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To discover and validate differential protein biomarker expression in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) to discriminate objectively between periodontal health and plaque-induced periodontal disease states.One-hundred and ninety participants were recruited from two centres (Birmingham and Newcastle upon Tyne, UK) comprising healthy, gingivitis, periodontitis, and edentulous donors. Samples from the Birmingham cohort were analysed by quantitative mass spectrometry proteomics for biomarker discovery. Shortlisted candidate proteins were then verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in both cohorts. Leave-one-out cross validation logistic regression analysis was used to identify the best performing biomarker panels.Ninety-five proteins were identified in both GCF and saliva samples, and 15 candidate proteins were selected based upon differences discovered between the donor groups. The best performing panels to distinguish between: health or gingivitis and periodontitis contained matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), S100A8, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (A1AGP), pyruvate kinase, and age (area under the curve [AUC] 0.970); health and gingivitis contained MMP9, S100A8, A1AGP, and pyruvate kinase, but not age (AUC 0.768); and mild to moderate and advanced periodontitis contained MMP9, S100A8, A1AGP, pyruvate kinase, and age (AUC 0.789).Biomarker panels containing four proteins with and without age as a further parameter can distinguish between periodontal health and disease states.

Railway switches and crossings constitute a small fraction of linear track length but consume a large proportion of the railway track system maintenance budget. While switch and crossing (S&C) faults rarely prevent trains from running, switches and crossings are the source of many faults and need continual attention. On the rare occasions when trains are prevented from running the cost of the disruption is very high. Condition monitoring of the point operating equipment that moves the switchblades has been in use for many years but condition monitoring of the state of the switch in terms of the support and mechanical damage as trains pass over has only recently started to become possible. To this end, it is important to understand the correlation between S&C faults and sensor data that can detect those faults. This paper assesses some of the data collected from multiple sensors variously positioned on and around a switch and crossing on the UK mainline for a few days of normal train operation. Accelerometers, geophones, and strain gauges were installed at the locations where they were anticipated to be most useful. Forces at the load transfer point on the crossing nose were estimated from two separate strain gauge bridges and possible use of acceleration on the crossing is discussed. Correlations between different data are analysed and assessed and correlation between peak estimated load transfer forces and accelerations is presented. Based on the analysis, conclusions are drawn about the different types of dynamic information around S&Cs that can be obtained from a variety of sensor types.

In October 2018, Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham announced the HydroFLEX project, to demonstrate a hydrogen-hybrid modified train at Rail Live 2019. The concept of modifying a Class 319 Electric Multiple Unit was developed, with equipment including a fuel cell stack, traction battery, 24 V control system and hydrogen storage elements to be mounted inside one of the carriages. This was followed by procurement of a fuel cell stack, traction batteries, and control equipment, which was then installed inside the train, being fixed to the seat rails. One substantial change from the concept was the provision of considerably more hydrogen storage than the minimum necessary, providing the train with more potential to be further modified to allow for higher speed mainline testing. After the Rail Live exhibition where HydroFLEX was demonstrated, numerous modifications were performed to increase the reliability and power of the HydroFLEX train, primarily concerned with modifying the base train logic, with the aim of a successful mainline test. Supporting this effort was a multitude of documentation concerning safety, operations, and approvals to gain approvals from the relevant approvals bodies. The project demonstrated the feasibility of using hydrogen fuel cells as an autonomous fuel for railway propulsion systems, which has the potential for full decarbonisation.

In railways, using a track- and ride-quality monitoring system on in-service train has become desirable for coordination and security. Identification of the track- or train-related rough rides via ...

Contains fulltext : 248656.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) BACKGROUND: Sex differences in incidence and/or presentation of schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder (MDD), and bipolar disorder (BIP) are pervasive. Previous evidence for shared genetic risk and sex differences in brain abnormalities across disorders suggest possible shared sex-dependent genetic risk. METHODS: We conducted the largest to date genome-wide genotype-by-sex (G×S) interaction of risk for these disorders using 85,735 cases (33,403 SCZ, 19,924 BIP, and 32,408 MDD) and 109,946 controls from the PGC (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium) and iPSYCH. RESULTS: Across disorders, genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphism-by-sex interaction was detected for a locus encompassing NKAIN2 (rs117780815, p = 3.2 × 10(-8)), which interacts with sodium/potassium-transporting ATPase (adenosine triphosphatase) enzymes, implicating neuronal excitability. Three additional loci showed evidence (p < 1 × 10(-6)) for cross-disorder G×S interaction (rs7302529, p = 1.6 × 10(-7); rs73033497, p = 8.8 × 10(-7); rs7914279, p = 6.4 × 10(-7)), implicating various functions. Gene-based analyses identified G×S interaction across disorders (p = 8.97 × 10(-7)) with transcriptional inhibitor SLTM. Most significant in SCZ was a MOCOS gene locus (rs11665282, p = 1.5 × 10(-7)), implicating vascular endothelial cells. Secondary analysis of the PGC-SCZ dataset detected an interaction (rs13265509, p = 1.1 × 10(-7)) in a locus containing IDO2, a kynurenine pathway enzyme with immunoregulatory functions implicated in SCZ, BIP, and MDD. Pathway enrichment analysis detected significant G×S interaction of genes regulating vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling in MDD (false discovery rate-corrected p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: In the largest genome-wide G×S analysis of mood and psychotic disorders to date, there was substantial genetic overlap between the sexes. However, significant sex-dependent effects were enriched for genes related to neuronal development and immune and vascular functions across and within SCZ, BIP, and MDD at the variant, gene, and pathway levels.

Defects in railway axle bearings can affect operational efficiency, or cause in-service failures, damaging the track and train. Healthy bearings produce a certain level of vibration and noise, but a bearing with a defect causes substantial changes in the vibration and noise levels. It is possible to detect the bearing defects at an early stage of their development, allowing an operator to repair the damage before it becomes serious. When a vehicle is scheduled for maintenance, or due for overhaul, knowledge of bearing damage and severity is beneficial, resulting in fewer operational problems and optimised fleet availability. This paper is a review of the state of the art in condition monitoring systems for rolling element bearings, especially the axlebox bearings. This includes exploring the sensing technologies, summarising the main signal processing methods and condition monitoring techniques, i.e. wayside and on-board. Examples of commercially available systems and outputs of current research work are presented. The effectiveness of the current monitoring technologies is assessed and the p– f curve is presented. It is concluded that the research and practical tests on axlebox bearing monitoring are limited compared to the generic bearing applications.

Railway pantographs are used around the world for collecting electrical energy to power railway vehicles from the overhead catenary. Faults in the pantograph system degrade the quality of the contact between the pantograph and catenary and reduce the reliability of railway operations. To maintain the pantographs in a good working condition, regular inspection tasks are carried out at rolling stock depots. The current pantograph inspections, in general, are only effective for the detection of major faults, providing limited incipient fault detection or fault diagnosis capabilities. Condition monitoring of pantographs has the potential to improve pantograph performance and reduce maintenance costs. As a first step in the realisation of practical pantograph condition monitoring, a laboratory-based pantograph test rig has been developed to gain an understanding of pantograph dynamic behaviours, particularly when incipient faults are present. In the first work of this kind, dynamic response data have been acquired from a number of pantographs that have allowed fault detection and diagnosis algorithms to be developed and verified. Three tests have been developed: (i) a hysteresis test that uses different excitation speeds, (ii) a frequency response test that uses different excitation frequencies, and (iii) a novel changing gradient test. Verification tests indicate that the hysteresis test is effective in detecting and diagnosing pneumatic actuator and elbow joint faults. The frequency response test is able to monitor the overall degradation in the pantograph. The changing gradient test provides fault detection and diagnosis in the pantograph head suspension and pneumatic actuator. The test rig and fault detection and diagnosis algorithms are now being developed into a depot-based prototype together with a number of industrial partners.

Signaling power is crucial to an operational railway system as any signaling power failure results in serious operational and financial impacts. Therefore, intelligent condition monitoring and accurate fault location are important for the railway industry. This paper introduces a novel distributed insulation monitoring method for railway signaling power system that can monitor continually the resistive earth leakage current and determine the location of the leakage point by tracking the rectified current difference pattern. This method can be used for extended signaling power distribution networks with multiple branches and requires no external power supply or signal injection.

Railway pantographs are used for collecting power from the overhead line system. Faults or failures of a pantograph will degrade the interaction between the pantograph and the overhead line, reducing the reliability of railway operation. The current pantograph maintenance techniques are highly dependent on visual and manual checks, which are not efficient. To improve pantograph maintenance efficiency and reduce the maintenance budget, a laboratory based pantograph test rig is developed to measure pantograph dynamic behaviors through different tests and develop a quick pantograph fault diagnosis method. Based on the test rig and the measurement result, pantograph 3D multibody and lumped mass models are established. Three tests are carried out: hysteresis measurement using different excitation speeds, frequency response function with various excitation levels, and a novel changing gradient test. The measurement data collected from a new pantograph is considered as the reference. Differences between the dynamic behaviors measured on a test pantograph and the reference data indicate faults or component degradation. The results indicate that the hysteresis test is effective in detecting pneumatic actuator and elbow joint issues; the frequency response function can monitor all faults, but it is time consuming; the changing gradient test is a quick way to identify and locate the fault.

The harmonic currents injected by high speed electric trains cause not only the pollution of power quality (PQ), but can also excite harmonic resonance in the traction power supply system (TPSS) of high speed railway (HSR). It is essential to build a proper harmonic distribution and prediction model for high speed electric trains. This paper presents an approach to obtain the probability density of harmonic current based on a non-parametric Kernel density estimation method, which can describe the probability distribution characteristics using a data-driven mechanism. A prediction algorithm for harmonic current based on confidence intervals, which can simulate harmonic current injection using a continuous sampling method, is presented in this paper. The new high speed CRH380AL electric multiple units (EMU) are used to illustrate the method. The results show that the proposed approach and algorithm can be useful for harmonic source simulation in harmonic power flow calculation and PQ assessment.

Energy and environmental sustainability in transportation are becoming ever more important. In Europe, the transportation sector is responsible for about 30% of the final end use of energy. Electrified railway systems play an important role in contributing to the reduction of energy usage and CO2 emissions compared with other transport modes. For metro-transit systems with frequently motoring and braking trains, the effective use of regenerated braking energy is a significant way to reduce the net energy consumption. Although eco-driving strategies have been studied for some time, a comprehensive understanding of how regeneration affects the overall system energy consumption has not been developed. This paper proposes a multi-train traction power network modelling method to determine the system energy flow of the railway system with regenerating braking trains. The initial results show that minimising traction energy use is not the same as minimising the system energy usage in a metro system. An integrated optimisation method is proposed to solve the system energy-saving problem, which takes train movement and electrical power flow into consideration. The results of a study of the Beijing Yizhuang metro line indicate that optimised operation could reduce the energy consumption at the substations by nearly 38.6% compared to that used with the existing ATO operation.

Energy efficient techniques are receiving increasing attention because of rising energy prices and environmental concerns. Railways, along with other transport modes, are facing increasing pressure to provide more intelligent and efficient power management strategies. This paper presents an integrated optimization method for metro operation to minimize whole day substation energy consumption by calculating the most appropriate train trajectory (driving speed profile) and timetable configuration. A train trajectory optimization algorithm and timetable optimization algorithm are developed specifically for the study. The train operation performance is affected by a number of different systems that are closely interlinked. Therefore, an integrated optimization process is introduced to obtain the optimal results accurately and efficiently. The results show that, by using the optimal train trajectory and timetable, the substation energy consumption and load can be significantly reduced, thereby improving the system performance and stability. This also has the effect of reducing substation investment costs for new metros.

The majority of electrical failures in wind turbines occur in the semiconductor components (IGBTs) of converters. To increase reliability and decrease the maintenance costs associated with this component, several health-monitoring methods have been proposed in the literature. Many laboratory-based tests have been conducted to detect the failure mechanisms of the IGBT in their early stages through monitoring the variations of thermo-sensitive electrical parameters. The methods are generally proposed and validated with a single-phase converter with an air-cored inductive or resistive load. However, limited work has been carried out considering limitations associated with measurement and processing of these parameters in a three-phase converter. Furthermore, looking at just variations of the module junction temperature will most likely lead to unreliable health monitoring as different failure mechanisms have their own individual effects on temperature variations of some, or all, of the electrical parameters. A reliable health monitoring system is necessary to determine whether the temperature variations are due to the presence of a premature failure or from normal converter operation. To address this issue, a temperature measurement approach should be independent from the failure mechanisms. In this paper, temperature is estimated by monitoring an electrical parameter particularly affected by different failure types. Early bond wire lift-off is detected by another electrical parameter that is sensitive to the progress of the failure. Considering two separate electrical parameters, one for estimation of temperature (switching off time) and another to detect the premature bond wire lift-off (collector emitter on-state voltage) enhance the reliability of an IGBT could increase the accuracy of the temperature estimation as well as premature failure detection.\ud

We consider the problem of when one quandle homomorphism will factor through another, restricting our attention to the case where all quandles involved are connected. We provide a complete solution to the problem for surjective quandle homomorphisms using the structure theorem for connected quandles of Ehrman et al. (2008) and the factorization system for surjective quandle homomorphsims of Bunch et al. (2010) as our primary tools. The paper contains the substantive results obtained by an REU research group consisting of the first four authors under the mentorship of the fifth, and was supported by National Science Foundation, grant DMS-1659123., 14 pages

The inexorable increase in energy demand around the world has put the energy-saving technology in hot spot for railway transportation. Train speed trajectory optimization based on optimal control, coasting control, and collaborative control inside railway systems is a popular methodology to enhance energy efficiency. This paper studies a special and interesting problem, i.e., the partial train speed trajectory optimization problem, and proposes a complete mathematical model where a mixed-integer linear programming algorithm can be directly applied. During the transient operation process of a train, the speed of the train is often considered to be monotonically increasing and decreasing in normal conditions without extreme gradients. Given that, the proposed method can quickly locate the train speed profile under practical engineering constraints, and the objective function is either to maximize the regenerative braking energy or to minimize the traction energy. Such a method with a short computational time may become particularly interesting for online cases where a train is altering its speed in a fixed distance and time due to the operational requirement. The generated speed trajectory can be used to guide the train to control its speed or in a normal braking operation. The robustness and effectiveness of the method has been demonstrated through a number of detailed simulation results in this paper.

Railway Operators and Infrastructure Owners are required to design the railway to specific national and international, technical and safety performance standards. These standards and codes of practice provide the basis for company ‘Codes of Practice’, which detail the design methodology, application and system installation. To validate the design and to comply with these standards and codes of practice, Atkins and the University of Birmingham have developed the multi-train simulator (MTS) to model AC railway electrification infrastructure. The development was carried out under a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Atkins and the University of Birmingham. The MTS models multiple trains moving on AC traction railway networks following specified timetables. The model of the traction power network covers all types of AC feeding arrangements in the UK, including the rail-return system, the classic booster transformer system and the autotransformer system. This study addresses the work undertaken by the Knowledge Transfer Partnership and describes the development of AC railway electrification infrastructure modelling based on a multi-conductor model for MTS. The modelling of multi-conductors in AC power networks separately, instead of lumping them together, enables more accurate calculations of induced voltage, EMC analysis, return current distribution, positive and negative energy consumptions and loss calculations.

A. Palotie on työryhmän Int IBD Genetics Consortium jäsen. One goal of human genetics is to understand the genetic basis of disease, a challenge for diseases of complex inheritance because risk alleles are few relative to the vast set of benign variants. Risk variants are often sought by association studies in which allele frequencies in case subjects are contrasted with those from population-based samples used as control subjects. In an ideal world we would know population-level allele frequencies, releasing researchers to focus on case subjects. We argue this ideal is possible, at least theoretically, and we outline a path to achieving it in reality. If such a resource were to exist, it would yield ample savings and would facilitate the effective use of data repositories by removing administrative and technical barriers. We call this concept the Universal Control Repository Network (UNICORN), a means to perform association analyses without necessitating direct access to individual-level control data. Our approach to UNICORN uses existing genetic resources and various statistical tools to analyze these data, including hierarchical clustering with spectral analysis of ancestry; and empirical Bayesian analysis along with Gaussian spatial processes to estimate ancestry-specific allele frequencies. We demonstrate our approach using tens of thousands of control subjects from studies of Crohn disease, showing how it controls false positives, provides power similar to that achieved when all control data are directly accessible, and enhances power when control data are limiting or even imperfectly matched ancestrally. These results highlight how UNICORN can enable reliable, powerful, and convenient genetic association analyses without access to the individual-level data.

Train simulation software is conventionally validated by checking simulation results against equivalent data collected from real train runs. It is typically expected that these results will be within 5–10% accuracy of the recorded data. However, such a large margin could allow errors in the programming to be overlooked, resulting in an inaccurate model. This paper presents a method for error checking and validating the kinematics of train simulators based on comparison with calculated results, which are found by solving the fundamental equations governing train motion. A typical train run comprises of a combination of two or more of the four stages: accelerating, cruising, coasting and braking. Each stage is considered as a separate scenario for which the equations must be solved, in order to find the running time, distance travelled and energy consumption of the vehicle. This validation method is applied to two train movement simulators currently used for research. Certain specific scenarios for which analytical solutions are available are run in each simulator. The differences from the analytical solution in each test case are quantified, allowing the simulators to be compared to each other and the exact solution.

This chapter aims to examine job stress and psychosocial work risk factors to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and present some possible theoretical causative models and mechanisms in the relationship between work stress and WRMSDs. The World Health Organization expert committee described ‘work-related’ diseases as multifactorial, where the work environment and the performance of work contribute significantly but as only two of a number of factors that contribute to the causation of the disease. While stressors can be of a more emergent or traumatic character, the transactional tradition has paid a special attention to the potential obnoxious influence of more low-intensity but often chronic daily hassles, such as those generated by most job stressors. The duration and severity of the stressors will influence the severity of the stress response. Catecholamines respond almost immediately to acute stress exposure and prepare the organism for the ‘fight-or-flight’ response.

In order to reduce energy consumption on DC railways where regenerative braking is not available, train control strategy or ‘driver style’ is a practical alternative. In 2011, instrumentation to monitor energy consumption on the Merseyrail network was fitted to a British Rail Class 508 DC camshaft-operated electrical multiple unit. In this paper, seven services from Hunts Cross to Southport are highlighted to demonstrate a number of driver styles and their correlation with energy consumption. The differences in energy consumption were observed to be related to driver aggression in both the acceleration and deceleration phases.

This paper presents a view of the current state of monitoring track geometry condition from in-service vehicles. It considers technology used to provide condition monitoring; some issues of processing and the determination of location; how things have evolved over the past decade; and what is being, or could/should be done in future research. Monitoring railway track geometry from an in-service vehicle is an attractive proposition that has become a reality in the past decade. However, this is only the beginning. Seeing the same track over and over again provides an opportunity for observing track geometry degradation that can potentially be used to inform maintenance decisions. Furthermore, it is possible to extend the use of track condition information to identify if maintenance is effective, and to monitor the degradation of individual faults such as dipped joints. There are full unattended track geometry measurement systems running on in-service vehicles in the UK and elsewhere around the world, feedin...

Regenerative braking improves the energy efficiency of railway transportation by converting kinetic energy into electric energy. This paper proposes a method to apply the Bellman-Ford (BF) algorithm to search for the train braking speed trajectory to increase the total regenerative braking energy (RBE) in a blended braking mode with both electric and mechanical braking forces available. The BF algorithm is applied in a discretized train-state model. A typical suburban train has been modeled and studied under real engineering scenarios involving changing gradients, journey time, and speed limits. It is found that the searched braking speed trajectory is able to achieve a significant increase in the RBE, in comparison with the constant-braking-rate (CBR) method with only a minor difference in the total braking time. An RBE increment rate of 17.23% has been achieved. Verification of the proposed method using BF has been performed in a simplified scenario with zero gradient and without considering the constraints of braking time and speed limits. Linear programming (LP) is applied to search for a train trajectory with the maximum RBE and achieves solutions that can be used to verify the proposed method using BF. It is found that it is possible to achieve a near-optimal solution using BF and the solution can be further improved with a more complex search space. The proposed method takes advantage of robustness and simplicity of modeling in a complex engineering scenario, in which a number of nonlinear constraints are involved.

The development of reliable methods for measuring deflections as trains pass has enabled valuable insights into railway track behaviour to be gained. This is especially useful for problem areas such as transitions from normal ground onto hard substructures and complex track geometries such as switches and crossings.To date, much of the research on transition zone behaviour has focussed on transitions associated with underbridges and other substructures. Switches and crossings have received some attention and level crossings generally very little. This paper describes and discusses the behaviour of a transition onto a level crossing in the south of England, UK. Measurements are presented from both trackside and on-train instruments. It is found that at this crossing, maintenance constraints have resulted in a group of unsupported or hanging sleepers on the approach to the crossing; and that this fault is not effectively rectified by tamping. Comparisons are also made between the way the fault shows up in measurements from trains of the loaded track profile and data from trackside measurements.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to systematically review the epidemiological evidence for an association between periodontitis (PD) and incident atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD), cerebrovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease. Methods: Systematic review of cohort and case-control studies on the association of clinically or radiographically diagnosed PD and ACVD. Results: Overall, 12 studies were included in this study (six studies on CHD, three studies on cerebrovascular disease, two studies on both coronary heart and cerebrovascular disease mortality and one study on peripheral arterial disease). All but one study reported positive associations between various periodontal disease measures and the incidence of ACVD, at least in specific subgroups. The association was stronger in younger adults and there was no evidence for an association between PD and incident CHD in subjects older than 65 years. Only one study evaluated the association between PD and secondary cardiovascular events. Conclusions: There is evidence for an increased risk of ACVD in patients with PD compared to patients without. However, this may not apply to all groups of the population. There is insufficient evidence for an association between PD and the incidence of secondary cardiovascular events.

Occlusal interventions may be used in adults with periodontitis. At present there is little consensus regarding the indications and effectiveness of occlusal interventions in periodontal patients.To identify and analyse the evidence for the effect of occlusal interventions on adults who have periodontitis in relation to tooth loss, probing depths, clinical attachment level, adverse effects and patient-centred outcomes.The search was last conducted in April 2008. We searched the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register (to 30th April 2008); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2008, Issue 1); MEDLINE (1966 to 30th April 2008); and EMBASE (1980 to 30th April 2008). There were no language restrictions.We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing occlusal interventions in patients with periodontitis with a follow up of at least 3 months.Screening of eligible studies, assessment of the methodological quality of the trials and data extraction were conducted in duplicate and independently by two review authors. Any disagreements between the review authors were resolved by discussion. The main investigator of the included trial was contacted to obtain missing information. The Cochrane Collaboration statistical guidelines were to be followed for data synthesis.Abstracts of 54 papers were identified by the search. One paper was eligible for inclusion. This paper studied the effect of occlusal adjustment against no occlusal adjustment in patients who were treated with non-surgical and surgical periodontal therapy. Methodological quality assessment of the included paper revealed that randomisation of the patients into the treatment groups was adequate. Allocation concealment, masking of patients and clinicians were not reported and no response to author contact was received.Mean change in attachment level and mean pocket depth were reported in the included trial. Mean difference in clinical attachment level between occlusal intervention and control in the non-surgical group amounted to 0.38 mm (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04 to 0.72) favouring the occlusal intervention group and was statistically significant. In the surgical group the mean difference in clinical attachment level between occlusal intervention and control amounted to 0.40 mm (95% CI 0.05 to 0.75) favouring the occlusal intervention group and was also statistically significant. The difference in mean pocket depth reduction between the occlusal intervention and control in both the surgical and non-surgical groups was less than 0.1 mm and was not statistically significant. Tooth loss, patient-centred affects and adverse effects were not reported. Meta-analysis was not possible due to the inclusion of only one study.There is only one randomised trial that has addressed this question. The data from this study are inconclusive. We therefore conclude there is no evidence for or against the use of occlusal interventions in clinical practice. This question can only be addressed by adequately powered bias-protected randomised controlled trials.

Seven species of hemlock (Tsuga spp.)—four from North America and three from Asia—were evaluated in replicated plots in Katonah, New York, United States (USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6b) as potential replacements for eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), which is gradually being extirpated from landscapes in the eastern United States. by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). Trends reported in an earlier study (Weston and Harper 2009) continued but were exaggerated after an additional three years of observation. For example, Chinese hemlock (T. chinensis) continued to show the greatest potential as a replacement for T. canadensis as mortality was very low, overall plant health was exceptional, and tolerance to A. tsugae was robust. Early indicators suggest that T. chinensis may also be readily propagated from hardwood cuttings under appropriate greenhouse conditions. These characteristics suggest that T. chinensis may indeed become a viable replacement for T. canadensis, and a valuable addition to landscapes in the eastern U.S.

With rising concerns on energy and environment, the energy-efficient operation techniques in railway systems are paid more attention in recent years. The metro-transit system has some distinguishing features like short headway and a high number of stations with short interstation distance, which makes effectively using regenerative energy becoming more significant in the energy-saving study. This paper illustrates a system energy optimisation approach to reduce global substation energy consumption, using Monte Carlo Simulation. The conception of substation and regenerative energy estimation is proposed in the optimisation. A railway power network simulation is utilised to validate the energy-saving performance in Beijing Yizhuang Subway Line. After applying efficient-driving strategies remaining current timetable, the substation energy can be reduced by 29.9% compared with current operation. By slightly changing the journey time of each interstation, the substation energy consumption can be reduced by additional 13.8% due to an increasing usage of regenerative braking energy.

Introduction: The classic manifestations of vitamin D deficiency include rickets and osteomalacia. Here we demonstrate a case of vitamin D deficiency presenting as radiologic bone loss around the apical and marginal periodontal tissues, consistent with periapical cemental dysplasia. Potential mechanisms for this are explored and the importance of dentists in managing such cases is discussed.Case Presentation: An 18-year-old female patient was referred with marginal periodontal bone loss. Radiology revealed marginal bone loss and multiple asymptomatic periapical radiolucencies associated with teeth that responded positively to pulp testing. The patient was of Southern Asian descent, wore a headscarf and occlusive clothing for cultural reasons, and was visibly malnourished, reporting a poor diet. A diagnosis of severe vitamin D deficiency was confirmed by serum biochemistry. The patient underwent vitamin D supplementation, after which the radiolucent areas resolved.Conclusions: The prevalence of vitamin D d...

Renewable energy sources have a key role to play in the global energy mix as a means of reducing the impact of energy production on climate change. Wind energy is the most developed of all renewable energy technologies with more than 200 GW of globally installed capacity as of 2011. Analyses of wind farm maintenance costs show that up to 40% of the outlay is related to unexpected component failures that lead to costly unscheduled amendments. Wind farm operators are constantly looking for new technological developments in condition monitoring that can contribute to the minimisation of wind turbine maintenance expenditure. Early fault detection through condition monitoring can help prevent major breakdowns as well as significantly decrease associated costs. Moreover it enables the optimisation of maintenance schedules, reduces downtime, increases asset availability and enhances safety and operational reliability. Faults in the braking system are of particularly concern since they can result in catastrophic failure of the wind turbine. The present study investigates online condition monitoring based on voltages and currents for mechanical wind turbine brake system fault diagnosis.

Aim: A double-blind randomized controlled trial to determine whether dietary supplementation with fruit/vegetable/berry juice powder concentrates, simultaneously with non-surgical periodontal therapy, improved 2-month treatment outcomes. Methods: Volunteers with chronic periodontitis were randomly assigned to one of three groups: fruit/vegetable (FV), fruit/vegetable/berry (FVB) or placebo. Supplements were taken daily during non-surgical debridement and maintenance and outcomes assessed at 2, 5 and 8 months after completion. Primary outcomes were mean probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment gain, % sites bleeding on probing (% BOP) at 2 months. Adherence and plasma b-carotene were determined. Results: Sixty-one nutritionally replete (by serum biochemistry) volunteers enrolled and 60 (n = 20 per arm) completed the 2-month review. Clinical outcomes improved in all groups at 2 months, with additional improvement in PPD versus placebo for FV (p < 0.03). Gingival crevicular fluid volumes diminished more in supplement groups than placebo (FVB; p < 0.05) at 2 months, but not at later times. The % BOP (5 months) and cumulative plaque scores (8 months) were lowered more in the FV group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Adjunctive juice powder concentrates appear to improve initial pocket depth reductions in nutritionally replete patients, where plasma micronutrient bioavailability is attainable. Definitive multicentre studies in untreated and treated patients are required to ascertain the clinical significance of such changes.