Thesis Finds Research Articles

A Study of Singapore's Tea Trade with China

China is one of the largest exporters of tea, while Singapore is one of the largest importers of tea. In recent years, China has undertaken significant initiatives to open up to the global market, including signing a free trade agreement with Singapore in 2008. Apart from this, Singaporeans have a unique demand for tea. In Singapore, a national performing art known as "long tea" is highly popular, and both the young and old enjoy drinking tea while discussing business or relaxing. This thesis focuses on the current status of the tea trade between China and Singapore, providing an overview of China's tea industry, Singapore's tea market, and practices for promoting tea trade. The purpose of this thesis research is to give readers a deeper understanding of the tea trade patterns between China and Singapore, as well as to contribute to the enhancement of tea trade between the two countries. This thesis reviews the literature on the data of tea trade between China and New Zealand over the years, analyses it and presents the findings through a literature analysis method. This thesis finds that trade can be promoted through some methods, such as innovative tea products, the promotion of Chinese tea culture, and the appropriate reduction of the export price of tea.

Comparative Analysis of Object Detection Models for Sheet Music Recognition: A Focus on YOLO and OMR Technologies

Abstract. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are developing rapidly and are widely used in various domains, it is efficient and convenient for composers to make music using AI to convert sheet music to audio. This research aims to compare the performance of different models in identifying individual notes within sheet music. Compared to traditional technologies like Optical Music Recognition (OMR), deep learning models have a significant advantage in processing blurry images with high efficiency. In the research process, three different models are used in searching for musical notes: OMR, You Only Look Once (YOLO)v5, and YOLOv8. The evaluation index consists of recognition accuracy, mean Average Precision (mAP), inference speed, and parameter quantity. After the experiment, it is found that the YOLO model performs best with high accuracy and fast speed. Based on the above analyses, the thesis finds that the YOLO model can be an efficient tool in composing music, with further research.

Analysis and comparison of biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease

Abstract. Alzheimer's disease (AD), commonly known as dementia, is a neurodegenerative disease that causes memory and cognitive decline. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that causes memory and cognitive deterioration in patients. 70% of the world's more than 50 million elderly patients suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Currently, scholars around the world mainly classify Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients into seven stages from onset to death. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not yet been clarified by studies on different stages, and the main theories include the A- amyloid hypothesis and other theories such as abnormal phosphorylation of Tau protein. The A- amyloid hypothesis proposes that a type of A42 forms a large number of oligomers in the patient's brain due to misfolding and accumulation, which then develop into mature fibres and protofibrils, eventually accumulating into plaques that impede signalling between the patient's nerves and neurons to cause problems in the brain. The Tau protein theory proposes that it is due to over phosphorylation of pTau protein that disrupts the neuronal skeleton and forms neuronal fibre tangles (NFTS) causing impaired axonal transport to affect signalling. fibre tangles (NFTS) causing impaired axonal transport to affect signalling. This review provides an overview of the A amyloid hypothesis and the abnormal phosphorylation of Tau protein hypothesis, and compares their pathogenic mechanisms and proposes ideas to address the different mechanisms. This thesis finds that Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be treated using targeted approaches for different pathogenic mechanisms.

A Study of Fang Huawen’s Chinese Version of Rebecca from the Perspective of Skopos Theory

This paper analyzes Fang Huawen’s Chinese version of Rebecca from the perspective of Skopos Theory. By obtaining the different descriptions in the novel, such as linguistic description, mental description, and environmental description, the essay focuses on discovering how the translator uses Skopos Theory during his translation. Through the analysis, the thesis finds out that Fang’s version combines the features of the original texts and the expression habit in Chinese, which fully demonstrates the original texts. The language of Fang’s version is brief and clear, and the content is coherent, meanwhile, this translation showcases the message from the original text to a great extent. Through studying Fang’s version, the thesis analyzes the translation strategies comprehensively by using the principle of fidelity, conference and skopos. Based on the above three principles, translators can adopt a variety of translation strategies, including domestication, foreignization, addition and subtraction, to translate high-quality translations to meet the needs of readers and disseminate the culture of other countries.

The Study on the Problems of Digitally Disadvantaged Groups in Using Online Medical Registration Public Numbers--Take Changsha Xiangya Hospital as an Example

With the rapid progress of information technology, smart healthcare has been gradually integrated into people's daily lives. People pay more and more attention to their personal health care, and they are willing to invest more time and energy in health care, and start to transition from the original "medical treatment only when there is a disease" to the current "prevention of disease, intervention of disease, and focus on rehabilitation". At the same time, under the combination model of "Internet technology + hospital", patients can make an appointment with a doctor through the online form, which makes it easier and easier to seek medical advice. Changsha Xiangya Hospital, a famous modern medical hospital in Hunan Province, China, provides convenient services with its online medical registration public number, but also faces the challenge of the digitally disadvantaged group's difficulties in using it. The purpose of this paper is to explore in depth the problems encountered by this group in using the online medical registration public number and to propose corresponding optimization suggestions to promote the fairness and universality of medical services. This thesis finds that although the digitally disadvantaged groups is not able to use online medical registration flexibly, they have been presenting a positive learning attitude and are happy to learn about the process of using the online medical registration public number.

Analysis of Immersion and Flow in Cozy Games --Take Journey and Gris as Examples

Flow and immersion are essential criteria for evaluating a game's design quality. In recent years, with the development of society, the design and thinking of games have changed in line with the trend of The Times. People are increasingly seeking ways to release pressure from work and life pressure. Besides battle games creating excitement, cozy games have received more attention from the public. This thesis analyzes the relevant literature to summarize the internal relationship between flow, immersion, and cozy game design and takes the two cozy games, Gris and Journey, as examples. The visuals, the game soundtrack, and the narratology of the two games will be analyzed to prove the excellence of their design and how to make players get a good flow immersion experience. This thesis finds that cozy games, compared to extreme games, prioritize enhancing players' spiritual well-being, and most of these games pay more attention to exploring social issues and the beauty of life. Finally, this thesis will refer to game addiction and how game designers will rethink game design in the future.

Gameful interaction: How principles of game design can be applied to enhance user experiences in non-game applications

In the era of digital transformation, the integration of game design and interaction design has become an important trend, and its scope of application has gone beyond purely entertaining applications. This thesis investigates the principles of gamified interaction with a focus on how game design elements can be utilized to enhance the user experience in non-game applications. The research objective of this thesis is to investigate the effectiveness and limitations of gamification design in a variety of contexts when incorporating it into educational, business, health, and other types of applications. The study employs a mixed research methodology, which includes analysis and comparison of the literature, as well as a specific case study of the Chinese fitness app "Keep" to demonstrate real-world applications. The data for this study came from existing academic papers, app analysis, user feedback and design evaluation. This thesis finds that gamified interactions have a significant impact on user engagement and motivation, providing valuable insights for designers to create more engaging digital environments.

A Framing Metaphorical Analysis of Chinas National Images --Based on the 2021 Economic News Reports on China of The Economist

National image is an important part of Chinas soft power. The Economist uses a large number of metaphorical frames that relate to all aspects of Chinas development. Through these metaphorical frames, The Economist endows reports with its concepts and attitudes towards China, and these metaphorical frames also influence readers in an invisible way. This thesis uses the theory of framing and conceptual metaphor to analyze about 110 economic reports on China in The Economist in 2021. Specifically, three kinds of framing metaphors are discussed. They are war metaphors, sport metaphors, and journey metaphors. By analyzing the national images constructed by metaphors in each frame, the thesis finds that the journal sees China as a rising power, with its rising international status, rapid economic growth, world-leading technology and active participation in global governance, which constructs a positive image of China as a developing and progressive country. However, due to the inherent ideological bias of the West, the report maliciously smears Chinas national image, especially in terms of regime and human power. In addition, it also believes that China restricts freedom of speech and its environmental pollution is serious. In conclusion, The Economist has constructed an overall negative national image of China, which has exerted profound international influence. In the context of profound changes in the international communication environment, the author hopes that this thesis can provide some enlightenment for improving Chinas international discourse power.

Analysis of Holilands Marketing Strategy and Its Operating Advantages and Disadvantages

With the development of globalisation and the improvement of peoples living standards, the size of the global bakery market is also increasing year by year. Peoples acceptance of bakery products continues to rise, the demand is also more and more diversified, in addition to the traditional cake and bread, but also derived from the mousse cake, cheesecake and other different categories. This has naturally given rise to different enterprises and private bakery shops coming out of the blue to attract customers attention. However, if a company wants to go a long way, it cant just work on its products, it is very crucial to choose a reasonable way of doing business and keep up with the times. This thesis focuses on the marketing strategy of Holiland, a popular online brand that mainly sells cheesecake. It is hoped that through the analysis of the brands marketing strategy, the factors applicable to the long-term development of the bakery industry in todays society can be explored. The research is mainly carried out through the methods of literature analysis and case study. This thesis finds that in order to stand out and survive for a long time among many bakery enterprises, the enterprises should make efforts in the location of shops, theme marketing, network marketing, localised marketing, and should also pay attention to the quality of the products and the control of the prices, and only by grasping the details in all aspects can they become the evergreen tree of the bakery industry.

The Analysis of Gender Inequality in Education in Nigeria

In recent years, the awareness of gender equality has been gradually awakened in peoples minds. Nigeria is one of the strongest countries in Africa but still faces problems of poverty, gender discrimination, and social welfare. The paper focuses on analyzing the gender inequality in education in Nigeria, its causes, and suggesting some possible solutions. Analyzing gender inequality in education in Nigeria will provide insight into the impact of ideology and policy on education and provide a new perspective on how gender inequality in education can be improved. The study was conducted through analysis and review of previous literature and comparative data analysis of the entire educational environment in Nigeria, from elementary schools to universities and even the academic sector as a whole. This thesis finds that although gender inequality in education in Nigeria has improved in recent decades, it remains a severe problem, not primarily due to deficiencies in policymaking but rather to the entrenchment of ideas and internalization of behaviors.

Analysis and Research on Chinese-English Intertranslation in the Context of Cross-Cultural Communication

In recent years, with the increasingly frequent exchanges of film and television works around the world, the problem of Chinese-English intertranslation has become more and more prominent, and the influence of cross-cultural communication is expanding. This thesis focuses on the current situation of translation and the analysis of English-Chinese intertranslation in the cross-cultural context, and also lists the representative movie titles and line translations in Chinese and Western movies for comparison. In order to better reflect how intercultural communication affects English-Chinese intertranslation, this paper is studied through literature analysis, comparative analysis and case study method. This thesis finds that the study of intercultural communication is necessary because it has an important influence on English-Chinese intertranslation and can help translators to correct some problems in translation to a certain extent.

A Case Study of the Famous Fantasia under the Development Variation Environment Monitoring to Analyze the Characteristics of the Composition of the Suite.

In order to better grasp the quintessence of Brahms's suite-style piano suite and guide researchers and music creators, this thesis takes Brahms's late representative work Fantasia Op.116 as the research object and attempts based on the perspective of environmental monitoring of development and changes to analyze creative individuality in his seven works as well as the unity of the whole structure under the “developing variation” through elaborating the theory of “developing variation,” the creative features of works in Fantasia Op.116, and the unity of the materials under the “developing variation” from the perspective of creative techniques. The thesis finds that, on the one hand, Brahms used pitch interval structural capacity, nontraditional harmony, personalized rhythmic counterpoint, and prose structure and other specific variation techniques, embodying individuation differences and expanding the techniques used in the classical period; on the other hand, he changed, derived, and extended the theme motivation in works, specifically embodying the using of “developing variation” in his seven works, which solves the problems of unity and interconnectedness among works and provides inspirations for the creation of piano suites by later composers.

When that F is not F. Interpretability, Deixis and Complex Demonstratives

In this paper I defend two claims regarding complex demonstratives (noun phrases of the form “that F”). On the one hand I argue that, when one of these expressions misdescribes the referred object (i.e., when such object is not F), the right semantic analysis is to treat the expression as uninterpretable. On the other, I claim that the uninterpretability thesis finds itself in trouble when it comes to dealing with non-deictic uses of complex demonstratives, i.e., uses of “that F” in which the speaker has no acquaintance or direct perception of any object that could satisfy the predicative material. In order to make these two claims compatible, I set out to modify the way the uninterpretability thesis has been traditionally formulated.

Das phönizische Kolorit von Psalm 45

Abstract Psalm 45 has – apart from its frame – a distinct Phoenician orientation. In addition to the »daughter of Tyre,« there are mythical-theological aspects that point to Phoenicia, such the titling of the king as a god, the pairing of God’s law and justice, and the parallel expression »scepter and throne«; likewise, there are also »civilizational« aspects, such as the emphasis on beauty, clothing, ivory palaces, myrrh, aloes, and cassia, and finally the extensive, primarily female constellation of people in the psalm. This thesis finds support through texts of various origins, but especially from the Old Testament.

Decentralised Autonomous Organisations: Governance, Dispute Resolution and Regulation

This thesis critically evaluates the governance, resolution of disputes and regulation of decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs) through the lens of institutional cryptoeconomics (IC). DAOs, which use smart contracts, and therefore blockchain, are a new type of organisation, which can take many forms, including for-profit and not-for-profit. The primary data used in the thesis are the scholarly and grey literature triangulated with semi-structured interviews from founders and consultants for DAOs, people carrying out work for DAOs and regulators. Governance is vital to DAOs. Given DAOs cannot act outside their rules and because their smart contracts may contain errors or unforeseen events may occur, rule changes are necessary if DAOs are to remain operational. Nor can DAOs act unless they are expressly authorised to do so by their smart contracts. Proposals for rule changes and actions, such as agreeing for work to be done for the DAO, are proposed and voted upon by DAO token holders. A key finding is the complex governance arrangements DAOs use to overcome the challenges of decentralised governance if any token holder can make proposals to the DAO. Those challenges include a lack of strategic oversight and the vetting of proposals. Voting on proposals also varies amongst DAOs. While some DAOs use a traditional one token–one voting scheme, others wary of concentrating power use a range of novel schemes, including reputation-based systems and conviction voting. Despite the use of smart contracts, dispute resolution remains necessary. Traditional dispute resolution institutions are not fit for purpose for most disputes arising within DAOs and people dealing with DAOs. Instead DAOs can use dispute resolution services from emerging online third-party decentralised dispute resolution services (DDRSs). These DDRSs employ various innovative mechanisms, including allowing anyone to appeal a decision, not merely the parties themselves. In cases where the parties have agreed to using a DRRS, the thesis finds that DRRSs’ rulings should not be subject to judicial oversight because of the time and cost involved in court proceedings and the need for finality of decisions. DAOs pose challenges for legal regulation: the default laws of partnership and unincorporated associations are an ill fit. The thesis examines the use of legal wrappers by DAOs. It also explores the attempts to incorporate DAOs into existing legal frameworks through amendments to legislation and the creation of sui generis legislation. The thesis finds that the United States’ limited liability company structures (LLCs) are the best fit for for-profit DAOs and registered unincorporated nonprofit associations for not-for-profit DAOs. This thesis contributes to the literature by critically evaluating three interlinked themes through the lens of IC: DAO governance models, dispute resolution and legal structures for DAOs. It provides greater insight into DAOs as a nascent organisational form and recommendations for reform.

Analysis of Russia's Approach to Kyoto Protocol: Russia's Withdrawal from Second Commitment Period (2013-2020)

In 2004 Russia ratified Kyoto Protocol, one of the international agreements which focuses on climate change mitigation. Kyoto Protocol was established as a framework for countries to mitigate climate change globally by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions accordingly to their respective targets. Russia officially participated in the first commitment period of Kyoto Protocol in 2005 after ensuring the benefits by doing so. Entering the second commitment period, in 2011 Russia decided to withdraw. In consideration of Russia’s position as the largest fossil fuel energy exporter and as a country whose economy is in restoration, Russia’s approach to Kyoto Protocol is based on its interests and benefits which it gains from the framework. This paper analyzes the factors behind Russia’s withdrawal from the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol through the perspective of offensive realism with qualitative methodology. The thesis finds that Russia’s reasoning of withdrawal was an act to protect its national interest, which is economic security, specifically its energy sector.

A Critical Assessment of Blockchain’s Application in Digital Advertising

Many individuals are unaware of the complex behind the scenes processes which facilitate the delivery of digital advertisements on web pages. One such process, known as Real-Time Bidding, involves an automated auction between advertisers, executed in the time that it takes for a user to load a web page. The Real-Time Bidding supply chain is opaque, and involves a multitude of intermediaries, causing significant issues for users, advertisers, and publishers. This thesis assesses the extent to which blockchain technology is able to help alleviate these issues caused by Real-Time Bidding. It does so predominantly through the lens of a solution by Brave Software, which combines a privacy-friendly browser with a new blockchain-based utility token. The thesis focuses on the privacy rights of users, and references a 2019 study by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office which exposed widespread violations by Real-Time Bidding participants of the EU General Data Protection Regulation, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations that implement the EU e-Privacy Directive in the UK. The thesis finds that, as evidenced by the Brave Software solution, it is possible for blockchain to help cure the harms associated with Real-Time Bidding for advertisers, publishers, and users. That said, the adequate protection of users’ privacy rights appears to also depend on the employment of additional technologies alongside the blockchain. The thesis reaches further conclusions regarding the risks of profiling by targeted advertising algorithms such as that employed by Brave Software, and the barriers to fully decentralised blockchain solutions in the digital advertising context.

„Cieszę się, że Państwo Putersznyt przeżyli wojnę i są ze sobą szczęśliwi”. Ryszard Lerczyński – jedyny łódzki Sprawiedliwy

Przez wiele lat w historiografii pokutowało przeświadczenie, że getto łódzkie było całkowicie odcięte od świata zewnętrznego. Ostatnie badania pokazały jednak, że choć poziom izolacji łódzkiej dzielnicy zamkniętej był rzeczywiście większy niż w innych gettach, to nie sposób mówić o jej całkowitej hermetyczności – kontakty, choć na niewielką skalę, były utrzymywane przez cały okres okupacji. Wsparcie udzielone Ruchli Frymar i Chaimowi Putersznytowi przez Ryszarda Lerczyńskiego potwierdza powyższą tezę. Poprzez tę jednostkową opowieść dowiadujemy się, jak wyglądały relacje polsko-żydowskie w Litzmannstadt. Historia jedynego łódzkiego Sprawiedliwego wśród Narodów Świata pozwala zrozumieć uwarunkowania pomocy niesionej Żydom w wielkim mieście, jednocześnie pozostawiając otwartym pytanie, dlaczego tych przypadków było tak niewiele

A Review of the Tax Regime Under the Nigerian Pension Reform Act, 2014

The Nigerian Pension Scheme has passed through several legislative reforms since 1951, the extant pension scheme being the Uniform Contributory Pension Scheme, which is regulated by the Pension Reform Act, 2014 (“PRA, 2014”), which repealed the Pension Reform Act, 2004 (“PRA, 2004”). The PRA, 2014makes it mandatory for employers and employees in both the public and private sectors to contribute towards the retirement benefits of employee, and also makes provision for voluntary contribution by the employee to augment the employee’s savings for retirement. The PRA, 2014 also addressed the sundry issues bedeviling the Nigerian pension system under the previous pension regimes, one of which, was the tax regime under the Nigerian pension scheme. This thesis examines the various reforms that have taken place in the Nigerian pension system, especially in the area of taxation, the taxability of pensions (including cross-border taxation) under the PRA, 2014, and the extent to which the measures provided under the PRA, 2014 towards achieving the objectives of the Nigerian contributory pension scheme, especially in relation to taxation, has impacted in the Nigerian pension scheme, as well as the Nigerian economy. This thesis finds that ordinarily, pension contributions, including the incomes earned thereon, are tax exempt. Under the penultimate regime (PRA, 2004 era), voluntary contributions of employees were taxed when withdrawn within 5 years from the date the voluntary contribution was made; however, it is only the ‘income earned’ from the voluntary contributions that is taxed under the PRA, 2014. Furthermore, the provision for tax under the PRA, 2014 is essentially aimed at discouraging employees from making withdrawals from the pension funds at short intervals of lodgment, given the objective of the scheme - which is to provide employees with a means of securing a good standard of living upon retirement; and to curb the use of the pension to avoid tax payment in Nigeria. Although the PRA, 2014 has reasonably impacted on the Nigerian pension system by ensuring that the major objectives of the pension scheme in Nigeria are achieved, there is still need for improvement in the area of tax administration. In the course of this research, reference will be made to some statutes, case laws (including foreign case laws), as well as text books and articles from renowned authors.

Strategic interaction of environmental regulation and green productivity growth in China: Green innovation or pollution refuge?

The strategic interaction of inter-regional environmental regulation is a typical feature of local government behavior in China, which can affect the green productivity growth in the local region through the Porter effect and the pollution refuge effect. Based on the panel data of 274 prefecture-level cities from 2005 to 2015 in China, this thesis constructs a comprehensive indicator of environmental regulation, accurately identifies the mode of China's inter-regional strategic interaction of environmental regulation and calculates the green total factor productivity, green technology efficiency and green technology progress in 274 cities. In addition, this thesis also conducts an empirical analysis on the effect of the strategic interaction of environmental regulation on the green productivity in China. The author of this thesis finds that: (1) the mode of strategic interaction of environmental regulation in China is complementary “race to the top”, that is, the local region will strengthen its environmental regulation, if the environmental regulations in its adjacent regions are strengthened; (2) the environmental regulation in the local region promotes the green productivity in China, while the weighted environmental regulation in the adjacent regions inhibits the green productivity. What's more, environmental regulations in economic-proximity regions have greater negative spatial spillover effects on green productivity in the local region, compared with those in geographic-proximity regions; (3) environmental regulation in the local region and its adjacent regions can affect the green productivity growth in China through the channels of green innovation and pollution transfer, that is, the Porter effect and pollution refuge effect coexist in China. They mean that in the process of China's regional environmental governance, it is necessary to reduce pollution transfer, and promote green innovation so as to achieve sustainable and high-quality economic development.