More robust switches through improved control of the switch rail

Current switch rail control detectors are among the most traffic disturbing factors in the Swedish rail network. Figures from Trafikverket from 2017 shows that more than 1021 trains were delayed for more than 257 delay hours. The sensor is not an expensive component, but required sensor adjustments when maintaining the switch is time-consuming, costly and cause further traffic disturbance. The aim of this feasibility study is to evaluate the possibility to enhance the reliability of switch rail control while retaining safety levels. The focus is on the case when foreign objects (e.g., ballast stones) are trapped between the switch rail and the stock rail. This will lead to a rail gauge reduction when the switch rail is closed by the drives. To indicate such a rail gauge reduction that may cause derailments, switch rail control sensors (TKKs) are used in Swedish switches. These control sensors indicate if the switch rail is sufficiently close to the stock rail but are, as mentioned, also major causes of traffic disruptions. It is therefore important to know if, and under which conditions the controls in fact add additional safety. This is the focus of the current feasibility study. The investigation sets out with a detailed review of previous investigations into the use of switch rail controls and concludes that all Swedish investigations are based on a one-page report (M5745/87) from 1987. From a scientific perspective the conclusions of this report can neither be verified nor falsified, a fact that has been further established by studying all available reports and presentations that may provide insight into how conclusions in M5745/87 were achieved. In particular, the background to current regulations to prevent derailments related to narrow rail gauge are two ORE reports. This study shows that these reports are not applicable for the case of reduced rail gauge in switches. The study has further studied deformation of ballast stones and loads from vehicles. Preliminary static calculations have been performed and indicate that a derailment cannot be achieved for the studied “worst normal case”. These conclusions must however be further ensured with simulations, and with tests in track. To this end, it has been ensured that simulations of dynamic switch negotiations can be performed. Also, a tentative test plan to validate analyses has been outlined

Rail machining - current practices and potential for optimisation

Current practices on rail machining show large variations in strategies and amount of grinding and milling. To identify reasons for this and suggest strategies to further optimise rail machining, objectives of machining are scrutinised and consequences of not fulfilling objectives are investigated. This leads to a discussion on potentially detrimental effects of rail machining and how to minimise these. With this background, general aspects of rail machining optimisation are discussed. The study shows several means to improve rail machining, but also how the potential is restricted by the current lack of knowledge and predictive models. This prevents quantifying benefits of innovative solutions, and complicates transfer of knowledge between different operational conditions and translations of (scaled and controlled) test results to (full-scale, uncontrolled) operational conditions

Tailoring Charge Recombination in Photoelectrodes Using Oxide Nanostructures

Optimizing semiconductor devices for solar energy conversion requires an explicit control of the recombination of photogenerated electron hole pairs. Here we show how the recombination of charge carriers can be controlled in semiconductor thin films by surface patterning with oxide nanodisks. The control mechanism relies on the formation of dipole-like electric fields at the interface that, depending on the field direction, attract or repel minority carriers from underneath the disks. The charge recombination rate can be controlled through the choice of oxide material and the surface coverage of nanodisks. We provide proof-of-principle demonstration of this approach by patterning the surface of Fe2O3, one of the most studied semiconductors for light-driven water splitting, with TiO2 and Cu2O nanodisks. We expect this method to be generally applicable to a range of semiconductor-based solar energy conversion devices

Relationship between CAD Risk Genotype in the Chromosome 9p21 Locus and Gene Expression. Identification of Eight New ANRIL Splice Variants

BACKGROUND: Several genome-wide association studies have recently linked a group of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 9p21 region with cardiovascular disease. The molecular mechanisms of this link are not fully understood. We investigated five different expression microarray datasets in order to determine if the genotype had effect on expression of any gene transcript in aorta, mammary artery, carotid plaque and lymphoblastoid cells. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: After multiple testing correction, no genes were found to have relation to the rs2891168 risk genotype, either on a genome-wide scale or on a regional (8 MB) scale. The neighbouring ANRIL gene was found to have eight novel transcript variants not previously known from literature and these varied by tissue type. We therefore performed a detailed probe-level analysis and found small stretches of significant relation to genotype but no consistent associations. In all investigated tissues we found an inverse correlation between ANRIL and the MTAP gene and a positive correlation between ANRIL and CDKN2A and CDKN2B. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Investigation of relation of the risk genotype to gene expression is complicated by the transcript complexity of the locus. With our investigation of a range of relevant tissue we wish to underscore the need for careful attention to the complexity of the alternative splicing issues in the region and its implications to the design of future gene expression studies

Upgrading of freight railways to meet operational and market demands

The European objective of a modal shift of freight transports to railways will require extensive upgrading of existing railway lines since very few dedicated freight railways are currently being built and existing lines were built for traffic demands at the time of construction. A transition to increased and enhanced railway freight operations can therefore be costly and complicated. To minimize negative effects, a guideline for upgrading was developed within the Capacity4Rail project. The current paper presents the major findings from this guideline. In particular it outlines different upgrading possibilities and their implications, and details structured approaches to upgrading analyses. Setting out from the Capacity4Rail handbook, the current paper discusses possibilities for upgrading of substructures, bridges, tunnels, and the track structure. In these areas, an overview of challenges and possibilities is presented together with examples of experience from operational upgrading. The paper concludes that freight line upgrading using a more streamlined approach as outlined in the guideline is a necessity if EU objectives on modal shifts in transportation are to be met. Further, it demonstrates why a political drive is necessary to increase efforts to upgrade freight lines

Deletions of IKZF1 and SPRED1 are associated with poor prognosis in a population-based series of pediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia diagnosed between 1992 and 2011.

Despite the favorable prognosis of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a substantial subset of patients relapses. Since this occurs not only in the high risk but also in the standard/intermediate groups, the presently used risk stratification is suboptimal. The underlying mechanisms for treatment failure include presence of genetic changes causing insensitivity to the therapy administered. To identify relapse-associated aberrations we performed single nucleotide polymorphism array analyses of 307 uniformly treated, consecutive pediatric ALL cases accrued 1992-2011. Recurrent aberrations of 14 genes in patients who subsequently relapsed or had induction failure were detected. Of these, deletions/uniparental isodisomies of ADD3, ATP10A, EBF1, IKZF1, PAN3, RAG1, SPRED1, and TBL1XR1 were significantly more common in B-cell precursor ALL patients who relapsed compared with those remaining in complete remission. In univariate analyses, age (10 years), WBC counts (>100 × 109/l), t(9;22)(q34;q11), MLL rearrangements, near-haploidy, and deletions of ATP10A, IKZF1, SPRED1, and the pseudoautosomal 1 regions on Xp/Yp were significantly associated with decreased 10-year event-free survival, with IKZF1 abnormalities being an independent risk factor in multivariate analysis irrespective of risk group. High age and deletions of IKZF1 and SPRED1 were also associated with poor overall survival. Thus, analyses of these genes provide clinically important information.Leukemia accepted article preview online, 4 July 2013; doi:10.1038/leu.2013.206

Endogenous control genes in complex vascular tissue samples

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gene expression microarrays and real-time PCR are common methods used to measure mRNA levels. Each method has a fundamentally different approach of normalization between samples. Relative quantification of gene expression using real-time PCR is often done using the 2^(-ΔΔCt) method, in which the normalization is performed using one or more endogenous control genes. The choice of endogenous control gene is often arbitrary or bound by tradition. We here present an analysis of the differences in expression results obtained with microarray and real-time PCR, dependent on different choices of endogenous control genes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In complex tissue, microarray data and real-time PCR data show the best correlation when endogenous control genes are omitted and the normalization is done relative to total RNA mass, as measured before reverse transcription.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have found that for real-time PCR in heterogeneous tissue samples, it may be a better choice to normalize real-time PCR Ct values to the carefully measured mass of total RNA than to use endogenous control genes. We base this conclusion on the fact that total RNA mass normalization of real-time PCR data shows better correlation to microarray data. Because microarray data use a different normalization approach based on a larger part of the transcriptome, we conclude that omitting endogenous control genes will give measurements more in accordance with actual concentrations.</p

Stromal PDGFRβ Expression in Prostate Tumors and Non-Malignant Prostate Tissue Predicts Prostate Cancer Survival

Background: The identification of new prognostic markers for prostate cancer is highly warranted, since it is difficult to identify patients requiring curative treatment. Data from both experimental models and clinical samples have identified important functions of PDGFRb on pericytes and fibroblasts in the tumor stroma. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study the prognostic significance of PDGFRb in prostate cancer stroma, and in matched non-malignant tissue, was evaluated with immunohistochemistry. PDGFRb expression was analyzed in normal and tumor stroma from more than 300 prostate cancer patients. High PDGFRb expression in tumor stroma was associated with large tumor size, advanced stage, high Gleason score and high vessel density. Perivascular PDGFRb staining in tumors was also correlated with high Gleason score. Correlations were also observed between PDGFRb status in tumor stroma and nonmalignant stroma. Similarly, high PDGFRb expression in adjacent non-malignant tissue stroma correlated with large tumor size, advanced stage, high Gleason score and proliferation in non-malignant epithelium. Interestingly, high levels of PDGFRb in the stroma of tumor and non-malignant tissue were associated with shorter cancer specific survival in prostate cancer patients. Conclusions/Significance: The study revealed a number of novel associations between stromal PDGFRb expression i

Cost-effectiveness of rosuvastatin in comparison with generic atorvastatin and simvastatin in a Swedish population at high risk of cardiovascular events

Background: To assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of rosuvastatin therapy compared with generic simvastatin and generic atorvastatin in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality in a Swedish population with Framingham risk ≥20%. Methods: A probabilistic Monte Carlo simulation model based on data from JUPITER (the Justification for the Use of statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin) was used to estimate the long-term cost-effectiveness of rosuvastatin 20 mg daily versus simvastatin or atorvastatin 40 mg for the prevention of cardiovascular death and morbidity. The three-stage model included cardiovascular event prevention simulating the 4 years of JUPITER, initial prevention beyond the trial, and subsequent cardiovascular event prevention. A Swedish health care payer perspective (direct costs only) was modeled for a lifetime horizon, with 2008/2009 as the costing period. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained with rosuvastatin 20 mg over simvastatin or atorvastatin 40 mg ranged from SEK88,113 (rosuvastatin 20 mg versus simvastatin 40 mg; Framingham risk ≥30%; net avoidance of 34 events/1000 patients) to SEK497,542 (versus atorvastatin 40 mg: Framingham risk ≥20%; net avoidance of 11 events/1000 patients) over a lifetime horizon. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses indicated that at a willingness-to-pay threshold of SEK500,000/QALY, rosuvastatin 20 mg would be cost-effective for approximately 75%–85% of simulations relative to atorvastatin or simvastatin 40 mg. Sensitivity analyses indicated the findings to be robust. Conclusion: Rosuvastatin 20 mg is cost-effective over a lifetime horizon compared with generic simvastatin or atorvastatin 40 mg in patients at high cardiovascular risk in Sweden