Introduction: Tuberculosis is a major health problem in developing countries including Sudan. Screening for TB cases through Household contacts (HHCs) investigation is an appropriate strategy to interrupt transmission...Introduction: Tuberculosis is a major health problem in developing countries including Sudan. Screening for TB cases through Household contacts (HHCs) investigation is an appropriate strategy to interrupt transmission of TB. Objectives: To determine the prevalence tuberculosis infection and risk factors for tuberculosis infection among household contacts in Wadimadani locality, Central State, Sudan, between November 2015 and April 2016. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study conducted. During study period, to confirm TB diagnosis, all suspect contacts were tested through sputum samples, tuberculin skin test or chest X-ray. Structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and environmental factors. Results: One hundred forty six patients of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study, 657 household contacts were identified and screened. Forty three new TB cases were detected from household contacts, yielding a prevalence of 6.5% (95% confidence interval = 0.05, 0.09) of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Two factors were significantly associated with LTBI among HHCs: duration of contact with a TB patient ≤ 4 months (P = 0.03) and the educational status (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Screening of HHCs of index case of TB will contribute in early detection and treatment of new cases, and considered as a forward step towards eliminating TB.展开更多
The three-dimensional finite element method is used to solve the problem of the quarter-elliptical comer crack of the bolt-hole in mechanical joints being subjected to remote tension. The square-root stress singularit...The three-dimensional finite element method is used to solve the problem of the quarter-elliptical comer crack of the bolt-hole in mechanical joints being subjected to remote tension. The square-root stress singularity around the corner crack front is simulated using the collapsed 20-node quarter point singular elements. The contact interaction between the bolt and the hole boundary is considered in the finite element analysis. The stress intensity factors （SIFs） along the crack front are evaluated by using the displacement correlation technique. The effects of the amount of clearance between the hole and the bolt on the SIFs are investigated. The numerical results indicate that the SIF for mode I decrease with the decreases in clearance, and in the cases of clearance being present, the corner crack is in a mix-mode, even if mode I loading is dominant.展开更多
In this work, a dislocation-related tunneling leakage current model is developed to explain the temperature-dependent reverse current–voltage（I–V –T） characteristics of a Schottky barrier diode fabricated on free...In this work, a dislocation-related tunneling leakage current model is developed to explain the temperature-dependent reverse current–voltage（I–V –T） characteristics of a Schottky barrier diode fabricated on free-standing GaN substrate for reverse-bias voltages up to-150 V. The model suggests that the reverse leakage current is dominated by the direct tunneling of electrons from Schottky contact metal into a continuum of states associated with conductive dislocations in GaN epilayer.A reverse leakage current ideality factor, which originates from the scattering effect at metal/GaN interface, is introduced into the model. Good agreement between the experimental data and the simulated I–V curves is obtained.展开更多
Recently GaN-based high electron mobility transistors （HEMTs） have revealed the superior properties of a high breakdown field and high electron saturation velocity. Reduction of the gate leakage current is one of th...Recently GaN-based high electron mobility transistors （HEMTs） have revealed the superior properties of a high breakdown field and high electron saturation velocity. Reduction of the gate leakage current is one of the key issues to be solved for their further improvement. This paper reports that an Al layer as thin as 3 nm was inserted between the conventional Ni/Au Schottky contact and n-GaN epilayers, and the Schottky behaviour of Al/Ni/Au contact was investigated under various annealing conditions by current-voltage （I-V） measurements. A non-linear fitting method was used to extract the contact parameters from the I-V characteristic curves. Experimental results indicate that reduction of the gate leakage current by as much as four orders of magnitude was successfully recorded by thermal annealing. And high quality Schottky contact with a barrier height of 0.875 eV and the lowest reverse-bias leakage current, respectively, can be obtained under 12 min annealing at 450 ℃ in N2 ambience.展开更多
The response factors of refractive index（RI） and ultraviolet（UV） detectors of size exclusion chromatography （SEC） defined as the ratio of area of output signal to the mass of injected sample are studied and anal...The response factors of refractive index（RI） and ultraviolet（UV） detectors of size exclusion chromatography （SEC） defined as the ratio of area of output signal to the mass of injected sample are studied and analyzed by using five narrowly distributed polystyrene（PS） standard samples with known molar masses.It is found that the individual response factor for a given sample varies with the concentration of the injected solution within a limited range bounded by an upper and a lower limiting response factor values.This variation reveals the conformational change of the polymer chains with the concentration of the injected solution.The dynamic contact concentrations c_s of the PS samples derived from the response factor data are in good accordance with those reported earlier by other methods.The physical meanings of the signals of the two detectors are further analyzed and theoretically formulated.The solvation of the polymer chain and the conformation changes play an important role in these detecting systems.Both of the solvation number of the structural repeating unit and the extra embedded solvent due to cluster forming in higher concentrations could be deduced from the variation of response factor with the concentration of the injected solution.展开更多
Using the basic solutions of a single crack and a single inclusion, and making use of the principle of linear superposition of elastic mechanics, the interaction problem between a planar crack and a flat inclusion in ...Using the basic solutions of a single crack and a single inclusion, and making use of the principle of linear superposition of elastic mechanics, the interaction problem between a planar crack and a flat inclusion in an elastic solid is studied. The problem is reduced to solve a set of standard Cauchy-type singular equations. And the stress intensity factors at points of crack and inclusion were obtained. Besides, the singularity for the horizontal contact of crack and inclusion was analyzed. The calculating model put forward can be regarded as a new technique for studying the crack and its expanding caused by inclusion lip. Then several numerical examples are given.展开更多
Taking the short-fiber composite materials as engineering back-ground, utilizing the existing basic solutions of single inclusion and single crack, the plane problem of vertical contact interactions between line crack...Taking the short-fiber composite materials as engineering back-ground, utilizing the existing basic solutions of single inclusion and single crack, the plane problem of vertical contact interactions between line crack and rigid line inclusion in infinite plane (matrix) from the viewpoint of crack fracture mechanics is studied. According to boundary conditions, a set of standard Cauchy-type singular integral equations of the problem is obtainable. Besides, singular indexes, stresses and stress intensity factors around the contact point are expressed. Numerical examples are given to provide references to engineering.展开更多
Simulation of stress intensity factor as function of rolling contact fatigue cracks of railway tracks and the vehicle load is made with the help of COMSOL Multiphysics software. It is found that the critical stress in...Simulation of stress intensity factor as function of rolling contact fatigue cracks of railway tracks and the vehicle load is made with the help of COMSOL Multiphysics software. It is found that the critical stress intensity factor i.e. 41.6 MPa. m1/2 is reached at a stress level of 32 MPa and at the crack size 11.5 × 10-2 m.Noting the power law variation of acoustic emission count with increase in crack size (analogous to Paris Law), the simulation was further carried out to model the dependence of measured AE count with the stress intensity factor ahead of a growing RCF crack tip. It is demonstrated that AE measurement can be effective to trigger a control loop for avoidance of fatigue failure of railway track. In view of potential difference in the intensity of back scattered light from surface irregularities, a model is developed to find out the threshold intensity of scattered light that insures safety in the railway system against fatigue failure.展开更多
To date, many efforts have been made to improve the performance of paintable carbon-based （PC-based） perovskite solar cells （PSCs）. Though great progress has been achieved, their power conversion efficiencies are ...To date, many efforts have been made to improve the performance of paintable carbon-based （PC-based） perovskite solar cells （PSCs）. Though great progress has been achieved, their power conversion efficiencies are still relatively low compared with hole-transport-materials-based PSCs. General research on influencing factors of performance in PC-based PSCs is still insufficient. In this work, PC-based PSCs were fabricated in ambient air and four groups of controlled experi- ments were performed in which the PbI2 layers were prepared with or without antisolvent extraction treatment. These four groups of experiments were designed to find out the effect of different influencing factors on PC-based PSCs performance, for example, PbI2 residual, the surface morphology of the perovskite film, the surface roughness of the perovskite film, and the contact status of the perovskite/carbon electrode interface. With a systematic analysis, we demonstrated that the contact status of the perovskite/carbon electrode interface played a vital role in PC-based PSCs, and a fiat, smooth perovskite surface could help to improve this contact status significantly. Besides, on the precondition of a poor contact interface, no PbI2 residual and a good surface morphology only brought limited benefits to the performances of PC-based PSCs.展开更多
A new node-pairs contact algorithm is proposed to deal with a composite material or bi-material interface crack face contact and friction problem （e.g., resistant coating and thermal barrier coatings） subjected to c...A new node-pairs contact algorithm is proposed to deal with a composite material or bi-material interface crack face contact and friction problem （e.g., resistant coating and thermal barrier coatings） subjected to complicated load conditions. To decrease the calculation scale and calculation errors, the local Lagrange multipliers are solved only on a pair of contact nodes using the Jacobi iteration method, and the constraint modification of the tangential multipliers are required. After the calculation of the present node-pairs Lagrange multiplier, it is turned to next contact node-pairs until all node-pairs have finished. Compared with an ordinary contact algorithm, the new local node-pairs contact algorithm is allowed a more precise element on the contact face without the stiffness matrix singularity. The stress intensity factors （SIFs） and the contact region of an infinite plate central crack are calculated and show good agreement with those in the literature. The contact zone near the crack tip as well as its influence on singularity of stress fields are studied. Furthermore, the frictional contacts are also considered and found to have a significant influence on the SIFs. The normalized mode-II stress intensity factors KII for the friction coefficient decrease by 16% when f changes from 1 to 0.展开更多
文摘Introduction: Tuberculosis is a major health problem in developing countries including Sudan. Screening for TB cases through Household contacts (HHCs) investigation is an appropriate strategy to interrupt transmission of TB. Objectives: To determine the prevalence tuberculosis infection and risk factors for tuberculosis infection among household contacts in Wadimadani locality, Central State, Sudan, between November 2015 and April 2016. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study conducted. During study period, to confirm TB diagnosis, all suspect contacts were tested through sputum samples, tuberculin skin test or chest X-ray. Structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and environmental factors. Results: One hundred forty six patients of smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were included in the study, 657 household contacts were identified and screened. Forty three new TB cases were detected from household contacts, yielding a prevalence of 6.5% (95% confidence interval = 0.05, 0.09) of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Two factors were significantly associated with LTBI among HHCs: duration of contact with a TB patient ≤ 4 months (P = 0.03) and the educational status (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Screening of HHCs of index case of TB will contribute in early detection and treatment of new cases, and considered as a forward step towards eliminating TB.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (10272036)
文摘The three-dimensional finite element method is used to solve the problem of the quarter-elliptical comer crack of the bolt-hole in mechanical joints being subjected to remote tension. The square-root stress singularity around the corner crack front is simulated using the collapsed 20-node quarter point singular elements. The contact interaction between the bolt and the hole boundary is considered in the finite element analysis. The stress intensity factors （SIFs） along the crack front are evaluated by using the displacement correlation technique. The effects of the amount of clearance between the hole and the bolt on the SIFs are investigated. The numerical results indicate that the SIF for mode I decrease with the decreases in clearance, and in the cases of clearance being present, the corner crack is in a mix-mode, even if mode I loading is dominant.
文摘In this work, a dislocation-related tunneling leakage current model is developed to explain the temperature-dependent reverse current–voltage（I–V –T） characteristics of a Schottky barrier diode fabricated on free-standing GaN substrate for reverse-bias voltages up to-150 V. The model suggests that the reverse leakage current is dominated by the direct tunneling of electrons from Schottky contact metal into a continuum of states associated with conductive dislocations in GaN epilayer.A reverse leakage current ideality factor, which originates from the scattering effect at metal/GaN interface, is introduced into the model. Good agreement between the experimental data and the simulated I–V curves is obtained.
文摘Recently GaN-based high electron mobility transistors （HEMTs） have revealed the superior properties of a high breakdown field and high electron saturation velocity. Reduction of the gate leakage current is one of the key issues to be solved for their further improvement. This paper reports that an Al layer as thin as 3 nm was inserted between the conventional Ni/Au Schottky contact and n-GaN epilayers, and the Schottky behaviour of Al/Ni/Au contact was investigated under various annealing conditions by current-voltage （I-V） measurements. A non-linear fitting method was used to extract the contact parameters from the I-V characteristic curves. Experimental results indicate that reduction of the gate leakage current by as much as four orders of magnitude was successfully recorded by thermal annealing. And high quality Schottky contact with a barrier height of 0.875 eV and the lowest reverse-bias leakage current, respectively, can be obtained under 12 min annealing at 450 ℃ in N2 ambience.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.50633030)
文摘The response factors of refractive index（RI） and ultraviolet（UV） detectors of size exclusion chromatography （SEC） defined as the ratio of area of output signal to the mass of injected sample are studied and analyzed by using five narrowly distributed polystyrene（PS） standard samples with known molar masses.It is found that the individual response factor for a given sample varies with the concentration of the injected solution within a limited range bounded by an upper and a lower limiting response factor values.This variation reveals the conformational change of the polymer chains with the concentration of the injected solution.The dynamic contact concentrations c_s of the PS samples derived from the response factor data are in good accordance with those reported earlier by other methods.The physical meanings of the signals of the two detectors are further analyzed and theoretically formulated.The solvation of the polymer chain and the conformation changes play an important role in these detecting systems.Both of the solvation number of the structural repeating unit and the extra embedded solvent due to cluster forming in higher concentrations could be deduced from the variation of response factor with the concentration of the injected solution.
文摘Using the basic solutions of a single crack and a single inclusion, and making use of the principle of linear superposition of elastic mechanics, the interaction problem between a planar crack and a flat inclusion in an elastic solid is studied. The problem is reduced to solve a set of standard Cauchy-type singular equations. And the stress intensity factors at points of crack and inclusion were obtained. Besides, the singularity for the horizontal contact of crack and inclusion was analyzed. The calculating model put forward can be regarded as a new technique for studying the crack and its expanding caused by inclusion lip. Then several numerical examples are given.
文摘Taking the short-fiber composite materials as engineering back-ground, utilizing the existing basic solutions of single inclusion and single crack, the plane problem of vertical contact interactions between line crack and rigid line inclusion in infinite plane (matrix) from the viewpoint of crack fracture mechanics is studied. According to boundary conditions, a set of standard Cauchy-type singular integral equations of the problem is obtainable. Besides, singular indexes, stresses and stress intensity factors around the contact point are expressed. Numerical examples are given to provide references to engineering.
文摘Simulation of stress intensity factor as function of rolling contact fatigue cracks of railway tracks and the vehicle load is made with the help of COMSOL Multiphysics software. It is found that the critical stress intensity factor i.e. 41.6 MPa. m1/2 is reached at a stress level of 32 MPa and at the crack size 11.5 × 10-2 m.Noting the power law variation of acoustic emission count with increase in crack size (analogous to Paris Law), the simulation was further carried out to model the dependence of measured AE count with the stress intensity factor ahead of a growing RCF crack tip. It is demonstrated that AE measurement can be effective to trigger a control loop for avoidance of fatigue failure of railway track. In view of potential difference in the intensity of back scattered light from surface irregularities, a model is developed to find out the threshold intensity of scattered light that insures safety in the railway system against fatigue failure.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51702245)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China(Grant No.WUT:2017IB013)
文摘To date, many efforts have been made to improve the performance of paintable carbon-based （PC-based） perovskite solar cells （PSCs）. Though great progress has been achieved, their power conversion efficiencies are still relatively low compared with hole-transport-materials-based PSCs. General research on influencing factors of performance in PC-based PSCs is still insufficient. In this work, PC-based PSCs were fabricated in ambient air and four groups of controlled experi- ments were performed in which the PbI2 layers were prepared with or without antisolvent extraction treatment. These four groups of experiments were designed to find out the effect of different influencing factors on PC-based PSCs performance, for example, PbI2 residual, the surface morphology of the perovskite film, the surface roughness of the perovskite film, and the contact status of the perovskite/carbon electrode interface. With a systematic analysis, we demonstrated that the contact status of the perovskite/carbon electrode interface played a vital role in PC-based PSCs, and a fiat, smooth perovskite surface could help to improve this contact status significantly. Besides, on the precondition of a poor contact interface, no PbI2 residual and a good surface morphology only brought limited benefits to the performances of PC-based PSCs.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2012CB026200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.50878048)
文摘A new node-pairs contact algorithm is proposed to deal with a composite material or bi-material interface crack face contact and friction problem （e.g., resistant coating and thermal barrier coatings） subjected to complicated load conditions. To decrease the calculation scale and calculation errors, the local Lagrange multipliers are solved only on a pair of contact nodes using the Jacobi iteration method, and the constraint modification of the tangential multipliers are required. After the calculation of the present node-pairs Lagrange multiplier, it is turned to next contact node-pairs until all node-pairs have finished. Compared with an ordinary contact algorithm, the new local node-pairs contact algorithm is allowed a more precise element on the contact face without the stiffness matrix singularity. The stress intensity factors （SIFs） and the contact region of an infinite plate central crack are calculated and show good agreement with those in the literature. The contact zone near the crack tip as well as its influence on singularity of stress fields are studied. Furthermore, the frictional contacts are also considered and found to have a significant influence on the SIFs. The normalized mode-II stress intensity factors KII for the friction coefficient decrease by 16% when f changes from 1 to 0.
