Hybrid Contact Research Articles

Functional and Stylistic Equivalence by Translating the Facts of Code-Switching (on the Material of Russian Verbs in the Polish «Version R» of A. Burgess’ Novel «A Clockwork Orange»)

The article is devoted to the analysis of Russian verb inclusions in one of the Polish versions of the translation of A. Burgess’s novel «A Clockwork Orange» under the title «Mechaniczna pomarańcza. Wersja R» (1999) by R. Stiller. The Russian language is deliberately used by the translator to construct a special «slang» Nadsat in its Polish version in order to give the text an appropriate expressiveness within the language play. 117 verbs selected from the 1,000-item Dictionary of «Unintelligible Words» accompanying the translation represent Russian-Polish code-switchings and other hybrid contact phenomena. The analysis is intended to reveal the functional and stylistic equivalence of the translator’s strategies of introducing Russian verbal borrowings in the Polish text on the formal, semantic and communicative levels. Verbal borrowings of Russian origin are classified depending on the strategy of their incorporating into the text, as well as the degree and level of its adaptation.

Predicting resistance of bearing steels to surface initiated fatigue: Application to hybrid contact

The constant demand for improved energy efficiency in lubricated rolling/ sliding contacts, such as in rolling bearings, is generally addressed through increased power density and the use of low-viscosity (i.e., thin-film) lubricants. In these conditions, mixed lubrication regime can dominate with intensive asperity interactions between two contacting surfaces, thus increasing the risk of surface-initiated fatigue (e.g., in the form of micropitting). In the present study, the influence of steel mechanical properties on the micropitting accumulation in a hybrid contact (steel versus Si3N4 ceramics of different roughness) has been experimentally and theoretically investigated. It was found that higher roughness of Si3N4 surface could increase the risk of micropitting on the steel component. However, despite formation of some mild micropitting, the bearing steels tested here show good performance. For better understanding of the relationship between the mechanical properties of bearing steels and micropitting resistance, a new theoretical framework is introduced. The new micropitting model, based on the finding that the nucleation of a micropit is driven by (i) local accumulation of the plastic strain in mixed rough contact, and (ii) reduction of the total energy by debonding of the plastically deformed zone is introduced. The new micropitting model was shown to match with experiments across the range of test conditions. Micropitting performance maps based on the mechanical properties of steels (yield strength, work hardening and fracture toughness) have been obtained. The new theory has implications not only for predicting micropitting but also for predicting adhesive wear resistance of different steels.

Hybrid Contact Lenses in Children: a Case Series

Introduction : Refractive errors in children have experienced a significant increase in recent years. Contact lenses are a therapeutic option when spectacles can no longer provide maximum results. One of the most advanced design than suitable for children is Hybrid Contact Lenses (HCL). HCL feature a Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) center surrounded by a soft ridge or skirt. This design enable the hard center to provide clear vision while the soft skirt offers the comfort and ease of a soft lens. However, this type of contact lens has not been widely used in Indonesia.
 Case Illustration : Three patients were prescribed HCL to correct their high refractive errors and amblyopia; 1. 5 years old female: OD: S-14.50 C-3.25x180 6/24 OS: S-12.5 C-3.50x10 6/24; 2. 5 years old female with anisometropia: OD: S-6.00 C-2.50x180 6/12 OS: S-0.75 C-2.000x170 6/6; 3. 8 years old male with pseudophakic eyes: OD: S-9.00 C-2.00x180 6/30 OS: S-8.00 C-2.00x175 6/30. Visual Acuity after 1 month of HCL average from 6/9 to 6/6 both eyes (BE).
 Discussion : In this study, we can notice several advantages of using HCL. The main outcome are significantly increased visual acuity and reduced amblyopia. HCL also has a higher comfort level compare to RGP Lenses, the soft hydrogel skirt really help the neophyte patient to ease their initial adaptation.
 Conclusion : Contact lenses are a mainstay of optical correction options for children with special refractive needs. Due to it's design and comfort, HCL is one of the most suitable contact lenses for children. Therefore, socialization and further introduction about this contact lens is needed.

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.

Dynamic modeling and analysis of vehicle scissor door mechanism with mixed clearance based on a hybrid contact force model

Dynamic modeling and analysis of vehicle scissor door mechanism with mixed clearance based on a hybrid contact force model

Characterization of joint contact model considering friction of variable stator vane mechanism and application to principle-level mechanism

For the characterization of joint contact model of the variable stator vane (VSV) mechanism, the dry friction properties of joint materials must be taken into account. In this paper, the important parameters characterizing the joint contact model are experimentally tested, and then the characterized contact model containing the parameters is utilized for the dynamic analysis of a principle-level VSV mechanism test rig, including the dry friction rotary pair. Firstly, the friction tests and the vibration tests induced by the friction process are carried out. Then an ideal comprehensive dynamic model of the scaled system of VSV mechanism’s single kinematic chain is established through the Lagrange multiplier method. The friction coefficient values obtained from the test are embedded into the contact force model considering friction factors and compared with other macro models. The accuracy of the hybrid contact model is verified through a one-shot contact-impact simulation and the corresponding displacement is measured for evaluation with accuracy of established ideal dynamic model. Finally, the influence of different driving methods on the dynamic characteristics of the system is analyzed.

Clinical Performance and Patient Satisfaction of Hybrid Contact Lenses in Patients with Keratoconus.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the fitting process, clinical performance, and patient satisfaction of hybrid contact lenses (HCL) in patients with keratoconus (KC). Sixty-eight KC patients (35 female, 33 male) who were prescribed HCL were included in the study. Corneal topographic parameters, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with eyeglasses, the number of HCL trials, prescribed HCL base curve (BC), and visual acuity with HCL were recorded from hospital records. A contact lens satisfaction survey was sent to the patients via email or WhatsApp and the data was statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0. The study included 110 eyes of 68 patients with a mean age of 27.34±8 years (range: 12-48 years). According to the Amsler-Krumeich classification, 35.5% of the eyes were stage 1, 50.9% were stage 2, and 13.5% were stage 3 or 4. Mean K1, K2, and Kmean values were 7.14±0.50 mm (range 5.72-8.30 mm), 6.63±0.49 mm (range 5.07-7.84 mm), and 6.89±0.48 mm (range 5.39-8.06 mm), respectively. The average number of lens trials was 1.59±0.82 (range 1-4). The mean BC of the prescribed HCL was 6.84±0.50 mm (range 5.60-8.00 mm). BCVA with glasses was 0.36±0.2 (range 0.05-0.8), and 0.80±0.14 (range 0.3-1.0) with HCL (p<0.0001). The overall survey score was 3.54 out of 5, the overall satisfaction score was 3.27, the average vision satisfaction score was 3.62, the average satisfaction score for lens insertion and removal was 3.01, and the average satisfaction score for lens comfort was 2.97. Prescribed HCL BC is usually close to the topographic Kmean value and in most of the patients, fitting was successful with the first or second CL trial. The overall satisfaction score was moderate to good and the disadvantages were low comfort compared to soft CL, difficulty with insertion and removal, short lens life, and high cost.

Achieving Bright Organic Light-Emitting Field-Effect Transistors with Sustained Efficiency through Hybrid Contact Design.

Organic light-emitting field-effect transistors (OLEFETs) with bilayer structures have been widely studied due to their potential to integrate high-mobility organic transistors and efficient organic light-emitting diodes. However, these devices face a major challenge of imbalance charge transport, leading to a severe efficiency roll-off at high brightness. Here, we propose a solution to this challenge by introducing a transparent organic/inorganic hybrid contact with specially designed electronic structures. Our design aims to steadily accumulate the electrons injected into the emissive polymer, allowing the light-emitting interface to effectively capture more holes even when the hole current increases. Our numerical simulations show that the capture efficiency of these steady electrons will dominate charge recombination and lead to a sustained external quantum efficiency of 0.23% over 3 orders of magnitude of brightness (4 to 7700 cd/m2) and current density (1.2 to 2700 mA/cm2) from -4 to -100 V. The same enhancement is retained even after increasing the external quantum efficiency (EQE) to 0.51%. The high and tunable brightness with stable efficiency offered by hybrid-contact OLEFETs makes them ideal light-emitting devices for various applications. These devices have the potential to revolutionize the field of organic electronics by overcoming the fundamental challenge of imbalance charge transport.

Comparison of Hybrid Contact Lenses and Rigid Gas-Permeable Contact Lenses in Moderate and Advanced Keratoconus.

We aimed to compare the clinical results and topographic data of the new generation hybrid contact lens (HCL) and rigid gas-permeable contact lens (RGPCL) in patients with moderate and advanced keratoconus. In this prospective study, HCL users comprised group 1 and RGPCL users comprised group 2. Snellen uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and lens-corrected visual acuity (LCVA); manifest spherical-cylindrical values; corneal topography measurements (flat keratometry [K1], vertical keratometry [K2], mean K, maximum K [Kmax], central corneal thickness [CCT], and thinnest corneal thickness [TCT]); and cone location were recorded. The study included 83 eyes of 51 patients in group 1 and 61 eyes of 40 patients in group 2. The groups were similar in age and gender (p>0.05). Mean LCVA (logMAR) was significantly lower than BCVA in both groups (p<0.001). The mean visual gain with contact lenses (Snellen chart) was 3.4±1.8 lines in group 1 and 4.0±2.1 lines in group 2. There was no significant difference between the two groups in BCVA, LCVA, or lines gained (p>0.05). There was also no significant difference between the two groups in terms of keratoconus stages, mean Kmax, CCT, TCT, or cone location (p>0.05), while mean UCVA (logMAR) and mean K were higher in group 2 (p<0.05). In both groups, the visual gain with lenses was higher in eyes with central cones, and there was significantly greater visual increase in group 2 (p=0.039). In moderate and advanced keratoconus, HCLs improved vision as much as RGPCLs and both lenses were more effective for central cones. Nevertheless, longer term of follow-up and larger numbers of patients are needed for long term follow-up results of HCL.

Effect of Third-Particle Material and Contact Mode on Tribology Contact Characteristics at Interface

A moving pair with two-body contact is the ideal situation assumed in previous analyses. However, all moving pairs are in a three-body contact state at the start of operation or immediately after the start of operation, such as bearings, ball-screws, gears and engines. This work studies the influence of wear particles (SUJ2), environmental particles (SiO2 and Al2O3) and nano-additives (CuO) on the tribological contact characteristics under different particle concentrations, particle sizes, surface roughnesses and contact modes. The three-body microcontact analysis revealed that the differences in the real contact area, particle contact area and separation of the four-particle materials in the three-body s–s and p–s contact modes are rather small. Under the three-body hybrid contact mode, the difference is relatively large and the sequence of the real contact area value obtained due to the elastic modulus for the four-particle material at this interface is Al2O3 &gt; SUJ2 &gt; CuO &gt; SiO2. The order of the other two contact characteristics is reversed. The difference increases as the particle size or particle concentration increases. The order of the critical load required to transform three kinds of contact modes is SiO2 &gt; CuO &gt; SUJ2 &gt; Al2O3. On the nearly initial three-body hybrid contact mode, the plastic contact area ratio at the interface first increases to a critical value and then decreases as the load increases because the original plastic contact spot area and contact spot number increases with the increase in load. At the same time, the elasto-plastic contact area ratio decreases to a low value and then increases. The elastic contact area ratio at the interface decreases as the load increases. Among the four third-particle materials, the experimental results and theoretical predictions show that the environmental particles, Al2O3, cause the maximum friction and wear observed at the interface.

ASSESSMENT OF CORNEAL ENDOTHELIAL LAYER IN CONTACT LENS WEARERS WITH THE AID OF AN ENDOTHELIAL MICROSCOPE.

The main aim of our study was to demonstrate the difference in endothelial cell density between a group of keratoconus contact lens users and non-contact lens users (without keratoconus). In our study we had data from 96 subjects with an average age of 40.5 ±14.05 years. For the purposes of our study, we worked with each eye separately for each subject (n = 192). Keratoconus (research group) was diagnosed in 97 eyes. The mean age of the patients in the research group was 41.9 ±10.6 years. Keratoconus was not diagnosed in the remaining 95 eyes (control group). The mean age of the patients in the control group was 39.5 ±16.6 years. In the keratoconus group, the patients wore hard contact lenses (HCL) in a total of 43 eyes, hybrid contact lenses (HbCL) in 48 eyes and soft contact lenses (SCL) in 6 eyes. The average total period of contact lens use in the research group was 10.6 ±2.36 years. The average number of endothelial cells in the research group was 2607.11 ±298.45 cells per mm2. The average number of endothelial cells in the control group was 2831.94 ±523.51 cells per mm2. We tested these two variables using a T-test, which showed a statistically significant difference (p &lt; 0.001). A statistically significant difference in the mean endothelial cell count related to patient age and use / non-use of contact lenses of two types was demonstrated only in the under-40 group in a comparison of the non-contact and keratoconus group with the keratoconus group using HCL (p = 0.02). A statistically significant difference in the length of contact lens wear was demonstrated between the keratoconus-free group with or without SCL and the keratoconus group when wearing HCL or HbCL for more than 20 years (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02). For HbCL users, this difference was demonstrated also after 15 years of wearing (p = 0.001). From our results we can conclude that there is a difference in endothelial cell density between patients with and without keratoconus.

Quantifying contact lens-related changes in keratoconus corneal topographic indices: an updated Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging analysis.

Purpose: Slowing ectasia progression is critical for maintaining visual potential in keratoconus (KC), for which various therapeutic approaches have been implemented. A Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging device was used to quantify contact lens (CL)-related changes in keratoconus corneal topographic indices. Methods: Thirty KC patients (group 1; 60 eyes) were using one of the three CL (rigid gas-permeable CL (RGPCL)-10, hybrid CL (HCL)-10, and scleral CL (SCL)-10 patients). A control group included 30 KC patients (group 2; 60 eyes) not using CLs due to intolerance or inappropriateness. The Pentacam® HR Scheimpflug imaging device was used to measure topographic indices such as Km anterior, Km posterior, K max, corneal thickness (CT, corneal central, apex, and thinnest), corneal volume (CV), anterior chamber volume (ACV), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) at baseline, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months. Results: The mean ages for groups 1 and 2 were 32±10 and 31±09 years, respectively. Group 1 had a lower but statistically significant change in K max than group 2 (p<0.038). Also, group 1 had a minor but non-significant decrease in anterior and posterior keratometry values compared to group 2 (pKm ant. right/ left eye = 0.063/ 0.065 and 0.087/ 0.094, respectively). RGPCL users had significant changes in central CT, thinnest CT and ACD (p<0.041). SCL users had more stable changes than other CLs for the thinnest CT along with significant changes in K max, pachy apex and ACV (p<0.036). HCL users had significantly higher K max stability (p<0.039). Conclusion: Regular use of appropriate therapeutic CLs may help to stabilize corneal deformity, thereby slowing changes in corneal topographic indices in KC.

A material point-finite element (MPM-FEM) model for simulating three-dimensional soil-structure interactions with the hybrid contact method

Large deformation in soils and frictional soil-structure contact are important geotechnical processes that should be considered when designing protective structures to cushion the impact of mass flows. In this paper, a numerical model combining the material point method and finite element method (MPM-FEM) is developed to simulate three-dimensional soil-structure interactions. In this model, soil with large deformation is discretized by using the MPM, while structures with small deformation are discretized by using the FEM. A hybrid contact method combining the advantages of point-point and point-segment contacts is used to model frictional soil-structure contact. In addition, to estimate energy dissipation properly, the Drucker-Prager model with the MiDi rheological relation is adopted as the constitutive model to characterize the dynamic characteristics of soil. The MPM-FEM is first validated for several geotechnical cases, including deformation of a flexible retaining wall and granular collapse, and achieves good agreement with an error smaller than 5.82%. Then, two numerical cases, i.e. impact of granular flow on a rigid structure and design of deformable structures, are studied by using the present model. It is demonstrated that the MPM-FEM model has potential applications in geotechnical engineering, especially when modelling the interaction between soil with large deformation and structures.

Contact Characteristics at Interface in Three-Body Contact Conditions with Rough Surfaces and Foreign Particles

Nanoparticles as lubricant additives under a certain average diameter and concentration may reduce wear, friction and scuffing damage. However, atmospheric dust particles affect not only human health but also the efficiency of components, and even cause component failures. Therefore, the contact characteristics at interfaces with foreign particles require careful investigation. In this work, a 3-body microcontact mechanics concept is used to analyze the effects of wear debris and foreign particles on real contact area, contact mode, asperity deformation type and separation at interface. The results show that the relationship profile between dimensionless real contact area (At*) and dimensionless normal contact load (Ft*) is wedge-shaped in a 3-body contact interface. Using surface-to-surface 2-body contact area as upper bound and surface-to-particle 3-body contact as lower bound, the 3-body hybrid contact situation is in between upper and lower bounds. As the dimensionless normal contact load increases, At* increases gradually as well. The order of contact mode is p-s contact, hybrid contact and then s-s contact. If the 3-body contact interface is in hybrid contact mode, the decrease in the hardness and average third body diameter will cause the At* to increase significantly at the same Ft*. Conversely, the separation and real contact area ratio of plastic deformation decrease gradually. The turning point of contact area (TPCA) occurs when the contact mode is within hybrid contact mode and the ratio of average third body diameter to the composite equivalent surface RMS roughness is about 50–70% for foreign particles and wear debris. When the Ft* is slightly larger than Ftpca*, the third body and surface share the total interface load approximately equally which will help reduce the real contact pressure and plastic contact area to improve surface performance.

Results of the Pinhole Test Correlate with Hybrid Contact Lens Visual Acuity in Patients with Visual Impairment due to Corneal Diseases.

Introduction Trial rigid lens fitting is considered the best approach to determine whether the correction of residual defocus and irregular astigmatism might improve the visual acuity in patients with corneal disorders including keratoconus. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between hybrid lenses and pinhole visual acuity (VA). Methods Patients undergoing hybrid contact lens fitting at the Hygeia Clinic, Poland, were included. The VA of each patient was assessed as decimal Snellen fractions under the following conditions: (i) uncorrected VA, (ii) VA with spherocylindrical correction (i.e., corrected distance VA), (iii) VA with a single 1.2 mm pinhole occluder, and (iv) VA with the best-fitted hybrid contact lens. Pearson's correlation coefficient r was used to assess correlations among variables. Results This study involved 29 eyes of 19 patients, mainly with advanced keratoconus. The uncorrected VA was 0.11 ± 0.10. The pinhole test provided significantly improved VA over corrected distance VA (0.51 ± 0.29 vs. 0.31 ± 0.20, respectively; p < 0.0001). Similarly, the fitted hybrid contact lenses provided improved VA over corrected distance VA (0.66 ± 0.26 vs. 0.31 ± 0.20, respectively; p < 0.0001). The pinhole VA was strongly correlated with the hybrid contact lens VA (r = 0.8135; 95% CI: 0.61–0.92; p < 0.0001). The improvement in the pinhole test over corrected distance VA was moderately correlated with the improvement with the fitted lens over corrected distance VA (r = 0.6269; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.32–0.80; p=0.0005). Conclusions A significant improvement in VA with the pinhole test is a simple predictor of general improvement with hybrid contact lenses. The pinhole test should be used in patients with corneal diseases such as keratoconus to determine whether optical aberrations associated with the disease cause their visual impairment.

MLCT: A multi‐level contact tracing scheme with strong privacy

AbstractWith the outbreak of Covid‐19, both people's health and the world economy are facing great challenges. Contact tracing scheme based on Bluetooth of smartphones has been regarded as a viable way to mitigate the spread of Covid‐19. The existing schemes mainly belong to the centralized or the decentralized structure, both of which have their own limitations. It is infeasible for the existing schemes to balance the different demands of governments and users for user privacy and tracing efficiency at different periods of the epidemic. In this paper, we propose a hybrid contact tracing scheme named MLCT (multi‐level contact tracing scheme) which is mainly based on short group signature. MLCT provides multiple privacy levels by applying anonymous credential technology and secret sharing technology to desensitize user identity privacy and encounter privacy. Comparing to the previous schemes, MLCT fully considers the different demands of the government, patients, and close contacts for user privacy and tracing efficiency in the different stages of Covid‐19. The experimental results show viability in terms of the required resource from both server and mobile phone perspectives. And the security analysis demonstrates that MLCT can achieve the five targets security goals. It is expected that MLCT can contribute to the design and development of contact tracing schemes.

Effects of a new-generation hybrid contact lens on visual performance and vision-related quality of life in patients with keratoconus.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new-generation hybrid contact lens for improving visual outcomes and vision-related quality-of-life performance in patients with keratoconus who had intolerance or treatment failure of conventional correction methods such as the use of soft silicone-hydrogel or rigid gas-permeable contact lenses. Twenty-eight patients with keratoconus (42 eyes) were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. Airflex (Swisslens) lenses were fitted in the patients' eyes in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction. Ophthalmologic examinations, including manifest refraction, best-corrected distance visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (NEI-VFQ-25) assessment, were performed at baseline and the 6-month visit. An adequate fit was achieved in 39 eyes (92.9%) of 26 patients. Six eyes of 3 patients were excluded from the study owing to discontinuation of lens wearing. The mean age of the successful wearers was 20.3 ± 4.9 years. The mean best-corrected distance visual acuity was statistically significantly improved from 0.62 ± 0.30 to 0.11 ± 0.06 logMAR with the Airflex hybrid contact lenses (p<0.001). The mean overall composite NEI-VFQ-25 score statistically significantly increased with the Airflex hybrid contact lenses at the 6-month visit as compared with that at baseline (from 77.1 ± 16.3 to 90.9 ± 7.3, p=0.036). Statistically significantly better scores were obtained with the Airflex hybrid contact lenses in all the NEI-VFQ-25 subscale items (all p<0.05). No significant adverse effects were observed. New-generation hybrid contact lenses can be used as an effective alternative for correction of irregular astigmatism in patients with keratoconus who have intolerance or treatment failure of conventional methods. Significant improvement in vision-related quality-of-life in patients with keratoconus can be achieved with these lenses.

Improved inter-residue contact prediction via a hybrid generative model and dynamic loss function

Protein contact maps represent spatial pairwise inter-residue interactions, providing a protein's translationally and rotationally invariant topological representation. Accurate contact map prediction has been a critical driving force for improving protein structure determination. Contact maps can also be used as a stand-alone tool for varied applications such as prediction of protein–protein interactions, structure-aware thermal stability or physicochemical properties. We develop a novel hybrid contact map prediction model, CGAN-Cmap, that uses a generative adversarial neural network embedded with a series of modified squeeze and excitation residual networks. To exploit features of different dimensions, we introduce two parallel modules. This architecture improves the prediction by increasing receptive fields, surpassing redundant features and encouraging more meaningful ones from 1D and 2D inputs. We also introduce a new custom dynamic binary cross-entropy loss function to address the input imbalance problem for highly sparse long-range contacts in proteins with insufficient homologs. We evaluate the model’s performance on CASP 11, 12, 13, 14, and CAMEO test sets. CGAN-Cmap outperforms state-of-the-art models, improving precision of medium and long-range contacts by at least 3.5%. As a direct assessment between our model and AlphaFold2, the leading available protein structure prediction model, we compare extracted contact maps from AlphaFold2 and predicted contact maps from CGAN-Cmap. The results show that CGAN-Cmap has a mean precision higher by 1% compared to AlphaFold2 for most ranges of contacts. These results demonstrate an efficient approach for highly accurate contact map prediction toward accurate characterization of protein structure, properties and functions from sequence.

Keratoconus and Visual Performance with Different Contact Lenses.

PurposeTo analyze the visual performance in contact lens wearers with keratoconus.MethodsA retrospective study including contact lens (CL) wearers was performed. The current best-corrected visual acuity with contact lens (BCVA-CL) and with spectacles (BCVA-S) correction, contrast sensitivity (CS) (by Metrovision-MonPack3®), analysis of light scattering in the retina and vision break-up time (HD Analyzer®), and corneal tomography (Oculus Pentacam® HR) were evaluated.ResultsThis study included 96 eyes of 59 patients with Keratoconus. Rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGPCL), hybrid contact lenses (HCL), and silicone hydrogel/hydrogel contact lenses (HGCL) were fitted in 67, 17, and 12 eyes, respectively. Dynamic objective scatter index (OSI) (p = 0.024), minimum OSI (p = 0.037) and maximum OSI (p = 0.040) were significantly better with RGPCL and worse with HGCL. Mean CS in photopic conditions was significantly worse with HGCL and better with HCL (p = 0.006), without differences in mesopic conditions (p = 0.121). RGPCL wearers showed a higher mean K (p = 0.020), and a lower corneal thickness at the thinnest point (p=0.011).ConclusionVisual quality varied significantly with different types of CL. Although RGPCL was fitted in patients with worse Pentacam tomographic parameters, RGPCL was associated with a better dynamic visual quality.

A fully resolved SPH-DEM method for heterogeneous suspensions with arbitrary particle shape

The study on fluid-solid interaction in heterogeneous suspensions is essential for theoretical research and engineering practice. In this paper, a three-dimensional fully resolved SPH-DEM method is presented to model suspensions with non-Newtonian fluids and solid particles of arbitrary shape. The fluid phase is modelled using SPH with a regularized Bingham model, whereas aggregates with irregular shapes is modelled using a DEM method based on surface mesh representation. A simple unified hybrid contact method is proposed to model the SPH-boundary, SPH-DEM, DEM-DEM, and DEM-boundary interactions in a generalized fashion. Furthermore, GPU parallelization is employed to increase the numerical efficiency. The coupling method is validated using numerical examples including: (1) water-entry of a sphere, (2) Poiseuille flow of a Bingham material, (3) collapse of columns of irregular particles, and (4) gravity-driven heterogeneous flows with irregular particle shape. The simulation results indicate that the presented method is suitable for heterogeneous flows with irregular solid particles.