Railway track degradation modelling using dynamic multi-regression to predict failure patterns

Railway tracks degrade and may eventually break down due to several operational and environmental impacts that affect the rails’ reliability. The most common type of railhead defect is called the rail squat, which cost Network Rail an estimate of approximately 3.9 million pounds annually. Squat defects are minor subsurface laminations that run diagonally down the running surface and spread laterally and longitudinally over and along the rail tracks (Li, Zili et al., 2008a; Li, Zili et al., 2008b; Li, Z., 2009). The occurrence of squat defects has a significant impact on the track performance, leading to speed restrictions, delays, and cancellation of in-service train operations and hence penalties for infrastructure owners. To ensure the performance and efficiency of service operations and more reliable railway infrastructure, the UK is investing in railway modernization projects to meet this demand (Rail director April 2023, 2023; MyBib Contributors, 2019).This study uses a Dynamic Multiple linear regression to model the relationship between squat defects and influential parameters such as track length, maximum permissible speed, maximum axle load, estimated million gross tonnage, tamping frequency, rail grinding frequency, and corrugation frequency detection. A hazard model is proposed and used to predict transition probabilities between defect and failure. This research evaluated six years of data acquired from network rail on squats defects, grinding maintenance, and corrugation faults across the UK railway network. The dynamic Markov model is used within the scope of the hazard model to determine the transition probabilities of squat defects propagation. A complete squat data analysis is performed by comparing the efficiency of the rail gridding maintenance regime to the cumulative squat defect frequency against the number of repair operations. An example simulation is shown to anticipate the time to breakdown of railway track systems

Alternatives for coupling sequential injection systems to commercial capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry equipment

Poste

Controle Alternativo De Pinta-preta Em Genótipos De Mamoeiro

To find control forms alternative to fungicides, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of products with potential to control black spot (Asperisporium caricae) in different papaya genotypes. Installed in a greenhouse, the experiment was conducted in randomized blocks (RB) with factorial arrangement 5x6, three replicates, and spraying of four products (Bion®, Bordeaux mixture, Ecolife®, and Bordasul®) in six papaya genotypes (‘Sunrise Solo PT’, ‘STZ 03’, ‘Golden’, ‘Tailândia’, ‘Maradol’ and ‘UENF-CALIMAN 01’), while control was sprayed only with water. The severity (BSS) and the incidence (BSI) of black spot on the leaves were quantified, as well as the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). There was variability among the evaluated genotypes, highlighting ‘STZ 03’, ‘Maradol’ and ‘UENF/ CALIMAN 01’ as the most resistant genotypes. ‘Tailândia’ (susceptible) showed greater response to the products. Plants sprayed with Bion®, Bordeaux mixture and Bordasul® had reduced black spot means. © 2017, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). All rights reserved.431606

Spatiotemporal parameters during turning gait maneuvers of different amplitudes in young and elderly healthy adults: A descriptive and comparative study.

Turning during walking adds complexity to gait and has been little investigated until now. Research question What are the differences in spatiotemporal parameters between young and elderly healthy adults performing quarter-turns (90°), half-turns (180°) and full-turns (360°)? The spatiotemporal parameters of 10 young and 10 elderly adults were recorded in a laboratory while turning at 90°, 180° and 360°. Two-way mixed ANOVA were performed to determine the effect of age and turning amplitude. Elderly were slower and needed more steps and time to perform turns of larger amplitude than young adults. Cadence did not differ across age or across turning amplitude. Generally, in the elderly, the spatial parameters were smaller and the temporal parameters enhancing stability (i.e., double-support phase and stance/cycle ratio) were larger, especially for turns of larger amplitudes. In elderly adults, the variability of some spatial parameters was decreased, whereas the variability of some temporal parameters was increased. Stride width of the external leg showed the most substantial difference between groups. Most parameters differed between turning at 90° and turning at larger amplitudes (180°, 360°). Significance This study extends the characterization of turning biomechanics with respect to ageing. It also suggested paying particular attention to the turning amplitude. Finally, the age-related differences may pave the way for new selective rehabilitation protocols in the elderly

Quantification and localization of formylated phloroglucinol compounds (FPCs) in eucalyptus species

The Eucalyptus genus is a hyper-diverse group of long-lived trees from the Myrtaceae family, consisting of more than 700 species. Eucalyptus are widely distributed across their native Australian landscape and are the most widely planted hardwood forest trees in the world. The ecological and economic success of Eucalyptus trees is due, in part, to their ability to produce a plethora of specialized metabolites, which moderate abiotic and biotic interactions. Formylated phloroglucinol compounds (FPCs) are an important class of specialized metabolites in the Myrtaceae family, particularly abundant in Eucalyptus. FPCs are mono- to tetra-formylated phloroglucinol based derivatives, often with an attached terpene moiety. These compounds provide chemical defense against herbivory and display various bioactivities of pharmaceutical relevance. Despite their ecological and economic importance, and continued improvements into analytical techniques, FPCs have proved challenging to study. Here we present a simple and reliable method for FPCs extraction, identification and quantification by UHPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The method was applied to leaf, flower bud, and flower samples of nine different eucalypt species, using a small amount of plant material. Authentic analytical standards were used to provide high resolution mass spectra and fragmentation patterns. A robust method provides opportunities for future investigations into the identification and quantification of FPCs in complex biological samples with high confidence. Furthermore, we present for the first time the tissue-based localization of FPCs in stem, leaf, and flower bud of Eucalyptus species measured by mass spectrometry imaging, providing important information for biosynthetic pathway discovery studies and for understanding the role of those compounds in planta

Nudging using the ‘dish of the day’ strategy does not work for plant-based meals in a Danish sample of adolescent and older people

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Adequate nutrition is an important factor for health and well-being in adolescents and later years. Fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet as important source of nutrients, but their intakes are lower than the recommendations in European countries. This study aimed to compare the choices made by adolescents and older people between three similar dishes, one based on meat, one on fish and one on vegetables, in two different conditions: a neutral (control) situation and an intervention situation in which the vegetable-based meal was designated ‘dish of the day’. The comparisons of choices will be made within the same age group (adolescents in the control group vs. adolescents in the intervention group; older people in the control group vs. older people in the intervention group). A quasi-randomised field trial design was used with a sample of 94 adolescents (aged 10–19 years) and 97 older people (aged ≥65 years), who were randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. In the control situation participants were asked to choose between three similar meals, one meat, one fish and one the VeggiEat dish. In the intervention, the VeggiEat dish was labelled the ‘Dish of the day’. All dishes were provided free of charge, displayed side by side in the same order and served in same portions. The dish choices showed no differences between the control and intervention groups in both age groups, and no differences were found among the other variables analysed. This nudging strategy, ‘dish of the day’, seems not to work for the Danish sample of adolescents and older people. Future nudging studies with these populations are needed in order to find the best strategy to move adolescents' and older people's food habits toward a healthier pattern

Investigating microplastic contamination and biomagnification in a remote area of South Australia

Published Online 8/6/23 OnlinePublContext. Microplastics are widespread in aquatic ecosystems and are commonly recorded in water, sediment and a broad spectrum of marine biota. Yet, the extent to which organisms ingest microplastics directly or indirectly by trophic transfer is largely unknown. Aims. This study characterises microplastic abundance across intertidal water, sediment, and marine biota species of different trophic levels, and investigates whether biomagnification occurs. Methods. Water, sediment, molluscs, crustaceans and fish were sampled from a single area in southern Australia. Key results. Microplastics were recorded in 35% of water, 45% of sediment and 39% of biota samples. Plastic load was 0.36 ± 0.08 microplastics g(-1) DW for sediment, 0.50 ± 0.17 microplastics L(−1) for water, and 0.70 ± 0.25 microplastics individual(−1) for biota. Biomagnification was not found, although similarities in plastic characteristics across biota may imply trophic transfer. Most of the microplastics were fibres (97.5%) of blue, black and transparent colour. Spectral analysis (μ-FTIR) indicated that polyester (50%) and polyethylene (42.3%) dominated the polymer compositions. Conclusions. There were no significant differences in microplastic contamination among biota species, with no biomagnification identified. Implications. We provide information on biomagnification of microplastics alongside a still uncommon characterisation of contamination in water, sediment and biota.Solomon O. Ogunola, Patrick Reis-Santos, Nina Wootton and Bronwyn M. Gillander

Sum rules in the oscillator radiation processes

We consider the problem of an harmonic oscillator coupled to a scalar field in the framework of recently introduced dressed coordinates. We compute all the probabilities associated with the decay process of an excited level of the oscillator. Instead of doing direct quantum mechanical calculations we establish some sum rules from which we infer the probabilities associated to the different decay processes of the oscillator. Thus, the sum rules allows to show that the transition probabilities between excited levels follow a binomial distribution.Comment: comments and references added, LaTe

Energy Conditions in f(G)f(G) Modified Gravity with Non-minimal Coupling to Matter

In this paper we study a model of modified gravity with non-minimal coupling between a general function of the Gauss-Bonnet invariant, $f(G)$, and matter Lagrangian from the point of view of the energy conditions. Such model has been introduced in Ref. [21] for description of early inflation and late-time cosmic acceleration. We present the suitable energy conditions for the above mentioned model and then, we use the estimated values of the Hubble, deceleration and jerk parameters to apply the obtained energy conditions to the specific class of modified Gauss-Bonnet models.Comment: 12 pages, no figur, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc