Defect complexes formed with Ag atoms in CDTE, ZnTe, and ZnSe

Using the radioactive acceptor $^{111}\!$Ag for perturbed $\gamma$-$\gamma$-angular correlation (PAC) spectroscopy for the first time, defect complexes formed with Ag are investigated in the II-VI semiconductors CdTe, ZnTe and ZnSe. The donors In, Br and the Te-vacancy were found to passivate Ag acceptors in CdTe via pair formation, which was also observed in In-doped ZnTe. In undoped or Sb-doped CdTe and in undoped ZnSe, the PAC experiments indicate the compensation of Ag acceptors by the formation of double broken bond centres, which are characterised by an electric field gradient with an asymmetry parameter close to h = 1. Additionally, a very large electric field gradient was observed in CdTe, which is possibly connected with residual impurities

Identification of Ag-acceptors in 111 ⁣^{111}\!Ag 111 ⁣^{111}\!Cd doped ZnTe and CdTe

Nominally undoped ZnTe and CdTe crystals were implanted with radioactive $^{111}\!$Ag, which decays to $^{111}\!$Cd, and investigated by photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). In ZnTe, the PL lines caused by an acceptor level at 121 meV are observed: the principal bound exciton (PBE) line, the donor-acceptor pair (DAP) band, and the two-hole transition lines. In CdTe, the PBE line and the DAP band that correspond to an acceptor level at 108 meV appear. Since the intensities of all these PL lines decrease in good agreement with the half-life of $^{111}\!$Ag of 178.8 h, both acceptor levels are concluded to be associated with defects containing a single Ag atom. Therefore, the earlier assignments to substitutional Ag on Zn- and Cd-lattice sites in the respective II-VI semiconductors are confirmed. The assignments in the literature of the S$_1$, S$_2$, and S$_3$ lines in ZnTe and the X$\scriptstyle^\textrm{Ag}_{1}\,\,,$ X$\scriptstyle^\textrm{Ag}_{2}$/ C$\scriptstyle^\textrm{Ag}_{1}\,$ and C$\scriptstyle^\textrm{Ag}_{2}\,$ lines in CdTe to Ag-related defect complexes are not confirmed

What is Child-Directed Interaction? Evaluating the use of Jeopardy to Increase Child-Directed Interaction Knowledge Retention

In recent years Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) has continued to grow and evolve as an empirically supported treatment for children with disruptive behavior disorders. As a result of this growth, PCIT International has set forth a training protocol for mental health providers to learn PCIT techniques. However, there is a relative lack of research demonstrating how and why these training protocols work, or how they could be improved. The present studies seek to investigate the utility of using the game Jeopardy to review Child-Directed Interaction (CDI) information given during a didactic lecture. Study 1 addressed the effect of using Jeopardy in an upper level undergraduate classroom following a live lecture. In an extension of this method, Study 2 explored the utility of Jeopardy in small groups of undergraduates following a recorded lecture. Results of both Study 1 and Study 2 demonstrate that participants who reviewed CDI information using Jeopardy did not significantly differ from participants assigned to the review as usual (RAU) groups. Implications for the format of PCIT training workshops and future directions are discussed

Adult Students’ Perceptions of Tutoring as an Academic Support Tool

This qualitative study examined adult student perceptions of academic support services at an urban-service research university in the Midwest. While adult students often return to school to start or finish their degrees, the six-year graduation rate for students who enter college over the age of 20 is 12% less than those who enroll in college before the age of 20. Adults face situational, institutional, and dispositional barriers to graduation. This qualitative research study examined the perceptions of tutoring as an academic support tool of 13 adult students. Using Cultural Historical Activity as a theoretical framework, three major themes emerged from the study: (a) adult students’ perception of tutoring in their academic success including their perception of tutoring as a lifeline for their success, (b) adult students’ perceptions of community support which included communities both inside and outside of the university, and (c) the student’s role in their academic success where study participants began to take control over their own learning paths. A discussion about the study’s purpose, review of pertinent literature, data collection, and analysis process. The study concludes with an examination of the findings including academic resources, tools used by the tutor, the role of the community, and learner autonomy; offers implications for academic support professionals and university administrators, and proposes future research

Soft.spaces _ new strategies for membrane architecture

The desire for new mostly fluent “soft spaces” in architecture cannot be overseen any more. Therefore new tools and approaches are tried out to create architecture with special spatial qualities. Spatially curved membrane structures and especially anticlastic Minimal Surfaces offer one possible approach to this topic. This paper presents the overview of the research on spatially curved Minimal Surfaces that considers the infinite possibilities of membrane forms as elements in architecture in combination with common buildingtechnologies and shows the manifold possibilities of this approach and technology1. Further on this paper partly reveals new correlations between Minimal Surface and boundary conditions and so far unknown rules in its self organizing processes. Case studies document new capabilities in designing and creating space in architecture. Latest approaches are dealing with alternative boundary-conditions and with software implementation in terms of scripting found rules2

Concepts of Immune Regulation in Chronic Filarial Infections

Despite worldwide efforts to reduce filariasis, over 100 million individuals still suffer from filarial infections. Filarial infections continue to be a substantial drain at both economic and health levels, especially in rural endemic communities. Part of the problem is the longevity of filariae in man, the different life-stages that the filariae pass through in the host and the number of organs and tissues that are affected. Thus, researchers continue to unravel the complex host:filarial interactions that allow such chronic manifestations. These interactions resulted from an evolutionary process since it is important for the filariae´s own survival to evade the host´s immune responses without killing the host. Using the rodent model of filariasis Litomosoides sigmodontis, immune reactions of the host towards the parasite can be analysed in a controlled setting. Interestingly, this nematode can only develop a patent (release of microfilariae (Mf)) infection in immune-component BALB/c mice since in C57BL/6 mice infections are cleared 40 days post infection. These models have been used to generate a plethora of data showing that control of Mf and worm burden depends on CD4+ T and B1 cells, granulocytes, chemokines, granzymes, alternatively activated macrophages, IL-10, Th1 and Th2 cytokines as well as Th17 cytokines indicating that both innate and adaptive immune responses interact to mediate helminth control. Experiments in this thesis work addressed three questions using filarial/ host-specific interactions. The first experiments expanded on previous data showing unique filarial-specific responses from patent and latent L. sigmodontis-infected BALB/c mice. Here, cytokine release was monitored by ELISA in cultures of isolated CD4+ T cells from early and late infected mice using soluble or pellet-derived antigens prepared from total, female or male adult filariae. Interestingly, IL-13, IFN-&gamma; and IL-10 responses were absent in CD4+ T cell cultures of early-infected mice regardless of antigen source. Developing adaptive immune responses are strongly influenced by innate signalling pathways since earlier studies have noted toll-like receptor (TLR)-triggering by filarial-derived components and infections in TLR-deficient BALB/c strains presented changed parasitology and host immunity. Investigations in the second part of this work addressed whether lack of TLR-signalling, especially central adaptor molecules Myd88 and TRIF, had an impact on < L. sigmodontis infections in C57BL/6 mice. Therefore, C57BL/6 mice deficient for TLR3, TLR4, TRIF, MyD88, IRF1 and IRF3 were analysed at different time points of infection. Interestingly, worm numbers in mice deficient for TRIF were significantly increased at day 30 post infection and the recruitment of CD4+ T cells to the site of infection was reduced. Therefore, our results indicate that the adaptor molecule TRIF plays a key role in worm development. In the final part of this thesis the RAG2/IL-2R&gamma;-deficient mouse strain (lacks T, B and NK cells) was used to analyse the impact of T cells on worm clearance during L. sigmodontis infection and additionally characterise the phenotype of infection-induced T cells using advanced flow cytometry. Previous studies showed that in contrast to WT mice L. sigmodontis infections in RAG2/IL-2R&gamma;-deficient mice resulted in patent infections with extremely high worm and Mf numbers. Expanding on those data, adoptive transfers of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells from WT C57BL/6 donor mice into RAG2/IL-2R&gamma;-deficient recipients did not alter worm burden per se but did result in reduced adult worm length and in the case of CD4+ T cells reduced fecundity as well. Preliminary findings show that these effects are not mediated by IL-4 or IL-10. However, the transfer of CD4+ T cells from L. sigmodontis-infected donor C57BL/6 mice additionally resulted in significantly reduced worm numbers in RAG2/IL-2R&gamma;-deficient recipients. Thus, these data enhance our understanding of immune networks and interplay during infection since although "educated" CD4+ T cells control worm fecundity, further host components are required to restore the phenotype of L. sigmodontis-infected WT C57BL/6 mice

Low-tech or High-tech? “cut.enoid.tower” - three times two facets of irregularity

Do membrane structures belong to low-tech or high-tech products? The concept of low-tech is mostly understood as the counterpart to high-tech and refers to technology which is developed under the aspects of easy function, easy production, easy service, robustness and easy maintenance. In most cases low-tech-solutions bear a huge amount of intelligence deriving from long-lasting processes of trial and error. Therefore the majority of our structural systems is based on low-tech considerations. Building with textiles is one of them. This paper looks into the question above by the means of the realized, experimental structure “cut.enoid.tower”[*] a complex system of combined structural principles. The three aspects – Irregularity as a result of combined structural systems, Irregularity in detail as a result of geometrical necessity and Irregularity as a feature of architectural complexity – spanning from the global design approach to detailing, general rules (low-tech) used tools for formfinding (high-tech) and the final result (low-tech) are highlighted

Generative AI in Manufacturing Systems:Reference Framework and Use Cases

This paper aims to enhance the competitive edge of manufacturers through increased efficiency, propelled by digitalization and the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) applications. A key focus is on Generative AI, a growing topic of discussion in the AI domain. However, a common definition for Generative AI within the context of manufacturing systems is lacking. This paper seeks to establish a clear definition for Generative AI in manufacturing systems, and subsequently structures potential application fields and objectives within a GenAI reference framework. In this context, a framework is proposed to characterize use cases within manufacturing systems, providing crucial guidance for manufacturers looking to leverage Generative AI. The theoretical background explores the definition of manufacturing systems and the intersection between data analytics and AI. Furthermore, the paper discusses varying definitions of Generative AI, and derives a definition suitable for manufacturing systems.</p

Master Builders revisited: The importance of feedback loops: a case study using salvaged timber and wooden nails only

In the light of today’s challenges regarding sustainable solutions for the built environment, our research focuses on building entire structures with timber only. Salvaged timber and wooden nails are selected as starting points to explore the structural and architectural possibility by following a timber-only concept. Reminding of the ancient Master Builder idea, the process of our investigations makes clear the importance of all steps and their distinct insights feeding back, following the loops from design to the assembly of the objects, in order to increase the efficiency of material use and optimize the functionality of the final object. In this paper we evaluate the feedback loops performed so far including the lessons learnt from success and failure in design, testing and manufacturing. We also look into the potential of increased structural and architectural quality of outputs and increased diversity of applications by our approach.Peer reviewe