Studying the Railroad Track Geometry Deterioration as a Result of an Uneven Subsidence of the Ballast Layer

A method for calculating impairment of the track geometry under influence of dynamic loads in the course of passing the track unevenness by the rolling stock was developed. The method takes into consideration interrelated short-term processes of dynamic interaction and long-term processes of subsidence of the ballast layer in a mutual influence on each other. Mathematical model of dynamic interaction of the track in the form of a planar three-layer continual beam system with a two-mass discrete system corresponding to the rolling stock is the basis of the first part of the method. This model makes it possible to simulate dynamic loads from individual sleepers to the ballast when the rolling stock passes geometric unevennesses and the track elasticity unevennesses.The second part of the method is based on the phenomenological mathematical model of accumulation of residual deformations formed using the results of laboratory studies of subsidence of individual sleepers in the ballast layer. Peculiarity of this model consists in taking into consideration not only uniform accumulation of residual subsidence from the passed tonnage but also presence of a plastic component of subsidence which depends on the maximum stresses in the history of ballast loading by each sleeper.A new theoretical mechanism of development of the track unevenness was proposed. It takes into consideration not only residual subsidences of the ballast layer but also appearance of gaps under sleepers resulting in a local change of the track elasticity. This mechanism enables taking into consideration the ambiguous influence of subsidences with occurrence of gaps under the sleepers. Subsidence causes an increase in dynamic loads on the track and the ballast layer on the one hand and onset of the gap causes a decrease in the track rigidity and corresponding reduction of dynamic loads on the other hand.Practical application of the developed method was demonstrated on an example of quantitative estimation of long-term uneven subsidences of the ballast layer when changing the sleeper diagra

Micrographs of rat kidney cell culture loaded with Lysotracker Green in the absence (A), and in the presence of 0.1 mg/ml (B) of [Glu1]gA.

<p>Micrographs of rat kidney cell culture loaded with Lysotracker Green in the absence (A), and in the presence of 0.1 mg/ml (B) of [Glu1]gA.</p

Single-channel recordings (A, D) and the corresponding current histograms (B, E) of gramicidin A (picogram/ml, A, B, and C) and [Glu1]gA (2 nanogram/ml, D, E, and F) at a voltage of 100 mV applied to the DPhPC/decane membrane.

<p>The solution was 100 mM HCl. (<b>C</b>, <b>F</b>) Open state duration histograms fitted by a single exponential with a time constant of 116 ms (<b>C</b>) and 16 ms (<b>F</b>). The records were filtered at 100 Hz (<b>A</b>, <b>B</b>, and <b>C</b>) or 1000 Hz (<b>D</b>, <b>E</b>, and <b>F</b>).</p

Effect of different peptides on the membrane potential of rat liver mitochondria measured by safranine O.

<p>Panel <b>A</b>. Shown are traces of fluorescence in the medium described in “Materials and Methods.” In all traces, 5 mM of succinate and 1 µM of rotenone were supplemented about 150 s before the addition of a peptide at t = 0 s. Control, no other additions. gA, [Glu1]gA, [Glu3]gA, [Lys1]gA, and [Lys3]gA show traces after the addition of 5 nM (i.e. about 10 nanogram/ml) of a corresponding peptide at t = 0 s. Trace “excess [Glu1]gA” was measured with 1 µg/ml peptide. Panel <b>B.</b> Dose dependence of the effect of [Glu1]gA on mitochondrial membrane potential.</p

Effect of [Glu1]gA on mitochondrial membrane potential in renal cells.

<p>Confocal images of cultured renal cells loaded with TMRE in control (A) and after treatment with 0.01 mg/ml [Glu1]gA (B). Diagram (C) presents the mean intensity of TMRE fluorescence through 10 confocal images for each [Glu1]gA (solid bars) or gA (hatched bars) concentration.</p

Effect of liposomes (1 µg/ml DPhPC) on the induction of electrical current on planar lipid bilayer by gA (2 nanogram/ml, panel A) and [Glu1]gA (200 nanogram/ml, panel B).

<p>The peptides and liposomes were added at one side of the membrane. The solution was 100 mM KCl, 10 mM Tris, 10 mM MES, pH = 7.0, BLM voltage was 50 mV.</p

Dissipation of the pH gradient on membranes of pyranine-loaded liposomes by gA and [Glu1]gA (both 2 µg/ml).

<p>Inner liposomal pH was estimated from pyranine fluorescence intensity measured at 505 nm upon excitation at 455 nm. Nigericin (1 µM) was added at 400–420 s to equilibrate the pH. Control, a record without peptides.</p

Omics, epigenetics, and genome editing techniques for food and nutritional security

The incredible success of crop breeding and agricultural innovation in the last century greatly contributed to the Green Revolution, which significantly increased yields and ensures food security, despite the population explosion. However, new challenges such as rapid climate change, deteriorating soil, and the accumulation of pollutants require much faster responses and more effective solutions that cannot be achieved through traditional breeding. Further prospects for increasing the efficiency of agriculture are undoubtedly associated with the inclusion in the breeding strategy of new knowledge obtained using high-throughput technologies and new tools in the future to ensure the design of new plant genomes and predict the desired phenotype. This article provides an overview of the current state of research in these areas, as well as the study of soil and plant microbiomes, and the prospective use of their potential in a new field of microbiome engineering. In terms of genomic and phenomic predictions, we also propose an integrated approach that combines high-density genotyping and high-throughput phenotyping techniques, which can improve the prediction accuracy of quantitative traits in crop species