Non-Contact System for Global Reporting Format (GRF) Automation: Contaminant Body Detection and Depth Estimation in the Case of Rainy Weather

The paper designed a non-contact system in order to perform the application (on a runway) of the Global Reporting Format (GRF) developed by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The system involves devices that film the surface (a runway in our case) from the air and displays the contaminant (water) body and measures the depth of the water automatically during the inspection. While measuring, data are sent to a computer used as a receiver. The developed devices are automatic devices implemented specially to use during rainy weather or even for some other cases. The aerial system uses a raspberry pi 4 model B, a camera, a laser sensor, an ultrasonic module, a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) and python codes developed by the authors. Results obtained show that using these devices to retrieve the Runway Condition Report (RCR) is very fast and human presence on the runway is not needed. The results obtained using these devices show that the method used herein is a proper solution to the GRF issues in the rainy areas, where the contaminant body detection and the accurate depth measurement were not well estimated because of the lack of a suitable method.

Pantograph-catenary electrical contact system of high-speed railways:recent progress,challenges,and outlooks

As the unique power entrance,the pantograph-catenary electrical contact system maintains the efficiency and reliability of power transmission for the high-speed train.Along with the fast development of high-speed railways all over the world,some commercialized lines are built for covering the remote places under harsh environment,especially in China;these environmental elements including wind,sand,rain,thunder,ice and snow need to be considered during the design of the pantograph-catenary system.The pantograph-catenary system includes the pantograph,the contact wire and the interface—pantograph slide.As the key component,this pantograph slide plays a critical role in reliable power transmission under dynamic condition.The fundamental material characteristics of the pantograph slide and contact wire such as electrical conductivity,impact resistance,wear resistance,etc.,directly determine the sliding electrical contact performance of the pantograph-catenary system;meanwhile,different detection methods of the pantograph-catenary system are crucial for the reliability of service and maintenance.In addition,the challenges brought from extreme operational conditions are discussed,taking the Sichuan-Tibet Railway currently under construction as a special example with the high-altitude climate.The outlook for developing the ultra-high-speed train equipped with the novel pantograph-catenary system which can address the harsher operational environment is also involved.This paper has provided a comprehensive review of the high-speed railway pantograph-catenary systems,including its progress,challenges,outlooks in the history and future.

Vibration mechanism analysis and algorithm optimization of contactor contact system

In order to solve the problem of vibration bounce caused by the contact between moving and stationary contacts in the process of switching on,two-degree-of-freedom motion differential equation of the contact system is established.Genetic algorithm is used to optimize the pull in process of AC contactor.The whole process of contact bounce was observed and analyzed by high-speed photography experiment.The theory and experimental results were very similar.The iron core has collided before the contact is separated,which further aggravates the contact bounce.When the iron core bounces collided again,the bounce of the contact was not affected.During the operation of the contactor,the movement of the moving iron core will cause slight vibration of the system.The contact bounce time and the maximum amplitude are reduced.The research results provide a theoretical basis for further control and reduction of contact bounce.

Ice-covered Environmental Adaptability Assessment for Overhead Contact System in High-speed Railways

High-speed trains rely on pantograph-catenary systems(PCSs)to collect electrical energy from power systems.However,the dynamic interaction between the pantograph and the catenary system may become mismatched once ice accumulates on the overhead conductors.More frequent arcing may occur within the PCS during train operation,posing an unpredictable threat to operational safety.Therefore,it is crucial to evaluate the ability of overhead contact system(OCS)to withstand ice-covered variability during line desgin.A new strategy is proposed to evaluate the adaptive performance of an OCS under various icing conditions.First,a dynamic model considering icing conditions is constructed to simulate the interaction within the PCS.Five different OCS structures with various icing thicknesses are studied.The parameters of the contact force within the PCS and proportion of high-possibility arcing moments are obtained.The dependence of the contact force on the icing thickness and pantograph displacement has been illustrated in the form of cloud maps.Finally,the OCS sensitivity coefficient is calculated,and ice-covered environmental adaptability assessments for the five different OCS structures are compared.

Changes of China’s Status in the Global System and Its Influencing Factors:A Multiple Contact Networks Perspective

Clarifying China’s position in the global system is an important logical basis for developing national diplomacy.Although much research has been done on China’s development status,most studies have been based on country comparisons or institutional en-vironment.In today’s networked era in which the global economy,trade,personnel,and information are closely connected,studies on China’s global position and its status changes and influencing factors in multiple contact networks are still insufficient.In this study,from the perspective of diverse global contact networks,we constructed economic,cultural,and political influence indices to explore the changes and influencing factors on China’s status in the global system from 2005 to 2018.The results show that during the study period,China’s global influence in the fields of economic ties,cultural exchanges,and political contacts increased significantly,but its influ-ence in the fields of cultural exchanges and political contacts lagged far economic ties.The pattern of China’s economic influence on various economies around the world has shown a transformation from an‘upright pyramid’to an‘inverted pyramid’structure.The proportion of these economies in low-influence zones has decreased from more than 60%in 2005 to less than 20%in 2018.China’s cultural and political influence on various economies around the world has increased significantly;however,for the former,the percentage of high-influence areas is still less than 20%,whereas for the latter the percentage of these economies in medium-and high-influence areas is still less than 50%.Analyses such as a scatter plot matrix show that geographical proximity,economic globalization,close cooperation with developing countries,and a proactive and peaceful foreign policy are important factors in improving China’s status in the diverse global network system.

Igneous intrusion contact metamorphic system and its reservoir characteristics:A case study of Paleogene Shahejie Formation in Nanpu sag of Bohai Bay Basin,China

Taking the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in Nanpu sag of Bohai Bay Basin as an example,this study comprehensively utilizes seismic,mud logging,well logging,physical property analysis and core thin section data to investigate the metamorphic reservoir formed by contact metamorphism after igneous rock intrusion.(1)A geological model of the igneous intrusion contact met amorphic system is proposed,which can be divided into five structural layers vertically:the intrusion,upper metamorphic aureole,lower metamorphic aureole,normal sedimentary layers on the roof and floor.(2)The intrusion is characterized by xenoliths indicating intrusive facies at the top,regular changes in rock texture and mineral crystallization from the center to the edge on a microscopic scale,and low-angle oblique penetrations of the intrusion through sedimentary strata on a macroscopic scale.The metamorphic aureole has characteristics such as sedimentary rocks as the host rock,typical palimpsest textures developed,various low-temperature thermal metamorphic minerals developed,and medium-low grade thermal metamorphic rocks as the lithology.(3)The reservoir in contact metamorphic aureole has two types of reservoir spaces:matrix pores and fractures.The matrix pores are secondary"intergranular pores"distributed around metamorphic minerals after thermal metamorphic transformation in metasandstones.The fractures are mainly structural fractures and intrusive compressive fractures in metamudstones.The reservoirs generally have three spatial distribution characteristics:layered,porphyritic and hydrocarbon impregnation along fracture.(4)The distribution of reservoirs in the metamorphic aureole is mainly controlled by the intensity of thermal baking.Furthermore,the distribution of favorable reservoirs is controlled by the coupling of favorable lithofacies and thermal contact metamorphism,intrusive compression and hydrothermal dissolution.The proposal and application of the geological model of the intrusion contact metamorphic system are expected to promote the discovery of exploration targets of contact metamorphic rock in Nanpu sag,and provide a reference for the study and exploration of deep contact metamorphic rock reservoirs in the Bohai Bay Basin.

Contact lens as an emerging platform for ophthalmic drug delivery:A systematic review

The number of people with eye diseases has increased with the use of electronics.However,the bioavailability of eye drops remains low owing to the presence of the ocular barrier and other reasons.Although many drug delivery systems have been developed to overcome these problems,they have certain limitations.In recent years,the development of contact lenses that can deliver drugs for long periods with high bioavailability and without affecting vision has increased the interest in using contact lenses for drug delivery.Hence,a review of the current state of research on drug delivery contact lenses has become crucial.This article reviews the key physical and chemical properties of drug-laden contact lenses,development and classification of contact lenses,and features of the commonly used materials.A review of the methods commonly used in current research to create contact lenses has also been presented.An overview on how drug-laden contact lenses can overcome the problems of high burst and short release duration has been discussed.Overall,the review focuses on drug delivery methods using smart contact lenses,and predicts the future direction of research on contact lenses.

The Mesenchymal stem cell regulates the immune system: secretion of cytokines, cell-to-cell contact and extracellular vesicles

MSCs are pluripotent stem cells which have multipotent differentiation potential and immunosuppressive ability.Therefore,MSCs play an important role in regenerative medicine;the study of their mechanisms of regulating immune responses will also lead to new strategies for the treatment of immune-inflammatory diseases.Studies have shown that MSCs can modulate adaptive and innate immunity by secreting cytokines or cell-to-cell contact and play an immunosuppressive role.In addition,the secretion of extracellular vesicles by MSCs is also an important immunomodulatory mechanism.MSCs need to be cultured in vitro before they can be used to modulate immunity.It has been shown that pretreatment of MSCs during culture can improve cell survival rate and further enhance the ability of immunomodulation.In this paper,the mechanism of MSCs regulating immune response is discussed to deepen the understanding of MSCs regulating immunity.

A Review of Contact Electrification at Diversified Interfaces and Related Applications on Triboelectric Nanogenerator

The triboelectric nanogenerator(TENG)can effectively collect energy based on contact electrification(CE)at diverse interfaces,including solid–solid,liquid–solid,liquid–liquid,gas–solid,and gas–liquid.This enables energy harvesting from sources such as water,wind,and sound.In this review,we provide an overview of the coexistence of electron and ion transfer in the CE process.We elucidate the diverse dominant mechanisms observed at different interfaces and emphasize the interconnectedness and complementary nature of interface studies.The review also offers a comprehensive summary of the factors influencing charge transfer and the advancements in interfacial modification techniques.Additionally,we highlight the wide range of applications stemming from the distinctive characteristics of charge transfer at various interfaces.Finally,this review elucidates the future opportunities and challenges that interface CE may encounter.We anticipate that this review can offer valuable insights for future research on interface CE and facilitate the continued development and industrialization of TENG.

Heterogeneities of grain boundary contact for simulation of laboratoryscale mechanical behavior of granitic rocks

From a practical point of view,grain structure heterogeneities are key parameters that control the rock response and still remains a challenge to incorporate in a quantitative manner.One of the less discussed topics in the context of the grain-based model(GBM)in the particle flow code(PFC)is the contact heterogeneities and the appropriate contact model to mimic the grain boundary behavior.Generally,the smooth joint(SJ)model and linear parallel bond(LPB)model are used to simulate the grain boundary behavior.However,the literature does not document the suitability of different models for specific problems.Another challenge in implementing GBM in PFC is that only a single bonding parameter is used at the grain boundaries.The aim of this study is to investigate the responses of a laboratory-scale specimen with SJ and LPB models,considering grain boundary heterogeneous and homogeneous contact parameters.Uniaxial and biaxial compression tests are performed to calibrate the response of Creighton granite.The stressestrain curves,volumetric dilation,inter-crack(crack in the grain boundary),and intra-crack(crack within the grain)development,and failure patterns associated with different contact models are examined.It was found that both the SJ and LPB models can reproduce the pre-peak behavior observed for a granitic rock type.However,the LPB model is unable to reproduce the post-peak behavior.Due to the large interlocking effect originating from the balls in contact and the ball size in the LPB model,local dilation is induced at the grain boundaries.This overestimates the volumetric dilation and residual shear strength.The LPB model tends to result in discontinuous inter-cracks and stress localization in the rock specimen,resulting in fine fragments at the rock surface during failure.

Supposition of graphene stacks to estimate the contact resistance and conductivity of nanocomposites

In this study,the effects of stacked nanosheets and the surrounding interphase zone on the resistance of the contact region between nanosheets and the tunneling conductivity of samples are evaluated with developed equations superior to those previously reported.The contact resistance and nanocomposite conductivity are modeled by several influencing factors,including stack properties,interphase depth,tunneling size,and contact diameter.The developed model's accuracy is verified through numerous experimental measurements.To further validate the models and establish correlations between parameters,the effects of all the variables on contact resistance and nanocomposite conductivity are analyzed.Notably,the contact resistance is primarily dependent on the polymer tunnel resistivity,contact area,and tunneling size.The dimensions of the graphene nanosheets significantly influence the conductivity,which ranges from 0 S/m to90 S/m.An increased number of nanosheets in stacks and a larger gap between them enhance the nanocomposite's conductivity.Furthermore,the thicker interphase and smaller tunneling size can lead to higher sample conductivity due to their optimistic effects on the percolation threshold and network efficacy.

Effect of surface modification on the radiation stability of diamond ohmic contacts

The ohmic contact interface between diamond and metal is essential for the application of diamond detectors.Surface modification can significantly affect the contact performance and eliminate the interface polarization effect.However,the radiation stability of a diamond detector is also sensitive to surface modification.In this work,the influence of surface modification technology on a diamond ohmic contact under high-energy radiation was investigated.Before radiation,the specific contact resistivities(ρc)between Ti/Pt/Au-hydrogen-terminated diamond(H-diamond)and Ti/Pt/Au-oxygenterminated diamond(O-diamond)were 2.0×10^(-4)W·cm^(2) and 4.3×10^(-3)Wcm^(2),respectively.After 10 MeV electron radiation,the ρc of Ti/Pt/Au H-diamond and Ti/Pt/Au O-diamond were 5.3×10^(-3)W·cm^(2)and 9.1×10^(-3)W·cm^(2),respectively.The rates of change of ρc of H-diamond and O-diamond after radiation were 2550%and 112%,respectively.The electron radiation promotes bond reconstruction of the diamond surface,resulting in an increase in ρc.

Wettability,reactivity,and interface structure in Mg/Ni system

The sessile drop method was applied to the experimental investigation of the wetting and spreading behaviors of liquid Mg drops on pure Ni substrates.For comparison,the experiments were performed in two variants:(1)using the Capillary Purification(CP)procedure,which allows the non-contact heating and squeezing of a pure oxide-free Mg drop;(2)by classical Contact Heating(CH)procedure.The high-temperature tests were performed under isothermal conditions(CP:760℃for 30 s;CH:715℃for 300 s)using Ar+5 wt%H_(2) atmosphere.During the sessile drop tests,images of the Mg/Ni couples were recorded by CCD cameras(57 fps),which were then applied to calculate the contact angles of metal/substrate couples.Scanning and transmission electron microscopy analyses,both coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy,were used for detailed structural characterization of the solidified couples.It was found that an oxide-free Mg drop obtained by the CP procedure showed a wetting phenomenon on the Ni substrate(an average contact angleθ<90°in<1 s),followed by fast spreading and good wetting over the Ni substrate(θ_((CP))~20°in 5 s)to form a final contact angle ofθ_(f(CP))~18°.In contrast,a different wetting behavior was observed for the CH procedure,where the unavoidable primary oxide film on the Mg surface blocked the spreading of liquid Mg showing apparently non-wetting behavior after 300 s contact at the test temperature.However,in both cases,the deep craters formed in the Ni substrates under the Mg drops and significant change in the structure of initially pure Mg drops to Mg-Ni alloys suggest a strong dissolution of Ni in liquid Mg and apparent values of the final contact angles measured for the Mg/Ni system.

Contact Stress Reliability Analysis Model for Cylindrical Gear with Circular Arc Tooth Trace Based on an Improved Metamodel

Although there is currently no unified standard theoretical formula for calculating the contact stress of cylindrical gears with a circular arc tooth trace(referred to as CATT gear),a mathematical model for determining the contact stress of CATT gear is essential for studying how parameters affect its contact stress and building the contact stress limit state equation for contact stress reliability analysis.In this study,a mathematical relationship between design parameters and contact stress is formulated using the KrigingMetamodel.To enhance the model’s accuracy,we propose a new hybrid algorithm that merges the genetic algorithm with the Quantum Particle Swarm optimization algorithm,leveraging the strengths of each.Additionally,the“parental inheritance+self-learning”optimization model is used to fine-tune the KrigingMetamodel’s parameters.Following this,amathematicalmodel for calculating the contact stress of Variable Hyperbolic Circular-Arc-Tooth-Trace(VH-CATT)gears using the optimized Kriging model was developed.We then examined how different gear parameters affect the VH-CATT gears’contact stress.Our simulation results show:(1)Improvements in R2,RMSE,and RMAE.R2 rose from0.9852 to 0.9974(a 1.22%increase),nearing 1,suggesting the optimized Kriging Metamodel’s global error is minimized.Meanwhile,RMSE dropped from3.9210 to 1.6492,a decline of 57.94%.The global error of the GA-IQPSO-Kriging algorithm was also reduced,with RMAE decreasing by 58.69%from 0.1823 to 0.0753,showing the algorithm’s enhanced precision.In a comparison of ten experimental groups selected randomly,the GA-IQPSO-Kriging and FEM-based contact analysis methods were used to measure contact stress.Results revealed a maximum error of 12.11667 MPA,which represents 2.85%of the real value.(2)Several factors,including the pressure angle,tooth width,modulus,and tooth line radius,are inversely related to contact stress.The descending order of their impact on the contact stress is:tooth line radius>modulus>pressure angle>tooth width.(3)Complex interactions are noted among various parameters.Specifically,when the tooth line radius interacts with parameters such as pressure angle,tooth width,and modulus,the resulting stress contour is nonlinear,showcasing amultifaceted contour plane.However,when tooth width,modulus,and pressure angle interact,the stress contour is nearly linear,and the contour plane is simpler,indicating a weaker coupling among these factors.

Thermal-contact capacity of one-dimensional attractive Gaudin-Yang model

Tan's contact C is an important quantity measuring the two-body correlations at short distances in a dilute system.Here we make use of the technique of exactly solved models to study the thermal-contact capacity K_(T),i.e.,the derivative of C with respect to temperature in the attractive Gaudin-Yang model.It is found that K_(T) is useful in identifying the low temperature phase diagram,and using the obtained analytical expression of K_(T),we study its critical behavior and the scaling law.Especially,we show K_(T) versus temperature and thus the non-monotonic tendency of C in a tiny interval,for both spin-balanced and imbalanced phases.Such a phenomenon is merely observed in multi-component systems such as SU(2)Fermi gases and spinor bosons,indicating the crossover from the Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid to the spin-coherent liquid.

A hybrid contact approach for modeling soil-structure interaction using the material point method

The grid-based multi-velocity field technique has become increasingly popular for simulating the Material Point Method(MPM)in contact problems.However,this traditional technique has some shortcomings,such as(1)early contact and contact penetration can occur when the contact conditions are unsuitable,and(2)the method is not available for contact problems involving rigid-nonrigid materials,which can cause numerical instability.This study presents a new hybrid contact approach for the MPM to address these limitations to simulate the soil and structure interactions.The approach combines the advantages of point-point and point-segment contacts to implement contact detection,satisfying the impenetrability condition and smoothing the corner contact problem.The proposed approach is first validated through a disk test on an inclined slope.Then,several typical cases,such as granular collapse,bearing capacity,and deformation of a flexible retaining wall,are simulated to demonstrate the robustness of the proposed approach compared with FEM or analytical solutions.Finally,the proposed method is used to simulate the impact of sand flow on a deformable structure.The results show that the proposed contact approach can well describe the phenomenon of soil-structure interaction problems.

Analytical modeling and approaches of multihelix cables incorporating with interwire mutual contacts

This study aims to develop an analytical model based on the curve beam theory to capture the mechanical response of a multihelix cable considering the internal contact displacements.Accordingly,a double-helix cable subjected to axial tension and torsion is analyzed,and both the line and point contacts between the neighboring wires and strands are considered via an equivalent homogenized approach.Then,the proposed theoretical model is extended to a hierarchical multihelix cable with mutual contact displacements by constructing a recursive relationship between the high-and low-level multihelix structures.The global tensile stiffness and torsional stiffness of the double-helix cable are successfully evaluated.The results are validated by a finite element(FE)model,and are found to be consistent with the findings of previous studies.It is shown that the contact deformations in multihelix cables significantly affect their equivalent mechanical stiffness,and the contact displacements are remarkably enhanced as the helix angles increase.This study provides insights into the interwire/interstrand mutual contact effects on global and local responses.

Highly divergent sympatric lineages of Leptotila verreauxi(Aves:Columbidae)suggest a secondary contact area in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec,Mexico

Due to a complex geological and biotic history,the Isthmus of Tehuantepec(IT),has been long recognized as a driver for the evolutionary divergence of numerous lowland and highland taxa.Widely distributed in the lowlands of the American continent,the White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi)is a polytypic species with 13 recognized subspecies.Four of these have been recorded in Mexico,and the distribution of three abuts at the IT,suggesting a contact zone.To estimate phylogenetic patterns,divergence times and genetic differentiation,we examined two mt DNA(ND2 and COI)and one n DNA(β-fibint 7)markers.We also used correlative ecological niche models(ENM)to assess whether ecological differences across the IT may have acted as a biogeographical boundary.We estimated paleodistributions during the Middle Holocene,Last Glacial Maximum and Last Interglacial,to evaluate the influence of climate changes on the distribution and demographic changes.Our results showed genetically distinct lineages that diverged approximately 2.5 million years ago.Climatic and ecological factors may have played a dual role in promoting differentiation,but also in the formation of a secondary contact zone in the southern IT.Our ecological niche comparisons indicated that the ecological niche of sympatric lineages at the IT are not identical,suggesting niches divergence;in addition,environmental niche models across the region indicated no abrupt biogeographic barriers,but the presence of regions with low suitability.These results suggest that genetic differentiation originated by a vicariant event probably related to environmental factors,favored the evolution of different ecological niches.Also,the absence of a biogeographic barrier but the presence of less suitable areas in the contact regions,suggest that secondary contact zones may be also maintained by climatic factors for the eastern group,but also by biotic interactions for the western group.

Application of Isogeometric Analysis Method in Three-Dimensional Gear Contact Analysis

Gears are pivotal in mechanical drives,and gear contact analysis is a typically difficult problem to solve.Emerging isogeometric analysis(IGA)methods have developed new ideas to solve this problem.In this paper,a threedimensional body parametric gear model of IGA is established,and a theoretical formula is derived to realize single-tooth contact analysis.Results were benchmarked against those obtained from commercial software utilizing the finite element analysis(FEA)method to validate the accuracy of our approach.Our findings indicate that the IGA-based contact algorithmsuccessfullymet theHertz contact test.When juxtaposed with the FEA approach,the IGAmethod demonstrated fewer node degrees of freedomand reduced computational units,all whilemaintaining comparable accuracy.Notably,the IGA method appeared to exhibit consistency in analysis accuracy irrespective of computational unit density,and also significantlymitigated non-physical oscillations in contact stress across the tooth width.This underscores the prowess of IGA in contact analysis.In conclusion,IGA emerges as a potent tool for addressing contact analysis challenges and holds significant promise for 3D gear modeling,simulation,and optimization of various mechanical components.

Frictional contact analysis of a rigid solid with periodic surface sliding on the thermoelectric material

Understanding and characterizing rough contact and wavy surfaces are essential for developing effective strategies to mitigate wear,optimize lubrication,and enhance the overall performance and durability of mechanical systems.The sliding friction contact problem between a thermoelectric(TE)half-plane and a rigid solid with a periodic wavy surface is the focus of this investigation.To simplify the problem,we utilize mixed boundary conditions,leading to a set of singular integral equations(SIEs)with the Hilbert kernels.The analytical solutions for the energy flux and electric current density are obtained by the variable transform method in the context of the electric and temperature field.The contact problem for the elastic field is transformed into the second-kind SIE and solved by the Jacobi polynomials.Notably,the smoothness of the wavy contact surface ensures that there are no singularities in the surface contact stress,and ensures that it remains free at the contact edge.Based on the plane strain theory of elasticity,the analysis primarily examines the correlation between the applied load and the effective contact area.The distribution of the normal stress on the surface with or without TE loads is discussed in detail for various friction coefficients.Furthermore,the obtained results indicate that the in-plane stress decreases behind the trailing edge,while it increases ahead of the trailing edge when subjected to TE loads.