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In the autumn, train operations in the UK are likely to be unstable due to the low adhesion coefficient between the wheel and rail, and fallen leaves on the line have been known as the\ud main cause of this problem. In this study, the temperature effects on the adhesion coefficient as well as the bonding strength of the leaf film were investigated using a twin disc machine, to develop a potential prevention and mitigation method. The high surface temperature of the disc seemed to improve the adhesion when the leaf powder suspension was present, forming a linear relationship between the surface temperature. The surface temperature around 240 °C could be\ud enough to attain the required level of traction. The high temperature could decrease the bonding energy between the leaf film and rail, possibly decelerating the chemical reaction for the leaf film formation. Continuous drag braking in the autumn was proposed as a countermeasure. Two effects can be expected for this method: prevention of leaf contamination by removing the leaf residue on the wheel surface and improvement of the adhesion level by braking heat.

Satoshi Ueda,1 Takeshi Sakayori,1 Ataru Omori,2 Hajime Fukuta,3 Takashi Kobayashi,3 Kousuke Ishizaka,1 Tomoyuki Saijo,4 Yoshiro Okubo1 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan; 2Tamachuo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; 3Kurumegaoka Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; 4Saijo Clinic, Tokyo, Japan Abstract: Neuroleptics can induce not only physical adverse effects but also mental effects that produce deficit status in thought, affect, cognition, and behavior. This condition is known as neuroleptic-induced deficit syndrome (NIDS), which includes apathy, lack of initiative, anhedonia, indifference, blunted affect, and reduced insight into disease. Although this old concept now appears almost forgotten, neuroleptics, whether typical or atypical, can make depression or bipolar disorder resemble other more refractory conditions, readily leading to mistaken diagnosis and inappropriate treatment. The authors describe three cases of NIDS superimposed on depressive phase in bipolar disorder with psychosis, where the attending psychiatrist’s failure to recognize NIDS prevented patients from receiving effective treatment and achieving remission. All cases achieved remission after reduction of neuroleptics and intensive therapy, including electroconvulsive therapy, for bipolar depression. The concept of NIDS was originally introduced for schizophrenia, and it has rarely been highlighted in other diseases. In recent years, however, atypical antipsychotics are being more often administered to patients with bipolar disorder. Psychiatrists, therefore, should also remember and exercise caution regarding NIDS in the pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder with and without psychosis. The authors believe that the concept of NIDS needs to be reappraised in current psychiatry. Keywords: neuroleptic-induced deficit syndrome (NIDS), bipolar disorder, psychosis, atypical antipsychotics, electroconvulsive therapy

Fallen leaves are the main issues for train operations in the autumn season due to their low friction coefficient (COF), leading to signals being passed dangerously and amended timetables. The main aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanism of low friction due to black leaf films, which are often seen on leaf-contaminated rails. A black material was successfully synthesised in the laboratory with water extracts from sycamore leaves and a plate of R260 rail steel. The black powder made from the extracts of brown leaves (BBP) was identified as the key material of low friction by the pin-on-flat tribological test, giving a COF between 0.08 and 0.14, which was lower than the COF of commercial engine oil (approximately 0.14). X-Ray fluorescence showed that the black material was a mixture of iron and leaf-organics. Laser Raman spectroscopy revealed that graphite-like carbon was likely to be formed on iron oxides. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the formation of iron carboxylate was likely in bulk, which possibly transformed into iron oxides on the surface. Moreover, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy detected a relatively high concentration of phosphates only in BBP. Hence, the low friction is presumably due to graphitic carbon, iron oxides and phosphate compounds in the black leaf films, as well as mechanical separation effects of bulk leaves. This black material could be a product of the Maillard reaction or reaction between iron and organic acids, such as tannic acids.

Autumn leaves often cause low adhesion problems for train operations, leading to station overruns and signals passed at danger (SPADS). The aim of this paper was to review operational data and research methods to assess the current understanding of the problem and formulate hypotheses for the causes. Incident analysis showed the relatively high possibility of incidents between the hours of 05:00 – 10:00 and 20:00 – 24:00, suggesting the dew effect was important. This result corresponds to the knowledge that wet leaves in the contact area produce very low friction coefficients, below 0.1. Current mitigation methods, such as sanding, seem inadequate to remove the leaf films completely. To explain the bonding mechanism between the leaf film and the rail, a laboratory-based model and a field-based model were developed based on previous studies. Moreover, key parameters for a strong bond formation were identified, which are iron oxide, temperature, pressure and leaf material. The research gaps were identified by a paper grading method, and several hypotheses for bonding mechanisms and low adhesion mechanisms were proposed, such as sub- or super critical water and pectin gel.

Asumi Iesato,1 Takaaki Oba,1 Mayu Ono,1 Toru Hanamura,1 Takayuki Watanabe,1 Tokiko Ito,1 Toshiharu Kanai,1 Kazuma Maeno,1 Katsuhiko Ishizaka,2 Hiroyuki Kitabatake,3 Daisuke Takeuchi,4 Akira Suzuki,4 Jun Nakayama,5 Ken-ichi Ito11Division of Breast and Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, 2Department of Surgery, Iiyama Red Cross Hospital, Iiyama, 3Department of Gastroenterology, Iiyama Red Cross Hospital, Iiyama, 4Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, 5Department of Molecular Pathology, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Nagano, JapanAbstract: It is occasionally difficult to diagnose breast metastasis of gastric carcinoma because of its rarity. However, to appropriately treat patients with breast tumors without delay, it is important to distinguish metastatic cancer from primary breast cancer. We report two cases of breast metastasis of gastric carcinoma and review the literature. The first case was a 41-year-old female diagnosed with bilateral pelvic tumors who visited the outpatient clinic because of pain and enlargement of both breasts. Ultrasonography showed diffuse hypoechoic lesions, which were enhanced on gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the bilateral mammary gland. Core needle biopsy of the right breast revealed signet-ring cells, which were also identified in the resected bilateral pelvic tumors. Subsequent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed signet-ring cell carcinoma in the stomach, and the bilateral breast lesions were diagnosed as metastases of gastric carcinoma. The second case was a 34-year-old female diagnosed with cervical metastasis of signet-ring cell carcinoma who was referred to the breast cancer clinic because of a nodule in the left breast detected by computed tomography. Ultrasonography showed a hypoechoic nodule that was enhanced on gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Because the pathologic findings for the left breast nodule were quite similar to those of gastric cancer and its cervical metastasis, the breast nodule was diagnosed as a metastasis of gastric carcinoma. When a breast tumor is suspected to have metastasized from a primary tumor in another organ, particularly if signet-ring cells are found, the possibility that gastric cancer is present should be considered.Keywords: gastric carcinoma, breast metastasis, signet-ring cell carcinoma, gastric cancer, breast cancer