A Study on the Symbol-Based Narrative in the International Communication of Cities

Cultural symbols,a manifestation of cities’cultural resources,are not only signs that frame concepts but also forms that express meanings.Exploring the international communication of cities from the perspective of symbols,this paper analyzes in depth how cities create their cultural symbols in the dynamic process of international communication in an era of symbol-based digital media,and how they develop their narratives and explain meanings through the dissemination of symbols when telling their stories to international audiences,thus enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of their international communication efforts.

Influence of Quantum Information Technology on International Security

Humanity is currently undergoing the fourth industrial revolution,characterized by advancements in artificial intelligence,clean energy,quantum information technology,virtual reality,and biotechnology.This technological revolution is poised to have a profound impact on the world.Quantum information technology encompasses both quantum computing and the transmission of quantum information.This article aims to integrate quantum information technology with international security concerns,exploring its implications for international security and envisioning its groundbreaking significance.

Global South:An Important Driving Force for the Evolution of the International Order

Since the beginning of the 21st century,the international order has witnessed a notable shift marked by an increasingly active involvement of the Global South in global affairs.This engagement has effectively curtailed hegemonism,Cold War mentalities,and camp politics.The Global South is committed to fostering a more just,reasonable,equal,and representative international order,aspiring to earn a more peaceful,stable,and conducive external environment for sustainable development.In pursuit of these goals,Global South countries have forged a robust community of solidarity and mutual assistance.

Dilemma and Solutions of Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction of International Shipping

How to build an international maritime GHG(greenhouse gas)emission reduction cooperation mechanism is an important international issue at present.Firstly,we describe the current situation of maritime transport GHG emission reduction and analyze the problems that still exist in international maritime transport emission reduction from four aspects:political,economic,legal and technical.For example,geopolitical aggravation hinders the solution of the FOC(Flag of Convenience)issue;maritime emissions are not included in the carbon emission trading system;the synergy of maritime emission reduction principles under the IMO(International Maritime Organization)framework and the technical level of maritime emission reduction needs to be improved.The motivation and essence of the divergent international actions on maritime emission reduction are discussed.Finally,it is proposed to implement the“true linkage principle”to solve the problem of FOCs;to promote the development of regional carbon markets and link them to the international maritime carbon emission trading market economically;to implement the CBDR(the common but differentiated responsibilities)principle legally to promote the international emission reduction work in an orderly manner;and the technical innovation of ships and increase the technical support.

Study on International Students' Anxiety and Related Factors Under COVID-19

To investigate the correlation between anxiety and related factors among international students in Wenzhou during the COVID-19 epidemic,international students from Wenzhou were selected as subjects for our research.We administered a self-developed questionnaire on anxiety among our subjects in question during the specific time of the COVID-19 epidemic,in which a self-assessment scale was included.Overall,an anxiety questionnaire for international students studying in Wenzhou during the outbreak of COVID–19,a self-rating anxiety scale,and statistical methods were utilized to conduct our research.During the COVID-19 epidemic,international students in Wenzhou experienced varying degrees of anxiety,which were related to concerns about contracting the virus,exam-related stress,and differences in living standards.Therefore,intervention is crucial.

Effect of foot reflexology on an infant with sensorineural hearing loss:A case report

BACKGROUND Our study contributes to the further understanding of the mechanism of foot reflexology.Foot reflexology has been reported to affect hearing recovery,but no physiological evidence has been provided.This lack of evidence hampers the acceptance of the technique in clinical practice.CASE SUMMARY A girl was taken to North Sichuan Medical University Affiliated Hospital for a hearing screen by her parents.Her parents reported that her hearing level was the same as when she was born.The girl was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss(SNHL)by a doctor in the otolaryngology department.After we introduced the foot reflexology project,the parents agreed to participate in the experiment.After 6 months of foot reflexology treatment,the hearing threshold of the girl recovered to a normal level,below 30 dB.CONCLUSION Foot reflexology should be encouraged in clinical practice and for families of infants with SNHL.

Comprehensive insights into recent innovations:Magnesium-inclusive high-entropy alloys

This review focuses on thermodynamic and physical parameters,synthesis methods,and reported phases of Magnesium(Mg)containing high-entropy alloys(HEAs).Statistical data of publications concerning Mg-containing HEAs were collected and analyzed.Data on the chemical elements included in Mg-containing HEAs,their theoretical end experimental densities,thermodynamic parameters,physical parameters,fabricated techniques and reported phases were also collected and discussed.On the basis of this information,a new classification for HEAs was proposed.It is also shown that the existing thermodynamic parameters cannot accurately predict the formation of a single phase solid solution for Mg-containing HEAs.The physical parameters of Mg-containing HEAs are within a wide range,and most of the synthesized Mg-containing HEAs have a complex multiphase structure.

Livelihood Vulnerability and Adaptation for Households Engaged in Forestry in Ecological Restoration Areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau

Chinese Loess Plateau has achieved a win-win situation concerning ecological restoration and socio-economic development.However,synergistic development may not be realized at the local scale.In areas undergoing ecological restoration,livelihood vulner-ability may be more pronounced due to the inflexibility,policy protection,and susceptibility to climate and market changes in forestry production.Although this issue has attracted academic interest,empirical studies are relatively scarce.This study,centered on Jiaxian County,Shaanxi Province of China explored the households’livelihood vulnerability and coping strategies and group heterogeneity con-cerned with livelihood structures or forestry resources through field investigation,comprehensive index assessment,and nonparametric tests.Findings showed that:1)the percentage of households with high livelihood vulnerability indicator(LVI)(>0.491)reached 46.34%.2)Eight groups in livelihood structures formed by forestry,traditional agriculture,and non-farm activities were significantly different in LVI,land resources(LR),social networks(SN),livelihood strategies(LS),housing characteristics(HC),and socio-demo-graphic profile(SDP).3)The livelihood vulnerability of the groups with highly engaged/reliance on jujube(Ziziphus jujuba)forest demonstrated more prominent livelihood vulnerability due to the increased precipitation and cold market,where the low-engaged with reliance type were significantly more vulnerable in LVI,SDP,LR,and HC.4)The threshold of behavioral triggers widely varied,and farmers dependent on forestry livelihoods showed negative coping behavior.Specifically,the cutting behavior was strongly associated with lagged years and government subsidies,guidance,and high returns of crops.Finally,the findings can provide guidance on the dir-ection of livelihood vulnerability mitigation and adaptive government management in ecologically restored areas.The issue of farmers’livelihood sustainability in the context of ecological conservation calls for immediate attention,and eco-compensations or other forms of assistance in ecologically functional areas are expected to be enhanced and diversified.

The tangential k-Cauchy-Fueter type operator and Penrose type integral formula on the generalized complex Heisenberg group

The tangential k-Cauchy-Fueter operator and k-CF functions are counterparts of the tangential Cauchy–Riemann operator and CR functions on the Heisenberg group in the theory of several complex variables,respectively.In this paper,we introduce a Lie group that the Heisenberg group can be imbedded into and call it generalized complex Heisenberg.We investigate quaternionic analysis on the generalized complex Heisenberg.We also give the Penrose integral formula for k-CF functions and construct the tangential k-Cauchy-Fueter complex.

Identifying the best common factor model via exploratory eactor analysis

Currently,there is no solid criterion for judging the quality of the estimators in factor analysis.This paper presents a new evaluation method for exploratory factor analysis that pinpoints an appropriate number of factors along with the best method for factor extraction.The proposed technique consists of two steps:testing the normality of the residuals from the fitted model via the Shapiro-Wilk test and using an empirical quantified index to judge the quality of the factor model.Examples are presented to demonstrate how the method is implemented and to verify its effectiveness.

Nano-scale Reinforcements and Properties of Al-Si-Cu Alloy Processed by High-Pressure Torsion

To improve the comprehensive mechanical properties of Al-Si-Cu alloy,it was treated by a high-pressure torsion process,and the effect of the deformation degree on the microstructure and properties of the Al-Si-Cu alloy was studied.The results show that the reinforcements(β-Si andθ-CuAl_(2)phases)of the Al-Si-Cu alloy are dispersed in theα-Al matrix phase with finer phase size after the treatment.The processed samples exhibit grain sizes in the submicron or even nanometer range,which effectively improves the mechanical properties of the material.The hardness and strength of the deformed alloy are both significantly raised to 268 HV and 390.04 MPa by 10 turns HPT process,and the fracture morphology shows that the material gradually transits from brittle to plastic before and after deformation.The elements interdiffusion at the interface between the phases has also been effectively enhanced.In addition,it is found that the severe plastic deformation at room temperature induces a ternary eutectic reaction,resulting in the formation of ternary Al+Si+CuAl_(2)eutectic.

New Developments in the Trumpification of the US Republican Party

The prominent performance of former US President Donald J.Trump in the 2024 presidential election cycle ref lects the ongoing developments of the Trumpification of the Republican Party(GOP).Since Trump left office,the Trumpification of the GOP has continued.In terms of ideological shaping,Trumpification is ref lected in the fact that the political stance of the GOP is dominated by Trump.In terms of personal influence,Trumpification is manifested by the overall acceptance of GOP elites and voters toward Trump's presidential candidacy,notwithstanding a decrease in their satisfaction with him.The recent developments in Trumpification are intricately linked to Trump's influence on the GOP's political ecology,such as the formation of a new GOP coalition and the reshaping of GOP elite composition.Additionally,these developments are also inf luenced by specific political factors,including the unique circumstances of the 2020 presidential election that led to Tr ump's“quasi-incumbent”status and the economic and immigration issues in the 2024 election that favor Trump.The role Trump plays in the 2024 election and its outcome will be critical in determining whether the inf luence of Trumpification,especially Trump himself,will persist or undergo changes.

The Exorbitant Privilege of US Treasuries and China's Choices in the New Era

After the decoupling of the US dollar from gold in 1971,US Treasuries replaced gold as the value benchmark of the international monetary system and acquired an exorbitant privilege.Subsequently,the total amount of US debt exhibited an exponential expansion trend,unbound by any substantial constraints.The so-called debt ceiling is a partisan game rather than a rigid fiscal constraint on the United States.As long as there are no fundamental changes in the global monetary system,the international credit of US Treasuries will stay stable,and their trend of infinite expansion will be sustained.Massive quantitative easing policies have failed to significantly shake this stability,and the notion of global investors offloading US Treasuries is more an illusion than a fact.The exorbitant privilege of US Treasuries grants its federal government the“freedom to borrow,”shielding the American financial sector from due penalties during global financial crises and securing excessive returns in global capital cycles.In the old days when running“twin surpluses”on capital and current accounts,China kept the value of Renminbi low to support its export manufacturing sector along the southeast coast.As a result,China accumulated huge foreign exchange reserves,mainly US Treasuries.Nowadays,this practice is no longer necessary,yielding low returns and posing significant security risks.

A Cognitive Study on Politeness Intention Processing and Its Association with Pragmatic Failure in Cross-Cultural Communication

Although a large number of studies have focused on various aspects of politeness,very little is known about how politeness intention is activated cognitively during verbal communication.The present study aims to explore the cognitive mechanism of politeness intention processing,and how it is related to pragmatic failure during cross-cultural communication.Using 30 Chinese EFL university students who were instructed to finish a probe word judgment task with 96 virtual scenarios,the results indicate that within both mono-and cross-cultural contexts,the response time in the experimental scenarios was significantly slower than that of the filler scenarios.This suggests that politeness intention was activated while understanding the surface meaning of the conversation;however,the EFL learners could not completely avoid the negative transfer of their native politeness conventions when they were comprehending the conversational intention of the target language.Furthermore,no significant differences in response time were found between the groups with high and low English pragmatic competence,illustrating that transferring the pragmatic rules and principles into cross-cultural communication skills was more cognitively demanding.Overall,this study adds to the literature on politeness research and provides some implications for foreign language pragmatic instructions.

Impact of climate change and human activities on the spatiotemporal dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province, China

Understanding the dynamics of surface water area and their drivers is crucial for human survival and ecosystem stability in inland arid and semi-arid areas.This study took Gansu Province,China,a typical area with complex terrain and variable climate,as the research subject.Based on Google Earth Engine,we used Landsat data and the Open-surface Water Detection Method with Enhanced Impurity Control method to monitor the spatiotemporal dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province from 1985 to 2022,and quantitatively analyzed the main causes of regional differences in surface water area.The findings revealed that surface water area in Gansu Province expanded by 406.88 km2 from 1985 to 2022.Seasonal surface water area exhibited significant fluctuations,while permanent surface water area showed a steady increase.Notably,terrestrial water storage exhibited a trend of first decreasing and then increasing,correlated with the dynamics of surface water area.Climate change and human activities jointly affected surface hydrological processes,with the impact of climate change being slightly higher than that of human activities.Spatially,climate change affected the'source'of surface water to a greater extent,while human activities tended to affect the'destination'of surface water.Challenges of surface water resources faced by inland arid and semi-arid areas like Gansu Province are multifaceted.Therefore,we summarized the surface hydrology patterns typical in inland arid and semi-arid areas and tailored surface water'supply-demand'balance strategies.The study not only sheds light on the dynamics of surface water area in Gansu Province,but also offers valuable insights for ecological protection and surface water resource management in inland arid and semi-arid areas facing water scarcity.

Residents’perceptions of ecosystem services in an urbanizing basin:A case study in the Guanting Reservoir basin,China

Understanding stakeholders’differences in perceptions of ecosystem services(ES)is crucial for guiding ecolog-ical conservation and planning.However,the variations of ES perception amongst different types of residents in urbanizing areas along an urban-rural gradient are still poorly understood.Combining a questionnaire-based survey,redundancy analysis,and statistical tests,we delineated the urban-rural gradient according to local res-idents’socio-economic characteristics,and investigated the differences in local residents’perceptions of ES and potential factors affecting them in the Guanting Reservoir basin,a rapidly urbanizing basin in China.The results showed that residents living in urban-rural transitional areas attached great importance to provisioning services of providing food and domestic water,regulating services of carbon sequestration and air purification,and cul-tural services of providing education and training,which were 0.7%-13.1%,0.7%-9.1%and 2.5%-21.2%higher than that of residents in other areas,respectively.Age and occupation were major factors affecting residents’perceptions.In terms of land-use types that deliver ES,the difference in perceptions of ES delivered by grassland was the greatest amongst residents.Our results support recommendations for policymakers to take into account the stakeholders’diverse perceptions,thus promoting residents’sense of gain on ES.

Infiltration,runoff,and slope stability behaviors of infinite slope with macropores based on an improved Green–Ampt model

Infiltration–runoff–slope instability mechanism of macropore slope under heavy rainfall is unclear.This paper studied its instability mechanism with an improved Green–Ampt(GA)model considering the dual-porosity(i.e.,matrix and macropore)and ponding condition,and proposed the infiltration equations,infiltration–runoff coupled model,and safety factor calculation method.Results show that the infiltration processes of macropore slope can be divided into three stages,and the proposed model is rational by a comparative analysis.The wetting front depth of the traditional unsaturated slope is 17.2%larger than that of the macropore slope in the early rainfall stage and 27%smaller than that of the macropore slope in the late rainfall stage.Then,macropores benefit the slope stability in the early rainfall but not in the latter.Macropore flow does not occur initially but becomes pronounced with increasing rainfall duration.The equal depth of the wetting front in the two domains is regarded as the onset criteria of macropore flow.Parameter analysis shows that macropore flow is delayed by increasing proportion of macropore domain(ω_(f)),whereas promoted by increasing ratio of saturated permeability coefficients between the two domains(μ).The increasing trend of ponding depth is sharp at first and then grows slowly.Finally,when rainfall duration is less than 3 h,ωf andμhave no significant effect on the safety factor,whereas it decreases with increasingωf and increases with increasingμunder longer duration(≥3 h).With the increase ofω_(f),the slope maximum instability time advances by 10.5 h,and with the increase ofμ,the slope maximum instability time delays by 3.1 h.

Coupling coordinated development among digital economy,regional innovation,and talent employment:A case study in the Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle,China

Coordinative development across various systems,particularly the economic,social,cultural,and human resources subsystems,is a key aspect of urban sustainability and has a direct impact on the quality of urbanization.The Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle,comprising Hangzhou City,Huzhou City,Jiaxing City,and Shaoxing City,was the first metropolitan circle approved by the National Development and Reform Commission(NDRC)as a demonstration of economic transformation in China.To evaluate the coupling coordination degree of the four cities and analyze the coordinative development in three systems(including digital economy,regional innovation,and talent employment),we collected panel data during 2015–2022 from these four cities.The development level of the three systems was evaluated by the standard deviation method and comprehensive development index.The results are as follows:(1)the level of coupling coordinated development of the three systems in the Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle was relatively low;(2)the coupling coordination degree of the four cities in the Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle showed significant regional differences,among which Hangzhou City was in the leading position,and Huzhou,Jiaxing,and Shaoxing cities made steady but slow progress in the coupling development of the three systems;and(3)the development of digital economy and talent employment needs to be strengthened.This study contributes to the coordinative development of Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle by innovatively focusing on the coupling coordination relationship among digital economy,regional innovation,and talent employment,which also meets the industrial layout of Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle.In this way,the optimal allocation and sustainable development of digital economy,regional innovation,and talent employment in the Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle can be achieved.

Brain networks in newborns and infants with and without sensorineural hearing loss:A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

BACKGROUND Understanding the impact of early sensory deficits on brain development is essential for understanding developmental processes and developing potential interventions.While previous studies have looked into the impact of prenatal experiences on language development,there is a lack of research on how these experiences affect early language and brain function development in individuals with sensorineural hearing loss(SNHL).AIM To investigate SNHL effects on early brain development and connectivity in 4-month-olds vs healthy newborns and controls.METHODS The research involved analyzing the functional brain networks of 65 infants,categorized into three groups:28 healthy newborns,224-month-old participants with SNHL,and 15 age-matched healthy participants.The resting-state functional connectivity was measured and compared between the groups using functional near-infrared spectroscopy and graph theory to assess the brain network properties.RESULTS Significant differences were found in resting-state functional connectivity between participants with SNHL and age-matched controls,indicating a developmental lag in brain connectivity for those with SNHL.Surprisingly,SNHL participants showed better connectivity development compared to healthy newborns,with connectivity strengths of 0.13±0.04 for SNHL,0.16±0.08 for controls,and 0.098±0.04 for newborns.Graph theory analysis revealed enhanced global brain network properties for the SNHL group,suggesting higher communication efficiency at 4 months.No significant differences were noted in network properties between 4-month-old SNHL participants and neonates.A unique pattern of central hubs was observed in the SNHL group,with 2 hubs in the left hemisphere compared to 6 in controls.CONCLUSION 4-month-old infants with SNHL have a distinct brain network pattern with efficient long-distance information transmission but less effective local communication compared to age-matched controls.

Study on sex differences and potential clinical value of threedimensional computerized tomography pelvimetry in rectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery is a complex procedure affected by various factors.However,the existing literature lacks standardized parameters for the pelvic region and soft tissues,which hampers the establishment of consistent conclusions.AIM To comprehensively assess 16 pelvic and 7 soft tissue parameters through computerized tomography(CT)-based three-dimensional(3D)reconstruction,providing a strong theoretical basis to address challenges in laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery.METHODS We analyzed data from 218 patients who underwent radical laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer,and utilized CT data for 3D pelvic reconstruction.Specific anatomical points were carefully marked and measured using advanced 3D modeling software.To analyze the pelvic and soft tissue parameters,we emp-loyed statistical methods including paired sample t-tests,Wilcoxon rank-sum tests,and correlation analysis.RESULTS The investigation highlighted significant sex disparities in 14 pelvic bone parameters and 3 soft tissue parameters.Males demonstrated larger measurements in pelvic depth and overall curvature,smaller measurements in pelvic width,a larger mesorectal fat area,and a larger anterior-posterior abdominal diameter.By contrast,females exhibited wider pelvises,shallower depth,smaller overall curvature,and an increased amount of subcutaneous fat tissue.However,there were no significant sex differences observed in certain parameters such as sacral curvature height,superior pubococcygeal diameter,rectal area,visceral fat area,waist circumference,and transverse abdominal diameter.CONCLUSION The reconstruction of 3D CT data enabled accurate pelvic measurements,revealing significant sex differences in both pelvic and soft tissue parameters.This study design offer potential in predicting surgical difficulties and creating personalized surgical plans for male rectal cancer patients with a potentially“difficult pelvis”,ultimately improving surgical outcomes.Further research and utilization of these parameters could lead to enhanced surgical methods and patient care in laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery.