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Effect of Disordered Potentials on Quantized Conductance in One- Dimensional Ballistic Channels
Get PDFThe deviations from the integer quantization of conductance in units of 2e2 /h in the two-terminal measurement of one-dimensional (1D) ballistic channels defined electrostatically on the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) have generally been attributed to correlation and impuritydriven effects. We show the role of random disorder potential and its distribution on the quantized conductance using the tight binding model. Our results show similarities to anomalies observed in experiments, such as the “0.7 conductance anomaly”, which is one of the unsettled conductance features in the physics of 1D quantum wires
Coupled analysis and performance evaluation of a semi-submersible floating wind turbine with active ballasting system
Get PDFSemi-submersible floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) are susceptible to platform inclination induced by wind thrust, which amplifies motion responses, reduces power generation efficiency, and compromises structural safety. To mitigate these challenges, an active ballasting system (ABS) can be introduced to dynamically redistribute the ballast water within the platform. A fully coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic model is developed in SESAM, where the effects of ballast water movement are represented by applying external moments to the platform. Real-time interaction between the floating structure and the active ballasting program is established via TCP communication. The program, implemented in Python, employs a PID control algorithm based on platform pitch and roll angles, while incorporating pump flow constraints. The IEA 15 MW floating wind turbine is selected as the reference model. The coupled model is validated by comparing the motion responses of the FOWT without active ballasting against published benchmarks. Additionally, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are carried out to investigate the hydrodynamic behavior of the FOWT under both upright and inclined conditions. The active ballasting system is then applied in time-domain simulations under a range of environmental conditions. Simulation results demonstrate that the average inclination is reduced to near-zero, while the mean power output is improved under identical operating scenarios
Assessing the effects of tofacitinib on the gut microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease
Get PDFGut microbiota dysbiosis and impaired epithelial barrier function play a key role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Tofacitinib citrate, a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor approved for IBD, modulates immune responses via the JAK-STAT (Janus kinase–signal transducer and activator of transcription) pathway, yet its effects on the gut microbiome remain unclear. Here, we employed the short-term colon model (ProDigest, BE) containing human microbiota from three Crohn’s Disease donors to assess fermentative and metabolic activities and microbial composition following 48 h of tofacitinib treatment. A Caco-2/THP1 co-culture system was used to assess the impact of tofacitinib on epithelial immunomodulation and barrier integrity. Tofacitinib did not significantly affect microbiota composition and fermentative or metabolic activity. However, it consistently reduced pro-inflammatory chemokines motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in specific donors, indicating targeted immunomodulatory effects. These findings suggest that while tofacitinib may have a minimal impact on microbiota function, it may exert anti-inflammatory effects via microbiota-derived metabolites. The short-term colon model represents a robust platform for investigating microbiome-drug interactions relevant to IBD
Air quality at mass gatherings: assessing ventilation and occupancy in marquees to evaluate airborne infection risk during the COVID-19 pandemic
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of mass gathering events to slow the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, partially due to evidence that the virus can spread via airborne routes, especially in densely occupied, poorly ventilated spaces. Structures such as marquees (large tents), are commonly used at mass gathering events and were a frequently designated “outdoor safe space” during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is, however, scant evidence as to whether semi-outdoor buildings are sufficiently ventilated relative to the occupancy levels to reduce airborne transmission. As part of the largest study of mass gathering events to date, we measured ventilation and occupancy at 80 real events. We compared seven semi-outdoor spaces and one indoor space. Our results showed that most semi-outdoor buildings were sufficiently ventilated relative to the occupancy (mean CO2 <800 ppm). Short peaks in CO2 concentration of up to 1200 ppm indicated intermittent, but brief, periods of insufficient ventilation relative to the occupancy in some spaces. High occupant density, heterogeneous occupant distribution (crowding), and poor ventilation management strategies negatively influenced the indoor air quality. Event management strategies, such as intervals between events, improved air quality. We conclude that semi-outdoor buildings are not inherently low-risk with respect to long-range airborne pathogen transmission and so require careful consideration for the ventilation provision relative to the occupancy. The evidence presented, using the largest field study of its kind worldwide, provides key evidence to inform revisions to building regulations and pandemic preparedness plans concerning the use of semi-outdoor buildings
Revisiting online learning readiness: Scale development and insights from Taiwanese elementary school students
Get PDFThis study developed and validated a scale for assessing online learning readiness among students
aged 10 to 12 years in grades 4 to 6. The scale is called the Online Learning Readiness Scale for Elementary
School (OLRS-E). To establish the reliability and validity of the scale, expert insights were gathered using the
fuzzy Delphi method, and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on separate samples of
152 and 423 students, respectively. The OLRS-E comprises four key dimensions. Self-directed learning
measures students’ motivation and ability to regulate their own learning behaviors. Communication self-efficacy
assesses students’ confidence in expressing themselves and interacting in online environments. Family support
captures the practical and emotional assistance students receive from caregivers during online learning.
Technical support reflects students’ perceived competence in using digital tools and resolving basic
technological issues. Among these, technical support yielded the highest score, indicating a high degree of
technological readiness among Taiwanese elementary school students, followed by family support and
communication self-efficacy. By contrast, self-directed learning yielded the lowest score, indicating a lower
degree of self-directed learning readiness among these students. Overall, these findings of student readiness have
major implications for parents and teachers regarding online learning efficacy
Using large language models to detect outcomes in qualitative studies of adolescent depression
No full textOBJECTIVE: We aim to use large language models (LLMs) to detect mentions of nuanced psychotherapeutic outcomes and impacts than previously considered in transcripts of interviews with adolescent depression. Our clinical authors previously created a novel coding framework containing fine-grained therapy outcomes beyond the binary classification (eg, depression vs control) based on qualitative analysis embedded within a clinical study of depression. Moreover, we seek to demonstrate that embeddings from LLMs are informative enough to accurately label these experiences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were drawn from interviews, where text segments were annotated with different outcome labels. Five different open-source LLMs were evaluated to classify outcomes from the coding framework. Classification experiments were carried out in the original interview transcripts. Furthermore, we repeated those experiments for versions of the data produced by breaking those segments into conversation turns, or keeping non-interviewer utterances (monologues). RESULTS: We used classification models to predict 31 outcomes and 8 derived labels, for 3 different text segmentations. Area under the ROC curve scores ranged between 0.6 and 0.9 for the original segmentation and 0.7 and 1.0 for the monologues and turns. DISCUSSION: LLM-based classification models could identify outcomes important to adolescents, such as friendships or academic and vocational functioning, in text transcripts of patient interviews. By using clinical data, we also aim to better generalize to clinical settings compared to studies based on public social media data. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that fine-grained therapy outcome coding in psychotherapeutic text is feasible, and can be used to support the quantification of important outcomes for downstream uses
Can Subsidized Employment Tackle Long-Term Unemployment? Experimental Evidence from North Macedonia
No full textThis study experimentally assesses the effects of temporary wage subsidies on employment in North Macedonia. The target group consists of vulnerable unemployed individuals participating in an employment program that provides employers with a subsidy covering half of the wage payments during the first year of employment, as well as training expenses. Applicants are initially matched to job openings and then randomly selected for job interviews with employers, who decide whether to hire them under the program’s conditions. Using administrative records, we find that being selected for an interview results in a 14-percentage-point increase in the probability of being employed in the formal economy 3.5 years after the start of the program, and an 85% increase in employment duration
The impact of museum programmes on older adults with cognitive impairment during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThis research investigates the impact of museum projects on older adults with cognitive impairment during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study addresses three critical lacunae identified in Chapter 1: the insufficient theoretical articulation of cross-systemic integration (Gap 1); the scarcity of concrete strategies and replicable frameworks (Gap 2); and the underrepresentation of East Asian Sinophone perspectives in Western-dominant discourse (Gap 3). Through a global survey (Chapter 4), the study reveals how museums evolved into co-designers of health interventions.
The core analysis provides a cross-cultural comparison between the UK’s and Taiwan’s case studies. A pivotal finding is the critical cultural suitability of interventions: the study reinterprets the silence of Taiwanese participants as cultural intelligence used to maintain harmony. Crucially, it advocates for the dyad (the symbiotic unit of the older adult and their caregiver) as the primary participant subject. This model recognizes the caregiver and the older adult in a relationship of co-communication and co-creation. This research complements and extends Western-centric models by integrating the relational and collective dimensions of East Asian cultures.
The study offers three transformative contributions: 1) Establishing a culture-based integrated care model that bridges Gerontology, Public Health, and Museology; 2) Redefining therapeutic learning by establishing a co-learning framework for non-hierarchical knowledge co-production among museums, health professionals, and the dyad; 3) Advocating for the formal integration of museums into community care pathways as essential nodes for social prescribing and professional practice.
Ultimately, this research provides a resilient roadmap for post-pandemic integrated care, ensuring museums serve as institutional cornerstones for safeguarding the cultural citizenship and dignity of the dyad in an aging society
“I too deserve good”: A qualitative exploration of corrective relational experiences in psychodynamic therapy for depression
No full textCorrective relational experiences (CREs) occur specifically within the therapeutic relationship and are perceived by patients as distinct and meaningful. Despite their potential importance in facilitating therapeutic change, CREs received limited theoretical, clinical, and empirical attention. The present study aimed to identify different types of CREs and to examine whether they suggest distinct mechanisms of change. Posttreatment semistructured qualitative interviews with 57 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder following short-term supportive-expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy uncovered 21 CREs. Four ideal types were identified: experiencing empathic engagement, experiencing nonjudgmental acceptance, experiencing new understanding or insight, and experiencing encouragement and empowerment. All patients who reported a CRE also described intrapersonal growth, and most reported an improved relationship with their therapist following the CRE. Our findings highlight the enduring impact of these experiences, even years after the conclusion of therapy, providing a more nuanced understanding of how they may drive positive change in the treatment of individuals with major depressive disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)