Double Effect Research Articles

High-temperature shock-resistant zeolite-confined Ru subnanometric species boosts highly catalytic oxidation of dichloromethane

It is a great challenge to stabilize metal species and regulate their catalytic properties at the atomic level. Herein, we reported the Ru subnanometric species encapsulated inside 5-membered rings of ZSM-5 (Ru@Z-2Al). It achieved 90% oxidation of dichloromethane at 350 °C with almost no by-product formation compared with Ru@Z-0Al. The results indicated that the Al sites existed in the zeolite skeleton provided Brønsted acid sites, which promoted the adsorption and activation of dichloromethane and the extraction of chlorine species. Meanwhile, the electronic structure of Ru species was regulated by Ru−O−Al site, enhancing the oxygen activation capacity of the catalyst and the deep oxidation of dichloromethane. Notably, the Ru@Z-2Al remained stable in harsh environments (at 800 ℃ with 10 vol.% H2O) due to the double confinement effect of zeolite channels and skeleton Al, which had excellent practical application prospects. Therefore, this study provides insights for designing the high-performance environmental catalytic materials.

Threshold Analysis of Fiscal Policy Variables and Private Investment in Nigeria

This paper investigates the relationship between fiscal policy variables and private investment in Nigeria for the period 1970 – 2019 with a view to establishing the threshold level of each of the key fiscal policy variables in relation to private investment. The study employed annual and quarterly time series data covering the period 1970:1 to 2019:4 which were sourced in part from the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Statistical Bulletin and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Data collected were analyzed using econometric techniques. The variables used were private domestic investment, budget deficit, recurrent and capital government expenditure, oil and non-oil government revenue and public debt. The main findings are: First, there is an evidence of a double threshold effects of the fiscal balance. When exceeding a budget deficit level of 3.98 per cent of GDP or a fiscal surplus level of 3.2 per cent of GDP, private investment is negatively affected. Also, increase in government total expenditure beyond the third regime made private investment to become less productive. As regards public debt, the results revealed that private investment had the most positive impact on economic growth in the first regime of public debt. A resort to public debt beyond this level will make private investment less productive thereby inhibiting growth. The study therefore, concludes that government should be cautious in resulting to debt instruments to finance its deficit. It should also make a concerted effort to increase its expenditure especially in the provision of infrastructural facilities as this directly influence private investment decision positively.

Effects of HiPIMS Duty Cycle on Plasma Discharge and the Properties of Cu Film.

In this paper, Cu thin films were deposited on Si (100) substrates by the high-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiIPMS) technique, and the effects of different duty cycles (from 2.25% to 5.25%) on the plasma discharge characteristics, microstructure, and electrical properties of Cu thin films were investigated. The results of the target current test show that the peak target current remains stable under 2.25% and 3% duty cycle conditions. Under the conditions of a 4.5% and 5.25% duty cycle, the target peak current shows a decreasing trend. The average power of the target shows a rising trend with the increase in the duty cycle, while the peak power of the target shows a decreasing trend with the increase in the duty cycle. The results of OES show that with the increase in the duty cycle, the total peak intensity of copper and argon emissions shows an overall increasing trend. The duty cycle from 3% to 4.5% change in copper and argon emission peak total intensity change is not obvious. The deposition rate and surface morphology of the copper film were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and the deposition rate of the copper film increased with the increase in the duty cycle, which was mainly due to the increase in the average power. The surface roughness of the copper film was evaluated by atomic force microscopy. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to analyze the grain size and texture of the Cu film, and the results showed that the average grain size of the Cu film increased from 38 nm to 59 nm on the (111) and (200) crystal planes. Four-probe square resistance test copper film resistivity in 2.25%, 3% low duty cycle conditions of the copper film resistivity is generally higher than 4.5%, 5.25% high duty cycle conditions, the copper film resistivity shows the trend of change is mainly affected by the copper film grain size and the (111) face of the double effect of the optimal orientation. The lowest resistivity of the copper film measured under the 4.5% duty cycle condition is 1.7005 μΩ·cm, which is close to the intrinsic resistivity of the copper film of 1.67 μΩ·cm.

Does Digital Inclusive Finance Help County Level Governance in the Five Provinces of Northwest China, from the Perspective of Economic Resilience?

The sustainable development of a country requires stable funds to reshape and restore its economy, something which cannot be separated from the support of financial services. Digital financial inclusion, with its inclusive and extensive features, has provided a new impetus for economic development and governance. Based on the panel data of 193 counties in 5 provinces of northwest China from 2014 to 2021, this paper uses a bi-directional fixed effect model, an intermediary effect model and a threshold effect model in order to test digital inclusive finance and county-level economic resilience, and to explore the internal correlation details. The results show that digital inclusive finance will significantly enhance the economic resilience of the five northwestern provinces by improving capital allocation efficiency, enhancing entrepreneurship and employment vitality, and reducing pollution emissions. In addition, there is a double threshold effect between capital allocation efficiency and employment vitality, in which the threshold effect of capital allocation efficiency presents a progressively increasing state, and in which the threshold effect of entrepreneurship and employment vitality presents a state of fluctuating increase. Therefore, China needs to further improve the digital inclusive financial environment in its northwest; continue and deepen the significant functions of digital inclusive finance in resource allocation efficiency, entrepreneurship and employment vitality, and environmental protection; and provide guidance for solving regional imbalances and promoting national sustainable development.

The Importance of HHLA2 in Solid Tumors-A Review of the Literature.

Cancer immunotherapy is a rapidly developing field of medicine that aims to use the host's immune mechanisms to inhibit and eliminate cancer cells. Antibodies targeting CTLA-4, PD-1, and its ligand PD-L1 are used in various cancer therapies. However, the most thoroughly researched pathway targeting PD-1/PD-L1 has many limitations, and multiple malignancies resist its effects. Human endogenous retrovirus-H Long repeat-associating 2 (HHLA2, known as B7H5/B7H7/B7y) is the youngest known molecule from the B7 family. HHLA2/TMIGD2/KIRD3DL3 is one of the critical pathways in modulating the immune response. Recent studies have demonstrated that HHLA2 has a double effect in modulating the immune system. The connection of HHLA2 with TMIGD2 induces T cell growth and cytokine production via an AKT-dependent signaling cascade. On the other hand, the binding of HHLA2 and KIR3DL3 leads to the inhibition of T cells and mediates tumor resistance against NK cells. This review aimed to summarize novel information about HHLA2, focusing on immunological mechanisms and clinical features of the HHLA2/KIR3DL3/TMIGD2 pathway in the context of potential strategies for malignancy treatment.

Tunable spatial and angular spin splitting of reflected vortex-beam off hyperbolic metasurface

This paper investigated the spin splitting of the reflected beam with a vortex beam irradiating on a hyperbolic metasurface. This metasurface structure is the periodically rectangular-groove array on the surface of a hyperbolic crystal with the optical axis normal to its surface, where the array is a sub-wavelength biaxially hyperbolic grating with its periodical direction situated in the surface plane. Based on the hexagonal nitride boron crystal, we theoretically and numerically analyzed the spatial and angular spin splittings of the reflected beam, containing those produced by the transverse and longitudinal shifts. We found that the spatial shifts or spin splitting can be obtained in the first-order approximation of beam deflection, but the angular shifts can be described in the second-order approximation so that it enormously varies with the beam waist. Due to the hyperbolic anisotropy of the metasurface and the intrinsic orbital angular momentum in the incident beam, the expressions of spatial and angular shifts are effectively modified, and a unique double reflection effect occurs on the surface. Near certain reflective intensity distribution singularities, extremely asymmetrical spin splitting can be observed. These shifts and spin splitting can be tuned by varying the orientation of the incident plane and the angle of incidence.

In Situ Constructed Spinel Layer Stabilized Upcycled LiCoO2 for High Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.

With ever-increasing requirements for cathodes in the lithium-ion batteries market, an efficiency and eco-friendly upcycling regeneration strategy is imperative to meet the demand for high-performance cathode materials. Herein, a facile, direct and upcycling regeneration strategy is proposed to restore the failed LiCoO2 and enhance the stability at 4.6 V. Double effects combination of relithiation and outside surface reconstruction are simultaneously achieved via a facile solid-phase sintering method. The evolution process of the Li-supplement and grain-recrystallization is systematically investigated, and the high performance of the upcycled materials at high voltage is comprehensively demonstrated. Thanks to the favorable spinel LiCoxMn2-xO4 surface coating, the upcycled sample displays outstanding electrochemical performance, superior to the pristine cathode materials. Notably, the 1% surface-coated LiCoO2 achieves a high discharge-specific capacity of 207.9 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C and delivers excellent cyclability with 77.0% capacity retention after 300 cycles. Significantly, this in situ created spinel coating layer can be potentially utilized for recycling spent LiCoO2, thus providing a viable, promising recycling strategy insights into the upcycling of degraded cathodes.

Performance and reliability assessment of source work function engineered charge plasma based Ti/HfO2/Al2O3/Ge, double gate TFET

The Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (TFET) often suffers from low ON current (I ON), charge traps, and thermal variability, which limits its performance and reliability. To address these issues, the source work function engineered Ge Charge Plasma Double Gate Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (CP-DGTFET) device structure with HfO2/Al2O3 bilayer gate dielectric is designed and investigated using numerical TCAD simulations. The proposed Ti/HfO2/Al2O3/Ge CP-DGTFET device structure showed excellent DC characteristics with exceptional I ON, I ON/I OFF ratio, and minimal sub-threshold swing (S) of ∼3.04 × 10−4 A μm−1, ∼1.2 × 1010, and ∼3.4 mV/dec, respectively. Furthermore, the device’s analog characteristics displayed good transconductance, cut-off frequency, and gain bandwidth product of ∼0.75 mS/μm, ∼0.97 THz, and ∼102 GHz, respectively. Moreover, the charge trap exploration divulges that positive ITCs can enhance device performance, whereas negative ITCs can adversely impact the electrical characteristics of CP-DGTFET. Additionally, the temperature-dependent analysis showed that the OFF-state leakage current increases from ∼1.7 × 10−15 A μm−1 to 2.4 × 10−10 A μm−1 with temperature fluctuations from 275 K to 375 K. Overall, the work function-engineered CP-based Ti/HfO2/Al2O3/Ge DGTFET device structure shows great potential for improving the performance and reliability of Ge TFET technology.

Intention and Wrongdoing: In Defense of Double Effect, written by Joshua Stuchlik

Intention and Wrongdoing: In Defense of Double Effect, written by Joshua Stuchlik

Electric field-assisted dried blood spot sample preparation for analysis of steroids using LC–MS/MS

Despite being a minimally invasive sample source, dried blood spots (DBS) generally pose the challenge of efficient sample extraction for broad metabolomics applications. This is particularly true for the quantification of steroids using non-derivatized liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assays. To address these limitations, we have demonstrated the use of electric field as a driver for sample preparation from DBS samples to simultaneously quantify testosterone (T), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), progesterone (P), and cortisol (C), using both standard electroporation cuvettes, as well as a novel custom vertical electric field setup. Our findings, backed by computational modeling, show that a 10V DC application for 180 s can draw out twice the amount of the aforementioned steroids from both Whatman-903 and DMPK-C sample collection cards using our novel device when compared to standard solvent-based collection methods. This study not only introduces the use of electric field for sample preparation for metabolomics, but additionally introduces a novel device that eliminates the electric double layer effect in the process.

Broadband vibration mitigation using a two-dimensional acoustic black hole phononic crystala).

Acoustic black holes (ABHs) are known as efficient structural dampers. Periodic lattices are identified as an efficient way to forbidden wave propagation in targeted frequency bandgaps (BGs). The paper demonstrates the possibility to merge the ABH effect with Bragg BGs. The geometrical layout leading to this double effect consists of a plate of periodically modulated thickness by a combination of cosine functions of the spatial coordinates constituting an ABH-like cell, coated with a thin damping layer. The resulting metamaterial allows the realization of solid, stiff, and nonresonant panels over a wide frequency range, including low frequencies, without increasing the mass. First, the band structure is analyzed in the conservative case (without damping layer) using a plane wave expansion model following Kirchhoff's assumptions. The results show the existence of low-frequency BGs that can be controlled by only three geometric parameters, which are defined on the type of lattice chosen (square or hexagonal). Next, a finite size panel is designed for the hexagonal lattice. Experimental characterization of the demonstrator with and without viscoelastic coating shows very attractive broadband vibration mitigation performances due to the fact that the dissipation produced by the ABH effect does not deter filtering effects produced in the BG.

청소년의 차별경험이 자살생각에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to determine whether self-esteem and depression have a double mediating effect in the process of experiencing discrimination victimization affecting suicidal thoughts. The subjects of the study were 6,120 middle and high school students from the ‘2022 Children and Youth Human Rights Survey’ data of the Korea Youth Policy Institute, and the double mediation effect was verified using the Macro Process for SPSS program. The research results are as follows. First, the experience of discrimination was found to have a positive effect on suicidal thoughts. Second, the experience of discrimination was found to have a negative effect on self-esteem. Third, the experience of discrimination was found to have a positive effect on depression, and self-esteem was found to have a negative effect on depression. Fourth, experiences of discrimination and depression were found to have a positive effect on suicidal thoughts, and self-esteem was found to have a negative effect. Fifth, the results of the analysis of the direct and total effects of the experience of discrimination victimization on the mediators, self-esteem and depression, and the dependent variable suicidal ideation were both significant, and the double mediating effect was verified, so that the higher the experience of discrimination victimization, the higher the self-esteem. It was found that as the level decreases and the level of self-esteem decreases, depression increases, which leads to an increase in the level of suicidal thoughts. Based on these results, various education, counseling, and program activation measures were proposed to reduce adolescents' suicidal thoughts.

복합외상과 관계중독의 관계에서 내면화된 수치심과 자기침묵의 이중매개효과

This study aimed to examine the effect of complex trauma on the symptoms of relationship addiction in adults. In addition, this study tried to investigate whether internalized shame and self-silencing have a double mediating effect on the relationship between complex trauma and relationship addiction. To this end, we analyzed data from 350 adults using the scales measuring complex trauma, relationship addiction, internalized shame and self-silencing. As a result, first, there was a positive correlation between complex trauma, relationship addiction, internalized shame and self-silencing. Second, it was confirmed that internalized shame and self-silencing each had a mediating effect between complex trauma and relationship addiction. Third, because of confirming the serial double mediation effect, it was shown that internalized shame and self-silencing sequentially had a mediating effect in the process of complex trauma leading to relationship addiction. The implications and limitations of these results were discussed.

Research on the Impact of China’s Foreign Trade Technology Spillover on Green Total Factor Productivity of Countries Along the “Belt and Road”: Based on the Institutional Quality Threshold Effect

China’s growing trade with countries along the “Belt and Road” Initiative is accompanied by a focus on green development. Based on the panel data from 2007 to 2018, this paper establishes a threshold regression model to empirically analyze the institutional quality threshold effect of China’s foreign trade technology spillover on the GTFP of countries along the “Belt and Road.” The results show that China’s foreign trade technology spillover has a significant institutional quality double threshold effect on the green total factor productivity of the countries along the “Belt and Road.” As the institutional quality of the countries along the “Belt and Road” crosses a specific threshold value, the impact of China’s foreign trade technology spillover on the green total factor productivity of the countries along the “Belt and Road” has a significant positive promoting effect, and corresponding suggestions are put forward.

One stone two birds: K2CO3 promoting the in-situ synthesis of K3PO4 coated Na3V2(PO4)3 attached on the porous carbon skeleton for superior sodium storage performance

Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) has attracted much attention because of its open 3D channel, high voltage platform and capacity, but its inherent low ionic and electronic conductivity limits further development. In this work, we successfully achieve the double modification effect by adding K2CO3 in situ for the first time. Firstly, the addition of K2CO3 induces the formation of porous carbon substrate, which can reduce the accumulation of Na3V2(PO4)3 particles, thus making the sample particles more dispersed and uniform. Meanwhile, NVP active particles can be uniformly attached to the porous carbon substrate, effectively promoting the electronic conductivity. Secondly, K2CO3 can be decomposed and react to produce K3PO4 in the sintering process, which is evenly coated on the periphery of NVP grains to form a double-layer conductive interface with excess amorphous carbon. This unique double-interface not only boost specific conductance but also play a protective role to prevent the side reaction in the electrolyte from destroying the cathode material. Moreover, the ex-situ XRD/XPS/SEM/TEM after cycling further demonstrate the stabilized porous skeleton and the existence of K3PO4 coatings. Comprehensively, the optimized NVP/C@1%K3PO4 sample behaves outstanding electrochemistry capability and cyclic performance. With a high capacity of 122.3 mAh g−1 at 0.1C, this material exhibits excellent cycling stability. At 60C, it delivers a high capacity of 85.1 mAh g−1 and retains 69.1 mAh g−1 after 7000 cycles. Even at 180C, it demonstrates a remarkable capacity of 79.97 mAh g−1 and maintains 49.8 mAh g−1 after 14,000 cycles. When integrated into a full battery, the assembled NVP/C@1%K3PO4//CHC battery exhibits a reversible capacity of 112.2 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and retains 70 mAh g−1 at 2C, highlighting its promising potential for commercial applications.

Effect of A-site rare-earth ions on structure and magnetic properties of novel (Ln0.2Gd0.2La0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2)MnO3 (Ln = Eu, Ho, Yb) high-entropy perovskite ceramics

Single-phase high-entropy perovskite ceramics (Ln0.2Gd0.2La0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2)MnO3 (Ln-GLNSMO HEPCs) have been synthesized using solid-state reactions. The effect of A-site rare-earth ions (Ln = Eu, Ho, Yb) on the structure and magnetic properties was systematically investigated. The results show that all samples are orthorhombic phases (with a space group of Pbnm) and exhibit a strong crystallization trend sintered at 1300 °C for 16 h. All the HEPCs are composed of irregular spherical particles with smooth surfaces and show obvious hysteresis effects at T = 5 K. The changing Mn–O bond distance, Mn–O–Mn bond angle and the increase of Mn4+ ion concentration enhance the double exchange effect of Mn3+-O2--Mn4+, leading to different magnetic interactions. The residual magnetization Mr (coercivity Hc) of the samples is significantly enhanced, which is increasing from 0.13 emu/g (16.34 Oe) to 3.17 emu/g (97.07 Oe) due to the increase of configuration entropy, lattice distortion and the double exchange effect (DE). In addition, there is a strong relationship between the magnetic properties and the average radius of the A-site ions, in which Ho-GLNSMO HEPCs have a high Ms magnetism. This work is a valuable reference for the magnetic regulation of high-entropy ceramics based on rare-earth and entropy-stabilized perovskite types.

Fertilization of wheat with liquid organic fertilizers under the conditions of a pot vegetation experiment

Vegetation experiment was carried out to determine the efficiency of liquid organic fertilizers application in the initial phases of wheat development. Three types of liquid organic fertilizer with single and double application (in 14 days) were tested -”Extra force”, “Zinovii Corn” and “Zinovii Oil”. All studied fertilizers application have a positive results. Compared to the control treatment, tested organic fertilizers show good results with one application and significantly better results with two applications. “Extra force” and “Zinovii Corn” when applied twice had double effect on yields and height of wheat plants.

Gamification, Side Effects, and Praise and Blame for Outcomes

“Gamification” refers to adding game-like elements to non-game activities so as to encourage participation. Gamification is used in various contexts: apps on phones motivating people to exercise, employers trying to encourage their employees to work harder, social media companies trying to stimulate user engagement, and so on and so forth. Here, I focus on gamification with this property: the game-designer (a company or other organization) creates a “game” in order to encourage the players (the users) to bring about certain outcomes as a side effect of playing the game. The side effect might be good for the user (e.g., improving her health) and/or good for the company or organization behind the game (e.g., advertising their products, increasing their profits, etc.). The “players” of the game may or may not be aware of creating these side effects; and they may or may not approve of/endorse the creation of those side effects. The organizations behind the games, in contrast, are typically directly aiming to create games that have the side effects in question. These aspects of gamification are puzzling and interesting from the point of view of philosophical analyses of agency and responsibility for outcomes. In this paper, I relate these just-mentioned aspects of gamification to some philosophical discussions of responsibility gaps, the ethics of side effects (including the Knobe effect and the doctrine of double effect), and ideas about the relations among different parties’ agency.

Doubly Spiro-Conjugated Chiral Carbocycles Exhibiting SOMO-HOMO Inversion in Persistent Radical Cations.

Persistent chiral organic open-shell systems have captured growing interest due to their potential applications in organic spintronic and optoelectronic devices. Nevertheless, the integration of configurationally stable chirality into an organic open-shell system continues to pose challenges in molecular design. The π-extended skeleton incorporated in spiro-conjugated carbocycles can provide robust chiroptical properties and a significant stabilization of the excited and ionic radical states. However, this approach has been relatively less explored in the design of persistent organic open-shell systems. We report here the (S,S)-, (R,R)-, and meso-isomers of doubly spiro-conjugated carbocycles featuring flat and rigid carbon-bridged para-phenylenevinylene (CPV) of different conjugation lengths connected by two spiro-carbon centers, which we denote D-spiro-CPV for its quasi-dimeric structure. Our synthetic method based on a double lithiation cyclization approach enables facile production of D-spiro-CPV. D-spiro-CPVs exhibit circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with high fluorescence quantum yields (ΦFL) resulting in a high CPL brightness of 21 M-1 cm-1 and also exhibit high thermal and photostability. The monoradical cation of D-spiro-CPV absorbing near-infrared light is notably persistent, exhibiting a half-life of 570 h under ambient conditions due to doubly spiro-conjugative stabilization. Theoretical and electrochemical studies indicate the radical cation of D-spiro-CPVs presents a non-Aufbau electron filling, exhibiting inversion of the energy level of the singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) and the highest (doubly) occupied molecular orbitals with the SOMO level even below the HOMO-1 level (double SHI effect). Our discoveries provide valuable insights into non-Aufbau molecules and the development of configurationally stable, optically active persistent radicals.

Thermodynamic analysis of pavement roads underground heat harvesting through water pipelines for effective management of urban heat island effect integrated to space cooling applications

Urban heat island effect drastically affects the climate by approximately increasing the surroundings temperature by 2°C, thus, rises the energy demand for space cooling. As roads/asphalt pavements makes 20–30% of urban areas that are fully exposed to solar radiations, this unused energy can be utilized by laying down a network of underground cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) pipes full of heat transfer fluids. In this research, the cold-water from a reservoir is pumped to various pipeline configurations to gain effective heat from the pavements/roads. This water circulation absorbs the heat, increasing the temperature (10–25°C) of cold water, also decreasing the pavement temperature by about 15°C. Furthermore, a solar collector is attached to increase temperature of circulated water to be used by low-grade temperature applications. Here, double effect absorption cooling (DEAC) and ejector cooling systems have been analysed thermodynamically for efficient space cooling application. The overall energy and exergy efficiency of DEAC integrated system is calculated to be 40.79% and 5.08%, respectively. The rate of cooling obtained by the evaporator is 6.75 kW, when rate of heat supplied is 4.3 kW. For the ejector cooling integrated system, the overall energy and exergy efficiencies are recorded as 15.27% and 3.38%, respectively. The rate of effective cooling through ejector cooling system is 2.7 kW.