Rolling-sliding laboratory tests of friction modifiers in dry and wet wheel-rail contacts

Friction management has been carried out extensively in the majority of railway networks in the last few years. A popular practice is the application of friction modifiers to increase the adhesion level in contaminated wheel-rail contacts. Two friction modifiers have particularly been used or tested on several railway networks as adhesion enhancers to facilitate the traction and braking operation under poor adhesion conditions. However, for assessment of the performance the railway operators and infrastructure managers mostly rely on practical observations that do not elucidate completely the effectiveness and side effects of these adhesion enhancers. In this paper, the constituents of the two friction modifiers are identified and the solid components are analyzed. A twin-disk roller rig has been used to study their performance in dry and wet contacts under closely controlled laboratory conditions. The adhesion characteristics of both friction modifiers are examined for different slip ratios. Furthermore, the wheel and rail disks are examined after a series of dry tests to analyze the mass loss, the surface damage, the change in surface hardness and roughness, and the subsurface deformation caused by the friction modifiers compared to dry clean contacts. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Examining the Gender- and Sexuality-Related Cognitive “Stuck Points” of Men and Women with Experiences of Adult Sexual Assault: Implications for Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is considered a gold-standard psychotherapy protocol for the treatment of posttraumatic stress symptoms secondary to a variety of traumatic events. Despite its demonstrated efficacy, there is research to suggest CPT may not be as effective in reducing PTSD symptoms for men with an adult sexual assault trauma as it is for their female counterparts. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether CPT treatment outcome discrepancies may be attributable to gender differences in posttraumatic cognitions, or “stuck points.” As the act of sexual victimization is incongruent with socially prescribed masculine gender norms, it was hypothesized that men may present with more stuck points related to distortions about their gender or sexuality than women. A total of 39 men and 75 women with adult sexual assault (ASA) experiences completed an online survey assessing their posttraumatic reactions. Participants were asked to complete a modified impact statement assignment from CPT session 1, as well as measures assessing their current PTSD symptoms, depression, anger, and subscription to rape myths and traditional gender norms. Gender comparisons showed that, overall, men’s and women’s experiences of and reactions to ASA were remarkably similar. Men were more likely than women to report stuck points related to questioning their gender or sexual identity following their ASA experience and related to believing their gender or sexuality was the reason their ASA experience occurred. The presence of these stuck points was associated with lower levels of anger for men but not women. As gender and sexuality concerns are not directly addressed by the CPT protocol, recommendations for adaptations to CPT are proposed, along with a discussion of other important considerations in delivering a much-needed effective PTSD treatment protocol to sexually assaulted men

Computer-aided drafting/design in technical drawing in W.A. secondary schools

This study was conducted with the intention of identifying what effects may have occurred within upper school Technical Drawing in W.A. high schools following the recent introduction of Computer-Aided Drafting/Design (CAD). With CAD being in its infancy in W.A. high schools it was decided that this study should attempt to answer four specific questions:- i) Were there any problems experienced by Technical Drawing teachers following the introduction of CAD? ii) Are there any educational benefits to either students or teachers to be derived from the introduction of CAD? iii) What methods of teaching and evaluating CAD generated drawings were being used by teachers in this subject area? iv) Has there been any general effect on student interest in Technical Drawing since the introduction of CAD

Effects of Material Mapping Agnostic Partial Volume Correction for Subject Specific Finite Elements Simulations

Partial Volume effects are present at the boundary between any two types of material in a CT image due to the scanner's Point Spread Function, finite voxel resolution, and importantly, the discrepancy in radiodensity between the two materials. In this study a new algorithm is developed and validated that builds on previously published work to enable the correction of partial volume effects at cortical bone boundaries. Unlike past methods, this algorithm does not require pre-processing or user input to achieve the correction, and the correction is applied directly onto a set of CT images, which enables it to be used in existing computational modelling workflows. The algorithm was validated by performing experimental three point bending tests on porcine fibulae specimen and comparing the experimental results to finite element results for models created using either the original, uncorrected CT images or the partial volume corrected images. Results demonstrated that the models created using the partial volume corrected images did improved the accuracy of the surface strain predictions. Given this initial validation, this algorithm is a viable method for overcoming the challenge of partial volume effects in CT images. Thus, future work should be undertaken to further validate the algorithm with human tissues and through coupling it with a range of different finite element creation workflows to verify that it is robust and agnostic to the chosen material mapping strategy

Mapping rail wear regimes and transitions

This paper outlines work carried out to produce maps of rail material wear coefficients taken from laboratory tests run on twin disc and pin-on-disc machines as well as those derived from measurements taken in the field. Wear regimes and transitions are identified using the maps and defined in terms of slip and contact pressure. Wear regimes are related to expected wheel/rail contact conditions and contact points (rail head/wheel tread and rail gauge/wheel flange). Surface morphologies are discussed and comparisons are made between field and laboratory data

1,8-Bis(4-fluoro­phen­yl)naphthalene

In the title compound, C22H14F2, the two benzene rings are oriented with respect to the naphthalene ring system at 67.76 (8) and 67.50 (8)°, and the two benzene rings are twisted with respect to each other at 18.95 (10)°. Weak inter­molecular C—H⋯π inter­actions are present in the crystal structure

Perspectives in measuring organisational performance in public Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

As part of the public health system in Australia and internationally, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) setting is a small, specialised, and unique environment – sharing the developmental context of paediatric health and the clinical mental health service delivery domains with adult and aged person’s psychiatric services (Kelvin, 2005; Ford, 2007). CAMHS services are grappling with a set of expectations imposed by a stressed social welfare system to manage the sequelae of extreme trauma, challenging behaviour and the impact of family violence and trauma on children and adolescents in their care (Wolpert et al., 2014; Bor et al., 2014). CAMHS settings are subject to a pervasive set of expectations emerging from elected government regimes linked with the voting community regarding accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness. The rise of the transparency and accountability agenda within the public sector has been documented extensively (Armstrong, 2005; Gaventa & McGee, 2013; Van Belle & Mayhew, 2016). In such a paradigm, accountability is neatly and simplistically measured by the articulation of the task of the organisation and the application of metrics to assess performance against that task. The current study aimed to explore and better understand differences in assumptions, perceptions, and experiences of the organisation of public Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). Further, the implications these differences have for clinical care, management, and leadership within the organisation itself but also for government in its performance-monitoring role of CAMHS services more broadly are also examined and described. The current study sought to highlight individual perspectives and experiences as they relate to measuring organisational performance beyond finance, activity, and outcomes towards sustainability, process, emotional climate, culture, and organisational dynamics. Thus, the current study aimed to critically review current frameworks for measuring organisational performance and, through analyses of theoretical constructs and qualitative methodologies, to explore experiences, processes, and meaning. A framework is then proposed for considering organisational performance in public CAMHS that takes account of these new meanings and proposes the measurement of organisational performance across a range of domains. The focus of interest was in what personal experience might convey about broader shared issues and themes at an organisational level, and the key data collection tool used was semi-structured in-depth interviews. To elicit data on personal experience, participants who were stakeholders of CAMHS as clients, families, referrers, clinicians, managers, policy leaders, and collaborative partners were the focus of sampling. The data was initially segmented and filtered across broad themes and then coded and gathered into more detailed categories. Themes emerged relating to the expectations and impressions of CAMHS, the clients themselves and their stories of complexity and trauma, the experience of CAMHS clinicians, barriers to accessing services, the experience of services provided once ‘in’ the system, issues related to the interface between CAMHS and other services and stakeholders, and impressions on what factors might make a ‘good’ CAMHS. Overall, the findings underlined the view that CAMHS services should take an integrated multi-theoretical perspective, support wisdom in leadership, be accessible, and have sophisticated collaborative capacity. Furthermore a theme of shared power in decision making across a team including children, young people and their families, and other services emerged. Overall the findings are indicative of the fact that a performance framework that adequately addresses these complexities works against the risk that authenticity is lost when measures of organisational performance are reduced to one or two examples. Recommendations for a performance framework for CAMHS are proposed. This includes a robust synthesis of the policy environment, a developmental lens across infant, child, adolescent and youth age groups, a clear definition of the primary task for CAMHS along with an understanding of the target client group, directly addressing the broadly conflicted interface between CAMHS and child protection services, attending to the organisational climate within CAMHS, and defining appropriate accountability measures. Future research must focus on defining the target group for CAMHS, the best and most efficacious treatment models and clients experience of care. It is further recommended that future research explore models for understanding and leading or managing the unique organisational climate in CAMHS settings and particularly on the roles of clinical staff and leaders in the CAMHS settings. A particular area of focus should be in relation to the inherent stress of working in this setting, noting that this is not seen as weakness or poor performance, but rather as a a natural consequence of engagement in the task. A key strength of the current study was that it sought to highlight individual perspectives and experiences as they related to measuring organisational performance and to explicitly place the roles and perspective of the researcher into this frame. The focus of interest was in what personal experience might convey about broader shared issues and themes at an organisational level. In terms of limitations, the most significant was the fact that no child informants could be sourced, and that the time frame and design limited the number of participants and therefore possible perspectives. The qualitative research design did not use a mixed methods model to confirm findings and the generalizability is thought to be limited. The narrow theoretical lens for the research may be also considered a limitation (Chowdery, 2017). However, the theoretical model was chosen carefully as a sound platform on which to consider the complex issues presented from an organisational perspective. In summary, the thesis seeks to make recommendations for a performance framework for CAMHS, and in doing so the author has sought to draw together the key elements emerging from the findings supported by the research community. If the comprehensive network of elements identified in the current thesis were all adequately addressed, it would have the potential to reliably bind public child and adolescent mental health services with a unique clarity of purpose in a community of care for children, adolescents, and their families

Modulation of the Chlamydia trachomatis In vitro transcriptome response by the sex hormones estradiol and progesterone

BACKGROUND:Chlamydia trachomatis is a major cause of sexually transmitted disease in humans. Previous studies in both humans and animal models of chlamydial genital tract infection have suggested that the hormonal status of the genital tract epithelium at the time of exposure can influence the outcome of the chlamydial infection. We performed a whole genome transcriptional profiling study of C. trachomatis infection in ECC-1 cells under progesterone or estradiol treatment.RESULTS:Both hormone treatments caused a significant shift in the sub-set of genes expressed (25% of the transcriptome altered by more than 2-fold). Overall, estradiol treatment resulted in the down-regulation of 151 genes, including those associated with lipid and nucleotide metabolism. Of particular interest was the up-regulation in estradiol-supplemented cultures of six genes (omcB, trpB, cydA, cydB, pyk and yggV), which suggest a stress response similar to that reported previously in other models of chlamydial persistence. We also observed morphological changes consistent with a persistence response. By comparison, progesterone supplementation resulted in a general up-regulation of an energy utilising response.CONCLUSION:Our data shows for the first time, that the treatment of chlamydial host cells with key reproductive hormones such as progesterone and estradiol, results in significantly altered chlamydial gene expression profiles. It is likely that these chlamydial expression patterns are survival responses, evolved by the pathogen to enable it to overcome the host's innate immune response. The induction of chlamydial persistence is probably a key component of this survival response