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.

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.

南京某高桩码头靠泊能力仿真分析与在线监测预警

高桩码头服役环境复杂,码头结构在数十年的运行期内会发生不同程度的损伤,影响码头的安全运营。在码头运行过程中,船舶荷载是高桩码头结构的主要荷载,对码头结构的安全性、耐久性影响较大。本文对南京港某码头靠泊能力进行了有限元仿真分析,提出船舶靠泊过程中的三级安全预警阈值;结合长期在线监测,为码头结构安全服役提供技术支撑。研究结果表明:在船舶撞击1#排架的情况下,船舶撞击力达到238 kN时,码头结构响应达到三级预警指标,码头位移为3.8 mm,桩基顶部应变为69×10-6;船舶撞击力达到323 kN时,码头结构响应达到二级预警指标,码头位移为5.1 mm,桩基顶部应变为100×10-6;船舶撞击力达到471 kN,码头结构响应达到一级预警指标码头位移为7.5 mm,桩基顶部应变为156×10-6。在线监测预警结果表明,码头结构具备5 000吨级船舶靠泊能力,在规范靠泊的前提下,能够满足8 000吨级船舶靠泊的结构安全要求。

高桩码头结构安全监测预警模型及工程应用

高桩码头结构在服役期内会出现不同程度的损伤,导致码头结构安全性降低。为保证码头长期安全运行,可通过实时监测确定码头运行状态并及时预警。提出一种高桩码头结构安全监测预警模型,采用不同结构状态的设计控制值作为不同级别的预警阈值,每级预警阈值对应不同的风险程度,针对不同级别的预警提出相应处置措施。将该预警模型应用于南京港某高桩码头的安全监测,对可变荷载作用下码头结构位移和桩基应变进行实时监测,并计算设置码头结构位移和桩基应变三级安全预警阈值。结果表明,码头安全预警阈值的设置及安全告警的应对措施科学有效,实现了码头结构全工况整体技术状态评估和安全预警。

码头工程建设对红树林湿地的影响及修复措施

受码头建设的影响,北海铁山港榄根作业区附近的红树林湿地出现受损退化现象。为了恢复稳定良好的湿地生态,2021年9月在对该区域红树林及其生境进行调查采样的基础上,分析了红树林湿地的受损退化原因。结果表明,码头工程建设期间,高岭土悬浮物沉积或附着于红树林根部及叶片上,不仅严重影响植物呼吸和光合作用,而且致其根部腐烂进而导致死亡;码头建设导致的红树林湿地内水流减缓,以及因围填活动引起的局部滩面抬高也是红树林受损退化的原因。提出新增或拓宽现有潮汐通道、局部微地形改造,以及红树林造林恢复等生态修复措施,为沿海地区开展码头工程建设对红树林的影响研究与生态修复实践提供借鉴。

基于无基准动态位移监测的江苏某高桩码头变位特征与安全预警

高桩码头服役环境复杂,船舶与门机等可变荷载作用下结构变位安全问题突出。然而,高桩码头通常不具备参照基准,且在离岸严苛条件下服役是常态,动态位移监测成为挑战。采用码头无基准动态位移监测技术,对江苏某高桩码头进行实时位移监测。详细分析门机作业和船舶撞击条件下码头位移响应规律,基于码头适用性、安全性提出该码头的两级预警指标。结合数值仿真计算,提出该码头不同吨级船舶靠泊建议。研究表明:门机的作业位置是影响码头位移响应大小的直接因素。码头第一结构段在船舶撞击作用下,因引桥等边界条件的影响,导致A_(2)监测点的位移响应在X、Y方向上均较大。一级预警指标由码头主要荷载作用组合的最大值推算,位移响应值为15.39 mm。二级预警指标由混凝土抗拉极限应力值为评判标准,位移响应值为19.14 mm。相应地,1万吨级船舶靠泊时法向速度不应超过0.19 m/s, 5 000吨级船舶靠泊时法向速度不应超过0.22 m/s。

重力式码头升级改造板桩墙后土压力分布

针对重力式码头升级改造新建板桩墙方案板桩墙后土压力分布问题,开展新建板桩墙距已有重力式墙身不同距离的土压力分布规律研究。采用有限元数值模拟和理论公式计算对比分析,得出作用在前板桩墙上的土压力小于理论主动土压力,即存在贮仓效应的结论。建议重力式码头改造工程设置前板桩墙时,采用公式合理选取贮仓尺寸,或根据新建板桩墙距已有码头墙身的距离采用有限元计算作用在板桩墙上的土压力,避免保守或激进设计。

多元荷载作用下软基深水高桩码头结构承载特性研究

软基深水高桩码头结构受到恶劣外海环境荷载及复杂工作荷载等多元荷载的共同作用。研究表明,船舶撞击荷载是该结构水平向控制荷载,但波浪长期循环荷载作用会引起桩周土体软化,进而导致码头结构在其它荷载作用下承载特性的劣化。鉴于此,首先基于ABAQUS有限元软件建立了深水高桩码头结构-地基土体相互作用的三维弹塑性有限元模型;然后,借助USDFLD子程序实现了同时考虑土体强度弱化和刚度衰减的模拟,进而开展了未考虑土体软化、仅考虑土体强度弱化、仅考虑土体刚度衰减以及同时考虑土体强度弱化和刚度衰减对码头结构承载特性影响的对比分析。研究结果表明,与未考虑土体软化时撞击荷载作用下码头结构安全系数相比,仅考虑土体强度弱化时其值降低14.72%,仅考虑土体刚度衰减时其值降低15.28%,同时考虑土体强度弱化和刚度衰减时其值降低19.44%,且考虑土体软化后桩周土体的塑性应变范围明显增大,极限状态时桩身应力值减小,结构稳定性显著降低。