Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analytical formulas for the optical gain of quantum wells

Analytical expressions for the quantized energy levels in quantum wells, the optical gain, the differential optical gain, and the linewidth enhancement factor are presented based on a simple parabolic-band gain model. Explicit formulas show clearly the dependence of these factors on well width, doping, and photon energy. The optical gain in the form of g=g/sub 0/ In(N/N/sub 0/) is derived using explicit approximations in the Fermi functions, where g/sub 0/ is the proportionality constant, N is the injected carrier density, and N/sub 0/ is the transparency carrier density. The approximate formulas are shown to provide not only an efficient way of computing the gain-related parameters but also a convenient way of getting physical insights into the overall interplay of quantum well parameters.
Modeling Acoustic/Structural Interaction of Synthetic Jet Actuators

A new model is proposed to capture the interaction between the acoustic waves and the membrane vibration in synthetic jet actuators (SJA). Synthetic jet actuators are a class of actuators recently developed for active flow control. They usually contain a structure membrane as the vibrating resource, a cavity as the resonator, and an orifice for jet output. The vibrating membrane is used to create pressure fluctuations, which then propagate, bounce and resonate (under certain conditions) inside the walls of the cavity, and thus produce an oscillating jet through the orifice. The proposed modeling approach is to solve a 1-D acoustic equation with the vibrating membrane as one of the boundaries and the orifice for jet output as another. This approach results in a state-space model, which will not only help make synthetic jet actuators operate away from the structural resonance of the membrane (and thus extend the life of synthetic jet actuators), but also provide a convenient way of designing and optimizing multi-input, multi-output control systems required by many complex fluid flow systems. After validation with experiments, the model is used in an example of design optimization.
Vortex Preconditioning due to Planetary and Gravity Waves prior to Sudden Stratospheric Warmings

AbstractReanalysis data are used to evaluate the evolution of polar vortex geometry, planetary wave drag, and gravity wave drag prior to split versus displacement sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs). A composite analysis that extends upward to the lower mesosphere reveals that split SSWs are characterized by a transition from a wide, funnel-shaped vortex that is anomalously strong to a vortex that is constrained about the pole and has little vertical tilt. In contrast, displacement SSWs are characterized by a wide, funnel-shaped vortex that is anomalously weak throughout the prewarming period. Moreover, during split SSWs, gravity wave drag is enhanced in the polar night jet, while planetary wave drag is enhanced within the extratropical surf zone. During displacement SSWs, gravity wave drag is anomalously weak throughout the extratropical stratosphere.Using the composite analysis as a guide, a case study of the 2009 SSW is conducted in order to evaluate the roles of planetary and gravity waves for precon.
High Operating Temperature Mid-Infrared InGaAs/GaAs Submonolayer Quantum Dot Quantum Cascade Detectors on Silicon

Monolithic integration of infrared photodetectors on a silicon platform is a promising solution for the development of scalable and affordable photodetectors and infrared focal plane arrays. We report on integration of submonolayer quantum dot quantum cascade detectors (SML QD QCDs) on Si substrates via direct growth. Threading dislocation density has been reduced to the level of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 10^{7}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{-2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> with the high-quality GaAs-on-Si virtual substrate. We also conducted a morphology analysis for the SML QD QCDs through a transmission electron microscope strain contrast image and to the best of our knowledge, high quality InGaAs/GaAs SML QDs were clearly observed on silicon for the first time. Photoluminescence decay time of the as-grown SML QD QCDs on Si was measured to be around 300 ps, which is comparable to the reference QCDs on lattice-matched GaAs substrates. With the high-quality III-V epitaxial layers and SML QDs, the quantum cascade detectors on Si achieved a normal incident photoresponse temperature up to 160 K under zero bias.
Land Use Affects the Local Climate of a Tropical Mountain Landscape in Northern Ecuador

Changes in land use affect biodiversity and the biophysical structure of ecosystems, causing negative impacts on ecosystem services, such as climate regulation. However, few studies have evaluated the effect of land use changes on the local climate, particularly in tropical mountain systems such as the Andes. Therefore, this study compares 4 land use types (native forest, planted forest, maize monoculture, and pasture) in a mountain landscape in northern Ecuador as a proxy to assess the impact of land use change on local climate regulation. We estimated gap fraction with photographic techniques and recorded temperature and relative humidity using dataloggers set at 2 heights (0 m and 1 m) above ground level across the land use types. As we expected, native forests provided a more stable microclimate, demonstrating significantly lower temperatures and higher relative humidity values than the other land use types. This effect on microclimate was significantly explained with highest temperatures at intermediate gap fraction levels. In addition, we observed that native forests provided a buffer effect for the variations in mesoclimate; only native forests showed an evident reduction in local temperature over the range of mesoclimates. Local temperature variations registered in human-altered systems (planted forests and pastures) were significantly explained by the mesoclimate variation, with the exception of monocultures that exhibited a mismatch between the 2 scales of climate. These results highlight the importance of native forest for microclimate regulation, an ecosystem service that can act synergistically with other biodiversity and conservation goals to sustainably manage landscapes in Andean mountain systems.
Prenatal Sex Hormone Exposure Is Associated with the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Sexual differentiation is a major developmental process. Sex differences resulting from sexual differentiation have attracted the attention of researchers. Unraveling what contributes to and underlies sex differences will provide valuable insights into the development of neurodevelopmental disorders that exhibit sex biases. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an individual’s social interaction and communication abilities, and its male preponderance has been consistently reported in clinical studies. The etiology of male preponderance remains unclear, but progress has been made in studying prenatal sex hormone exposure. The present review examined studies that focused on the association between prenatal testosterone exposure and ASD development, as well as sex-specific behaviors in individuals with ASD. This review also included studies on maternal immune activation-induced developmental abnormalities that also showed striking sex differences in offspring and discussed its possible interacting roles in ASD so as to present a potential approach for future studies on sex biases in ASD.
Self-Assembly of Cyclodextrin-Coated Nanoparticles: Fabrication of Functional Nanostructures for Sensing and Delivery

In recent years, the bottom-up approach has emerged as a powerful tool in the fabrication of functional nanomaterials through the self-assembly of nanoscale building blocks. The cues embedded at the molecular level provide a handle to control and direct the assembly of nano-objects to construct higher-order structures. Molecular recognition among the building blocks can assist their precise positioning in a predetermined manner to yield nano- and microstructures that may be difficult to obtain otherwise. A well-orchestrated combination of top-down fabrication and directed self-assembly-based bottom-up approach enables the realization of functional nanomaterial-based devices. Among the various available molecular recognition-based “host–guest” combinations, cyclodextrin-mediated interactions possess an attractive attribute that the interaction is driven in aqueous environments, such as in biological systems. Over the past decade, cyclodextrin-based specific host–guest interactions have been exploited to design and construct structural and functional nanomaterials based on cyclodextrin-coated metal nanoparticles. The focus of this review is to highlight recent advances in the self-assembly of cyclodextrin-coated metal nanoparticles driven by the specific host–guest interaction.
A general momentum theory applied to an energy‐extracting actuator disc

A general momentum theory for an energy-extracting actuator disc modelling a rotor with a multiplicity of blades having radially uniform circulation is presented that includes the effects of wake rotation and expansion. A parallel theory directed at the propeller has been published elsewhere, but not one intended for the wind turbine. The rotation of the wake is shown to be accompanied by a fall in static pressure that is additional to that which occurs across the actuator disc and accounts for the energy extraction from the wind. Energy extraction is recognized in the fully developed wake by the flow regaining the static pressure of the undisturbed wind at the expense of the kinetic energy in the wake. Because the wake is still rotating in the fully developed wake, the additional fall in static pressure appears there also and so does not augment the energy extraction. However, the additional fall in pressure would cause a discontinuity in pressure across the fully developed wake but is prevented by a further slowing down of the wake. The additional slowing down extracts a little more energy from the flow than that predicted by the simple momentum theory, which does not include wake rotation. The overall effect of wake rotation on energy extraction is very small for wind turbines operating at high tip speed ratios but can significantly increase the predicted power output for turbines operating at low tip speed ratios. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cultivating responsible citizenship in a non-traditional degree program through a service-inclusive pedagogy

A responsible citizen is someone who understands their role in the community and attempts to make a positive impact. Service-learning is one way to encourage responsible citizenship by asking students to engage with and reflect on their communities. This study explores student perceptions toward civic engagement in an undergraduate course focused on the multidisciplinary examination of social issues, with some sections incorporating service-learning pedagogy. Using a validated measure, changes among students were documented in six topic areas: civic action, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, political awareness, leadership skills, social justice attitudes, and diversity attitudes. Results were compared across sections with different service-learning requirements and delivery formats. Additionally, results were compared across students from diverse backgrounds, including age and race.
Exploring the Coordination and Spatial–Temporal Characteristics of the Tourism–Economy–Environment Development in the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China

The rise of mass tourism has encouraged rapid economic growth; meanwhile, the eco-environmental system has come under increasing pressure. To achieve sustainable development, it is critical to deeply explore the relationship and evolution characteristics between three subsystems: tourism, the economy, and the eco-environment. This study aims to develop a more comprehensive indicator system for evaluating the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of the tourism–economy–environment (TEE) system using statistical data from nine cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration from 2010 to 2019. We investigated the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics and driving forces of the TEE system in the PRD using the CCD model and the geo-detector model. The research results show the following: (1) The comprehensive benefits of the TEE system have increased steadily over the past 10 years, whereas the benefits of the eco-environment subsystem have fluctuated and been relatively unstable. (2) Spatially, in terms of tourism development, the eastern regions of the PRD are more developed than the western regions, and the regions with the greatest tourism benefits have gradually shifted to the northeastern regions of the PRD. Economic development presented an imbalanced but relatively stable spatial pattern. Guangzhou and Shenzhen have been the two most economically developed cities over the past 10 years. The eco-environment development has fluctuated over time, revealing a spatial pattern of cities with low environmental benefits in the center and cities with high eco-environmental benefits in the surrounding regions. (3) The PRD’s TEE system has become more integrated, moving from moderate disorder to a model of high-quality coordinated development, demonstrating a spatial pattern in which the cities of high development coordination are located near the Pearl River Estuary, and the coordination decreases the further away they are from the estuary. (4) The major driving factors of heterogeneous TEE coordination development include eco-environment protection, opening-up policies, education investment, technological innovation level, and the regional economic development level. The results are expected to effectively promote economic, tourism, and environmental improvement in the PRD, as well as to provide policy recommendations for coordinated TEE development in other similar urban agglomerations.
A general asymptotic theory of diffusion flames with application to cellular instability

A general asymptotic formulation is presented for diffusion flames of large-activation-energy chemical reactions. In this limit chemical reaction is confined to a thin zone which, when viewed from the much larger diffusion scale, is a moving two-dimensional sheet. The formulation is not restricted to any particular configuration, and applies to conditions extending from complete combustion to extinction. The detailed structure of the reaction zone yields jump conditions that permit full determination of the combustion field on both sides of the reaction zone, as well as the instantaneous shape of the reaction sheet itself. The simplified system is subsequently used to study the intrinsic stability properties of diffusion flames and, in particular, the onset of cellular flames. We show that cellular diffusion flames form under near-extinction conditions when the reactant in the feed stream is the more completely consumed reactant, and the corresponding reactant Lewis number is below some critical value. Cell sizes at the onset of instability are on the order of the diffusion length. Predicted cell sizes and conditions for instability are therefore both comparable with experimental observations. Finally, we provide stability curves in the fuel and oxidant Lewis number parameter plane, showing where instability is expected for different values of both the initial mixture strength and the Damköhler number.
Idea Improvement and Socially Shared Regulation Matter in Cross-Cultural Online Collaborative Learning

Cross-cultural collaborative learning has been paid more and more attention in recent years. To promote productive cross-cultural collaborative learning, idea generation and improvement, and socially shared regulation is crucial. The study aimed to identify the differences in idea generation and improvement as well as socially shared regulation between high- and low-performance groups in cross-cultural online collaborative learning. In this study, 24 culturally diverse university students composed of eight groups conducted cross-cultural online collaborative learning to solve problems collaboratively. Epistemic network analysis and lag sequential analysis methods were employed to analyze data quantitatively and qualitatively. The results revealed that different strategies shape different learning performances. High-performance groups adopted more cognitive, social, and regulation processes than low-performance groups. The results extend the existing literature by indicating that idea elaboration, refining or building on ideas, and appraisal is strongly connected to new ideas. In addition, transitions from monitoring and controlling to adapting metacognition in collaborative learning activities are the main difference in socially shared regulation between high-performance and low-performance groups. This study shed light on how to engage culturally diverse students to generate and improve ideas as well as jointly regulate collaborative learning.
Promoting Health Equity through Improved Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Medical Devices

Existing health disparities in the United States are partially driven by the way healthcare is delivered. There is interest in using Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven software as medical devices (SaMD) to aid in healthcare delivery and reduce health disparities. However, AI-driven tools have the potential to codify bias in healthcare settings. Some AI-driven SaMDs have displayed substandard performance among racial and ethnic minorities. Auditing these tools for biased output can help produce more equitable outcomes across populations. However, there are currently no explicit Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that examine bias in AI software in healthcare. Therefore, we propose the FDA develop a distinct regulatory process for AI-driven SaMDs that includes assessing equitable output across populations and avoiding potential health disparity exacerbation. This change could help prevent AI-driven health disparities nationwide.
Translation-related domain boundaries form to relieve strain in a thin alumina film on NiAl (110)

We examine how translation-related domains form in thin alumina films synthesized by oxidizing a NiAl (110) surface. Low-energy electron microscopy observations reveal that translation-related domains (sometimes called antiphase domains in the literature) are created within isolated alumina islands as they grow or are annealed. Thus, the domains do not originate when islands with displaced lattices impinge, as frequently assumed in models of film growth. Even though the planar defects that bound the translation-related domains cost energy, the misfit dislocations that terminate the domain boundaries lower the film’s strain energy.
PLT Counts as a Predictive Marker after Plasma Exchange in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Related Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure

Background and Objectives: The platelet (PLT) value in hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is not sufficiently understood. The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic effect of PLT on the prediction of HBV-ACLF outcomes after plasma exchange (PE). Methods: HBV-ACLF patients treated with PE between January 2017 and August 2021 were followed up for at least 6 months. Cox regression was performed to develop the predictive model, and the model’s performance was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Results: A total of 170 patients were included. The overall survival rate within 180 days was 75.88%. Age, PLT, total bilirubin (TBil), and the iMELD scores were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients after PE. According to the Cox regression results, the new model was calculated: R = 0.142 × iMELD-0.009 × PLT. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was 0.758 (95% CI 0.678–0.838), and patients with lower PLT-iMELD scores (<4.50) had a better prognosis (p < 0.001). Conclusion: PLT is a valuable prognostic biomarker for HBV-ACLF patients after PE. The modified iMELD model incorporating PLT has a better sensitivity and efficacy in predicting the prognosis of patients.
Neurons, Nose, and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Olfactory Function and Cognitive Impairment

Olfactory capacity declines with aging, but increasing evidence shows that smell dysfunction is one of the early signs of prodromal neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The study of olfactory ability and its role in neurodegenerative diseases arouses much interest in the scientific community. In neurology, olfactory impairment is a potential early marker for the onset of neurodegenerative diseases, but the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. The loss of smell is considered a clinical sign of early-stage disease and a marker of the disease’s progression and cognitive impairment. Highlighting the importance of biological bases of smell and molecular pathways could be fundamental to improve neuroprotective and therapeutic strategies. We focused on the review articles and meta-analyses on olfactory and cognitive impairment. We depicted the neurobiology of olfaction and the most common olfactory tests in neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, we underlined the close relationship between the olfactory and cognitive deficit due to nasal neuroepithelium, which is a direct extension of the CNS in communication with the external environment. Neurons, Nose, and Neurodegenerative diseases highlights the role of olfactory dysfunction as a clinical marker for early stages of neurodegenerative diseases when it is associated with molecular, clinical, and neuropathological correlations.
The Emerging Role of Virtual Reality as an Adjunct to Procedural Sedation and Anesthesia: A Narrative Review

Over the past 20 years, there has been a significant reduction in the incidence of adverse events associated with sedation outside of the operating room. Non-pharmacologic techniques are increasingly being used as peri-operative adjuncts to facilitate and promote anxiolysis, analgesia and sedation, and to reduce adverse events. This narrative review will briefly explore the emerging role of immersive reality in the peri-procedural care of surgical patients. Immersive virtual reality (VR) is intended to distract patients with the illusion of “being present” inside the computer-generated world, drawing attention away from their anxiety, pain, and discomfort. VR has been described for a variety of procedures that include colonoscopies, venipuncture, dental procedures, and burn wound care. As VR technology develops and the production costs decrease, the role and application of VR in clinical practice will expand. It is important for medical professionals to understand that VR is now available for prime-time use and to be aware of the growing body in the literature that supports VR.
Psychological distress, coping, and barriers to help-seeking in Christian clergy

ABSTRACT Clergy have an emotionally taxing role and experience high rates of distress. Clergy are an under-represented group in research, with studies suggesting clergy utilise religious coping skills, and underutilise social support. The aims of this study were to assess psychological distress, coping, and help-seeking in UK clergy, and determine whether religious coping mediates the relationship between role demands and distress. One hundred and sixty one clergy-members completed measures of demands, distress, coping, and help-seeking. Mediation analyses were used to test hypotheses. Clergy reported higher rates of distress than community samples, reported more adaptive coping, and favoured help-seeking from informal sources. Negative religious coping and avoidant coping partially mediated the relationship between demands and distress. Clergy reported similar rates of distress to those in other emotionally demanding roles. Religious coping partially mediated the impact of negative demands, suggesting any intervention should include consideration of religious coping in this group.