Indium-Gallium Segregation in CuInx_{x}Ga1−x_{1-x}Se2_2: An ab initio based Monte Carlo Study

Thin-film solar cells with CuIn$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$Se$_2$ (CIGS) absorber are still far below their efficiency limit, although lab cells reach already 19.9%. One important aspect is the homogeneity of the alloy. Large-scale simulations combining Monte Carlo and density functional calculations show that two phases coexist in thermal equilibrium below room temperature. Only at higher temperatures, CIGS becomes more and more a homogeneous alloy. A larger degree of inhomogeneity for Ga-rich CIGS persists over a wide temperature range, which may contribute to the low observed efficiency of Ga-rich CIGS solar cells

Climate change and allergies

The climate crisis poses a major challenge to human health as well as the healthcare system and threatens to jeopardize the medical progress made in recent decades. However, addressing climate change may also be the greatest opportunity for global health in the 21st century. The climate crisis and its consequences, such as rising temperatures, forest fires, floods, droughts, and changes in the quality and quantity of food and water, directly and indirectly affect human physical and mental health. More intense and frequent heat waves and declining air quality have been shown to increase all-cause mortality, especially among the most vulnerable. Climate warming alters existing ecosystems and favors biological invasions by species that better tolerate heat and drought. Pathogen profiles are changing, and the transmission and spread of vector-borne diseases are increasing. The spread of neophytes in Europe, such as ragweed, is creating new pollen sources that increase allergen exposure for allergy sufferers. In addition, the overall milder weather, especially in combination with air pollution and increased CO(2) levels, is changing the production and allergenicity of pollen. The phenomenon of thunderstorm asthma is also occurring more frequently. In view of the increasing prevalence of allergic diseases due to climate change, early causal immunomodulatory therapy is therefore all the more important. During a climate consultation, patients can receive individual advice on climate adaptation and resilience and the benefits of CO(2) reduction—for their own and the planet’s health. Almost 5% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Europe come from the healthcare sector. It thus has a central responsibility for a climate-neutral and sustainable transformation

Integrating Oceanographic Research Into High School Curricula: Achieving Broader Impacts Through Systems Education Experiences Modules

We describe a framework for incorporating cross-disciplinary oceanographic research into high school curriculum modules and discuss how this framework could be adopted broadly by ocean scientists to build cohesive broader impacts programs nested within individual oceanographic research programs

Educating physicians on strong opioids by descriptive versus simulated-experience formats: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Long-term prescriptions of strong opioids for chronic noncancer pain-which are not supported by scientific evidence-suggest miscalibrated risk perceptions among those who prescribe, dispense, and take opioids. Because risk perceptions and behaviors can differ depending on whether people learn about risks through description or experience, we investigated the effects of descriptive versus simulated-experience educative formats on physicians' risk perceptions of strong opioids and their prescription behavior for managing chronic noncancer pain. Methods: Three hundred general practitioners and 300 pain specialists in Germany-enrolled separately in two independent exploratory randomized controlled online trials-were randomly assigned to either a descriptive format (fact box) or a simulated-experience format (interactive simulation). Primary endpoints: Objective risk perception (numerical estimates of opioids' benefits and harms), actual prescriptions of seven therapy options for managing chronic pain. Secondary endpoint: Implementation of intended prescriptions of seven therapy options for managing chronic pain. Results: Both formats improved the proportion of correct numerical estimates of strong opioids' benefits and harms immediately after intervention, with no notable differences between formats. Compared to description, simulated experience led to significantly lower reported actual prescription rates for strong and/or weak opioids, and was more effective at increasing prescription rates for non-drug-based therapies (e.g., means of opioid reduction) from baseline to follow-up for both general practitioners and pain specialists. Simulated experience also resulted in a higher implementation of intended behavior for some drug-based and non-drug-based therapies. Conclusions: The two formats, which recruit different cognitive processes, may serve different risk-communication goals: If the goal is to improve exact risk perception, descriptive and simulated-experience formats are likely to be equally suitable. If, however, the goal is to boost less risky prescription habits, simulated experience may be the better choice

Bringing critical systems thinking to high school students through ocean acidification research

Ocean acidification is a complex phenomenon with complex consequences. Understanding this complexity and the impact of ocean acidification requires systems thinking and collaboration, both in research and in education. Scientific advancement will help us better understand the problem and devise more effective solutions, but executing these solutions will require widespread public participation to mitigate this local and global problem. We have translated current systems-level ocean acidification research into a 5 week high school curriculum module. We will present this curriculum which is easily implemented in schools and has resulted in a high level of engagement and learning. Thus far 13 different schools and over 1200 students have field tested this work – we have seen dramatic increases in students’ abilities to use inquiry and to challenge their mental models. The lessons are hands-on, interdisciplinary, standards-based, and specifically focus on systems thinking, which has been shown to enable behavioral change. In this curriculum, students take on the roles of scientists and delegates as they investigate the consequences of the changing carbon cycle on the chemistry and biology of the oceans. Students critically assess different pieces of information (news articles and real-time data from the Salish Sea and beyond). They combine their findings into a network diagram that interconnects key players of this system. Students align themselves with stakeholders and design collaborative, cohesive experiments to test hypotheses and network properties. They explore the consequences of increased CO2 levels on the pH of water, the integrity of seashells, and the lifecycle of diatoms. The module also connects to other pertinent lessons being developed locally and globally. In the culminating activity, students act as delegates and reconvene to discuss the systems consequences of ocean acidification. They make recommendations for further research, policy-making, and lifestyle changes on both a local and global scale

Professional development in mathematics education: evaluation of a MOOC on outdoor mathematics

In this paper, we examine the impact of a massive open online course (MOOC) in thecontext of outdoor mathematics on the participating teachers’ professional development. We firstlyintroduce the theoretical background on outdoor mathematics, focusing on math trails with the digitaltool MathCityMap and professional development to be accomplished using MOOCs. By taking intoaccount the MOOC “Task Design for Math Trails”, with 93 finalists, we analyze the learning progressof 19 selected case studies from different nations and learning levels by taking into account theiranswers in a pre- and post-questionnaire and their posts on a specific communication message board,with a special focus on the MOOC’s topics’ task design for outdoor mathematics and the digital toolMathCityMap. The analysis is performed using different quantitative and qualitative approaches.The results show that the teachers studied have benefited from professional development, which isevident in the expansion/evolution of their knowledge from a content, pedagogical, and technologicalperspective. Finally, we formulate consequences for professional development in STEM education,and conclude the paper with limitations to be drawn and a perspective for further research.C41E-A4D9-3C8D | Elisabete Ferraz da CunhaN/

Determination of effective mechanical properties of biocomposite on the basis of multilevel modeling

Numerical simulation of biocomposite "zirconia-based ceramics - cortical bone" was performed using multilevel approach. The effective mechanical properties of the ceramic biocomposite were determined