Jin Xu – författare

This book focuses on a distinguished immigrant community in early medieval China (220-589 CE): the Central Asian people known as the Sogdians. Originating in present-day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Sogdian merchants dominated the luxury trade along the inland Silk Road from the third to the ninth century, and Sogdian migrants established settlements in all major cities between Central Asia and northern China. Drawing on close analysis of a remarkable group of stone sarcophagi--most of which were excavated over the past three decades--this book reconstructs the multifaceted life experiences of elite Sogdian immigrants active in sixth-century China. Serving as community leaders, these immigrants and their descendants played a central role in the rise of the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907), an era often celebrated as the golden age of Chinese civilization. Absent from dynastic histories, Sogdian leaders expressed themselves through visual art in ways that transcended ethnic, cultural, and religious boundaries. Their sarcophagi were designed to evoke Central Asian jade, Sasanian silver and gold, and Sogdian patterned silk. In the carved imagery, they are depicted as Chinese sages, the historical Buddha, and participants in the cosmic struggle between good and evil. Their creations functioned as ancestral shrines, stupas, and garden pavilions. Through these means, Sogdian immigrants constructed for themselves, in the afterlife, a paradise with many faces.

A thousand-year history of how China’s obsession with silver influenced the country’s financial well-being, global standing, and political stability"A wonderful book for understanding one thousand years of Chinese monetary history."--Debin Ma, Hitotsubashi UniversityThis revelatory account of the ways in which silver shaped Chinese history shows how an obsession with “white metal” held China back from financial modernization. First used as currency during the Song dynasty in around 900 CE, silver gradually became central to China’s economic framework and was officially monetized in the middle of the Ming dynasty during the sixteenth century. However, due to the early adoption of paper money in China, silver was not formed into coins but became a cumbersome “weighing currency,” for which ingots had to be constantly examined for weight and purity—an unwieldy practice that lasted for centuries. Jin Xu argues that even as China’s interest in silver spurred new avenues of trade and helped increase the country’s global economic footprint, in the long run silver played a key role in the struggles and entanglements that led to the decline of the Chinese empire.

This proceedings volume highlights the latest advancements in information systems and computing technology, showcasing innovative research and practical applications. Readers will find valuable insights into emerging technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, knowledge graphs, and UAV-based solutions. Topics include object detection, intelligent systems, federated learning, remote sensing, and next-generation network optimization, with a strong focus on real-world applications like medical imaging, transportation, and cybersecurity.The volume provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of cutting-edge techniques and their potential to address pressing challenges. Its interdisciplinary approach makes it a resourceful guide for staying updated on technological progress.This book is ideal for researchers, and professionals in computing, engineering, and AI domains seeking to expand their knowledge and apply innovative solutions to their work. It serves as a bridge between theoretical research and practical implementations, fostering collaboration across diverse fields

This open access book comprehensively introduces biocomputing, focusing on its foundational theories, experimental operations, and computational models. Biocomputing represents an innovative computational paradigm that leverages biomolecules as a carrier for processing and storing information. As a core enabler of human progress, computational tools serve as critical benchmarks of societal advancement and are key drivers of technological innovation. While electronic computers currently dominate as the primary instruments for information processing, their underlying manufacturing technologies are approaching physical and practical limits. This has prompted the search for alternative computational models and tools to meet the demands of future advancements.Over recent decades, scientists have explored various fields to develop novel computational frameworks. These efforts have led to the emergence of groundbreaking paradigms, such as artificial neural networks inspired by brain-like information processing, evolutionary computing based on genetic mechanisms, biocomputing utilizing the unique properties of biomolecules, quantum computing exploiting quantum phenomena, and optical computing leveraging the properties of light.Designed as an essential resource for readers interested in the principles and applications of biocomputing, this book establishes a foundational understanding of the subject while serving as a bridge to more advanced theoretical and practical exploration. A basic knowledge of molecular biology is recommended for readers to engage with the material fully.The translation was done using artificial intelligence. Subsequently, a human revision was done primarily in terms of content.