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Previous studies show that reading sentences about actions leads to specific motor activity associated with actually performing those actions. We investigate how sign language input may modulate motor activation, using British Sign Language (BSL) sentences, some of which explicitly encode direction of motion, versus written English, where motion is only implied. We find no evidence of action simulation in BSL comprehension (Experiments 1-3), but we find effects of action simulation in comprehension of written English sentences by deaf native BSL signers (Experiment 4). These results provide constraints on the nature of mental simulations involved in comprehending action sentences referring to transfer events, suggesting that the richer contextual information provided by BSL sentences versus written or spoken English may reduce the need for action simulation in comprehension, at least when the event described does not map completely onto the signer's own body.

Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) is a promising material for thin-film photovoltaics, however, the open-circuit voltage (VOC) deficit of CZTSSe prevents the device performance from exceeding 13% conversion efficiency. CZTSSe is a heavily compensated material that is rich in point defects and prone to the formation of secondary phases. The landscape of these defects is complex and some mitigation is possible by employing non-stoichiometric conditions. Another route used to reduce the effects of undesirable defects is the doping and alloying of the material to suppress certain defects and improve crystallization, such as with germanium. The majority of works deposit Ge adjacent to a stacked metallic precursor deposited by physical vapour deposition before annealing in a selenium rich atmosphere. Here, we use an established hot-injection process to synthesise Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals of a pre-determined composition, which are subsequently doped with Ge during selenisation to aid recrystallisation and reduce the effects of Sn species. Through Ge incorporation, we demonstrate structural changes with a negligible change in the energy bandgap but substantial increases in the crystallinity and grain morphology, which are associated with a Ge–Se growth mechanism, and gains in both the VOC and conversion efficiency. We use surface energy-filtered photoelectron emission microscopy (EF-PEEM) to map the surface work function terrains and show an improved electronic landscape, which we attribute to a reduction in the segregation of low local effective work function (LEWF) Sn(II) chalcogenide phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the writing of an impact case study for REF2021 that revolves around independent film production, film industry and pedagogy. The culture of professional film production at Falmouth University's School of Film & Television resulted in involvement in the BAFTA winning Mark Jenkin film Bait (2019) and the widespread impact of that film provided the impetus for an impact case study that saw the consolidation in the form of the Sound/Image Cinema Lab (The Lab) project. Bait is one of several commercial short and feature film productions that have received interventions that have resulted in the production and/or completion of work that would not have been possible, or not possible to the same level of quality, without it. This article tracks how those interventions impacted beneficiaries and stakeholders culturally, socially and economically and resulted in national and regional economic and production benefits for film production and graduate career development. It discusses how these interventions and productions were configured as research to ensure that the impact of Bait and other films were measured and captured. It extends work delivered by the author in Media Practice & Education [Fox, Neil. 2018. "'Filmmaking is a Hard Thing to Do': Reflections on Student and Lecturer Experience of Falmouth University's Filmmaker in Residence Initiative." Media Practice and Education 19 (2): 205–221]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the atmospheric conditions in which sea-effect snow (SES) and non-SES events occurred in a meso-scale structure. All snow events between 2009 and 2018 were found by examining the aviation reports at two international airports in Istanbul, Turkey. Then, threshold values and threshold intervals were presented for SES and non-SES events on the basis of many meteorological parameters (e.g., air temperature, dew point, relative humidity, heat fluxes, sea surface temperature (SST)). In addition, an algorithm was created for operational prediction of SES events at both airports. The most important parameter that distinguished SES events from NON-SES events was the temperature difference between sea surface (SS) and upper-atmosphere air parcel. Accordingly, sensible and latent heat fluxes had similarly higher values in SES events on average. Although the wind directions were mostly northerly in both event types, low wind shear in the layer between the SS and sub-inversion was prominent in SES events. For average snow depths, higher depths were measured in SES events than in non-SES events. In the same snow depth range, the heat fluxes were mostly high in SES events; on the other hand, the relative humidity values were lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field emission properties of undoped chemical vapor deposited diamond and diamond-like carbon films were determined for various deposition conditions. The nature and appearance of the damage site after testing were studied through scanning electron microscopy and laser Raman mapping. Findings were in agreement with a model for the overall emission current that combines conduction mechanisms through the bulk of the film with Fowler-Nordheim tunneling.

Three different procedures are used to deposit aluminium onto O‐terminated (100) and (111) boron‐doped diamond, with the aim of producing a thermally stable surface with low work function and negative electron affinity. The methods are 1) deposition of a > 20 nm film of Al by high‐vacuum evaporation followed by HCl acid wash to remove excess metallic Al, 2) deposition of <3 Å of Al by atomic layer deposition, and 3) thin‐film deposition of Al by electron beam evaporation. The surface structure, work function, and electron affinity are investigated after annealing at temperatures of 300, 600, and 800 °C. Except for loss of excess O upon first heating, the Al + O surfaces remain stable up to 800 °C. The electron affinity values are generally between 0.0 and −1.0 eV, and the work function is generally 4.5 ± 0.5 eV, depending upon the deposition method, coverage, and annealing temperature. The values are in broad agreement with those predicted by computer simulations of Al + O (sub)monolayers on a diamond surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Material band structures of occupied electronic states are obtainable using conventional angle‐resolved photoemission experiments, leaving the unoccupied states far less explored. Here, an alternative approach is built on and expanded to investigate thermalized photoelectrons emitted from crystal surfaces. A model for electron emission is constructed and reveals the material unoccupied state band structure. Potentially applicable to any material and independent from the secondary electron generation mechanism, it is demonstrated on diamond and copper using different light sources. Moreover, the diamond indirect band gap is directly observed and the transverse effective mass at the conduction band minimum can be experimentally obtained, mt = (0.21 ± 0.015) me. This offers a convenient path for angle‐resolved photoemission data interpretation and empty‐state information extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental and modeling studies of the gas-phase chemistry occurring in dilute, hot filament activated [B.sub.2][H.sub.6]/[H.sub.2] and [B.sub.2][H.sub.6]/C[H.sub.4]/[H.sub.2] gas mixtures are presented. The modeling has revealed rapid interconversion between the various B[H.sub.x] (x = 0-3) species through successive H-shifting reactions and has indicated concomitant H atom loss as the main reason for the reduction in the B atom density upon C[H.sub.4] addition to HF activated dilute [B.sub.2][H.sub.6]/[H.sub.2] gas mixtures.

The specific differential phase Kdp is one of the most important polarimetric radar variables, but the variance σ2(Kdp) , regarding the errors in the calculation of the range derivative of the differential phase shift Φdp , is not well characterized due to the lack of a data generation model. This paper presents a probabilistic method based on the Gaussian mixture model for Kdp estimation at X-band frequency. The Gaussian mixture method can not only estimate the expected values of Kdp by differentiating the expected values of Φdp , but also obtain σ2(Kdp) from the product of the square of the first derivative of Kdp and the variance of Φdp. Additionally, the ambiguous phase and backscattering differential phase shift are corrected via the mixture model. The method is qualitatively evaluated with a convective event of a bow echo observed by the X-band dual-polarization radar in the University of Missouri. It is concluded that Kdp estimates are highly consistent with the gradients of Φdp in the leading edge of the bow echo, and large σ2(Kdp) occurs with high variation of Kdp. Furthermore, the performance is quantitatively assessed by 2-year radar–gauge data, and the results are compared to linear regression model. It is clear that Kdp -based rain amounts have good agreement with the rain gauge data, while the Gaussian mixture method gives improvements over the linear regression model, particularly for far ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specific differential phase Kdp is one of the most important polarimetric radar variables, but the variance σ²(Kdp), regarding the errors in the calculation of the range derivative of differential phase shift Φdp, is not well characterized due to the lack of a data generation model. This paper presents a probabilistic method based on Gaussian mixture model for Kdp estimation at X-band frequency. The Gaussian mixture method can not only estimate the expected values of Kdp by differentiating the expected values of Φdp, but also obtain σ²(Kdp) from the product of the square of the first derivative of Kdp and the variance of Φdp. Additionally, ambiguous Φdp and backscattering differential phase shift are corrected via the mixture model. The method is qualitatively evaluated with a convective event of a bow echo observed by the X-band dual-polarization radar in the University of Missouri. It is concluded that Kdp estimates are highly consistent with the gradients of Φdp in the leading edge of the bow echo, and large σ²(Kdp) occurs with high variation of Kdp. Furthermore, the performance is quantitatively assessed by three-year radar-gauge data, and the results are compared to linear regression model. It is clear that Kdp-based rain amounts have good agreement with the rain gauge data, while the Gaussian mixture method gives improvements over linear regression model, particularly for far ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermionic emitting materials are relevant for several technological applications like electron guns, X-ray sources, or thermionic energy converters. As new materials and surface functionalisations that enable thermionic emission are developed, it is essential to be able to test them in a repeatable and reliable manner. Here, we present a CO2 laser-heated system for thermionic tests that can be used to test the thermionic emission current of different materials regardless of the optical properties or form factor. Our system can reach sample temperatures of T ≈ 1000 °C and can follow pre-programmed heating profiles. Additionally, a double thermo-electrical decoupling provides a very low electrical noise environment while keeping the sample heat loss to a minimum. Experimental data on sample temperature and thermionic current from a hydrogen terminated single crystal diamond are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]