Annealing Effect on One Step Electrodeposited CuSbSe2 Thin Films

The purpose of this work is to study the influence of the annealing temperature on the structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of CuSbSe2 thin films electrodeposited in a single step. CuSbSe2 thin films were grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/glass substrates using the aqueous electrodeposition technique, then annealed in a tube furnace under nitrogen at temperatures spanning from 250 to 500 °C. The resulting films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Raman spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The annealing temperature plays a fundamental role on the films structural properties; in the range 250–350 °C the formation of pure CuSbSe2 phase from electrodeposited binary selenides occurs. From 400 to 500 °C, CuSbSe2 undergoes a preferential phase orientation change, as well as the increasing formation of copper-rich phases such as Cu3SbSe3 and Cu3SbSe4 due to the partial decomposition of CuSbSe2 and to the antimony losses.

The role of building morphology on pedestrian level comfort in Northern climate

Due to the rapid densification of cities, improving outdoor comfort is becoming increasingly important. To address this need, the current study introduces a methodology to evaluate outdoor comfort in the proximity of typical buildings in Tallinn, Estonia. The microclimate simulation software ENVI-met was employed to investigate the outdoor comfort conditions. The research outcomes show that the building's form, height, density, and orientation change consistently the pedestrian comfort around the buildings. The findings suggest that the integrated analysis of different building morphologies, massing, orientation, and their influences on the surrounding microclimate, thermal, and wind comfort are important.

Efficacy and risk of sexual orientation change efforts: a retrospective analysis of 125 exposed men

Background: Voluntary therapeutic interventions to reduce unwanted same-sex sexuality are collectively known as sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE). Currently almost all evidence addressing the contested question whether SOCE is effective or safe consists of anecdotes or very small sample qualitative studies of persons who currently identify as sexual minority and thus by definition failed to change. We conducted this study to examine the efficacy and risk outcomes for a group of SOCE participants unbiased by current sexual orientation. Methods: We examined a convenience sample of 125 men who had undergone SOCE for homosexual-to-heterosexual change in sexual attraction, identity and behavior, and for positive and negative changes in psychosocial problem domains (depression, suicidality, self-harm, self-esteem, social function, and alcohol or substance abuse). Mean change was assessed by parametric (t-test) and nonparametric (Wilcoxon sign rank test) significance tests. Results: Exposure to SOCE was associated with significant declines in same-sex attraction (from 5.7 to 4.1 on the Kinsey scale, p <.000), identification (4.8 to 3.6, p < .000), and sexual activity (2.4 to 1.5 on a 4-point scale of frequency, p < .000). From 45% to 69% of SOCE participants achieved at least partial remission of unwanted same-sex sexuality; full remission was achieved by 14% for sexual attraction and identification, and 26% for sexual behavior. Rates were higher among married men, but 4-10% of participants experienced increased same-sex orientation after SOCE. From 0.8% to 4.8% of participants reported marked or severe negative psychosocial change following SOCE, but 12.1% to 61.3% reported marked or severe positive psychosocial change. Net change was significantly positive for all problem domains. Conclusion: SOCE was perceived as an effective and safe therapeutic practice by this sample of participants. We close by offering a unifying understanding of discrepant findings within this literature and caution against broad generalizations of our results.

Diffraction Features from (101¯4) Calcite Twins Mimicking Crystallographic Ordering

During phase transitions the ordering of cations and/or anions along specific crystallographic directions can take place. As a result, extra reflections may occur in diffraction patterns, which can indicate cell doubling and the reduction of the crystallographic symmetry. However, similar features may also arise from twinning. Here the nanostructures of a glendonite, a calcite (CaCO3) pseudomorph after ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O), from Victoria Cave (Russia) were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This paper demonstrates the occurrence of extra reflections at positions halfway between the Bragg reflections of calcite in 0kl electron diffraction patterns and the doubling of d104 spacings (corresponding to 2∙3.03 Å) in high-resolution TEM images. Interestingly, these diffraction features match with the so-called carbonate c-type reflections, which are associated with Mg and Ca ordering, a phenomenon that cannot occur in pure calcite. TEM and crystallographic analysis suggests that, in fact, (101¯4) calcite twins and the orientation change of CO3 groups across the twin interface are responsible for the extra reflections.

The Ways to Find Harmony in Modern Clothing Design Projects

The purpose of the article. The article explains the ways to find harmony in modern clothing design projects. The research methodology consists of the analysis application in the field of fashion, as well as methods of source, aesthetic and structural-compositional analysis. The scientific novelty of the work lies in determining and systematizing the main ways of searching for harmony in clothing design 2010-2020. Conclusions. Design forms and expression, its orientation change not only due to a technology change but primarily due to changes in social demands, value systems, mental guidelines, of which the search for harmony is also important – external and internal. Designers solve this aspect in various ways: from formalized proportioning and the color wheel usage to the use of natural motifs and folk art archetypes. Another way is “green”, ecological, “ethical”, “sustainable” fashion – directions that not only demonstrate the possibilities of processing but also generate a particular worldview, draw attention to the artist’s ability to return people to the beauty and diversity of the world.

Motion disrupts dynamic visual search for an orientation change

Visual search in dynamic environments, for example lifeguarding or CCTV monitoring, has several fundamentally different properties to standard visual search tasks. The visual environment is constantly moving, a range of items could become targets and the task is to search for a certain event. We developed a novel task in which participants were required to search static and moving displays for an orientation change thus capturing components of visual search, multiple object tracking and change detection paradigms. In Experiment 1, we found that the addition of moving distractors slowed participants’ response time to detect an orientation changes in a moving target, showing that the motion of distractors disrupts the rapid detection of orientation changes in a moving target. In Experiment 2 we found that, in displays of both moving and static objects, response time was slower if a moving object underwent a change than if a static object did, thus demonstrating that motion of the target itself also disrupts the detection of an orientation change. Our results could have implications for training in real-world occupations where the task is to search a dynamic environment for a critical event. Moreover, we add to the literature highlighting the need to develop lab-based tasks with high experimental control from any real-world tasks researchers may wish to investigate rather than extrapolating from static visual search tasks to more dynamic environments.