Li Zhang

This book is dedicated to lightning transients and protection for renewable energy systems, including both wind and solar energy. In addition to the formation mechanism of lightning transients, the practical engineering application has also been addressed. This book is comprehensive and covers the methodology of electromagnetic transient modelling, electromagnetic coupling for PV system, lightning protection design, testing and evaluation. This book is particularly suitable for readers interested in lightning phenomena and renewable energy systems. It would benefit researchers, engineers and graduate students in the fields of electrical engineering, renewable energy, computational electromagnetism, etc.

This book is focused on the attractive emerging field of micro-/nanorobot swarms (microswarms). It introduces fundamental understandings of various microswarms, including pattern generation, transformation, locomotion, and imaging. This book also demonstrates applications of micro-/nanorobot swarms in different fields, such as biomedical, environmental, and electrical applications. The detailed theoretical analysis and experimental demonstrations in this book provide readers ranging from students to researchers with a realistic picture of progress achieved in the field of micro-/nanorobot swarms. ?

Untethered Miniature Soft Robots Reference on achieving contactless manipulation of soft robots, detailing high level concepts and perspectives and technical skills of soft robots Untethered Miniature Soft Robots: Materials, Fabrications, and Applications introduces the emerging field of miniature soft robots and summarizes the recent rapid development in the field to date, describing different types of functional materials to build miniature soft robots, such as silicone elastomer, carbon-based materials, hydrogels, liquid crystal polymer, flexible ferrofluid, and liquid metal, and covering the material properties, fabrication strategies, and functionalities in soft robots together with their underlying mechanisms. The book discusses magnetically, thermally, optically, and chemically actuated soft robots in depth, explores the many specific applications of miniature soft robots in biomedical, environmental, and electrical fields and summarizes the development of miniature soft robots based on soft matter, fabrication strategies, locomotion principles, sensing and actuation mechanisms. In closing, the text summarizes the opportunities and challenges faced by miniature soft robots, providing expert insight into the possible futures of this field. Written by four highly qualified academics, Untethered Miniature Soft Robots covers sample topics such as: Soft elastomer-based robots with programmable magnetization profiles and untethered soft robots based on template-aidingWorking mechanisms of carbon-based materials, covering light-induced expansion and shrinkage, and humidity-induced deformationDesigning microscale building blocks, modular assembly of building blocks based on Denavit-Hartenberg (DH) matrix, and inverse and forward design of modular morphing systemsMaterial designs of magnetic liquid crystal elastomers (LCE) systems, multiple-stimuli responsiveness of magnetic LCE systems, and adaptive locomotion of magnetic LCE-based robotsControllable deformation and motion behaviors, as well as applications of ferrofluids droplet robots (FDRs), including cargo capturing, object sorting, liquid pumping/mixing, and liquid skin. Providing highly detailed and up-to-date coverage of the topic, Untethered Miniature Soft Robots serves as an invaluable and highly comprehensive reference for researchers working in this promising field across a variety of disciplines, including materials scientists, mechanical and electronics engineers, polymer chemists, and biochemists.

Two-stage single-phase converters, including two-stage single-phase dc-ac inverters and two-stage single-phase PFC converters, are interfacing power converters between dc and ac voltage/current sources, which have been widely applied for dc-ac and ac-dc power conversion. For the two-stage single-phase converter, the ac-side power pulsates at twice the ac voltage frequency, resulting in second harmonic current (SHC) which might flow into the dc-dc converter, the dc voltage source, and dc load. This book clarifies the generation, propagation, and side-effects of this SHC and proposes the SHC reduction control schemes for the dc-dc converter, with different topologies and/or different operating modes, in the single-phase converter. On this basis, the second harmonic current compensator (SHCC) is proposed to compensate the SHC, significantly reducing the dc bus capacitance. In doing so, the electrolytic capacitors, with short lifetimes, are removed from the two-stage single-phase converter, leading to extended system lifetime and enhanced system stability. For having flawless SHC compensation performance, the port-current control schemes are proposed for the SHCC. Additionally, the stability analysis is carried out for the two-stage single-phase converter with the addition of SHCC. This book is a monograph combining theoretical analysis and engineering design, which could not only be a reference book for master students, Ph.D. students, and teachers majoring in power electronics but also be a handbook for the electrical engineers working on the research and development of LED drivers, EV on-board chargers, railway auxiliary power supplies, aviation power supplies, renewable energy generation systems, etc.

This book addresses a special topic in the field of nonlinear dynamical systems, develops a new research direction of surface chaos and surface bifurcation. It provides a clear watershed for original nonlinear chaos and bifurcation research. The novel content of this book makes nonlinear system research more systematical and personalized.This book introduces the chaos and bifurcation behavior of surface dynamics in the sense of Li Yorke, the basic properties, Lyapunov exponent and Feigenbaum constant of nonlinear behavior of surface, and obtained the wave behavior of chaotic process in surface motion, the control of surface chaos and bifurcation, and the wide application of surface chaos in engineering technology.Through this book, readers can obtain more abundant and novel contents about surface chaos and surface bifurcation than the existing mixed fitting bifurcation of plane curve and space curve, which can also expand the realm andvision of research.

Two-stage single-phase converters, including two-stage single-phase dc-ac inverters and two-stage single-phase PFC converters, are interfacing power converters between dc and ac voltage/current sources, which have been widely applied for dc-ac and ac-dc power conversion. For the two-stage single-phase converter, the ac-side power pulsates at twice the ac voltage frequency, resulting in second harmonic current (SHC) which might flow into the dc-dc converter, the dc voltage source, and dc load. This book clarifies the generation, propagation, and side-effects of this SHC and proposes the SHC reduction control schemes for the dc-dc converter, with different topologies and/or different operating modes, in the single-phase converter. On this basis, the second harmonic current compensator (SHCC) is proposed to compensate the SHC, significantly reducing the dc bus capacitance. In doing so, the electrolytic capacitors, with short lifetimes, are removed from the two-stage single-phase converter, leading to extended system lifetime and enhanced system stability. For having flawless SHC compensation performance, the port-current control schemes are proposed for the SHCC. Additionally, the stability analysis is carried out for the two-stage single-phase converter with the addition of SHCC. This book is a monograph combining theoretical analysis and engineering design, which could not only be a reference book for master students, Ph.D. students, and teachers majoring in power electronics but also be a handbook for the electrical engineers working on the research and development of LED drivers, EV on-board chargers, railway auxiliary power supplies, aviation power supplies, renewable energy generation systems, etc.

This book addresses a special topic in the field of nonlinear dynamical systems, develops a new research direction of surface chaos and surface bifurcation. It provides a clear watershed for original nonlinear chaos and bifurcation research. The novel content of this book makes nonlinear system research more systematical and personalized.This book introduces the chaos and bifurcation behavior of surface dynamics in the sense of Li Yorke, the basic properties, Lyapunov exponent and Feigenbaum constant of nonlinear behavior of surface, and obtained the wave behavior of chaotic process in surface motion, the control of surface chaos and bifurcation, and the wide application of surface chaos in engineering technology.Through this book, readers can obtain more abundant and novel contents about surface chaos and surface bifurcation than the existing mixed fitting bifurcation of plane curve and space curve, which can also expand the realm andvision of research.

This book is about the practice of rural development in contemporary China. It evolves the concept of 'neo-exogenous development' to explain how the power of the state links to community action via local party structures, in pursuit of both state-building and rural revitalisation. Through case studies, the book examines how central government investments are channelled through area-based programmes, which are then locally implemented by party-state and community actors. It illustrates significant continuity in China's rural development, from the Imperial era, through the Maoist Collectivization Movement, and onwards to the Open Reform and current National Rural Revitalization Strategy. Advancing Rural Development in China re-evaluates the theory and practice of rural development, identifying important lessons for other nations. The book presents a critical study of China's approach to rural development for students and researchers in the fields of human geography, rural sociology, planning, agricultural economics, public management, and international development.

This book is about the practice of rural development in contemporary China. It evolves the concept of 'neo-exogenous development' to explain how the power of the state links to community action via local party structures, in pursuit of both state-building and rural revitalisation. Through case studies, the book examines how central government investments are channelled through area-based programmes, which are then locally implemented by party-state and community actors. It illustrates significant continuity in China's rural development, from the Imperial era, through the Maoist Collectivization Movement, and onwards to the Open Reform and current National Rural Revitalization Strategy. Advancing Rural Development in China re-evaluates the theory and practice of rural development, identifying important lessons for other nations. The book presents a critical study of China's approach to rural development for students and researchers in the fields of human geography, rural sociology, planning, agricultural economics, public management, and international development.

This book explores how China, and especially China’s Belt and Road Initiative, is viewed in European media and by European think tanks, thereby uncovering European elites’ views of China. Looking across Europe—the European Union, Western Europe (including the United Kingdom), Central Europe, and Eastern Europe—the book reveals a complex picture, with different views in different places, and with different aspects of China disproportionately emphasized in some places. As China’s importance in the world continues to grow, it is crucial to understand how distorted views of China are shaping international relations.

This book is focused on the attractive emerging field of micro-/nanorobot swarms (microswarms). The detailed theoretical analysis and experimental demonstrations in this book provide readers ranging from students to researchers with a realistic picture of progress achieved in the field of micro-/nanorobot swarms.

This book is an engaging and comprehensive exploration that delves into the possibility of artificial intelligence developing self-awareness, the conditions under which it may occur, and the potential behaviours it may exhibit once self-aware. It adopts a ‘high-dimensional philosophy’, coined by the author, as its theoretical framework and weaves together elements from science fiction films, scholarly works, and thought experiments. Introducing the captivating concept of "Sparkling Moments," the book provides a compelling analysis of the reasons, prerequisites, and manifestations of these pivotal moments. It further scrutinizes the evolutionary history of Earth's life forms through the lens of these transformative instances and analyzes the similarities and differences between carbon-based and silicon-based life. This book suggests that it is possible for artificial intelligence to develop self-consciousness, which will emerge during a significant sparkling moment. Spanning across disciplines such as astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, this book employs a unified and accessible high-dimensional philosophical discourse to bridge the realms of natural sciences and social humanities. Its captivating presentation, enriched with visual aids and lucid explanations, enables readers to grasp the overarching panorama of cosmic evolution, biological adaptation, and the trajectory of artificial intelligence development. Furthermore, the book offers insightful predictions for the future and endeavours to discover novel approaches to foster harmonious interactions between humans and machines. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.

To ultimately address this serious issue, this book begins with the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of marine plankton, focusing on the dynamic behavior of both two-dimensional and spatiotemporal patterns. As a critical foundation of marine ecosystems, the frequent outbreaks of marine phytoplankton and the toxicity of planktonic animals pose significant threats to marine ecological security and human health. One of the primary reasons we currently struggle to effectively manage the safety issues surrounding marine plankton is the extremely complex nature of their growth environment, which exhibits intricate dynamic and nonlinear characteristics. By constructing reaction-diffusion models and fractional diffusion systems of the planktonic ecosystem, the book characterizes the various factors in different environments and studies the nonlinear behavior of marine organisms. Employing linear stability theory, multi-scale analysis, comparison principle, analytical techniques, and the construction of Lyapunov functions, the book delves into the following topic: the stability of the plankton ecosystem, Hopf bifurcation, Turing bifurcation and other local bifurcations, spatial self-organization behavior of marine plankton, the formation of spatiotemporal patterns, and the persistence and extinction properties and characteristics. Marine ecology and the marine environment are currently hot research topics internationally, with the behavior of marine organisms being a core area of this research. The goal of exploring these issues is to scientifically understand the features of marine organisms, control their behavior, manage ocean pollution effectively, contribute to human development, and support social advancement. Additionally, the authors aime to make academic contributions and provide guidance to graduate students and researchers dedicated to this field.

Zhang Li has not yet told all the important stories of her childhood in 1940s and 1950s Malaya. This second memoir fills the gaps in her first volume, The Reluctant Migrant's Daughter. Li also regales us with further travel stories, family dramas and life lessons. She details the decline and eventual death of her husband of nearly 58 years, followed by her intense grief. Li's own health problems create yet another journey that only begins at the age of 83 years.Li's reflections lead her to realise that, with her roller coaster ride of experiences, she has received much in this life. It has been a life worth living

This book analyzes data from eight waves (1998, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011-12, 2014 and 2018) of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Surveys (CLHLS) to explore how health status of the Chinese oldest old has changed over time and across birth cohorts. It also intends to investigate how period and birth cohorts have played a role in the associations between Chinese oldest old’s health and a variety of demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle factors. The book applies the age-period-cohort (APC) approach and constructs cross-classified random-effects models (CCREMs) to carry out the analyses. The oldest old’s health is measured by self-rated health (SRH), chronic diseases, cognitive function and subjective wellbeing which is indicated by positive and negative feeling scores. The results show that Chinese oldest old’s health status has changed over time and across birth cohorts. Significant period and cohort effects are shown when linking Chinese oldest old’s health to various demographic, socioeconomic and health lifestyle covariates. In general, period effects surpass the cohort effects. Particularly, the oldest old’s subjective wellbeing is more likely to be influenced by period than cohort effects. Period changes caused by social events, such as economic hardship and natural disasters, have left strong imprints on Chinese oldest old’s mental than physical health status. Based on these findings, the book highlights some important policy implications and points out future research directions to improve the current study. It provides an interesting read for researchers in gerontology and public health studies. It is also of interest to general audience, including practitioners in health care and policy makers who are interested in old age care and healthy aging policies.

This book explores how China, and especially China’s Belt and Road Initiative, is viewed in European media and by European think tanks, thereby uncovering European elites’ views of China. Looking across Europe—the European Union, Western Europe (including the United Kingdom), Central Europe, and Eastern Europe—the book reveals a complex picture, with different views in different places, and with different aspects of China disproportionately emphasized in some places. As China’s importance in the world continues to grow, it is crucial to understand how distorted views of China are shaping international relations.

This book introduces China’s current publishing industry in the new era, especially when facing the big challenge from social media and technology transformation. Based on the calculation for the first time, the book and overall size of the content data of publications in China, the book presents 15 cases of Chinese publishers looking for opportunities to develop business, using the technology of big data and Internet. For global readers, it may help to build an overview on China's publishing industry and business innovation cases of media companies.