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Railway bogies of the Y25 family are the most common type of freight bogies used in Europe. However, this family of bogies presents poor curving performance and a derailment history. Although numerical simulations are a powerful tool to study railway dynamics, derailment scenarios involve complex operational and vehicle conditions that increase the multivariate aspect of the problem. Thus, simulating all possible scenario variants is unfeasible from the computational perspective due to time and computational constraints. This paper proposes an approach based on a Response Surface Methodology to study the combined influence of uncertain parameters on the derailment potential of a railway vehicle. The potential of this approach is demonstrated using a real derailment as a case study. A set of scenarios is identified using a Design of Experiments approach, and is simulated on a commercial software. The response functions of the quantities used to assess derailment are generated, and the conditions that maximise the derailment potential are identified. The results reveal a combination of asymmetric loading, excessive speed, and Lenoir link failure may cause extreme wheel unloading in the study developed. This work reveals the advantages of a Response Surface Methodology to identify the conditions that maximise the derailment potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between the rolling stock and the infrastructure plays a crucial role in railway vehicle dynamics. The standard approach consists of using a multibody formulation to model the railway vehicles running on simplified tracks. The track model can be rigid, if it comprises only a geometric description of the rail; semi-rigid, if it considers an elastic foundation underneath the rail; or a moving track model, if it comprises a track section underneath each wheelset traveling with the same speed of the vehicle. Despite their computational inexpensiveness, these approaches do not provide a complete representation of track flexibility and disregard coupling effects with the vehicle and among the track components. This work proposes a methodology to automatically generate finite element models of railway tracks comprising its relevant flexible components, i.e., rails, pads, fastening systems, sleepers, and ballast or slab. The finite element mesh is generated based on a parametric description of the track that allows an accurate description of its geometry, including curvature, cross-level, grade, and irregularities. The methodology is demonstrated with a case study in which a track with a complex geometry is loaded with two different approaches. The first approach prescribes moving loads, which is a typical approach used to design or analyze the infrastructure. The second approach applies loads retrieved from the dynamic analysis of a complete vehicle. The results show the benefits of this method and reveal that prescribed loading underestimates the forces resulting from the vehicle dynamics, which is an important issue on curved sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper (Cu) is a micronutrient that is neglected for tomato growth. This study sought to identify the effects of exposure to Cu on the growth and biochemical activity of two tomato cultivars. Tomato seeds of 'Carolina' and 'Cereja' cultivars were disinfected and inoculated in MS medium plus copper sulfate concentrations (CuSO4) (default MS, 25, 50, and 100 µm) and had their growth monitored for 30 days. It was estimated that the growth and biomass accumulation of tomato plants 'Carolina' and 'Cereja', both from the aerial part and the roots, were benefited by 25 e 50 µm of CuSO4. However, it was observed that these concentrations were inefficient in controlling hyperhydricity and leaf deformation. There was a reduction of these phenomena in the treatment with 100 µm, in both cultivars. Tomato of 'Carolina' cultivar subjected to 100 µm showed an increase in anthocyanins and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the root system. There was a reduction of catalase (CAT) activity in shoots exposed to Cu. 'Cereja' tomatoes subjected to 100 µm showed an increase in CAT and SOD activity in shoots and roots, respectively. It was concluded that the 'Carolina' and 'Cereja' tomatoes have their growth impaired when exposed to 100 µm CuSO4. Concentrations higher than 50 µm of CuSO4 cause an increase in the antioxidant activity in the shoot of tomato plants from the 'Carolina' cultivar. Concentrations higher than 50 µm CuSO4 increase SOD activity in the root system of tomato plants from the 'Cereja' cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale cultivation of contamination free plants requires a good standardization protocol and production methods. Basil is widely used for cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical industries as it is rich in many bioactive compounds. This present study aimed to evaluate the growth and in vitro anatomical aspects of apical buds of basil grown under different concentrations rowth regulators like: NAA (Naphthalenoacetic Acid), BAP (6-benzylaminopurine), and KIN (Kinetin). The in vitro establishment was evaluated every 20 days to calculate the, the percentage of plants with calluses, appearance of the roots, any abnormal seedlings, any oxidized seedlings, and the number of sprouts per plant. Growth, physiological, and morpho-anatomical evaluations were performed at 80 days. Basal callogenesis was observed when cytokinin's and auxins are used in combination. Auxin treatments caused hyperhydricity in the stems and leaves. Medium A2 (0.05 mg L-1 of NAA and 0.1 mg L-1 of BAP), and A3 (0.05 mg L-1 of NAA and 0.1 mg L-1 of KIN) resulted in the best development of basil plants, cultivar 'Alfavaca Green'. The A2 produced plants with greater numbers of leaves, an average bud length of 59.81 mm, and the best root properties. A2 and A1 have a higher percentage of hyperhydricity (83 and 67%). The A3 resulted in an acceptable number of leaves (range: 21-39), and this treatment produced the best shoot properties as well as fewer plants with hyperhydricity. In addition, the A3 treatment produced plants with a shoot length, high shoot fresh and dry mass (2.82 and 0.23 g), high chlorophyll index and leaf anatomy that was similar to the control. Excluding the control, the other treatments presented more than 90% of the explants with calluses in their bases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]