Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg

Reliable data storage technologies able to operate at cryogenic temperatures are critical to implement scalable quantum computers and develop deep-space exploration systems, among other applications. Their scarce availability is pushing towards the development of emerging memories that can perform such storage in a non-volatile fashion. Resistive Random-Access Memories (RRAM) have demonstrated their switching capabilities down to 4 K. However, their operability at lower temperatures still remain as a challenge. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time the forming and resistive switching capabilities of CMOS-compatible RRAM devices at 1.4 K. The HfO ₂ -based devices are deployed following an array of 1-transistor-1-resistor (1T1R) cells. Their switching performance at 1.4K was also tested in the multilevel-cell (MLC) approach, storing up to 4 resistance levels per cell.

In April 2024, the European Union has reformed its set of fiscal rules, aimed at securing sustainable public finances in its member countries. In this paper, we discuss the pathway towards reform and highlight the main characteristics of the reformed set of rules. It is argued that, relative to the original proposals by the Commission, the rules have improved. However, the numerical safeguards may be circumvented to some extent. In sum, there remains plenty of discretionary leeway for a conflict-averse Commission to appease non-compliant member countries.

Background Low back pain (LBP) is a common health complaint and a prominent factor in the development of LBP among the working population is stress. Mostly, stress is addressed as a general problem, which is why LBP prevention programs are often imprecise. Accordingly, a closer look at the association between specific stress types and the development of LBP is necessary. Therefore, this paper aims (1) to identify the stress types most closely associated with LBP; (2) to examine the relationship between stress accumulation and LBP. Methods n = 100 call-center workers were approached for participation. Stress levels and LBP were assessed with questionnaires (TICS, ERI, CPG, BPI) and hair cortisol levels were measured (ELISA-KIT, 3-months period). Mann-Whitney U tests were used to identify stress types most closely associated with LBP. Further, ANCOVA analysis was conducted to determine the association of the number of experienced stress types with LBP intensity and impairment. Results Finally, data from n = 68 participants (mean age: 43.2 (± 12.8) years; 62% female) were used for presented analysis. Participants, who were affected by work-related stress showed higher pain severity (excessive demands at work: 23.6 ± 21.8 vs. 42.4 ± 25.0 (p = 0.005)) and more impairment (excessive demands at work: 13.7 ± 17.6 vs. 28.7 ± 22.3 (p = 0.003); work overload: 15.4 ± 20.4 vs. 26.3 ± 17.4 (p = 0.009)) than their less affected colleagues. Other stress types (e.g. Effort, Reward) showed no significant association with LBP. Furthermore, participants who experienced two or more of the most associated stress types simultaneously suffered from stronger pain and more impairment (p < 0.01). Conclusions The results suggest that it is essential to divide and evaluate stress in specific domains. Furthermore, the accumulation of different stress types and the resulting physiological load should be taken into account when designing prevention and intervention programs. Results may be of high relevance for the development of LBP prevention programs for people within a predominantly sitting working context.

The vaults over the choir and nave of Notre‐Dame in Paris play a key role in the development of Gothic vaults—regarding their sheer height and span, and in particular their complex stone structure. A considerable dynamic in the development of new construction details can be seen in solutions that in some cases are still quite distinct from the well‐known constructions of the great Gothic vaults, and that in other cases, although innovative, remain more or less singular. The design of the sexpartite vaults follows a scheme established in the early Gothic and at the same time displays groundbreaking conceptions in geometry and construction. The fire of the roof that in 2019 damaged part of the vaults, but also showed their remarkable structural performance, brought up the necessity of better understanding these structures while also giving deep insight into construction details. The ongoing research presented here correlates geometric analyses based on 3D‐scanning, carried out on the vaults in Notre‐Dame and on comparable structures, observations on construction details on site, and sources such as historical drawings, with large‐scale experiments reproducing the processes of construction, fabrication of building elements, as well as planning and information transfer from design to building. The approach that refers to the built object as its principal source can be characterized as reverse engineering.

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) on Ge substrates is a promising pathway to high‐quality hBN thin films without metal contaminations for microelectronic applications, but the effect of CVD process parameters on the hBN properties is not well understood yet. The influence of local changes in pressure and temperature due to different reactor configurations on the structure and quality of hBN films grown on Ge(001)/Si is studied. Injection of the borazine precursor close to the sample surface results in an inhomogeneous film thickness, attributed to an inhomogeneous pressure distribution at the surface, as shown by computational fluid dynamics simulations. The additional formation of nanocrystalline islands is attributed to unfavorable gas phase reactions due to the radiative heating of the injector. Both issues are mitigated by increasing the injector‐sample distance, leading to an 86% reduction in pressure variability on the sample surface and a 200 °C reduction in precursor temperature. The resulting hBN films exhibit no nanocrystalline islands, improved thickness homogeneity, and high crystalline quality (Raman FWHM = 23 cm⁻¹). This is competitive with hBN films grown on other non‐metal substrates but achieved at lower temperature and with a low thickness of only a few nanometers.

Objective Rapid digitisation of health occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. In October 2020, we conducted a survey on digital health technology use in Germany. This study aimed to conduct a second survey to investigate in more detail the internet use in health context and digital technology use for health promotion and disease prevention in Germany. Methods A cross-sectional, nationwide telephone survey was conducted in November 2022. Anonymous data on internet and digital technology use, digital health literacy, and sociodemographic characteristics were analysed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regressions. Results The 1020 participants were aged 18–92 years, 53% were male, 62% completed primary or secondary education, 71% resided in large cities, and 45% reported a country-average net household income. Overall, 61% reported internet use in health context via 1–4 devices. Among those, more than 50% used the internet and apps to obtain general health information and less than 50% used digital technologies for physical activity promotion or cancer prevention. Overall, 34% were confident in using the internet for health decisions and 71% preferred to receive health information non-digitally (e.g. on paper). Internet, app, and digital technology use were associated with higher digital health literacy and income, and residence in larger cities. Digital technologies were used for physical activity promotion by younger and for cancer prevention by older participants. Conclusion The internet and digital technologies were predominantly used to obtain health information, but less often for health promotion and disease prevention in 2022 in Germany. While health app and digital technology use for physical activity promotion increased, the confidence in using online information for health decisions decreased in 2022 relative to 2020. Factors that promote confidence in online health information and digital technology use for health promotion and disease prevention need to be investigated in future studies.

In 28 patients supported by an Impella pump (Impella CP, Abiomed Inc. ® , Danvers, MA), hemodynamic measurements by PiCCO (PULSION Medical Systems SE ® , Feldkirchen, Germany) and pulmonary artery catheter (PAC or Swan-Ganz Catheter; Edwards Lifescience ® , Unterschleissheim, Germany) were compared. There was a significant positive correlation of cardiac output (CO; r ² = 0.917, p < 0.001), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI; r ² = 0.904, p < 0.001), stroke volume index (SI; r ² = 0.909, p < 0.001) and left ventricular work index (LCWI; r ² = 0.689, p < 0.001) in PiCCO and PAC measurements under Impella CP support. We conclude, that in patients with left-ventricular Impella support, hemodynamics may be assessentd by PiCCO or PAC.

The utilization of functional fillers in the development of composite materials has come a long way since its advent to improve physical, chemical, or mechanical properties of the base material. However, the heterogenous roles contributed by a single type of filler remain uncommon in this field. Here the endowment of various modifications to a 1,8‐octanediol/1,12‐dodecanedioic acid/citric acid (OD/DDA/CA) matrix through the incorporation of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) is reported. Owing to the relaxation and hysteresis loss behaviors of IONPs when exposed to an alternating magnetic field (AMF), the composites demonstrate a magnetothermal response. Similarly, the excitation and relaxation of electrons in IONPs under near‐infrared light (NIR) enable photothermic‐responsiveness. In combination, two findings nurtured an observed shape‐memory effect when the samples are under actuation by these indirect stimuli, where a shape recovery ratio (≥98%) and reversible strain (≤7%) are recorded. Moreover, the catalytic role of IONPs aided transesterification in the covalent network, demonstrated by successful repeated cycles of shape reconfiguration of the samples. This work highlights the prospectives of multifunctional composite fillers in the exploration of bio‐derived composite smart materials.

Arthropods are the most diverse animal phylum and play crucial roles in ecosystem functioning through their contributions to ecosystem processes. Accurate knowledge about their distribution and diversity is essential for effective ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation. Public biodiversity databases and citizen science records could contribute to our understanding of arthropod diversity. To test this assumption, we extracted arthropod observations in Namibia from iNaturalist (iNat) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and compared these data to the records in the Namibian Biodiversity Database (NBD). We assessed the proportion of observations identified to species level in each arthropod order in iNat and GBIF (“recognition” metric) and compared the number of species from the two biodiversity networks (iNat and GBIF) to the known species richness in each arthropod order in NBD (“completeness” metric). Only 54.4% of iNat and 63.1% of GBIF arthropod observations in Namibia are recorded at species level. Scorpions (Scorpiones) and dragonflies (Odonata) are the most recognised orders in both GBIF and iNat, with high completeness rates (> 60%). However, overall recognition and completeness for all arthropod orders were generally below 50% in both databases. The high recognition and completeness for certain orders could be attributed to species traits that make them recognizable (e.g. large body size, colouration), a low species richness and the taxonomic familiarity of the public. While global biodiversity networks provide valuable data, regional or national databases like NBD remain essential for comprehensive biodiversity understanding. Global biodiversity networks provide insights into public perception and the suitability of taxonomic groups for citizen-involved biodiversity projects.

Implementing artificial synapses that emulate the synaptic behavior observed in the brain is one of the most critical requirements for neuromorphic computing. Resistive random-access memories (RRAM) have been proposed as a candidate for artificial synaptic devices. For this applicability, RRAM device performance depends on the technology used to fabricate the metal–insulator–metal (MIM) stack and the technology chosen for the selector device. To analyze these dependencies, the integrated RRAM devices in a 4k-bit array are studied on a 200 mm wafer scale in this work. The RRAM devices are integrated into two different CMOS transistor technologies of IHP, namely 250 nm and 130 nm and the devices are compared in terms of their pristine state current. The devices in 130 nm technology have shown lower number of high pristine state current devices per die in comparison to the 250 nm technology. For the 130 nm technology, the forming voltage is reduced due to the decrease of $\hbox {HfO}_2$ HfO 2 dielectric thickness from 8 nm to 5 nm. Additionally, 5% Al-doped 4 nm $\hbox {HfO}_2$ HfO 2 dielectric displayed a similar reduction in forming voltage and a lower variation in the values. Finally, the multi-level switching between the dielectric layers in 250 nm and 130 nm technologies are compared, where 130 nm showed a more significant number of conductance levels of seven compared to only four levels observed in 250 nm technology. Graphical abstract

This chapter constitutes a series of images and maps that provide visual evidence for the counternarrative presented in the book. This includes specific interpretation of survey data and visualization of data sets collected during field work; as well as, archival materials from newspapers, government publications and often private photo archives. The chapter takes the reader on a journey to the site and illustrates the physical transformation caused by the reconstruction program, as well as associated cultural and political meanings. Flicking through this series of images and maps and reading their caption is vital in order to vividly understand the narrative captured in this book.

This short chapter offers a contrast to the nuanced counternarrative presented in chapters ‘Bagan’s Conservation History and the Adopt-a-Pagoda Program’ and ‘Spatial and Ideological Transformations: Constructing a Counternarrative’ as it presents the authorized narrative that was fabricated for Bagan’s World Heritage inscription. The chapter revisits the first attempt at a UNESCO World Heritage listing for the site in the mid-1990s and its political context, as well as, the development of the nomination strategy for the eventually successful World Heritage listing (2019) under the transitional government (2011–2015) and NLD government (2016–2020). Tracing this process reveals not only political realities of contemporary reconciliation politics, but also of the shortcomings of the World Heritage System that highly romanticizes allegedly religious and traditional practices while ignoring their political implications.

This chapter explores Bagan as the primary object of investigation of this book and as a national sanctuary where power relations are determined through an interplay of rituals and architectural symbols. Initially, the chapter provides a rich description of the site’s history and characterizing features, including geography, population, vegetation, urbanization, and infrastructure. However, the religious architecture takes centerstage in this chapter, since its rich materiality, as well as, its associated belief system and cultural practices are vital points of reference for the continued discussions in the book.

This chapter interprets the physical transformation described in the previous chapter by cross-referencing it with other types of evidence. This evidence is based on analyses of the communication strategy of the Adopt-a-Pagoda Program; the flagship reconstruction projects of the most iconic Bagan monuments; infrastructural developments associated with the reconstruction program; contextualization of the program within national-level contemporary construction history, particularly of the capital Naypyitaw; and the perception of the program and its measures among the local population. As a whole, this chapter sheds light on the multifaceted meanings of Bagan’s transformation from 1995 to 2011 and its social embedment thereby providing for a rich counternarrative.

This chapter provides background on geography, demographics, history, and political culture of Myanmar. The analytical focus is set on (reoccurring) ideological patterns and a dysfunctional national imagination throughout changing political regimes. In this context the historical development of institutionalized heritage practice and ideologically shaped protective legislation for cultural heritage are discussed. The chapter draws particular attention to the 1988–2011 period of the SLORC/SPDC military regime and the 2011–2020 period of democratic reforms and “transition.” It also provides vital insights on the history and development of Myanmar’s persisting ethnic conflicts and approaches to national reconciliation, particularly as practiced under the most recent NLD government (2016–2020).

This chapter lies the theoretical foundations for constructing a critical counternarrative of contemporary spatial practices and conservation in Myanmar. It is therefore essential for following the discussion in subsequent chapters of this book. It provides an assemblage of theoretical concerns and appropriate terminology that question conventional modes of institutionalized heritage practice and their multi-faceted political appropriation. Instead of further entrenching constructed differences between East and West in conservation as often promoted in global professional contexts, the focus of this chapter lies on the universal contested nature of heritage practice and its implications for reconciliation processes; on addressing commonalities in emerging discourses on “building practice as heritage” and understanding reconstructions as meaningful products of their time. It also draws attention to the intricate role of sacred spaces in the context of ideologized heritage-making of autocratic governments.

This chapter provides a detailed account of different phases of conservation and the marks they left and continue to leave on Bagan. Conservation phases discussed are determined on the basis of different actors involved in conservation interventions that were carried out at Bagan over specific time periods. Changes in actors such as donors and executers of conservation activities were often related to changes in the country’s governance or to other significant events that had tremendous effects on on-site activities, such as the 1975 earthquake. In this book, conservation is understood as a meaning-making practice that expresses the significance of a place through materiality and working towards a specific physical condition. The investigation into conservation at Bagan therefore includes not only professional conservation interventions but also other activities, infrastructure measures, and construction that were not necessarily aimed at Bagan’s conservation in a purely professional sense. However, this chapter also contains critical reflections of how developments in global professional conservation practice have played out in Bagan’s conservation history. A key insight from this chapter, is the long missing detailed account and spatial analysis of the Adopt-a-Pagoda Program, which is contrasted with the other conservation phases throughout Bagan’s history. The comprehensive analysis of this mass production of quasi-historical monuments integrated with major infrastructural developments provides for architectural and archaeological evidence that forms part of the counternarrative that this book aims at constructing.

The final chapter consolidates the research presented in the previous chapters of this book. The summary includes the detailed account of the Adopt-a-Pagoda Program and its spatial impact on Bagan, contrasted and contextualized with the site’s overall conservation history; concise insights to the strategic appropriation of Bagan as a sacred and historic space; and critical reflections on how the illegitimate regime left various traces at the site that are testimony to their ruthless governing style. The conclusion also once again points to the populist rhetoric of the authoritarian conservation efforts, offers a critique on the transferal of this rhetoric to the World Heritage system and addresses ethical questions about responsibilities within this system, especially when dealing with spaces deemed as sacred. The conclusion also offers a summary of the heritage politics of transition its implications concerning the reconciliation process of the NLD and an outlook with view to Myanmar’s current political situation.