Great Leap Forward Research Articles

An Impossible Healing? Representation of Doctors in Fictional Works about the Great Famine (1958-62) in China

From Lu Xun’s choice to heal Chinese people with a literary movement instead than medicine in 1922 to “scar literature” (shanghen wenxue 伤痕文学), which first re-elaborated Maoist past in the late 1970s, the metaphor of the “cure” has been widely used to describe the function of literature within Chinese society since modern times. It seems therefore justified to read the representation of medicine in fictional works, especially those dealing with historical trauma, as an allegory. In the paper, I examine in these terms the recounting of the famine that stroke the Chinese countryside after the Great Leap Forward (1958-62), a period chosen both for its contested inclusion in collective memory and for the representation of illness it imposes. From an overview of some of the few novels set in those years (by authors such as Zhang Yigong, Liu Qingbang, Zhi Liang, Yan Lianke, Mo Yan), a recurrent negative connotation of the doctors emerges: when not directly harmful, they are either absent, passive, or impeded in acting. I suggest that this pessimistic depiction symbolizes not only the historically attested neglect of, and refusal to “heal”, rural areas during the crisis, but also literature’s struggle to play a therapeutic role in a context of denied collective trauma.

Achieving 2.1% Efficiency in Alpha‐Voltaic Cell Based on Silicon Carbide Transducer

Alpha‐voltaic cell is a type of micro nuclear battery that provides several decades of reliable power in the nanowatt to microwatt range, supplying for special applications where traditional chemical batteries or solar cells are difficult to operate. However, the power conversion efficiency of the alpha‐voltaic cells reported are still far behind the theoretical limit, making the development of alpha‐voltaic cell challenging. Developing advanced semiconductor transducers with higher efficiency in converting the energy of alpha particles into electric energy is proving to be necessary for realizing high‐power conversion efficiency. Herein, we propose an alpha‐voltaic cell based on SiC PIN transducer that includes a sensitive region with an area of 1 cm2, a width of 51.2 μm, and a charge collection efficiency of 95.6% at 0 V bias. We find that optimizing the unintentional doping concentration and crystal quality of the SiC epitaxial layer can significantly increase the absorption and utilization of the energy of alpha particles, resulting in a 2.4‐fold enhancement in power conversion efficiency compared with that of the previous study. Electrical properties of the SiC alpha‐voltaic cell are measured using an He‐ion accelerator as the equivalent α‐radioisotopes, with the best power conversion efficiency of 2.10% and maximum output power density of 406.66 nW cm−2 is obtained. Our research makes a big leap in SiC alpha‐voltaic cell, bridging the gap between micro nuclear batteries and practical applications in micro‐electromechanical systems, micro aerial vehicles, and tiny satellites.

From an Ideal Village to a Cultural Landscape: Rediscovering People’s Commune Heritage

As an important ideal social practice in world history, the people’s commune system and its organized architectural activities took the first step in promoting rural modernization in modern China and had a significant impact on the built environment of urban and rural areas. This study aims to discuss how to view the legacy of rural people’s communes in service of contemporary society. Taking the Weixing Commune, which was the earliest established commune in China in 1958, as an example, through a comparative study of relevant planning and construction archives and the literature, combined with onsite investigations and through the perspective of the cultural landscape, this study delves into the history of local rural construction and sorts out the types, specific compositions, and value elements of the commune’s remains from four dimensions: environment, industry, architecture, and memory. The heritage of the people’s commune is unique. It was a comprehensive transformation of land to farmland, water conservancy, and other natural environmental patterns carried out by residents and related professionals to realize the ideal life of socialism and ultimately resulted in the shaping of a unique type of cultural landscape, presenting the coexistence of political landscapes that hold ideals and vernacular landscapes that carry life.

Formulating the complete initial boundary value problem in numerical relativity to model black hole echoes

Abstract In an attempt to simulate black hole echoes (generated by potential quantum-gravitational structure) in numerical relativity, we recently described how to implement a reflecting boundary outside of the horizon of a black hole in spherical symmetry. Here, we generalize this approach to spacetimes with no symmetries and implement it numerically using the generalized harmonic formulation. We cast the evolution equations and the numerical implementation into a Summation By Parts (SBP) scheme, which seats our method closer to a class of provably numerically stable systems. We implement an embedded boundary numerical framework that allows for arbitrarily shaped domains on a rectangular grid and even boundaries that evolve and move across the grid. As a demonstration of this framework, we study the evolution of gravitational wave scattering off a boundary either inside, or just outside, the horizon of a black hole. This marks a big leap toward the goal of a generic framework to obtain gravitational waveforms for behaviors motivated by quantum gravity near the horizons of merging black holes.

A Great Leap Forward: Changing Landscape of Shadow Energy-Maritime Economy Off the Coast of Nigeria

The Atlantic coast of Nigeria, especially the Niger Delta corridor is a dynamic energy-maritime space. The region witnesses a trend in continuous evolution, propelled by the intersection of the upper world and underworld economic activities, with several individual and institutional actors at its core. The underworld end of the socio-economic spectrum on which this coastal region of Nigeria is anchored is known for its robustness and has attracted significant scholarly attention. In furtherance of scholarly interrogation of the region’s informal economy, this paper critically analyses the pervasiveness, entrenchment, and dynamics of shadow energy activities in the Niger Delta. Primarily, in a theoretical construction, the study discusses trends, patterns, and overlaps in the transition of energy-maritime shadow activities in the region. The study adopts a qualitative research method; combining primary data with a synthesis of the extant literature on the region’s shadow economy and the involvement of organised crime in the region’s energy-maritime landscape. The objective of the study flows from the fact of a great leap forward in shadow economy in the region through different social realities- grievance, greed, illegality, and organised crime. The paper develops a hybrid theory of crime; enterprise-value chain as an analytical archetype to explain the latest stage in the evolution of the underworld, shadow energy-maritime activities off the coast of Nigeria.

Great Leaps Forward in Brain-Computer Interfaces for ALS Communication

Great Leaps Forward in Brain-Computer Interfaces for ALS Communication

Government dishonesty, trust and cooperative behaviour: Evidence from China's Great Leap Forward

Government dishonesty, trust and cooperative behaviour: Evidence from China's Great Leap Forward

The Broken Human–Object Continuum: The Technological Future and Socialist Contradictions inRhapsody of the Ming Tombs Reservoir(1958)

AbstractThe third section ofRhapsody of the Ming Tombs Reservoir(Shisanling shuiku changxiangqu十三陵水库畅想曲, 1958), the first film in Mao-era China to include elements of science fiction, envisions a technologically advanced future in the year 1978. While seemingly aligned with the rapid industrialization goal of the Great Leap Forward, the film’s techno-fantasy attracted blistering criticism. Focusing on the overlooked historical debate that followed the release of the film, this article argues that criticism regarding the visualization of a technological future reveals how seemingly legitimate imaginations of a communist future reflect internal contradictions within the socialist present. Reading the film and the debate it sparked within the context of technological development in the late 1950s, this article identifies one locus of criticism: the human–object relationship. During the construction of the reservoir, the film shows a harmonious human–object relationship, but the futuristic part of the film depicts that relationship as profoundly alienated. I argue that this discontinuity does not betray ignorance of or an intentional departure from socialist ideology; rather, it reflects ideological contradictions between intellectual and manual labor, egalitarianism and class difference, industrialization processes and revolutionary agendas. In its rhapsodic depiction of advanced devices that consolidate the division of knowledge, the film unintentionally lays bare a fundamental conflict that was undermining the socialist system in the real world.

The Right to Use Cash: A Case Study of India

India is facing a shift towards a cashless society using alternative methods for payment transactions based on electronic and digital means. It is a country with the fastest growing economy in the world and a heterogeneous population. The country's digitalisation of money transactions is growing and is applied in all government transactions and has taken a big leap in many spheres of its operations, which brings inclusiveness in society. The important motives behind this is to provide basic banking services to hitherto unbanked masses and to curb black money, tax evasion and the threat of terrorism. However, the peripheral parts of the society like, poor, elderly, physically challenged and others may be deprived of the benefits of financial systems due to their limitations in benefitting from the digital transformation. A cashless society may not be in the interests of these groups and it may result in social exclusion rather than inclusion. However, consumers need to have the right to choose their preferred payment method and there should be adequate availability of cash and ATMs. Eliminating cash would have negative consequences and may have adverse effects on these populations. This paper takes a look into the aspects of the right of the public as a consumer in choosing cash as the payment method of her convenience and choice.

Taking the Big Leap | understanding, accessing and improving behavioural science interventions.

Applied behaviour science's focus on individual-level behaviours has led to overestimation of and reliance on biases and heuristics in understanding behaviour and behaviour change. Behaviour-change interventions experience difficulties such as effect sizes, validity, scale-up, and long-term sustainability. One such area where we need to re-examine underlying assumptions for behavioural interventions in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis (TB) prevention, which seek population-level benefits and sustained, measurable impact. This requires taking a "Big Leap." In our view, taking the big leap refers to using a behavioural science-informed approach to overcome the chasms due to misaligned assumptions, tunnel focus, and overweighting immediate benefits, which can limit the effectiveness and efficiency of public health programmes and interventions. Crossing these chasms means that decision-makers should develop a system of interventions, promote end-user agency, build choice infrastructure, embrace heterogeneity, recognise social and temporal dynamics, and champion sustainability. Taking the big leap toward a more holistic approach means that policymakers, programme planners, and funding bodies should "Ask" pertinent questions to evaluate interventions to ensure they are well informed and designed.

From A Supervisor To A Plantation Owner

The looming financial crisis threatened to transform Mr. Rostam's thriving agribusiness into a sinking ship, casting a shadow of uncertainty over his entrepreneurial dreams. The once-promising future now appeared murky and fraught with challenges, leaving him to navigate the business desperately to keep his venture afloat. It is a test of resilience, innovation, and unwavering determination as he grapples with the harsh realities of an uncertain market. With limited resources, he coped with more of the challenges of a struggling business. The road ahead seemed daunting, with uncertainty lurking at every turn. Mr. Rostam pondered over the situation, feeling the weight of responsibility on his shoulders; he muttered, "The business has reached the critical point, and failure was not an option”. Mr. Rostam has to look for the right opportunity and decide about taking the next big leap of faith to start his next agriculture business venture. Terengganu Agrotech Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (TADC) looking for proposals to develop a large palm oil plantation farm in Terengganu state. Mr. Rostam has to develop the right plan with a partner that can invest in the proposed corporate farming project.

Great leap forward famine exposure and urban-rural migration convolute the modern prevalence of diabetes in China

BackgroundAlthough evidence from birth cohort analysis has indicated the metabolic risk of early-life exposure to the Great Leap Forward Famine (GLFF) in China, three confounding effects, including the exposure windows, aging, and geographical variations in famine severity, have been brought to debates for a decade. This study aimed to address these confounding effects and extensively examine how GLFF exposure is associated with diabetes risk in mid-to-late life and its interaction with urban-rural migration.MethodsData from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) were analyzed with age-stratification and stepped wedge approaches. Weighted prevalence and multivariable logistic regression were used to investigate the effects of GLFF exposure and urban-rural migration on mid-to-late life diabetes risk and the interaction between GLFF exposure and urban-rural migration. Birth provinces were controlled as a fixed effect to account for variations in famine severity across provinces.ResultsCompared to those who were never exposed to GLFF, fetal GLFF exposure was associated with a higher risk of adult-onset diabetes after controlling for provinces, demographics, and health statuses. Yet, after adding the proxy of childhood growth environments into the model, fetal exposure to GLFF was not significantly associated with adult-onset diabetes risk (OR = 1.22, p = 0.10), compared to those who were never exposed to GLFF. Across the three age-stratification groups, static urban residents, in general, had a higher risk of diabetes compared to static rural residents. Interaction effects between GLFF exposure and urban-rural migration were insignificant across all three age-stratification groups.ConclusionFetal exposure to GLFF might have a traceable effect on adult-onset diabetes risk. Yet, the growth environment and urban lifestyle outweigh and further confound the impact of GLFF exposure on adult-onset diabetes risk.

Young Scientists and Model Children

Abstract During the Great Leap Forward (1958–1961), the state attempted to rapidly transform the country into a socialist, industrial powerhouse, necessitating the mobilisation of all members of society, including children. This article demonstrates that during the Great Leap Forward in particular, periodicals, storybooks, and newspaper stories portrayed children as independent problem-solvers and political actors, who often acted outside of, and sometimes in defiance of, adult authority. However, during this period, in daily life, teachers, parents, and Young Pioneer counsellors rewarded children for many aspects of the same behaviour as in the early years of the PRC: studying hard, helping one’s classmates, supporting the teacher, doing chores at home, and being kind and obedient to adults and authority figures. Thus, the heroic child of national media and the obedient child of daily life diverged significantly during the Great Leap Forward.

Ultra-Small High-Entropy Alloy as Multi-Functional Catalyst for Ammonia Based Fuel Cells.

Ammonia fuel cells using carbon-neutral ammonia as fuel are regarded as a fast, furious, and flexible next-generation carbon-free energy conversion technology, but it is limited by the kinetically sluggish ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Platinum can efficiently drive these three types of reactions, but its scale-up application is limited by its susceptibility to poisoning and high cost. In order to reduce the cost and alleviate poisoning, incorporating Pt with various metals proves to be an efficient and feasible strategy. Herein, PtFeCoNiIr/C trifunctional high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalysts are prepared with uniform mixing and ultra-small size of 2 ± 0.5nm by Joule heating method. PtFeCoNiIr/C exhibits efficient performance in AOR (Jpeak = 139.8 A g-1 PGM), ORR (E1/2 = 0.87V), and HER (E10 = 20.3 mV), outperforming the benchmark Pt/C, and no loss in HER performance at 100mA cm-2 for 200 h. The almost unchanged E1/2 in the anti-poisoning test indicates its promising application in real fuel cells powered by ammonia. This work opens up a new path for the development of multi-functional electrocatalysts and also makes a big leap toward the exploration of cost-effective device configurations for novel fuel cells.

Concept of Third Eye in Indian Mythology

Revelation of significance of metopic suture in medical science is a big leap forward. Persistence of that suture gives communication in between Olfactory, Trigeminal and Facial nerves. Olfactory has direct connection to forebrain without the intervention of thalamus. This makes the show of ‘rapid fire’ so popular in TV where questions are asked and answered in jet speed. In Hindu mythology, the Nasion concept was known and they drew Lord Shiva with a third eye and Yoga practitioners focus their attention to Nasion for better cerebral introspection provided metopic suture persists and previous nerves communicate with each other over there.

Comparative Analysis of the First Five Year Plan of the Soviet Union and the Great Leap Forward of China

NA

Between Freedom and Order: Evolution logic of urban-rural population mobility Policy from the perspective of historical institutionalism

Urban-rural population flow is the key element and important driving force for urban-rural integration development and rural revitalization. The pattern of urban-rural population flow in China is restricted and guided by policies. From the perspective of historical institutionalism, this paper analyzes the evolution context, structural logic and dynamic mechanism of the change of urban and rural population mobility policy. The urban and rural population mobility policy has gone through five historical stages: the order reconstruction period at the beginning of the founding of New China, the political call period after the Great Leap Forward Movement, the free flow period after the reform and opening up, the period of making the best use of the situation under the economic system reform and the accelerated integration period under the background of the new era. The institutional choice under different paths, the institutional evolution under the key nodes and the institutional continuation under the path dependence constitute the structural logic of the policy change of urban-rural population mobility. The situation coupling under the action of exogenous variables, the value coupling promoted by the change of ideas, and the subject coupling under the interaction of actors’ game constitute the dynamic mechanism of policy change, which promotes the historical change and realistic development of policy.

You just have to take a big leap! Authentic teaching and learning in the technology program at an upper secondary school

AbstractIn literature, teaching for an authentic learning experience is seen as rewarding and interesting, promoting better understanding of for example sustainable development and fostering students’ independence. Some upper secondary schools emphasise authentic teaching and learning on their websites, showcasing how students engage in authentic tasks. We are interested in examining how authentic teaching is implemented in practice and what enables it. Therefore, we investigate a specific practice where authentic teaching occurs, and we follow students and teachers. We want to understand what may be required to implement authentic teaching. The research questions were: What characterises authentic teaching and learning when students on the technology program work on their design projects and individual pieces of work? How is authentic teaching and learning facilitated? Students in Year 3 of the technology program engaged in a project where they studied residential apartments’ resource use and climate impact using sensors. They visited the energy research team, learned about the technology and data collection, and completed own upper secondary school projects related to sensor technology, programming, and data analysis. These were meant to be characterised by authenticity according to the school’s procedures. Data was collected through interviews, observations, and analysis of video material, sound recordings, and field notes. The analysis revealed that the teaching exhibited characteristics of authentic learning, facilitated by early exposure, teacher empowerment, and strong support from management and resources. The results thus show both the characteristics of how the teaching is organized and how teachers handle students’ learning, as well as the organizational factors at the specific school that enable it.

An optoacoustic field-programmable perceptron for recurrent neural networks.

Recurrent neural networks (RNNs) can process contextual information such as time series signals and language. But their tracking of internal states is a limiting factor, motivating research on analog implementations in photonics. While photonic unidirectional feedforward neural networks (NNs) have demonstrated big leaps, bi-directional optical RNNs present a challenge: the need for a short-term memory that (i) programmable and coherently computes optical inputs, (ii) minimizes added noise, and (iii) allows scalability. Here, we experimentally demonstrate an optoacoustic recurrent operator (OREO) which meets (i, ii, iii). OREO contextualizes the information of an optical pulse sequence via acoustic waves. The acoustic waves link different optical pulses, capturing their information and using it to manipulate subsequent operations. OREO's all-optical control on a pulse-by-pulse basis offers simple reconfigurability and is used to implement a recurrent drop-out and pattern recognition of 27 optical pulse patterns. Finally, we introduce OREO as bi-directional perceptron for new classes of optical NNs.

INTEPRETASI TRADISI ADAT JAWA RUWATAN DALAM FILM PRIMBON KARYA RUDI SOEDJARWO

The increasingly rapid growth of the Indonesian film industry has experienced big leaps to date with many themes and film genre variants emerging for entertainment and conveying messages to its target audience. One of the films that always has a special audience and its own audience is films with the horror genre, and the horror film genre in Indonesian films has experienced a lot of rapid progress apart from the cinematography, setting, and content and stories from discussing religion and myths circulating in the world. society and currently there are more and more horror films highlighting Indonesian culture which is indeed diverse and interesting to discuss in a film's narrative. The aim of this research is to describe the interpretation of 'Ruwatan' from the horror film PRIMBON by director Rudi Soedjarwo. This qualitative research uses content analysis and historical analysis regarding the exact role of 'Ruwatan' in this film which has a big impact on Javanese culture in Indonesia. with the results of the analysis that the film 'Primbon' succeeded in introducing the ruwatan procession as a Javanese culture and custom that is very essential and cannot be replaced, because it is used as an important procession in salvation to eliminate disasters, a wider audience can understand this with the media films and film directors do not need to change the narrative or context to a more cinematic one, the actual procession can be shown as it is. Culture and customs are very relevant as narratives in films not only because of trends or market accommodation but for the broader purpose of introducing culture and customs by using film as a mass medium that can reach a wider audience.