3,898 research outputs found
Theory and design of InGaAsBi mid-infrared semiconductor lasers: type-I quantum wells for emission beyond 3 m on InP substrates
We present a theoretical analysis and optimisation of the properties and
performance of mid-infrared semiconductor lasers based on the dilute bismide
alloy InGaAsBi, grown on conventional (001) InP
substrates. The ability to independently vary the epitaxial strain and emission
wavelength in this quaternary alloy provides significant scope for band
structure engineering. Our calculations demonstrate that structures based on
compressively strained InGaAsBi quantum wells (QWs)
can readily achieve emission wavelengths in the 3 -- 5 m range, and that
these QWs have large type-I band offsets. As such, these structures have the
potential to overcome a number of limitations commonly associated with this
application-rich but technologically challenging wavelength range. By
considering structures having (i) fixed QW thickness and variable strain, and
(ii) fixed strain and variable QW thickness, we quantify key trends in the
properties and performance as functions of the alloy composition, structural
properties, and emission wavelength, and on this basis identify routes towards
the realisation of optimised devices for practical applications. Our analysis
suggests that simple laser structures -- incorporating
InGaAsBi QWs and unstrained ternary
InGaAs barriers -- which are compatible with established
epitaxial growth, provide a route to realising InP-based mid-infrared diode
lasers.Comment: Submitted versio
Neural Network Analysis of the Effects of Rainfall Variability and Groundwater Usage on the Hydrologic System in a Karst Terrain, Central Florida, USA
Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv
Divergence-time estimates for hominins provide insight into encephalization and body mass trends in human evolution
Quantifying speciation times during human evolution is fundamental as it provides a timescale to test for the correlation between key evolutionary transitions and extrinsic factors such as climatic or environmental change. Here, we applied a total evidence dating approach to a hominin phylogeny to estimate divergence times under different topological hypotheses. The time-scaled phylogenies were subsequently used to perform ancestral state reconstructions of body mass and phylogenetic encephalization quotient (PEQ). Our divergence-time estimates are consistent with other recent studies that analysed extant species. We show that the origin of the genus Homo probably occurred between 4.30 and 2.56 million years ago. The ancestral state reconstructions show a general trend towards a smaller body mass before the emergence of Homo, followed by a trend towards a greater body mass. PEQ estimations display a general trend of gradual but accelerating encephalization evolution. The obtained results provide a rigorous temporal framework for human evolution
Coordination Implications of Software Coupling in Open Source Projects
The effect of software coupling on the quality of software has been studied quite widely since the seminal paper on software modularity by Parnas [1]. However, the effect of the increase in software coupling on the coordination of the developers has not been researched as much. In commercial software development environments there normally are coordination mechanisms in place to manage the coordination requirements due to software dependencies. But, in the case of Open Source software such coordination mechanisms are harder to implement, as the developers tend to rely solely on electronic means of communication. Hence, an understanding of the changing coordination requirements is essential to the management of an Open Source project. In this paper we study the effect of changes in software coupling on the coordination requirements in a case study of a popular Open Source project called JBoss
Auger Recombination in Semiconductor Quantum Wells
The principal mechanisms of Auger recombination of nonequilibrium carriers in
semiconductor heterostructures with quantum wells are investigated. It is shown
for the first time that there exist three fundamentally different Auger
recombination mechanisms of (i) thresholdless, (ii) quasi-threshold, and (iii)
threshold types. The rate of the thresholdless Auger process depends on
temperature only slightly. The rate of the quasi-threshold Auger process
depends on temperature exponentially. However, its threshold energy essentially
varies with quantum well width and is close to zero for narrow quantum wells.
It is shown that the thresholdless and the quasi-threshold Auger processes
dominate in narrow quantum wells, while the threshold and the quasi-threshold
processes prevail in wide quantum wells. The limiting case of a
three-dimensional (3D)Auger process is reached for infinitely wide quantum
wells. The critical quantum well width is found at which the quasi-threshold
and threshold Auger processes merge into a single 3D Auger process. Also
studied is phonon-assisted Auger recombination in quantum wells. It is shown
that for narrow quantum wells the act of phonon emission becomes resonant,
which in turn increases substantially the coefficient of phonon-assisted Auger
recombination. Conditions are found under which the direct Auger process
dominates over the phonon-assisted Auger recombination at various temperatures
and quantum well widths.Comment: 38 pages, 7 figure
Charge and Orbital Ordering in Pr_{0.5} Ca_{0.5} MnO_3 Studied by ^{17}O NMR
The charge and orbital ordering in Pr_{0.5} Ca_{0.5} MnO_3 is studied for the
first time by ^{17}O NMR. This local probe is sensitive to spin, charge and
orbital correlations. Two transitions exist in this system: the charge and
orbital ordering at T_{CO} = 225 K and the antiferromagnetic (AF) transition at
T_N = 170 K. Both are clearly seen in the NMR spectra measured in a magnetic
field of 7T. Above T_{CO} there exists only one NMR line with a large isotropic
shift, whose temperature dependence is in accordance with the presence of
ferromagnetic (FM) correlations. This line splits into two parts below T_{CO},
which are attributed to different types of oxygen in the charge/orbital ordered
state. The interplay of FM and AF spin correlations of Mn ions in the charge
ordered state of Pr_{0.5} Ca_{0.5} MnO_3 is considered in terms of the hole
hopping motion that is slowed down with decreasing temperature. The developing
fine structure of the spectra evidences, that there still exist
charge-disordered regions at T_{CO} > T > T_N and that the static (t >
10^{-6}s) orbital order is established only on approaching T_N. The CE-type
magnetic correlations develop gradually below T_{CO}, so that at first the AF
correlations between checkerboard ab-layers appear, and only at lower
temperature - CE correlations within the ab-planes
Influence of adipose tissue mass on bone mass in an overweight or obese population: systematic review and meta-analysis
Context: The scientific literature shows conflicting evidence about the relationship between adiposity and bone mass in overweight and obese populations.
Objective: The aim of this review was to quantify the correlation between adipose mass (absolute and relative) and bone mineral density (BMD) in overweight and obese populations.
Data Sources: Three databases were searched electronically. In addition, reference lists of relevant articles were screened.
Study Selection: A total of 16 studies, comprising 2587 participants and 75 correlation coefficients were selected for inclusion in the review. Data Extraction: Data were extracted from each study using a standardized form.
Results: Multilevel modeling indicated opposing relationships between BMD and adiposity: absolute adiposity correlated positively, and relative adiposity negatively, with BMD. Sex and age were the primary moderators of these relationships. Strong evidence supported a negative relationship between relative adipose mass and BMD in men (R = -0.37; 95%CI, -0.57 to -0.12) and in those aged less than 25 years (R = -0.28; 95%CI, -0.45 to -0.08).
Conclusion: To prevent bone loss in overweight and obese populations, nutrition- and exercise-based interventions that focus on a controlled reduction of adipose mass with concomitant preservation of lean mass are recommended
'You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink': Exploring children's engagement and resistance in family therapy
The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10591-012-9220-8Children’s engagement and disengagement, adherence and non-adherence, compliance and non-compliance in healthcare have important implications for services. In family therapy mere attendance to the appointments is no guarantee of engaging in the treatment process and as children are not the main initiators of attendance engaging them through the process can be a complex activity for professionals. Through a conversation analysis of naturally occurring family therapy sessions we explore the main discursive strategies that children employ in this context to passively and actively disengage from the therapeutic process and investigate how the therapists manage and attend to this. We note that children competently remove themselves from therapy through passive resistance, active disengagement, and by expressing their autonomy. Analysis reveals that siblings of the constructed ‘problem’ child are given greater liberty in involvement. We conclude by demonstrating how therapists manage the delicate endeavour of including all family members in the process and how engagement and re-engagement are essential for meeting goals and discuss broader implications for healthcare and other settings where children may disengage
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