Performance and materials aspects of Ge:Be photoconductors

Ge:Be photoconductors were developed for low photon background applications in the 30 to 50 MM wavelength region. These detectors provide higher responsivity and lower noise equivalent power (NEP) than the Ge:Ga detectors currently operating in this wavelength range. Beryllium doped single crystals were grown by the Czochralski method from a carbon susceptor under a vacuum of approx. one million torr. An optimum detective quantum efficiency of 46% at a background flux of 1.5 x 10 to the 8th power photons/second (7 x 10 to the 13th power W) was reported. Ge:Be detector performance is strongly influenced by the absolute concentrations and the concentration ratio of residual shallow donors and shallow acceptors

Neutron Scattering Study of URu2−x_{2-x}Rex_xSi2_2 with xx = 0.10: Driving Order towards Quantum Criticality

We report inelastic neutron scattering measurements in the hidden order state of URu$_{2-x}$Re$_x$Si$_2$ with $x$ = 0.10. We observe that towards the ferromagnetic quantum critical point induced by the negative chemical pressure of Re-doping, the gapped incommensurate fluctuations are robust and comparable in intensity to the parent material. As the Re doping moves the system toward the quantum critical point, the commensurate spin fluctuations related to hidden order weaken, display a shortened lifetime and slow down. Halfway to the quantum critical point, the hidden order phase survives, albeit weakened, in contrast to its destruction by hydrostatic pressure and by positive chemical pressure from Rh-doping.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figures, 24 reference

Comprehension as social and intellectual practice: Rebuilding curriculum in low socioeconomic and cultural minority schools

This article reframes the concept of comprehension as a social and intellectual practice. It reviews current approaches to reading instruction for linguistically and culturally diverse and low socioeconomic students, noting an emphasis on comprehension as autonomous skills. The Four Resources model (Freebody & Luke, 1990) is used to make the case for the integration of comprehension instruction with an emphasis on student cultural and community knowledge, and substantive intellectual and sociocultural content in elementary school curricula. Illustrations are drawn from research underway on the teaching of literacy in primary schools in low SES communities

Development and Validation of Psychological Fitness to Drive Scale for Filipinos

AbstractRoad transportation for Filipinos is a daily task that subjects an individual to risks and dangers, leading to damages and deaths annually, this leads to developing and validating a Psychological Fitness to Drive Scale for Filipinos (PFDSF) to assess Filipino drivers’ mental readiness and save lives. Via test development, 154 items were generated after a rigorous process of conceptualization and item generation from pre-survey, interviews, and related literature with English and Filipino test booklets as delivered to 102 participants for pilot testing. Online field testing was delivered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 463 samples went through a series of factor analyses to determine the existing factors and retain highly relevant items, resulting in two factors namely, Risky Driving Behavior (RDB) with 50 items (α=0.968), and Responsible and Safe Mobility (RSM) having 22 items (α=0.915), for a total of 72 items. PFDSF was found to be psychometrically sound with validity in its content, construct, factors, and high reliability (α=0.967). Future researchers are invited to use the scale and explore other areas for utility with specific population, age, gender, exploration of a social desirability factor, further strengthening of its criterion, convergent and divergent validity considering computer-assisted online version its localization to different major dialects.Keywords: Psychological fitness to drive, test development and validation, Filipino drivers, road safety and traffic psycholog