Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design of ultrashort throw lenses with catadioptric relays for curved screens

An ultrashort throw lens with a catadioptric relay (USTCR) for curved screens has a half-field angle greater than 110°. The angle of the principal ray incident on the aspherical mirror increases according to the height of the ray emitted from the object surface. A larger field angle leads to larger sag amount. Thus, the degree of difficulty in precision machining increases. In this study, we examined how the tangent of the concave mirror surface can be reduced such that it can be manufactured while maintaining the half-field angle and its optical performance. It was found that the interval between imaging points reaching the screen can be made constant by suppressing the change in the principal ray incident on the concave mirror by +/- 1° or less, particularly in the area of a half-field angle of 90° or more, and making the change in the tangent of the concave mirror surface constant. As an index of distortion, we show that the perimeter ratio (Pr) of the frame length, which was equally divided by 5×5 in the screen, improved from 0.26 to 0.73. As one possible application, a projection system that can be realized with only 8 projectors is proposed, as opposed to conventional systems consisting of approximately 20 projectors in omni-directional projection systems.
Depth-of-field comparison between the plenoptic camera 1.0 and 2.0

Plenoptic cameras capture the spatial and angular information of a scene. The use of plenoptic cameras in areas such as research, microscopy, industry and consumer markets has steadily increased over the past two decades. When designing a plenoptic camera a decision must always be made between spatial and angular resolution. Many factors such as the size and number of microlenses in a microlens array or the relative position of the microlens array and sensor to the main lens play a role. Here we examine the two most common designs of plenoptic cameras. The plenoptic cameras 1.0, also called the unfocused plenoptic camera, and the plenoptic cameras 2.0, the focused plenoptic camera. We derive the mathematical equations that describe the connection between spatial and angular resolution. Supported by experimental results we show the relationship between the equations and a real object with different object distances taken from the plenoptic camera 1.0 and 2.0. These analyzes make it easier for researchers and engineers to choose the right camera design for a particular application. The user only has to determine beforehand which depth-of-field or which spatial resolution is needed.
Nonlinear dynamics of the laser spot size and pulse duration in turbulence

In this work, a set of coupled equations is presented that describes the spot size and pulse length evolution of a Kerr focused ultra-short laser pulse in a turbulent and group velocity dispersive atmosphere. Solutions to the equations are compared against Monte Carlo simulations for focused and collimated beams in weak, moderate, and strong turbulence. The results indicate good agreement except when the beam accumulates excessive wings in the transverse profile and/or undergoes pulse splitting, such that the self-similar evolution assumption in the coupled equation derivation breaks down.
Analytical and finite element analysis tool for nonlinear membrane antenna modeling for astronomical applications

The uninflated shape configurations of parabolic and spherical membrane mirrors were calculated by solving the inverse problem, i.e., given the design inflation pressure, the membrane material and geometric properties, what must be the initial uninflated shape such that on inflation to the design pressure, the exact desired surface of revolution is obtained. The resulting first order nonlinear differential equation was numerically integrated using the boundary conditions. The initial uninflated shape was then subjected to a forward transformation using FAIM, a proprietary geometric nonlinear membrane finite element code. FAIM has been validated against exact analytical solutions for both small and extremely large deformations that are up to eight orders of magnitude larger compared with the starting undeflected shape. Simulations reveal that to fabricate a very accurate and precise inflated membrane mirror relative to the design parameters, one must not only accurately measure and input the moduli in both meridional and hoop directions but an accurately measured Poisson’s ratio as well. The code was used to guide the membrane mirror design. For very small aperture diameters, the initial uninflated shape may be fabricated by thermo-forming the membrane. For aperture diameters exceeding one meter however, the membrane mirror is built with discrete gores that are joined together with tapes at the seams. This provided the impetus to write a companion computer code FLATE, to calculate the gore shapes using a slight modification of the solution to the inverse transformation equation to account for the presence of the seam tapes. After the gores were determined, the resulting final inflated shape was calculated and verified using FAIM. Sensitivity analyses can now be carried out to determine the resulting surface shape as a function of the different sources of error: gore width, gore length, perimeter attachment uncertainties, thermal effects, variation of material properties over the membrane continuum and inflation pressure changes. The code has been shown to be more robust than equivalent commercial analytical packages in so far as membrane, cable and space-frame element combinations are concerned. In particular, the analytical and finite element codes were used in the preliminary assessment of a membrane optic for the OASIS Mission (Orbiting Astronomical Satellite for Investigating Stellar Systems) [1]. The OASIS is a 20-meter class space observatory operating at high spectral resolution in the terahertz frequencies. Over its nominal 2-year mission it will probe conditions and search for biogenic molecules on hundreds of protoplanetary disks and other solar system objects.
Chirality-enhanced nonlinear optical response of frustrated liquid crystals

Liquid crystals (LCs) are known to have a facile response under external electric and optical fields, which in the past have led to various technological applications such as LC displays or self-focusing flat lenses. In this contribution, we describe how chirality can increase the overall nonlinear optical response of frustrated liquid crystal samples based on the formalism of Green functions. We describe how such an effect can be leveraged to generate low-power spatial optical solitons in diverse sample geometries, and also suggest possible applications that could be derived from this theoretical and numerical work.
Tunable plasmonic resonator: a comparison of band diagrams and reflection profiles of the polaritonic crystal

We present the band diagram analysis of a polaritonic crystal fabricated by periodically modulating the optical conductivity of a graphene sheet, which can be implemented as a virtual mirror in a Fabry-Perot type plasmonic resonator. The 2-Dimensional graphene sheet is supported by two dielectric media on top and the bottom and supports Surface Plasmon Polaritons (SPPs) at the interface. We use the Floquet-Bloch theory to write the fields in the periodically modulated structure. Using Maxwell's equations, we derive the relationship between the components of the SPP wavevector and the complex amplitude coefficients that define the linear relationship between the forward and backward propagating SPP modes. The set of nonlinear eigenvalue equations is then obtained by applying the boundary conditions at the interface. The non-retarded approximation is used to convert this to a linear eigenvalue problem. The dispersion relation is obtained by setting the determinant of the linear eigenvalue problem to zero. Band diagrams are obtained by varying the defining parameters of the Gaussian shaped periodic conductivity profile. The behaviour of the forbidden bands is then used to explain the behaviour of the SPP reflection profiles that have been observed in a recent work. The impact of the absorption losses introduced by the finite intrinsic electron relaxation time of graphene on the band structure is also analysed.
Pullboat Logging

The Historic New Or leans Collect ion crVypress logging began in Louisiana soon after the ~ French initiated settlement along the Gulf Coast around 1700. There is evidence that baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) was exported from Louisiana as early as 1722. Some of the very early sawmills producing "cedar boards" (ca. 1716) may indeed have been cutting cypress. ' Before the industrial era (1890-1925) , cypress logs were usually floated out of swamps when water levels were high. Early loggers either poled them out from astride the logs or towed them out by wading through the water. Occasionally, mules and oxen were used to pull logs out of the swamps. Wagons were tried also, but boggy conditions precluded much development of animal power as a means of removing logs from the swamps. The cypress industry remained largely local and seasonal in nature, partly because the pr imitive logging methods made it difficult to maintain year-round supplies of logs for the sawmills.2 The local and seasonal characteristics of the industry changed rather dramatically in the late nineteenth century. The shift came about through a number of factors: a decline in the northern lumber industry that increased demand for southern wood; the availability of cheap timberlands in the South; an improved rail transportation system; and, importantly, the advancement of
Ship target detection method for SAR image of FNLM filtering combined with faster R-CNN

Realizing the rapid detection of ship targets is of great significance both in commercial shipping activities and in modern warfare. Compared with visible light remote sensing images, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) has good resolution characteristics for metal targets, making ship targets more clearly visible in high-resolution SAR images. However, there are often obvious coherent bright spots and sea clutter noise in high-resolution SAR images used for ship detection, which seriously affects the detection accuracy. This paper proposed a detection method that uses fast non-local means (FNLM) filter and deep learning methods. Using high-resolution SAR images as the data source, FNLM and deep learning methods are used to realize the detection of ships quickly and accurately. First, the FNLM filter was used to preprocess highresolution SAR images to reduce overall image noise while enhancing target definition and feature details; Then, the Faster R-CNN algorithm was used to conduct model training on large-scale SAR data sets, to extract detection features, to improve the convergence accuracy of the network, and to achieve automatic and rapid detection of ships on the sea. Experimental results showed that this method had good robust characteristics and target detection accuracy, and the average accuracy of ship target detection reaches more than 90%. In the case of severe sea clutter interference, it still had a better detection effect.
The Photo-z Infrared Telescope (PIRT) – a space instrument for rapid follow up of high-redshift gamma-ray bursts and electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events

The Photo-z InfraRed Telescope (PIRT) is an instrument on the Gamow Explorer, currently proposed for a NASA Astrophysics Medium Explorer. PIRT works in tandem with a companion wide-field instrument, the Lobster Eye X-ray Telescope (LEXT), that will identify x-ray transients likely to be associated with high redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) or electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave (GW) events. PIRT will gather the necessary data in order to identify GRB sources with redshift z >6, with an expected source localization better than 1 arcsec. A near real-time link to the ground will allow timely follow-up as a target of opportunity for large ground-based telescopes or the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). PIRT will also allow localization and characterization of GW event counterparts. We discuss the instrument design, the on-board data processing approach, and the expected performance of the system.
An integral transform and its application in the propagation of Lorentz-Gaussian beams

Abstract The aim of the present note is to derive an integral transform I=∫0∞xs+1e-βx2+γxMk,v(2ζx2)Jμ(χx)dx,I = \int_0^\infty {{x^{s + 1}}{e^{ - \beta x}}^{2 + \gamma x}{M_{k,v}}} \left( {2\zeta {x^2}} \right)J\mu \left( {\chi x} \right)dx, involving the product of the Whittaker function Mk,ν and the Bessel function of the first kind Jµ of order µ. As a by-product, we also derive certain new integral transforms as particular cases for some special values of the parameters k and ν of the Whittaker function. Eventually, we show the application of the integral in the propagation of hollow higher-order circular Lorentz-cosh-Gaussian beams through an ABCD optical system (see, for details [13], [3]).
FLEXIBLE SOIL MICROBIAL CARBON METABOLISM ACROSS AN ASIAN ELEVATION GRADIENT

ABSTRACT The function and change of global soil carbon (C) reserves in natural ecosystems are key regulators of future carbon-climate coupling. Microbes play a critical role in soil carbon cycling and yet there is poor understanding of their roles and C metabolism flexibility in many ecosystems. We wanted to determine whether vegetation type and climate zone influence soil microbial community composition (fungi and bacteria) and carbon resource preference. We used a biomarker (phospholipid fatty acids, PLFAs), natural abundance 13C and 14C probing approach to measure soil microbial composition and C resource use, along a 1900–4167-m elevation gradient on Mount Gongga (7556 m asl), China. Mount Gongga has a vertical mean annual temperature gradient of 1.2–10.1°C and a diversity of typical vegetation zones in the Tibetan Plateau. Soils were sampled at 10 locations along the gradient capturing distinct vegetation types and climate zones from lowland subtropical-forest to alpine-meadow. PLFA results showed that microbial communities were composed of 2.1–51.7% bacteria and 2.0–23.2% fungi across the elevation gradient. Microbial biomass was higher and the ratio of soil fungi to bacteria (F/B) was lower in forest soils compared to meadow soils. δ13C varied between −33‰ to −17‰ with C3 plant carbon sources dominant across the gradient. Soil organic carbon (SOC) turnover did not vary among three soils we measured from three forest types (i.e., evergreen broadleaved subtropical, mixed temperate, coniferous alpine) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) turnover decreased with soil elevation. Forest soil microbial PLFA 14C and δ13C measurements showed that forest type and climate were related to different microbial C use. The 14C values of microbial PLFAs i15, a15, 16:1, br17 decreased with elevation while those of C16:0, cyC17, and cyC19 did not show much difference among three forest ecosystems. Bacteria and bacillus represented by C16:1 and brC17 showed considerable microbial C metabolism flexibility and tended to use ancient carbon at higher altitudes. Anaerobes represented by cyC17 and cyC19 showed stronger C metabolism selectivity. Our findings reveal specific C source differences between and within soil microbial groups along elevation gradients.
The nature of in-flight sexual assaults

ABSTRACT Since the #MeToo movement, sexual abuse on airlines has been receiving increased attention, however there is a dearth of empirical research investigating this phenomenon. This study is one of the first to examine characteristics of victims and perpetrators of in-flight sexual assaults, as well as data on situational risk factors, victim reporting, and airline responses. A review of major media outlets in the past decade identified 73 unique cases of in-flight sexual assault that were coded by two raters independently. Overall findings displayed the majority of victims were unaccompanied young females, being sexually assaulted (groped) by older males travelling alone. Most reported assaults occurred on North American flights under eight hours in length, where the assaults were reported immediately by victims to members of the flight crew, with charges pressed afterwards. Findings will be discussed as they pertain to the detection and prevention of in-flight sexual assault.
A Comparison of Common IRT Model-selection Methods with Mixed-Format Tests

ABSTRACT To date, only frequentist model-selection methods have been studied with mixed-format data in the context of IRT model-selection, and it is unknown how popular Bayesian model-selection methods such as DIC, WAIC, and LOO perform. In this study, we present the results of a comprehensive simulation study that compared the performances of eight model-selection methods with mixed-format data to select the correct combination of IRT models. Findings of the simulation study indicate that DIC, WAIC, and LOO had excellent statistical power to choose the correct IRT model combination. They performed comparably with LRT and slightly preferably than AIC, and considerably better than BIC, AICc, and SABIC. In addition, the performances of the three Bayesian methods were more stable than those of AIC and LRT regardless of the sample size and ability distribution. The eight model-selection methods were applied to a real dataset for demonstration purpose.
No hearing without signals: imagining and reimagining transductions through the history of the cochlear implant

ABSTRACT In this article, we explore a set of conceptual and technoscientific shifts that led to reconsiderations of the experience of hearing over the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and most specifically, hearing through the use of cochlear implants (CIs). In doing so, we focus on the factors that are thought to contribute to CI users’ experiences of sound, including their potentially distinctive sensoria and neural profiles, as they navigate the spaces of their day-to-day lives as both the bearers of objective audiograms and subjective listeners. These factors are increasingly broad, ranging from age of implantation, electroacoustic stimulation sent from the device, and cognitive profiles considered to correlate with complex developmental processes related to early sound environments and language exposure (oral or manual). Hearing, in this perspective, is a phenomenon that varies between individuals, over the course of the life (or day) of a single person, and according to experiences with auditory devices. Such a conceptualization undermines dichotomous representations of hearing and deafness and an increasingly substantial gray zone emerges between the two. Both are ever more conceived of as developmental processes in which a variety of signals and their transductions are considered central to understandings of how experiences of hearing take shape.
Transcriptomic Response Analysis of Escherichia coli to Palladium Stress

Palladium (Pd), due to its unique catalytic properties, is an industrially important heavy metal especially in the form of nanoparticles. It has a wide range of applications from automobile catalytic converters to the pharmaceutical production of morphine. Bacteria have been used to biologically produce Pd nanoparticles as a new environmentally friendly alternative to the currently used energy-intensive and toxic physicochemical methods. Heavy metals, including Pd, are toxic to bacterial cells and cause general and oxidative stress that hinders the use of bacteria to produce Pd nanoparticles efficiently. In this study, we show in detail the Pd stress-related effects on E. coli. Pd stress effects were measured as changes in the transcriptome through RNA-Seq after 10 min of exposure to 100 μM sodium tetrachloropalladate (II). We found that 709 out of 3,898 genes were differentially expressed, with 58% of them being up-regulated and 42% of them being down-regulated. Pd was found to induce several common heavy metal stress-related effects but interestingly, Pd causes unique effects too. Our data suggests that Pd disrupts the homeostasis of Fe, Zn, and Cu cellular pools. In addition, the expression of inorganic ion transporters in E. coli was found to be massively modulated due to Pd intoxication, with 17 out of 31 systems being affected. Moreover, the expression of several carbohydrate, amino acid, and nucleotide transport and metabolism genes was vastly changed. These results bring us one step closer to the generation of genetically engineered E. coli strains with enhanced capabilities for Pd nanoparticles synthesis.
Engineered Remolding and Application of Bacterial Membrane Vesicles

Bacterial membrane vesicles (MVs) are produced by both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria during growth in vitro and in vivo. MVs are nanoscale vesicular structures with diameters ranging from 20 to 400 nm. MVs incorporate bacterial lipids, proteins, and often nucleic acids, and can effectively stimulate host immune response against bacterial infections. As vaccine candidates and drug delivery systems, MVs possess high biosafety owing to the lack of self-replication ability. However, wild-type bacterial strains have poor MV yield, and MVs from the wild-type strains may be harmful due to the carriage of toxic components, such as lipopolysaccharides, hemolysins, enzymes, etc. In this review, we summarize the genetic modification of vesicle-producing bacteria to reduce MV toxicity, enhance vesicle immunogenicity, and increase vesicle production. The engineered MVs exhibit broad applications in vaccine designs, vaccine delivery vesicles, and drug delivery systems.
Highly concentrated trehalose induces transient senescence-associated secretory phenotype in fibroblasts via CDKN1A/p21

Trehalose is the nonreducing disaccharide of glucose, evolutionarily conserved in invertebrates, but does not exist in vertebrates. The living skin equivalent (LSE) is an organotypic coculture containing keratinocytes cultivated on fibroblast-populated dermal substitutes. We demonstrated that human primary fibroblasts treated with highly concentrated trehalose promote significantly extensive spread of the epidermal layer of LSE without any deleterious effects. The RNA-seq analysis data and Ingenuity pathway analysis of the differentially expressed genes of trehalose-treated 2D and 3D fibroblasts at early time points revealed the involvement of the CDKN1A pathway, which is necessary for the marked upregulation of growth factors including DPT. By contrast, the mRNA-seq data of LSEs 2-weeks after air exposure indicated that gene expression profiles are similar for untreated and trehalose-treated cells in both keratinocytes and fibroblasts. The trehalose-treated fibroblasts were positive for senescence-associated β-galactosidase with the significantly downregulated expressions of LMNB1. Finally, we demonstrated that transplantation of the dermal substitute with trehalose-treated fibroblasts accelerated wound closure and increased capillary formation significantly in the experimental mouse wounds in vivo. These data indicate that high-concentration trehalose can induce the beneficial senescence-associated secretory phenotype in fibroblasts via CDKN1A/p21, which may be therapeutically useful for optimal wound repair.