Known as the "beating heart" of the Arab World, Syria has held high geographic and political importance in the Middle East and has been the battlefield of superpowers for centuries. Since the outbreak of the "Arab Spring," its central role has been reinforced by its civil war, one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts since World War II, causing significant humanitarian disaster. With American power diminishing and European power in the region emerging, Europe has begun to exert its impact on Syria, and this book analyzes the diplomatic policies of European countries on Syria from the perspective of Chinese scholars. Starting with a review of the European Union's policies in the Middle East and North Africa as a whole, the authors analyze the Syrian policies of France, the United Kingdom and Germany, the three most influential and representative countries on the European continent. The authors argue that the favoured "humanitarian intervention" concept failed to achieve the expected results, increased the bloodiness of the Syrian civil war and undermined the European Union's advantage in the region. Researchers and students of international relations as well as Middle East Studies will benefit from this volume.

Known as the "beating heart" of the Arab World, Syria has held high geographic and political importance in the Middle East and has been the battlefield of superpowers for centuries. Since the outbreak of the "Arab Spring," its central role has been reinforced by its civil war, one of the longest and bloodiest conflicts since World War II, causing significant humanitarian disaster. With American power diminishing and European power in the region emerging, Europe has begun to exert its impact on Syria, and this book analyzes the diplomatic policies of European countries on Syria from the perspective of Chinese scholars. Starting with a review of the European Union's policies in the Middle East and North Africa as a whole, the authors analyze the Syrian policies of France, the United Kingdom and Germany, the three most influential and representative countries on the European continent. The authors argue that the favoured "humanitarian intervention" concept failed to achieve the expected results, increased the bloodiness of the Syrian civil war and undermined the European Union's advantage in the region. Researchers and students of international relations as well as Middle East Studies will benefit from this volume.

China is a large developing economy and it has been deeply involved in globalization since its economic reform and opening-up. Simultaneously, China has seen a significant change in the spatial distribution of economic resources, especially capital and labor. In the recent 10 years, economists have made significant progress in both theoretical and empirical studies on related topics. The book provides an overview on the existing literature and current policy debates on what we have known and what we have misunderstood. This book includes an analytical framework of the New Economic Geography (NEG) with political economy to help us understand China's regional development issues. The book of 10 chapters is organized into four thematic sections. The first section is a theoretical discussion on the relationship between economic agglomeration and interregional balanced development. The second section is a political economy analysis on regional and urban-rural development. The third section provides a summary on empirical literatures concerning from market segmentation and institutional barriers to production factor mobility. The final section consists of four empirical chapters on the relationship between agglomeration and balance, which is the core of relevant policy debates. The book argues that for China to achieve both efficiency and balance for regional development, China may need to reform its systems which constrain production factors mobility. This book is a valuable reference for readers who are interested in spatial economics and the Chinese economy, especially its regional and urban development.

China is a large developing economy and it has been deeply involved in globalization since its economic reform and opening-up. Simultaneously, China has seen a significant change in the spatial distribution of economic resources, especially capital and labor. In the recent 10 years, economists have made significant progress in both theoretical and empirical studies on related topics. The book provides an overview on the existing literature and current policy debates on what we have known and what we have misunderstood. This book includes an analytical framework of the New Economic Geography (NEG) with political economy to help us understand China's regional development issues. The book of 10 chapters is organized into four thematic sections. The first section is a theoretical discussion on the relationship between economic agglomeration and interregional balanced development. The second section is a political economy analysis on regional and urban-rural development. The third section provides a summary on empirical literatures concerning from market segmentation and institutional barriers to production factor mobility. The final section consists of four empirical chapters on the relationship between agglomeration and balance, which is the core of relevant policy debates. The book argues that for China to achieve both efficiency and balance for regional development, China may need to reform its systems which constrain production factors mobility. This book is a valuable reference for readers who are interested in spatial economics and the Chinese economy, especially its regional and urban development.

This volume is a report by leading international economic experts on China's economic priorities in the coming years. From various aspects of the domestic and foreign situation, China has now reached a critical juncture in its economic development. Unless China is able to overcome the difficulties in undertaking further reforms in the next ten years, China would be caught in the middle-income trap and be unable to become a modern country. The future course of China's economic development is also of great concern to the rest of the world because the socio-political-economic conditions in China will have significant impact on global economic prosperity and on global political harmony.The book is a product of close collaboration between the School of Economics at Fudan University and the Earth Institute at Columbia University. They cover a new paradigm for growth, short-term demand management, institutional reforms for middle-term growth, and strengthening the fundamentals for long-term growth.

This volume is a report by leading international economic experts on China's economic priorities in the coming years. From various aspects of the domestic and foreign situation, China has now reached a critical juncture in its economic development. Unless China is able to overcome the difficulties in undertaking further reforms in the next ten years, China would be caught in the middle-income trap and be unable to become a modern country. The future course of China's economic development is also of great concern to the rest of the world because the socio-political-economic conditions in China will have significant impact on global economic prosperity and on global political harmony.The book is a product of close collaboration between the School of Economics at Fudan University and the Earth Institute at Columbia University. They cover a new paradigm for growth, short-term demand management, institutional reforms for middle-term growth, and strengthening the fundamentals for long-term growth.

This book introduces the optical multi-band polarization imaging theory and the utilization of the multi-band polarimetric information for detecting the camouflage object and the optical hidden marker, and enhancing the visibility in bad weather and water. The book describes systematically and in detail the basic optical polarimetry theory; provides abundant multi-band polarimetric imaging experiment data; and indicates practical evaluation methods for designing the multi-band polarization imager, for analyzing and modeling the object's multi-band polarization characteristics, and for enhancing the vision performance in scattering media. This book shows the latest research results of multi-band polarimetric vision, especially in camouflage object detection, optical hidden marker detection and multi-band polarimetric imagery fusion. From this book, readers can get a complete understanding about multi-band polarimetric imaging and its application in different vision tasks.

Written by distinguished Chinese academics, this book provides a unique and rare insight into the development of the modern Chinese economy. The authors identify three major factors in the growth of the Chinese economy: economic decentralization and political centralization; the urban-rural divide; and relational society. These are explored in depth via analyses of factors including urban and rural economic development and their political and social foundations, industrial agglomeration, transitions of public services and governmental responsibilities towards them and developmental imbalances and mechanisms. It is illustrated that whilst contemporary China has obviously made great economic strides, a wide variety of problems are accumulating over time. The book concludes that following three decades of high economic growth, China now faces great challenges for sustainable growth, and the institutions of China's economy have reached a critical point. Strategies for dealing with these challenges and requirements for the successful future development of China are thus prescribed. This fascinating book will provide a stimulating read for scholars, students and researchers in the fields of Asian studies, economics and development. Contents: 1. Introduction: The Reform and Opening-up of a Large, Developing Country 2. Political and Social Foundations of Economic Development 3. Urban and Rural Economic Development During the Process of Urbanization and Industrialization 4. Industrial Agglomeration in the Process of Globalization and Regional Economic Development 5. Transitions of Public Services and Government Responsibilities During the Marketization Process 6. Developmental Imbalances and Mechanisms for Improving the Market System 7. Appropriate Institutions and Sustainable Growth: China's Development and its Worldwide Significance References Index

This book explains the relationships between equality and efficiency, as well as between government and market, in urban-rural and regional development by providing theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence. Urban-rural development in China is understood from a regional perspective, while the core issue of urban-rural and regional development is cross-regional resource reallocation driven by the trends of globalization, marketization and urbanization and their influence on growth and inequality. The book puts forward the following arguments: An urban-rural and regional balance should not be achieved by limiting agglomeration effects in eastern regions. For some time now, China has lacked a suitable mechanism to enable residents in underdeveloped and rural areas to share in the achievements of economic agglomeration. As a result, China should not slow down economic agglomeration and development in eastern regions simply by depending on administrative means to balance urban-rural and regional development. In the final analysis, arriving at a regional balance depends on growth in the eastern regions, provided a reasonable mechanism is implemented to enable inland areas to share in the development achievements of eastern regions. In turn, finding an urban-regional balance rests on urban development, as long as more rural workers can move to and prosper in cities.

This book introduces the optical multi-band polarization imaging theory and the utilization of the multi-band polarimetric information for detecting the camouflage object and the optical hidden marker, and enhancing the visibility in bad weather and water. The book describes systematically and in detail the basic optical polarimetry theory; provides abundant multi-band polarimetric imaging experiment data; and indicates practical evaluation methods for designing the multi-band polarization imager, for analyzing and modeling the object's multi-band polarization characteristics, and for enhancing the vision performance in scattering media. This book shows the latest research results of multi-band polarimetric vision, especially in camouflage object detection, optical hidden marker detection and multi-band polarimetric imagery fusion. From this book, readers can get a complete understanding about multi-band polarimetric imaging and its application in different vision tasks.

This book explains the relationships between equality and efficiency, as well as between government and market, in urban-rural and regional development by providing theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence. Urban-rural development in China is understood from a regional perspective, while the core issue of urban-rural and regional development is cross-regional resource reallocation driven by the trends of globalization, marketization and urbanization and their influence on growth and inequality. The book puts forward the following arguments: An urban-rural and regional balance should not be achieved by limiting agglomeration effects in eastern regions. For some time now, China has lacked a suitable mechanism to enable residents in underdeveloped and rural areas to share in the achievements of economic agglomeration. As a result, China should not slow down economic agglomeration and development in eastern regions simply by depending on administrative means to balance urban-rural and regional development. In the final analysis, arriving at a regional balance depends on growth in the eastern regions, provided a reasonable mechanism is implemented to enable inland areas to share in the development achievements of eastern regions. In turn, finding an urban-regional balance rests on urban development, as long as more rural workers can move to and prosper in cities.

Human-Machine Interaction for Automated Vehicles: Driver Status Monitoring and the Takeover Process explains how to design an intelligent human-machine interface by characterising driver behaviour before and during the take-over process. Multiple solutions are presented to accommodate different sensing technologies, driving environments, and driving styles. Depending on the availability and location of the camera, the recognition of driving and non-driving tasks can be based on eye gaze, head movement, hand gesture, or a combination of them, and this book addresses all possibilities.Technical solutions to recognise drivers' various behaviours in adaptive automated driving are described with associated implications to the driving quality. Cutting edge insights to improve the human-machine-interface design for safety and driving efficiency are also provided, based on the use of this sensing capability to measure drivers' cognition capability.

Design is a means to satisfy social demands, and such demands come from human desires. Only when individuals' desires fuse and grow into a collective consensus, can they be manifested and conveyed in various landscape forms as new public goods. As a public goods serving human desires and social demands, landscape design faces both challenges and opportunities preceding undergoing public crises. In this issue, LA Frontiers explores the implications of human desires on public behaviours through cross-disciplinary lenses of philosophy, social psychology, cognitive science, cultural studies, anthropology, sociology, history, etc. It would offer inspiring insights for landscape professionals to identity their role in responding to contemporary demands and those of future societies. At present, in view of the spatial isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent prevalence of contactless services, the current conventional space-time narrative may be dramatically changed. The fact that both "observing" and "being observed" now become consumer goods within landscape enables landscape architects to recognise and examine people's suppressed desires and unmet needs, introspect the rationality and necessity of marginal desires, and thus, redefine the sophisticated interactions between landscape design and human desires, as well social demands.