Jun Liu – författare

Over the past decades, waves of political contention involving the use of information and communication technologies have swept across the globe. The phenomenon stimulates the scholarship on digital communication technologies and contentious collective action to thrive as an exciting, relevant, but highly fragmentary and contested field with disciplinary boundaries. To advance interdisciplinary understanding, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age outlines a communication-centered framework that articulates the intricate relationship between technology, communication, and contention. It systematically explores the influence of mobile technology on political contention in China, the country with the world's largest number of mobile and internet users. Using first-hand in-depth interview and fieldwork data, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age tracks the strategic choice of mobile phones as repertoires of contention, illustrates the effective mobilization of mobile communication on the basis of its strong and reciprocal social ties, and identifies the communicative practice of forwarding officially alleged "rumors" as a form of everyday resistance. Through this groundbreaking study, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age presents a nuanced portrayal of an emerging dynamics of contention--both its strengths and limitations- through the embedding of mobile communication into Chinese society and politics.

Over the past decades, waves of political contention involving the use of information and communication technologies have swept across the globe. The phenomenon stimulates the scholarship on digital communication technologies and contentious collective action to thrive as an exciting, relevant, but highly fragmentary and contested field with disciplinary boundaries. To advance interdisciplinary understanding, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age outlines a communication-centered framework that articulates the intricate relationship between technology, communication, and contention. It systematically explores the influence of mobile technology on political contention in China, the country with the world's largest number of mobile and internet users. Using first-hand in-depth interview and fieldwork data, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age tracks the strategic choice of mobile phones as repertoires of contention, illustrates the effective mobilization of mobile communication on the basis of its strong and reciprocal social ties, and identifies the communicative practice of forwarding officially alleged "rumors" as a form of everyday resistance. Through this groundbreaking study, Shifting Dynamics of Contention in the Digital Age presents a nuanced portrayal of an emerging dynamics of contention--both its strengths and limitations- through the embedding of mobile communication into Chinese society and politics.

Nanostructures refer to materials that have relevant dimensions on the nanometer length scales and reside in the mesoscopic regime between isolated atoms and molecules in bulk matter. These materials have unique physical properties that are distinctly different from bulk materials. This title provides systematic coverage of basic nanomaterials science including materials assembly and synthesis, characterization, and application. Aimed at both beginners and experts, it balances the chemistry aspects of nanomaterials with physical principles. It also highlights nanomaterial-based architectures including assembled or self-assembled systems. Filled with in-depth discussion of important applications of nano-architectures as well as potential applications ranging from physical to chemical and biological systems, the book should prove a useful reference or text for scientists involved with nanostructures.

Formal methods is a field of computer science that emphasizes the use of rigorous mathematical techniques for verification and design of hardware and software systems. Analysis and design of nonlinear control design plays an important role across many disciplines of engineering and applied sciences, ranging from the control of an aircraft engine to the design of genetic circuits in synthetic biology. While linear control is a well-established subject, analysis and design of nonlinear control systems remains a challenging topic due to some of the fundamental difficulties caused by nonlinearity. Formal Methods for Control of Nonlinear Systems provides a unified computational approach to analysis and design of nonlinear systems.Features Constructive approach to nonlinear control.Rigorous specifications and validated computation.Suitable for graduate students and researchers who are interested in learning how formal methods and validated computation can be combined together to tackle nonlinear control problems with complex specifications from an algorithmic perspective.Combines mathematical rigor with practical applications.

Written from an operator’s viewpoint,  HSPA Performance and Evolution  explores the lessons learned and techniques developed for optimally deploying HSPA (High Speed Packet Access). The essential distinctions between rolling out HSPA compared to earlier UMTS and GSM technologies are explained covering the many issues that must be specifically handled. Areas in standards which have been left open for interpretation, causing significant differences between vendor implementations, are identified and solutions explored. This book is invaluable in enabling wireless operators to extract maximum performance offered by 3GPP’s HSPA radio technology, consisting of both downlink (HSDPA) and uplink (HSUPA) elements. It focuses on real-world performance, sharing practical implementation methods and tradeoffs for deploying, optimizing and maintaining networks using the HSPA air interface. Examines algorithms, equipment and performance perspectives to identify and explain HSPAMeasures performance and sets network parameters for optimal tradeoffsPresents results from practical and real-world network performancesExplores the evolution of HSPA technology into HSPA+ and eventually next generation LTE technologies

Since the publication of the first edition in 2002, there have been two major developments in L2 writing and peer response teaching and research. The first is the increased interest in CALL and computer-mediated communication (CMC) for L2 pedagogy; the second is the accessibility and viability of research on L2 peer response from all over the world. Both developments are thoroughly addressed in this new edition.Now that classes are as likely to be online as held in physical classrooms and now that a new generation of digital natives can routinely read and respond to what others write via laptops, tablets, and phones, peer response as pedagogical practice is not just more easily implemented, but it is more likely to feel natural to L2 learners.The Second Edition is a highly accessible guide to how the world is using peer response and serves as a motivator and facilitator for those who want to try it for the first time or want to increase the effectiveness of the activities—whether via CMC or not. The volume includes 11 forms useful in training students to provide good peer feedback, including a final checklist to ensure teachers have taken all the necessary steps to achieve a successful peer feedback activity.

This book examines the importance of English language teaching in China, but also the need for this teaching to be modernised in order for China to better join the world economy. The current trend within English teaching in China is for 'communicative competence' - that is, in being understood even if the English usage is incorrect.This volume argues that more solid grammar teaching must be coupled to this communicative competence, if English language teaching in China is to be successful. The contributors to this volume examine every aspect of language teaching and suggest new ways in which communication and grammar can be balanced. The chapters include coverage of: the importance of English in a global world; theories of language teaching; creating a learning environment; using multimedia; online learning; language testing; and appropriate teacher training. With its balance of theory and practice, and internationally renowned contributors, this guide to new approaches, perspectives and standards in language teaching will be essential reading for academics interested in applied linguistics and second language acquisition, and English language teaching professionals.

This book examines not only the importance of English language teaching in China, but also the need for this teaching to be modernised in order for China to better join the world economy. The current trend within English teaching in China is for 'communicative competence' - that is, in being understood even if the English usage is incorrect. This volume argues that more solid grammar teaching must be coupled to this communicative competence, if English language teaching in China is to be successful.The contributors to this volume examine every aspect of language teaching and suggest new ways in which communication and grammar can be balanced. The chapters include coverage of: the importance of English in a global world; theories of language teaching; creating a learning environment; using multimedia; online learning; language testing; and appropriate teacher training. With its balance of theory and practice, and internationally renowned contributors, this guide to new approaches, perspectives and standards in language teaching will be essential reading for academics interested in applied linguistics and second language acquisition, and English language teaching professionals.

This book offers a systematic presentation of persymmetric adaptive detection, including detector derivations and the definition of key concepts, followed by detailed discussion relating to theoretical underpinnings, design methodology, design considerations, and techniques enabling its practical implementation.The received data for modern radar systems are usually multichannel, namely, vector-valued, or even matrix-valued. Multichannel signal detection in Gaussian backgrounds is a fundamental problem for radar applications. With an overarching focus on persymmetric adaptive detectors, this book presents the mathematical models and design principles necessary for analyzing the behavior of each kind of persymmetric adaptive detector. Building upon that, it also introduces new design approaches and techniques that will guide engineering students as well as radar engineers toward efficient detector solutions, especially in challenging sample-starved environments where training data are limited.This book will be of interest to students, scholars, and engineers in the field of signal processing. It will be especially useful for those who have a solid background in statistical signal processing, multivariate statistical analysis, matrix theory, and mathematical analysis.

This book offers a systematic presentation of persymmetric adaptive detection, including detector derivations and the definition of key concepts, followed by detailed discussion relating to theoretical underpinnings, design methodology, design considerations, and techniques enabling its practical implementation.The received data for modern radar systems are usually multichannel, namely, vector-valued, or even matrix-valued. Multichannel signal detection in Gaussian backgrounds is a fundamental problem for radar applications. With an overarching focus on persymmetric adaptive detectors, this book presents the mathematical models and design principles necessary for analyzing the behavior of each kind of persymmetric adaptive detector. Building upon that, it also introduces new design approaches and techniques that will guide engineering students as well as radar engineers toward efficient detector solutions, especially in challenging sample-starved environments where training data are limited.This book will be of interest to students, scholars, and engineers in the field of signal processing. It will be especially useful for those who have a solid background in statistical signal processing, multivariate statistical analysis, matrix theory, and mathematical analysis.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting industries worldwide by introducing new methods and altering traditional practices. This book examines AI’s diverse effects, providing insights into its applications, challenges, and future prospects across education, healthcare, finance, and more.The chapters explore how AI technologies, such as large language models, enhance feedback in higher education and influence legal studies while upholding academic integrity. A review of key technical approaches—knowledge-based systems, machine learning, and intelligent optimization—lays the groundwork for understanding AI’s potential. Real-world examples illustrate AI’s role in medical imaging, presenting new diagnostic methods and the use of language models for image interpretation. The book also discusses financial applications, including techniques for credit card fraud detection and forecasting natural gas prices using innovative models. Additionally, it covers personalized federated learning models, highlighting the importance of data privacy and security in AI’s evolution.This comprehensive guide is valuable for educators, researchers, practitioners, and students interested in AI’s current and future developments. By combining theory with practical examples, the book offers readers a clear understanding of how AI affects various sectors, enabling them to engage effectively with this rapidly evolving field.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting industries worldwide by introducing new methods and altering traditional practices. This book examines AI’s diverse effects, providing insights into its applications, challenges, and future prospects across education, healthcare, finance, and more.The chapters explore how AI technologies, such as large language models, enhance feedback in higher education and influence legal studies while upholding academic integrity. A review of key technical approaches—knowledge-based systems, machine learning, and intelligent optimization—lays the groundwork for understanding AI’s potential. Real-world examples illustrate AI’s role in medical imaging, presenting new diagnostic methods and the use of language models for image interpretation. The book also discusses financial applications, including techniques for credit card fraud detection and forecasting natural gas prices using innovative models. Additionally, it covers personalized federated learning models, highlighting the importance of data privacy and security in AI’s evolution.This comprehensive guide is valuable for educators, researchers, practitioners, and students interested in AI’s current and future developments. By combining theory with practical examples, the book offers readers a clear understanding of how AI affects various sectors, enabling them to engage effectively with this rapidly evolving field.

This volume details generation of gene-edited cell lines and organisms as models for human diseases, pest control, and large animal welfare and production outcomes. Chapters guide readers through gene regulation, editing, screening of cell lines, genome editing, and an overview of the tools for efficient genome editing including;

This volume details generation of gene-edited cell lines and organisms as models for human diseases, pest control, and large animal welfare and production outcomes. Chapters guide readers through gene regulation, editing, screening of cell lines, genome editing, and an overview of the tools for efficient genome editing including;

Model-Based Reinforcement Learning Explore a comprehensive and practical approach to reinforcement learning Reinforcement learning is an essential paradigm of machine learning, wherein an intelligent agent performs actions that ensure optimal behavior from devices. While this paradigm of machine learning has gained tremendous success and popularity in recent years, previous scholarship has focused either on theory—optimal control and dynamic programming – or on algorithms—most of which are simulation-based. Model-Based Reinforcement Learning provides a model-based framework to bridge these two aspects, thereby creating a holistic treatment of the topic of model-based online learning control. In doing so, the authors seek to develop a model-based framework for data-driven control that bridges the topics of systems identification from data, model-based reinforcement learning, and optimal control, as well as the applications of each. This new technique for assessing classical results will allow for a more efficient reinforcement learning system. At its heart, this book is focused on providing an end-to-end framework—from design to application—of a more tractable model-based reinforcement learning technique. Model-Based Reinforcement Learning readers will also find: A useful textbook to use in graduate courses on data-driven and learning-based control that emphasizes modeling and control of dynamical systems from dataDetailed comparisons of the impact of different techniques, such as basic linear quadratic controller, learning-based model predictive control, model-free reinforcement learning, and structured online learningApplications and case studies on ground vehicles with nonholonomic dynamics and another on quadrator helicoptersAn online, Python-based toolbox that accompanies the contents covered in the book, as well as the necessary code and dataModel-Based Reinforcement Learning is a useful reference for senior undergraduate students, graduate students, research assistants, professors, process control engineers, and roboticists.

This book serves as a comprehensive reference resource for current and prospective English language teachers, students of TESOL, academics, and other professionals working within the field of Teaching English as a Second or Other Language (TESOL). As an essential single-volume resource, TESOL: A Guide explores TESOL in three dimensions: as a profession, as a field of study, and as an international association. In doing so, it offers a thorough summary of themes and issue relevant to TESOL’s multiple dimensions, including a practical overview of the TESOL profession and a compendium of current TESOL research topics and methodologies. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of TESOL International Association, a key section of the book highlights the development of this association and features the reflections of several previous TESOL International Association presidents. Readers will also appreciate the extensive glossary and appendix of TESOL resources, both of which are designed to comprise a valuable and manageable guide for newcomers to the field, as well as for developing practitioners and researchers.

This book serves as a comprehensive reference resource for current and prospective English language teachers, students of TESOL, academics, and other professionals working within the field of Teaching English as a Second or Other Language (TESOL). As an essential single-volume resource, TESOL: A Guide explores TESOL in three dimensions: as a profession, as a field of study, and as an international association. In doing so, it offers a thorough summary of themes and issue relevant to TESOL’s multiple dimensions, including a practical overview of the TESOL profession and a compendium of current TESOL research topics and methodologies. In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of TESOL International Association, a key section of the book highlights the development of this association and features the reflections of several previous TESOL International Association presidents. Readers will also appreciate the extensive glossary and appendix of TESOL resources, both of which are designed to comprise a valuable and manageable guide for newcomers to the field, as well as for developing practitioners and researchers.

Nanostructures refer to materials that have relevant dimensions on the nanometer length scales and reside in the mesoscopic regime between isolated atoms and molecules in bulk matter. These materials have unique physical properties that are distinctly different from bulk materials. Self-Assembled Nanostructures provides systematic coverage of basic nanomaterials science including materials assembly and synthesis, characterization, and application. Suitable for both beginners and experts, it balances the chemistry aspects of nanomaterials with physical principles. It also highlights nanomaterial-based architectures including assembled or self-assembled systems. Filled with in-depth discussion of important applications of nano-architectures as well as potential applications ranging from physical to chemical and biological systems, Self-Assembled Nanostructures is the essential reference or text for scientists involved with nanostructures.

The past decade has witnessed a steady increase in the numbers of Asian students in North American institutions of higher learning. While their academic success has been widely recognized, concerns about their silence in classrooms have also been expressed by educators. Following an overview of Asian students in North American higher education, this book presents a focused ethnographic study of twenty Asian graduate students enrolled in a major US university, exploring and describing Asian student's oral classroom participation modes across multiple factors.Four major classroom communication patterns--total integration, conditional interaction, marginal participation, and silent observation--are identified among the participants and discussed across sociocultural, affective, cognitive, linguistic, and pedagogical/environmental factors. Also discussed are the Asian concepts of face saving, politeness, and social identity in multiple discourse communities in light of Asian students' perceptions of and modes in classroom participation. The book concludes with a call for the development of cultural transformation competence, which encompasses social identity negotiation skills, and culture-sensitivity knowledge and mindful reflexivity in addition to communicative competence.

This book comprises the papers presented at the 23rd UK Workshop on Computational Intelligence (UKCI 2024) held at Ulster University, Belfast, UK from 2 to 4 September 2024.

Lattice-valued Logic aims at establishing the logical foundation for uncertain information processing routinely performed by humans and artificial intelligence systems. In this textbook for the first time a general introduction on lattice-valued logic is given. It systematically summarizes research from the basic notions up to recent results on lattice implication algebras, lattice-valued logic systems based on lattice implication algebras, as well as the corresponding reasoning theories and methods. The book provides the suitable theoretical logical background of lattice-valued logic systems and supports newly designed intelligent uncertain-information-processing systems and a wide spectrum of intelligent learning tasks.

Lattice-valued Logic aims at establishing the logical foundation for uncertain information

This book carries on the ideal of providing a systematic exposition of the logistics development in China to the English-reading community at large in the spirit of the four predecessor volumes, published in previous years. This book is the fifth volume in a series entitled "Contemporary Logistics in China", authored by the researchers in Logistics Center at Nankai University. Specially, the opening chapter of this book presents a synopsis of the intent, the history, the framework, the topical coverage and the train of thought of the sequel in the latest five years. As the previous four volumes, our ultimate aim and desire is to present a timely portrayal of the rapid pace of growth of China’s logistics market and the status of its logistics industry’s evolution.

This book carries on the ideal of providing a systematic exposition of the logistics development in China to the English-reading community at large in the spirit of the four predecessor volumes, published in previous years. This book is the fifth volume in a series entitled "Contemporary Logistics in China", authored by the researchers in Logistics Center at Nankai University. Specially, the opening chapter of this book presents a synopsis of the intent, the history, the framework, the topical coverage and the train of thought of the sequel in the latest five years. As the previous four volumes, our ultimate aim and desire is to present a timely portrayal of the rapid pace of growth of China’s logistics market and the status of its logistics industry’s evolution.