Automation of the Freight Wagon Subsystem

The wagon as part of the rail freight system is lagging behind other vehicle classes in terms of automation and monitoring. This stems partly not only from a fierce competition with regard to the vehicle cost but also from a long vehicle lifecycle and long innovation cycles. The drawback of the low amount of automation and monitoring of the vehicle is the additional manual labour required for operation and inspection, as well as the many use cases that cannot be served in an optimal fashion. The Wagon 4.0 concept sets out to mitigate these drawbacks by implementing monitoring and automation technologies into the wagon subsystem in an economically feasible manner. Minor extensions to the rail freight systems already lead to major reductions in labour intensity and use cases that can be served in a novel fashion. This chapter introduces the Wagon 4.0 concept and illustrates the benefits based on use cases

Woher kommt der grüne Wasserstoff?

Grüner Wasserstoff ist eine Voraussetzung zur Errei- chung von Klimaneutralität. Die Potenziale zur grü- nen Wasserstoffproduktion sind weltweit verteilt. Die technologische Weiterentwicklung in den Bereichen erneuerbare Energieerzeugung und Elektrolyse wird dazu führen, dass die Gestehungskosten für grünen Wasserstoff sich weltweit angleichen und andere Standortfaktoren stärker in den Vordergrund rücken. Dazu gehören die Verfügbarkeit von Flächen zur EE- Produktion und die Investitionssicherheit durch stabile politische Rahmenbedingungen. Auch Nach- haltigkeitskriterien z. B. bei der Wasserbereitstellung müssen berücksichtigt werden. Da schon bald grö- ßere Mengen an grünem Wasserstoff benötigt wer- den, sollten die weltweit vorhandenen nachhaltig nutzbaren Potenziale in internationaler Partnerschaft parallel ausgebaut werden. Grüner Wasserstoff wird zum globalen Handeslgu

Woher kommt der grüne Wasserstoff?

Das Energiesystem der Zukunft wird stark durch Elektrifizierung geprägt sein. Für die Langzeitspeicherung von Energie sowie für Bereiche, die sich nicht sinnvoll durch Strom defossilieren lassen, werden aber auch in Zukunft chemische Energieträger benötigt. Das Ziel der Klimaneutralität bedingt, dass diese Energieträger vollständig emissionsfrei aus erneuerbaren Energien (EE) hergestellt werden. Diese grünen Energieträger sind transportier- und handelbar, sodass sich ein internationaler Markt für grünen Wasserstoff und seine Folgeprodukte entwickeln wird. Derzeit gibt es diesen Markt noch nicht. Grüner Wasserstoff ist preislich noch nicht konkurrenzfähig gegenüber fossilen Brennstoffen. Den größten Anteil am Wasserstoffpreis haben die Kosten für die Elektrolyseanlage sowie die Kosten für die Strombereitstellung. Die besten Bedingungen für die Wasserstoffproduktion bieten daher EE-Standorte und Technologien mit hohen Volllaststundenzahlen, an denen auch der Elektrolyseur bei wenig EE-Abregelung auf viele Betriebsstunden kommt

Clinical, radiologic, pathologic, and molecular characteristics of long-term survivors of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG): a collaborative report from the International and European Society for Pediatric Oncology DIPG registries

Purpose Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a brainstem malignancy with a median survival of < 1 year. The International and European Society for Pediatric Oncology DIPG Registries collaborated to compare clinical, radiologic, and histomolecular characteristics between short-term survivors (STSs) and long-term survivors (LTSs). Materials and Methods Data abstracted from registry databases included patients from North America, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and Croatia. Results Among 1,130 pediatric and young adults with radiographically confirmed DIPG, 122 (11%) were excluded. Of the 1,008 remaining patients, 101 (10%) were LTSs (survival ≥ 2 years). Median survival time was 11 months (interquartile range, 7.5 to 16 months), and 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year survival rates were 42.3% (95% CI, 38.1% to 44.1%), 9.6% (95% CI, 7.8% to 11.3%), 4.3% (95% CI, 3.2% to 5.8%), 3.2% (95% CI, 2.4% to 4.6%), and 2.2% (95% CI, 1.4% to 3.4%), respectively. LTSs, compared with STSs, more commonly presented at age < 3 or > 10 years (11% v 3% and 33% v 23%, respectively; P < .001) and with longer symptom duration ( P < .001). STSs, compared with LTSs, more commonly presented with cranial nerve palsy (83% v 73%, respectively; P = .008), ring enhancement (38% v 23%, respectively; P = .007), necrosis (42% v 26%, respectively; P = .009), and extrapontine extension (92% v 86%, respectively; P = .04). LTSs more commonly received systemic therapy at diagnosis (88% v 75% for STSs; P = .005). Biopsies and autopsies were performed in 299 patients (30%) and 77 patients (10%), respectively; 181 tumors (48%) were molecularly characterized. LTSs were more likely to harbor a HIST1H3B mutation (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.5; P = .002). Conclusion We report clinical, radiologic, and molecular factors that correlate with survival in children and young adults with DIPG, which are important for risk stratification in future clinical trials

Braking distance prediction for vehicle consist in low-speed on-sight operation: a Monte Carlo approach

Abstract The first and last mile of a railway journey, in both freight and transit applications, constitutes a high effort and is either non-productive (e.g. in the case of depot operations) or highly inefficient (e.g. in industrial railways). These parts are typically managed on-sight, i.e. with no signalling and train protection systems ensuring the freedom of movement. This is possible due to the rather short braking distances of individual vehicles and shunting consists. The present article analyses the braking behaviour of such shunting units. For this purpose, a dedicated model is developed. It is calibrated on published results of brake tests and validated against a high-definition model for low-speed applications. Based on this model, multiple simulations are executed to obtain a Monte Carlo simulation of the resulting braking distances. Based on the distribution properties and established safety levels, the risk of exceeding certain braking distances is evaluated and maximum braking distances are derived. Together with certain parameters of the system, these can serve in the design and safety assessment of driver assistance systems and automation of these processes

Self-rating makes the difference: Identifying palliative care needs of patients feeling severely affected by multiple sclerosis

Objective: People feeling severely affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) comprise a heterogeneous group, and this heterogeneity leads to very distinct needs and makes planning for needs difficult. To provide optimal care, it is important to identify specific needs in specific subgroups. Our objective was to identify the specific palliative care (PC) needs of patients who felt severely affected by the disease by analyzing their feeling (1) more or (2) less severely affected and their possible differences in expressed care needs. Method: A self-report questionnaire with 25 needs categories including 7 categories pertaining to carewas applied to patients who felt severely affected by MS. An additional single question identified patients feeling more (>= 7, median-split) and less (<7) severely affected. Differences were analyzed by chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests. The sample (N = 573) was composed of respondents who replied to an invitation by the German Multiple Sclerosis Society to participate in a survey on unmet needs of severely affected patients. Results: Of 573 patients (median age 51), 358 (62.48%) felt more severely affected. Compared to patients feeling less severely affected, they found the stress on their next of kin to be higher (p < 0.001), were in greater need of home visitation (p < 0.001), did not have permanent neurologists (p = 0.016), and felt that they visited them too rarely (p < 0.0001). They also needed more emotional support from their nursing care service (p = 0.006). Significance of results: A self-rating scale can identify two groups of patients with different care needs. These data may help shaping patient-centered support structures. Palliative care, with its multidisciplinary approach, might be one further option to meet the specific needs of patients and their relatives

Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation in Patients Feeling Severely Affected by Multiple Sclerosis

Background: Being severely affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) brings substantial physical and psychological challenges. Contrary to common thinking that MS is not lethal, there is a higher mortality risk in patients also reflected in alarming rates of assisted suicide, and - where possible - euthanasia. Objective: Analyzing independent variables promoting suicidal ideation in severely affected MS patients. Design: A self-report questionnaire with 25 needs categories including one self-assessment item prone to suicidal ideation was applied. Setting/Subjects: Included were patients reporting feeling subjectively severely affected by MS. Of 867 patients addressed, 573 (66.1%) completed the questionnaires. Measurements: 32 items being potential risk factors for suicidal ideation were tested for statistical significance using a multivariate logistic regression model with stepwise, backward elimination procedure. Results: 22.1% of 573 patients (median age 51, range 20-83) had suicidal ideation. 48.4% suffered from secondary progressive, 24.7% from relapsing-remitting and 21.9% from primary progressive MS. A set of six statistically significant criteria for suicidal ideation were found. Three items were risk factors for suicidal ideation: the extent to which MS affects leisure time (p<0.001), depression (p<0.000), and feeling socially excluded (p<0.002). Three items reduced the odds of suicidal ideation: having a purpose in life (p<0.000), being productive (p<0.000), and having comfort in faith and spiritual beliefs (p<0.024). Conclusion: This study identified potentially modifiable factors that may help preventing suicide in people with MS. Integrating palliative care (PC) with its multidisciplinary approach could be beneficial to reduce patient's burden