bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-pulse-energy actively Q-switched Tm3+-doped photonic crystal fiber laser operating at 2050 nm with narrow linewidth
Authors: Schneider Julian , Lassiette Hugo , Lorenz Dominik , Forster Patrick , Panitzek Dieter , Lautenschläger Jan , Romano Clément , Eichhorn Marc , Kieleck Christelle
Published: December 2023

A Q-switched 2050 nm Tm3+-doped flexible photonic crystal fiber laser is reported with maximum pulse energy of 1.5 mJ, pulse width of 89 ns, average output power of 19.7 W, and 3-dB-linewidth of 100 pm.
Temporal Contrast Degradation from Post-Pedestals Due to Optical Parametric Chirped-Pulse Amplification
Authors: Webb Benjamin , Feng Chengyong , Dorrer Christophe , Roides Richard G. , Bucht Sara , Bromage Jake
Published: December 2023

Temporal contrast pre-pedestal growth from a post-pedestal via optical parametric amplifier saturation is demonstrated for the first time. This mechanism can be a limiting factor for high-contrast OPCPA systems with an existing post-pedestal.
Raman Gain Measurements at the Boson Peak in Phosphosilicate Fiber
Authors: Yandow A. , Yu C. X.
Published: December 2023

Stimulated Raman gain measurements taken at the boson peak (3.6 THz) line in a phosphosilicate fiber referenced in recent studies are presented and a discrepancy with the gain spectrum referenced in other studies is resolved.
Intra-pulse dynamics in active Q-switched mode-coupled vortex lasers in an azimuthal symmetry breaking laser reaonator
Authors: and Yuan-Yao Lin , Chen Zhi-Nan
Published: December 2023

Actively q-swithced mode-coupled optical vortex lasers emitted from an azimuthal symmetry breaking ring resonator. As the vortex lasers are formed by off-axis traveling waves, complex spatio-temporal-spectral dynamics within a Q-switched pulse were observed.
Modelling the energetics of a potential new-look 10 Hz, 100 J class DiPOLE amplifier
Authors: McHugh Luke , Mason Paul D. , Phillips P. Jonathan , Butcher Thomas J. , Hernandez-Gomez Cristina
Published: December 2023

Modelling the energetics of a proposed new iteration of a 10 Hz, 100 J DiPOLE system to pump the Ti:Sa amplifier currently under construction in the Extreme Photonics Applications Centre (EPAC).
Modeling of a Mid-Infrared CW Raman Laser in InF3-based Optical Fibers
Authors: Michaud Alexandre , Fortin Vincent , Paradis Pascal , Vallée Réal , Bernier Martin
Published: December 2023

We report on the modeling of a CW Raman laser operating at 3300 nm with a low loss InF3 fiber. With performant FBGs and a 2825 nm fiber laser as pump, multi-watt-level emission is expected.
Modeling of High-power Er-doped Fluoride Fiber Lasers Using a New Energy Transfer Rate Equation
Authors: Bisson William , Michaud Alexandre , Paradis Pascal , Vallée Réal , Bernier Martin
Published: December 2023

Modeling of high power Er-doped fluoride fiber lasers operating around 2.8 microns has been an unsolved challenge for many years, so we propose a new theoretical energy transfer equation to accurately simulate five lasers.
Quantum-Dash Mode-Locked Laser Behavior Under External Optical Feedback Strength
Authors: Driouche Youcef , Merghem Kamel , Benkelfat Badr-Eddine
Published: December 2023

We experimentally identified different optical coherent feedback sub-regimes of a quantum-dash mode-locked laser as a function of the feedback strength. The results render the laser a versatile source.
NIR-vSHG: A new nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy of interfaces
Authors: Dadashi Somaiyeh , Li Hao , Mandal Bijoya , Borguet Eric
Published: December 2023

NIR-vSHG a new nonlinear vibrational spectroscopy technique used to investigate the overtones of free OH of mica at air and CH stretch mode of chloroform and acetonitrile at Al2O3 (0001) surface as a benchmark system.
Monolithic Beam Combined Quantum Cascade Laser Arrays with Integrated Arrayed Waveguide Gratings
Authors: Karnik Tushar Sanjay , Diehl Laurent , Dao Khoi Phuong , Du Qingyang , Pfluegl Christian , Vakhshoori Daryoosh , Hu Juejun
Published: December 2023

We demonstrate, for the first time, an on-chip closed-loop wavelength beam combining of quantum cascade laser arrays using a monolithic structure. The technology can be used to manufacture at low-cost, compact, high-power and/or broadband mid-infrared sources.
A 607-mW, Dy3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser, core-pumped at 1100 nm
Authors: Jung Junha , Lee Kyungtaek , Kim Jeewhan , Lee Ju Han
Published: December 2023

An efficient Dy3+-doped ZBLAN fiber laser core-pumped at 1100 nm is experimentally demonstrated with AlF3 no-core fiber end-caps for better heat conduction. The maximum output power and slope efficiency were 607 mW and 25%, respectively.
Increasing the Stimulated Brillouin Threshold in Single-mode Passive Fiber with a Frequency Comb
Authors: Esberard Louise , Lombard Laurent , Ovarlez Jean-Philippe
Published: December 2023

We generate a frequency comb by modulating a 1545 nm laser phase with an electro- optical modulator and measure the SBS threshold enhancement factor in a single-mode passive fiber as a function of the comb shape.
A bulk-structured, GeS saturable absorber for a 1550-nm femtosecond fiber laser
Authors: Kwon Suh-young , Kim Jeehwan , Lee Ju Han
Published: December 2023

We experimentally demonstrate a femtosecond mode-locked fiber laser incorporating a fiberized saturable absorber based on mechanically-exfoliated, bulk-structured GeS particles. Stable optical pulses with a temporal width of ~796 fs were readily produced at ~1556 nm.
1.6 μm vortex MOPA
Authors: Fu Shiyao , Hai Lan , Zhang Zhichao , Gao Chunqing
Published: December 2023

A four-pass Er:YAG vortex master-oscillator-power-amplification (MOPA) system enabling power amplification of 1.6 μm single-frequency high-order vortex beams is demonstrated. The gain up to 2.36 with no mode purity and linewidth loss, is achieved.
Femtosecond Laser Ablation Assisted Single-step Fabrication of Metal-semiconductor Interfaced SERS-active Substrate
Authors: Bharathi M.S.S. , Banerjee Dipanjan , Soma Venugopal Rao
Published: December 2023

A hybrid metal-semiconductor SERS substrate was fabricated in a single step by femtosecond laser ablation in liquid. Ag-TiO2 nanostructure was employed in the SERS studies, revealing a 16 times superior signal than pure TiO2 nanostructures.
Selective Modification of a Cu/Co Multilayer Structure
Authors: Romashevskiy S. A. , Burmistrov A. A. , Tsygankov P. A.
Published: December 2023

The possibility of selective removal of the topmost metal nanolayer in a Cu/Co multilayer thin-film structure with a single femtosecond laser pulse in air is investigated. The formation of metal nanofoam and partial nanolayer removal are observed.
Femtosecond Laser Written Er3+:YLiF4 Channeled Waveguide Laser at 2.8 μm
Authors: Ayevi Berke , Morova Yagiz , Tonelli Mauro , Sennaroglu Alphan
Published: December 2023

We describe a femtosecond laser inscribed depressed-cladding 2.8-µm Er3+:YLiF4 channeled waveguide laser, which generated 31 mW of output power at 2809 nm with 460 mW of pump power and with a slope efficiency of 9.7%.
Continuous-Wave and Passively Q-Switched Operations of a 2-µm Upconversion Pumped Tm3+:Lu2O3 Ceramic Laser
Authors: Kamun Eylul Nihan , Morova Yagiz , Sennaroglu Alphan
Published: December 2023

Upconversion pumping of a 2-µm Tm3+:Lu2O3 ceramic laser with a 1064-nm Yb-fiber laser yielded 12% power slope efficiency during continuous-wave operation and 4-µs pulses at the repetition rate of 29 kHz during passive Q switching.
Tired and stressed: direct holographic quasi-static stretching of aging echinocytes and discocytes in plasma using optical tweezers [Invited]
Authors: Stilgoe Alexander B. , Kashchuk Anatolii V. , Balanant Marie-Anne , Santangelo Deborah , Nieminen Timo A. , Sauret Emilie , Flower Robert , Rubinsztein-Dunlop Halina
Published: December 2023

Red blood cells (RBCs) undergo a progressive morphological transformation from smooth biconcave discocytes into rounder echinocytes with spicules on their surface during cold storage. The echinocytic morphology impacts RBCs’ ability to flow through narrow sections of the circulation and therefore transfusion of RBC units with a high echinocytic content are thought to have a reduced efficiency. We use an optical tweezers-based technique where we directly trap and measure linear stiffness of RBCs under stress without the use of attached spherical probe particles or microfluidic flow to induce shear. We study RBC deformability with over 50 days of storage performing multiple stretches in blood plasma (serum with cold agglutinins removed to eliminate clotting). In particular, we find that discocytes and echinocytes do not show significant changes in linear stiffness in the small strain limit (∼20% change in length) up to day 30 of the storage period, but do find differences between repeated stretches. By day 50 the linear stiffness of discocytes had increased to approximately that measured for echinocytes throughout the entire period of measurements. These changes in stiffness corresponded to recorded morphological changes in the discocytes as they underwent storage lesion. We believe our holographic trapping and direct measurement technique has applications to directly control and quantify forces that stretch other types of cells without the use of attached probes.
Simultaneous label-free autofluorescence multi-harmonic microscopy driven by the supercontinuum generated from a bulk nonlinear crystal
Authors: De la Cadena Alejandro , Park Jaena , Tehrani Kayvan F. , Renteria Carlos A. , Monroy Guillermo L. , Boppart Stephen A.
Published: December 2023

Nonlinear microscopy encompasses several imaging techniques that leverage laser technology to probe intrinsic molecules of biological specimens. These native molecules produce optical fingerprints that allow nonlinear microscopes to reveal the chemical composition and structure of cells and tissues in a label-free and non-destructive fashion, information that enables a plethora of applications, e.g., real-time digital histopathology or image-guided surgery. Because state-of-the-art lasers exhibit either a limited bandwidth or reduced wavelength tunability, nonlinear microscopes lack the spectral support to probe different biomolecules simultaneously, thus losing analytical potential. Therefore, a conventional nonlinear microscope requires multiple or tunable lasers to individually excite endogenous molecules, increasing both the cost and complexity of the system. A solution to this problem is supercontinuum generation, a nonlinear optical phenomenon that supplies broadband femtosecond radiation, granting a wide spectrum for concurrent molecular excitation. This study introduces a source for nonlinear multiphoton microscopy based on the supercontinuum generation from a yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) crystal, an approach that allows simultaneous label-free autofluorescence multi-harmonic imaging of biological samples and offers a practical and compact alternative for the clinical translation of nonlinear microscopy. While this supercontinuum covered the visible spectrum (550-900 nm) and the near-infrared region (950-1200 nm), the pulses within 1030-1150 nm produced label-free volumetric chemical images of ex vivo chinchilla kidney, thus validating the supercontinuum from bulk crystals as a powerful source for multimodal nonlinear microscopy.
High-Q Fano resonances in all-dielectric metastructures for enhanced optical biosensing applications
Authors: Chen Huawei , Fan Xinye , Fang Wenjing , Zhang Bingyuan , Cao Shuangshuang , Sun Qinghe , Wang Dandan , Niu Huijuan , Li Chuanchuan , Wei Xin , Bai Chenglin , Kumar Santosh
Published: December 2023

Fano resonance with high Q-factor is considered to play an important role in the field of refractive index sensing. In this paper, we theoretically and experimentally investigate a refractive index sensor with high performance, realizing a new approach to excite multiple Fano resonances of high Q-factor by introducing an asymmetric parameter to generate a quasi-bound state in the continuum (BIC). Combined with the electromagnetic properties, the formation mechanism of Fano resonances in multiple different excitation modes is analyzed and the resonant modes of the three resonant peaks are analyzed as toroidal dipole (TD), magnetic quadrupole (MQ), and magnetic dipole (MD), respectively. The simulation results show that the proposed metastructure has excellent sensing properties with a Q-factor of 3668, sensitivity of 350 nm/RIU, and figure of merit (FOM) of 1000. Furthermore, the metastructure has been fabricated and investigated experimentally, and the result shows that its maximum Q-factor, sensitivity and FOM can reach 634, 233 nm/RIU and 115, respectively. The proposed metastructure is believed to further contribute to the development of biosensors, nonlinear optics, and lasers.
Numerical computation of temperature on steel and an insulator with simulation compared to experimental data
Authors: Williams Craig , Levesque Luc
Published: December 2023

In this report, we are computing the temperature from the heat equation for a disk of a given thickness. A laser beam of Gaussian profile is assumed at the surface of a circular sample. Prediction of temperature for a laser pulse with a Gaussian profile is shown for a circular symmetry. Temperature distributions are performed analytically and numerically for a power with a Gaussian profile at different depths from the surface. In the previous computation the laser beam was assumed to be small compared to the disk’s radius. The calculations performed are useful to predict the proper spacing between marks during a laser procedure. Computations of the temperature for a beam spot size much larger than the sample dimensions are also shown for a modulated laser beam. The computation of temperature for the modulated laser beam is also compared to experimental data points obtained on bone.
Approximation method for fast calculation of transmission in multi-mode waveguides
Authors: Paszkiewicz Maria , Sukhova Mariia , Dörfler Willy , Rockstuhl Carsten
Published: December 2023

Freeform dielectric waveguides connect optical chips made of different materials in fully integrated photonic devices. With a spatial extent in the order of 100 µm, they constitute a computational challenge and make Maxwell full-wave solvers unhandy for the accelerated design. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to have tools that permit the fast prediction of waveguide loss to enable the rapid optimization of waveguide trajectories. Previously developed methods relied on the assumption that only a single mode propagates in the waveguide. However, the propagation of higher-order modes is not just unavoidable due to the geometry of the waveguides, but also, sometimes, beneficial as it increases the number of channels to transmit information. In this contribution, we present an approximate method for the fast calculation of transmission that accommodates the presence of higher-order waveguide modes, and assess its liability by describing light propagation through selected devices.
Laser Peening with an SBS Phase-Conjugated Nd:glass Laser System
Authors: Hackel Lloyd A.
Published: December 2023

A Nd:glass laser producing 20 J/pulse at selectable 10 ns to 30 ns pulse duration and 5 Hz repetition rate is used for laser peening. Stimulated Brillouin scattering phase conjugation maintains wavefront control to avoid internal optics damage at the 1000 MW peak power level. Recent research focuses on improving fatigue life of single crystal superalloys and slowing hydrogen induced cracking.
Laser peening applied at hundred hertz range: challenges and demonstration
Authors: Rondepierre Alexandre , Casagrande Olivier , Rouchausse Yann , Castelnau Olivier , Berthe Laurent
Published: December 2023

Challenges related with the development of a laser shock peening (LSP) process at high-repetition rate, up to 200 Hz, are presented. The feasibility of such fast LSP configuration was demonstrated and the importance of both parasite breakdowns and water confinement renewal was highlighted.
Supercontinuum-seeded 4-micron KTA Optical Parametric Amplifier for Seeding a High Energy Fe:ZnSe Multipass Amplifier and Related Applications in Particle Physics
Authors: Kanai Tsuneto , Kaksis Edgar , Pugžlys Audrius , Baltuška Andrius , Okazaki Daiki , Yasuhara Ryo , Tokita Shigeki
Published: December 2023

We introduce our development of 4-micron KTA parametric amplifier for seeding a high energy Fe:ZnSe multipass amplifier whose unique design leads to high contrast and stable carrier-envelope phase and discuss related applications in particle physics.
Laser processing macro-size components with sub-micrometer feature size &precision
Authors: Germann Bryan
Published: December 2023

Laser processing at micrometer and sub-micrometer resolutions is becoming more prominent, driving the equipment used for these processes to meet more demanding specifications. Two-photon polymerization (2PP), selective laser etching of glass and laser micro-machining are emerging processes that fall into this category. They rely on ultrafast lasers in the femtosecond pulse width range that are focused with high numerical aperture focusing optics to achieve sub-micrometer spot size. The small spot size enables impressive processing resolution, but it also creates real challenges for positioning such a small beam and allowing that beam to make large enough parts for practical applications.
Measurement accuracy in silicon photonic ring resonator thermometers: identifying and mitigating intrinsic impairments
Authors: Janz S. , Dedyulin S. , Xu D. X. , Vachon M. , Wang S. , Cheriton R. , Weber J.
Published: December 2023

Silicon photonic ring resonator thermometers have been shown to provide temperature measurements with a 10 mK accuracy. In this work we identify and quantify the intrinsic on-chip impairments that may limit further improvement in temperature measurement accuracy. The impairments arise from optically induced changes in the waveguide effective index, and from back-reflections and scattering at defects and interfaces inside the ring cavity and along the path between light source and detector. These impairments are characterized for 220 × 500 nm Si waveguide rings by experimental measurement in a calibrated temperature bath and by phenomenological models of ring response. At different optical power levels both positive and negative light induced resonance shifts are observed. For a ring with L = 100 µm cavity length, the self-heating induced resonance red shift can alter the temperature reading by 200 mK at 1 mW incident power, while a small blue shift is observed below 100 µW. The effect of self-heating is shown to be effectively suppressed by choosing longer ring cavities. Scattering and back-reflections often produce split and distorted resonance line shapes. Although these distortions can vary with resonance order, they are almost completely invariant with temperature for a given resonance and do not lead to measurement errors in themselves. The effect of line shape distortions can largely be mitigated by tracking only selected resonance orders with negligible shape distortion, and by measuring the resonance minimum wavelength directly, rather than attempting to fit the entire resonance line shape. The results demonstrate the temperature error due to these impairments can be limited to below the 3 mK level through appropriate design choices and measurement procedures.
Regulation of cluster synchronization in multilayer networks of delay coupled semiconductor lasers with the use of disjoint layer symmetry
Authors: Zhang Liyue , Su Lanlin , Li Songsui , Han Yanan , Pan Wei , Yan Lianshan , Pan Yan , Luo Bin , Zou Xihua
Published: December 2023

In real-world complex systems, heterogeneous components often interact in complex connection patterns and could be schematized by a formalism of multilayer network. In this work, the synchronization characteristics of multilayer network composed of semiconductor lasers (SLs) are investigated systematically. It is demonstrated that the interplay between different layers plays an important role on the synchronization patterns. We elucidate that the performance of cluster synchronization could be facilitated effectively with the introduction of disjoint layer symmetry into network topology. Intertwined stability of clusters from different layers could be decoupled into independent, and the parameter spaces for stable synchronization are extended significantly. The robustness of our proposed regulation scheme on operation parameters is numerically evaluated. Furthermore, the generality of presented theoretical results is validated in networks with more complex topology and multiple layers.
Enhanced sensitivity of temperature and magnetic field sensor based on FPIs with Vernier effect
Authors: Duan Simiao , Pu Shengli , Lin Xin , Liu Weinan , Hao Zijian , Zhang Chencheng , Fu Jiaqi , Han Shufei
Published: December 2023

A kind of temperature and magnetic field sensor using Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs) and Vernier effect to enhance sensitivity is proposed. The sensor structure involves filling the FP air cavities with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and magnetic fluid (MF) to create the PDMS and MF cavities for temperature and magnetic field detection, respectively. The two cavities are reflective structures, which are interconnected in series through a fiber-optic circulator. Experimental data demonstrates that the Vernier effect effectively enhances the sensor sensitivity. The average temperature sensitivity of the sensor is 26765 pm/°C within the range of 35∼39.5°C. The magnetic field intensity sensitivity is obtained to be -2245 pm/mT within the range of 3∼11 mT. The sensitivities of the temperature and magnetic field using the Vernier effect are about five times larger than those of the corresponding single FP cavity counterparts.
Generalized sub-Poissonian states of two-beam fields
Authors: Peřina Jan , Thapliyal Kishore , Haderka Ondřej , Michálek Václav , Machulka Radek
Published: December 2023

Two-beam states obtained by partial photon-number-resolving detection in one beam of a multi-mode twin beam are experimentally investigated using an intensified CCD camera. In these states, sub-Poissonian photon-number distributions in one beam are accompanied by sub-shot-noise fluctuations in the photon-number difference of both beams. Multi-mode character of the twin beam implying the beam nearly Poissonian statistics is critical for reaching sub-Poissonian photon-number distributions, which contrasts with the use of a two-mode squeezed vacuum state. Relative intensities of both nonclassical effects as they depend on the generation conditions are investigated both theoretically and experimentally using photon-number distributions of these fields. Fano factor, noise-reduction parameter, local and global nonclassicality depths, degree of photon-number coherence, mutual entropy as a non-Gaussianity quantifier, and negative quasi-distributions of integrated intensities are used to characterize these fields. Spatial photon-pair correlations as means for improving the field properties are employed. These states are appealing for quantum metrology and imaging including the virtual-state entangled-photon spectroscopy.
Low-threshold single-mode nanowire array flat-band photonic-crystal surface-emitting lasers with high-reflectivity bottom mirrors
Authors: Wu Chao , Yan Xin , Li Yi , Li Yao , Zhang Jinnan , Yuan Xueguang , Zhang Yangan , Zhang Xia
Published: December 2023

A Si-based nanowire array photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser based on a flat band is designed and simulated. By introducing an air gap between the nanowire and substrate, the bottom reflectivity is significantly enhanced, resulting in much lower threshold and smaller cutoff diameter. Through adjusting the lattice constant (the distance between neighboring nanowires) and nanowire diameter, a photonic crystal structure with a flat band is achieved, in which strong interaction between light and matter occurs in the flat band mode. For the device with a small size, single-mode lasing is obtained with a side-mode suppression ratio of 21 dB, high quality factor of 3940, low threshold gain of 624 cm−1, and small beam divergency angle of ∼7.5°. This work may pave the way for the development of high-performance Si-based surface-emitting nanolasers and high-density photonic integrated circuits.
Microwave frequency switching delays in phase-locked period-one dynamics of semiconductor lasers
Authors: Lin Hao-Wen Weng , Sung Chun-An , Hung Yu-Han
Published: December 2023

Modern microwave switches require high switching speeds to rapidly route data over multiple radio channels while minimizing the routing delay. This Letter proposes a novel, to the best of our knowledge, microwave frequency switching system using phase-locked Period-one (P1) dynamics of semiconductor lasers. When a semiconductor laser is optically injected by microwave-modulated optical signals, which carry two-tone input microwaves at 29 and 37 GHz, with proper injection power controlled by dual-voltage control signals, P1 dynamics are excited in the semiconductor laser and subsequently phase-locked by one of the input microwave tones. We have observed positive and negative switching delays in the switching process. For instance, a positive delay is observed when the system requires additional optical power to transition from a phase-locked state at 29 GHz to an unlocked state. Conversely, a negative delay occurs when the unlocked P1 dynamics approach but do not reach a 37-GHz frequency and then rapidly lock to the tone, thereby surpassing the speed of the control signals. These dual delays are instrumental in enhancing the switching speed of our system, enabling it to surpass the voltage switching time of the control signals by a factor of 3.6. In addition, by leveraging these dual delays, the duration of the microwave tones can be further extended in the switching process.
Femtosecond vector vortex laser ablation in tungsten: chiral nano-micro texturing and structuring
Authors: Kawaguchi Haruki , Yasuhara Ryo , Yang Haotian , Hori Chika , Miyagawa Reina , Sugioka Koji , Ota Masato , Uehara Hiyori
Published: December 2023

We demonstrate laser-induced periodic surface structure (LIPSS) formation on tungsten with femtosecond vector vortex laser ablation for the first time, and investigate the properties of vector vortex LIPSS by contrasting its properties with Gaussian beam irradiation, and provide some demonstrations of complex microstructuring. The annular intensity profile of vector vortex beams allows LIPSS formation over wider energy range than Gaussian beams. Also, we demonstrate 2 and 3-dimensional chiral texturing and structuring by femtosecond vector vortex laser ablation. Vector vortex beam laser processing, which enables the fabrication of controllable complex structures, will open the door to innovative applications of tungsten.
What Computer Vision Can Learn from Insect Vision
Authors: Vuong Luat T. , Stavenga Doekele G. , Barrows Geoffrey L.
Published: December 2023

The superb vision of insects—biospeculatively combining
optical preprocessing and small brains-offers an intriguing example
for the development of lightweight visual systems for unmanned aircraft
systems and other applications.
MXenes for Optics and Photonics
Authors: Simon Jeffrey , Fruhling Colton , Kim Hyunho , Gogotsi Yury , Boltasseva Alexra
Published: December 2023

An emerging class of versatile, tunable, easily manufactured 2D
materials (carbides, nitrides and related compounds) could offer a novel
platform for photonic and optoelectronic applications.
Maßnahmen für den Aufbau von Digital Leadership Kompetenzen für Führungskräfte im öffentlichen Sektor
Authors: Kusanke Kristina , Kendziorra Jennifer , Pilgenröder Sonja , Winkler Till J.
Published: December 2023

Die erfolgreiche digitale Transformation der öffentlichen Verwaltung erfordert gut vorbereitete Führungskräfte mit entsprechenden Kompetenzen. Die vorliegende Studie zielt darauf ab, die im Rahmen einer Literaturrecherche identifizierten Maßnahmen zur Entwicklung von Digital Leadership Kompetenzen im öffentlichen Sektor empirisch zu validieren und kontrastierend zu diskutieren. Anhand von leitfadengestützten Interviews mit zehn Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern des öffentlichen Sektors auf Führungs- und Nichtführungsebene wurden die aus der Literatur identifizierten Maßnahmen zur Kompetenzentwicklung kritisch überprüft. Die Ergebnisse tragen dazu bei, das Wissen über die Anforderungen und Herausforderungen der digitalen Transformation im öffentlichen Sektor zu erweitern und zusätzliche potenzielle Maßnahmen zur Entwicklung dieser Kompetenzen im Kontext der Rekrutierung und Entwicklung von Führungskräften zu identifizieren. Die vorliegende Studie erläutert grundlegende Begriffe wie Digital Leadership und Kompetenzen, beschreibt die Methoden der qualitativen Datenerhebung und Analyse, präsentiert die Ergebnisse der Studie und diskutiert diese im Hinblick auf Forschungsfragen, Limitationen der Studie sowie Implikationen für Praxis und Forschung.
Predicting regional carbon price in China based on multi-factor HKELM by combining secondary decomposition and ensemble learning
Authors: Hu Beibei , Cheng Yunhe
Published: December 2023

Accurately predicting carbon price is crucial for risk avoidance in the carbon financial market. In light of the complex characteristics of the regional carbon price in China, this paper proposes a model to forecast carbon price based on the multi-factor hybrid kernel-based extreme learning machine (HKELM) by combining secondary decomposition and ensemble learning. Variational mode decomposition (VMD) is first used to decompose the carbon price into several modes, and range entropy is then used to reconstruct these modes. The multi-factor HKELM optimized by the sparrow search algorithm is used to forecast the reconstructed subsequences, where the main external factors innovatively selected by maximum information coefficient and historical time-series data on carbon prices are both considered as input variables to the forecasting model. Following this, the improved complete ensemble-based empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise and range entropy are respectively used to decompose and reconstruct the residual term generated by VMD. Finally, the nonlinear ensemble learning method is introduced to determine the predictions of residual term and final carbon price. In the empirical analysis of Guangzhou market, the root mean square error(RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the model are 0.1716, 0.1218 and 0.0026, respectively. The proposed model outperforms other comparative models in predicting accuracy. The work here extends the research on forecasting theory and methods of predicting the carbon price.
Non-financial access to healthcare services in rural areas: A case study of people with disabilities living in Northern Iran
Authors: Shams Lida , Darvish Tahere , Meskarpour Amiri Mohamad , Hosseini-Shokouh Sayyed-Morteza , Nasiri Taha
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Access to healthcare for persons with disabilities (PWDs) is an important but often ignored issue for achieving universal health coverage. The current study aimed to investigate PWDs’ access to healthcare in the rural areas in north of Iran.

Methods

Following a descriptive-analytical design, 471 persons with disabilities (PWDs) living in the Nor city, Mazandaran province, were selected using quota sampling. Data were collected by a valid and reliable questionnaire that contained dimensions of time, geography, physical, and acceptability using face-to-face interviews. The findings are provided by central and dispersion indicators and analyses are performed with linear Regression using SPSS version 17.

Results

PWDs had moderate access to healthcare services in all dimensions. The regression models for access to health services in all four dimensions were significant (p<0.05). The results showed that in the geographical dimension, the variables of marital status, income, receipt of financial aid, supplementary insurance, and type of disability; in the physical dimension, the variables of income, responsibility for taking care of the family, supplementary insurance, and type of disability; in the time dimension, supplementary insurance, home area, and type of disability; and in the aspect of service acceptability, only the variables of type of disability and internet access had a significant effect (p<0.05).

Conclusion

A small percentage of PWDs had high access to health services. Hence, improving their access to healthcare services, particularly in rural and less developed areas, and developing appropriate policies should be the focus of Iranian policy-makers.
MTSTR: Multi-task learning for low-resolution scene text recognition via dual attention mechanism and its application in logistics industry
Authors: Heng Herui , Li Si , Li Peiji , Lin Qianfeng , Chen Yufen , Zhang Lei
Published: December 2023

Recognizing texts in images plays an important role in many applications, such as industrial intelligence, robot vision, automatic driving, command assistance, and scene understanding. Although great progress has been achieved in various fields, research on complex systems modeling using text recognition technology requires further attention. To address this, we propose a new end-to-end multi-task learning method, which includes a super-resolution branch (SRB) and a recognition branch. To effectively learn the semantic information of images, we utilize the feature pyramid network (FPN) to fuse high- and low-level semantic information. The feature map generated by FPN is then delivered separately to the super-resolution branch and the recognition branch. We introduce a novel super-resolution branch, the SRB based on the proposed dual attention mechanism (DAM), designed to enhance the capability of learning low-resolution text features. The DAM incorporates the residual channel attention to enhance channel dependencies and the character attention module to focus on context information. For the recognition branch, the feature map generated by FPN is fed into an RNN sequence module, and an attention-based decoder is constructed to predict the results. To address the issue of low-resolution text recognition in numerous Chinese scenes, we propose the Chinese super-resolution datasets instead of relying on traditional down-sampling techniques to generate training datasets. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed method performs robustly on low-resolution text images and achieves competitive results on benchmark datasets.
Deficiência em Portugal: Lugares, corpos e lutas
Authors: Fontes Fernando , Martins Bruno Sena
Published: December 2023

Partindo das particularidades e dinâmicas da realidade económica e do ambiente sociopolítico português, este livro convoca um quadro diverso de experiências e lutas compondo um retrato vívido da realidade dinâmica das pessoas com deficiência em Portugal no início da terceira década do século XXI. Ao mesmo tempo que procura contribuir para a valorização dos Estudos da Deficiência no nosso país, esta coletânea procura dar conta da pujante diversidade de experiências das pessoas com deficiência, afirmando a importância do seu crucial contributo para um pensamento crítico composto de saberes emancipadores, identidades insurgentes e de renovadas agendas de justiça social. Este livro procura, assim, pensar a democracia a partir dos corpos, das vozes e das experiências das pessoas com deficiência  em Portugal.
A Collaborative Approach for Urban Design Education in Light of the Climate Emergency
Authors: Glogar Isabel , Boucsein Benedikt , Kellhammer Marco , Ruf Stefanie , Schmidt Mareike
Published: December 2023

In this article, Boucsein/Glogar et al. are dedicated to the question how we can collaboratively tackle the effects of the climate emergency on everyday human life in urban spaces and environments. And how we can encourage open dialogue with students and various stakeholders involved in urban transformations. Given the already tangible effects of the climate catastrophe and the projected impact on future generations, the authos an inter-disciplinary team of researchers and practitioners at the Professorship of Urban Design at TU Munich, Germany - believe that it is their responsibility in the education at architecture schools to collaboratively focus on such questions. The authors presume that the discipline of urban design, part of most architectural curricula, plays a pivotal role here. However, the amount of research on formalizing collaborative processes tackling the climate catastrophe in architecture and urban design education is scarce; therefore, in this paper the authors aim at contributing to the discussion on how collaboration as a method could be further developed in urban design education, critically examining the various facets and different forms of collaboration in architectural curricula in two case studies.
Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase (IDO) Regulates Th17/Treg Immunity in Experimental IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Yang Y. , Liu K. , Chen Y. , Gong Y. , Liang Yumei
Published: December 2023

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common glomerulonephritis worldwide. Current studies have shown that the Th17/Treg immune balance may be involved in the occurrence of IgAN, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an enzyme that catalyses degradation of tryptophan (Trp) through the kynurenine (Kyn) pathway; it can control inflammation and immune response by inducing Trp starvation. IDO may be a key molecule in regulating the Th17/Treg immune balance. However, it is not clear whether IDO is involved in the IgAN disease occurrence by regulating the Th17/Treg immune balance. In this study, an IgAN mouse model was established. The mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with IDO inhibitor 1-MT or agonist ISS-ODN to observe whether the IDO signalling pathway participates in the occurrence and development of IgAN by regulating the Th17/Treg immune balance. The results showed that IDO inhibitor 1-MT significantly increased renal injury and glomerular IgA accumulation and up-regulated Th17/Treg and Th17-related cytokine expression in IgAN mice, while ISS-ODN significantly decreased renal injury and glomerular IgA accumulation, down-regulated Th17/Treg expression and inhibited Th17-related cytokine expression in IgAN mice. In conclusion, IDO was involved in the occurrence and progress of IgAN by regulating the Th17/ Treg balance.
Role of menopausal hormone therapy in the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis
Authors: Na Zhao , Wei Wei , Xu Yingfang , Li Dong , Yin Beili , Gu Weiqun
Published: December 2023

The use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has declined due to concerns about its potential side effects. However, its pivotal role in managing postmenopausal osteoporosis is gaining increased recognition. In this article, we explore how MHT assists postmenopausal women in maintaining bone health and preventing fractures. Recent research indicates that MHT significantly reduces the risk of fractures in women. This benefit is evident regardless of a woman’s bone mineral density or their use of progestogens. However, there is limited evidence suggesting that the skeletal benefits continue once the treatment is discontinued. Possible complications of MHT include heart attacks, clots, strokes, dementia, and breast cancer. The most suitable candidates for MHT are women who have recently entered menopause, are experiencing menopausal symptoms, and are below 60 years of age with a minimal baseline risk of adverse events. The treatment is available to those who meet these criteria. For women undergoing premature menopause, MHT can be considered as a means to protect bone health, especially if initiated before menopause or if accelerated bone loss is documented soon after menopause. Such decisions should be made after evaluating individual risk factors and benefits.
Managing the change of prescriptivism in Hungary: adopting the models of change management to L1 education
Authors: Parapatics Andrea
Published: December 2023

The paper studies the possible role of change management, a well-known term and often used action in the public administration and corporate sector, in supporting the institutional shaping of positive language attitudes towards regional dialects. The theoretical study is based on the presupposition that the application of the sociolinguistic viewpoint in L1 education in Hungary can be understood as a process of change in organizational and corporate culture. The study aims to point out how the lessons of change management can help move the standard-based viewpoint and subtractive practice in mother tongue education more effectively towards a sociolinguistic and additive approach. Besides these viewpoints, the existing regulations and teaching practices regarding language variability in present-day Hungary are also summarized in the paper briefly. The second part presents the change management theory and its two famous models, and discusses what can be learned from them concerning the field of (educational) linguistics.
Current sensorless model predictive control for LC-filtered voltage source inverters based on sliding mode observer
Authors: Guo Leilei , Tao Ziheng , Jiang Chengwei , Zhao Hailiang , Zhang Zhiyan , Li Yanyan
Published: December 2023

In recent years, model predictive control (MPC) has gained significant traction within the realm of LC-filtered voltage source inverters (VSIs). In order to reduce the number of current sensors in conventional MPC, this paper proposes a MPC scheme without current sensors for LC-filtered VSIs. Firstly, this paper analyzes the mathematical model of LC-filtered VSIs and specifies the predictive control strategy based on capacitive current. On the basis of considering only the fundamental wave components of the capacitance current, this paper establishes a new sliding mode observer to observe the capacitance current. In order to ensure the stability of the system, the stability of the proposed sliding mode observer is analyzed using Lyapunov stability criterion, and the influence of the sliding mode gain on the current and voltage observations is also analyzed according to the closed-loop transfer function, giving the design method of the sliding mode gain. In addition, the parameter sensitivities of the newly proposed method and the conventional method are analyzed in detail in this paper. The results show that the method proposed in this paper does not depend on the filter inductance and the observed capacitance current have smaller errors and stronger parameter robustness than the conventional method. The comparative experimental study verifies the feasibility of the control scheme proposed in this paper.
Multivalued relation-theoretic weak contractions and applications
Authors: Hossain Asik , Khan Qamrul Haque
Published: December 2023

In this article, we discuss the relation theoretic aspects of multivalued weakly contractive mappings to prove fixed point results in the setting of metric spaces endowed with a certain binary relation.
Our newly proved results generalize, extend, unify, enrich, sharpen and improve some well-known fixed point theorems of existing literature to the case of multivalued and contractive notion.
We also incorporated an example and an application to find the solution of a Volterra-type integral inclusion.
Performance analysis and comparison of NRZ-DQPSK optical wireless system with different filters under different weather conditions
Authors: Mehra Monika , Saini Satish , Kumar Ravi
Published: December 2023

The extensive use of wireless communication in recent years is due to the requirement of huge data transfer. Nowadays the optical wireless communication (OWC) in which the light is used for wireless connectivity is extensively used. Huge spectral resource, low bandwidth requirements and high speed of operation are the main asset of OWC. The major challenge of OWC system is the effect of different weather conditions as the air is used as a transmission medium in OWC. The variations in different weather conditions have a significant impact on the effectiveness of OWC system as they degrade the performance of OWC system. This paper compares the performance of NRZ-DQPSK OWC system with different filters (Bessel filer, Gaussian Filter and Trapezoidal filter) and the effect of different weather conditions (rain, haze and clear weather) on NRZ-DQPSK system is analyzed over different transmission distances. The comparison is done in terms of quality factor or Q-factor.
A Tumblr thematic analysis of perinatal health: Where users go to seek support
Authors: Talbot Joey , Charron Valérie , Konkle Anne TM
Published: December 2023

With the research sex gap impacting available data on women’s health and the growing popularity of social media, it is not rare that individuals will seek health-related information on such platforms. Understanding how women use social media for perinatal-specific issues is crucial to gain knowledge on specific needs and gaps. The Tumblr platform is an excellent candidate to further understand the representation and discourse regarding perinatal health on social media. The objective was to identify specific themes to assess the present discourse pertaining to perinatal health. Posts were collected using Tumblr’s official API client over a 4-day period, from August 18 to 21, 2023, inclusively. A sentiment analysis was performed using the Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner sentiment analysis toolkit and a deductive thematic analysis. In total, 235 posts were analyzed, and 11 individual categories were identified and divided into two main concepts; Women’s Health (Endometriosis; Postpartum Depression, Menopause, Miscarriage, Other Health Problems, Political Discourse) and Pregnancy/Childbirth (Maternal Mortality, Personal Stories, Pregnancy Symptoms, and Fitness/diet/weight). The last category was classified as Misinformation/Advertisement. Findings revealed that users used the Tumblr platform to share personal experiences regarding pregnancy, seek support from others, raise awareness, and educate on women’s health topics. Misinformation represented only 3% of the total sample. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of using in-depth data from Tumblr posts to inform us regarding current issues and topics specific to perinatal and women’s health. More research studies are needed to better understand the impact of social support and misinformation on perinatal health.
La rhétorique au cœur du romantisme: Méditations poétiques d’Alphonse de Lamartine
Authors: Sukiennicka Marta
Published: December 2023

Alphonse de Lamartine’s Méditations poétiques (1820) is considered the first manifesto of French Romanticism, a moment of „rupture“ and „unprecedented renewal of the sensibility of an era“ (Aurélie Loiseleur). While not denying the inventiveness of the author who claimed to have given his muse „not a conventional seven-stringed lyre, but the very fibres of the human heart“, the article aims to reconsider the role of rhetoric in Lamartine’s Méditations. Understood as a method of invention and arrangement of poetic material, rhetoric informs many of the poems in the volume, particularly those in which the lyrical subject resorts to the deliberative topics for apologetic purposes. Furthermore, the article argues that Lamartine’s rhetoric owes much to that of the Jesuits from whom the poet received his education.