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Polarization dependence of single-photon sensitivity in superconducting nanowires at extended infrared wavelengths
No full textPolarization dependent performance of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) remains one of the obstacles to free space applications of SNSPDs. Here, we study the wavelength dependence of polarization anisotropy in two most widely used SNSPD geometries: meander and fractal nanowires based on niobium nitride thin films. In particular, we observe that polarization sensitivity becomes more pronounced at longer wavelengths, accompanied by an oscillatory behavior of photon count rate (PCR) on polarization angle. Furthermore, we report a wavelength-dependent shift in the polarization angle corresponding to maximum and minimum PCR and also find that experimental data consistently exhibit higher polarization anisotropy than predicted by simulations—likely due to fabrication-induced substrate effects. We deduce that the polarization anisotropy is a direct result of significant difference between the refractive indices of substrate and nanowire to that of the air, which surrounds them. We also outline potential directions for future work in improving our understanding of polarization anisotropy in SNSPDs. Our results provide new insight into the geometric factors governing polarization sensitivity in SNSPDs and underscore the potential of fractal nanowires in enabling broadband, polarization-independent single photon detection
Disability inclusion for early childhood care and development: the twin-track approach
No full textSince 2015, the global health community, through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has committed to promoting equitable early childhood care and development that fosters inclusive education and lifelong learning for all children under the age of 5. Whereas several global policies on disability-inclusion recommend a twin-track approach to support people with disabilities, the application of this approach for children with disabilities in early childhood is unclear. In this article, we examine the concept of inclusion for children with disabilities in early childhood and how to address the inequalities they face through the globally recommended twin-track approach. We highlight key components of this approach for optimizing school readiness for children with varying severities of disability. We offer recommendations for addressing potential barriers to disability inclusion, based on evidence from multiple sources, and emphasize the need for a globally coordinated strategy to advance the global vision and commitments for children with disabilities
Reframing repeat violence: a critical life-course perspective
No full textThis article advances a critical life-course perspective on repeat violence, drawing on qualitative interviews with people with lived experience and community stakeholders. While repeat violent victimization is often approached as a linear series of discrete incidents, the analysis reframes repeat violence as a patterned and relational process shaped by inequality and institutional response. A qualitative typology of three configurations—‘Unsettled Lives’, ‘Mutual Violence’ and ‘Intermittent Victimization’—illustrates how different forms of violence are experienced, interpreted and carried forward throughout the life course. Across these configurations, institutional responses frequently compound harm, contributing to continued exposure and constrained access to support. The article extends life-course criminology by shifting analytic attention from event-based trajectories towards the relational configurations through which cumulative harm unfolds
Flame stability and NOx pathways in ultra-lean NH3/H2 micro-combustion
Get PDFAmmonia’s narrow flammability and low reactivity limit its use in micro-combustors, but hydrogen enrichment offers a pathway to stable ultra-lean operation. Hydrogen enrichment has been proposed as a viable strategy to overcome these limitations, yet systematic mapping of lean NH3/H2 flames under micro-scale confinement remains scarce. In this work, a two-dimensional numerical study was conducted on a planar micro-combustor fuelled with an NH3/H2 blend (10/90 vol%) to quantify flame stability, heat transfer, and NOx chemistry over a broad range of Reynolds numbers Re = 191–1330 and equivalence ratio ϕ = 0.65–0.20. Hydrogen addition extends the lean limit from ϕ = 0.65 to ϕ = 0.2, with ultra-lean flames (ϕ = 0.20–0.25) stabilized only at Re = 572 and 381, respectively. Outlet temperatures rise with Re and approach adiabatic values, while heat loss ratio
/HoR) reduces below 0.065 once Re exceeds 953 across the entire equivalence ratio range. Radiative coupling provides an additional stabilizing effect, with incident radiation increasing from 3.6 × 104 W/m2 (ϕ = 0.20, Re = 572) to 76 × 104 W/m2 (ϕ = 0.65, Re = 1330). Radical pool analysis revealed that H, O, and OH intensify with both Re and ϕ, sustaining chain branching and flame anchoring, while intermediate species showed distinct behaviours. Kinetic pathway analysis confirmed that NO formation is dominated by HNO decomposition and NO2 reduction, whereas consumption proceeds mainly through reactions with HO2 and HNO cycling. The findings provide the first integrated stability–heat transfer–reaction pathway analysis of NH3/H2 micro-planar flames, demonstrating how hydrogen extends ammonia’s lean limit to ultra-lean regimes while reshaping the NO/N2O distribution through radical-driven chemistry
Immune triad microenvironments define coordinated activation architecture in psoriatic disease
No full textPsoriatic inflammation reflects contributions from several leukocyte lineages, yet organisational patterns of immune cell cooperation remain largely unexplored. Immune triads, defined as combinations of three lineages within a common spatial microenvironment, represent spatial patterns that may shed light on the inflammatory organisation of psoriasis. Triads formed by dendritic cells (DC), T cells (T) and natural killer cells (NK) integrate antigen presentation and cytotoxic pathways relevant to psoriatic inflammation. Triads that incorporate monocytes, neutrophils and innate-like T cells capture divergent recognition pathways, with γδ T cells providing rapid stress surveillance and mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT) exerting cytokine-driven effector responses. Together these lineage features suggest that these triads may act as immunological contexts that potentially contribute to the architecture of psoriatic inflammation, supporting a systematic assessment of their spatial positioning and activation profiles. This work integrates peripheral CITE-seq profiling with spatial transcriptomics from psoriatic disease to measure systemic activation synchrony, identify triad niches across tissue layers and characterise activation patterns within their spatial microenvironments. The analysis reveals a marked systemic activation synchrony within DC-T-NK triads together with a consistent enrichment of all three triads in psoriatic lesions and a dominant localisation of triad co-occupation within epidermal regions. Within the epidermis, coordinated activation is evident in both DC-T-NK and monocyte-MAIT-neutrophil triads, while severity-linked signals are most prominent in MAIT-containing triads. These findings demonstrate that immune triads provide a unifying framework that connects coordinated activation in tissue with clinically meaningful features of psoriatic inflammation
Ocean Liners and Modern Literature
No full textOcean liners fascinate writers and the public alike. As icons of modernity, mobility, glamour and national prestige, they are widespread in popular culture and, equally, in the canonical novels, plays and poems of the twentieth century. Yet in many literary narratives, darker stories appear, whether of forced migration, shipwreck, war or profiteering. Over the course of a century, ocean-going steamships carried millions of emigrants, refugees, troops, businesspeople, criminals, celebrities, convalescents, socialites, tourists and students. Some travelled in style; others in extreme discomfort. Liners also transported cargo, mail, animals, plants and (inadvertently) diseases. With the arrival of the jet age, the passenger liner suddenly lost its practical purpose. Yet its symbolic resonance was undiminished as it came to embody nostalgia for a lost age of elegant, leisurely travel by sea. This book explores the idea of the ocean liner in the literary imagination, asking how it transformed from an industrial machine into a potent symbol, and how it became a focus for dreams and terrors. It also investigates the role of the liner in print culture. Many stories about ocean travel were themselves read, lent, sold or even published at sea, and shipping lines were active agents of international literary exchange
DFT meets Bayesian inference: creating a framework for the assignment of calculated vibrational frequencies
Get PDFVolatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are abundant in nature and play vital roles in industries such as food, fragrance, and pharmaceuticals. Aromatic VOCs like vanillin are especially valuable, driving research into sustainable chemical processes, including the conversion of biomass into high-value chemicals. Understanding the molecular structure and vibrational behavior of these compounds is essential for designing and optimising such processes. In this work, we explore how computational modelling can be used to predict and interpret vibrational spectra of VOCs. We also introduce a statistical approach using Bayesian inference to improve how theoretical predictions are matched to experimental observations. This combined strategy enhances the reliability and clarity of spectral interpretation, offering a more consistent framework for studying complex organic molecules
The experience of receiving psychological consultation within children’s social and residential care services: a systematic review of the literature
Get PDFThe overall aim of this review was to systematically review and synthesise the evidence base on the experience of receiving psychological consultation within children’s social and residential care services and review it based on its quality. A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Four databases were searched. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria, and their quality was assessed using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT). Results were synthesised and integrated using a convergent integrated approach. Overall, psychological consultation is viewed as valuable to residential carers and social workers working within children’s care services, identifying three overarching functions and outcomes of this experience: (1) accessing independent expertise, (2) developing a new skill, (3) providing a deeper understanding of a young person/family. The provision of a safe and dedicated space for reflection, the use of accessible language by the consultant, and the availability and responsiveness of the consultant were three key facilitators for the consultation experience. On the other hand, barriers to the consultation experience were associated with time dedicated to the consultation, the frequency and location of consultations, and the clarity or lack thereof of the role of psychology and purpose of consultation. Despite the limited research in this field and inconsistencies in the reporting of these studies, this review identified the key elements that capture the consultation experience. These findings are essential for shaping frameworks for psychological consultation within children’s care settings and guiding their measurement
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