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This article presents the culmination of the first author's experience of work at a Deaf Education Centre in Aotearoa New Zealand, alongside the themes stemming from a literature review on wellbeing and the development and maintenance of social and emotional skills for deaf students in both mainstream and special education. The predominant themes identified suggest inconclusive outcomes for students being placed in mainstream or special education in terms of wellbeing and its components such as belonging, identity, and the development of social and emotional skills. Areas for ongoing development and research are outlined, including a need to ascertain the student voice in future research and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is the most widely used and important method for chemically analyzing and speciating surfaces. XPS has surface sensitivity (5–10 nm), is quantitative, and is able to probe the oxidation states of the elements at surfaces. However, during the past few years, a great deal of incorrect XPS data analysis has entered the scientific literature. Accordingly, efforts, including this Insight Note, are being made to provide tutorial information to the scientific community. Aluminum is a scientifically and technologically important element. Here we discuss approaches for fitting the Al 2p peak envelope from a sample of aluminum foil with a thin layer of oxide on it. Signals from the metal and oxide are present. We discuss methods for electrically isolating (or not isolating) the sample during data acquisition, the choice of the baseline, fitting the oxide peak with one or two synthetic peaks, and fitting the metal signal with two symmetric or two asymmetric peaks. The thickness of the oxide is calculated based on the areas of the oxide and metal signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was motivated by earlier observations. It is a systematic examination of the adequacy of reporting of information (metadata) necessary to understand x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data collection and data analysis in the scientific literature. The information for this study was obtained from papers published in three high-quality journals over a six-month period in 2019 and throughout 2021. Each paper was evaluated to determine whether the authors had reported (percentages of the papers properly providing the information are given in parentheses) the spectrometer (66%), fitting software (15%), x-ray source (40%), pass energy (10%), spot size (5%), synthetic peak shapes in fits (10%), backgrounds in fits (10%), whether the XPS data are shown in the main body of the paper or in the supporting information (or both), and whether fitted or unfitted spectra were shown (80% of published spectra are fit). The Shirley background is the most widely used background in XPS peak fitting. The Al Kα source is the most widely used x-ray source for XPS data collection. casaxps is the most widely used fitting program for XPS data analysis. There is good agreement between the results gathered during the two years of our survey. There are some hints the situation may be improving. This study also provides a list of the information/parameters that should be reported when XPS is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of social inclusion from the perspective of recent migrants, from language backgrounds other than English, at work in Australia. We adopt an understanding of social inclusion that acknowledges the importance of economic independence, while also considering migrants' feelings of connectedness at work and their sense of belonging. Based on qualitative interviews with migrants collected two years apart, we explore the ways language and language practices can lead to feelings of inclusion or exclusion at work. The data suggests that migrants who felt included at work often had colleagues and/or bosses who actively supported and encouraged them in learning new skills, and made an effort to connect with them through small talk. In contrast, participants who felt excluded were unable to fully participate in work activities and/or workplace interaction because of limitations they or others placed upon them based on their English proficiency. We suggest that social inclusion, as it relates to employment, can also encompass different things for different people. For some, a sense of belonging is not promoted solely by having work or the ability to connect with colleagues, but also by obtaining employment of a type and level commensurate with their pre-migration status.

Due to significant advances in instrumentation, many previously specialized techniques have become "routine" in user facilities. However, detailed knowledge held by experts has often not been relayed to general users, so they often rely on entry-level information, basic principles, and comparison with literature results for data analysis. As a result, major errors in the data analysis of multiple surface and material analysis techniques, including in x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), have been appearing in the scientific literature. Representative examples of serious errors in XPS data analysis are shown in this work. We suggest that surface and material analysis, and perhaps even science in general, are in a state of "pre-crisis." We use two (logistic) models from population biology to suggest that bad analyses self-correct if they remain below a critical number. However, beyond a threshold, the literature can become useless because of the perpetuation of faulty analyses and concomitant loss of its self-correcting ability. XPS is used by scientists in many communities because of the power of the technique and high-quality instrumentation that is commercially available. Those who make new surfaces and materials face unique challenges because of the large number of surface and material analytical techniques that are often needed to characterize their materials. Graduate students and post-docs are often provided with only minimal instruction on using surface and material characterization methods. High fees for instruments may affect both the quality and the quantity of the data people collect. The Prisoner's Dilemma is a model from game theory that describes situations with reward structures that encourage uncooperative behavior and lead to suboptimal outcomes. However, the outcomes of Prisoner's Dilemma are not inevitable—their consequences change if their reward structures change. The current system does not appear to incentivize detailed learning of surface and material characterization techniques and careful material characterization. Prisoner's dilemmas appear to lead to other undesirable consequences in science. The concerns raised in this work suggest that many manuscripts are incompletely reviewed at present. The different stakeholders in this problem, including authors, research advisers, subject matter experts, reviewers, scientists who notice examples of faulty data analysis, editors, journals and publishers, funding agencies, scientific societies, leaders at universities and research centers, and instrument vendors, can improve the current situation. This work provides specific recommendations for each of these stakeholders. For example, we believe that authors are primarily responsible for the correctness of their work, not reviewers or editors; we question the wisdom of listing the names of the editor and reviewers on a paper; we are grateful for the significant contributions that have been made by subject matter experts to produce standards and tutorial information; the high cost of instrument time at some institutions may limit student access and result in suboptimal analyses; staff scientists often need to be better recognized for their intellectual contributions to studies; publishers may wish to allow selective reviewing of specific sections of papers related to material characterization; the reviewing at some open access journals may be inadequate; while it had its shortcomings, the pre-open access model of publishing incentivized the production and publication of high-quality work; audits of the products (scientific papers) of funding agencies may be necessary; collaboration needs to be encouraged to a greater extent at some institutions; and instrument vendors should not suggest to potential customers that surface characterization, e.g., by XPS, is trivial or simple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lexical variation abounds in New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and is commonly associated with the introduction of the Australasian Signed English lexicon into Deaf education in 1979, before NZSL was acknowledged as a language. Evidence from dictionaries of NZSL collated between 1986 and 1997 reveal many coexisting variants for the numbers from one to twenty in NZSL. This article reports on an empirical investigation of how the use of variants for numerals is associated with social factors of age, region, and gender. Results confirm that age group is the strongest factor in variation and that region also plays a role. The analysis of illustrative cases of number variation reveals sociolinguistic processes of social differentiation and changing lexical usage in the NZSL community. Findings provide comparative data on aspects of number variation reported in the closely related British Sign Language. (Contains 10 tables and 2 notes.)

Peak fitting of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data is the primary method for identifying and quantifying the chemical states of the atoms near the surface of a sample. Peak fitting is typically based on the minimization of a figure-of-merit, such as the residual standard deviation (RSD). Here, we show that optimal XPS peak fitting is obtained when the peak shape (the synthetic mathematical function that represents the chemical states of the material) best matches the physics and chemistry of the underlying data. However, because this ideal peak shape is often unknown, constraints on the components of a fit are usually necessary to obtain good fits to data. These constraints may include fixing the relative full width at half maxima (peak widths), area ratios, and/or the relative positions of fit components. As shown in multiple examples, while unconstrained, less-than-optimal peak shapes may produce lower RSDs, they often lead to incorrect results. Thus, the "suboptimal" results (somewhat higher RSDs) that are obtained when constraints are applied to less-than-perfect peak shapes are often preferable because they prevent a fit from yielding unphysical or unchemical results. XPS peak fitting is best performed when all the information available about a sample is used, including its expected chemical and physical composition, information from other XPS narrow and survey scans from the same material, and information from other analytical techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gaussian–Lorentzian sum (GLS) and product (GLP) functions remain important in X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) peak fitting. Here, we present a detailed view of these functions, comparing them with each other and with the Voigt function (the "LA(m)" function). First, we show the GLS, GLP, and LA(m) functions as a function of their mixing parameters, m, which reveals differences between them. We then illustrate the use of these functions to fit a series of spectra acquired at different pass energies (resolutions). Next, we show the underlying Gaussian and Lorentzian components of a series of GLS and GLP functions as a function of m, which confirms that the GLS is a simple linear combination of Gaussian and Lorentzian functions. However, one of the two functions used to make the GLP can be very wide, that is, at its extremes, one of these functions has infinite width. We then discuss a plot of the areas of the GLS, GLP, and LA(m) functions as a function of m, which reveals the expected, linear increase in area of the GLS, but nonlinear changes in the areas of the other two functions. Finally, to better understand them, we fit these functions to each other. These results indicate that the GLS and GLP better match the LA(m) function at lower and higher values of the mixing parameter, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the fundamental, theoretical peak shape in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is Lorentzian, some Gaussian character is observed in most XPS signals. Additional complexity in the form of asymmetry is also found in many XPS signals, which requires more advanced peak shapes than the traditional, symmetric Voigt and Gaussian-Lorentzian sum and product (pseudo-Voigt) functions. Here, we discuss the merits and disadvantages of four approaches that have been used to introduce asymmetry into XPS peak shapes: addition of a decaying exponential tail to a symmetric peak shape, the Doniach-Sunjic peak shape, the double-Lorentzian, DL, function, and the LX peak shapes, which include the asymmetric Lorentzian (LA), finite Lorentzian (LF), and square Lorentzian (LS) functions. The Doniach-Sunjic peak shape is the only asymmetric, synthetic peak that has a theoretical basis. However, it has an infinite integral, which makes it problematic in quantitative work. The mathematical bases for the LX and DL peak shapes are discussed, and practical examples of their use in peak fitting are presented. The case is made for the Voigt function being the most appropriate function for XPS peak fitting, in general, which suggests that a modified Voigt function may be the most reasonable for fitting asymmetric XPS signals. The LX and DL functions include convolution with a Guassian, which, with the exception of the LS function, makes them Voigt-like functions. The sources of asymmetry and its complexity are discussed. It is emphasized that not every asymmetric spectrum should be fit with an asymmetric peak shape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is widely used in the semiconductor and materials industries for depositing thin films. Here, we describe a holder/container for performing ALD on particles that does not require agitation. This device contains a broad, shallow, circular recess that holds the particles. Two different frits and combinations of stacked meshes were explored as a cover to this holder to restrict the movement of the particles while still allowing good conductance of the ALD reagent gases. A mathematical discussion of the diffusion through the frits and stacked meshes is presented. As confirmed by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) on planar witness silicon shards, consistent, high‐quality film growth took place inside and outside the holder. The performance of the holder was demonstrated with ~5‐μm zirconia particles that were coated with alumina from trimethylaluminum (TMA) and water, and with zinc oxide from diethylzinc (DEZ) and water. Deposition on different amounts of particles was investigated (50, 100, 200, and 500 mg). Parasitic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) appeared to be present when a greater number of particles or meshes were used. ALD coating on particles was also confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SU‐8 is an important, epoxy‐based, negative photoresist that can create high aspect ratio features. Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is a nondestructive analytical technique that can be performed in the open air. In this study, reflection and transmission SE measurement data were combined to model the optical function of SU‐8 photoresist. The data were fit using three different models: (i) a B‐spline model, (ii) a four‐Gaussian oscillator model with an ultraviolet (UV) and an infrared (IR) pole, and (iii) a Cody–Lorentz model with three additional Gaussian oscillators. All three models successfully fit the data, where the B‐spline model showed the lowest mean squared error. In situ SE data were also collected and fitted to follow possible changes in the optical properties of the SU‐8 during its development. Time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) modeling of a complete SU‐8 monomer is qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with the measured optical function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon 1s photoelectron spectrum is the most widely fit and analyzed narrow scan in the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) literature. It is, therefore, critically important to adopt well-established protocols based on best practices for its analysis, since results of these efforts affect research outcomes in a wide range of different application areas across materials science. Unfortunately, much XPS peak fitting in the scientific literature is inaccurate. In this guide, we describe and explain the most common problems associated with C 1s narrow scan analysis in the XPS literature. We then provide an overview of rules, principles, and considerations that, taken together, should guide the approach to the analysis of C 1s spectra. We propose that following this approach should result in (1) the avoidance of common problems and (2) the extraction of reliable, reproducible, and meaningful information from experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to understand the extent and nature of problems in x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data reported in the literature. It first presents an assessment of the XPS data in three high-quality journals over a six-month period. This analysis of 409 publications showing XPS spectra provides insight into how XPS is being used, identifies the common mistakes or errors in XPS analysis, and reveals which elements are most commonly analyzed. More than 65% of the 409 papers showed fitting of XP spectra. An ad hoc group (herein identified as "the committee") of experienced XPS analysts reviewed these spectra and found that peak fitting was a common source of significant errors. The papers were ranked based on the perceived seriousness of the errors, which ranged from minor to major. Major errors, which, in the opinion of the ad hoc committee, can render the interpretation of the data meaningless, occurred when fitting protocols ignored underlying physics and chemistry or contained major errors in the analysis. Consistent with other materials analysis data, ca. 30% of the XPS data or analysis was identified as having major errors. Out of the publications with fitted spectra, ca. 40% had major errors. The most common elements analyzed by XPS in the papers sampled and researched at an online database, include carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and titanium. A scrutiny of the papers showing carbon and oxygen XPS spectra revealed the classes of materials being studied and the extent of problems in these analyses. As might be expected, C 1s and O 1s analyses are most often performed on sp2-type materials and inorganic oxides, respectively. These findings have helped focus a series of XPS guides and tutorials that deal with common analysis issues. The extent of problematic data is larger than the authors had expected. Quantification of the problem, examination of some of the common problem areas, and the development of targeted guides and tutorials may provide both the motivation and resources that enable the community to improve the overall quality and reliability of XPS analysis reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of peak fitting to extract information from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data is of growing use and importance. Due to increased instrument accessibility and reliability, the use of XPS instrumentation has significantly increased around the world. However, the increased use has not been matched by the expertise of the new users, and the erroneous application of curve fitting has contributed to ambiguity and confusion in parts of the literature. This guide discusses the physics and chemistry involved in generating XPS spectra, describes good practices for peak fitting, and provides examples of appropriate use along with tools for avoiding mistakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2(b) shows a resonance structure for this molecule that was created by moving a pair of electrons on an original O-C oxygen to the O-C bond, creating another chemical bond, while simultaneously breaking one of the O-C bonds in the C = O group and adding an extra pair of electrons to the original O = C oxygen. First, it is well known in organic chemistry that the resonance structures associated with the carbonyl (C = O) group, and also related functional groups containing the C = O moiety, are often consistent with and descriptive of the chemistry of these groups. 2(b) now has a formal positive charge on an oxygen that was originally an O-C oxygen and a negative formal charge on an oxygen that was originally an O = C oxygen. [Extracted from the article]

Display glasses meet the demands of the flat panel display industry vis-à-vis their composition, flatness, and forming processes. Here, we report the high-resolution time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) characterization of Corning® EAGLE XG®, a widely used display glass, and subsequent chemometric analyses of these data. Samples analyzed included the as-formed glass, fracture surfaces from remelt bars, and as-formed surfaces subsequently exposed to process-relevant treatments, including strong acids and bases, two industrial detergents, and an atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment. Elemental signals in the positive ion ToF-SIMS spectra respond to surface treatments. Acidic conditions leach non-silica components from the surfaces, while basic treatments extract these species less efficiently. The detergents leave residues of Na+ and K+. The atmospheric pressure (AP) plasma treatment had little effect on the surface composition, while the melt surface differs significantly from the bulk fracture surface. Above ca. 75 m/z, the negative ion spectra are dominated by two series of homologous cluster ions with compositions of Si nO2 n+2Al− and Si mHO2 m+1H−. The presence of these clusters suggests that analogous structures exist at the near surface regions of the samples. In a series of multivariate curve resolution (MCR) analyses, two or three MCR components captured >95% of the variance in the data for these samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews a sign language planning project conducted in Australia with deaf Auslan users. The Medical Signbank project utilised a cooperative language planning process to engage with the Deaf community and sign language interpreters to develop an online interactive resource of health-related signs, in order to address a gap in the health lexicon of Auslan. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the outcome of the bottom-up language planning model that was used in this context, and to make recommendations for similar future sign language planning projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in the Arab world reopen one of the most fertile debate topics in international relations theory: the universal nature of the concept "fundamental human rights" and their content. The perspectives are different, being influenced by an ideological background, especially theological, apparently contradictory, affecting the positions of major international actors, stimulating the revival of controversies on major differences between Western world and the developing societies. Through a balanced analysis, specific to critical postmodernism, of the way each civilization (according to Samuel Huntington) relates to the human being and to its place within its own legal architecture, one can notice that, beyond any differences, joint elements can be identified for further integration into a common fundamental text conferring the consensual universality indispensable to such an important principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently no linguistic research had been carried out on Australian Sign Language (Auslan) with regard to its use in healthcare settings, although anecdotal information suggests that the health lexicon of Auslan is strikingly under-developed. This paper describes a study that examined health terminology from the perspective of deaf people. Based on a thematic analysis of focus group data, the paper outlines strategies that deaf Australians report using when communicating about health concepts that do not have established signs in Auslan. Participants described a variety of communicative strategies -- including the use of fingerspelling, depiction and explanations -- that they employ in order to circumnavigate lexical gaps when talking about health. The study provides a crucial starting point for a discussion of the implications of lexical gaps in Auslan and highlights issues of particular relevance for interpreters who take responsibility for brokering health terms and mediating health communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand research suggests that CAM use by GPs has decreased, while referral to CAM practitioners by GPs has increased, and that patients often do not tell their health practitioners when they are using CAM. The New Zealand Medical Council has developed guidelines for GPs who use CAM. However, there is no research in New Zealand that looks at how patients and GPs respond to CAM issues in the consultation. This paper uses data collected for two research projects on doctor-patient interaction. For this research, consultations between 105 patients and nine GPs were video-recorded. In this data set, all doctors but one were 'orthodox' and to some degree reserved judgement on CAM, albeit remaining cautious in how they made this evident. Patients on the other hand demonstrated a variety of strategies to get CAM on the agenda, and GPs were careful to couch any criticism in such a way as to protect the 'face' of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the application in a teaching context of results from research undertaken as part of the Wellington Language in the Workplace Project. Our earlier analyses examined the ways in which nurses communicate with patients in a busy Wellington hospital ward. The results formed the basis of an innovative classroom practice programme with students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing degree in Auckland for whom English is an additional language (EAL). Following a brief outline of the methodology used to collect the data, and a summary of relevant key points from the analyses, we describe the ways in which materials were used to familiarise EAL nursing students with areas of prospective communicative challenge. A number or classroom exercises and activities were devised using the genuine interactions recorded between nurses and patients as a starting point, with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of pragmatic and socio-cultural considerations in ward interaction, as well as improving spoken fluency. The paper concludes with some brief evaluative reflections on this pedagogical approach, and its implications for student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very little is known about the effects of whole body vibration on the supraspinal central nervous system. Though much clinical outcome data and mechanistic data about peripheral neural and musculoskeletal mechanisms have been explored, the lack of central understanding is a barrier to evidence-based, best practice guidelines in the use of vibrational therapy. Disparate methods of administration render study to study comparisons difficult. To address this lack of uniformity, we present the use of targeted subcutaneous vibration combined with simultaneous in vivo electrophysiological recordings as a method of exploring the central effects of peripheral vibration therapy. We used implanted motors driven by both Grass stimulators and programmed microcontrollers to vary frequency and location of stimulation in an anesthetized in vivo rat model while simultaneously recording firing rate from gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area. We show that peripheral vibration can alter GABA neuron firing rate in a location- and frequency-dependent manner. We include detailed schematics and code to aid others in the replication of this technique. This method allows for control of previous weaknesses in the literature including variability in body position, vibrational intensity, node and anti-node interactions with areas of differing mechanoreceptor densities, and prefrontal cortex influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]