In my paper, “Sublimated Colonialism： The Persistence of Actually Existing Settler-Colonialism,” I interrogate the remaining settler-colonialisms that refused to disappear during the epoch of decolonization. I am m...In my paper, “Sublimated Colonialism： The Persistence of Actually Existing Settler-Colonialism,” I interrogate the remaining settler-colonialisms that refused to disappear during the epoch of decolonization. I am most concerned with those settler-colonialisms that persist at the centers of world capitalism, and examine bow this social context often produces an ideology that relegates the concrete reality of settler-colonialism to the past, pushing its existence under supposedly “modem” social relations. Since Frantz Fanon＇s analysis of settler-colonialism, and the class contradiction between colonizer and colonized, was developed in an era where settler-colonialism was partially defined by the relationship between motherland and colony, some often imagine that the era of settler-colonialism is over. Clearly settler-colonialism did not vanish along with this distinction; internal colonies are retained in North America, for example, and the state of Israel is perhaps the most recent historical of this type of colonialism since it was settled and established in the 20th century. Moreover, there is often talk of a “world-wide indigenous movement” which claims to represent a global anti-colonialist front. The point of my paper, therefore, is to examine how settler-colonialism functions and persists when the settler-colony has become synonymous with the motherland. In this social context, colonizers often imagine themselves as the native inhabitants, while those who remain colonized are pushed even further out of history than they were during the previous era of settler-colonialism.展开更多
The post-colonialism is a theory proposed by the eastern colonial academist Edward W. Said. With the understanding and the definition of post-colonialism, the paper is to analyze phenomena of the movie 2012 and Avatar...The post-colonialism is a theory proposed by the eastern colonial academist Edward W. Said. With the understanding and the definition of post-colonialism, the paper is to analyze phenomena of the movie 2012 and Avatar from several aspects. Firstly, the ＂other＂ is the first angle to be talked about. In the Westerners＇ perspective, they are the center of the world, and they dominate the world. Their rules are the accepted rules, and people of different origin or different cultures are all called ＂other＂. Secondly, it is the degeneration of eastern culture. In the complex of the degeneration of the culture, the demonization of the under-developed nations, the dominant language of English in the communication with the people around, feminization of the characters in the movies, and the updated colonialism of the colonized countries are to be mentioned.展开更多
In Youth volume,Conrad shows his growing criticism of British colonialism.But because of his special favor to Britain,his disaffection with British colonialism is implicit,which is presented by a western voice in Yout...In Youth volume,Conrad shows his growing criticism of British colonialism.But because of his special favor to Britain,his disaffection with British colonialism is implicit,which is presented by a western voice in Youth,Kurtz’s non-pure British heritage in Heart of Darkness,and Whalley’s pure English seaman in The End of the Tether.展开更多
Objectives: Iodine is an essential nutrient needed for the synthesis of hormone thyroxin. Hormone thyroxin is involved in the metabolism of several nutrients, the regulation of enzymes and differentiation of cells, ti...Objectives: Iodine is an essential nutrient needed for the synthesis of hormone thyroxin. Hormone thyroxin is involved in the metabolism of several nutrients, the regulation of enzymes and differentiation of cells, tissues and organs. Iodine deficiency (ID) impairs the development of the brain and nervous system. It affects cognitive capacity, educability, productivity and child mortality. ID hinders physical strength and causes reproductive failure. The objective of this paper is to explore if the health impacts of ID are more common and severe among women. Design: Using primary data (notes from a visit) and secondary data, this paper examines if the effects of ID are more common and severe among Oromo women inEthiopia. Findings: The health impacts of ID are more common and severe among women. Conclusions: ID is an easily preventable nutritional problem. In Oromia, the persistence of ID is explained by the Ethiopian government’s colonial social policies. Preventing ID should be seen as part of the efforts we make to enhance capacity building, promote health, gender equity and social justice. Implications: Iodine deficiency has a wide range of biological, social, economic and cultural impacts. Preventing ID can be instrumental in bringing about gender equity and building the capacity of people.展开更多
Colonialism is an ideological system that was not only contrary to traditional African law(family law,popular law,etc.),but was also incompatible with the dignity of man.Colonial tyranny in Africa began with the polit...Colonialism is an ideological system that was not only contrary to traditional African law(family law,popular law,etc.),but was also incompatible with the dignity of man.Colonial tyranny in Africa began with the political implementation of the decisions adopted at the Berlin Conference of 1884/85,its essential principles of international law being the inviolability and the purity of colonial borders.Thus the European colonial powers managed to avoid wars of aggression and prevent uprisings by African people.Since the dominant theories of colonialism were Eurocentric,they could scarcely contribute to adequately investigating the nature of colonialism,let alone adequately describing its dimension in Africa.Instead of examining the shades of the colonial system from different cultural perspectives to inform people objectively,Eurocentric theories prevented any attempt at truth about colonial injustice.Unfortunately,some Europeans still tend to endorse the colonial injustice system in Africa with cheap and cynical Downplaying terms.The fact that colonial policy has a long history,however,in no way indicates that it should necessarily be accepted or legitimized.On the contrary,since its inception colonialism met with violent and intellectual opposition until African countries attained national sovereignty and territorial integrity.This article demonstrates the significance colonialism has in Africans’intellectual discourse and shows how the colonial question is discussed in Germany.展开更多
Multinational firms such as Apple Inc. have accomplished environmental colonialism in China through the transfer of ecological costs to the local environment. This paper discusses ambiguities in China＇s environmental...Multinational firms such as Apple Inc. have accomplished environmental colonialism in China through the transfer of ecological costs to the local environment. This paper discusses ambiguities in China＇s environmental legislation and supervision, Apple＇s business model, and ＂green washing. ＂ Further, we have identified countermeasures such as the encouraging Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations （ENGOs）, streamlining litigation procedures, increasing fines, and the development of nonprofit media organizations.展开更多
My essay on Heart of Darkness explores Conrad’s dramatization of the voice and heart dynamic in the novella as a penetration of the deep-lying rationale of colonial operation and more generally the human condition at...My essay on Heart of Darkness explores Conrad’s dramatization of the voice and heart dynamic in the novella as a penetration of the deep-lying rationale of colonial operation and more generally the human condition at the turn of the 20th century.Three different forms of assumed centrality in the novella-capital,Eurocentrism,and the African interior as detrimental void symbolized by the heart of darkness form concentric circles that interconnect and work in concert as the core colonial ideology and produce a sense of incongruity and absurdity.The voice of this colonial ideological apparatus disguised as the universal subject of humanity and rationality finds its best expression in the eloquence of Kurtz,the specimen of culture seduced by its very opposite-the wilderness-right in the heart of darkness.“The horror”,as his final verdict of life as a European with real intent of living on his own terms at the turn of the 20th century,sums up the predicament of a civilization with too much culture and self-absorption for its own good.展开更多
Doris Lessing is one of the most influential writers in English. The colonialism, one of her most concerned topics, is often revealed in many of her early works and so is in The Old Chief Mshlanga. In this story, Less...Doris Lessing is one of the most influential writers in English. The colonialism, one of her most concerned topics, is often revealed in many of her early works and so is in The Old Chief Mshlanga. In this story, Lessing first employs a third-person narrator and then a first-person narrator, both of whom adopt the narrative perspective from the protagonist within the story.What the two different person-narrators really differ is in the narrative voice. The narrative voice of the third-person narrator comes from the narrator outside the story, while the other one comes from the protagonist within the story. It is by means of the same perspective and the different narrative voice that Lessing vividly reveals the colonialism in The Old Chief Mshlanga.展开更多
The Lord’s Lawn:Dispatches from East Africa By J.D.BREEN Independently published The book offers a clear-eyed,often wry account of two weeks crossing Tanzania and Kenya.The author traces landscapes older than memory,...The Lord’s Lawn:Dispatches from East Africa By J.D.BREEN Independently published The book offers a clear-eyed,often wry account of two weeks crossing Tanzania and Kenya.The author traces landscapes older than memory,wildlife indifferent to human itineraries,and societies shaped as much by colonial boundaries and modern bureaucracy as by geology and climate.From Zanzibar to the Serengeti,and from Amboseli and Kilimanjaro to the Masai Mara,the essays weave together history,anthropology,politics and personal reflection without sentimentality or cynicism.Africa is not explained or simplified;it is encountered briefly and imperfectly,on its own terms.展开更多
Spinal cord injury represents a severe form of central nervous system trauma for which effective treatments remain limited.Microglia is the resident immune cells of the central nervous system,play a critical role in s...Spinal cord injury represents a severe form of central nervous system trauma for which effective treatments remain limited.Microglia is the resident immune cells of the central nervous system,play a critical role in spinal cord injury.Previous studies have shown that microglia can promote neuronal survival by phagocytosing dead cells and debris and by releasing neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory factors.However,excessive activation of microglia can lead to persistent inflammation and contribute to the formation of glial scars,which hinder axonal regeneration.Despite this,the precise role and mechanisms of microglia during the acute phase of spinal cord injury remain controversial and poorly understood.To elucidate the role of microglia in spinal cord injury,we employed the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor PLX5622 to deplete microglia.We observed that sustained depletion of microglia resulted in an expansion of the lesion area,downregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor,and impaired functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Next,we generated a transgenic mouse line with conditional overexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor specifically in microglia.We found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in microglia increased angiogenesis and blood flow following spinal cord injury and facilitated the recovery of hindlimb motor function.Additionally,brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in microglia reduced inflammation and neuronal apoptosis during the acute phase of spinal cord injury.Furthermore,through using specific transgenic mouse lines,TMEM119,and the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor PLX73086,we demonstrated that the neuroprotective effects were predominantly due to brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in microglia rather than macrophages.In conclusion,our findings suggest the critical role of microglia in the formation of protective glial scars.Depleting microglia is detrimental to recovery of spinal cord injury,whereas targeting brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in microglia represents a promising and novel therapeutic strategy to enhance motor function recovery in patients with spinal cord injury.展开更多
Standard bacterial suspensions play a crucial role in microbiological diagnosis.Traditional prepar-ation methods,which rely heavily on manual operations,face challenges such as poor reproducibility,low ef-ficiency,and...Standard bacterial suspensions play a crucial role in microbiological diagnosis.Traditional prepar-ation methods,which rely heavily on manual operations,face challenges such as poor reproducibility,low ef-ficiency,and biosafety concerns.In this study,we propose a high-precision automated colony extraction and separation system that combines large-field imaging and artificial intelligence(AI)to facilitate intelligent screening and localization of colonies.Firstly,a large-field imaging system was developed to capture high-resolution images of 90 mm Petri dishes,achieving a physical resolution of 13.2μm and an imaging speed of 13 frames per second.Subsequently,AI technology was employed for the automatic recognition and localiza-tion of colonies,enabling the selection of target colonies with diameters ranging from 1.9 to 2.3 mm.Next,a three-axis motion control platform was designed,accompanied by a path planning algorithm for the efficient extraction of colonies.An electronic pipette was employed for accurate colony collection.Additionally,a bacterial suspension concentration measurement module was developed,incorporating a 650 nm laser diode as the light source,achieving a measurement accuracy of 0.01 McFarland concentration(MCF).Finally,the system’s performance was validated through the preparation of an Esckerichia coli(E.coli)suspension.After 17 hours of cultivation,E.coli was extracted four times,achieving the target concentration set by the system.This work is expected to enable rapid and accurate microbial sample preparation,significantly reducing de-tection cycles and alleviating the workload of healthcare personnel.展开更多
Harbin, a typical emerging colonial city in modern times, has drawn worldwide attention due to its quick transformation from a fishing village to a modern globalized metropolis. With Harbin and its urban planning from...Harbin, a typical emerging colonial city in modern times, has drawn worldwide attention due to its quick transformation from a fishing village to a modern globalized metropolis. With Harbin and its urban planning from 1898 to 1917 as the subject of study from the perspective of planning historiography, this paper probes into the driving force behind Harbin's early modern urban development, historical phasing and characteristics of its urban planning, as well as evolution of planning and construction activities during this period. The findings reveal that Harbin's urban planning and construction activities were closely linked to Russia's political and economic interests and also reflected the political game between the powers led by Japan and Russia in the Manchurian region.展开更多
The microstructure of high Nb-TiAl alloys was optimized by the addition of a small amount of Ta elements to further improve their properties.A series of Ti46Al1.5Cr8Nb-xTa(x=0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0,at.%)alloys were prepar...The microstructure of high Nb-TiAl alloys was optimized by the addition of a small amount of Ta elements to further improve their properties.A series of Ti46Al1.5Cr8Nb-xTa(x=0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0,at.%)alloys were prepared by vacuum arc melting.The microstructure,mechanical properties,and related influencing mechanisms were systematically investigated.The results indicate that the solidification microstructure of the Ti46Al1.5Cr8Nb-xTa alloys comprises theγ-TiAl phase,α_(2)-Ti_(3)Al phase,and B2 phase.As the Ta content increases from 0.2 at.%to 1.0 at.%,the content ofα_(2)phase and B2 phase increases,while theγphase content decreases.Among them,the B2 phase shows the most pronounced change,being significantly refined,with its content increasing from 12.49%to 21.91%.In addition,the average size of the lamellar colony decreases from 160.65 to 94.44μm.The addition of the Ta element shifts the solidification path toward lower aluminum concentrations,leading to changes in phase content.The tantalum-induced increase in the B2 phase and enhanced supercooling at the solidification front provide the basis for lamellar colony refinement.Compressive testing at room temperature reveals that the Ti46 Al1.5 Cr8 Nb0.4 Ta alloy exhibits optimal compressive properties,achieving a compressive strength of 2,434 MPa and a compressive strain of 33.1%.The improvement of its properties is attributed to a combination of lamellar colony refinement,solid solution strengthening resulting from the incorporation of Ta element,and a reduction in the c/a of theγphase.展开更多
By MAMADOU DIOUF,Seagull Books.Africa in the World’s Time.In this book,distinguished historian Mamadou Diouf repositions Africa at the centre of global historical imagination.Countering long-standing colonial narrati...By MAMADOU DIOUF,Seagull Books.Africa in the World’s Time.In this book,distinguished historian Mamadou Diouf repositions Africa at the centre of global historical imagination.Countering long-standing colonial narratives that relegated the continent to the margins,Diouf uncovers the intellectual,artistic,and cultural traditions through which Africans have continuously interpreted,debated,and rewritten their own histories.展开更多
With the increasing complexity of logistics operations,traditional static vehicle routing models are no longer sufficient.In practice,customer demands often arise dynamically,and multi-depot systems are commonly used ...With the increasing complexity of logistics operations,traditional static vehicle routing models are no longer sufficient.In practice,customer demands often arise dynamically,and multi-depot systems are commonly used to improve efficiency.This paper first introduces a vehicle routing problem with the goal of minimizing operating costs in a multi-depot environment with dynamic demand.New customers appear in the delivery process at any time and are periodically optimized according to time slices.Then,we propose a scheduling system TS-DPU based on an improved ant colony algorithm TS-ACO to solve this problem.The classical ant colony algorithm uses spatial distance to select nodes,while TS-ACO considers the impact of both temporal and spatial distance on node selection.Meanwhile,we adopt Cordeau’s Multi-Depot Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows(MDVRPTW)dataset to evaluate the performance of our system.According to the experimental results,TS-ACO,which considers spatial and temporal distance,is more effective than the classical ACO,which only considers spatial distance.展开更多
The Intrusion Detection System(IDS)is a security mechanism developed to observe network traffic and recognize suspicious or malicious activities.Clustering algorithms are often incorporated into IDS;however,convention...The Intrusion Detection System(IDS)is a security mechanism developed to observe network traffic and recognize suspicious or malicious activities.Clustering algorithms are often incorporated into IDS;however,conventional clustering-based methods face notable drawbacks,including poor scalability in handling high-dimensional datasets and a strong dependence of outcomes on initial conditions.To overcome the performance limitations of existing methods,this study proposes a novel quantum-inspired clustering algorithm that relies on a similarity coefficient-based quantum genetic algorithm(SC-QGA)and an improved quantum artificial bee colony algorithm hybrid K-means(IQABC-K).First,the SC-QGA algorithmis constructed based on quantum computing and integrates similarity coefficient theory to strengthen genetic diversity and feature extraction capabilities.For the subsequent clustering phase,the process based on the IQABC-K algorithm is enhanced with the core improvement of adaptive rotation gate and movement exploitation strategies to balance the exploration capabilities of global search and the exploitation capabilities of local search.Simultaneously,the acceleration of convergence toward the global optimum and a reduction in computational complexity are facilitated by means of the global optimum bootstrap strategy and a linear population reduction strategy.Through experimental evaluation with multiple algorithms and diverse performance metrics,the proposed algorithm confirms reliable accuracy on three datasets:KDD CUP99,NSL_KDD,and UNSW_NB15,achieving accuracy of 98.57%,98.81%,and 98.32%,respectively.These results affirm its potential as an effective solution for practical clustering applications.展开更多
Safeguarding modern networks from cyber intrusions has become increasingly challenging as attackers continually refine their evasion tactics.Although numerousmachine-learning-based intrusion detection systems(IDS)have...Safeguarding modern networks from cyber intrusions has become increasingly challenging as attackers continually refine their evasion tactics.Although numerousmachine-learning-based intrusion detection systems(IDS)have been developed,their effectiveness is often constrained by high dimensionality and redundant features that degrade both accuracy and efficiency.This study introduces a hybrid feature-selection framework that integrates the exploration capability of Prairie Dog Optimization(PDO)with the exploitation behavior of Ant Colony Optimization(ACO).The proposed PDO–ACO algorithm identifies a concise yet discriminative subset of features from the NSLKDD dataset and evaluates them using a Support Vector Machine(SVM)classifier.Experimental analyses reveal that the PDO–ACO model achieves superior detection accuracy of 98%while significantly lowering false alarms and computational overhead.Further validation on the CEC2017 benchmark suite confirms the robustness and adaptability of the hybrid model across diverse optimization landscapes,positioning PDO–ACO as an efficient and scalable approach for intelligent intrusion detection.展开更多
This paper presents Dual Adaptive Neural Topology(Dual ANT),a distributed dual-network metaadaptive framework that enhances ant-colony-based multi-agent coordination with online introspection,adaptive parameter contro...This paper presents Dual Adaptive Neural Topology(Dual ANT),a distributed dual-network metaadaptive framework that enhances ant-colony-based multi-agent coordination with online introspection,adaptive parameter control,and privacy-preserving interactions.This approach improves standard Ant Colony Optimization(ACO)with two lightweight neural components:a forward network that estimates swarm efficiency in real time and an inverse network that converts these descriptors into parameter adaptations.To preserve the privacy of individual trajectories in shared pheromone maps,we introduce a locally differentially private pheromone update mechanism that adds calibrated noise to each agent’s pheromone deposit while preserving the efficacy of the global pheromone signal.The resulting systemenables agents to dynamically and autonomously adapt their coordination strategies under challenging and dynamic conditions,including varying obstacle layouts,uncertain target locations,and time-varying disturbances.Extensive simulations of large grid-based search tasks demonstrated that Dual ANT achieved faster convergence,higher robustness,and improved scalability compared to advanced baselines such asMulti-StrategyACO and Hierarchical ACO.The meta-adaptive feedback loop compensates for the performance degradation caused by privacy noise and prevents premature stagnation by triggering Levy flight exploration only when necessary.展开更多
In the wireless energy transmission service composition optimization problem,a key challenge is accurately capturing users’preferences for service criteria under complex influencing factors,and optimally selecting a ...In the wireless energy transmission service composition optimization problem,a key challenge is accurately capturing users’preferences for service criteria under complex influencing factors,and optimally selecting a composition solution under their budget constraints.Existing studies typically evaluate satisfaction solely based on energy transmission capacity,while overlooking critical factors such as price and trustworthiness of the provider,leading to a mismatch between optimization outcomes and user needs.To address this gap,we construct a user satisfaction evaluation model for multi-user and multi-provider scenarios,systematically incorporating service price,transmission capacity,and trustworthiness into the satisfaction assessment framework.Furthermore,we propose a Budget-Aware Preference Adjustment Model that predicts users’baseline preference weights from historical data and dynamically adjusts them according to budget levels,thereby reflecting user preferences more realistically under varying budget constraints.In addition,to tackle the composition optimization problem,we develop a ReflectiveEvolutionary Large Language Model—Guided Ant Colony Optimization algorithm,which leverages the reflective evolution capability of large language models to iteratively generate and refine heuristic information that guides the search process.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework effectively integrates personalized preferences with budget sensitivity,accurately predicts users’preferences,and significantly enhances their satisfaction under complex constraints.展开更多
文摘In my paper, “Sublimated Colonialism： The Persistence of Actually Existing Settler-Colonialism,” I interrogate the remaining settler-colonialisms that refused to disappear during the epoch of decolonization. I am most concerned with those settler-colonialisms that persist at the centers of world capitalism, and examine bow this social context often produces an ideology that relegates the concrete reality of settler-colonialism to the past, pushing its existence under supposedly “modem” social relations. Since Frantz Fanon＇s analysis of settler-colonialism, and the class contradiction between colonizer and colonized, was developed in an era where settler-colonialism was partially defined by the relationship between motherland and colony, some often imagine that the era of settler-colonialism is over. Clearly settler-colonialism did not vanish along with this distinction; internal colonies are retained in North America, for example, and the state of Israel is perhaps the most recent historical of this type of colonialism since it was settled and established in the 20th century. Moreover, there is often talk of a “world-wide indigenous movement” which claims to represent a global anti-colonialist front. The point of my paper, therefore, is to examine how settler-colonialism functions and persists when the settler-colony has become synonymous with the motherland. In this social context, colonizers often imagine themselves as the native inhabitants, while those who remain colonized are pushed even further out of history than they were during the previous era of settler-colonialism.
文摘The post-colonialism is a theory proposed by the eastern colonial academist Edward W. Said. With the understanding and the definition of post-colonialism, the paper is to analyze phenomena of the movie 2012 and Avatar from several aspects. Firstly, the ＂other＂ is the first angle to be talked about. In the Westerners＇ perspective, they are the center of the world, and they dominate the world. Their rules are the accepted rules, and people of different origin or different cultures are all called ＂other＂. Secondly, it is the degeneration of eastern culture. In the complex of the degeneration of the culture, the demonization of the under-developed nations, the dominant language of English in the communication with the people around, feminization of the characters in the movies, and the updated colonialism of the colonized countries are to be mentioned.
文摘In Youth volume,Conrad shows his growing criticism of British colonialism.But because of his special favor to Britain,his disaffection with British colonialism is implicit,which is presented by a western voice in Youth,Kurtz’s non-pure British heritage in Heart of Darkness,and Whalley’s pure English seaman in The End of the Tether.
文摘Objectives: Iodine is an essential nutrient needed for the synthesis of hormone thyroxin. Hormone thyroxin is involved in the metabolism of several nutrients, the regulation of enzymes and differentiation of cells, tissues and organs. Iodine deficiency (ID) impairs the development of the brain and nervous system. It affects cognitive capacity, educability, productivity and child mortality. ID hinders physical strength and causes reproductive failure. The objective of this paper is to explore if the health impacts of ID are more common and severe among women. Design: Using primary data (notes from a visit) and secondary data, this paper examines if the effects of ID are more common and severe among Oromo women inEthiopia. Findings: The health impacts of ID are more common and severe among women. Conclusions: ID is an easily preventable nutritional problem. In Oromia, the persistence of ID is explained by the Ethiopian government’s colonial social policies. Preventing ID should be seen as part of the efforts we make to enhance capacity building, promote health, gender equity and social justice. Implications: Iodine deficiency has a wide range of biological, social, economic and cultural impacts. Preventing ID can be instrumental in bringing about gender equity and building the capacity of people.
文摘Colonialism is an ideological system that was not only contrary to traditional African law(family law,popular law,etc.),but was also incompatible with the dignity of man.Colonial tyranny in Africa began with the political implementation of the decisions adopted at the Berlin Conference of 1884/85,its essential principles of international law being the inviolability and the purity of colonial borders.Thus the European colonial powers managed to avoid wars of aggression and prevent uprisings by African people.Since the dominant theories of colonialism were Eurocentric,they could scarcely contribute to adequately investigating the nature of colonialism,let alone adequately describing its dimension in Africa.Instead of examining the shades of the colonial system from different cultural perspectives to inform people objectively,Eurocentric theories prevented any attempt at truth about colonial injustice.Unfortunately,some Europeans still tend to endorse the colonial injustice system in Africa with cheap and cynical Downplaying terms.The fact that colonial policy has a long history,however,in no way indicates that it should necessarily be accepted or legitimized.On the contrary,since its inception colonialism met with violent and intellectual opposition until African countries attained national sovereignty and territorial integrity.This article demonstrates the significance colonialism has in Africans’intellectual discourse and shows how the colonial question is discussed in Germany.
文摘Multinational firms such as Apple Inc. have accomplished environmental colonialism in China through the transfer of ecological costs to the local environment. This paper discusses ambiguities in China＇s environmental legislation and supervision, Apple＇s business model, and ＂green washing. ＂ Further, we have identified countermeasures such as the encouraging Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations （ENGOs）, streamlining litigation procedures, increasing fines, and the development of nonprofit media organizations.
文摘My essay on Heart of Darkness explores Conrad’s dramatization of the voice and heart dynamic in the novella as a penetration of the deep-lying rationale of colonial operation and more generally the human condition at the turn of the 20th century.Three different forms of assumed centrality in the novella-capital,Eurocentrism,and the African interior as detrimental void symbolized by the heart of darkness form concentric circles that interconnect and work in concert as the core colonial ideology and produce a sense of incongruity and absurdity.The voice of this colonial ideological apparatus disguised as the universal subject of humanity and rationality finds its best expression in the eloquence of Kurtz,the specimen of culture seduced by its very opposite-the wilderness-right in the heart of darkness.“The horror”,as his final verdict of life as a European with real intent of living on his own terms at the turn of the 20th century,sums up the predicament of a civilization with too much culture and self-absorption for its own good.
文摘Doris Lessing is one of the most influential writers in English. The colonialism, one of her most concerned topics, is often revealed in many of her early works and so is in The Old Chief Mshlanga. In this story, Lessing first employs a third-person narrator and then a first-person narrator, both of whom adopt the narrative perspective from the protagonist within the story.What the two different person-narrators really differ is in the narrative voice. The narrative voice of the third-person narrator comes from the narrator outside the story, while the other one comes from the protagonist within the story. It is by means of the same perspective and the different narrative voice that Lessing vividly reveals the colonialism in The Old Chief Mshlanga.
文摘The Lord’s Lawn:Dispatches from East Africa By J.D.BREEN Independently published The book offers a clear-eyed,often wry account of two weeks crossing Tanzania and Kenya.The author traces landscapes older than memory,wildlife indifferent to human itineraries,and societies shaped as much by colonial boundaries and modern bureaucracy as by geology and climate.From Zanzibar to the Serengeti,and from Amboseli and Kilimanjaro to the Masai Mara,the essays weave together history,anthropology,politics and personal reflection without sentimentality or cynicism.Africa is not explained or simplified;it is encountered briefly and imperfectly,on its own terms.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.82072165 and 82272256(both to XM)the Key Project of Xiangyang Central Hospital,No.2023YZ03(to RM)。
文摘Spinal cord injury represents a severe form of central nervous system trauma for which effective treatments remain limited.Microglia is the resident immune cells of the central nervous system,play a critical role in spinal cord injury.Previous studies have shown that microglia can promote neuronal survival by phagocytosing dead cells and debris and by releasing neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory factors.However,excessive activation of microglia can lead to persistent inflammation and contribute to the formation of glial scars,which hinder axonal regeneration.Despite this,the precise role and mechanisms of microglia during the acute phase of spinal cord injury remain controversial and poorly understood.To elucidate the role of microglia in spinal cord injury,we employed the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor PLX5622 to deplete microglia.We observed that sustained depletion of microglia resulted in an expansion of the lesion area,downregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor,and impaired functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Next,we generated a transgenic mouse line with conditional overexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor specifically in microglia.We found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in microglia increased angiogenesis and blood flow following spinal cord injury and facilitated the recovery of hindlimb motor function.Additionally,brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in microglia reduced inflammation and neuronal apoptosis during the acute phase of spinal cord injury.Furthermore,through using specific transgenic mouse lines,TMEM119,and the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor PLX73086,we demonstrated that the neuroprotective effects were predominantly due to brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in microglia rather than macrophages.In conclusion,our findings suggest the critical role of microglia in the formation of protective glial scars.Depleting microglia is detrimental to recovery of spinal cord injury,whereas targeting brain-derived neurotrophic factor overexpression in microglia represents a promising and novel therapeutic strategy to enhance motor function recovery in patients with spinal cord injury.
文摘Standard bacterial suspensions play a crucial role in microbiological diagnosis.Traditional prepar-ation methods,which rely heavily on manual operations,face challenges such as poor reproducibility,low ef-ficiency,and biosafety concerns.In this study,we propose a high-precision automated colony extraction and separation system that combines large-field imaging and artificial intelligence(AI)to facilitate intelligent screening and localization of colonies.Firstly,a large-field imaging system was developed to capture high-resolution images of 90 mm Petri dishes,achieving a physical resolution of 13.2μm and an imaging speed of 13 frames per second.Subsequently,AI technology was employed for the automatic recognition and localiza-tion of colonies,enabling the selection of target colonies with diameters ranging from 1.9 to 2.3 mm.Next,a three-axis motion control platform was designed,accompanied by a path planning algorithm for the efficient extraction of colonies.An electronic pipette was employed for accurate colony collection.Additionally,a bacterial suspension concentration measurement module was developed,incorporating a 650 nm laser diode as the light source,achieving a measurement accuracy of 0.01 McFarland concentration(MCF).Finally,the system’s performance was validated through the preparation of an Esckerichia coli(E.coli)suspension.After 17 hours of cultivation,E.coli was extracted four times,achieving the target concentration set by the system.This work is expected to enable rapid and accurate microbial sample preparation,significantly reducing de-tection cycles and alleviating the workload of healthcare personnel.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Youth Project of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education entitled “Research on Scope Identification and Integral Spatial Construction of Cultural Corridor of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (Jiangnan Section)”(No. 24C10332002)。
文摘Harbin, a typical emerging colonial city in modern times, has drawn worldwide attention due to its quick transformation from a fishing village to a modern globalized metropolis. With Harbin and its urban planning from 1898 to 1917 as the subject of study from the perspective of planning historiography, this paper probes into the driving force behind Harbin's early modern urban development, historical phasing and characteristics of its urban planning, as well as evolution of planning and construction activities during this period. The findings reveal that Harbin's urban planning and construction activities were closely linked to Russia's political and economic interests and also reflected the political game between the powers led by Japan and Russia in the Manchurian region.
基金the financial support by the Major Science and Technology Achievement Transformation Project in Heilongjiang Province(No.ZC2023SH0075)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.52425401,U2441255,52474377,and 52371015)+1 种基金the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship·Program by CAST(No.2021QNRC001)the Henan Provincial Key Research and Development&Promotion Special Program(No.251111231400)。
文摘The microstructure of high Nb-TiAl alloys was optimized by the addition of a small amount of Ta elements to further improve their properties.A series of Ti46Al1.5Cr8Nb-xTa(x=0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8,1.0,at.%)alloys were prepared by vacuum arc melting.The microstructure,mechanical properties,and related influencing mechanisms were systematically investigated.The results indicate that the solidification microstructure of the Ti46Al1.5Cr8Nb-xTa alloys comprises theγ-TiAl phase,α_(2)-Ti_(3)Al phase,and B2 phase.As the Ta content increases from 0.2 at.%to 1.0 at.%,the content ofα_(2)phase and B2 phase increases,while theγphase content decreases.Among them,the B2 phase shows the most pronounced change,being significantly refined,with its content increasing from 12.49%to 21.91%.In addition,the average size of the lamellar colony decreases from 160.65 to 94.44μm.The addition of the Ta element shifts the solidification path toward lower aluminum concentrations,leading to changes in phase content.The tantalum-induced increase in the B2 phase and enhanced supercooling at the solidification front provide the basis for lamellar colony refinement.Compressive testing at room temperature reveals that the Ti46 Al1.5 Cr8 Nb0.4 Ta alloy exhibits optimal compressive properties,achieving a compressive strength of 2,434 MPa and a compressive strain of 33.1%.The improvement of its properties is attributed to a combination of lamellar colony refinement,solid solution strengthening resulting from the incorporation of Ta element,and a reduction in the c/a of theγphase.
文摘By MAMADOU DIOUF,Seagull Books.Africa in the World’s Time.In this book,distinguished historian Mamadou Diouf repositions Africa at the centre of global historical imagination.Countering long-standing colonial narratives that relegated the continent to the margins,Diouf uncovers the intellectual,artistic,and cultural traditions through which Africans have continuously interpreted,debated,and rewritten their own histories.
基金supported by the Startup Foundation for Introducing Talent of Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology.
文摘With the increasing complexity of logistics operations,traditional static vehicle routing models are no longer sufficient.In practice,customer demands often arise dynamically,and multi-depot systems are commonly used to improve efficiency.This paper first introduces a vehicle routing problem with the goal of minimizing operating costs in a multi-depot environment with dynamic demand.New customers appear in the delivery process at any time and are periodically optimized according to time slices.Then,we propose a scheduling system TS-DPU based on an improved ant colony algorithm TS-ACO to solve this problem.The classical ant colony algorithm uses spatial distance to select nodes,while TS-ACO considers the impact of both temporal and spatial distance on node selection.Meanwhile,we adopt Cordeau’s Multi-Depot Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows(MDVRPTW)dataset to evaluate the performance of our system.According to the experimental results,TS-ACO,which considers spatial and temporal distance,is more effective than the classical ACO,which only considers spatial distance.
基金supported by the NSFC(Grant Nos.62176273,62271070,62441212)The Open Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Networking and Switching Technology(Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications)under Grant SKLNST-2024-1-062025Major Project of the Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia(2025ZD008).
文摘The Intrusion Detection System(IDS)is a security mechanism developed to observe network traffic and recognize suspicious or malicious activities.Clustering algorithms are often incorporated into IDS;however,conventional clustering-based methods face notable drawbacks,including poor scalability in handling high-dimensional datasets and a strong dependence of outcomes on initial conditions.To overcome the performance limitations of existing methods,this study proposes a novel quantum-inspired clustering algorithm that relies on a similarity coefficient-based quantum genetic algorithm(SC-QGA)and an improved quantum artificial bee colony algorithm hybrid K-means(IQABC-K).First,the SC-QGA algorithmis constructed based on quantum computing and integrates similarity coefficient theory to strengthen genetic diversity and feature extraction capabilities.For the subsequent clustering phase,the process based on the IQABC-K algorithm is enhanced with the core improvement of adaptive rotation gate and movement exploitation strategies to balance the exploration capabilities of global search and the exploitation capabilities of local search.Simultaneously,the acceleration of convergence toward the global optimum and a reduction in computational complexity are facilitated by means of the global optimum bootstrap strategy and a linear population reduction strategy.Through experimental evaluation with multiple algorithms and diverse performance metrics,the proposed algorithm confirms reliable accuracy on three datasets:KDD CUP99,NSL_KDD,and UNSW_NB15,achieving accuracy of 98.57%,98.81%,and 98.32%,respectively.These results affirm its potential as an effective solution for practical clustering applications.
基金funded by Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number(PNURSP2026R500)Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘Safeguarding modern networks from cyber intrusions has become increasingly challenging as attackers continually refine their evasion tactics.Although numerousmachine-learning-based intrusion detection systems(IDS)have been developed,their effectiveness is often constrained by high dimensionality and redundant features that degrade both accuracy and efficiency.This study introduces a hybrid feature-selection framework that integrates the exploration capability of Prairie Dog Optimization(PDO)with the exploitation behavior of Ant Colony Optimization(ACO).The proposed PDO–ACO algorithm identifies a concise yet discriminative subset of features from the NSLKDD dataset and evaluates them using a Support Vector Machine(SVM)classifier.Experimental analyses reveal that the PDO–ACO model achieves superior detection accuracy of 98%while significantly lowering false alarms and computational overhead.Further validation on the CEC2017 benchmark suite confirms the robustness and adaptability of the hybrid model across diverse optimization landscapes,positioning PDO–ACO as an efficient and scalable approach for intelligent intrusion detection.
基金funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Northern Border University,Arar,Saudi Arabia,under project number NBU-FFR-2026-2441-02.
文摘This paper presents Dual Adaptive Neural Topology(Dual ANT),a distributed dual-network metaadaptive framework that enhances ant-colony-based multi-agent coordination with online introspection,adaptive parameter control,and privacy-preserving interactions.This approach improves standard Ant Colony Optimization(ACO)with two lightweight neural components:a forward network that estimates swarm efficiency in real time and an inverse network that converts these descriptors into parameter adaptations.To preserve the privacy of individual trajectories in shared pheromone maps,we introduce a locally differentially private pheromone update mechanism that adds calibrated noise to each agent’s pheromone deposit while preserving the efficacy of the global pheromone signal.The resulting systemenables agents to dynamically and autonomously adapt their coordination strategies under challenging and dynamic conditions,including varying obstacle layouts,uncertain target locations,and time-varying disturbances.Extensive simulations of large grid-based search tasks demonstrated that Dual ANT achieved faster convergence,higher robustness,and improved scalability compared to advanced baselines such asMulti-StrategyACO and Hierarchical ACO.The meta-adaptive feedback loop compensates for the performance degradation caused by privacy noise and prevents premature stagnation by triggering Levy flight exploration only when necessary.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 62472264the Natural Science Distinguished Youth Foundation of Shandong Province under Grant ZR2025QA13。
文摘In the wireless energy transmission service composition optimization problem,a key challenge is accurately capturing users’preferences for service criteria under complex influencing factors,and optimally selecting a composition solution under their budget constraints.Existing studies typically evaluate satisfaction solely based on energy transmission capacity,while overlooking critical factors such as price and trustworthiness of the provider,leading to a mismatch between optimization outcomes and user needs.To address this gap,we construct a user satisfaction evaluation model for multi-user and multi-provider scenarios,systematically incorporating service price,transmission capacity,and trustworthiness into the satisfaction assessment framework.Furthermore,we propose a Budget-Aware Preference Adjustment Model that predicts users’baseline preference weights from historical data and dynamically adjusts them according to budget levels,thereby reflecting user preferences more realistically under varying budget constraints.In addition,to tackle the composition optimization problem,we develop a ReflectiveEvolutionary Large Language Model—Guided Ant Colony Optimization algorithm,which leverages the reflective evolution capability of large language models to iteratively generate and refine heuristic information that guides the search process.Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework effectively integrates personalized preferences with budget sensitivity,accurately predicts users’preferences,and significantly enhances their satisfaction under complex constraints.
