Analysis of wheel-rail adhesion redundancy considering the thirdbody medium on the rail surface

Purpose–In response to the problem of insufficient traction/braking adhesion force caused by the existence of the third-body medium on the rail surface,this study aims to analyze the utilization of wheel-rail adhesion coefficient under different medium conditions and propose relevant measures for reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion to ensure the traction/braking performance and operation safety of trains.Design/methodology/approach–Based on the PLS-160 wheel-rail adhesion simulation test rig,the study investigates the variation patterns of maximum utilized adhesion characteristics on the rail surface under different conditions of small creepage and large slip.Through statistical analysis of multiple sets of experimental data,the statistical distribution patterns of maximum utilized adhesion on the rail surface are obtained,and a method for analyzing wheel-rail adhesion redundancy based on normal distribution is proposed.The study analyzes the utilization of traction/braking adhesion,as well as adhesion redundancy,for different medium under small creepage and large slip conditions.Based on these findings,relevant measures for the reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion are derived.Findings–When the third-body medium exists on the rail surface,the train should adopt the low-level service braking to avoid the braking skidding by extending the braking distance.Compared with the current adhesion control strategy of small creepage,adopting appropriate strategies to control the train’s adhesion coefficient near the second peak point of the adhesion coefficient-slip ratio curve in large slip can effectively improve the traction/braking adhesion redundancy and the upper limit of adhesion utilization,thereby ensuring the traction/braking performance and operation safety of the train.Originality/value–Most existing studies focus on the wheel-rail adhesion coefficient values and variation patterns under different medium conditions,without considering whether the rail surface with different medium can provide sufficient traction/braking utilized adhesion coefficient for the train.Therefore,there is a risk of traction overspeeding/braking skidding.This study analyzes whether the rail surface with different medium can provide sufficient traction/braking utilized adhesion coefficient for the train and whether there is redundancy.Based on these findings,relevant measures for the reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion are derived to further ensure operation safety of the train.

Diamond-Like Carbon Depositing on the Surface of Polylactide Membrane for Prevention of Adhesion Formation During Tendon Repair

Post-traumatic peritendinous adhesion presents a significant challenge in clinical medicine.This study proposes the use of diamond-like carbon(DLC)deposited on polylactic acid(PLA)membranes as a biophysical mechanism for anti-adhesion barrier to encase ruptured tendons in tendon-injured rats.The results indicate that PLA/DLC composite membrane exhibits more efficient anti-adhesion effect than PLA membrane,with histological score decreasing from 3.12±0.27 to 2.20±0.22 and anti-adhesion effectiveness increasing from 21.61%to 44.72%.Mechanistically,the abundant C=O bond functional groups on the surface of DLC can reduce reactive oxygen species level effectively;thus,the phosphorylation of NF-κB and M1 polarization of macrophages are inhibited.Consequently,excessive inflammatory response augmented by M1 macrophage-originated cytokines including interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)is largely reduced.For biocompatibility evaluation,PLA/DLC membrane is slowly absorbed within tissue and displays prolonged barrier effects compared to traditional PLA membranes.Further studies show the DLC depositing decelerates the release of degradation product lactic acid and its induction of macrophage M2 polarization by interfering esterase and PLA ester bonds,which further delays the fibrosis process.It was found that the PLA/DLC membrane possess an efficient biophysical mechanism for treatment of peritendinous adhesion.

RGS4 promotes the progression of gastric cancer through the focal adhesion kinase/phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

BACKGROUND Regulator of G protein signaling(RGS)proteins participate in tumor formation and metastasis by acting on theα-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins.The speci-fic effect of RGS,particularly RGS4,on the progression of gastric cancer(GC)is not yet clear.AIM To explore the role and underlying mechanisms of action of RGS4 in GC develop-ment.METHODS The prognostic significance of RGS4 in GC was analyzed using bioinformatics based public databases and verified by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 90 patients with GC.Function assays were employed to assess the carcinogenic impact of RGS4,and the mechanism of its possible influence was detected by western blot analysis.A nude mouse xenograft model was established to study the effects of RGS4 on GC growth in vitro.RESULTS RGS4 was highly expressed in GC tissues compared with matched adjacent normal tissues.Elevated RGS4 expression was correlated with increased tumor-node-metastasis stage,increased tumor grade as well as poorer overall survival in patients with GC.Cell experiments demonstrated that RGS4 knockdown suppressed GC cell proliferation,migration and invasion.Similarly,xenograft experiments confirmed that RGS4 silencing significantly inhibited tumor growth.Moreover,RGS4 knockdown resulted in reduced phosphorylation levels of focal adhesion kinase,phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase,and protein kinase B,decreased vimentin and N-cadherin,and elevated E-cadherin.CONCLUSION High RGS4 expression in GC indicates a worse prognosis and RGS4 is a prognostic marker.RGS4 influences tumor progression via the focal adhesion kinase/phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Research status and prospects of the fractal analysis of metal material surfaces and interfaces

As a mathematical analysis method,fractal analysis can be used to quantitatively describe irregular shapes with self-similar or self-affine properties.Fractal analysis has been used to characterize the shapes of metal materials at various scales and dimensions.Conventional methods make it difficult to quantitatively describe the relationship between the regular characteristics and properties of metal material surfaces and interfaces.However,fractal analysis can be used to quantitatively describe the shape characteristics of metal materials and to establish the quantitative relationships between the shape characteristics and various properties of metal materials.From the perspective of two-dimensional planes and three-dimensional curved surfaces,this paper reviews the current research status of the fractal analysis of metal precipitate interfaces,metal grain boundary interfaces,metal-deposited film surfaces,metal fracture surfaces,metal machined surfaces,and metal wear surfaces.The relationship between the fractal dimensions and properties of metal material surfaces and interfaces is summarized.Starting from three perspectives of fractal analysis,namely,research scope,image acquisition methods,and calculation methods,this paper identifies the direction of research on fractal analysis of metal material surfaces and interfaces that need to be developed.It is believed that revealing the deep influence mechanism between the fractal dimensions and properties of metal material surfaces and interfaces will be the key research direction of the fractal analysis of metal materials in the future.

3D Printing of Tough Hydrogel Scaffolds with Functional Surface Structures for Tissue Regeneration

Hydrogel scaffolds have numerous potential applications in the tissue engineering field.However,tough hydrogel scaffolds implanted in vivo are seldom reported because it is difficult to balance biocompatibility and high mechanical properties.Inspired by Chinese ramen,we propose a universal fabricating method(printing-P,training-T,cross-linking-C,PTC&PCT)for tough hydrogel scaffolds to fill this gap.First,3D printing fabricates a hydrogel scaffold with desired structures(P).Then,the scaffold could have extraordinarily high mechanical properties and functional surface structure by cycle mechanical training with salting-out assistance(T).Finally,the training results are fixed by photo-cross-linking processing(C).The tough gelatin hydrogel scaffolds exhibit excellent tensile strength of 6.66 MPa(622-fold untreated)and have excellent biocompatibility.Furthermore,this scaffold possesses functional surface structures from nanometer to micron to millimeter,which can efficiently induce directional cell growth.Interestingly,this strategy can produce bionic human tissue with mechanical properties of 10 kPa-10 MPa by changing the type of salt,and many hydrogels,such as gelatin and silk,could be improved with PTC or PCT strategies.Animal experiments show that this scaffold can effectively promote the new generation of muscle fibers,blood vessels,and nerves within 4 weeks,prompting the rapid regeneration of large-volume muscle loss injuries.

Surface modification of titanium plate enhanced fibronectin-mediated adhesion and proliferation of MG-63 cells

An understanding of osteoblast adhesion and proliferation on biomaterials is crucial to optimizing the surfaces of artificial implants used in clinical practice. Polished, anodic oxidation （AO） and micro-arc oxidation （MAO） treated titanium （Ti） plates were used as model surfaces to study the adhesion of MG-63 cells. Cells were monitored for 0.5 and 4 h; faster adhesion and spreading of MG-63 ceils were observed on the AO and MAO modified samples. Stimulated secretion of fibronectin （FN） influenced the adhesion rates. In addition, AO and MAO modified surfaces promoted cell proliferation through apparent up-regulation of FN and integrin a5 transcription via outside-in signaling. This strongly suggests that FN secretion by osteoblasts plays an essential role in enhanced cell adhesion, spreading and proliferation on these modified Ti surfaces.

Laser cleaning of steel structure surface for paint removal and repaint adhesion

Paint removal from steel structure is executed for shipyards of marine and offshore engineering.Due to environmental unfriendliness and unhealthy drawbacks of sand blasting technique, laser ablation technique is proposed as a substituting method.By absorbing high energy of the 1064 nm pulsed laser, the paint is vaporized quickly.The ablated debris is then collected by using a suction pump.Initial metal surface of the steel is exposed when laser beam irradiates perpendicularly and scans over it.The cleaned surface fulfills the requirements of surface preparation standards ISO 8501 of SA2.The adhesion is further characterized with pull-off test after carrying out painting with Jotamastic 87 aluminum paint.The repainting can be embedded onto the laser cleaned surface to bond much more tightly.The excellent adhesion strength of 20 MPa between repainted coating and the substrate is achieved, which is higher than what is required by shipyards applications.

Effect of Microscale Contact State of Polyurethane Surface on Adhesion and Friction

The effect of microscale contact of rough surfaces on the adhesion and friction under negative normal forces was experimentally investigated. The adhesive force of single point contact - sapphire ball to flat polyurethane did not vary with the normal force. With rough surface contact, which was assumed to be a great number of point contacts, the adhesive force increased logarithmically with the normal force. Under negative normal force adhesive state, the tangential force （more than hundred mN） were much larger than the negative normal force （several mN） and increased with the linear decrease of negative normal force. The results reveal why the gecko＇s toe must slide slightly on the target surface when it makes contact on a surface and suggest how a biomimetic gecko foot might be designed.

An Elastic-plastic Adhesion Model for Contacting Fractal Rough Surface and Perfectly Wetted Plane with Meniscus

The strong stiction of adjacent surfaces with meniscus is a major design concern in the devices with a micro-sized interface. Today, more and more research works are devoted to understand the adhesion mechanism. This paper concerns the elastic-plastic adhesion of a fractal rough surface contacting with a perfectly wetted rigid plane. The topography of rough surface is modeled with a two-variable Weierstrass-Mandelbrot fractal function. The Laplace pressure is dealt with the Dugdale approximation. Then the adhesion model of the plastically deformed asperities with meniscus can be established with the fractal microcontact model. According to the plastic flow criterion, the elastic-plastic adhesion model of the contacting rough surfaces with meniscus can be solved by combining the Maugis-Dugdale （MD） model and its extension with the Morrow method. The necessity for considering the asperities＇ plastic deformation has been validated by comparing the simulation result of the presented model with that of the elastic adhesion model. The stiction mechanism of rough surfaces with meniscus is also discussed.

Non-Smooth Morphologies of Typical Plant Leaf Surfaces and Their Anti-Adhesion Effects

The micromorphologies of surfaces of several typical plant leaves were investigated by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）. Different non-smooth surface characteristics were described and classified. The hydrophobicity and anti-adhesion of non-smooth leaf surfaces were quantitatively measured. Results show that the morphology of epidermal cells and the morphology and distribution density of epicuticular wax directly affect the hydrophobicity and anti-adhesion. The surface with uniformly distributed convex units shows the best anti-adhesion, and the surface with regularly arranged trellis units displays better anti-adhesion. In contrast, the surface with randomly distributed hair units performs relatively bad anti-adheslon. The hydrophobic models of papilla-ciliary and fold-setal non-smooth surfaces were set up to determine the impacts of geometric parameters on the hydrophobicity. This study may provide an insight into surface machine molding and apparent morphology design for biomimetics engineering.

CONCAVE BIOLOGICAL SURFACES FOR STRONG WET ADHESION

Plant leaves, insects and geckos are masters of adhesion or anti-adhesion by smartly designed refined surface structures with micro- and nano- ＇technologies＇. Understanding the basic principles in the design of the unique surface structures is of great importance in the manufacture or synthesis of micro- and nano- devices in MEMS or NEMS. This study is right inspired by this effort, focusing on the mechanics of wet adhesion between fibers having concave tips and a flat substrate via capillary forces. We show that the concave surface can effectively enhance the wet adhesion by reducing the effective contact angle of the fiber, firmly pinning the liquid bridge at its circumferential edge. A critical contact angle is identified below which the adhesion strength can achieve its maximum, being insensitive to the contact angle between the fiber and liquid. The analytical expression for the critical angle is derived. Then a tentative design for the profile of concave surfaces is proposed, considering the effects of chamfering size, deformation and buckling, etc. The effect of liquid volume on the wet adhesion of multiple-fiber system is also discussed.

Rare Earth Effects on Adhesion of Cr_2O_3 Oxide Scale Formed on Surface of Co-40Cr Alloy

Isothermal and cyclic oxidation behaviors of Co 40Cr alloy at 1000 ℃ in air were studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the oxide scale formed on the surface of the alloy. By comparing the oxidation behaviors of Co 40Cr alloy and its 3×10 16 and 3×10 17 Y +/cm 2 implanted specimens, it was found that the resistant to oxidation property of Co 40Cr was greatly improved due to the implantation of yttrium. Acoustic emission was used to study the distribution of defects at the interface between the scale and alloy. Raman spectrum was also used to study the stress status in chromic scale formed on the surface of Co 40Cr with and without yttrium. The main reason for the improvement of resistant to oxidation property of Y doped Co 40Cr probably is that yttrium can segregate to Cr 2O 3 grain boundaries and change the scale′s growing mechanism and mechanical property. Most importantly, Y implantation decreases the size and number of interfacial defects and the residual stress in the scale, and remarkably enhances the adhesion of chromia scale with Co 40Cr substrate.

Argon Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization of PEGMA on Chitosan Membrane Surface for Cell Adhesion Improvement

For its biocompatibility and biodegradability, chitosan has had considerable atten- tion for biomedical applications in recent years. In this paper, polymerization of poly （ethylene glycol） methyl ether methacrylate （PEGMA） was grafted onto chitosan membrane surface through argon plasma-induced graft polymerization. The surface properties after modification were characterized by contact angle measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and atomic force microscopy （AFM）, respectively. The results indicated that PEGMA can be grafted successfully onto chitosan membrane surface. The surface hydrophilicity and free energy were improved and the surface roughness increased after modification. The adhesion of a human corneal epithelial cell （HCEC） on chitosan membrane surface was enhanced due to improvement of surface free energy and roughness.

A Mechanical Model for the Adhesion of Spiders to Nominally Flat Surfaces

In dry attachment systems of spiders and geckos, van der Waals forces mediate attraction between substrate and animal tarsus. In particular, the scopula of Evarcha arcuata spiders allows for reversible attachment and easy detachment to a broad range of surfaces. Hence, reproducing the scopula's roughness compatibility while maintaining anti-bunching features and dirt particle repellence behavior is a central task for a biomimetic transfer to an engineered model. In the present work we model the scopula of E. arcuata from a mechano-elastic point of view analyzing the influence of its hierarchical structure on the attachment behavior. By considering biological data of the gecko and spider, and the simulation results, the adhesive capabilities of the two animals are compared and important confirmations and new directives in order to reproduce the overall structure are found. Moreover, a possible suggestion of how the spider detaches in an easy and fast manner is proposed and supported by the results.

ADHESION STRENGTH OF COATING SUBSTRATE AND SURFACE MORPHOLOGY OF PRETREATMENT

Premature failure of coated tool often results from a poor adhesion of coating-substrate and shortens the lifetime of the tool. The results of increasing the adhesion strength of thin film coatings on cutting tool inserts by pretreating the inserts with sandblasting technique to obtain a desirable surface morphology of the inserts are presented. A geometric model representing the ideal surface morphology is established to enhance the nucleation density and adhesion strength of coating-substrate. Thin film coating experiment is conducted on the substrates of four different sample groups. Indentation and wear tests are performed on coated inserts to evaluate the effect of sandblasting on the adhesion strength of the coatings. A theoretical analysis is provided on the formation and growth of atom clusters in terms of the contact angle and the thermodynamic barrier of a substrate to predict thin film nucleation.

Platelet Adhesion onto Nitinol Surfaces Modified by Microwave Cold-plasma

The macromolecular structures on nitinol surfaces were prepared by ECR microwave cold-plasma of tetraglyme conditions. The surface chemistry was characterized by high resolution ESCA. The results showed that the modified nitinol surfaces were built up mainly of -CH2-CH2-O- linkages and were particularly effective in preventing platelet adhesion.

Adhesion forces for water/oil droplet and bubble on coking coal surfaces with different roughness

Surface roughness plays a significant role in floatability of coal.In the present paper,coking coal surface was polished by three different sandpapers and the surface properties were characterized by contact angle and roughness measurements.The effect of surface roughness on floatability was investigated by adhesion force measurement system for measuring interaction forces between droplets/bubbles and coking coal surfaces with different roughness.The results showed that the contact angle decreased with increasing roughness yet the adhesion force between the water droplet and coal surface increased owing to the increased contact line and the appearance of line pinning.Maximum adhesion forces between water and surfaces were 111.70,125.48,and 136.42μN when the roughness was 0.23,0.98,and 2.79 μm,respectively.In contrast,under a liquid environment,the adhesion forces between air bubble/oil droplet and coal surfaces were decreased with increasing roughness because of the restriction by water.Maximum adhesion forces of increasing roughness were 97.14,42.76,and 17.86 μN measured at interfaces between air bubble and coal surfaces and 169.48,145.84,and 121.02 lN between oil droplet and surfaces,respectively.Decreasing roughness could be beneficial to the spreading of oil droplets and the adhesion of bubbles which is conducive to flotation separation.

Surface Anti-bacterial Adhesion Characteristics of TiO_2-coated PMMA

The anti-bacterial adhesion properties of TiO2-coated polymethyl methacrylate （PMMA） surfaces are investigated systematically. In detail, the adhesion of S. aureus （gram positive） and E. coli （gram negative） to TiO2-coated and uncoated PMMA surfaces are performed by the plate counting method. Afterwards, the adhesion free energy of bacteria on both supporting materials is quantified using the thermodynamic approach of Lifshitz van der Waals and acid/base interactions. The superior anti-adhesion capability of TiO2-coated PMMA is demonstrated when compared to native PMMA, both experimentally and theoretically.

Cytokine-Induced Cell Surface Expression of Adhesion Molecules in Vascular Endothelial Cells In vitro

Regulation of the adhesion molecules expression by cytokine in vascular endothelial cells was investigated. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were stimulated with cytokines, TNF α (1-250 U/ml) or IL 1β (0.1-50 U/ml) for 24 h. HUVEC were also cultured with cytokines, TNF α (100 U/ml) or IL 1β (10 U/ml), for 4-72 h, cell surface expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM 1 and VCAM 1) were detected and quantitated by immunocytochemical methods and computerized imaging analysis technique. Adhesion molecules expression were up regulated by TNF α, IL 1β in a concentration and time dependent manner. Some significant differences were observed between the effects of cytokines on the ICAM 1 and on VCAM 1 expression. Cytokines might directly induce the expression of ICAM 1 and VCAM 1 in vascular endothelial cells. Our observations indicate differential functions of the two adhesion molecules during the evolution of inflammatory responses in stroke.

MICROMECHANICS OF ROUGH SURFACE ADHESION:A HOMOGENIZED PROJECTION METHOD

A quasistatic homogenized projection is made to characterize the effective cohesive zone behavior for rough-surface adhesion. In the context of the homogenized projection, the traction versus separation relation for the homogenized cohesive zone （HCZ） of a rough interface can be highly oscillatory due to instabilities during microscopic adhesion and decohesion processes. The instabilities are found to occur not only individually but also collectively among the adhesive micro-asperity contacts, leading to extensive energy dissipation. Based on the behaviors of the HCZ relations, a framework for describing instability-induced energy dissipation in rough-surface adhesion is proposed to elucidate the effect of roughness on apparent interface adhesion. Two non- dimensional parameters, α related to roughness morphology and n related to flaw distribution, are identified to be most crucial for controlling the energy dissipation. For an interface with a shallow roughness and a strong intrinsic adhesive strength, the interface adhesion can be stronger if we make it rougher （reducing α） or lower its flaw density （increasing n）. The HCZ projection method can be potentially extended and employed to bridge the apparent adhesion from intrinsic adhesion properties for engineering surfaces with multi-scale shallow roughness.