snow fences,this study provides valuable references for the engineering applications of railway construction in areas prone to wind and snow disasters.

Experimental study on the mitigation effect of mangroves during tsunami wave propagation

Mangroves are crucial for protecting coastal areas against extreme disasters such as tsunamis and storm surges.An experimental study was conducted to determine how mangroves can mitigate the tsunami wave propagation.The test was performed in a flume, where mangrove models were installed on a slope, and dam-burst waves were used to simulate tsunami waves. To study how mangrove forests reduce the impact of tsunamis, this paper measured the heights of the incoming waves under different initial conditions(tsunami wave intensity and initial water depth) and plant factors(arrangement and distribution density) and described the reduction process. The results show that, after passing through the mangrove, the tsunami bore height will decrease within a certain range as the initial water depth increases. However, there is no correlation between the increase of inundation level and the drop of water level. The bore height attenuation is more significant at higher density of mangroves,but after tsunami passing through the mangroves, the relative bore height will decrease. When the distribution density of mangroves is constant, the wave attenuation at different locations(before, on and after the slope)shows different relationships with the initial water depth and wave height for different models. The transmission coefficient(K_(i)) shows a parabolic correlation with its density. The proportion of the energy loss caused by the mangrove resistance to the total energy(E_(b)) is defined as C_(m2). The variation trend of C_(m2) corresponds to the tsunami wave energy attenuation rate(C_(a)) and K_(i).

Experimental Study on Interference Effect of Three Risers Arranged in Tandem with Variable Spacing Ratios

Taking the three-riser group arranged in tandem as the research subject,an experimental study was carried out on the risers arranged in tandem.The purpose is to explore the sensitivity of the dynamic response of each riser to spacing ratio and reveal the physical mechanism of riser groups under the interference effect.The spacing ratios of the adj acent risers are 4.0,5.0,6.0,and 8.0.At the spacing between the risers of 4.0D,the strong feedback effect increases the cross-flow(CF) displacement amplitude of the upstream riser.The shielding effect is the key factor affecting the interference effect on the midstream and downstream risers.At low reduced velocities,the shielding area initially appears,the displacement amplitude of the midstream and downstream risers varies greatly,the vibration of the two risers is still dominated by the first-order mode,and the transition between adjacent vibration modes is restrained.The multi-frequency superposition phenomenon is very significant at high reduced velocities.The most sensitive interference spacing under the test conditions is obtained.Due to the separation of the incoming flow and the double shielding effect of the upstream and midstream risers,the regular vortex-induced vibration in the wake area of the downstream riser is broken,and the vibration in the two directions is weakened.In general,the interference effect is more significant for the CF vibration of the three-riser groups than the in-line(IL) vibration.

Estimation of efferent inhibition and speech in noise perception on vocal musicians and music sleepers: A comparative study

1.Introduction The arrangement of sound in different sequences is necessary for the great art of music.It is composed of precisely scheduled quasi-periodic segments of rich harmonic complexity(notes and syllables),interrupted by transients,bursts of noise,and/or silence(Varnet et al.,2015).Melody,rhythm,harmony,timbre,shape,and style are some of the different aspects of music(Kemper and Danhauer,2005).The richness of music makes it an ideal subject for studying the workings of the human auditory system.Training effects are also known to improve cortical plasticity,which can strengthen common subcortical networks.A variety of learning methodologies have focused on either a single sensory modality task or more challenging tasks requiring higher-order cognitive abilities and sensorimotor linkages in order to investigate neuroplasticity(Zatorre et al.,2012).(Li et al.,2014;Siuda-Krzywicka et al.,2016).A number of non-musical abilities,such as auditory attention,speech perception in noisy contexts,pitch pattern analysis,temporal resolution,duration discrimination,and auditory working memory,are significantly improved through training(J€ancke,2012;Kraus et al.,2012).