Derailment-based fault tree analysis on risk management of railway turnout systems

Railway turnouts are fundamental mechanical infrastructures, which allow a rolling stock to divert one direction to another. As those are of a large number of engineering subsystems, e.g. track, signalling, earthworks, these particular sub-systems are expected to induce high potential through various kind of failure mechanisms. This could be a cause of any catastrophic event. A derailment, one of undesirable events in railway operation, often results, albeit rare occurs, in damaging to rolling stock, railway infrastructure and disrupt service, and has the potential to cause casualties and even loss of lives. As a result, it is quite significant that a well-designed risk analysis is performed to create awareness of hazards and to identify what parts of the systems may be at risk. This study will focus on all types of environment based failures as a result of numerous contributing factors noted officially as accident reports. This risk analysis is designed to help industry to minimise the occurrence of accidents at railway turnouts. The methodology of the study relies on accurate assessment of derailment likelihood, and is based on statistical multiple factors-integrated accident rate analysis. The study is prepared in the way of establishing product risks and faults, and showing the impact of potential process by Boolean algebra

Electrodermal Activity: Simultaneous Recordings

Electrodermal activity (EDA) is a sensitive measure of the sympathetic nervous system activity. It is used to describe changes in the skin electrical properties. This chapter aimed to show advantages of simultaneous recordings of EDA parameters at the same skin site over other recordings. The literature databases, Web of Science and Google Scholar, were searched using terms like “electrodermal activity,” “sequential recording,” “simultaneous recording,” “skin conductance,” “skin potential,” and “skin susceptance.” Articles that include sequential and/or simultaneous recording of EDA parameters were analyzed. The chapter presents a description of the oldest and current methods used for recording EDA parameters and an explanation of the newest techniques used in EDA researches. Although sequential recordings are predominant and widely spreading, much effort has been made to simultaneously record skin conductance (SC) and skin potential (SP), and recently researchers realized the capability of simultaneously recording SC, SP, and skin susceptance (SS) at the same skin site. The advantage of simultaneous over the sequence measurements is that the latter must be manually time realigned when measured by different instruments, which means it is time-consuming. Although the simultaneous measurements are used exclusively for research purposes at this stage, this may open horizons in the modern trends of psychophysiology applications in the near future

VARIATIONS IN FREQUENCY AND AMPLITUDE OF NONSPECIFIC ELECTRODERMAL RESPONSES

Electrodermal activity (EDA) represents changes in the electrical properties of the skin due to the opening of sweat pores and sweat secretion. EDA responses are classified into specific and nonspecific responses. Nonspecific EDA responses (NS.EDRs) are EDA responses without external stimuli or motor activity and are shown to be a good measure of psychophysiological states and traits. Studies investigating NSEDRs are rare, especially on responses, which occur following specific responses at resting periods. This study aimed to investigate variations in NS.EDRs  (in terms of frequency and amplitude) at a sequence of resting periods (pre and post of various stimuli). NS.EDRs parameters were recorded from 20 subjects simultaneously in the same skin area. They were computed at resting periods before and following specific responses due to five external stimuli. The study results indicated that there were differences in the frequency and amplitude of NS.EDRs recorded at different resting periods. Additionally, the frequency of NS.EDRs obtained before stimuli were more than those detected at other resting periods, whereas amplitudes of NS.EDRs following sound stimulus were higher than those computed before and after other stimuli; however, these results were statistically nonsignificant (p>0.05). This study suggests that nonspecific skin potential responses (NS.SPRs) are very sensitive to capture variations in the frequency and amplitude of NS.EDRs, whereas nonspecific skin susceptance responses (NS.SSRs) are the least sensitive compared to nonspecific skin conductance responses (NS.SCRs) and NS.SPRs. NS.EDRs may be an important indicator for tracking arousal, emotional behavior, psychophysiological variables, and goal-directed thinking in clinical applications due to their sensitivity to such responses

The effect of stabilized wastewater sludge on nitrogen and urease activity in a soil

Bu çalışmada, farklı yöntemlerle stabilize edilen çamurların uygulandığı topraklarda çeşitli azot formları ve üreaz aktivitesi değerlerinde meydana gelen değişimler belirlenmiştir. Evsel nitelikli ham arıtma çamuruna, patojen popülasyonunu değişen derecelerde azaltan dört farklı stabilizasyon yöntemi (havada kurutma, pastörizasyon, kireç stabilizasyonu ve kireç+kül stabilizasyonu) uygulanmıştır. Stabilize edilen arıtma çamurları 50 ve 100 ton ham kuru çamur ha-1 oranını sağlayacak şekilde 2 tekrarlamalı tesadüfi blok tasarımı düzeninde 500 g kuru toprak içeren kaplara eklenmiştir. Örnekler 28ºC’de 34 gün boyunca inkübe edilmiştir ve inkübasyonun 5, 8, 15, 22, 29 ve 34. günlerinde alınan örneklerde toplam azot, amonyum azotu ve nitrat azotu konsantrasyonları ile üreaz aktivitesi seviyeleri belirlenmiştir. Uygulanan havada kurutma, pastörizasyon, kireç stabilizasyonu ve kireç+kül stabilizasyonu yöntemleri, çamurun fekal koliform içeriğini önemli derecede (4.12 ila 7.74 log) azaltmıştır. Uygulanan stabilizasyon yöntemleri USEPA kriterleri çerçevesinde değerlendirildiğinde, kurutma, kireç stabilizasyonu ve kireç+kül stabilizasyonu yöntemlerinin B sınıfı biyokatı oluşturduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Diğer yandan, çamurun pastörize edilmesi (70ºC’de 30 dk.) ile USEPA A sınıfı biyokatı kriterleri sağlanmıştır. Sonuçlar çamura uygulanan stabilizasyon yöntemlerinin arasındaki farkların, toprakların toplam azot konsantrasyonu ve üreaz aktivitesi değerine olan etkisinin önemsiz olduğunu göstermiştir. Diğer taraftan, çamur uygulanan topraklarda belirlenen amonyum ve nitrat azotu değerlerinin ise çamura uygulanan stabilizasyon yöntemlerine bağlı olarak değiştiği tespit edilmiştir. İnkübasyon sonuçları özellikle alkali çamur uygulanan topraklarda, nitrifikasyon prosesinin amonifikasyona göre daha hızlı yürüdüğünü göstermiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Arıtma çamuru, azot formları, çamur stabilizasyonu, üreaz aktivitesi, toprak.Wastewater sludge has been already utilized in agricultural applications for several years as it represents an alternative source of nutrients for plant growth and an efficient soil conditioner enhancing certain physical properties of soil. However, wastewater sludge may contain pathogenic organisms and pollutants. This may negatively affect the soil properties. Recently increased attention was paid to the sludge stabilization process aiming to reduce the microbial content of sludge (pathogens). In this context several methods, such as biological digestion, composting, lime stabilisation, heat treatment have been used to eliminate pathogens from sludge. In this research, variations of various nitrogen forms and urease activity values have been determined in soils amended with wastewater sludges treated with different stabilization methods. Raw domestic sludge samples were treated with four different stabilization processes (air drying, pasteurization, lime stabilization and lime+fly ash stabilization) for reducing pathogen population with varying efficiency. Details of the processes are given below: air drying process: sludge was dried at 35°C by using a supplemental heat source; pasteurization: sludge was heated at 70°C for 30 minutes; lime stabilization: sludge was mixed with 15% of lime(CaO) on dry-weight basis; lime+fly ash stabilization: lime (10%)-fly ash (40%) mixture was added to sludge to increase the pH to 12. Lime is considered as one of the most common amendment materials for sewage sludge stabilization, as it plays significant role in reducing the microbial content of sludge (pathogens), enhancing the agricultural benefits and lowering the respective environmental risks. Fly ash, i.e. the by-product produced from fossil fuel thermal power plants, may contain increased amounts of calcium and magnesium oxides, depending upon the coal sources and may present highly alkaline values similar to lime. Thus, fly ash can be used as an alternative material for sludge stabilization with additional benefits, such as the reduced purchasing cost, and the minimization of fly ash disposal cost. Furthermore, the combined addition of fly ash and lime in small dosages to sewage sludge may result to an efficient removal of pathogens. In this research, de-watered sludge sample was collected from the treatment plant of canned food industry. The fly ash used in this study was obtained from Orhaneli Power Station where lignite is used for fuel. Technical grade anhydrous calcium oxide (quicklime 96%) was used together with fly ash in alkaline stabilisation. Stabilized sludge samples were amended to soil pots (500 g air dried soil) at rate equivalent to 50 and 100 tons dry sludge ha-1 and the pots were then arranged in a randomized block design with two replicates. The samples were incubated at 28°C for 34 days and total-N, ammonium-N and nitrate-N concentrations and urease activity levels were determined at 5, 8, 15, 22, 29 and 34 days of incubation period. Fecal coliform numbers were determined by Most Probable Number Method of Standard Methods. Concentrations of nitrate-N and ammonium-N were determined in samples which were extracted using 2 M KCI. The concentrations in extracts were analyzed by steam distillation with MgO and devarda alloy. Total N contents were measured by Kjeldahl digestion method. The urease activity of the soil was determined as described by Tabatabai. Applied methods of air drying, pasteurization, lime stabilization and lime+fly ash stabilization significantly decreased (4.12 to 7.74 log) the fecal coliform contents of wastewater sludge. When applied stabilization methods were evaluated by USEPA criteria, it can be concluded that air drying, lime stabilization and lime+fly ash stabilization generated Class B biosolid products. On the other hand, Class A biosolid requirements were achieved by pasteurization of sludge(70°C for 30 min.). The results indicated that the effects of applied sludge stabilization methods on total N concentration and urease activity values of soils were found to be insignificant. However, the ammonium and nitrate nitrogen concentrations in sludge amended soils were dependent on the applied sludge stabilization methods. In general, low levels of ammonium and high levels of nitrate nitrogen were determined in sludge amended soils during the incubation period. The results of the incubation indicated that nitrification proceeded much faster than ammonification especially in soils amended with alkaline sludges. Keywords: Nitrogen forms, sludge stabilization, soil, urease activity, wastewater sludge

IMPACT OF GENDER DIFFERENCES AND BODY MASS INDEX ON SKIN BIOPHYSICAL PARAMETERS OF CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS

Once the pandemic started, there were no clues regarding overall COVID-19 infections. There are no studies that demonstrate the effects of COVID-19 on skin surface pH, moisture, sebum,  and temperature in terms of gender differences and body mass index (BMI) among infected people. The goal of this study was to investigate some of the skin biophysical scores of patients infected with COVID-19 and evaluate the impact of gender differences and the body mass index on them. Skin surface sebum, pH, temperature, and hydration (moisture), were measured in 30 COVID-19 patients using employing non-invasive portable devices. Insignificant effects of gender differences and BMI on skin biophysical properties were observed. In addition, females showed higher skin biophysical characteristics than males. Moreover, obese patients had higher skin biophysical parameter values than normal-weight patients. However, all the study results were statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). Further investigations are required to recognize other skin biophysical parameters such as transepidermal water loss and elasticity that may aid in the early identification of skin damage in COVID-19 patients

Computers in Secondary Schools: Educational Games

This entry introduces educational games in secondary schools. Educational games include three main types of educational activities with a playful learning intention supported by digital technologies: educational serious games, educational gamification, and learning through game creation. Educational serious games are digital games that support learning objectives. Gamification is defined as the use of "game design elements and game thinking in a non-gaming context" (Deterding et al. 2011, p. 13). Educational gamification is not developed through a digital game but includes game elements for supporting the learning objectives. Learning through game creation is focused on the process of designing and creating a prototype of a game to support a learning process related to the game creation process or the knowledge mobilized through the game creation process. Four modalities of educational games in secondary education are introduced in this entry to describe educational games in secondary education: educational purpose of entertainment games, serious games, gamification, and game design

Measurement of χ c1 and χ c2 production with s√ = 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for the χ c1 and χ c2 charmonium states are measured in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using 4.5 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The χ c states are reconstructed through the radiative decay χ c → J/ψγ (with J/ψ → μ + μ −) where photons are reconstructed from γ → e + e − conversions. The production rate of the χ c2 state relative to the χ c1 state is measured for prompt and non-prompt χ c as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum. The prompt χ c cross-sections are combined with existing measurements of prompt J/ψ production to derive the fraction of prompt J/ψ produced in feed-down from χ c decays. The fractions of χ c1 and χ c2 produced in b-hadron decays are also measured

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal

Hunt for new phenomena using large jet multiplicities and missing transverse momentum with ATLAS in 4.7 fb−1 of s√=7TeV proton-proton collisions

Results are presented of a search for new particles decaying to large numbers of jets in association with missing transverse momentum, using 4.7 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√=7TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2011. The event selection requires missing transverse momentum, no isolated electrons or muons, and from ≥6 to ≥9 jets. No evidence is found for physics beyond the Standard Model. The results are interpreted in the context of a MSUGRA/CMSSM supersymmetric model, where, for large universal scalar mass m 0, gluino masses smaller than 840 GeV are excluded at the 95% confidence level, extending previously published limits. Within a simplified model containing only a gluino octet and a neutralino, gluino masses smaller than 870 GeV are similarly excluded for neutralino masses below 100 GeV

Measurements of Higgs boson production and couplings in diboson final states with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

Measurements are presented of production properties and couplings of the recently discovered Higgs boson using the decays into boson pairs, H →γ γ, H → Z Z∗ →4l and H →W W∗ →lνlν. The results are based on the complete pp collision data sample recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 25 fb−1. Evidence for Higgs boson production through vector-boson fusion is reported. Results of combined fits probing Higgs boson couplings to fermions and bosons, as well as anomalous contributions to loop-induced production and decay modes, are presented. All measurements are consistent with expectations for the Standard Model Higgs boson