Opposite Paths Research Articles

Regulating the electronic structure to construct root-soil-like S-scheme BiVO4/Nd-TiO2 heterojunction for visible degradation and hydrogen evolution

Step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunctions offer a novel and practical approach to drive electron migrating. However, matching semiconductor energy levels significantly restricts the range of available options. Herein, we propose a S-scheme BiVO4/Nd-TiO2 (BVNT) heterojunction with a unique 1D/3D “root-soil” structure designed to operate milder matching conditions. The 25 wt% BiVO4/Nd-TiO2 (BVNT-25) demonstrates excellent photocatalytic performance, achieving a robust H2 evolution of 538.44 μmol·g−1·h−1 and effective degradation Methylene Blue (MB) within approximately 120 min. DFT results indicate the impurity level of Nd triggers upgraded photocatalytic performance of Nd-TiO2. Meanwhile, Nd induces the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) to generate new front orbitals to facilitate the reaction. XPS and work function indicated that an internal electric field (IEF) from BiVO4 to Nd-TiO2 was generated after hybridization, which allows electrons to move along opposite paths under visible light like S-scheme. SEM, UV–vis DRS, and PL results confirm that the significant photocatalytic activity is also attributed to the multi-path transfer of electrons and well-distributed nanostructures. This work presents a new strategy for fabricating S-scheme heterojunctions in the fields of energy and environment.

The end (and persistence) of subjectivity: Lukács with Adorno, Adorno with Lukács

ABSTRACT This paper revisits Lukács’s and Adorno’s analyses of reification to articulate a diagnosis that accounts both for its tendencies towards authoritarianism and its emancipatory potentials. Despite their divergences, Lukács’s conception of the proletariat as ‘identical subject-object of history’ and Adorno’s diagnosis of ‘the end of psychology’ in the authoritarian masses seem to converge on a similar outcome. Through opposite paths, they both culminate in the elimination of the subject-object distinction, leading the critique of reification to a political impasse. However, this alternative is rooted in partial interpretations of Lukács’s and Adorno’s arguments. As I contend, one can reconstruct Lukács’s analysis in a way that portrays emancipatory subjectivity not as hostile to otherness but as driven by the material limits of reification, or what Adorno termed the non-identical. Correspondingly, in light of Lukács, Adorno’s diagnosis can be read in a way that the end of psychology, far from negating the possibility of emancipation, serves as its driving force.

Remote sensing of eruptions and transport of Taal volcano in January 2020

The eruption and transport of the Taal volcano (14 N, 121 E) in January 2020 have been investigated using remote sensing measurements of several satellites, including the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite, and Himawari-8. The aerosol optical thickness (AOT), angstrom exponent (AE), and column densities of sulfur dioxide (SO2) derived from satellites are analyzed in this study. The ground-based AERONET data of Manila city and OMI SO2 are studied to validate high AOT events. Our findings indicate that ash and gases followed opposite transport paths. This differential transport is consistent with various wind data, HYSPLIT back and forward trajectory calculations, and emission dispersion models. The potential influences of deposition on ocean biology and climate are also discussed.

«I Ghiribizzi al to Soderini» by a Florentine Secretary and Their Addressee (One More Hypothesis)

In 1969 Italian researchers made an important discovery for the study of the biography and works of Niccolo Machiavelli: the letter known as «Ghiribizzi al Soderini», previously attributed to 1512, when the Florentine secretary lost his post, was redated to 1506. It turned out that its addressee was not Piero Soderini, lifelong gonfaloniere of the Republic, but his nephew Giovan Battista. The significance of the letter, preserved in draft form and probably never sent, is that the ideas developed in it about the opposition between human valor and fortune, about the opposite paths leading to success and about the vicissitudes of political fates for 6-7 years anticipate the theses of Machiavelli’s main works: «The Prince» and «Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius». Over the past decades, scholars have repeatedly turned to analyze the above draft, trying to clarify the motives and circumstances of its writing, but some details still remain poorly understood, including the question of why the Secretary of the Council of Ten began to develop ideas important to himself in a letter to the nephew of the head of government. The hypothesis at issue here is a conjecture explaining this circumstance and related to the matrimonial plans of the Soderini family.

Особенности певческого компонента современного православного богослужения в Китае

Analyzes the musical material used for worship in Orthodox churches in China. The author considers the conservative tendency, which is followed by Nina Starostina, and the renewal tendency, which is worked on by Nikolay Lebedev. The specifics of N. Starostina's work on new vowels, based on the well-known Chinese songs and means of musical expression, used by the composer in her compositions on canonical liturgical texts are outlined.The article compares the interpretation of substantive aspects of the canonical osmoglavya by Archpriest Boris Nikolaev and the tunes underlying the "Chinese Glas" by Nina Borisovna Starostina, a Moscow composer and researcher of guqin playing who has lived in China and is deeply familiar with the musical culture of China. The emphasis is placed on the means of musical expression peculiar to Chinese musical poetics used in Nina Starostina's works on canonical liturgical texts, as well as on the traditional stylistics of the works of Nikolai Lebedev, an adherent of the Holy Trinity Masterpieces school. It is hypothetically suggested that there is a great difference between these "extremes," but that these are two cardinally opposite paths, outlined today, that the choral tradition in China might follow.As a result, the following varieties of chants are identified in Chinese Orthodox churches: retexts of traditional vowels and chants of later origin (Greek, Yaroslavl, etc.) without modification; retexts of traditional vowels and chants of later origin adapted because of the difference in phonetics of the Chinese and Slavonic languages, and in order to bring them closer to the angelic ones. The following are some of the chants that can be heard in Chinese Orthodox churches: retexts of traditional vowels and chants of later origin, adapted to suit the phonetics of the Chinese and Slavonic languages and to bring them closer to the angemite pentatonic keys of China; new chants composed in the Chinese style to canonical liturgical texts and chants composed in the tradition of Rask spiritual music, and also taken from chant books that are widely available in Orthodox parishes.

A thermal contact model encompassing near-field effects of multi-interface TEGs in hypersonic conditions

High efficiency heat harvest of hypersonic vehicles claims elaborate design of thermoelectric (TE) conversion process. A thermoelectric generator (TEG) contains multi-interfaces in the heat transfer path and the interfacial thermal contacts with certain amount of nanoscale effects have significant influence on its TE conversion process. In this paper, a thermal contact model encompassing near-field thermal radiation (NFTR) effects of TEGs with heterogeneous interfaces between substrates, electrodes and TE legs is established and experimentally validated in hypersonic conditions. First, a real-topology-based thermal contact resistance (TCR) prediction model is developed and the far- and near-field radiative heat transfer at heterogeneous interfaces is considered by the fluctuational electrodynamics, and the model is validated by direct and indirect experimental measurements. Second, the effects of average interfacial temperature, clearance distance and opposite heat transfer paths on the thermal radiation are analyzed, and the influences of average interfacial temperature, loading pressure and clearance mediums on the TCR are then clarified. Third, the TCR is equivalently considered in a TEG performance evaluation model and the NFTR effects is quantitatively counted. The result shows that: with the consideration of the NFTR, the TCRs between TE legs and electrodes, substrates and electrodes decrease by about 3.90% to 17.0% and 0.510% to 6.40% under vacuum clearance, 1.30% to 5.50% and 0.220% to 2.00% under air clearance, respectively; and the maximum output power of the TEG increases by about 8.02% and 1.29% under vacuum and air clearance (0.1 MPa, 650 K), respectively.

Nonvolatile Magnetoelectric Switching of Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with Dipole Interaction

AbstractThe magnetoelectric effect is technologically appealing because of its ability to manipulate magnetism using an electric field rather than magnetic field or current, thus providing a promising solution for the development of energy‐efficient spintronics. Although 180° magnetization switching is vital to spintronic devices, the achievement of 180° magnetization switching via magnetoelectric coupling is still a fundamental challenge. Herein, voltage‐driven full resistance switching of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with dipole interaction on a ferroelectric substrate through switchable parallel/antiparallel magnetization alignment is demonstrated. Parallel magnetization alignment along the y direction is obtained under a bias magnetic field. By rotating the magnetic easy axis via strain‐mediated magnetoelectric coupling, the parallel magnetizations in the MTJ reorient to the x axis with opposite paths because of dipole interaction, thus resulting in antiparallel alignment. Moreover, this voltage switching of MTJs is nonvolatile owing to variations in dipole interaction and can be well understood via phase field simulations. The results provide an avenue to realize electrical switching of MTJs and are significant for exploring energy‐efficient spintronic devices.

Schizophrenia and psychedelic state: Dysconnection versus hyper-connection. A perspective on two different models of psychosis stemming from dysfunctional integration processes.

Psychotic symptoms are a cross-sectional dimension affecting multiple diagnostic categories, despite schizophrenia represents the prototype of psychoses. Initially, dopamine was considered the most involved molecule in the neurobiology of schizophrenia. Over the next years, several biological factors were added to the discussion helping to constitute the concept of schizophrenia as a disease marked by a deficit of functional integration, contributing to the formulation of the Dysconnection Hypothesis in 1995. Nowadays the notion of dysconnection persists in the conceptualization of schizophrenia enriched by neuroimaging findings which corroborate the hypothesis. At the same time, in recent years, psychedelics received a lot of attention by the scientific community and astonishing findings emerged about the rearrangement of brain networks under the effect of these compounds. Specifically, a global decrease in functional connectivity was found, highlighting the disintegration of preserved and functional circuits and an increase of overall connectivity in the brain. The aim of this paper is to compare the biological bases of dysconnection in schizophrenia with the alterations of neuronal cyto-architecture induced by psychedelics and the consequent state of cerebral hyper-connection. These two models of psychosis, despite diametrically opposed, imply a substantial deficit of integration of neural signaling reached through two opposite paths.

Local Demand, Quality of Place, and Urban Tourism Competitiveness.

Most studies on tourism destination competitiveness examined the direct relationships of destination attributes and destination competitiveness. Few studies explored the intervening mechanisms between destination attributes and competitiveness. This study selected cities above the “alpha” level in the Globalization and World Cities Research Network rankings as samples to examine the relationship between local demand and urban tourism competitiveness mediated by the quality of place. Results showed that the relationship between urban wealth and tourist arrivals was completely mediated by the quality of place, while the mediating effect was not significant in the relationship between urban wealth and per capita tourism spending, though per capita tourism spending was directly and positively associated with urban wealth. In other words, richer cities had a higher quality of place, and a higher quality of place attracted more tourists but did not increase tourism per capita spending. Furthermore, the study found that there were two opposite influence paths of city size on urban tourism competitiveness. Although urban tourism competitiveness was directly and positively affected by population, the population had a significant negative effect on urban tourism competitiveness mediated by the quality of place. Through the quality of place, we can be aware of the indirect negative effect suppressed by the direct positive effect. This study revealed that the quality of place helped to better understand the competitiveness of urban tourism.

Long-term variation of coronal holes latitudinal distribution

ABSTRACT We study the evolution of the latitudinal distribution of coronal holes using the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) 195 Å data from 1996 May to 2020 April. To measure the presence of coronal holes at a given latitude, we use the presence factor, which estimates the length of an object along a given parallel, expressed as a percentage of half of the equator length. By semi-automatic processing of the data series, we obtained the 361 × 7346 latitude–time matrix. The corresponding diagram shows the significant difference in evolutionary shapes of a latitudinal distribution of non-polar and polar coronal holes. However, the morphology of the evolutionary picture and the migration route of the geometric centre of activity of the coronal hole in the diagram indicate that non-polar and polar coronal holes have the same driving mechanism. It is believed that the migration of the centre of activity of the coronal hole in the latitude–time diagram is a combination of two opposite migration paths. They intersect at the equator and diverge to opposite poles, where they form the so-called polar coronal holes, then again move to lower latitudes, and this happens cyclically. Determining the opposite migration paths by antiphase sinusoids, their deviation from antiphase determines the detected north–south asymmetry in the activity of the coronal hole.

Multifractal analysis of ultrasonically machined surfaces of cylindrical quartz crystals: the effect of the abrasive grits

Since synthetic quartz is essential to produce 3D resonators for numerous applications in precision electronics, in this work the surface topography of cylindrical quartz bars is investigated using the multifractal technique. The cylindrical bars were manufactured with ultrasonic machining using five SiC grits ranging from 6 to 50 μm. The machined surfaces were initially characterized by contact profilometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The multifractality of the machined surfaces was scrutinized using a box-counting method applied to the images obtained with 500X magnification. The multifractal spectrum indicated that the fractal dimension f(α) and the width of the fractal spectrum Δα are dependent on the grit size, but this dependence is not monotonic. The lowest (negative) value for Δf(α) was found for 25 μm grits indicating that for these grits the lower frequency events (grooves with tens μm width occurring along the USM direction) control the surface topography much more than high-frequency events related to brittle microcracking. The abrasive wear due to the continuous slurry recycling in lateral tool-workpiece interfaces contributed to smooth the groove texture as well as the sharpness of microscopic indentations, which remained observed on the surfaces machined with 50 μm grits. The opposite paths observed for the arithmetical mean deviation of the measured profile (Ra) and Δf(α) parameters with the cutting rate measured for each grit size were valuable to differentiate flat-rough and unlevelled-rough topographies in quartz bars.

Phonon-induced anomalous gauge potential for photonic isolation in frequency space

Photonic gauge potentials are crucial for manipulating charge-neutral photons like their counterpart electrons in the electromagnetic field, allowing the analogous Aharonov–Bohm effect in photonics and paving the way for critical applications such as photonic isolation. Normally, a gauge potential exhibits phase inversion along two opposite propagation paths. Here we experimentally demonstrate phonon-induced anomalous gauge potentials with noninverted gauge phases in a spatial-frequency space, where near-phase-matched nonlinear Brillouin scatterings enable such unique direction-dependent gauge phases. Based on this scheme, we construct photonic isolators in the frequency domain permitting nonreciprocal propagation of light along the frequency axis, where coherent phase control in the photonic isolator allows switching completely the directionality through an Aharonov–Bohm interferometer. Moreover, similar coherent controlled unidirectional frequency conversions are also illustrated. These results may offer a unique platform for a compact, integrated solution to implement synthetic-dimension devices for on-chip optical signal processing.

Some critical and ethical perspectives on the empirical turn of AI interpretability

We consider two fundamental and related issues currently facing the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI): the lack of ethics, and the interpretability of AI decisions. Can interpretable AI decisions help to address the issue of ethics in AI? Using a randomized study, we experimentally show that the empirical and liberal turn of the production of explanations tends to select AI explanations with a low denunciatory power. Under certain conditions, interpretability tools are therefore not means but, paradoxically, obstacles to the production of ethical AI since they can give the illusion of being sensitive to ethical incidents. We also show that the denunciatory power of AI explanations is highly dependent on the context in which the explanation takes place, such as the gender or education of the person for whom the explication is intended. AI ethics tools are therefore sometimes too flexible and self-regulation through the liberal production of explanations does not seem to be enough to resolve ethical issues. By following an STS pragmatist program, we highlight the role of non-human actors (such as computational paradigms, testing environments, etc.) in the formation of structural power relations, such as sexism. We then propose two scenarios for the future development of ethical AI: more external regulation, or more liberalization of AI explanations. These two opposite paths will play a major role in the future development of ethical AI.

Electric potential distributions in carbon fiber/epoxy plain-woven laminates with different current directions

Revealing electric potential distributions in carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites (CFRPs) is important in structural health monitoring (SHM). Here we report effects of current injection modes, probing depth and preform structure on the electric potential distributions in carbon fiber/epoxy plain-woven (PW) laminates. We have conducted a series of electric distribution measurements and established a linear anisotropic conductivity model to show the electric potential distribution. It was found that fiber tow waviness and bridging region in the PW laminates lead to the decrease of electric conductivities along in-plane direction, and the increase along thickness direction. Two pairs of electrodes with vertical current flow paths lead to a positive superposition effect, while a negative superposition effect from opposite current flow paths. The electric current along thickness direction decreases because of high inter-laminar contact resistance.

Making sense of trajectories of participation in European city networks on migration: insights from the cases of Turin (Italy) and Saint-Etienne (France)

ABSTRACT The article addresses the topic of cities’ trajectories of participation in Transnational City Networks on migration-related issues to identify factors and mechanisms of mobilisation. We present the results of a qualitative study on Turin (Italy) and Saint-Etienne (France). Both cities started to mobilise internationally in the 1990s on the initiative of entrepreneurial mayors, yet throughout the 2000s took opposite paths: in Turin, intense participation until 2014 was followed by partial dis-involvement and renewed activism since 2018; Saint-Etienne started to distance itself in 2008 and has not actively participated since then. We show how in the case of Turin, internationalisation has been driven by networks’ professionals engaging their personal relations in boundary-spanning work, establishing connections between public and non-public actors and between the local and international spheres. Such dynamics are absent in the case of Saint-Etienne, where mobilisation on migration has always been mayors-centred.

K and output: Two Student Publications in Light of Mid-Twentieth Century Graphic Design Education

Previous historiography of graphic design education in the mid-twentieth century is shaped by published theories and educational principles of a limited circle of design teachers. As a counterbalance, this article stresses the relevance of a marginalized source: design student magazines. It juxtaposes K and output, published in the early 1960s at the Basel School of Design and the Ulm School of Design. Both magazines intended to open critical debates at their schools, but took opposite paths regarding design, editorial concept, content of articles, and critical engagement with their respective schools' design philosophies. An analysis of their reception and context reveals the magazines' corrective potential for design education by raising crucial issues within the design discourse of the 1960s.

Haroldo de Campos: um caso concreto-barroco

This research aims to analyze the poetic writing of Haroldo de Campos, which brings a baroque language closer to a concrete language, exemplifying this supposed paradox through the poem A Máquina do Mundo Repensada. Augusto de Campos, his brother, defined him as a kind of “concrete-baroque”, capable of bringing together these two apparently contradictory facets in his production. The defense of the inclusion of the Brazilian baroque in the formation of national literature made by Haroldo also reverberated in his work, leaving baroque traces in his writings, as will be shown below. Finally, the analyzes made in this article will lead us to an analog and iconic reading gesture, prioritizing the similarities brought by the analogies, which will allow us to conceive the existence of opposite paths shared in the same text.

This must be the place: A destination-loyalty model for extreme sporting events

This paper tests a moderated sequential mediation model based on hypothesized relationships in extreme sporting events, addressing what drives participants’ destination loyalty. Drawing from edgework theory and sensation-seeking theory, the model accounts for sensation-seeking, event authenticity, self-enhancement, place attachment, and revisit intention. Two opposite paths emerge: a direct, negative relationship between sensation-seeking and destination loyalty, and a positive indirect path mediated by self-enhancement and place attachment. The relationships are explored in two studies: first, Study 1 on 300 individuals attending FISE, the largest freestyle sports event in the world. Then, Study 2, meant to extend the ecological validity of Study 1, based on a panel of 300 attendees of various extreme sporting events in several disciplines. Implications for theory and practice are addressed.

A PROBLEMÁTICA DA POBREZA NOS ACOLHIMENTOS REALIZADOS NOS SERVIÇOS DE ACOLHIMENTO INSTITUCIONAL PARA CRIANÇAS E ADOLESCENTES E OS DESAFIOS PARA A ATUAÇÃO DO PSICÓLOGO

Este artigo analisa a relação da pobreza com os motivos de acolhimento de crianças e adolescentes registrados pelos Serviços de Acolhimento Institucional para Crianças e Adolescentes (SAICA). Para isso, foram analisados dados apresentados por duas pesquisas: O direito à convivência familiar e comunitária: os abrigos para crianças e adolescentes no Brasil, publicado em 2004, e Levantamento nacional de crianças e adolescentes em serviços de acolhimento institucional, publicado em 2013. A comparação dessas pesquisas mostra caminhos opostos: enquanto a primeira considera que a pobreza contribui para diversos motivos de acolhimento institucional, dentre eles, a negligência familiar, na última, a pobreza não é significativamente considerada, principalmente nos casos de negligência e abandono. Assim, responsabiliza exclusivamente as famílias ao mesmo tempo que atenua a função do Estado na produção da pobreza. Este cenário traz desafios para o trabalho do psicólogo e reforça a importância de uma atuação implicada com aspectos sociais e políticos.
 Palavras-chave: Pobreza; Acolhimento; Crianças; Adolescentes; Psicologia.

Immigration, International Mobilization and Local Governance in Post-Industrial Cities: Turin and Saint-Etienne Compared

This working paper addresses the topic of cities’ trajectories of participation in Transnational City Networks (TCNs) on migration-related issues to identify factors and mechanisms of mobilisation. We present the results of a qualitative study on Turin (Italy) and Saint-Etienne (France). Both cities started to mobilise internationally in the 1990s on the initiative of entrepreneurial mayors. Yet, throughout the 2000s, they took opposite paths. In Turin, intense participation until 2014 was followed by partial dis-involvement and then, since 2018, by renewed activism. Saint-Etienne started to distance itself in 2008 and has not actively participated since then. We show how in the case of Turin, internationalisation has been driven by the engagement of network professionals’ personal relations in boundary-spanning work, i.e. in establishing connections between public and non-public actors and between the local and international spheres. Such dynamics are absent in the case of Saint-Etienne, where mobilisation in TCNs on migration has always been mayors-centred.