Search results

The purpose of this paper is to explore and develop specific models of the kinetics of isothermal depolarization currents (IDC) and the corresponding methods for the diagnostics of the physical parameters of localized electronic states (LES) in heterogeneous materials and corresponding polycrystalline semiconductor materials and heterogeneous insulators with a conductive phase.

Analysis of the kinetics of isothermal depolarization on the basis of the models allowed the authors to establish a sufficient level of their information content. This also allowed the possibility of applying for research and testing of heterogeneous structures of electronic technique.

Optimal conditions (full charge of LES on one side of the object and full discharge on the other side) and the correction factors, allowed the researchers to find concentration of these states using the developed models.

This paper uses a particular method to determine and test the parameters of LES, including operations of determining the time constant of IDC signal from its frequency spectrum, finding the ionization energy and the capture coefficient of electrons from the temperature dependence of this time constant, determining the concentration based on the integration of the time dependence of current density of IDC in the time interval that boundaries are determined from the limited range of frequencies of the signal IDC spectrum has been proposed, validated and verified by numerical experiments.

Parties' respective share of responsibility in a conflict is a topic that many mediators have difficulty approaching from fear of radicalizing discussions. The present paper aims to propose a strategy to help mediators facilitate parties' acknowledgement of their role in the escalation of a conflict.

The strategy is tested using a quasi‐experimental design using real case mediation in partnership with Commission des normes du travail du Québec (CNT).

The results indicate that it has a significant impact on the parties' acknowledgement of their share of responsibility, reconciliation and the settlement rate.

Although the research design has good external validity, the strategy should be tested in other settings such as family mediation.

The results show that the parties' perceptions that they played no role in conflict escalation and that the other is responsible for the whole situation are at the heart of any conflict.

This study empirically tests an interesting and valuable approach to mediation.

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is about to implement wholesale reforms of the regulatory structure of advice in the retail financial services sector. Instead of having to choose between a “tied adviser” or an “independent financial adviser” (IFA) under a “polarised” regime, consumers will have a much wider choice in terms of the range of products and scope of advice available under the new “depolarised” structure. In undertaking these reforms, the FSA aims “to improve consumer outcomes” by dealing with what it argues are market failures in the retail financial services market. This paper assesses whether the FSA’s final blueprint for financial advice can provide the improved consumer outcomes the FSA intends. It critically examines the issues of choice and quality for both products and advice, as well as considering the extent to which the reforms will create the kind of “empowered” consumers the FSA appears to expect. It argues that the reforms may not appreciably address the market failures the FSA sets out to remedy, and suggests that this is due to the likely inability of consumers to understand and take advantage of the new marketplace that is being created. This paper suggests that much greater emphasis should have been placed on financial education and extending the availability of advice before attempting such radical reforms.

The Financial Services Authority’s (FSA) Consultation Paper 121 suggesting depolarisation in the retail financial services sector has generated a great deal of debate. The motivation for the reforms, primarily to improve the position of the consumer, cannot be disputed. Nevertheless, in attempting such a wide‐sweeping change, it is clear that the reforms could bring difficulties as well as improvements. This paper argues that, to the extent that the current polarisation regime is detrimental for the consumer, this can be addressed without dismantling the basic framework of the current advice system. It acknowledges that there is a need for greater consumer education in this area, and that more needs to be done to address the needs of lower‐income consumers. Nevertheless, it is argued that the advantages anticipated as a result of the more radical reforms in the Consultation Paper are likely to be accompanied by problems that could negate the overall benefit accruing to consumers.

The purpose of this paper was to characterize the surface of steel reinforcement of concrete under cathodic protection (CP), submerged in seawater, to understand the surface changes due to the application of CP and their consequences on cathodic current requirements.

Reinforced concrete specimens with applied CP were immersed in natural seawater. The experimental methodology included monitoring of corrosion potential (E_corr); measurement of galvanic current (Igalv), protection potential (E_protection) and the depolarization potential of steel during the time of exposure; and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The chemical composition of the steel surface was assessed using X-ray diffraction (XRD).

The application of CP leads to the formation of a deposit on the steel surface that according to XRD results, Pourbaix diagram and physical characteristics, is a protective oxide: magnetite (Fe₃O₄). This oxide causes a decrease in the corrosion rate and requires application of the protection current. It was found that the surface remained protected even after eight days when the CP system was interrupted.

It is necessary to carry out analysis of the chemical composition of deposits formed on the steel surface, perhaps using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Mössbauer, to verify the presence of the magnetite.

Determination of the main cause of the decrease in current required for protection and deposit formation conditions will enable the design of a CP system to be optimized and economized. At present, the CP design considers only a constant current value for the duration of the protection time.

CP is a technique that has proven effective for the protection of metal structures. However, little attention has been devoted to the surface changes that occur under applied CP and their impact on the electrochemical behavior of the system. This paper describes the phenomena produced at the metal surface and determines kinetic parameters and their consequences on the CP behavior.

A mathematical model of the extracellular electric field of an active neuron is proposed under a set of simplifying assumptions. The basic assumption is that the electric field is quasi‐stationary. Consequently, the field potential can be obtained by solving the Laplace equation. The main aim of the model is to formulate boundary conditions, which are not rotationally symmetric, and to include the influence of dendrites in the computations. A formula representing the electrical and geometrical composition of the nerve cell is developed, which describes the time and space behavior of the extracellular potential. The results obtained from the model and experimental data closely agree. Possible applications of the model as a means of interpreting experimental data are discussed.

U.S.S.R. Effect of pH value on iron corrosion. The solubility of iron in media of sufficiently high acidity proceeds mainly through hydrogen depolarisation and without formation of compounds soluble only with difficulty; and the role of pH should be determined chiefly through its effect on hydrogen separation. In work on the nature of the pH effect on corrosion of iron in the presence of inhibitors, tests were made with both pure hydrochloric acid (HCl) and also in the presence of additives: anthranilic acid and tetrabutyl‐ammonium sulphate (TAS). The corrosion rate was determined as usual by loss in weight and expressed in units of current density (amp./sq. cm.). Preliminary tests showed that only in weak solutions (pH 0.61 and 1.06) containing TAS was any divergence noticeable—in connection with the increased role of oxygen depolarisation — between results of quantitative and volumetric methods. Therefore in the present case the corrosion rate is calculated from the volume of separated hydrogen. The pH value was measured with a glass electrode and amplifier, and controlled both before and after test. The tests were made in an aero‐thermostat at 20° ±0.5° and each lasted 24 hr.

The purpose of this paper is to characterize the surface of steel under cathodic protection while submerged in seawater, to understand the mechanism that controls the operation of the protection system.

Steel rods were immersed in seawater and NaCl solution with applied cathodic protection. The experimental methodology included monitoring of corrosion potential (E_corr), galvanic current (I_galv) protection potential (E_protection) and the depolarization potential of steel during the time of exposure. In addition, the chemical composition of the steel surface was assessed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).

In this research it was determined that the effectiveness of the CP system was mainly attributable to the formation of an iron oxide film on the steel surface.

It is necessary to carry out analysis of the chemical composition of deposits formed on the steel surface, perhaps using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), to verify the presence of a protective oxide.

Deposits on the steel surface have the beneficial effect of reducing the current required for efficient protection. Deposit formation therefore is of economic interest, as it decreases the cost of protection.

A unique feature of cathodic protection in seawater is the formation of calcareous deposits on metal surfaces. Advantageous aspects of these deposits, such as decrease in cathodic current requirement, have been investigated by various authors from various viewpoints. However, very little attention has been paid to the impact of any iron corrosion product films; the present paper contributes useful understanding and explains the importance of the mechanism that controls the operation of the protection system.

This study aims to investigate the corrosion inhibitor effect of migrating corrosion inhibitor (MCI) on Q235 steel in high alkaline environment under cathodic polarization.

This study investigated the electrochemical characteristics of Q235 steel with and without MCI by polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Besides, the surface composition of Q235 steel under different environments was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, the migration characteristic of MCI and the adsorption behavior of MCI under cathodic polarization were studied using Raman spectroscopy.

Diethanolamine (DEA) and N, N-dimethylethanolamine (DMEA) can inhibit the increase of Fe(II) in the oxide film of Q235 steel under cathodic polarization. The adsorption stability of DMEA film was higher under cathodic polarization potential, showing a higher corrosion inhibition ability. The corrosion inhibition mechanism of DEA and DMEA under cathodic polarization potential was proposed.

The MCI has a broad application prospect in the repair of damaged reinforced concrete due to its unique migratory characteristics. The interaction between MCIs, rebar and concrete with different compositions has been studied, but the passivation behavior of the steel interface in the presence of both the migrating electric field and corrosion inhibitors has been neglected. And it was investigated in this paper.

Social media has played a pivotal role in polarizing views on Russia–Ukraine conflict. The effects of polarization in online interactions have been extensively studied in many contexts. This research aims to examine how multiple social media sources may act as an integrator of information and act as a platform for depolarizing behaviors.

This study analyzes the communications of 6,662 tweets related to the sanctions imposed on Russia by using textual analytics and predictive modeling.

The research findings reveal that the tweeting behavior of netizens was depolarized because of information from multiple social media sources. However, the influx of information from non-organizational sources such as trending topics and discussions has a depolarizing impact on the user’s pre-established attitude.

For policymakers, conflict mediators and observers, and members of society in general, there is a need for (1) continuous and consistent communication throughout the crisis, (2) transparency in the information being communicated and (3) public awareness of the polarized and conflicting information being provided from multiple actors that may be biased in the claims being made about the conflict crisis.

While previous research has examined Russia–Ukraine conflict from a variety of perspectives, this is the first study to examine how social media might be used to reduce attitude polarization during times of conflict.