Tourism Competitiveness Evaluation and Spatio-temporal Characteristics of Chinese Border Counties

Under the current government strategy of building a Silk Road economic belt, tourism in Chinese border counties has becoming increasingly popular. Studying tourism competitiveness in Chinese border counties is of sizable theoretical and practical importance, as there are several notable factors involved. In this study, we constructed a tourism competitiveness evaluation model based on eight factors: natural environment, tourism resource, location and transportation, social environment, tourism service facility, border port, tourism industrial cluster and tourism market. We then analyzed the spatial characteristics of tourism competitiveness in border counties and identified five types of border counties: resource advantage type(RA), border-port advantage type(PA), location advantage type(LA), agglomeration advantage type(AA), and relative balance type(RB), and examined the correlation between tourism market competitiveness and interior competitiveness factors in the counties from 2006 to 2011. Results showed that tourism resource, location and transportation, and tourism service facility are the most important competition factors for RA border counties during the study period. Competition factors in PA counties transferred from tourism resource, social environment and tourism service facility to border port and tourism industrial cluster; competition factors in LA counties transferred from natural environment and tourism resource to tourism service facility and tourism industrial cluster and border port. Competition factors in AA counties transferred from tourism service facility to tourism resource. Tourism industrial cluster, tourism service facility and tourism resource proved to be important competition factors in RB counties. The findings of this study can be used to target tourism strategies according to different county types.

Spatio-Temporal Characteristics of Winter Cold Events in China from 1960 to 2020

Under the background of global warming, extreme cold events occur frequently. It is important to enhance the understanding of cold air patterns for forecasting cold air and reducing cold air-induced meteorological disasters. The study used the daily minimum temperatures from the National Climate Centre to classify the cold events affecting China into five different grades and the characteristics of different intensity cold events in China during the winter from 1960 to 2020 were analyzed. The results showed that there is little difference in the distribution of the frequency of general cold events from north to south, with duration longer in the north than in the south and an increase in frequency in the north in the last 60 years. The frequency of strong cold events is more in the north of China than in the south of China, and the duration is longer in the south than in the north China, with the frequency decreasing in most parts of the country. In addition to latitude, cold events frequency is closely linked to topography, with basins surrounded by high mountains being difficult to be affected by cold events, especially extreme cold events. In terms of month distribution, December was subject to the highest frequency of cold events and the longest duration of a single cold events process.

Spatio-temporal Characteristics and Geographical Determinants of Air Quality in Cities at the Prefecture Level and Above in China

In recent years, the large scale and frequency of severe air pollution in China has become an important consideration in the construction of livable cities and the physical and mental health of urban residents. Based on the 2016-year urban air quality index(AQI) data published by the Ministry of Environmental Protection of China, this study analyzed the spatial and temporal characteristics of air quality and its influencing factors in 338 urban units nationwide. The analysis provides an effective scientific basis for formulating national air pollution control measures. Four key results are shown. 1) Generally, air quality in the 338 cities is poor, and the average annual values for urban AQI and air pollution in 2016 were 79.58% and 21.22%, respectively. 2) The air quality index presents seasonal changes, with winter > spring > autumn > summer and a u-shaped trend. 3) The spatial distribution of the urban air quality index shows clear north-south characteristic differences and a spatial agglomeration effect; the high value area of air pollution is mainly concentrated in the North China Plain and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. 4) An evaluation of the spatial econometric model shows that differences in urban air quality are due to social, economic, and natural factors.

Spatio-temporal Characteristics of Area Coverage and Observation Geometry of the MISR Land-surface BRF Product: A Case Study of the Central Part of Northeast Asia

The Multi-angle imaging spectroradiometer(MISR) land-surface(LS) bidirectional reflectance factor(BRF) product(MILS_BRF) has unique semi-simultaneous multi-angle sampling and global coverage. However, unlike on-satellite observations, the spatio-temporal characteristics of MILS_BRF data have rarely been explicitly and comprehensively analysed. Results from 5-yr(2011–2015) of MILS_BRF dataset from a typical region in central Northeast Asia as the study area showed that the monthly area coverage as well as MILS_BRF data quantity varies significantly, from the highest in October(99.05%) through median in June/July(78.09%/75.21%) to lowest in January(18.97%), and a large data-vacant area exists in the study area during four consecutive winter months(December through March). The data-vacant area is mainly composed of crop lands and cropland/natural vegetation mosaic. The amount of data within the principal plane(PP)±30°(nPP) or cross PP ±30°(nCP), varies intra-annually with significant differences from different view zeniths or forward/backward scattering directions. For example, multiple off-nadir cameras have nPP but no nCP data for up to six months(September through February), with the opposite occurring in June and July. This study provides explicit and comprehensive information about the spatio-temporal characteristics of product coverage and observation geometry of MILS_BRF in the study area. Results provide required user reference information for MILS_BRF to evaluate performance of BRDF models or to compare with other satellite-derived BRF or albedo products. Comparing this final product to on-satellite observations, what was found here reveals a new perspective on product spatial coverage and observation geometry for multi-angle remote sensing.

Spatio-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of urban floating population in China from 2011 to 2015

Although China’s urban floating population is mainly concentrated in developed cities,from the central and western cities to the eastern developed cities,but the characteristics of the floating population in different cities are significantly different.This paper systematically investigates the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of the floating population in different levels of cities.The results show that the regional imbalance to further strengthen,accumulation and dispersion trend has become increasingly obvious,liquidity is positively correlated and city level scale,and urban agglomeration and the core city is still polarization center of floating population.Flow range is closely related to urban hierarchy:the higher the intra-urban grade,the more tend to inter-provincial flow;the lower the city grade,the more tend to intra-urban mobility.Short-term(1-2 years)and long-term(more than 7 years)flow-time coexist.The short-term liquidity increases with the city grade,and the long-term liquidity decreases with the city level.Farmers are still the main body of the floating population.Younger age,lower education level,low-skilled,high gender ratio employees are the most basic demographic characteristics of the floating population,although there are differences between different cities.The main reason for affecting the floating population is seeking jobs and doing business.

Analysis of the Spatio-Temporal Characteristics of Winter Surface Urban Heat Island:A Case Study in Beijing,China

This study reveals the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of the winter nighttime urban heat island(UHI)effect in the case of Beijing,China.The land surface temperature(LST)is retrieved by radiative transfer equation by using the remote sensing data from Landsat ETM+/OLI_TIRS from 2007 to 2017 for the winter nighttime period,and LST is then divided by the mean-standard deviation method into different levels of thermal landscapes.A combination of the migration calculation of gravity center and multi-directional profile analysis is used to study the directional differentiation characteristics of LST and the migratory characteristics of the gravity center of UHI.Finally,the overall temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of winter nighttime surface urban heat island(SUHI)in Beijing are studied,and the possible reasons for the changes are discussed.Results show that Beijing's UHI effect first increased and subsequently decreased from 2007 to 2017.The winter heat island in the urban area developed from low-density agglomeration to high-density agglomeration to lowdensity diffusion.Additionally,the high-level thermal landscapes migrated to the southwest along with the city center of gravity,and the expansion rate is fastest in the southwest,which is directly linked to the changes in the urban construction land.Moreover,the overall spatial distribution of winter nighttime LST is high in the east and south and low in the west and north,and is influenced by topography,land cover,urbanization,anthropogenic heat,and other factors as well.

Investigating spatio-temporal characteristics and influencing factors for green energy consumption in China

The green transformation of energy consumption is beneficial for promoting green development in China.This study constructed a green energy consumption evaluation index system and measured the green energy consumption levels in 30 provinces of China from 2000 to 2019 using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method.This study further employed the spatial Durbin model to examine influencing factors and spillover effects of green energy consumption.The results showed that,temporally,China’s green energy consumption levels had a fluctuating upward trend.While,spatially,the overall levels of green energy consumption in China showed apparent characteristics of“high in the west and low in the east”.In terms of influencing factors,environmental regulations played an important role in promoting green energy consumption in the region,while economic development,opening up,and industrial structure had considerably inhibiting effects.Additionally,economic development,opening up,and industrial structure of neighboring regions showed marked positive spillover effects,while urbanization level and technological innovation showed substantial negative spillover effects.The regional heterogeneity test results showed that environmental regulation and industrial structure rationalization were the important factors for promoting green energy consumption in the eastern region,environmental regulation played an important driving role in the central region,and opening to the outside world and technological innovation helped improve the level of green energy consumption in the western region.

Epidemic Characteristics and Spatio-Temporal Patterns of HFRS in Qingdao City,China,2010-2022

Objective This study investigated the epidemic characteristics and spatio-temporal dynamics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome(HFRS)in Qingdao City,China.Methods Information was collected on HFRS cases in Qingdao City from 2010 to 2022.Descriptive epidemiologic,seasonal decomposition,spatial autocorrelation,and spatio-temporal cluster analyses were performed.Results A total of 2,220 patients with HFRS were reported over the study period,with an average annual incidence of 1.89/100,000 and a case fatality rate of 2.52%.The male:female ratio was 2.8:1.75.3%of patients were aged between 16 and 60 years old,75.3%of patients were farmers,and 11.6%had both“three red”and“three pain”symptoms.The HFRS epidemic showed two-peak seasonality:the primary fall-winter peak and the minor spring peak.The HFRS epidemic presented highly spatially heterogeneous,street/township-level hot spots that were mostly distributed in Huangdao,Pingdu,and Jiaozhou.The spatio-temporal cluster analysis revealed three cluster areas in Qingdao City that were located in the south of Huangdao District during the fall-winter peak.Conclusion The distribution of HFRS in Qingdao exhibited periodic,seasonal,and regional characteristics,with high spatial clustering heterogeneity.The typical symptoms of“three red”and“three pain”in patients with HFRS were not obvious.

SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION CHARACTERISTICS OF EXTREMELY HEAVY PRECIPITATION FREQUENCY OVER SOUTH CHINA IN THE LAST 50 YEARS

This paper comprehensively studies the spatio-temporal characteristics of the frequency of extremely heavy precipitation events over South China by using the daily precipitation data of 110 stations during 1961 to 2008 and the extremely heavy precipitation thresholds determined for different stations by REOF, trend coefficients, linear trend, Mann-Kendall test and variance analysis. The results are shown as follows. The frequency distribution of extremely heavy precipitation is high in the middle of South China and low in the Guangdong coast and western Guangxi. There are three spatial distribution types of extremely heavy precipitation in South China. The consistent anomaly distribution is the main type. Distribution reversed between the east and the west and between the south and the north is also an important type. Extremely heavy precipitation events in South China mainly occurred in the summer-half of the year. Their frequency during this time accounts for 83.7% of the total frequency. In the 1960 s and 1980 s, extremely heavy precipitation events were less frequent while having an increasing trend from the late 1980 s. Their climatological tendency rates decrease in the central and rise in the other areas of South China, and on average the mean series also shows an upward but insignificant trend at all of the stations. South China's frequency of extremely heavy precipitation events can be divided into six major areas and each of them shows a different inter-annual trend and three of the representative stations experience abrupt changes by showing remarkable increases in terms of Mann-Kendall tests.

Morphological and biochemical characteristics associated with autophagy in gastrointestinal diseases

Autophagy is a cellular catabolic process characterized by the formation of double-membrane autophagosomes.Transmission electron microscopy is the most rigorous method to clearly visualize autophagic engulfment and degradation.A large number of studies have shown that autophagy is closely related to the digestion,secretion,and regeneration of gastrointestinal(GI)cells.However,the role of autophagy in GI diseases remains controversial.This article focuses on the morphological and biochemical characteristics of autophagy in GI diseases,in order to provide new ideas for their diagnosis and treatment.

Clinical characteristics of acute non-varicose upper gastrointestinal bleeding and the effect of endoscopic hemostasis

BACKGROUND Acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding(ANVUGIB)constitutes a prevalent emergency within Gastroenterology,encompassing 80%-90%of all gastrointestinal hemorrhage incidents.This condition is distinguished by its abrupt onset,swift progression,and notably elevated mortality rate.AIM To gather clinical data from patients with ANVUGIB at our hospital in order to elucidate the clinical characteristics specific to our institution and analyze the therapeutic effectiveness of endoscopic hemostasis.METHODS We retrospectively retrieved the records of 532 patients diagnosed with ANVUGIB by endoscopy at our hospital between March 2021 and March 2023,utilizing our medical record system.Data pertaining to general patient information,etiological factors,disease outcomes,and other relevant variables were meticulously collected and analyzed.RESULTS Among the 532 patients diagnosed with ANVUGIB,the male-to-female ratio was 2.91:1,with a higher prevalence among males.Notably,43.6%of patients presented with black stool as their primary complaint,while 27.4%had hematemesis as their initial symptom.Upon admission,17%of patients exhibited both hematemesis and black stool,while most ANVUGIB patients primarily complained of overt gastrointestinal bleeding.Urgent routine blood examinations at admission revealed that 75.8%of patients had anemia,with 63.4%experiencing moderate to severe anemia,and 1.5%having extremely severe anemia(hemoglobin<30 g/L).With regard to etiology,53.2%of patients experienced bleeding without a definitive trigger,24.2%had a history of using gastric mucosa-irritating medications,24.2%developed bleeding after alcohol consumption,2.8%attributed it to improper diet,1.7%to emotional excitement,and 2.3%to fatigue preceding the bleeding episode.Drug-induced ANVUGIB was more prevalent in the elderly than middle-aged and young individuals,while bleeding due to alcohol consumption showed the opposite trend.Additionally,diet-related bleeding was more common among the young age group compared to the middle-aged group.Gastrointestinal endoscopy identified peptic ulcers as the most frequent cause of ANVUGIB(73.3%),followed by gastrointestinal malignancies(10.9%),acute gastric mucous lesions(9.8%),and androgenic upper gastrointestinal bleeding(1.5%)among inpatients with ANVUGIB.Of the 532 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding,68 underwent endoscopic hemostasis,resulting in an endoscopic treatment rate of 12.8%,with a high immediate hemostasis success rate of 94.1%.

Research on the influences of motion characteristics of jetting projectile charge under water

Shaped charge warhead is important for enhancing the damage performance of underwater weapons.This paper used finite element analysis software and based on JPC water penetration experiments to examine the influence of liner parameters(wall thickness,material),charge aspect ratio,and stand-off distance on the movement characteristics of JPC in water.The findings reveal that the head diameter of the JPC increases and experiences significant erosion after entering the water,the effective length of the JPC in water undergoes two distinct phases:a growth phase and a decrease phase,with the velocity of the JPC decaying exponentially.Increasing the liner thickness,stand-off distance and the charge aspect ratio can improve the erosion resistance and the velocity retention capacity of the JPC.The optimal ranges for liner thickness and stand-off distance are 0.0363D_(k) to 0.0545D_(k)(D_(k) is the charge diameter),the stand-off distance should be within 1.0D_(k).After the charge aspect ratio higher than 1.25,the charge structure exerts minimal influence the movement characteristics of the JPC in water.Material density plays a crucial role in the velocity decay pattern of the JPC during penetration.JPC with higher densities exhibit superior velocity retention capabilities in water,with the velocity decay pattern converging if the densities are similar.Consequently,copper,tantalum and tungsten liners are deemed appropriate for underwater shaped charge warhead.Finally,the results will provide an important reference for the design of underwater shaped charge warhead.

Dynamic response mechanism and precursor characteristics of gneiss rockburst under different initial burial depths

To investigate the influence mechanism of geostress on rockburst characteristics,three groups of gneiss rockburst experiments were conducted under different initial geostress conditions.A high-speed photography system and acoustic emission(AE)monitoring system were used to monitor the entire rockburst process in real time.The experimental results show that when the initial burial depth increases from 928 m to 1320 m,the proportion of large fracture scale in rockburst increases by 154.54%,and the AE energy increases by 565.63%,reflecting that the degree and severity of rockburst increase with the increase of burial depth.And then,two mechanisms are proposed to explain this effect,including(i)the increase of initial geostress improves the energy storage capacity of gneiss,and then,the excess energy which can be converted into kinetic energy of debris ejection increases,consequently,a more pronounced violent ejection phenomenon is observed at rockburst;(ii)the increase of initial geostress causes more sufficient plate cracks of gneiss after unloading ofσh,which provides a basis for more severe ejection of rockburst.What’s more,a precursor with clear physical meaning for rockburst is proposed under the framework of dynamic response process of crack evolution.Finally,potential value in long term rockburst warning of the precursor obtained in this study is shown via the comparison of conventional precursor.

Spatiotemporal deformation characteristics of Outang landslide and identification of triggering factors using data mining

Since the impoundment of Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)in 2003,numerous slopes have experienced noticeable movement or destabilization owing to reservoir level changes and seasonal rainfall.One case is the Outang landslide,a large-scale and active landslide,on the south bank of the Yangtze River.The latest monitoring data and site investigations available are analyzed to establish spatial and temporal landslide deformation characteristics.Data mining technology,including the two-step clustering and Apriori algorithm,is then used to identify the dominant triggers of landslide movement.In the data mining process,the two-step clustering method clusters the candidate triggers and displacement rate into several groups,and the Apriori algorithm generates correlation criteria for the cause-and-effect.The analysis considers multiple locations of the landslide and incorporates two types of time scales:longterm deformation on a monthly basis and short-term deformation on a daily basis.This analysis shows that the deformations of the Outang landslide are driven by both rainfall and reservoir water while its deformation varies spatiotemporally mainly due to the difference in local responses to hydrological factors.The data mining results reveal different dominant triggering factors depending on the monitoring frequency:the monthly and bi-monthly cumulative rainfall control the monthly deformation,and the 10-d cumulative rainfall and the 5-d cumulative drop of water level in the reservoir dominate the daily deformation of the landslide.It is concluded that the spatiotemporal deformation pattern and data mining rules associated with precipitation and reservoir water level have the potential to be broadly implemented for improving landslide prevention and control in the dam reservoirs and other landslideprone areas.

Experimental investigation on coal pore-fracture variation and fractal characteristics synergistically affected by solvents for improving clean gas extraction

Chemical solvents instead of pure water being as hydraulic fracturing fluid could effectively increase permeability and improve clean methane extraction efficiency.However,pore-fracture variation features of lean coal synergistically affected by solvents have not been fully understood.Ultrasonic testing,nuclear magnetic resonance analysis,liquid phase mass spectrometry was adopted to comprehensively analyze pore-fracture change characteristics of lean coal treated by combined solvent(NMP and CS_(2)).Meanwhile,quantitative characterization of above changing properties was conducted using geometric fractal theory.Relationship model between permeability,fractal dimension and porosity were established.Results indicate that the end face fractures of coal are well developed after CS2and combined solvent treatments,of which,end face box-counting fractal dimensions range from 1.1227 to 1.4767.Maximum decreases in ultrasonic longitudinal wave velocity of coal affected by NMP,CS_(2)and combined solvent are 2.700%,20.521%,22.454%,respectively.Solvent treatments could lead to increasing amount of both mesopores and macropores.Decrease ratio of fractal dimension Dsis 0.259%–2.159%,while permeability increases ratio of NMR ranges from 0.1904 to 6.4486.Meanwhile,combined solvent could dissolve coal polar and non-polar small molecules and expand flow space.Results could provide reference for solvent selection and parameter optimization of permeability-enhancement technology.

Grain Yield,Biomass Accumulation,and Leaf Photosynthetic Characteristics of Rice under Combined Salinity-Drought Stress

Simultaneous stresses of salinity and drought often coincide during rice-growing seasons in saline lands,primarily due to insufficient water resources and inadequate irrigation facilities.Consequently,combined salinity-drought stress poses a major threat to rice production.In this study,two salinity levels(NS,non-salinity;HS,high salinity)along with three drought treatments(CC,control condition;DJ,drought stress imposed at jointing;DH,drought stress imposed at heading)were performed to investigate their combined influences on leaf photosynthetic characteristics,biomass accumulation,and rice yield formation.Salinity,drought,and their combination led to a shortened growth period from heading to maturity,resulting in a reduced overall growth duration.Grain yield was reduced under both salinity and drought stress,with a more substantial reduction under the combined salinity-drought stress.The combined stress imposed at heading caused greater yield losses in rice compared with the stress imposed at jointing.Additionally,the combined salinity-drought stress induced greater decreases in shoot biomass accumulation from heading to maturity,as well as in shoot biomass and nonstructural carbohydrate(NSC)content in the stem at heading and maturity.However,it increased the harvest index and NSC remobilization reserve.Salinity and drought reduced the leaf area index and SPAD value of flag leaves and weakened the leaf photosynthetic characteristics as indicated by lower photosynthetic rates,transpiration rates,and stomatal conductance.These reductions were more pronounced under the combined stress.Salinity,drought,and especially their combination,decreased the activities of ascorbate peroxidase,catalase,and superoxide dismutase,while increasing the contents of malondialdehyde,hydrogen peroxide,and superoxide radical.Our results indicated a more significant yield loss in rice when subjected to combined salinity-drought stress.The individual and combined stresses of salinity and drought diminished antioxidant enzyme activities,inhibited leaf photosynthetic functions,accelerated leaf senescence,and subsequently lowered assimilate accumulation and grain yield.

Investigation of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene propellant breaking characteristics and mechanism impacted by submerged cavitation water jet

A submerged cavitation water jet(SCWJ)is an effective method to recycle solid propellant from obsolete solid engines by the breaking method.Solid propellant's breaking modes and mechanical process under SCWJ impact are unclear.This study aims to understand those impact breaking mechanisms.The hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene(HTPB)propellant was chosen as the research material,and a self-designed test system was used to conduct impact tests at four different working pressures.The high-speed camera characterized crack propagation,and the DIC method calculated strain change during the impact process.Besides,micro and macro fracture morphologies were characterized by scanning electron microscope(SEM)and computed tomography(CT)scanning.The results reveal that the compressive strain concentration region locates right below the nozzle,and the shear strain region distributes symmetrically with the jet axis,which increases to 4% at first 16th ms,the compressive strain rises to 2% and 6% in the axial and transverse direction,respectively.The two tensile cracks formed first at the compression strain concentrate region,and there generate many shear cracks around the tensile cracks,and those shear cracks that develop and aggregate cause the cracks to become wider and cut through the tensile cracks,forming the tensile-shear cracks and the impact parts eventually fail.The HTPB propellant forms a breaking hole shaped conical after impact 10 s.The mass loss increases by 17 times at maximum,with the working pressure increasing by three times.Meanwhile,the damage value of the breaking hole remaining on the surface increases by 7.8 times while 2.9 times in the depth of the breaking hole.The breaking efficiency is closely affected by working pressures.The failure modes of HTPB impacted by SCWJ are classified as tensile crack-dominated and tensile-shear crack-dominated damage mechanisms.

Liquefaction susceptibility and deformation characteristics of saturated coral sandy soils subjected to cyclic loadings-a critical review

Coral sandy soils widely exist in coral island reefs and seashores in tropical and subtropical regions.Due to the unique marine depositional environment of coral sandy soils,the engineering characteristics and responses of these soils subjected to monotonic and cyclic loadings have been a subject of intense interest among the geotechnical and earthquake engineering communities.This paper critically reviews the progress of experimental investigations on the undrained behavior of coral sandy soils under monotonic and cyclic loadings over the last three decades.The focus of coverage includes the contractive-dilative behavior,the pattern of excess pore-water pressure(EPWP)generation and the liquefaction mechanism and liquefaction resistance,the small-strain shear modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus and damping,the cyclic softening feature,and the anisotropic characteristics of undrained responses of saturated coral sandy soils.In particular,the advances made in the past decades are reviewed from the following aspects:(1)the characterization of factors that impact the mechanism and patterns of EPWP build-up;(2)the identification of liquefaction triggering in terms of the apparent viscosity and the average flow coefficient;(3)the establishment of the invariable form of strain-based,stress-based,or energy-based EPWP ratio formulas and the unique relationship between the new proxy of liquefaction resistance and the number of cycles required to reach liquefaction;(4)the establishment of the invariable form of the predictive formulas of small strain modulus and strain-dependent shear modulus;and(5)the investigation on the effects of stress-induced anisotropy on liquefaction susceptibility and dynamic deformation characteristics.Insights gained through the critical review of these advances in the past decades offer a perspective for future research to further resolve the fundamental issues concerning the liquefaction mechanism and responses of coral sandy sites subjected to cyclic loadings associated with seismic events in marine environments.

Analysis of mesoscopic mechanical dynamic characteristics of ballast bed with under sleeper pads

The meso-dynamical behaviour of a high-speed rail ballast bed with under sleeper pads(USPs)was studied.The geometrically irregular refined discrete element model of the ballast particles was constructed using 3D scanning techniques,and the 3D dynamic model of the rail-sleeper-ballast bed was constructed using the coupled discrete element method-multiflexible-body dynamics(DEM-MFBD)approach.We analyse the meso-mechanical dynamics of the ballast bed with USPs under dynamic load on a train and verify the correctness of the model in laboratory tests.It is shown that the deformation of the USPs increases the contact area between the sleeper and the ballast particles,and subsequently the number of contacts between them.As the depth of the granular ballast bed increases,the contact area becomes larger,and the contact force between the ballast particles gradually decreases.Under the action of the elastic USPs,the contact forces between ballast particles are reduced and the overall vibration level of the ballast bed can be reduced.The settlement of the granular ballast bed occurs mainly at the shallow position of the sleeper bottom,and the installation of the elastic USPs can be effective in reducing the stress on the ballast particles and the settlement of the ballast bed.

Low-temperature characteristicsof rubbers and performance testsof type 120 emergencyvalve diaphragms

Purpose–The type 120 emergency valve is an essential braking component of railway freight trains,butcorresponding diaphragms consisting of natural rubber(NR)and chloroprene rubber(CR)exhibit insufficientaging resistance and low-temperature resistance,respectively.In order to develop type 120 emergency valverubber diaphragms with long-life and high-performance,low-temperatureresistant CR and NR were processed.Design/methodology/approach–The physical properties of the low-temperature-resistant CR and NRwere tested by low-temperature stretching,dynamic mechanical analysis,differential scanning calorimetryand thermogravimetric analysis.Single-valve and single-vehicle tests of type 120 emergency valves werecarried out for emergency diaphragms consisting of NR and CR.Findings–The low-temperature-resistant CR and NR exhibited excellent physical properties.The elasticityand low-temperature resistance of NR were superior to those of CR,whereas the mechanical properties of thetwo rubbers were similar in the temperature range of 0℃–150℃.The NR and CR emergency diaphragms metthe requirements of the single-valve test.In the low-temperature single-vehicle test,only the low-temperaturesensitivity test of the NR emergency diaphragm met the requirements.Originality/value–The innovation of this study is that it provides valuable data and experience for futuredevelopment of type 120 valve rubber diaphragms.