Greater Polarization Research Articles

In-situ formation of spinel protective layer through extremely low K-doping for enhanced performance of Ni-rich layered cathodes

Herein, we demonstrate a novel and feasible strategy to stabilize the LiNi0.83Co0.12Mn0.05O2 (NCM) structure via the in-situ formation of a superficial spinel layer with potassium (K) doping. While K+ doped NCM is not new, the formation of the protective spinel layer gives surprising results with even a trace amount of doping, which is unique and novel, and nowhere reported. The structural transformation from layered to spinel on the surface region of NCM is achieved with a K-doping level of 0.05 mol% (NCM-0.05K) and the formed spinel layer acted as a protective pillar for stabilizing the host structure, leading to substantially improved electrochemical performance. The X-ray photoelectron spectra demonstrate a large increase in nickel (Ni2+) distribution after cycling for pristine but almost no change for the NCM-0.05K, suggesting a stable preformed spinel layer. The above results reveal that the K+ doping can strongly reduce the Ni4+ to stable Ni2+ under the spinel phase formation and improves cell performances in terms of specific capacity, capacity retention, rate capability, and Li+ diffusivity. The internal micro-cracking of host NCM is also effectively suppressed by the low amount of K doping. Excessive K-doping, in contrast, leads to a reduction in (de)lithiation rate and greater polarization.

A Comprehensive Study on Electrospun Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Core Fibers for Detecting Volatile Organic Compounds

Encapsulation of the cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) into the core of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) microfibers is accomplished via coaxial electrospinning technology and is applied to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The impacts of various process parameters on the morphology of CLC fibers are deeply explored. The periodic arrangement of CLC molecules within the fibers enables the reflection of specific wavelengths. Consequently, changes in the reflected color of the CLC fiber membrane allow for the measurement and analysis of targeted gas molecules. The dynamic response of CLC fibers upon exposure to organic vapor is observed by a polarizing optical microscope, and its gray scale is used to quantitatively analyze the changes of reflected light signals of CLC fibers. Furthermore, the study investigates the reaction time for the failure of CLC molecular planar alignment in the CLC fiber membrane when subjected to perturbations induced by organic gases. The CLC fiber sensor exhibits heightened sensitivity to gases characterized by greater polarity. In light of potential future advancements, it is suggested that the spun fibers imbued with responsive properties through the incorporation of a liquid crystal core exhibit promise as a next-generation sensor technology in textile form, well-suited for applications in wearable technology.

Towards coordination of spatial relations: Understanding Chinese mega-regionalization from a secondary city perspective

Mega-regional planning in China is expected to tackle intra-regional unevenness, namely the development gap between regional core cities and the surrounding secondary cities. However, mega-regionalization processes seem to further increase the centrality of cores and push secondary cities towards greater polarization and peripheralization, as they lose socioeconomic vitality, industrial capacity, and political voice. To reflect on why mega-regions are not fulfilling their role of rebalancing regional urban systems, we conceptualize mega-regionalization as a mechanism to coordinate spatial relations within a territory and build a novel framework to analyze the relations between core and secondary cities. First, we show that visions of mega-regional planning regarding core-secondary relations pursue goals of morphological polycentricity, flow multi-directionality, and functional complementarity. Then, we use thematic analysis to evaluate the policy orientations of mega-regional planning to achieve these goals and extract three policy themes governing core-secondary spatial relations - coexistence, connectivity, and cooperation. These can systematically redefine mega-regional planning mechanisms by giving a central role to the spatial relations between core and secondary cities. Emphasizing spatial relations to conceptualize mega-regional governance allows a novel reflection on the challenges of unevenness grounded in the perspective of secondary cities. This deepens our understanding of governance mismatches that keep ideal visions and policy orientations misaligned when seen from secondary cities. Place, priority, and actor mismatches limit the potential of mega-regionalization to respond to their challenges. This research provides a relational understanding of mega-regions, calling for more attention to secondary cities, and the development of more balanced and sustainable mega-regions.

Design of novel broad-spectrum antiviral nucleoside analogues using natural bases ring-opening strategy.

The global prevalence of RNA virus infections has presented significant challenges to public health in recent years, necessitating the expansion of its alternative therapeutic library. Due to its evolutional conservation, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) has emerged as a potential target for broad-spectrum antiviral nucleoside analogues. However, after over half a century of structural modification, exploring unclaimed chemical space using frequently-used structural substitution methods to design new nucleoside analogues is challenging. In this study, we explore the use of the "ring-opening" strategy to design new base mimics, thereby using these base mimics to design new nucleoside analogues with broad-spectrum antiviral activities. A total of 29 compounds were synthesized. Their activity against viral RdRp was initially screened using an influenza A virus RdRp high-throughput screening model. Then, the antiviral activity of 38a was verified against influenza virus strain A/PR/8/34 (H1N1), demonstrating a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 9.95 μM, which was superior to that of ribavirin (the positive control, IC50 = 11.43 μM). Moreover, 38a also has inhibitory activity against coronavirus 229E with an IC50 of 30.82 μM. In addition, compounds 42 and 46f exhibit an 82% inhibition rate against vesicular stomatitis virus at a concentration of 20 μM and hardly induce cytotoxicity in host cells. This work demonstrates the feasibility of designing nucleoside analogues with "ring-opening" bases and suggests the "ring-opening" nucleosides may have greater polarity, and designing prodrugs is an important aspect of optimizing their antiviral activity. Future research should focus on enhancing the conformational restriction of open-loop bases to mimic Watson-Crick base pairing better and improve antiviral activity.

SYNTHETIC WATER-IN-OIL EMULSIONS: EFFECT OF OIL COMPOSITION ON STABILITY AND DEMULSIFIER PERFORMANCE

Stable water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions are undesirable from an operational standpoint, with the asphaltenes present in petroleum being considered the main stabilizers of these emulsions. Demulsifiers are agents added to destabilize these emulsions. The objective of this work is to evaluate the stability of w/o emulsions formed from an oil phase with different polarities (kerosene and toluene) containing asphaltene fractions C3I, C5I, and C7I, and how these systems affect the action of a demulsifier additive. Systems containing asphaltenes in toluene were more stable when using the C7I fraction due to its greater polarity and, consequently, considerable action at the interface. With the oil phase composed of a less polar solvent (kerosene), the C3I fraction increased the stability of the emulsion by reducing the action of the demulsifying additive, with an upper asphaltenes concentration limit of 1.0% observed where the action of the demulsifying agent was affected.

Organic Matrix Effect on the Molecular Light Absorption of Brown Carbon

AbstractBrown carbon (BrC) absorption impacts radiative forcing and climate change. Quantifying radiative forcing of BrC requires understanding its molecular composition and absorption characteristics. While organic molecules surrounding BrC may impact its absorption, their effects have not yet been investigated. This research determined matrix effect on BrC absorption by comparing individual BrC molecules and BrC within an organic matrix. Over 20,000 water‐soluble organic molecules constituted the water‐soluble BrC and associated organic matrix. The matrix enhanced aliphatic BrC absorption but suppressed aromatic BrC, especially with higher matrix O/C ratios indicating greater polarity and acidity. By directly measuring and modeling organic matrix effect on BrC, we can improve climate prediction precision and aerosol‐radiation interaction comprehension.

A Model of Online Misinformation

Abstract We present a model of online content sharing where agents sequentially observe an article and decide whether to share it with others. This content may or may not contain misinformation. Each agent starts with an ideological bias and gains utility from positive social media interactions but does not want to be called out for propagating misinformation. We characterize the (Bayesian-Nash) equilibria of this social media game and establish that it exhibits strategic complementarities. Under this framework, we study how a platform interested in maximizing engagement would design its algorithm. Our main result establishes that when the relevant articles have low-reliability and are thus likely to contain misinformation, the engagement-maximizing algorithm takes the form of a “filter bubble”— creating an echo chamber of like-minded users. Moreover, filter bubbles become more likely when there is greater polarization in society and content is more divisive. Finally, we discuss various regulatory solutions to such platform-manufactured misinformation.

How Do 3D Printing Parameters Affect the Dielectric and Mechanical Performance of Polylactic Acid–Cellulose Acetate Polymer Blends?

Three-dimensional printing is a prototyping technique that is widely used in various fields, such as the electrical sector, to produce specific dielectric objects. Our study explores the mechanical and dielectric behavior of polylactic acid (PLA) and plasticized cellulose acetate (CA) blends manufactured via Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). A preliminary optimization of 3D printing parameters showed that a print speed of 30 mm·s−1 and a print temperature of 215 °C provided the best compromise between print quality and processing time. The dielectric properties were very sensitive to the three main parameters (CA content WCA, infill ratio, and layer thickness). A Taguchi L9 3^3 experimental design revealed that the infill ratio and WCA were the main parameters influencing dielectric properties. Increasing the infill ratio and WCA increased the dielectric constant ε′ and electrical conductivity σAC. It would, therefore, be possible to promote the integration of CA in the dielectric domain through 3D printing while counterbalancing its greater polarity by reducing the infill ratio. The dielectric findings are promising for an electrical insulation application. Furthermore, the mechanical findings obtained through dynamic mechanical analysis are discussed.

A Fresh Beginning to an Old Conversation: Thoughts on Leon Hoffman’s “We Don’t Trust YOU: Reflections on Anti-Racism in Psychoanalysis”

This article attempts to explore Leon Hoffman’s (this issue) basic concerns: That greater polarization and the erosion of epistemic trust has occurred among our psychoanalytic colleagues as positions on “Whiteness as the pathogenic agent of our social ills has created a good deal of animosity that has interfered with the goals of examining structural racism in psychoanalysis, as in the rest of society.” The article promotes the idea that more traditional psychoanalytic approaches to having the most difficult conversations among psychoanalysts do not and will not work when related to racism, historical and systemic trauma, and power. It is not just about our mental health deficiencies and characterological disturbances. I am interested in exploring our overall human development, which is manifested in our current human condition, where the past shows up in the present while we are all on this complex human journey. In my view, creating trust, “epistemic trust” (Hoffman, this issue) requires something different: an ability to find and hold onto, in the moment, a frame with steps toward relational and shared resonance, requiring a group process that includes attention to self-study, which is the self-analytic reflective function that is shared during a dialogic group experiential discussion. This kind of process is deliberately created like a Winnicott-style transitional space of “being with” in conversation, with its own relational ground rules, involving one or more different others. Unlike the psychoanalytic dyad where the patient provides the stories and associations for exploration, this model for discovery involves setting a tone and an atmosphere for colleagues to share together each other’s associations, stories, and lived experiences with the goal of expanding consciousness, integrating the individual and social within, seeing more, and acquiring deeper emotional readiness and resonance with the different other or others.

Molecular dynamics simulation of epoxy resin properties at different C=N contents

In response to the green development strategies of countries all over the world, research on degradable epoxy resins has attracted widespread attention. The introduction of reversible covalent bonds in the conventional cross-linked structure of epoxy resins is one of the methods to achieve degradation of epoxy resins, and most researchers use molecular dynamics simulations in their preliminary studies to investigate the feasibility of the introduction of reversible covalent bonding schemes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of introducing C=N into the cross-linked structure of epoxy resins. Four formulation schemes of vanillin-based monoepoxides with the curing agent 4,4′-methylenebis(cyclohexylamine) were designed, and the molecular dynamics simulation method was used to cross-link them. The changes in the cross-linking degree, structural parameters before and after cross-linking, free volume fraction, and C=N content before and after cross-linking were investigated. The effects of different C=N contents on the thermal properties such as glass transition temperature and thermal expansion coefficient, as well as the mechanical properties such as the elastic modulus and shear modulus of this epoxy resin, were investigated. The bond-breaking characteristics of C=N, C–N, and C–O were compared by density of states and differential charge density simulations. Then the degradation mechanism of epoxy resin after the introduction of C=N was illustrated. The results show that as the specific gravity of the curing agent molecule increases, the cross-linking degree tends to increase. The cross-linked model has reduced volume, increased density, decreased energy, and a more stable structure. After crosslinking, the gaps between the segments in the system become smaller, and the fraction of free volume decreases as the proportion of crosslinking agent molecules increases. The C=N content in epoxy resin shows an increasing trend first and then decreases with the increase in the proportion of the curing agent. The glass transition temperature of the material increases with the increase in C=N content, while the coefficient of thermal expansion decreases with the increase in C=N content. The elastic modulus and shear modulus of the material show an increasing trend with the increase in C=N content, with a relatively gradual change in magnitude. Compared with C–N and C–O bonds, the C=N bond is weaker in strength, has a greater polarity, and is more prone to cleavage and degradation.

Past to Future: Application of Gel Permeation Chromatography from Petroleomics and Metallopetroleomics to New Energies Applications: A Minireview

In the field of petroleomics and metallopetroleomics, the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) technique coupled with high-resolution detection technologies has made significant contributions as an analytical and preparative tool for over five decades. This bibliographic minireview highlights the study of the supramolecular and structural behavior of heavy crude oil and its fractions, as well as their reactivity to various processes by use of GPC. The preferred mobile phase is tetrahydrofuran (THF), whereas the stationary phase is polystyrene–divinylbenzene copolymer to avoid compound retention in the column. Other techniques such as HPTLC, RPLC, and NPHPLC have been used to provide multidimensional separations complementary to GPC. The high molecular weight (HMW) fraction, due to its greater polarity, reactivity to polymerization, and resistance to hydrodemetallization processes, has been the focus of interest for years. GPC coupled with high-resolution techniques has proven to be reliable for the detection of organic and inorganic species in bio-oils, making it a valuable tool for researchers and industry professionals in the context of feedstocks changes and new energy production.

Introduction to the special issue of social media: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Abstract As social media scholarship pervades the communication discipline, it is time to reflect on the good, bad, and ugly of social media. The theme for this special issue is inspired in part by the 1966 film, “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” Like its portrayal of the American Civil War, we again face deep divisions. The question is what role is social media helping us to heal those divides versus fragmenting us further? The seven articles in this issue reflect the complexity of the answer. Although we aimed for diversity, this issue focuses on the Global North. This reflects the field and the need to decenter Western epistemology. Nevertheless, the articles help us see that social media is not easily reduced to simplistic framings, but instead enables new connections and collective action, while also risking further fragmentation of our information environment and greater polarization—while technology companies profit.

Metal-Multilayered Nanomechanical Cantilever Sensor for Detection of Molecular Adsorption.

A metal-multilayered nanomechanical cantilever sensor was proposed to reduce the temperature effect for highly sensitive gas molecular detection. The multilayer structure of the sensor reduces the bimetallic effect, allowing for the detection of differences in molecular adsorption properties on various metal surfaces with higher sensitivity. Our results indicate that the sensor exhibits higher sensitivity to molecules with greater polarity under mixed conditions with nitrogen gas. We demonstrate that stress changes caused by differences in molecular adsorption on different metal surfaces can be detected and that this approach could be used to develop a gas sensor with selectivity for specific gas species.

Regulating copolymer architecture using photoiniferter polymerization to direct composite morphology

Due to mild conditions and straightforward synthetic routes, photoiniferter polymerization has received increasing use as a facile method for preparation of polymers with highly controlled structure. However, low quantum yields inherent to thiocarbonylthio species result in polymerization speeds that are considerably slower than traditional controlled radical polymerization techniques. To improve polymerization speed while maintaining high level control, it is critical to understand relationships between reaction parameters and ultimate polymer structure. In this work, initiating light intensity, reactant concentration, and monomer pendant groups were manipulated in the photoiniferter polymerization of acrylate monomers to explore the effect of these conditions on reaction kinetics and molecular weight control. Polymerization rate of n-butyl acrylate was significantly enhanced by increasing light intensity rivaling speeds of conventional thermally initiated RAFT polymerization while enabling more precise control over molecular weight. Interestingly, photoiniferter rate asymptotically approached saturation at relatively high light intensities. Moreover, degradation of trithiocarbonate species occurred at greater intensities, ultimately resulting in moderate increases in molecular weight. Increased reactant concentration enabled faster rates with bulk polymerization, possibly due to reduced macro radical mobility and termination. Additionally, comparing photoiniferter polymerization of methyl acrylate and hydroxyethyl acrylate showed that greater polarity considerably enhanced polymerization speeds. Finally, the utility of precisely controlling polymer structure was demonstrated by synthesizing and incorporating a series of amphiphilic block copolymers with increasing molecular weight into a photocurable epoxy resin. The well-defined block copolymer structures enabled controllable phase separation and thermomechanical properties in epoxy composites. This work showed that photoiniferter polymerization speeds could be significantly enhanced using elementary reaction conditions, and that these conditions enable facile production of well-defined copolymers allowing tailored composite morphology and properties.

Adsorption characteristics and removal mechanism of malathion in water by high and low temperature calcium–modified water hyacinth–based biochar

Calcium–modified water hyacinth biochar (WHCBC–400 and WHCBC–600) was prepared using water hyacinth as raw material and calcium chloride as modifier at two pyrolysis temperatures of 400 °C and 600 °C. The effectiveness for removal of malathion, a typical organophosphorus pesticide from water were comparatively examined by the prepared adsorbents. The impacts of the pyrolysis temperature on performance of the biochar and adsorption behavior of malathion on the modified biochar were systematically studied by surface analysis, removal efficiency tests under different solution conditions, as well as data simulations. The adsorption mechanisms and reusability of the modified biochar were also investigated and experimented, respectively. The results indicated that the WHCBC–600 had a larger specific surface area and pore volume than the WHCBC–400, while WHCBC–400 had a greater polarity and hydrophilicity. Both of the two prepared biochars followed pseudo–second–order kinetics and their adsorption isotherms conformed to the Sips model. The maximum adsorption capacities of WHCBC–400 and WHCBC–600 were 128 mg/g and 32.7 mg/g, respectively. It was found that the adsorption of malathion by the biochars were dominated by chemisorption. Diffusion at the liquid film was the rate–limiting step in the adsorption process. The difference in the form of the calcium loadings, polarity of biochar, and the rate–limiting step of adsorption were important factors affecting the adsorption capacity of the biochar. In comparison, the specific surface area and pore volume of the prepared absorbents had less significant effects on the adsorption capacity. The main adsorption mechanism of the two modified biochars was surface complexation. In addition, the solution pH and coexisting material had little effect on the adsorption of malathion by WHCBC–400 and WHCBC–600. Both of the modified biochar had good regeneration performance. The study provided a new adsorbent for the removal of malathion from water.

Polarization in the forest bioelectricity generation in Brazil

The expansion of forest bioelectricity is associated with the insertion of the bioeconomy, providing efficiency gains and improving the use of resources. This paper analyzed the polarization of forest bioelectricity generation in Brazil, between 2000 and 2019. The data used were from the granting of forest biomass thermoelectric plants obtained from the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL). To measure the polarization, the Lorenz curve, the polarization measures of Foster and Wolfson (PFW) and Esteban and Ray (PER). were used. The main results showed that the use of Brazilian forest bioelectricity increased from 562.90 MW and 11 thermoelectric plants in 2000 to 3,532.61 MW and 115 thermoelectric plants in 2019. For the regional level, there was a decrease for PFW and PER, being the greater polarization in the period from 2002 to 2008, where it highlighted the Southeast region as the main player. There was an increase in state polarization (PFWavg. = 0.3002 and PER(1.6)avg. = 0.1530), as a result of the granting of large black liquor plants in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana, as of 2013. For level 2 sources, the domain of black liquor and forest residues was registered over the national supply, leading to the existence of hubs (PFWavg. = 0.5349 and PER(1.6)avg. = 0.1870). The polarization proved to be relevant to the object of study, being its unprecedented application for energy analysis in Brazil.

Data Driven Model to Investigate Political Bias in Mainstream Media

Media bias refers to the tendency of mainstream media outlets to report news in a way that reflects their own political, social, or ideological beliefs or preferences. Such bias may obfuscate facts, manipulate public beliefs, misinform readers, narrow perspectives and viewpoints, and result in greater polarization and division. To counter this issue, this study presents a model for quantifying media bias, aimed at enabling individuals to make more informed media choices. The proposed media analysis model includes a pipeline that gathers articles from three distinct sources: mainstream media news outlets, known conservative outlets, and known liberal media outlets. The collected articles were subjected to a range of text pre-processing operations and subsequently, curated n-gram and topic lists were generated. Several classification models including BERT, logistic regression, random forest, multinomial, and long short-term memory (LSTM) were created and fine-tuned on polarized news sources and used for analyzing news articles from the mainstream media. Among the various classification models that we investigated in this study, BERT achieved overall higher accuracy across the majority of topics. The analysis of mainstream media on various topics yielded different results, with some being balanced and others leaning left or right, depending on the topic. The research also suggests the effectiveness of using highly polarized news sources for developing models to predict media bias.

Анализ онлайн-поведения российских пользователей новых медиа в периоды политической напряженности в 2020-2021 гг.

The article explores online behavior of social media users during two periods of political tension in 2020-2021 in Russia. Online behavior is considered as one of the principal factors influencing political participation. The author analyses the case of protests, held in Russia in the beginning of 2021. That period of political tension is compared with another one (August-September 2020) when there were no civil protests. The analysis provides evidence that politicization of internet users increased during the period of the protests. It affected both production and consumption of the social media content. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok turned out to be the most politicized, their users showed greater involvement in political discourse and greater polarization. The politicization of users increased along with the growth of their interest in certain types of content: live coverage of events those stimulated political tension, as well as personal attitudes to what was happening expressed by public persons and ordinary users (in Twitter). The Facebook audience shows great interest in the media content and status persons commentaries. Telegram, LiveJournal, Instagram users are less politicized and polarized. News and comments of political strategists dominated here during both periods. The study also reveals about 15 media outlets that had the greatest impact on the social media agenda during the analyzed periods. Content analysis of social media does not allow us to judge the cause-and-effect relationships between online and offline mobilization, but suggests that politicized platforms will more likely catalyze protest activity rather than non-politicized ones.

The Role of Birthplace Diversity in Shaping Education Gradients in Trust: Country and Regional Level Mediation-Moderation Analyses

This paper examines between-country differences in why education promotes trust using data from 29 countries (and 146 regions) participating in the OECD’s Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). Results indicate that education is strongly associated with trust and that individuals’ literacy, income, and occupational prestige are important mediators of this association. Contrary to previous studies we do not find that country level or regional level birthplace diversity is associated with average levels of trust. However, education gradients in trust and the extent to which these are due to social stratification or cognitive mechanisms vary both at the country and regional level depending on birthplace diversity. Multilevel mediation-moderation analyses reveal that in countries and regions with greater birthplace diversity there is a greater polarization in levels of trust between individuals with different educational qualifications. This polarization is primarily due to cognitive mechanisms.

Narratives of and in urban change and planning: whose narratives and how authentic?

Lieven Ameel's book The Narrative Turn in Urban Planning offers a critical examination of the role of narratives and story-telling in questions concerning urban planning in future deliberations of urban change. The discussion provides an excellent way to identify, define and construct our understanding about narratives in and of planning, including the construction of a typology for the first time. But narratives of and for planning tend to mask wider meta-narrative issues that will affect how places are shaped and are changed in the future. These drivers of change not only encompass a range of socio-economic and environmental challenges. They will also have profound implications for our use of technology, and for the way our democratic processes operate. Such dramatic changes will impact on the context and form of planning, wherever you are in the world. And we are likely to see greater polarisation in attitudes toward urban and regional change, some of which may not only be proactive, but deeply reactive, subjective and selective. If the narrative turn will become more prominent in planning, we need to be ready for the likely proliferation of disruptive and insurgent narratives that will emerge and reflect the deep-seated vested interests that possess stakes in how and whether places change on their terms.