Although the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC, also known as Taiwan) and their ruling parties have altered over time, there are quite a few similarities between their models of nation-building, more than is commonly acknowledged. The guofu (father) of the modern Chinese state, Sun Yat-sen, one of the few political leaders who is still honored on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, claimed all the peoples and territories of the former Qing empire comprised a single national community, the so-called Zhonghua minzu. Yet a Han super-majority has long sat at the center of this national imaginary. In this article, we ask what has happened to Sun’s imagined community across the last century, and how it has evolved in the two competing Chinese states the PRC and the ROC. We seek to demonstrate the enduring challenge of Han-centrism for multiethnic nation-building in both countries, while illustrating how shifts in domestic and international politics are altering this national imaginary and the place of ethnocultural diversity within it.

In the 1970s, the Major Urban Fringe Experiment, later known as Operation Groundwork, emerged in response to industrial decline, growing awareness of industry’s environmental impact and grass-roots environmentalism and regeneration activism. Contrary to ideas of concomitant industrial and community decline, Groundwork demonstrates post-industrial regeneration’s community-building potential. Groundwork created bespoke volunteer groups, helped set up others and worked with already existing organizations. Unlike contemporary regeneration initiatives in the 1970s and 1980s, these community links were retained even as Groundwork expanded. This article traces Groundwork’s origins and its launch under Labour in the 1970s, its championing by Conservative Minister Michael Heseltine and its successful expansion from its initial test site in St Helens (Merseyside), to the North-West and then nationwide.

Cognitive biases affect how people perceive social class mobility. Previous studies suggest that people find it difficult to estimate actual economic social mobility accurately. These results have also noted differences between regions. While in the United States people overestimate actual economic social mobility, in Europe people tend to underestimate it. Across two independent cross-sectional studies, we examined whether cognitive biases operate in the Spanish context and, if so, whether they depend on the type of social mobility. In Study 1 (N = 480), we tested whether people in Spain have an accurate estimation of actual upward economic societal mobility. The results showed that people in Spain have a pessimistic view of upward societal mobility. In Study 2 (N = 274), we analyzed whether people in Spain are more or less optimistic according to the type of social mobility: Personal vs. societal. We found that Spaniards are more optimistic when estimating their own mobility (i.e., personal mobility) than when estimating the mobility of the Spanish society (i.e., societal mobility). Contrary to our predictions, we found that meritocratic beliefs do not play a relevant role in determining any type of social mobility. These results extend previous research on social mobility and its psychosocial consequences. Furthermore, they are well aligned with a new psychosocial perspective suggesting that social mobility is a multidimensional construct. We also discussed the psychosocial implications of this optimistic bias for personal mobility.

Bentonite is an abundant natural resource in the Maghnia region of Algeria that may have potential value in catalysis, but heretofore has been considered of low value for this purpose due to its low acidity and low catalytic activity. Low cost is one of the main criteria for choosing a suitable material for catalysis. Because bentonite is abundant and low-cost, its use as a starting material for the preparation of catalysts deserves reconsideration. The present study was undertaken, therefore, to optimize the performance of bentonite as a catalyst in one of the most promising reactions in organic synthesis, namely, cyclohexene epoxidation. The bentonite was subjected to adjustment of its structure by means of a number of laboratory treatments based on its large cation exchange capacity. These modifications aimed to achieve an environmentally friendly catalytic process by incorporating transition metals, specifically titanium and vanadium, into the modified bentonite structure through acid activation. Redox properties were enhanced and Lewis and Brønsted acidities were introduced. The vanadium oxide, supported on titania-pillared, acid-activated bentonite (5V/Ti-AAC), was characterized comprehensively using various techniques, including diffuse-reflectance UV-visible spectroscopy (DR UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for surface acidity analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray elemental analysis (EDX). The catalytic activity was investigated in response to certain variables, such as catalyst mass, nature of the solvent, amount of oxidant, and reaction temperature. A kinetic study was conducted to understand the reaction behavior. The experimental results demonstrated intriguing catalytic activity, achieving a 42% conversion rate with ~68% selectivity toward the epoxide product when employing tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as the oxidant and heptane as the solvent. This study highlights the potential of 5V/Ti-AAC as an environmentally friendly catalyst applied in the epoxidation of cyclohexene.

This paper evaluates (i) the transmission of global uncertainty shocks to the expectations of professionals and disagreement among them and (ii) the relevance of policy choices in open economies in the context of the impossible trinity. Relying on a large set of survey data covering a wide range of expected macroeconomic outcomes for 33 countries, we establish evidence for an expectation channel of global uncertainty shocks. Global uncertainty exerts significant and adverse effects on expectations over domestic macroeconomic outcomes across the board and also frequently spills over to disagreement over these outcomes, increasing domestic uncertainty. Finally, we identify nonlinear relationships between the policy choices in an open economy and the transmission of uncertainty shocks. Policy choices affect the expected downswing in GDP in the aftermath of uncertainty shocks, the expected response of monetary policy, and the exchange rate and disagreement over future macroeconomic outcomes.

This work presents an approach for optimization of window coefficients for 5G user equipment side sensing, using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing radar-based range and velocity estimation, based on the sounding reference signal (SRS) from the 5G New Radio (NR) standard. The signal configuration and the corresponding waveform are generated in compliance with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard for 5G. The limitations of conventional signal processing for resources available for sensing with the SRS are highlighted. The proposed approach, which optimizes the window coefficients to improve the sensing capabilities, is implemented through two methods. The first method employs a decoupled optimization strategy for range and velocity, showing high computational efficiency. Our results demonstrate that this method significantly improves the peak sidelobe level (PSL) of the velocity profile by over $\mathrm{15}\,\mathrm{dB}$, although it does not address the issue of diagonally located sidelobes, which occur due to non-uniform resource distribution. The second method adopts a comprehensive full 2D optimization technique. While it requires more computational resources and does not improve the PSL beyond the first method’s achievements, it mitigates the diagonally located sidelobes issue. The level of these have been improved by more than $\mathrm{3}\,\mathrm{dB}$.

During the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of patients experienced breathlessness, which progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome, leading to the need for supplemental oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation. With each passing day, the need for medical oxygen increased and simultaneously medical oxygen reserves in the country were getting depleted. Government agencies deployed multipronged strategies to ensure that the hospitals had an adequate supply of medical oxygen. Mechanisms and formulae were devised for the rational allocation of medical oxygen to various regions in the country; the production of medical oxygen was boosted along with the curtailment of oxygen usage in industries; and efficient supply chain management, which included “Oxygen Express”— special trains for transporting oxygen, aircrafts for transporting medical oxygen, creating green corridors and real-time monitoring of oxygen levels using information technology. The usage and promotion of indigenous PSA oxygen technology augmented the medical oxygen generation capacity at the health care facility level. This emergency situation demonstrated a need for strengthening established intersectoral coordination mechanisms for swift and effective responses to similar situations in future. Various strategies adopted by the Central Government and other government agencies to a large extent helped in addressing the medical oxygen emergencies.

Endogenous biological rhythms synchronise human physiology with daily cycles of light-dark, wake-sleep and feeding-fasting. Proper circadian alignment is crucial for physiological function, reflected in the rhythmic expression of molecular clock genes in various tissues, especially in skeletal muscle. Circadian disruption, such as misaligned feeding, dysregulates metabolism and increases the risk of metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes. Such disturbances are common in critically ill patients, especially those who rely on enteral nutrition. Whilst continuous provision of enteral nutrition is currently the most common practice in critical care, this is largely dictated by convenience rather than evidence. Conversely, some findings indicate that intermittent provision of enteral nutrition aligned with daylight may better support physiological functions and improve clinical/metabolic outcomes. However, there is a critical need for studies of skeletal muscle responses to acutely divergent feeding patterns, in addition to complementary translational research to map tissue-level physiology to whole-body and clinical outcomes.

This study investigates the hydrogenetic ferromanganese crust (HFMC) from the Magellan Seamounts in the northwest Pacific Ocean, focusing on its mineralogy, crystal chemistry, and paleoclimatic records. Given that ferromanganese is composed of poorly crystalline MnOx phases, such as vernadite, structural determination using conventional X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods is challenging and has very limited effectiveness. Therefore, synchrotron-based pair-distribution function (PDF) analysis of total X-ray scattering and high-resolution electron microscopy techniques were employed to characterize the structures and compositions of HFMC. The results from the synchrotron XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal that the studied HFMC consists primarily of poorly crystalline Fe-bearing vernadite. The chemical analysis of the HFMC layers indicates that the rare-earth elements (REE) and P were preferentially adsorbed on the Fe-rich vernadite, whereas platinum-group elements (PGE), Co, and Ni were enriched in the Mn-rich vernadite. The top layers of the HFMC display fine-scale compositional variations (cycle of ~1600 y) that signify millennial-scale paleoclimate oscillations during the Middle-Late Pleistocene and Holocene periods linked to the glacial termination event that occurred ~126,000 y ago. This millennial-scale oscillation correlates with sea-level variations influenced by the expansion and contraction of ice sheets, offering a crucial signal for understanding the paleoclimatic interpretation throughout the glacial periods. To fully decipher the fine-scale paleoclimate signals and assist in forecasting future climatic conditions, a more extensive examination of ferromanganese crusts from diverse depths, sources, and locations is necessitated.

Although medical advancements have improved the mortality of CHD, morbidity still exists, impacting patient quality of life. Returning to baseline in the early surgical recovery phase is an area of potential improvement. This preliminary project aims to qualitatively understand CHD family perspectives concerning the immediate postoperative recovery phase. The participating patients enrolled in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery program, a postsurgical symptom management tool utilised in adult centres and broadening into pediatrics. Twenty-three of 27 contacted families answered open-ended questions 1 to 3 months postoperatively regarding difficulties experienced during their first week home. They reviewed a list of symptoms including: difficulties with pain, nausea, activity, sleep, appetite, bowel or urinary systems, and taking medications. A qualitative thematic analysis was performed with the open responses, as well as a quantitative assessment of the types of issues that made recovery challenging. Participants struggled most with sleep (78%), returning to activity (70%), and pain (57%). Open-ended responses suggested that an inability to do daily activities, sleep (frequently impacted by pain), and inadequate resources most negatively impacted recovery. Given these findings, investigating postoperative sleep regimens and effective pain plan components may prove useful, in addition to the further development of early mobility programs. The positive and negative experiences highlighting the desire for readily available medical guidance enforce the need for open communication between families and team members, potentially aided by digital tools. Ultimately, further data could support the development of a standardised protocol to better the immediate postoperative quality of life for CHD families.

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) is among the most important services for children and their parents as it promotes children’s development and enables mothers’ employment. Previous research has shown that there is an educational gradient as children of mothers with a low education level participate less in ECEC services, but less is known about the development of this inequality. This study, using EU-SILC survey data, focuses on the development of inequality in ECEC use of children under 3 years of age during 2004–2019, and on disparities between three categories of education levels among mothers. The results show that, together with increasing ECEC participation rates, overall inequality has increased in Europe. Inequality has increased between low- and other education levels, whereas in a few cases, a decrease has happened between medium- and high-educated mothers. It is important to pay attention to socioeconomic disparities with rising participation rates.

This article presents a dual-band planar microwave sensor to characterize the permittivity of liquid samples. The sensor utilizes a splitter–combiner microstrip segment loaded with two pairs of triangular-shaped complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs). By integrating a meander slot into the CSRRs and incorporating inter-resonator coupling between the CSRRs, the proposed sensor achieves enhanced frequency shifts, resulting in improved sensitivity. An adulteration detection experiment is conducted to validate the sensor’s performance by mixing mineral oil into castor oil with a polydimethylsiloxane container placed on the sensing area. The variations in resonant frequency and peak attenuation are employed to extract the permittivity of the loaded liquid sample. The peak sensitivities in determining the real permittivity are measured to be 6.34% and 5.7% for the first and second frequency bands, respectively. The measured errors for extracting the real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivity are approximately 3.95% and 7.47% for the first frequency band and 3.67% and 6.28% for the second frequency band, respectively. The proposed dual-band microwave sensor, with its high sensitivity, compact size, small sample volume, and low cost, demonstrates great potential for applications in the quality monitoring of agricultural and industrial products.