Contradictory Relationship Research Articles

The Dual‐Edged State Paradox: Fighting for Justice When the State is Unreliable

Sociological theories of collective resistance offer insights into how communities mobilize against oppression but often overlook the complexities when the state, an entity relied upon for justice, also acts as an agent of betrayal. Based on 8 years of ethnographic research in Palermo (2016–2024), this study examines the relationship between Sicilian activists and the state, shaped by the dual forces of mafia oppression and state complicity. The present research explores how activists navigate the complexities of collective trauma rooted in state complicity, while simultaneously relying on parts of the state as indispensable allies in their fight for justice. The study introduces the “Dual‐Edged State Paradox,” as a novel framework that captures this contradictory relationship. To navigate the paradox, activists adopt two key strategies: ‘fragmented trust dynamics’ and ‘layered collective resistance’. These strategies illustrate how activists continually recalibrate trust and engage in multi‐layered resistance, adjusting their approach to balance public protest with collaboration based on the positioning of different state actors. This research contributes to our sociological knowledge on collective action, particularly in settings where activists grapple with both external violence of non‐state actors and internal betrayal from the state apparatus.

QUEER OPPORTUNISM: STATE, MEDIA, AND LGBT+ RIGHTS IN THE CONTEXT OF THAI BOYS LOVE (BL) SERIES INDUSTRY

Relations of appropriation of the image and agenda of minority groups have been increasingly frequent at different levels and contexts. This would be no different with the LGBT+ population, and was reflected in the Thai government’s support for the BL industry and their little to no attention to LGBT+ issues, especially marriage equality. Drawing on ethnographic research among BL series fans on Twitter and Telegram for nine months (between June 2021 and February 2022) and discussions about politics and media, pink money and pinkwashing, and homonationalism, I will introduce the concept of queer opportunism to name a contradictory relationship between state institutions or any others and the LGBT+ agenda based on fan discourses and the Thai state’s stance on the BL industry.

A qualitative inquiry into subject ellipsis in Acehnese coordinative constructions

The ellipsis of the subject is used to make sentences more concise and effective. Subject ellipsis can occur in written and spoken languages. This research examines the ellipsis of subjects in the coordinative constructions of the Acehnese language. A qualitative approach was employed for this research, with data collected from three different locations in Pidie Regency, Aceh, Indonesia: Padang Tiji Sub-district (located in the westernmost area), Mutiara Timur Sub-district (located in the central area) and Tangse Sub-district (located in the easternmost area). The research data consists of both oral and written data obtained from informants. Data collection was conducted using the listening-engagement technique and free-engaged listening techniques. Data analysis was conducted using the distribution method with basic and advanced techniques. The research results revealed that the subject ellipsis occurred in the second clause. The ellipsis occurred if there was the same syntactic function as the ellipsis condition. If the subject was not identical, the ellipsis could not be made even if the syntactic function was similar. The ellipsis of the subject in the coordinative construction of the Acehnese language occurs in the coordinative construction of the Acehnese language expressing: 1) addition relationship, which is marked by the conjunction ‘ngön/dan’ (and), ‘lom’ (and/again/then), and ‘sireuta’ (also), 2) contradictory relationship is expressed with the conjunctions ‘maléngkan’ (but), 3) oppositional relations is expressed with the conjunctions ‘tapi’ (nonetheless), 4) optional relationship is marked by the conjunction of the ‘atawa’ (or), and 5) supplementary relationships is marked by the conjunction of the ‘teuma’ (then).

Unwilling allies: the USSR, the Communist Party of Argentina, and the military dictatorship in Argentina, 1976–1983

The author of this article aims to explore the complex and contradictory relationship between the Communist Party of Argentina, the Soviet Union, and the military regime in Argentina between 1976 and 1983. It was a period of right-wing military dictatorship domination in the region, characterised by outright terrorist policies against left-wing forces, mass violations of human rights, which put the International Communist Movement in an ambiguous position due to the USSR’s close cooperation with the Argentine military junta. A unique situation of mutual interest between Soviet foreign policy and the military dictatorship developed in the USSR’s relations with the military regime in Argentina. The most important factor in this contradictory situation was the position of the Communist Party of Argentina, supported by the CPSU, on co-operation with a regime that other communist parties and leftist forces qualified as fascist, ultra-reactionary, and anti-communist. The USSR found moral and political justification for its cooperation with the Argentine regime in the policies of local communists who supported the regime, justifying its repression of leftist radical movements, especially the Montoneros. The Argentine Communist Party justified its policy by referring to the junta’s growing cooperation with the USSR. The article explores the reasons for this policy of the Communist Party, which caused tension in the international communist movement and the subsequent isolation of the Argentinian Communist Party. The specific political interests of the USSR were supported by the Argentine communists, who, in turn, saw in them a guarantee of their interests in the conditions of the harsh right-wing military regime in the country. For the first time in historiography, this paper, drawing on records from the archive of the CPSU Central Committee, documents the complex process of reconciling the USSR’s economic and political interests in Argentina during this difficult period of the Cold War.

Achieving enhanced strength-ductility and wear resistance in directed energy deposited super duplex stainless steel via inoculating NbN particles

In wire-based directed energy deposition (DED), super duplex stainless steel (SDSS) typically encounters issues including coarse grains, a contradictory relationship between strength and ductility, and inferior wear resistance properties. Herein, we report the introduction of micron-sized NbN particles into DEDed SDSS to achieve an optimized combination of fine microstructure, high strength, impressively larger ductility and better wear resistance. During the DED process, NbN inoculant dissolves and re-precipitates, forming fine NbN and σ particles around 100 nm in size. These NbN particles act as nucleation sites for equiaxed grains, refining both ferrite and austenite. In addition, Nb and N elements left from NbN dissolution enhance the solution strengthening effect. These factors collectively boost hardness and strength in DEDed SDSS. Furthermore, the high Nb level in DEDed SDSS facilitates a dense Cr2O3 layer formation on the specimen surface during wear tests, enhancing wear resistance. Increased Nb and N also lower stacking fault energy (SFE) of SDSS austenite, promoting the occurrence of deformation twinning, and the improvement of work hardening and ductility during plastic deformation. This work shows the great potential of wire-arc DED technology to fabricate SDSS with unique microstructures, excellent wear resistance, and an exceptional combination of strength and ductility for practical applications.

Parameter optimization of ultrafine molybdenum powder during hydrogen reduction of MoO2 based on central composite design method

The hydrogen reduction of MoO2 is a common method for preparing ultrafine molybdenum powder, which is an important basic material for manufacturing high-performance Mo-based alloys. However, its preparation parameters are usually hard to be controlled. To address this issue, the work conducted the parameter optimization research during the hydrogen reduction process with using central composite design method, and the influence of different parameters such as reaction temperature, yttrium content, and hydrogen flow rate, on the particle size and oxygen content of the prepared molybdenum powder were investigated. The findings showed that the particle size of the prepared molybdenum powder is gradually decreased with the increase of reaction temperature and yttrium content, while gradually increased with the increase of hydrogen flow rate. The oxygen content of the prepared molybdenum powder is gradually decreased with the increase of reaction temperature and hydrogen flow rate, while gradually increased with the increase of yttrium content. Reaction temperature and yttrium content have significant interactions on the particle size and oxygen content are also concluded, and their respective regression model equations are obtained. The result also demonstrated that the particle size and oxygen content of the prepared molybdenum powder had a certain contradictory relationship. Through the comprehensive analysis, the optimal parameters for preparing ultrafine molybdenum powder with a low oxygen content are deduced, that is, reaction temperature: 1200 K, yttrium content: 0.1 mass%, and hydrogen flow rate: 1000 mL/min. Under the conditions, the average particle size and oxygen content of the prepared molybdenum powder are 320 nm and 0.456 mass%, respectively.

The problem of alignment

AbstractLarge language models (LLMs) produce sequences learned as statistical patterns from large corpora. Their emergent status as representatives of the advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to an increased attention to the possibilities of regulating the automated production of linguistic utterances and interactions with human users in a process that computer scientists refer to as ‘alignment’—a series of technological and political mechanisms to impose a normative model of morality on algorithms and networks behind the model. Alignment, which can be viewed as the superimposition of normative structure onto a statistical model, however, reveals a conflicted and complex history of the conceptualisation of an interrelationship between language, mind and technology. This relationship is shaped by and, in turn, influences theories of language, linguistic practice and subjectivity, which are especially relevant to the current sophistication in artificially produced text. In this paper, we propose a critical evaluation of the concept of alignment, arguing that the theories and practice behind LLMs reveal a more complex social and technological dynamic of output coordination. We examine this dynamic as a two-way interaction between users and models by analysing how ChatGPT4 redacts perceived ‘anomalous’ language in fragments of Joyce’s Ulysses. We then situate this alignment problem historically, revisiting earlier postwar linguistic debates which counterposed two views of meaning: as discrete structures, and as continuous probability distributions. We discuss the largely occluded work of the Moscow Linguistic School, which sought to reconcile this opposition. Our attention to the Moscow School and later related arguments by Searle and Kristeva casts the problem of alignment in a new light: as one involving attention to the social regulation of linguistic practice, including rectification of anomalies that, like the Joycean text, exist in defiance of expressive conventions. The “problem of alignment” that we address here is, therefore, twofold: on one hand, it points to its narrow and normative definition in current technological development and critical research and, on the other hand, to the reality of complex and contradictory relations between subjectivity, technology and language that alignment problems reveal.

An Empirical Study of Contract Governance and Relationship Governance and their Impact on Construction Project Performance

The construction industry holds a pillar position in the national economy, but its efficiency paradox is increasingly prominent. An important finding of this study is that there is no contradictory relationship between contract incentives and contract adaptation in construction projects, that is, contract governance in construction projects can achieve both contract incentives and contract adaptation effects, both of which can promote project performance. This contradicts the opposing relationship between contract incentives and contract adaptation supported by existing research, which suggests that the enhancement of one effect always comes at the cost of the weakening of another effect.

Unveiling informal learning of gender roles on Tik Tok: The #Stayathomegirlfriends phenomenon

This study delves into the emergent and polarising representations of women on social media by analysing the issue of #StayAtHomeGirlfriends (SAHGF) profiles on TikTok. These profiles depict young women showcasing their domestic lives, emphasising activities such as cooking, cleaning, relaxing, meditating and exercising while being financially supported by their partners. The SAHGF trend emerged on TikTok in 2022 and received over 328.3 million views in one year. The research method involved a thematic analysis of three TikTok SAHGF case studies from different social contexts, focusing on both the creators’ self-representations and the audience's reception, as reflected in user comments. The findings point to a contradictory relationship with instances of postfeminism and popular feminism, showing the use of social media as gender learning environments, where digital creators become informal educators transmitting norms, values and lifestyles, but also ‘triggers’ for dialogue and critical discussion.

A Comparative Study of Chinese and English Refusal Language Strategies

Using 80 short video examples about refusal language strategies on Douyin short videos as a corpus, this study explores the commonality and individuality, as well as the contradictory relationship between Chinese and British countries in the use of refusal language strategies by combining manual and graphical data analyses. It is found that Chinese people use more indirect ways of using refusal speech acts, and British and American countries use more direct ways of using refusal speech acts. In addition to this, both Chinese and British countries use non-verbal behavior to reject speech as a way of protecting the positive face of the addressee and reducing the threatening behavior to the face of the other party. This study also found that the ambivalent relationship between the emergence of refusal language strategies in both China and Britain is related to their personal psychological state, social values, and personal face. The results of this study have some values for sociology as well as pragmatics, which is conducive to the maintenance of interpersonal relationships.

About the (un)acceptability of working in the presence of the child: parents’ constructions of the child and corresponding parental responsibilities

The work-family literature suggests a contradictory relationship between working parenthood and (good) childhood, with disruptive or neglected children on the one side and absent or overburdened parents on the other. While the child occupies a complicated space in this relation, their position is rarely examined. Against this background, I explore the position of the child by turning to children’s co-presence during parents’ performance of home-based paid work and ask how parents construct the child and their corresponding parental responsibilities. Following a practice-theoretical framework, I approach parents’ accounts as practices of representation in which the boundaries of what was perceived as (not) acceptable ways of doing family and work were sketched out.For this purpose, I analysed 25 qualitative interviews with and about home-based working parents in the Austrian creative industries with positional maps. The parents had between one and three children in kindergarten or primary school.Parents’ constructions of the child were complex and ambiguous, as were the corresponding parental responsibilities. Meeting the child’s needs and not harming the child emerged as a common ground, yet the parents’ commitment to paid work was not questioned. Conversely, home-based work was seen as a way to meet both work and care demands. These findings suggest that home-based work may bridge ideas of good childhood and working parenthood. The paper contributes to an understanding of work and family that goes beyond simple dualism and offers new insights into parental home-based work, which remains relevant in the post-pandemic era.

Associations between individual and mixed urinary metal exposure and dyslipidemia among Chinese adults: Data from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort Study

The prevalence of dyslipidemia is increasing, and it has become a significant global public health concern. Some studies have demonstrated contradictory relationships between urinary metals and dyslipidemia, and the combined effects of mixed urinary metal exposure on dyslipidemia remain ambiguous. In this study, we examined how individual and combined urinary metal exposure are associated with the occurrence of dyslipidemia. According to the data from the 2018–2019 baseline survey database of the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) Study, a population of 9348 individuals was studied. Inductively coupled plasmamass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to measure 21 urinary metal concentrations in the collected adult urinary samples. The associations between urinary metals and dyslipidemia were analyzed by logistic regression, weighted quantile sum regression (WQS), and quantile-based g-computation (qgcomp), controlled for potential confounders to examine single and combined effects. Dyslipidemia was detected in 3231 individuals, which represented approximately 34.6 % of the total population. According to the single-exposure model, Al and Na were inversely associated with the risk of dyslipidemia (OR = 0.95, 95 % CI: 0.93, 0.98; OR = 0.89, 95 % CI: 0.83, 0.95, respectively), whereas Zn, Ca, and P were positively associated (OR = 1.69, 95 % CI: 1.42, 2.01; OR = 1.12, 95 % CI: 1.06, 1.18; OR = 1.21, 95 % CI: 1.09, 1.34, respectively). Moreover, Zn and P were significantly positively associated even after adjusting for these metals, whereas Al and Cr were negatively associated with the risk of dyslipidemia. The results of the WQS and qgcomp analyses showed that urinary metal mixtures were positively associated with the risk of dyslipidemia (OR = 1.26, 95 % CI: 1.15, 1.38; OR = 1.09, 95 % CI: 1.01, 1.19). This positive association was primarily driven by Zn, P, and Ca. In the sensitivity analyses with collinearity diagnosis, interaction, and stratified analysis, the results remained, confirming the reliability of the study findings. In this study, the individual and combined effects of urinary Zn, P, and Ca on dyslipidemia were determined, which provided novel insights into the link between exposure to metals and dyslipidemia.

Exploring the interplay between circadian rhythms and prostate cancer: insights into androgen receptor signaling and therapeutic opportunities.

Circadian rhythm disruption is closely related to increased incidence of prostate cancer. Incorporating circadian rhythms into the study of prostate cancer pathogenesis can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the causes of cancer and offer new options for precise treatment. Therefore, this article comprehensively summarizes the epidemiology of prostate cancer, expounds the contradictory relationship between circadian rhythm disorders and prostate cancer risk, and elucidates the relationship between circadian rhythm regulators and the incidence of prostate cancer. Importantly, this article also focuses on the correlation between circadian rhythms and androgen receptor signaling pathways, as well as the applicability of time therapy in prostate cancer. This may prove significant in enhancing the clinical treatment of prostate cancer.

Metamorphoses

The Esterházy Palace in Fertőd is part of Hungary’s largest eighteenth-century residential complex. After severe damage at the end of the Second World War and in the 1950s, the palace was repeatedly renovated for almost seventy years. Between 2021 and 2022, the state apartments in the main building and some adjoining rooms underwent extensive conservation and restoration. Due to the palace’s complicated history and the inconsistent interventions of the post-war period, it was difficult to preserve as many remnants as possible. The aim was to preserve and display all historical periods from the beginning to the present, as they provide information about all the historical and cultural changes over the centuries. From this point of view, the contradictory relationship between some previous interventions and the principles laid down in documents such as the Venice Charter, the Nara Document or the UNESCO Convention of the Intangible Heritage were considered a legacy that can no longer be erased from the history of the palace. Based on conservation and restoration principles crystallised in the second half of the twentieth century and considering the changes in the field of heritage conservation since the 1990s, an attempt was made to preserve the tangible and intangible heritage as far as possible. With this in mind, the rooms were divided into three groups, each of which is subject to a different conservation and restoration method.

A photoluminescent elastomer with high toughness and fast self-healing behavior enabled by crosslinking polyurethane with reactive lanthanide complex

The synthesis of luminescent self-healing materials together with outstanding comprehensive mechanical features is yet a significant challenge due to the contradictory relationship between the self-healing features and mechanical characteristics. In this work, a lanthanide-based photoluminescent elastomer exhibiting super toughness and fast self-healing behavior was prepared via first synthesizing a photoluminescent complex and then utilizing which as the effective functional cross-linkers. The complexes were synthesized with p-aminobenzoic acid and 1,10-Phenanthroline as ligands, Ln3+ as the central luminescent ions. The backbone of the polymers was obtained by the polymerization of tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate-terminated polypropylene glycol (PPG-NCO) and isophorone diamine (IPDA). The addition of the complex as a cross-linking agent increases the degree of cross-linking of the polymer chains, and endows the material with good mechanical properties. In addition, self-healing properties was achieved thanks to the dynamic synergistic effect of Ln3+-ligand bonding and inter-amide hydrogen bonding. Furthermore, by varying the molar ratio of Eu3+/Tb3+, multi-color emission which ranging from red to green, has been accomplished. We are confident that the method employed in this study offers a little inspiration on the preparation of toughened luminescent products with self-healing features, which have wide ranging of applications in flexible optical devices, advanced information encryption, and other fields.

Understanding the magnetism-ductility trade-off in FeCoMn alloys: The role of the BCC-B2 transition and Mn occupancies

The magnetism-ductility contradictory relationship presents a significant challenge in the development of magnetic alloys. The impact of the BCC-B2 transition, along with Mn site occupancy, on magnetism and ductility have been investigated by using first-principles calculations. The calculations involved the evaluation of magnetic moments, density of states (DOS), phase stability and ductility of FeCoMn alloys. The results of binary alloys confirm the enhancement of magnetism due to the BCC-B2 transition. Furthermore, the ordering phase transition can strengthen the magnetic interaction between Fe and Mn atoms, which is associated with minimal variations in the density of states of Fe and Mn in the B2 structure. Regarding the ductility of FeCoMn alloys, two factors contribute to increased brittleness. Firstly, the increased covalent component in bonding, as a result of the strong hybridization between different elements, leads to an increased brittleness. Secondly, the increased Peierls stress provides a larger resistance to dislocation motion, which also contributes to the increased brittleness. Finally, the Pearson correlation coefficients and data analysis indicate that VEC, spin polarizations and Mn content provide major contributions to the contradictory relationship between magnetism and ductility.

Unraveling the role of the BCC-B2 transition and V occupancies in the contradictory magnetism-ductility relationship of FeCoV alloys

The contradictory relationship between magnetism and ductility restricts further applications of FeCoV alloys in high-performance electrical machines. The role of the BCC-B2 transition, accompanied by vanadium (V) site occupancies, in magnetic moments and ductility has been explored using first-principles calculations. The variations in magnetism and ductility of FeCoV alloys are attributed to the coupling of the BCC-B2 transition and V occupancies. When V replaces Fe atoms in the equiatomic B2-FeCo alloy, the superior magnetism observed in B2-Fe50-cCo50Vc alloys is a consequence of the enhanced local magnetic moment of Fe and the ferrimagnetic-ferromagnetic transition in the magnetic state. Moreover, due to the preferential V occupancy in the B2 phase, the B2-Fe46Co50V4 alloy exhibits comparable ductility to the BCC-Fe50Co46V4 alloy. The results indicate that the increased brittleness in the B2 phase arises from the raised Peierls stress and the enhanced covalent component in interatomic bonding, which is caused by the strong hybridization between Fe and Co atoms. Pearson correlation analysis illustrates that valence electron concentration (VEC) and V content are significant factors in the contradictory relationship between magnetization and ductility. The theoretical results demonstrate that tuning the V content and atomic occupancies is helpful to achieve a trade-off between magnetization and ductility in B2-FeCoV alloys.

An overview of community livelihoods in Biosphere Reserves: based on the sustainable livelihoods framework for the 21st century

Biosphere Reserves (BRs) are the protected areas proposed by the Man and the Biosphere Programme for harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. Human activities represented by community livelihoods have always been one of the critical issues in the protection and development of BRs. However, the lack of comprehensive research on the status quo and problems of community livelihoods in BRs has caused difficulties in policy formulation and management. In the form of a literature review, this study attempts to summarize and sort out the overview of community livelihoods in BRs by screening the academic literature with the keywords of BRs and livelihoods and using the 21st Century Sustainable Livelihood Framework as the road map. As a result, community livelihoods in BRs highly depend on environmental resources, increasing vulnerability. Although establishing BRs has brought financial and business opportunities to the community, it also provides environmental resources, public services, and geographical areas in the climate-environmental context needed for livelihood maintenance. However, community livelihoods and climate-environmental context show a contradictory relationship of ‘mismatch between supply and demand’ in environmental resources and public services in BRs. In geographical areas, the conflicts brought by illegal activities, invasive alien species, and wildlife-human conflicts are also gradually increasing. At the same time, unbalanced physical and financial assets and relational power with mixed praise also challenge the sustainable development of community livelihoods in BRs. Therefore, this study believes that through multi-stakeholder joint efforts, BRs Friendly Community Livelihoods other than the initial livelihood with high environmental resource dependence can be sought for communities through livelihood diversification, community participatory management, and community spatial pattern refinement.

Shifts in trends and correlation of water scarcity and productivity over China

Increasing water productivity has been viewed as an important strategy for reducing regional water scarcity in many countries, including China. However, some studies argue that improving water productivity may lead to a rebound effect that reversely aggravates water scarcity. This contradictory relationship is because that previous empirical assessments mostly focus on limited time spans, which raises a theoretical hypothesis that their correlation would presumably shift over long-term period under different development stages. Thus, this study performed a comprehensive analysis over China based on multiple survey-based datasets and revealed the shifts in water scarcity and productivity in terms of their trends and correlation during 1979–2020. Results showed significant turning points of water scarcity from upward to downward trends across China in the early 21st century, except in southwestern China where water scarcity continuously intensified. Water productivity showed a widespread accelerating trend because of large increase in nonagricultural water productivity. Furthermore, the correlation between water scarcity and productivity was positive in the early stage of China’s development pathway when both of them were low but simultaneously increasing for more profit. Then, their positive correlation shifted to negative in response to the necessity for water scarcity alleviation, and increasing water productivity would be effective to reduce water scarcity with the complement of water-related policies that prevent its rebound effect. The results broadened our knowledge on the long-term evolution of regional water scarcity, and highlighted the changing relationship between water scarcity and productivity that was essential for guiding water policy making.

Autobiographical myth by Igor Kholin in the context of soviet discourse (based on the novel “Cats and Mice”)

The article is aimed at considering the genesis, structure and representation forms of the autobiographical myth by “Lianozovo School” poet Igor Kholin in his novel “Cats and Mice”. It is proved that the sociocultural context and world-modeling category of this myth is the opposition between official and uncensored literature, which is characteristic of Soviet discourse and brings to the fore the author’s role of a nonconformist poet. The latter is formed through introducing a system of characters – Igor Kholin’s “twins” – into the text, to whom he attributes not only the details of his private life, but also his published works. As a result, artist and amateur poet Nikolai Sergeevich, poets Holly and Savely Volin and the Author writing the novel “Cats and Mice” are united by a common biography which excludes their involvement in artistic practices that dominate the cultural space. The desire to dissociate himself from them also determines the key semes of Igor Kholin’s myth – “opposition to official art” emphasising the contraposition of underground literature to any “permitted” forms of literature and “pretense to aesthetic superiority” absolutising its artistic primacy and avant-gardism. The first seme is explicit and “served” by the motifs of an aesthetic demarcation between “state publishing” and “self-publishing”, their mutual intolerance and notorious inadequacy of assessments. The second seme is implicit and “supported” by motifs realising the thematic invariant of “freedom Vs. oppression” (with the former being uncensored literature with sharp “discrepancy” with reality and the unpredictability of text unfolding). Therefore, complicated and contradictory relationships between official and uncensored art in Igor Kholin’s autobiographical myth are whittled away to a spectacular yet extremely simplified scheme which excludes any forms of their interaction other than confrontation.