Contradictory Relationship Research Articles

Low-temperature induced enhancement of corrosion/wear resistance in inverse nacre-like graphene-based waterborne coatings

The poor corrosion resistance of Mg alloys severely limits their industrial application. In this work, an inverse nacre-like waterborne coating composed of polyvinyl alcohol/glutaraldehyde (PVA/GA) and graphene oxide/glutaraldehyde (GO/GA) was prepared on Mg alloys. The in-situ heat treatment was applied to reduce hydrophilic transport channels within the bonding network and multilayer GO. The hydrophobicity of RGO sheets was increased owing to the thermal removal of oxygen-containing functional groups. Meanwhile, the heat-treated PVA/GA enriched with acetal linkage network performs “interlock effect” between the reduced graphene oxide/glutaraldehyde (RGO/GA) layers, inhibiting the interface delamination. Therefore, the thermally reduced graphene-based waterborne coating exhibited stable maze effect with extended hydrophobic barrier path. Besides, the low shear coordination of PVA/GA and RGO/GA weakened the contradictory relationship between the relative slipping and bonding strength of GO/RGO sheets, which effectively decreased the wear rate of samples, forming mechanical durability protection for the substrate. Therefore, the coating exhibits integrated corrosion/wear protection performance.

Research on the Hot Deformation Process of A100 Steel Based on High-Temperature Rheological Behavior and Microstructure.

To obtain the optimal hot deformation process, the rheological and dynamic recrystallization behaviors of A100 steel were researched through isothermal compression tests. Firstly, a Hensel-Spittel constitutive model was established based on the stress-strain curves. Secondly, dynamic recrystallization percentage and grain size models were established to identify the necessary conditions for complete dynamic recrystallization. Finally, microstructural analysis was employed to validate the accuracy of the recrystallization model. The results indicate that the flow stress is highly sensitive to both the strain rate and the temperature, and the HS model demonstrates a high predictive accuracy, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9914. There exists a contradictory relationship between decreasing the average grain size and increasing the recrystallization percentage. The higher the percentage of dynamic recrystallization, the larger the average grain size tends to be. This situation should be avoided when devising the actual processing procedures. The optimal hot working processes for achieving complete dynamic recrystallization and a smaller average grain size are as follows: a strain equal to or greater than 0.6, a temperature between 1193 and 1353 K, and a strain rate between 0.1 and 1 s-1.

The water-food-energy nexus evaluation and optimization of cropping system in the North China Plain: A case of county scale

Water, energy, and food, which are closely related to human beings, have been proposed by the Sustainable Development Goals, and there are closely related but contradictory relationships among the three. As one of China's main grain-producing regions, the North China Plain (NCP) with dominant grain-oriented cropping system is faced with severe challenges for agricultural sustainable development, such as water and energy shortages, as well as grain safeguard. In this study, a “TKL-WEFN” model combining Tapio decoupling, Kaya, and LMDI was used to evaluate the synergistic relationship from the water-energy-food (WEF) and determine the key drivers taking Wuqiao County in the NCP as a case. The results showed as follows: the synergistic relationship between water-food, as well as energy-food, showed a “M” shaped fluctuation trend from 2009 to 2018 in Wuqiao County. The best performance was achieved in 2011 and 2016, with the state of high yield and low resource consumption. Food increased by 9.43% and 3.52%, while water resources decreased by 5.95% and 8.91%, and energy decreased by 5.36% and 2.15% in 2011 and 2016, respectively. The changes in water consumption for irrigation and fossil energy consumption per unit area of maize and cotton, as well as the adjustment of planting structure, are the main factors affecting the sustainability of crop systems from 2009 to 2018. Water-saving irrigation, no-tillage, and cropping system transformation can improve resources supply and demand, saving 4.61%–50.27% (with an average of 19.47%) of water consumption and 1.91%–13.08% (with an average of 6.45%) of energy consumption by scenarios analysis. Therefore, changing grain-oriented cropping system while maintaining food security and developing water-saving irrigation technology can accelerate the realization of green agriculture.

Firm-specific investor sentiment and earnings management: evidence from Brazil

PropósitoEl propósito de este estudio es investigar la influencia del sentimiento de los inversionistas a nivel de empresa en la manipulación contable de las empresas brasileñas entre 2010 y 2018. El documento pretende aportar una visión más profunda sobre la relación entre las expectativas de los inversores y la toma de decisiones de los gestores en un mercado emergente.Diseño/metodologia/enfoqueusamos el enfoque cuantitativo y aplicamos un modelo de regresión lineal múltiple para probar la relación entre las acumulaciones anormales, el índice de sentimiento de los inversores a nivel de empresa y las variables de control. La muestra final incluye datos de 175 empresas, entre 2010 y 2018.HallazgosLos resultados revelan una asociación negativa entre el sentimiento de los inversores a nivel de empresa y la manipulación contable basada em acumulaciones, lo que podría significar que la propensión al riesgo de los administradores a manipular las ganancias aumenta cuando enfrentan pérdidas conocidas en el mercado de capitales.Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigaciónlos resultados de la investigación proporcionan una valiosa comprensión de cómo las expectativas de los mercados de capitales emergentes pueden influir en las decisiones de gestión, como la manipulación contable basada en acumulaciones. El área geográfica de estudio se limitó únicamente a Brasil y, en consecuencia, los hallazgos y conclusiones del estudio tuvieron sus límites.Originalidad/valorestudios anteriores sobre mercados desarrollados muestran que el sentimiento de los inversores a nivel de mercado influye positivamente en la manipulación contable. Sin embargo, el presente estudio muestra que el índice de sentimiento de los inversores a nivel de empresa tiene una relación significativa y negativa con la manipulación de las ganancias de las empresas brasileñas, mientras que el sentimiento del mercado indica una relación contradictoria en estudios anteriores en el país.

Quantifying the direct and indirect relationships linking the environment, seagrass, and their associated fauna

AbstractFoundation species such as seagrasses modulate critical ecosystem processes, promote biodiversity, and structure community spatial and temporal dynamics. Hence, they play a key role in mediating the response of biodiversity to environmental changes. The breadth of their contribution to biodiversity maintenance and the potential cascading effects of their alteration remain unclear as we lack a comprehensive understanding of the intricate mechanisms governing their response to environmental changes and that of their associated fauna. Indeed, the mechanisms involved are often studied in isolation or at scales that only provide incomplete representations of the complex functioning of these ecosystems. This study aimed to clarify the direct and indirect relationships linking the environment, seagrass, and their associated faunal assemblages, using structural equation modeling (SEM). To this end, we review the literature to derive theoretical models of the functioning of seagrass ecosystems and test them using long‐term monitoring data covering 14 years of nine different Zostera marina seagrass beds across 500 km of coastline. We show that contradictory relationships and ambiguities regarding seagrass–biodiversity relationships emerge from the currently available literature (covering experimental, observational, and modeling studies). The SEM approach allowed us to clarify these direct and indirect relationships and resolve most ambiguities. In particular, we show that seagrass mediates the effect of the environment on its associated communities. However, this mediating effect is different, both qualitatively and quantitatively, for epifauna and infauna. Unexpectedly, the diversity of benthic macrofauna appeared to be controlled and promoted by the biomass rather than by the shoot density of the seagrass beds. We also provide quantitative estimates for the direct and cascading pathways linking seagrass biodiversity to environmental changes. Overall, by synthesizing, clarifying, and quantifying the multiple relationships linking a foundation species such as seagrass to its environment and associated biodiversity, we contribute to a better understanding of seagrass meadows functioning and help predict the potential consequences of foundation species alteration on their associated fauna.

Rosyjskojęzyczni pisarze w transnarodowej literackiej przestrzeni Białorusi w latach 20. i na początku lat 30. XX wieku: paradoksy i nieuchronność niepowodzenia kolektywnego projektu

In the years 1922–1936 in the Belarusian Soviet republic there were four official languages: Belarusian, Yiddish, Polish and Russian. There were educational institutions, theatres, print publishing houses and literary organizations of national minorities, including Latvian and Lithuanian. Russian-speaking authors who started in the circles of workers’ correspondents (rabkors) and literary studios, by 1926 formed the group “Zvenya” (“Links”), from which in 1927 the group “Minsky Pereval” (“Minsk Pass”) was separated. In the studies devoted to the Belarusian-Russian literary interrelations and the history of Russian-language literature in Belarus, the activities of this group are not presented. The article fills this gap and offers new aspects for considering the problem of Belarusian-Russian relations and non-Belarusianlanguage literature in Belarus. Despite a significant number of studies, both problems remain relevant. The material of the article controverts the ideologically biased position that considers Belarus as an indigenous part of the “Russian world”, and at the same time proposes a popular one in literary studies in relation to the period of the 16th–19th centuries (sometimes also the 20th century) the concept of “multilingual literature of Belarus”. The article traces the stages of the institutionalized existence of Russian-speaking group in the Belarusian literary space, from contradictory relations with the influential association “Maladniak” (“Saplings”) to the establishment of the Union of Soviet Writers (1934). It was used the archival documents, publications of Russian-language authors of the 1920s and early 1930s, and the verbatim report of the First Congress of Soviet Writers.

The Potential of the Adzuki Bean (Vigna angularis) and Its Bioactive Compounds in Managing Type 2 Diabetes and Glucose Metabolism: A Narrative Review.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common noncommunicable disease. In the United States alone, 37 million Americans had diabetes in 2017. The adzuki bean (Vigna angularis), a legume, has been reported to possess antidiabetic benefits. However, the extent and specific mechanisms through which adzuki bean consumption may contribute to T2D prevention and management remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review is to analyze current evidence supporting the utilization of adzuki beans in the diet as a strategy for preventing and managing T2D. Animal studies have demonstrated a positive impact of adzuki beans on managing T2D. However, supporting data from humans are limited. Conversely, the potential of adzuki bean consumption in preventing T2D via modulating two T2D risk factors (obesity and dyslipidemia) also lacks conclusive evidence. Animal studies have suggested an inconsistent and even contradictory relationship between adzuki bean consumption and the management of obesity and dyslipidemia, in which both positive and negative relationships are reported. In sum, based on the existing scientific literature, this review found that the effects of adzuki bean consumption on preventing and managing T2D in humans remain undetermined. Consequently, human randomized controlled trials are needed to elucidate the potential benefits of the adzuki bean and its bioactive components in the prevention and management of T2D.

Old Wine in New Bottles. Narrative complexity in the dawn of Netflix Originals (2013-2017)

This article explores how the first five years of Netflix Originals dramatic storytelling fit the “Complex TV” label that Mittell defined, with its innovative season-drop delivery strategy. We focus on one narratological device: the delimited flashback, the predominant type of analepsis in the 33 pilot episodes that made up our sample. Although the delimited flashbacks analyzed are semantically diverse, the discussion combines quantitative data with a qualitative analysis focusing on three key elements: the objects and places that trigger the characters’ memories, the contradictory or parallel relationship between timeframes, and the violation of boundaries between narrative layers.

Метаморфозы бюджета времени и интенсивность труда работников высокотехнологичных отраслей

This study explores how extensive time and intensive development factors interact during technological transitions by analyzing changes in the time budgets of workers in knowledge-intensive, creative fields. While theoretical literature highlights the growing significance of free time, increasingly influenced by hidden labor activities, this research shifts focus to the systemic and structural changes in time budgets and the ways they affect productivity. The primary objective is to identify the links between time budget transformations and the rising labor intensity in high-tech industries across various countries, united by their accelerated development. The study seeks to create a typology of these metamorphoses in relation to labor intensity dynamics, employing empirical data and correlation analysis based on national statistical groupings. The findings reveal a complex and sometimes contradictory relationship. On one hand, an optimal balance between labor and non-labor time expenditures emerges, shaped by national-cultural values, which influences labor intensification levels. On the other hand, creative labor is subjected to two opposing forms of exploitation: extensive, characterized by increased working hours, and intensive, marked by heightened pressure per unit of time. This study offers insights from cross-country comparisons to inform socio-economic policy adjustments, focusing on balancing labor productivity growth with public consumption. Achieving this balance is vital for sustainable economic development and enhancing workers' quality of life amid rapid technological change.

To mask or not to mask: The role of concealment behavior, stigma experience, and community connectedness in autistic people's mental health

Psychological theory and results from previous empirical studies paradoxically suggest that concealing and revealing one's autism can each result in reduced mental well-being. On one hand, autistic people who reveal their autistic identity experience considerable anti-autism stigma, which can lead to worse mental health outcomes compared to autistic people who conceal their autistic identity. On the other hand, autistic people who conceal their autistic identity are not afforded the benefits of autistic community connectedness, potentially undermining mental health outcomes compared to autistic people who reveal their autistic identity. The present study explores the relationships between autism concealment behaviors, autistic community connectedness, stigma experience, and mental well-being in autistic people. In an analytic sample of 409 autistic people, we found that concealing one's autistic identity was related to worse depressive symptoms, and that this relationship was related to experiencing greater stigma, and not to differences in community connectedness. These findings reinforce the need for combatting stigma against autistic people. Lay Abstract Many autistic people try to hide their autistic traits or appear more in line with typical social norms through changing their behavior, even when it is uncomfortable, which is known as camouflaging. Previous studies have shown that autistic people often attribute mental health difficulties, such as anxiety and depression, to concealing their autism through camouflaging. In part, this might be because concealing one's autism is related the loss of a sense of community with other autistic people, which is a protective factor for autistic people's mental health. However, allowing one's autistic identity to be public by forgoing camouflaging can make autistic people more likely to face judgement, stigmatization, and unfair treatment due to society's negative view of autism, which can also lead to poor mental health. Autistic people may thus be in a double bind between engaging in camouflaging but possibly experiencing related mental health difficulties and camouflaging less but encountering more stigmatization. In this study, we explored what contributes to this seemingly contradictory relationship between autism concealment and depressive symptoms. We collected data from 409 autistic people in an online survey. The results showed that participants who concealed their autism more were more likely to show depressive symptoms. This increase in depression symptoms was explained by experiencing stigma rather than feeling connected to the autistic community. These findings suggest negative effects of camouflaging and stigma on autistic people's mental health and support the call for increased autism acceptance.

Relationship between early age at menarche, older age at menopause and subtypes of breast cancer: a scoping review.

To determine the relationship between early age at menarche, late age at menopause with specific subtypes of breast cancer (BC). A literature search was conducted in Embase, Lilacs, PubMed, Scopus, and Scielo databases, following the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review protocol and answering the question "How early age at menarche or late age at menopause are related to different breast cancer subtypes?". A number of 4,003 studies were identified, of which 17 were selected. Most of the included articles found a clear relationship between early menarche, late menopause and some subtypes of BC, mainly, PR+, ER+, luminal, and HER-2 tumors. However, some studies have found a contradictory relationship and one study didn't find any relationship between them. A relationship between early age at menarche and advanced age at menopause was observed with some subtypes of breast cancer, since other factors must be considered in its understanding.

The features of functioning of the expression "another thing that"

The object of the study is a textual staple "another thing that", which was formed on the basis of the noun "thing". The subject of the study is its structural, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties. The purpose of this article is to present the results of the analysis of the specified properties of the staple and, on this basis, to show the features of its functioning in modern Russian. One of the aspects of consideration is the analysis of contextual modifications of the staple and the establishment of its main variant. Syntactically, its ability to function both in the text and in a complex sentence is analyzed. The main attention is paid to determining the type of relationship that a staple establishes between fragments of text, and identifying the dependence of the type of relationship on the semantics of the components that make up the staple. Considerable attention is paid to the pragmatic properties of the staple, its ability to convey the evaluative opinion of the speaker is considered. The material for the analysis was text fragments obtained with the help of the National Corpus of the Russian Language (NKRR). The material was collected using a continuous sampling method, as well as using the "lexico-grammatical search" option in the main newspaper and oral corpus of the NKRR. Descriptive and quantitative research methods were used in the analysis of linguistic material. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time a detailed analysis of the features of the functioning of the structure is presented in modern literary texts and media texts. As a result of the study, it was found that in the vast majority of cases, a paperclip "another thing that" functions in the text as a "text paperclip". The main variant of the bond is a structure that includes the union "what". This text staple establishes a contradictory relationship between fragments of text, which is due to the semantics of the pronominal adjective "another" that is part of it. The pragmatic component of the staple is its ability to reflect the speaker's position in terms of evaluating situations opposed in the text and indicate a change of sign from plus to minus, and vice versa.

Changes in corneal sensory nerves activity and the protective mechanisms during ocular surface pathologies

The prevalence of dry eye complaints due to tear production disorders is steadily increasing, mainly due to increased life expectancy and changes in lifestyle (contact lens wear, increased time spent in front of computer screens). However, the prevalence of subjective complaints and clinical symptoms of tear production disorders is variable, with only 10%–30% of the population having both subjective complaints and clinical symptoms. A number of in vivo confocal corneal microscopy (IVCM) studies have been performed to qualitatively and quantitatively examine the corneal nerve network in patients with dry eye disease in an attempt to elucidate the changes in corneal innervation and their clinical significance in the disease. Most studies have reported a decrease in nerve density, which may lead to nerve damage, followed by altered sensitivity of the regenerated nerves in patients with dry eye disease, resulting in hyperalgesia or allodynia. This presentation will summarize the role of corneal sensory nerves in the control of tear secretion in healthy eyes and the changes in some pathologies, particularly in dry eye disease. The changes in corneal sensory function in dry eye disease will be described in detail based on animal and human clinical studies. Knowledge of these changes will help to understand the contradictory relationship between objective symptoms and subjective complaints in dry eye patients.

Contradictory relationship between efficiency and renewable energy under breakeven point: Optimal selection of electrical and electronic equipment

The increasing demand for electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), particularly air conditioning (ACs), has caused a significant increase in energy demand. Improvements in energy efficiency increase material and carbon footprints under the production stage owing to the additional use of resources. Higher energy-efficiency models need to compensate for this rise before EEE reaches the end of its lifespan. Thus, the timing of offsetting, named breakeven point (BEP), was analyzed between two models of ACs manufactured in Japan with different energy efficiencies in this study, considering material and carbon footprints based on different lifestyles. Through the analysis, a contradictory relationship between energy efficiency and renewable energy was quantitatively identified; that is, the improvement of energy efficiency leads to a lower BEP, while the increase in renewable energy leads to a higher BEP. When the share of renewable energy in the energy mix reaches more than 40 % in the case of material footprint, the choice of low-efficiency appliances would be even preferable considering the lifespan of EEE and lifestyle. The developed concept contributes to optimal selection among different EEE efficiency from an environmental perspective.

The Relationship between High-Tech Industrial Agglomeration and Regional Innovation: A Meta-Analysis Investigation in China

High-tech industrial agglomeration enhances the technological level and value of regional industries. It is considered to be a new and effective way to drive China’s regional innovation and development at present. Numerous studies indicate that high-tech industrial agglomeration contributes positively to regional innovation, but the current academic discussion on this issue has not yet reached a unified opinion. In various research contexts, it has also been pointed out that there may be a negative correlation or non-linear relationship between the two. This contradictory relationship makes it difficult to generalize the current research findings to realistic application scenarios. Therefore, to clarify the relationship between the two scientifically, this study employs meta-analysis, reanalyzing 833 effect values derived from 69 independent research samples based on Chinese data. The findings reveal a moderately positive correlation (r = 0.204) between the agglomeration of high-tech industries and regional innovation in China. In particular, high-tech industrial agglomeration significantly contributes to regional innovation under the paths of diversified agglomeration and competitive agglomeration. We further found that sampling region, measurement approach, measurement perspective, research methodology, and year of publication all exhibit significant moderating effects on the relationship between the two variables. Based on meta-analysis, this study not only scientifically responds to the controversy of the relationship between high-tech industrial agglomeration and regional innovation but also further reveals the inner conduction mechanism between the two. It is of great significance in exploring future studies in related fields.

Fear of a Black (Southern) Planet: Kara Walker's Night Conjure

Abstract: Black folk have a dubious relationship with landscapes of the American South, where the living dead—Indigenous, enslaved, Confederate, and everyone in between—saturate the natural world with unresolved trauma. Kara Walker has long explored the complexity of race relations during the rise and fall of the plantation economy, and in Night Conjure (2001), she inverts the iconography of Black fright against a white cotton field to envision other ways in which the South begat terror and for whom. Walker picks up the seemingly contradictory relationship between women of African descent and geographic sites of oppression and unbearable cultural memory.

Philology as a Social Activity: Sociophilological Analysis of Mental and Linguistic Situation in Modern Russia. Part 1: About the Profession of “Philologist” and Higher Philological Education in Russia

The article is devoted to the consideration of the phenomenon of “philology” as a humanitarian science, a type of social activity and an element of everyday consciousness. The components named above constitute a unity, which we denote by the term “modern mental-linguistic situation.” In this study, philology as a social activity is placed at its center. The most important institutions of socialization and officialization of philological activity are the system of school and university education and law (labor legislation regulating professional activity). Complex and contradictory relations have developed between these institutions in the USSR and the Russian Federation, which are analyzed in the article. In this socio-mental space, school education forms a functional unity with ordinary metalinguistic consciousness, while university education tends to some unity with scientific metalinguistic consciousness. We believe and prove further that educational structures “represented by” higher and secondary educational institutions carry out a non-systematic response to socio-public requests for philology as a science and as a practical activity. The main subject of the study is the causes and consequences of the non-systemic institutionalization of philological activity in university and school philological education.

Views and Analysis on the De-administration of Chinese Universities

In the process of reforming Chinese universities, the Chinese government has gradually systematized the management of universities, and the internal management service system of universities has also gradually become systematic. However, as the interaction between universities and administrative bodies becomes closer and closer, the tendency of administrativeization of universities becomes more and more prominent, which leads to a contradictory relationship between the administrative power and academic power of universities. This has led to a contradictory relationship between administrative power and academic power in universities. The administrativeization of universities will weaken the academic research in universities, dilute the academic atmosphere and make universities deviate from their original intention, making it difficult to achieve the most important academic goals. This paper analyses the root causes of the administrativeization of universities by studying the nature and performance of the administrativeization of universities, and comes to the conclusion that the administrativeization is due to the internal and external institutional structure of universities, as well as the traditional thought of officialdom in China. It also explores effective measures to promote the de-administration of Chinese universities from several aspects, such as transforming government functions, creating a service-oriented government and joining third-party organizations. The aim is to find effective ways to weaken the administrativeization of Chinese universities and to integrate and optimize the power structure of Chinese universities in the context of contemporary society, so as to improve the quality of Chinese universities and create a good academic atmosphere.

The contradictory relationship between security and human rights

Security and human rights have a contradictory relationship. The crux of the problem lies in the tension that exists between the different approaches to security and the protection of human rights in different contexts and periods, in which fear plays a fundamental role. This review article describes how the public security, citizen security and human security perspectives can be manipulated so that they do not fulfil the objective of guaranteeing human rights and citizen freedoms and actually end up promoting the violation or limitation of these. In other words, these approaches exhibit the oppositional logic that states that what is gained in security is lost in rights, a perspective which ignores the dynamics that should accompany democratic regimes, where security is not an end in itself, but rather a means by which the state and its institutions can guarantee the effective enjoyment of human rights and civil liberties.

Solidarity through service: the role of the guild of IT service managers in the field of European (in)security

ABSTRACT Critical research is highlighting how processes of (in)security are transformed by the participation of new agencies and actors, especially data managers and IT systems operators. Expanding analysis to account for these new agencies and actors requires engaging with their professional practices. I argue that these actors can be understood as a guild of IT service managers who operate under a logic of service and are not just another (in)securitising actor. To do so, I analyse the practices of operational management carried out by the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA). By organising its work in line with a logic of service, eu-LISA rationalises its seemingly contradictory relationship to the field of (in)security. Despite its active participation in the construction and maintenance of IT systems for border security, eu-LISA does not make sense of its work or role in terms of security. Rather, it views its work as distinct from but in support of that of professionals of (in)security. I characterise this relationship to the field as one of delimiting security. Identifying this relationship reframes the securitisation/desecuritisation dualism as a continuum, reflecting the increasing complexity of actors’ relationships to security.