How We Express Ourselves Freely: Censorship, Self-censorship, and Anti-censorship on a Chinese Social Media

Censorship, anti-censorship, and self-censorship in an authoritarian regime have been extensively studies, yet the relationship between these intertwined factors is not well understood. In this paper, we report results of a large-scale survey study (N = 526) with Sina Weibo users toward bridging this research gap. Through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, we uncover how users are being censored, how and why they conduct self-censorship on different topics and in different scenarios (i.e., post, repost, and comment), and their various anti-censorship strategies. We further identify the metrics of censorship and self-censorship, find the influence factors, and construct a mediation model to measure their relationship. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for democratic social media design and future censorship research.Comment: iConference 2023 has accepte

Smart monitoring system for risk management in the underground space

This paper presents a smart monitoring system for risk management in the underground space. This space has a major role in cities, but it suffers from high vulnerability to hazards such as fire, flood and accidents. The paper provides analysis of the vulnerability of the underground space and shows how a smart monitoring system of human presence, indoor conditions, underground space access and equipment performances with advanced data analysis could help in improving the risk management in this space

Observation of two PT transitions in an electric circuit with balanced gain and loss

We investigate -symmetry breaking transitions in a dimer comprising two LC oscillators, one with loss and the second with gain. The electric energy of this four-mode model oscillates between the two LC circuits, and between capacitive and inductive energy within each LC circuit. Its dynamics are described by a non-Hermitian, -symmetric Hamiltonian with three different phases separated by two exceptional points. We systematically measure the eigenfrequencies of energy dynamics across the three regions as a function of gain-loss strength. In addition to observe the well-studied transition for oscillations across the two LC circuits, at higher gain-loss strength, transition within each LC circuit is also observed. With their extraordinary tuning ability, -symmetric electronics are ideally suited for classical simulations of non-Hermitian systems

FWAlgaeDB, an integrated genome database of freshwater algae

Algal genomics research contributes to a deeper understanding of algal evolution and provides useful genomics inferences correlated with various functions. Published algal genome sequences are very limited owing to genome assembly challenges. Because genome data of freshwater algae are rapidly increasing with the recent boom in next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics, an interface to store, interlink, and display these data is needed. To provide a substantial genomic resource specifically for freshwater algae, we developed the Freshwater Algae Database (FWAlgaeDB), a user-friendly, constantly updated online repository for integrating genomic data and annotation information. This database, which includes information on 204 freshwater algae, allows easy access to gene repertoires and gene clusters of interest and facilitates potential applications. Three functional modules are integrated into FWAlgaeDB: a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool tool for similarity analyses, a Search tool for rapid data retrieval, and a Download function for data downloads. This database tool is freely available at http://www.fwalagedb.com/#/home. To demonstrate the utility of FWAlgaeDB, we also individually mapped metagenomic sequencing reads of 10 water samples to FWAlgaeDB and Nt algae databases we constructed to obtain taxonomic composition information. According to the mapping results, FWAlgaeDB may be a better choice for identifying algal species in freshwater samples, with fewer potential false positives because of its focus on freshwater algal species. FWAlgaeDB can therefore serve as an open-access, sustained platform to provide genomic data and molecular analysis tools specifically for freshwater algae

Peer sex education in China’s higher education: A peer educator’s perspective

Peer sex education (PSE), as an effective approach to deliver knowledge and skills to young people, has been adopted in Chinese higher education institutions to complement the insufficient school-based sex education in China. Most existing studies in the field focus on university-led PSE in China’s higher education, while the contribution of student-led PSE has received little attention. To bridge the gap in literature, this qualitative study set out to examine PSE in China’s higher education, especially student-led peer sex education, through the lens of peer educators. Using semi-structured interviews with 14 peer educators from five Chinese higher education institutions, this study investigated peer educators’ ways of engagement in PSE, peer educators’ motivations, and the benefits and challenges of PSE in China’s higher education as perceived by peer educators. The findings show that peer educators engage in PSE in China’s higher education by covering a comprehensive list of topics, including those not addressed in university-led PSE. By adopting participatory and learner-centred pedagogy, peer educators empower students through both formal and informal activities. Organised in the form of student associations run independently by students, student-led PSE has a strong community spirit and more freedom than university-led PSE. Peer educators are responsible for accessing resources, self-training, and evaluation by themselves. Results show that intrinsic motivations stemmed from personal experience and self-identity constitute the main driving force for peer educators to participate in PSE. Specifically, peer educators are motivated by their interest in sex education and the aspiration to improve sex education in China and promote equal rights for women and LGBTQ+. In terms of the benefits of PSE, evidence shows that both students and peer educators benefit from increased knowledge and skills and the community support brought by PSE, while peer educators also enhance their transferrable skills and have a sense of achievement. By accommodating LGBTQ+ students and raising the public’s awareness of equal rights, PSE also contributes to the overall sociocultural environment. Meanwhile, peer educators encounter challenges on the individual, organisational, institutional, and cultural levels. As noted by the participants, the limited capacities of peer educators and organisational issues can negatively influence the quality and sustainability of PSE, while strict control by the institution and cultural barriers largely restrict the scale and impact of PSE. The findings of this study imply that joint efforts by stakeholders in different sectors and the change in social attitudes towards sex education and relevant topics are required to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of PSE

Smart technology applications for the optimal management of underground facilities

This study centers on the use of smart technology to improve the lifecycle management of underground facilities. It presents a comprehensive digital solution that addresses the challenges of underground facilities, particularly those related to the extensive use of underground space, as well as the requirements for safety, sustainability, and quality of services. The proposed solution emerged from discussions with experts, companies, and cities involved in the design, construction, and management of underground facilities. In this paper, we first discuss the major challenges of underground facilities, then, we present the development of a smart solution to address these challenges. This study demonstrates a promising perspective for the use of smart technology in the optimal management of underground facilities, and paves the way for its implementation

Use of Smart Technology to Improve Management of Utility Tunnels

This paper presents a smart solution for the utility tunnel, which allows hosting a wide range of water and energy utilities in an accessible underground space. It is well known that utility tunnels offer major advantages such as the possibility to inspect, maintain, and easily extend urban utilities without excavation, thereby eliminating disturbances related to urban excavation such as traffic jams, noise, pollution, and pavement degradation. However, despite these advantages, the effective development of this facility remains below expectations, because of serious challenges related to the security and governance of this “shared space”. The solution presented in this paper is based on discussions with experts and companies involved in the design, construction, and management of utility tunnels, as well as on the authors’ experiences in the design and implementation of smart solutions for urban utilities. The paper firstly presents the major challenges of utility tunnels and then discusses how theb smart technology could help in coping with these challenges. The paper presents the architecture of this solution, as well as the main layers of monitoring, information system data analysis, and system control. It also presents the methodology to be followed for the implementation of this smart solution. Finally, the paper discusses two major issues for utility tunnels: fire risk and risk assessment. The paper shows that the use of smart technology allows developing a comprehensive digital solution, which uses advanced monitoring system to collect real-time data about the tunnel environment and functioning. These data can be easily shared by authorized staffs. Analysis of these data allows improving the utility tunnel security and performances

Three-dimensional measurement of a tightly focused laser beam

The spatial structure of a tightly focused light field is measured with a double knife-edge scanning method. The measurement method is based on the use of a high-quality double knife-edge fabricated from a right-angled silicon fragment mounted on a photodetector. The reconstruction of the three-dimensional structures of tightly focused spots is carried out with both uniform and partially obstructed linearly polarized incident light beams. The optical field distribution is found to deviate substantially from the input beam profile in the tightly focused region, which is in good agreement with the results of numerical simulations