This balanced and thoughtful book presents a thorough analysis of the dynamics of China’s foreign relations. Sebastian Heilmann and Dirk H. Schmidt provide a comprehensive and discriminating view of the complex, often competing factors (domestic influences, regional tensions, global uncertainties) that shape Chinese foreign policy. They portray the PRC as a land of multiple identities—a nation that is becoming more assertive in East Asia as it explores novel approaches to its foreign economic policies, while simultaneously displaying thin-skinned sensitivities when confronted with international criticism. The authors argue that unconventional approaches to foreign relations—in particular a unique combination of long-term strategies with multilevel policy experiments—are driving Chinese global expansion. The provocative and challenging final chapter, designed to spur discussion, considers China’s imperial identity warring against the decentralized activities conducted in the “shadow of the empire.” Illicit transnational “guerilla-like” networks have thus become powerful driving forces behind the continued development of China’s foreign policy as well as its foreign-trade relations. The authors contend that the activities of these “niche nomads,” with their largely invisible or chameleon-like presence, constitute the most alarming dimension of China’s foreign relations as they gain ground and resources in many parts of the world with the potential to shake the very foundations of other societies.
This balanced and thoughtful book presents a thorough analysis of the dynamics of China’s foreign relations. Sebastian Heilmann and Dirk H. Schmidt provide a comprehensive and discriminating view of the complex, often competing factors (domestic influences, regional tensions, global uncertainties) that shape Chinese foreign policy. They portray the PRC as a land of multiple identities—a nation that is becoming more assertive in East Asia as it explores novel approaches to its foreign economic policies, while simultaneously displaying thin-skinned sensitivities when confronted with international criticism. The authors argue that unconventional approaches to foreign relations—in particular a unique combination of long-term strategies with multilevel policy experiments—are driving Chinese global expansion. The provocative and challenging final chapter, designed to spur discussion, considers China’s imperial identity warring against the decentralized activities conducted in the “shadow of the empire.” Illicit transnational “guerilla-like” networks have thus become powerful driving forces behind the continued development of China’s foreign policy as well as its foreign-trade relations. The authors contend that the activities of these “niche nomads,” with their largely invisible or chameleon-like presence, constitute the most alarming dimension of China’s foreign relations as they gain ground and resources in many parts of the world with the potential to shake the very foundations of other societies.
The Tarahumara, "people of the edge", live on the boundaries of civilization, in the mountains and canyonlands of Mexico's Sierra Tarahumara. There, in southwestern Chihuahua, terrain terminates at the edge of canyons; there mountains border the sky. In these pages, words by W. Dirk Raat and images by George R. Janecek are testimony to the endurance of the Tarahumara people. Today, roughly fifty thousand Tarahumaras continue living in ways similar to those of their ancestors, retaining many customs from their pre-Columbian past. At the same time, as outsiders modify the environment in an effort to subsist - and to profit - the Tarahumara have adapted their culture in order to survive. Contemporary Tarahumara culture is a product largely of the Jesuit era, from 1607 to 1767. The native people responded to the Spanish either by trying to live beyond the influence of the Church or by becoming Christianized Indians and seeking Church protection. This distinction still can be seen. However, even those who became Christian did not succumb to attempts to eradicate traditional religious and cultural practices. Rather they incorporated Christianity into their own world view. The nineteenth century saw the arrival of gold and silver miners and of American promoters seeking to extend their commercial empire into northern Mexico. The twentieth century has witnessed the Mexican Revolution and the emergence of the "mestizo age". In the canyon homelands of the Tarahumara, railroads and electricity have facilitated extensive timber and copper mining as well as increased tourism.
Everything you need to know about the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin! We've always been told maintaining a healthy sleep cycle is of utmost importance to your day-to-day health. But have we ever been told why? Anyone familiar with chronobiology (the science of natural physiological rhythms) knows that the hormone melatonin is the foundation hormone for the circadian rhythm research. In fact, melatonin and sleep research is one of the most fundamental and best-known rhythms in the human body. Disturbance of the melatonin cycle due to any reason interferes with the sleep/wake cycle, which ultimately leads to a number of other neurobehavioral and psychological problems. Due to the widespread misuse of light at night, modern societies no longer hold a clear distinction between day and night. This increase in light pollution at night interferes with the ability of the pineal gland to produce and disperse melatonin properly. As a result, either no or a severely dampened melatonin rhythm exists in individuals exposed to artificial light during the normal dark hours, which includes most people living in cities and in all individuals who work at night. This suppression of a distinct melatonin rhythm and all other biological cycles represents a serious perturbation of the biological clock of many organs, contributing to pathophysiology. Dr. Fauteck also addresses the impact of proper supplemental melatonin and various studies and research done on the topic. Melatonin has been widely used to correct problems of sleep disorders, and while this book looks into that research further and breaks down the impact of melatonin and sleep, it also addresses research that addresses melatonin use for its ability to regulate the circadian clock in general and impact other areas of health such oxidative stress, neuropsychiatric disorders, headaches, chronic pain, digestion, diabetes, fertility, pregnancy, cancer, and many age-related diseases. In this book, Dr. Fauteck summarizes critical information related to the necessity of maintaining regular biological rhythms and describes the pathological consequences of circadian rhythm disturbances. He provides a clear description of how melatonin is produced and secreted, how the prevailing artificially imposed light/dark cycle can disturb its rhythm, and how this translates into other potential pathologies.
This undergraduate text develops the geometry of plane and space, leading up to conics and quadrics, within the context of metrical, affine, and projective transformations. 1953 edition.
Historical stone arch bridges are still a major part of the infrastructure in many countries. Although this type of bridge has proven to be an efficient construction type, it often poses the problem of insufficient numerical models of the load bearing behavior. Therefore the book introduces methods to adapt life loads and introduces different types of numerical models of the load resistance respectively. The book continues with the introduction of specific damages and strengthening techniques. The book particularly focuses on the probabilistic safety assessment of historical arch bridges, for which often only limited material and structural data is available.
This book examines EU and US bilateral trade and investment relations with China, their attempts to level the economic playing field and to narrow the ‘reciprocity gap’ in market openness. It explores the extent of EU and US policy change, the underlying factors accounting for this change and compares EU and US foreign economic policy answers to an adversary increasingly perceived as an unfair economic competitor and as a systemic rival. The book covers a broad range of policy areas from ‘trade wars’, trade defense instruments, their reform and use, investment screening, and export control to industrial policies. It makes eclectic use of different strands of International Relations, International Political Economy and Policy Analysis theorizing to account for the extent of, and differences in, the EU and US responses. The People’s Republic of China’s stellar economic and political rise combined with the resilience of its unfair trade practices, its reinforced authoritarian repression at home and its ever more assertive foreign (economic) policy has triggered a shift in perceptions of China, followed by equally profound policy change in the European Union and the US. This book expertly charts and explains this significant shift in stance. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners in the fields of EU trade policymaking, US foreign/ foreign economic policy, EU-China-US economic relations, European political economy, and more broadly to European studies, Asian studies, International Relations, International Political Economy, and transatlantic relations.
Auf dem neuesten “Stand der Technik” präsentiert sich das Buch noch übersichtlicher mit einer neu gegliederten, äußerst benutzerfreundlichen Darbietung des Stoffes. Das Fachwissen wurde dabei konzentriert und komprimiert auf die für Architekten und Bauingenieure relevanten Sachverhalte und Zusammenhänge. Komplett neu gestaltet wurde der umfangreiche Abbildungsteil mit hochwertigen Zeichnungen zur bildhaften Kommentierung des Textes. Um im Technischen Ausbau mit der technologischen Entwicklung, den steigenden Komfortansprüchen und den Erfordernissen eines wirtschaftlichen und umweltfreundlichen Umgangs mit der Energie Schritt zu halten, ist der “Wellpott/ Bohne” weiterhin ein unverzichtbares Grundlagenbuch.
Intermetallic compounds play an extraordinary role in daily life for construction materials and well-defined functions that are based on their specific chemical and physical properties, e.g. magnetism and superconductivity. High-tech materials are meanwhile indispensable in our technology-driven information society. The Periodic Table comprises more than 80 metallic elements which offer an incredible potential for formation of binary, ternary and even multinary intermetallic compounds with peculiar crystal structures and properties. The present textbook introduces into the basics of intermetallic chemistry with an emphasis on crystal chemistry and selected chemical and physical properties.
Meteorological variables affect composition, structure, growth, health, and dynamics of forest ecosystems. The measurement of meteorological data at forest monitoring plots is essential for the interpretation of climate change effects. Within an ecological monitoring network, standard meteorological variables such as precipitation, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, wind velocity, and direction should be measured. These variables are essential for the calculation of total deposition of air pollutants, for the interpretation of biological processes or for the derivation of water budgets and percolation from the rooting zone. Additional variables of interest are soil temperature, stand precipitation, and soil moisture. The magnitude and changes in time of the meteorological variables can be assessed as explanatory factors for other observations made in forest ecological monitoring. A detailed description of different methods is given. As an example for an integrated analysis, the application of meteorological data in water budget modeling is described and results of a pilot study are shown.
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