Ultra-wide band gap and wave attenuation mechanism of a novel star-shaped chiral metamaterial

A novel hollow star-shaped chiral metamaterial(SCM)is proposed by incorporating chiral structural properties into the standard hollow star-shaped metamaterial,exhibiting a wide band gap over 1500 Hz.To broaden the band gap,solid single-phase and two-phase SCMs are designed and simulated,which produce two ultra-wide band gaps(approximately 5116 Hz and 6027 Hz,respectively).The main reason for the formation of the ultra-wide band gap is that the rotational vibration of the concave star of two novel SCMs drains the energy of an elastic wave.The impacts of the concave angle of a single-phase SCM and the resonator radius of a two-phase SCM on the band gaps are studied.Decreasing the concave angle leads to an increase in the width of the widest band gap,and the width of the widest band gap increases as the resonator radius of the two-phase SCM increases.Additionally,the study on elastic wave propagation characteristics involves analyzing frequency dispersion surfaces,wave propagation directions,group velocities,and phase velocities.Ultimately,the analysis focuses on the transmission properties of finite periodic structures.The solid single-phase SCM achieves a maximum vibration attenuation over 800,while the width of the band gap is smaller than that of the two-phase SCM.Both metamaterials exhibit high vibration attenuation capabilities,which can be used in wideband vibration reduction to satisfy the requirement of ultra-wide frequencies.

Retinal vascular morphological characteristics in diabetic retinopathy: an artificial intelligence study using a transfer learning system to analyze ultra-wide field images

AIM:To investigate the morphological characteristics of retinal vessels in patients with different severity of diabetic retinopathy(DR)and in patients with or without diabetic macular edema(DME).METHODS:The 239 eyes of DR patients and 100 eyes of healthy individuals were recruited for the study.The severity of DR patients was graded as mild,moderate and severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR)according to the international clinical diabetic retinopathy(ICDR)disease severity scale classification,and retinal vascular morphology was quantitatively analyzed in ultra-wide field images using RU-net and transfer learning methods.The presence of DME was determined by optical coherence tomography(OCT),and differences in vascular morphological characteristics were compared between patients with and without DME.RESULTS:Retinal vessel segmentation using RU-net and transfer learning system had an accuracy of 99%and a Dice metric of 0.76.Compared with the healthy group,the DR group had smaller vessel angles(33.68±3.01 vs 37.78±1.60),smaller fractal dimension(Df)values(1.33±0.05 vs 1.41±0.03),less vessel density(1.12±0.44 vs 2.09±0.36)and fewer vascular branches(206.1±88.8 vs 396.5±91.3),all P<0.001.As the severity of DR increased,Df values decreased,P=0.031.No significant difference between the DME and non-DME groups were observed in vascular morphological characteristics.CONCLUSION:In this study,an artificial intelligence retinal vessel segmentation system is used with 99%accuracy,thus providing with relatively satisfactory performance in the evaluation of quantitative vascular morphology.DR patients have a tendency of vascular occlusion and dropout.The presence of DME does not compromise the integral retinal vascular pattern.

Evaluation of Nylon 6 and Nylon 66 Cord Fabrics for Scooter Tyre Production under Different Curing Conditions

Cord fabric is a critical material used in the manufacture of tyres and various composite materials to increase durability and strength. The tyre consists of many layers of cord fabric, with each layer being referred to as a cord ply. These layers are strategically positioned within the tyre’s internal structure, particularly in the tread and sidewall areas, to improve handling, durability and impact resistance. The cord fabric also serves a critical role in maintaining the structural integrity of the tyre, ensuring that it retains its contour and resists deformations under different operating conditions. This study discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using Nylon 6 (NY6) and Nylon 66 (NY66) cord fabrics in scooter tire production, with a focus on their mechanical behavior under varying curing temperatures and pressures. It was observed that while the curing time for both NY6 and NY66 remained consistent across different platen temperatures and pressures, their mechanical properties showed significant differences. NY6, known for its flexibility and impact resistance, exhibited greater changes in cord-breaking strength and elongation with increasing temperature, showing a marked decrease in breaking strength at higher temperatures. In contrast, NY66 maintained better stability and performance under similar conditions.

Fractal analysis of retinal vasculature in normal subjects on ultra-wide field fluorescein angiography

AIM: To evaluate the fractal feature of the retinal vasculature of normal eyes on a stereographic projected and montaged ultra-wide field(UWF) fluorescein angiography(FA).METHODS: Prospective, observational, cross-sectional study. Totally 59 eyes of 31 normal subjects were imaged using the Optos 200 Tx. Images obtained at different gaze angles stereographically projected and montaged. The early-phase UWF FA frames were processed to segment the retinal vasculature and the results were exported as binary masks. The fractal dimension(FD) was calculated using the box-counting method.RESULTS: The global FD for the entire retina was 1.6±0.04, with no difference between males and females(1.59±0.04 vs 1.61±0.04, P=0.084) or between right and left eyes(1.6±0.04 vs 1.6±0.05, P=0.61). FD was nonuniformly distributed among four quadrants(P<0.001) and decreased as the distance from the fovea increased(P<0.001). A negative association was observed between FD and age(R=-0.37, P=0.006), and this relationship was observed in the posterior and mid-peripheral retina(P<0.05) but absent in far-periphery(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Fractal geometry is non-uniformly distributed across the retina in normal eyes and decreases from the fovea to the far-periphery. Subjects with an older age tend to have a smaller FD, however, the FD in the farperiphery does not appear to be influenced by age.

Progress of power field effect transistor based on ultra-wide bandgap Ga_2O_3 semiconductor material

As a promising ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor, gallium oxide(Ga_2O_3) has attracted increasing attention in recent years. The high theoretical breakdown electrical field(8 MV/cm), ultra-wide bandgap(～ 4.8 eV) and large Baliga's figure of merit(BFOM) of Ga_2O_3 make it a potential candidate material for next generation high-power electronics, including diode and field effect transistor(FET). In this paper, we introduce the basic physical properties of Ga_2O_3 single crystal, and review the recent research process of Ga_2O_3 based field effect transistors. Furthermore, various structures of FETs have been summarized and compared, and the potential of Ga_2O_3 is preliminary revealed. Finally, the prospect of the Ga_2O_3 based FET for power electronics application is analyzed.

Compact Coplanar Epsilon-Negative Antenna with Ultra-Wide Band Character

In this paper, a compact coplanar epsilon.negative(ENG) antenna is proposed with ultra.wide operation band and small size of 18×11.5 mm2. The proposed antenna is designed based on a coplanar.waveguide(CPW) feeding antenna, and thus the via.free structure is employed to realize the ENG unit cell, which is convenient to tune the frequency of zeroth.order resonance(ZOR) and extends the ZOR bandwidth. The high.order resonant frequencies are achieved and mainly determined by the separate slots that are located between the radiating patch and the ground plane. Adding the left.handed inductance between the radiating patch and ground has slight impact on the high.order resonant frequencies, and then the ultra.wide band is achieved by merging the ZOR bandwidth with the high.order resonant bandwidths. The ground plane primarily works as a matching network for the proposed antenna. Although it generates a low.frequency resonance, the performance is undesirable due to the impedance mismatching. The measured results show that the reflection coefficient, |S11| <.10 d B, is in a wide frequency range from 5.25 to 13 GHz, which covers the upper operation band of UWB communication. Also, the antenna contains relatively stable gains and omni.directional radiation patterns.

Novel indoor positioning system based on ultra-wide bandwidth

To tackle challenges such as interference and poor accuracy of indoor positioning systems,a novel scheme based on ultra-wide bandwidth(UWB)technology is proposed.First,we illustrate a distance measuring method between two UWB devices.Then,a Taylor series expansion algorithm is developed to detect coordinates of the mobile node using the location of anchor nodes and the distance between them.Simulation results show that the observation error under our strategy is within 15 cm,which is superior to existing algorithms.The final experimental data in the hardware system mainly composed of STM32 and DW1000 also confirms the performance of the proposed scheme.

ON THE PAR REDUCTION OF MB-OFDM ULTRA-WIDEBAND SIGNALS

The Peak to Average power Ratio (PAR) of a Multi-Band Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (MB-OFDM) Ultra-Wide Band (UWB) signals can be substantially larger than that of single carrier or carrier-less ultra-wideband signals. In this letter, a novel PAR reduction scheme for the MB-OFDM UWB system based on spreading and interleaving is proposed. By spreading the coded bits over each subcarrier in corresponding band and interleaving the spread symbols across all bands, the PAR statistics of the MB-OFDM signals can be improved and the PAR is reduced obviously. In the PAR reduction scheme, there is no loss in transmission data rate or Bit Error Rate (BER) performance decreasing. Since the spreading and interleaving operation are implemented by unitary Hadamard sequences and used for an approach to provide the robustness of the UWB system to narrowband interference, there is no additional implementation burden. Simulation results show that the investigated scheme gives the PAR reduction of 3dB compared with that of the original MB-OFDM signals.

Preface to the Special Issue on Ultra-Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Gallium Oxide: from Materials to Devices

As one of the ultra-wide bandgap {UWBG)semiconducting materials,gallium oxide has attractive properties with a wide bandgap of about 4.8 eV and a high breakdown field of about 8 MWcm,which offers an alternative platform for various applications such as high performance power switches,RF amplifiers,solar blind photodetectors,and harsh environment signal processing.

Numerical simulation of the coupling of ultra-wide band electromagnetic pulse into landmine by aperture

The modern landmine＇s electronic fuse is susceptible to strong interference or can even be damaged by the ultra-wide band electromagnetic pulse（UWB-EMP）. The finite-difference time-domain（FDTD） method in lossy media with cylindrical coordinates is used to study the interactions of the UWB-EMP with the landmine. First, the coupling of UWB-EMP into the landmine shielding shell through an aperture is numerically simulated. Second, the coupled electromagnetic field of mine shells made of different shielding materials and with apertures of different sizes is plotted. Third, the aperture coupling laws of UWB-EMP into shells are analyzed and categorized. Such an algorithm is capable of effectively preventing ladder similar errors, and consequently improving the calculation precision, and in addition to adopting the message passing interface（MPI） parallel method to divide the total calculating range into more sub-ranges, the overall calculating efficiency is greatly increased. These calculations are surely a constructive reference for modern landmine design against electromagnetic damage.

Mobile Robot Positioning and Tracking Based on Ultra-wideband Technology

To solve the precision self-positioning problem for mobile robot,a positioning program based on ultra-wideband technology was proposed. Ultra-wideband pulse has very high bandwidth; ranging accuracy can achieve centimeter-level theoretically. The mobile robot obtained the distance to the reference node by sending ultra-wideband pulse. According to the geometric relations among the references and the robot,establish equations to calculate the position coordinates. Then Kalman filter algorithm was applied for mobile robot tracking. Simulation results show that robot positioning and tracking based on ultra-wideband technology can achieve indoor and outdoor seamless docking.

Evaluation of traumatic retinopathy with ultra-wide field imaging under corneal scar or fixed small pupil

AIM： To evaluate the value of ultra-wide field（UWF） imaging in the management of traumatic retinopathy under the condition of corneal scar or fixed small pupil after complicated ocular trauma. METHODS： Twenty-eight patients（28 eyes） with complicated ocular trauma were enrolled in the study from June 2016 to May 2017, including 19 males and 9 females with age ranged from 11 to 64（43.42±12.62）y. All patients were treated with secondary vitrectomy after emergency operation for wound repair of open ocular trauma. Direct ophthalmoscopy and 45-degree fundus photography were taken at each time point of follow up for comparison of findings with UWF images. Routine eye examination including visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit lamp examination were performed and analyzed as well.RESULTS： Among the 28 traumatized eyes, the positive rate for identification of traumatic retinopathed was 32.1%（9 cases）, 14.9%（5 cases）, and 85.7%（24 cases） with direct ophthalmoscopy, 45-degree fundus photography, and UWF imaging, respectively. The detective rate of UWF imaging under the condition of corneal scar or fixed small pupil was statistically greater than that of 45-degree fundus photography and direct ophthalmoscopy（Bonferroni correction, P〈0.001）. UWF image was obtained in 19 eyes with opaque corneal scar, otherwise their fundus could not be seen by conventional methods. The additional findings of traumatic retinopathies by UWF imaging included periretinal membranes or pre-retinal proliferating strip, retinal holes, hemorrhage in the vitreous or sub-retinal space.CONCLUSION： UWF imaging is superior to traditional fundus photography in the evaluation of traumatic retinopathies under the condition of corneal scar or fixed small pupil after complicated ocular trauma.

Designing a Carbon Nanotube Field-Effect Transistor with High Transition Frequency for Ultra-Wideband Application

Theoretical calculations predict transition frequencies in the terahertz range for the field-effect transistors based on carbon nanotubes, and this shows their suitability for being used in high frequency applications. In this paper, we have designed a field-effect transistor based on carbon nanotube with high transition frequency suitable for ultra-wide band applications. We did this by optimizing nanotube diameter, gate insulator thickness and dielectric constant. As a result, we achieved the transition frequency about 7.45 THz. The environment of open source software FETToy is used to simulate the device. Also a suitable model for calculating the transition frequency is presented.

Evaluation of System Performance of Ultra-Wide Band Jointing in MC Signaling in Correlated Environments

The evaluation of System Performance of UWB (ultra-wide band) jointing in MC (multi-carrier) signaling in correlated environments is presented in the report. The correlated Nakagami-m statistical distribution for the multipath fading model is assumed in this scenario. In fact to establish the model for analyzing in this article is using MC-CDMA (multi-carrier code-division multiple-access) system characterization combined with a UWB scheme. The average BER (bit error rate) is calculated and compared to a special case of previously published results. Studied results from this paper can be implied to approve the system performance for a UWB system combined with a MC-CDMA wireless communication system. It is worth noting that the Nakagami-m distributed fading parameter significantly dominates UWB system performance when it cooperates with MC signaling under a fading environment. Finally, it is worthy of noting that when the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) at system’s receiver reaches a preset high threshold value, the parameter of power decay ratio effect could be not included.

A Novel Polymorphic Topology with Hybrid Control Strategy Based LLC Resonant Converter for Ultra-Wide Input Voltage Range Applications

To realize effective utilization of renewable energy sources,a novel polymorphic topology with hybrid control strategy based LLC resonant converter was analyzed and designed in this paper.By combining the merits of a full bridge LLC resonant converter,three-level half bridge LLC resonant converter,and variable frequency control mode,the converter realizes an intelligent estimation of input voltage by automatically changing its internal cir-cuit topology.Under this control strategy,different input voltages determine different operation modes.This is achieved in full bridge LLC mode when the input voltage is low.If the input voltage rises to a certain level,it operates in three-level half bridge LLC mode.These switches are digital and entirely carried out by the DSP(Digi-tal Signal Processor),which means that an auxiliary circuit is unnecessary,where a simple strategy of software modification can be utilized.Experimental results of a 500W prototype with 100V~600V input voltage and full load efficiency of up to 92%are developed to verify feasibility and practicability.This type of converter is suitable for applications with an ultra-wide input voltage range,such as wind turbines,photovoltaic generators,bioenergy,and other renewable energy sources.

Influence of the Partial Substitution of Bitumen by a Mixture of Sulphur and Tyre and Plastic Bottle Powders on the Behaviour of Bituminous Concrete

This article deals with the influence of the partial substitution of bitumen by a mixture of sulphur and tyre and plastic bottle powders on the characterization of asphalt concrete. The approach adopted was to subject a control asphalt concrete to level 2 formulation tests as well as those modified at 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% by substituting bitumen with a mixture of tyre powder, plastic bottle powder and sulphur at 40%, 28% and 32% respectively. The results of the PCG, Duriez and rutting tests carried out on the control and modified bituminous concretes (manufactured using the wet process) revealed three (03) major findings, in particular with regard to workability, resistance to simple compression and rutting. The experimental results show an increasing trend in the essential parameters. At 40% substitution, there was a 22.73% increase in compactness, reflecting a significant improvement in the material’s workability. With regard to simple compressive strength, the increase is 34.02% at 40% substitution, highlighting the limitation of crack formation and propagation under heavy precipitation. With regard to rutting, the 16% drop in susceptibility at 40% substitution reflects a significant improvement in the behaviour of the material under dynamic mechanical stresses in heavy precipitation. The improvement in these behaviours results from the insertion of the plastic bottle powder into the interstices of the granular skeleton, thus reducing its cellular structure, and also from the interactions between the sulphur with the tyre powder and the sulphur with the plastic bottle powder, i.e. cross-linking or vulcanisation.

井下行车管理系统设计

胶轮车在井下辅助运输领域的应用越来越广泛,但井下行车主要还是采用人工管理方式,存在效率较低、安全隐患较大等问题。为适应智慧矿山的发展趋势,提高井下胶轮车的行车效率和安全性,设计一套胶轮车运输管理系统,分析和研究井下运输的数学模型和典型的三叉巷道的行车管理策略,并对行车管理系统软件框架及主要子程序流程图进行设计。这套系统可实时监测井下行车状况并对车辆进行调配和管理,大大提高井下车辆行车管理的效率和智能化程度。

基于前馈补偿LQR与PID的矿井无轨胶轮车横纵向控制研究

无人驾驶技术是实现无轨胶轮车井下安全、智能、高效运输的重要方案之一,为了提高无人驾驶过程中的轨迹跟踪精度,提出了基于前馈补偿的横向线性二次型调节器(Linear Quadratic Regulator,LQR)与纵向比例积分微分(Proportion Integration Derivative,PID)位移速度调节器相结合的控制策略,实现车辆的横纵向协调控制。通过建立考虑轮胎侧偏特性的2自由度无轨胶轮车动力学模型和跟踪误差模型,并采用井下无轨胶轮车实车参数建立其电机模型,得到车辆的驱动制动输出。利用Carsim和Matlab/Simulink搭建联合仿真环境,分别在井下双车道工况、单车道工况与颠簸路面工况下进行了轨迹跟踪仿真验证。结果表明:在3种工况下车辆轨迹跟踪过程中的最大横向误差仅为5 cm,最大纵向误差仅为10 cm,速度误差控制在1 m/s以内,航向误差范围为±0.1 rad,前轮偏转角变化平稳未出现抖动现象。为验证控制器在井下实际环境下的跟踪性能,使用实验室小车于陕西某井下巷道进行了现场试验验证,结果表明:井下实际巷道下试验结果误差仍在合理范围内,解决了车辆运行过程中的速度和路径的时变问题,反映出该控制器具有较高的精度和较好的稳定性。

煤矿井下无轨胶轮车弯道事故风险综合预警研究

针对煤矿井下无轨胶轮车弯道事故多发的问题,提出了综合考虑多因素的风险预警指标体系。基于UWB定位轨迹数据及客观因素数据,以五级计分法为预警因素量化指标,建立了煤矿井下无轨胶轮车弯道事故风险分级预警机制;构建了SSA-BP神经网络预警模型,进行了仿真学习与训练,并与BP、SVM模型进行了对比。结果表明,建立的分级预警指标机制对煤矿井下无轨胶轮车弯道安全性提升有所帮助,构建的SSA-BP神经网络模型对煤矿井下车辆弯道事故风险预警具有较高的准确性与稳定性。

RTP-PVA混杂纤维的工程水泥基复合材料干缩性能试验研究

为研究回收轮胎聚合物(recycled tyre polymer,RTP)和聚乙烯醇(polyvinyl alcohol,PVA)混杂纤维对工程水泥基复合材料(engineered cementitious composites,ECC)干缩性能的影响,对RTP-PVA混杂纤维总体积分数为2.0%的ECC进行流动性、直接拉伸和干缩试验,并分析混杂纤维作用机理和干缩计算模型.结果表明:RTP纤维替代率为12.5%~50%对ECC流动性影响不大,比单掺PVA纤维的ECC流动性降低1.09%~3.69%.ECC的抗拉强度随RTP纤维替代率的增加而降低,不同比例的混杂纤维比单掺PVA纤维的ECC抗拉强度降低了23.6%~56.6%.不同比例混杂纤维ECC干缩率曲线趋势相近,7 d时干缩率为28 d时的80.92%~82.77%.ECC的干缩率随RTP纤维替代率的增加而降低,28 d时不同RTP纤维替代率的混杂纤维比单掺PVA纤维的ECC干缩率降低了0.80%~2.09%.RTP-PVA混杂纤维可在ECC中协同发挥作用抑制基体干缩,结合试验结果得到适合RTP-PVA混杂纤维ECC的指数型干缩预测模型.