M-estimation in high-dimensional linear model

We mainly study the M-estimation method for the high-dimensional linear regression model, and discuss the properties of M-estimator when the penalty term is the local linear approximation. In fact, M-estimation method is a framework, which covers the methods of the least absolute deviation, the quantile regression, least squares regression and Huber regression. We show that the proposed estimator possesses the good properties by applying certain assumptions. In the part of numerical simulation, we select the appropriate algorithm to show the good robustness of this methodComment: 16 pages,3 table

Media power and its control in contemporary China: The digital regulatory regime, national Identity, and global communication

In the past decade, the cultural projection of China has become increasingly important to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and to the state in terms of maintaining ideological unity and social stability domestically while at the same time enhancing its soft power amid global competition. Since 2012, with the tightened regulatory framework of the state regulator, the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), broadcasters have increasingly engaged in the production and promotion of national discourse, which has embodied the official ideology. At an international level, the Belt and Road Initiative (a global infrastructure strategy initiated by the Chinese government in 2013 that seeks to connect Asia with Africa and Europe to improve regional integration) articulates with China’s policy of deploying soft power to manage international relations. In analysing the shifting power dynamics of the documentary production sector, this thesis aims to capture this moment of transition in China’s broadcasting policy. This thesis takes an ethnographic approach to discuss the policy practices within China’s broadcasting industry. It uses document analysis, in-depth interviews and participant observation as its main methods, to explore the gap between the contemporary policy regime and its implementation in national broadcasters and streaming services, taking into account the interplay between broadcasters, political bodies, producers and audiences. It deals with the contemporary role of Chinese national broadcasters in mediating the public discourse, the collective reimagining of China’s national identity, and the newly-found policy initiative of using state media as a means of nation branding. Cases investigated include China Central Television (CCTV) Documentary, China Global Television Network (CGTN), and the Shanghai Media Group (SMG), as well as co-productions made by CCTV and international media firms, including the BBC, Discovery and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK). During the fieldwork in China and the UK in 2019, I conducted 46 in-depth interviews with media professionals (including 36 semi-structured interviews), focusing on the challenges and possible solutions of media production and regulation. Tensions emerge not only between the tightening of control of a top-down production framework and the growth of commercial and creative forces, but also between the rise of a national regulatory agenda and a policy goal of global engagement. Situated in an increasingly competitive, globalised cultural sphere, this thesis argues that the state, media institutions and citizens in China are renegotiating a collective national cultural identity to overcome internal conflicts and enhance social stability; in the meantime, the interplay between political, commercial and professional forces continually shapes China’s policy response to global communication, which is now seeking the role of public diplomacy in state media

China’s ‘new cultural diplomacy’ in international broadcasting: Branding the nation through CGTN Documentary

In the past decade, the cultural projection of China has become increasingly important to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and to the state in terms of enhancing its soft power amid global competition. This article examines how China’s international broadcasting institutions respond to the policy initiative toward cultural diplomacy, through a case study of the China Global Television Network (CGTN) Documentary. It uses document analysis, in-depth interviews and participant observation, to explore the gap between the contemporary policy regime and its implementation in the international broadcasting sector, taking into account the interplay between broadcasters, political bodies, producers and international audiences. Situated in the interconnected global marketplace, this article examines the current condition of tensions not only between political control and commercial imperative, but also between the national regulatory regime and the need for global engagement. It argues that although the newly found political priority of promoting China’s contemporary national values globally entails an increasingly assertive agenda toward nation branding, market disadvantages and the uncertainty of audience reception challenge the policy pursuit for using its state media as a means for public diplomacy

Lithography-induced hydrophobic surfaces of silicon wafers with excellent anisotropic wetting properties

In recent years, hydrophobic surfaces have attracted more and more attentions from many researchers. In this paper, we comprehensively discussed the effects of specific parameters of microstructures on the wetting properties by using the theoretical models, the effects of microstructures on two-dimensional anisotropic properties and the water droplet impact experiment. Firstly, the relationships between the CAs and variable parameters were explored after the formula derivation for three various patterns. Then three different patterns were fabricated successfully on the silicon wafers by lithography technology and the effects of microstructures (including LWD parameters and interval parameters) on surface wettability were studied based on the theoretical research. After that, the effects of microstructures on two-dimensional anisotropic properties were also studied. Finally, the water droplet impact experiment was carried out and the viscoelastic properties were simply investigated. Our research proposed a potential method for fabricating hydrophobic surfaces with excellent anisotropic properties. This method may be widely used in a variety of academic and industrial applications in the future

Innovations in Human Stem Cell Research: A Holy Grail for Regenerative Medicine

Stem cells are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves and giving rise to differentiated and specialized cell subtypes. There are two general categories of stem cells, i.e., pluripotent stem cells capable of differentiation into any cell type in the human body and multipotent adult stem cells maintaining tissue homeostasis in postnatal life. Investigations in both these categories of stem cells have expanded our knowledge on human organogenesis and tissue regeneration and have suggested potential therapeutic functions of stem cells in regenerative medicine. The advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology a decade ago further revolutionized stem cell biology and has given rise to the translation of stem cell-based therapies. This chapter will summarize some of the exciting progress and challenges in the applications of iPSC-derived stem cells and adult stem cells and the potential of translational and clinical research of these stem cells in regenerative medicine