Material concepts for top of rail friction management – Classification, characterisation and application

The concept of managing and adjustment of friction between the wheel and rail has a long history within the operation of railways systems. In the past, adjustment/management has been limited to gauge face lubrication and the use of sanding equipment. The introduction of the top of rail (TOR) friction modifier (FM) over the last 20 years now allows for the modification of the friction at the top of rail–wheel tread interface. This paper focusses on the concept of TOR friction adjustment. Recent developments have led to a new generation of products, defined here as, TOR lubricants (oil and/or grease-based) and hybrid materials (oil/water mixtures), which are non-drying or slow drying. Definitions and functional difference are detailed and contrasted with that of the water-based drying FM. The water-based TOR-FM once applied rapidly dries, mixes with the existing third-body layer, and allows for the accommodation of shear displacement. TOR lubricants and hybrid materials rely on mixed boundary layer lubrication, contrary to application of the water-based TOR-FM. It has been shown that the adhesion level is highly influenced by the lubricant application rates. The risks and benefits (lateral force reduction, corrugation mitigation, and impact on energy consumption and influence on rolling contact fatigue) are discussed for all product classifications. However, a lack of data exists for the TOR lubricants especially in the area of rolling contact fatigue where laboratory studies have identified the possibility of crack interaction. Whilst it can be seen that TOR lubricants have the ability to provide similar benefits to that of a water-based FM, they exhibit a strong dependency on the application rate which may lend itself to adhesion and RCF issues. Further work is recommended in this area

Children in care

This qualitative study examines the foster care system in Denmark and the experiences of children in care, in relation to their upbringing, their placement in child institutions or in the home of foster parents, and how growing up in ‘the system’ has formed their past and present. This study aims to give a better understanding of the subject both at a personal and a scientific level using semi structured interviews and through the theories of Erwing Goffman and Axel Honneth. It analyses the experiences of three women placed in the system from childhood or a young age. We find stigma plays a role in the treatment the children receive from the caretakers or the professionals, and how a lack of recognition affects their interactions with both personnel/carers and other children and even in their own personal development. Furthermore we find similar patterns of neglect in the narratives of our subjects, and we investigate how these narratives are expressed and compared to the memories from their childhood and early youth, before they were placed away from home

Beneficial Microbes Affect Endogenous Mechanisms Controlling Root Development

Plants have incredible developmental plasticity, enabling them to respond to a wide range of environmental conditions. Among these conditions is the presence of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the soil. Recent studies show that PGPR affect Arabidopsis thaliana root growth and development by modulating cell division and differentiation in the primary root and influencing lateral root development. These effects lead to dramatic changes in root system architecture that significantly impact aboveground plant growth. Thus, PGPR may promote shoot growth via their effect on root developmental programs. This review focuses on contextualizing root developmental changes elicited by PGPR in light of our understanding of plant-microbe interactions and root developmental biology

The Museum of Renaissance Music: A History in 100 Exhibits

This book collates 100 exhibits with accompanying essays as an imaginary museum dedicated to the musical cultures of Renaissance Europe, at home and in its global horizons. It is a history through artefacts—materials, tools, instruments, art objects, images, texts, and spaces—and their witness to the priorities and activities of people in the past as they addressed their world through music. The result is a history by collage, revealing overlapping musical practices and meanings—not only those of the elite, but reflecting the everyday cacophony of a diverse culture and its musics. Through the lens of its exhibits, this museum surveys music’s central role in culture and lived experience in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Europe, offering interest and insights well beyond the strictly musicological field

LifeTime and improving European healthcare through cell-based interceptive medicine

AUTEURS : LifeTime Community Working GroupsInternational audienceHere we describe the LifeTime Initiative, which aims to track, understand and target human cells during the onset and progression of complex diseases, and to analyse their response to therapy at single-cell resolution. This mission will be implemented through the development, integration and application of single-cell multi-omics and imaging, artificial intelligence and patient-derived experimental disease models during the progression from health to disease. The analysis of large molecular and clinical datasets will identify molecular mechanisms, create predictive computational models of disease progression, and reveal new drug targets and therapies. The timely detection and interception of disease embedded in an ethical and patient-centred vision will be achieved through interactions across academia, hospitals, patient associations, health data management systems and industry. The application of this strategy to key medical challenges in cancer, neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, and infectious, chronic inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases at the single-cell level will usher in cell-based interceptive medicine in Europe over the next decade