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A Benchmark of railway multibody dynamics software application to switches and crossings (S&C) is presented, comparing all major commercially available software and a few independent codes. Two different representative S&C have been implemented, using the Manchester Benchmark passenger vehicle. The final results show that all software offer a reliable and efficient way to understand the kinematic and dynamics forces between the wheels and the track elements. The highest challenges are found when modelling a combination of multiple rails in simultaneous contact with a wheel (check-stock or switch-stock), large longitudinal variations in rail shape (crossings) and high lateral steering forces (diverging cases in tight radius). In those cases, the codes able to account for the exact relative motion of each wheels with respect to each rails independently are the most apt. The most significant variations between software are found in the contact prediction with an influence on the detailed contact tangential and normal forces. The user variability is found to be very small, with the most time-consuming and error prone being the task of handling the input data for the variable rails definition. All software could benefit from improvements to assist the user and ensure higher reliability and efficiency generally.

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 numer...

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.

The wheel-rail contact modeling is of paramount importance for the dynamics of railway vehicles since it represents the interaction between the vehicle and the track. Although, in most cases, the contact generated occurs between convex surfaces which results in planar contact areas, the contact might take place in concave surfaces when negotiation sharp curves or due to the wear of profiles. In that cases, the resulting contact area is not planar. This work proposes a methodology to determine the shape of the contact patch in a curved surface, where the normal direction varies along its lateral direction. This method is based on a semi-Hertzian approach and discretizes the contact into longitudinal strips. The normal pressure distribution is computed in each strip separately using a non-Hertzian contact model and it is summed in a vector form to obtain the total normal force magnitude. Regarding the tangential forces, a look up table approach is considered. Finally, a trailer vehicle negotiating a curve is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of this methodology., The first author is supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under grant PD/BD/114154/2016, MIT Portugal Program. This work has been supported by FCT with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028424, by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização. This work has been also supported by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the national support to R&D units grant, with the reference project UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDP/04436/2020, as well as through IDMEC, under LAETA, project UIDB/50022/2020.

Com a grande preocupação pela saúde e a preservação do meio ambiente, a busca por fontes alternativas de controle de doenças vem crescendo na agricultura. Isso porque os agrotóxicos estão sendo usados de forma indiscriminada, colocando em risco a saúde humana e o meio ambiente. As recentes pesquisas mostram a variedade de extratos vegetais que possuem substâncias bioativas eficientes no controle de patógenos. Por este motivo, o presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito de extrato de própolis e Plecthanthus amboinicus no tratamento de sementes de cebola inoculadas com Aspergillus sp. As sementes de cebola foram inoculadas com o fungo Aspergillus flavus. Posteriormente foram aplicados os tratamentos com agitação de cinco minutos em soluções de própolis e P. amboinicus nas concentrações: 0; 5; 15; 25%. O experimento foi montado em esquema fatorial 2 x 4 em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições. Para as soluções de P. amboinicus houve o preparo de meios de cultura com BDA (batata-dextrose-ágar) e inseridos discos de 5 mm do fungo, para que houvesse a verificação do efeito in vitro no desenvolvimento do patógeno. As características avaliadas foram: diâmetro do halo de crescimento do fungo (teste in vitro); teste de sanidade; primeira contagem de germinação; germinação ; massa seca de plântula; comprimento de raiz e parte aérea de plântula e teste de emergência. Os extratos de hortelã-pimenta e de própolis não foram eficientes no controle do fungo Aspergillus sp., mediante as concentrações de estudo. O extrato de hortelã-pimenta utilizado no tratamento de sementes de cebola pode ter provocado fitotoxidez, desencadeado menores valores para a maioria das características de qualidade fisiológica destas sementes, comparativamente ao extrato de própolis.

This paper presents the absorbance and fluorescence optical properties of various phytoplankton species, looking to achieve an accurate method to detect and identify a number of phytoplankton taxonomic groups. The methodology to select the excitation and detection wavelengths that results in superior identification of phytoplankton is reported. The macroscopic analyses and the implemented methodology are the base for designing a lab-on-a-chip device for a phytoplankton group identification, based on cell analysis with multi-wavelength lighting excitation, aiming for a cheap and portable platform. With such methodology in a lab-on-a-chip device, the analysis of the phytoplankton cells’ optical properties, e.g., fluorescence, diffraction, absorption and reflection, will be possible. This device will offer, in the future, a platform for continuous, autonomous and in situ underwater measurements, in opposition to the conventional methodology. A proof-of-concept device with LED light excitation at 450 nm and a detection photodiode at 680 nm was fabricated. This device was able to quantify the concentration of the phytoplankton chlorophyll a. A lock-in amplifier electronic circuit was developed and integrated in a portable and low-cost sensor, featuring continuous, autonomous and in situ underwater measurements. This device has a detection limit of 0.01 µ/L of chlorophyll a, in a range up to 300 µg/L, with a linear voltage output with chlorophyll concentration., This work was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg VA Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) 2014-2020 Program under grant agreement 0591_FOODSENS_1_E, under the national support to R&D units grant, through the reference project UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDP/04436/2020, and by project NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000039 co-founded by the European Social Fund FSE and through National funds NORTE 2020 and Regional Operacional Programa of North 2014/2020. The University of Vigo work was funded by a Xunta de Galicia grant to the Biological Oceanography Research Group (Consolidacion e estruturacion de unidades). This output reflects only the views of the authors, and the program authorities cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

The wheel-rail contact modeling problem assumes a preponderant role on the dynamic analysis of railway systems using multibody systems formulations. The accurate and efficient evaluation of both location and magnitude of the wheel-rail contact forces is fundamental for the development of reliable computational tools. The wheel concave zone might be a source of numerical difficulties when searching the contact points, which has been neglected in several works. Here, it is demonstrated that the minimum distance method does not always converge when the wheel surface is not fully convex, being an alternative methodology proposed to perform the contact detection. This approach examines independently the contact between each wheel strip and the rail, where the maximum virtual penetration is determined and associated with the location of the contact point. Then, an Hertzian-based force model is considered for both normal and tangential forces. The results obtained from dynamic simulations show that the minimum distance method and the proposed methodology provide a similar response for simplified wheel profiles. However, the new approach described here is reliable in the identification of the contact point when realistic wheel profiles are considered, which is not the case with the minimum distance method.

The development of detailed multibody models of railway vehicles is essential to address industrial problems through computational tools. The assessment of vehicle dynamic performance is one of the studies that can be performed with a multibody software. But when tilting trains are considered, which comprise active suspension elements, control engineering theories are required to estimate the forces developed by the actuators. Despite its importance, in general the details about the tilting control algorithm are unknown. In this work, a dedicated control design methodology is proposed to estimate the control algorithm of a tilting system in order to assure a proper vehicle performance. For this purpose, a detailed multibody model of a tilting train is used to perform a batch of simulations in order to develop an accurate linear model of the tilting system and to study its performance in realistic operation conditions. Thus, the traditional control techniques can be used to assess the tilting system dynamics and to design the control algorithm so that proper tilting performance is ensured. The control algorithm and the tilting performance are tested on a curved and tangent track with track irregularities. The comfort indexes PCT and RMS are used here to assess the tilting system.

This work presents a general formulation to identify the contact points for the interaction between wheels and rails in the context of railway dynamics simulations. This formulation treats the wheel and rail as parametric surfaces and searches the contact between each wheel strip and the rail independently to avoid the numerical difficulties due to the wheel concave zone. This methodology assumes the rail as locally straight and takes advantage that its potential contacting surface is always convex. For the evaluation of contact forces, two Hertzian-based models are employed for normal and creep forces. A trailer vehicle running on a curved track is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of this methodology., The first authorissupported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under grant PD/BD/114154/2016.This work is also supported by FCT with the reference project UIDB/04436/2020

The dynamic analysis of railway vehicles requires an accurate representation of the vehicle, the track geometry and structure, and their interaction. Generally, flexible track models with curved geometries represent the rails with straight beam elements, which results in a piecewise linear representation of the rails. Consequently, the wheel-rail contact mechanics are not properly captured, and the wheel-rail contact forces present spurious high-frequency oscillations. This work proposes a novel approach to model flexible railway tracks with arbitrary geometries, in which the correct geometry in the wheel-rail contact mechanics is assured by modeling the rails as Timoshenko curved beam elements. This approach improves both the geometric representation of the rails and the accuracy of the wheel-rail contact forces calculation. A realistic operation scenario in which a multibody model of a railway vehicle runs on a flexible track with a curved geometry is used here to demonstrate the novel aspects of this work and then discuss the improvements over the conventional approaches. The results show that the proposed methodology greatly improves the computation of the wheel-rail interaction forces and prevents spurious oscillations from propagating to the vehicle.

In railway dynamics, the interpolation of lookup tables (LUTs) is a procedure utilized to reduce the computational effort when computing the wheel-rail contact forces. However, the generation of LUTs with multiple inputs and multiple outputs is a challenging task for which aspects such as their minimal size and uniform accuracy over the LUT domain have not been systematically addressed in the literature. Thus, this work presents a comprehensive methodology for a detailed analysis of general LUTs, and identifies ways to improve them. For that, an analysis of the variation of the input parameters is made and the interpolation error is assessed on the cells and edges of the original table, then, based on this analysis, two enhanced LUTs are proposed. The first one is approximately 5 times smaller than the original but holds similar accuracy. The second table exhibits half of the maximum interpolation error of the original LUT but holds an identical size. The methodology is demonstrated here using the recently published Kalker Book of Tables for Non-Hertzian contact (KBTNH) but it can be used by any other LUT approach in order to improve accuracy and/or to reduce size.

The common approach to railway vehicle dynamics is to assume rigid railway tracks. By the same token, the common approach to track analysis is to consider the vehicle as a moving load. Both of the approaches miss the coupled dynamics between the two systems. In this work the assumption of rigidity of the railway track is released and a finite element model of the complete track, i.e., rails, pads, sleepers, ballast and infrastructure, is used to represent the track geometry and flexibility. The dynamics of the railway vehicle is described using a multibody methodology. Due to the fact that not only the multibody and the finite element dynamic analysis use different integration algorithms but also because the vehicle and track models are simulated in different codes a co-simulation procedure is proposed and demonstrated to address the coupled dynamics of the system.

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) can be fatal if left untreated. Long-term prognosis of acute PE in the 21st century has not been fully reported. We aimed to determine the long-term prognosis of patients hospitalized with acute PE and compare survivalof patients with idiopathic and secondary PE.We retrospectively analysed a cohort of hospitalized patients with acute PE between 2006 and 2013.18 years, venous embolism of non-pulmonary veins, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and presumptive diagnosis without image confirmation. Only patients with a first PE episode were included. End-point: all-cause mortality. Patients were compared according to PE aetiology: idiopathic, secondary to neoplastic conditions and secondary to non-neoplastic conditions. A Cox-regression analysis was used to study the prognostic impact of PE aetiology.We studied 872 hospitalized acute PE patients. Median age 70 years, 56.9% were women. PE was idiopathic in 376 (43.1%), secondary to a neoplastic condition in 284 (32.6%) and secondary to a condition other than neoplasia in 212 (24.3%). Patients were followed for a median 25 months period and 508 (58.3%) died. Patients with PE attributed to a neoplastic condition had the worst survival. Patients with idiopathic PE had a multivariate-adjusted HR of mortality of 1.46 (1.08-1.99) during the over 2-year follow-up period when compared to those with acute PE attributed to a non-neoplastic condition.Patients with idiopathic acute PE have an almost 50% higher death risk in a median 2-year follow-up period than those with acute PE secondary to a condition other than neoplasia.

The dynamic analysis of railway systems using multibody systems formulation is nowadays a reliable tool for several studies, in which the wheelrail contact interaction has significant importance. The definition of contacting geometries affects directly the dynamic response of the system. For sake of simplicity and computational efficiency, some authors simplify the wheel profile to avoid its concave part. This work intends to study the impact of utilizing a simplified non-conformal profile instead of a real wheel profile. For this purpose, an Hertzian-based contact force model is used to compute either the normal and creep forces. A wheelset rolling over a straight track is used as demonstration case. The results show that although the location of the contact points is similar, the use of simplified wheel profile may have an extensive impact on the dynamic response of the system.

The development of wheel–rail contact models is an active topic of railway research with the dual objective of improving the accuracy of multibody simulations and reducing its computational effort. This paper extends the online Hertzian contact model, proposed by Pombo et al. (Veh. Syst. Dyn. 45: 165–189, 2007) to propose a non-Hertzian contact model. The new methodology presented here includes the following steps: (i) search of the points of contact; (ii) identification of the undeformed distance function; (iii) evaluation of the contact patch; (iv) calculation of the normal and tangential contact forces; (v) application of the contact forces in the multibody vehicle model. Among several contact models available in the literature, this non-Hertzian contact approach uses the Kik–Piotrowski model for the normal contact force, while the tangential forces are obtained from the interpolation of the available Kalker Book of Tables for non-Hertzian (KBTNH) contact. With the purpose to demonstrate the proper implementation and selection of parameters that define this new model, several contact analysis and dynamic simulations are performed in which the wheel S1002 and the rail UIC50 are considered. First, the contact analyses that determine the contact condition of different wheel–rail interactions serve to assess the accuracy of the Hertzian and non-Hertzian models with respect to the software of reference CONTACT. Second, the Hertzian and non-Hertzian models are utilised to perform dynamic simulations of a wheelset, a bogie and a vehicle running in tangent and curved tracks. In short, this work provides, not only a complete description of the implementation of a non-Hertzian contact model in a multibody code, but also suggests for the proper selection of the parameters that promote better accuracy and optimal computational efficiency.

The standard approach to railway vehicle dynamic analysis includes running the vehicle multibody models in rigid railway tracks. The wheel–rail contact, independently of the rolling contact model used, is either handled online or via lookup tables. This traditional approach disregards the coupling effects between the railway vehicle dynamics and the railway track flexibility. In this work the assumption of rigidity of the railway track is relaxed and a finite element model of the complete track, i.e. rails, pads, sleepers, ballast and infrastructure, is used to represent the track geometry and flexibility. A rail–wheel contact model that evaluates the contact conditions and forces is used online. The dynamics of the railway vehicle is described using a multibody methodology while the track structure is described using a finite element approach. Due to the fact that not only the multibody and the finite element dynamic analysis use different integration algorithms but also because the vehicle and track models are simulated in different, codes a co-simulation procedure is proposed and demonstrated to address the coupled dynamics of the system. This approach allows us to analyze the vehicle dynamics in a flexible track with a general geometry modeled with finite elements, i.e. including curvature, cant, vertical slopes and irregularities, which is another novel contribution. The methodology proposed in this work is demonstrated in an application, in which the railway vehicle–track interaction shows the influence of the vehicle dynamics on the track dynamics and vice versa.

Railway vehicle homologation with respect to running dynamics is addressed via dedicated norms that require the knowledge of the accelerations and wheel–rail contact forces obtained from experimental computational testing. Multibody dynamics allows the modelling of railway vehicles and their simulation on realistic operations conditions. However, the representativeness of the multibody models, and the results of their use in railway dynamics are greatly influenced by the modelling assumptions and their ability to represent the operational conditions. In this paper, two alternative multibody models of a railway vehicle are presented and simulated in a realistic railway track scenarios to appraise the consequences of different modelling assumptions on the railway dynamic analysis outcome. A vehicle–track interaction compatibility analysis is performed afterwards according to norm EN 14363. The analysis consists of two stages: the use of a simplified method, described in the norm for the identification of the different performance indexes from the railway vehicle dynamic analysis outcome; and the visual inspection of the vehicle motion with respect to the track via dedicated visualization tools. The results of the virtual vehicle homologation tests are presented and discussed in face of the modelling assumptions used, being significant differences identified between the railway vehicle modelled with cylindrical joints with clearances or with equivalent force elements. It is also concluded that the use of clearance joints prevents the need to use modelling assumptions on the equivalent force elements that have limited or no physical meaning, thus reducing the number of modelling parameters for which a high level of abstraction has to be exercised.

Background: On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic Caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), this infection may remain asymptomatic The European Society of Medical Oncology and the Portuguese Health Authority recommended both a symptomatic survey and laboratory testing in all cancer patients (pts) undergoing immunosuppressive treatment (IT) The impact of this measure is still unknown We report our experience in a Portuguese center Methods: Since March 2020, a symptomatic survey has been performed at our institution before each hospital visit From April 6 through May 8, 2020, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) SARS-CoV-2 testing was added on cancer pts before undergoing IT The impact of this intervention was evaluated comparing the hospitalization rate of cancer pts due to COVID-19, before and after the introduction of RT-PCR testing Retrospective analysis of clinical data was performed Results: 444 tests were carried out on 244 pts and laboratory SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in 11 (5%);5 were male, with a median age of 65 years [34-76] Breast and colorectal cancer were prevalent;2 pts had lung cancer;6 advanced disease Ongoing IT in these pts was temporarily suspended: 9 pts under chemotherapy, 1 atezolizumab and 1 rituximab Only 1 patient was symptomatic (9%) and previously hospitalized No admission due to COVID-19 was registered in this group Since March 7, 179 pts were admitted due to COVID-19 at our center: 12 were active cancer pts (6 7%) of which 4 were under IT 6 of the oncological pts passed away, all of them had advanced diseases, 1 was under IT Of the dead pts, lung and breast tumors were prevalent Among all COVID-19 hospitalizations, the prevalence of pts under IT was similar before and after the implementation of the RT-PCR testing (2 2% vs 2 4%) Conclusions: We found a significant percentage of active cancer pts diagnosed with asymptomatic COVID-19 Due to the small sample size of COVID-19 pts under IT, it is difficult to evaluate the impact of RT-PCR testing However, on a long-term analysis, this intervention may reduce the risk of severe complications related to COVID-19 in cancer pts Health education and dynamic organization are also important measures Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors Funding: Has not received any funding Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest

In a wide number of engineering applications, the interpolation of a lookup table (LUT) can substitute expensive calculations. The generation of a LUT consists of pre-calculating a set of quantities from a collection of points that covers the study domain where the interpolation is possible. Nevertheless, the selection of points where the exact calculation is performed is of utmost importance for the LUT size and accuracy. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide a dedicated optimization tool for the generation of accurate and efficient LUT. Here, the domain of the LUT is structured by the so-called layers, in which, the thicknesses of each layer define the distance between pre-calculated points. The optimization problem consists of maximizing the layer thicknesses, that is, minimizing the LUT size, such that the interpolation errors within the layer domain are kept under specified tolerances. Thus, a sequential design approach is applied to design each layer of the LUT until the layers cover the study domain. To achieve reliable LUT generations, a new optimization algorithm has been implemented to reach optimal layers with minimum iterations. The strategy proposed here is applied to generate a LUT to substitute a selected analytical function. The optimization procedures demonstrate not only the performance of the optimization algorithm, but also its convenience in the generation of multidimensional LUT.

Background The immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) had shown to increase progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are biomarkers easy to measure by blood tests and they had been studied as possible prognostic predictors in patients (pts) with various types of cancer treated with ICI. This study intends to analyze the impact of the NLR and PNI in pts with NSCLC treated with ICI. Methods Thirty-four pts with stage IV NSCLC that had started ICI in 1st and subsequent lines between 03/2016 and 06/2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The pre-treatment NLR and PNI were calculated and the cut-off 5 and 50 were respectively considered. The Kaplan-Meier method and Log Rank test and the Cox regression were used in survival analysis. Results Twenty-seven (79%) were male, with a median age of 67 (34-79) years; ECOG 0-1 (n = 30; 88%); stage IVA (n = 14; 41%); PD-L1 ≥50% (n = 18; 53%); NLR ≥5 (n = 13; 38%); PNI ≥50 (n = 14; 41%). Eleven pts (32%) were submitted to ICI in 1st line. The median follow-up time was 19,3 months (mo.). The median PFS was 6,1 mo. (95%CI 1,94-10,26) and median OS was 9,3 mo. (95%CI 0,31-18,29) - 16,5 mo. in 1st line vs 8,6 mo. in subsequent lines. The median PFS was superior in patients with PNI ≥50 (7,0 vs 2,1 mo., p = 0,039), but there weren’t differences considering the NLR. The median OS was also superior when PNI ≥50 (16,8 vs 6,7 mo., p = 0,019). In multivariate analysis (sex, age, 1st line, PD-L1, stage, ECOG, NLR and PNI), the mortality probability was superior in pts with ≥70 years [HR 6,14 (95%CI 1,49-25,39)]. Moreover, PD-L1 ≥50% [HR 0,09 (95%CI 0,01-0,52)], male sex [HR 0,03 (95%CI 0,004-0,24)], stage IVA [HR 0,26 (95%CI 0,07-0,997)] and PNI ≥50 [HR 0,15 (95%CI 0,03-0,69)] were associated to a reduced mortality risk. Conclusion PNI ≥50 was predictive of a better PFS and OS and the NLR wasnt a predictor of survival. Regarding OS, PNI ≥50 was an independent survival prognostic factor. In order to understand the impact of this biomarker in NSCLC treated with ICI, it is important to evaluate it in more studies with a larger population and prolonged follow-up time. Legal entity responsible for the study The authors. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

The use of reliable computational tools and of validated vehicle and track models allow studying the railway vehicle performance in realistic operation conditions. The use of such advanced tools permits performing the so-called virtual homologation, which means that most of the criteria defined in the standards and regulations for vehicle acceptance can be verified numerically. This approach reduces the need of the expensive and long on-track tests, and also permits performing design optimization of several vehicle components, namely, the suspension elements, to improve its operational performance in terms of running safety, ride quality and track loading. The realism of the numerical simulations depends strongly on the model assumptions. In this work, all the mechanical elements that compose the rail vehicle are modeled properly using advanced methodologies. Then, a realistic and fully three-dimensional track, containing the measured track irregularities, is used. Finally, for a realistic running representation of the vehicle in the track, a prescribed motion of the motor wheel sets is adopted to adjust the vehicle speed as function of the track characteristics, namely, its curvature, cant angle and grade. The aim of this research is to develop a methodology to optimize the design of a rail vehicle in a mountainous track based on virtual homologation procedure. For this purpose, an optimization method is used to run the numerical simulations in batch mode and the dynamic performance of the rail vehicle is quantified based on the safety and ride quality indices defined in the standards. In addition, the optimization procedure uses a penalty term that penalizes cases where the vehicle presents an unacceptable dynamic behavior. The design variables considered are the suspension characteristics. This work provides an optimal design tool for the rail vehicle performance that leads to optimal dynamic performance in terms of running safety and ride quality.

Perovskite-type oxides La1−xMxCoO3 (M = Ce, Sr) were prepared by citrate method, characterized and evaluated in the selective CO oxidation (SELOX-CO). The insertion of low Cerium or Strontium content generated solids with a single phase related LaCoO3 perovskite. For higher contents we observed segregation of CeO2 and SrCO3. The iso-structural substitution favors the formation of vacancies. The SELOX-CO showed 100 % CO conversion at 200 °C. Higher temperatures favored hydrogen oxidation and methanation.

A mastite subclínica caprina ocasiona prejuízos econômicos em decorrência do descarte, dos gastos com medidas terapêuticas e da redução da quantidade e qualidade do leite e seus derivados. Nesse estudo, 129 amostras de leite de cabra in natura, provenientes de 11 propriedades foram avaliadas pelo teste da caneca telada, California Mastitis Test (CMT), exame bacteriológico, pesquisa de Mycoplasma spp. e pela determinação dos parâmetros físico-químicos. No teste da caneca telada e no CMT, 3,1% e 4,6% das amostras foram positivas, respectivamente. No exame bacteriológico, 57,4% das amostras foram positivas e o patógeno mais frequente foi Staphylococcus coagulase negativa com 56% das cepas resistentes à penicilina e 100% de sensíveis à gentamicina. Mycoplasma spp. não foi identificado nas amostras. O diagnóstico da mastite subclínica pelo CMT e pelo exame bacteriológico diferiu de forma significativa e não houve associação entre o número de UFC/mL obtidas no exame microbiológico e o resultado do CMT (Qui-quadrado p < 0,05). Os parâmetros físico-químicos diferiram significativamente entre os rebanhos (ANOVA, Tukey-Kramer, p < 0,05) e a gordura foi o constituinte que demonstrou maior amplitude, sendo que 63,4% dos rebanhos apresentaram os valores abaixo do exigido pela legislação brasileira. Não houve associação significativa entre a presença de mastite diagnosticada pelo exame bacteriológico e os valores obtidos para os parâmetros físico-químicos (t-Student p > 0,05). Com base nos resultados obtidos, recomenda-se a associação do exame bacteriológico quando na utilização do CMT para diagnóstico da mastite subclínica caprina.

We report on a 7-year-old girl with Ewing's Sarcoma (ES) who developed a poorly differentiated acute myeloid leukemia (AML-M0) 20 months after beginning the EW92 protocol for the treatment of the primary tumor. She received a total dose of 1500 mg of etoposide, a tumor cumulative radiation dose of 35Gy and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was as predicted in the protocol regimen. At onset of secondary malignancy her laboratorial analysis revealed immature blast cells characterized by CD34+/CD33-/a-MPO+ and a t(4;11)(q21;q23) abnormality. This serious complication of ES treatment, which associates etoposide, irradiation and G-CSF schedule, should be weighed against its therapeutic benefits.Nós descrevemos o caso clínico de uma criança do sexo feminino, com 7 anos de idade, portadora de sarcoma de Ewing, que evoluiu com leucemia aguda mielóide pouco diferenciada (LMA-M0) após vinte meses de tratamento utilizando o protocolo EW92. Ela recebeu uma dose total de 1.500 mg de etoposídio, irradiação tumoral na dose total de 35G, e fator de estimulação de colônia granulocítica (G-CSF) conforme programação do protocolo terapêutico. Os exames laboratoriais, por ocasião do diagnóstico da segunda malignidade, mostraram células blásticas imaturas caracterizadas pela expressão de CD34+/CD33-/aMPO+ e a translocação t(4;11) (q 21;q23). A exclusão do G-CSF nos esquemas terapêuticos que associam etoposídio e irradiação tumoral se justifica devido a esta séria complicação no tratamento do sarcoma de Ewing.

The dynamic analysis of railway vehicles involves the independent construction of models representing vehicle, track and wheel-rail contact. In this work, a multibody formulation with Cartesian coordinates is used to describe the kinematics of the rigid bodies and joints in the vehicle model. In order to create detailed three-dimensional track finite element models, a methodology that includes the flexibility of rails and substructure is proposed. Finite element methodology is used to model the rails as beams supported in a discrete manner by spring-damper systems that represent the flexibility of pads, sleepers, ballast and substructure. The inclusion of flexible track models is very important to study the dynamic behaviour of railway vehicles in realistic operation scenarios. The proposed wheel-rail contact formulation outputs, the contact points location in real time during the dynamic analysis, for the most general three-dimensional motion of the wheelsets with respect to the track. The proposed methodology to build flexible track models is validated by comparing the results obtained with this new approach with the ones obtained using ANSYS. The methodology is demonstrated by studying the dynamic behaviour of the Alfa Pendular railway vehicle.

A mastite subclínica caprina ocasiona prejuízos econômicos em decorrência do descarte, dos gastos com medidas terapêuticas e da redução da quantidade e qualidade do leite e seus derivados. Nesse estudo, 129 amostras de leite de cabra in natura, provenientes de 11 propriedades foram avaliadas pelo teste da caneca telada, California Mastitis Test (CMT), exame bacteriológico, pesquisa de Mycoplasma spp. e pela determinação dos parâmetros físico-químicos. No teste da caneca telada e no CMT, 3,1% e 4,6% das amostras foram positivas, respectivamente. No exame bacteriológico, 57,4% das amostras foram positivas e o patógeno mais frequente foi Staphylococcus coagulase negativa com 56% das cepas resistentes à penicilina e 100% de sensíveis à gentamicina. Mycoplasma spp. não foi identificado nas amostras. O diagnóstico da mastite subclínica pelo CMT e pelo exame bacteriológico diferiu de forma significativa e não houve associação entre o número de UFC/mL obtidas no exame microbiológico e o resultado do CMT (Qui-quadrado p < 0,05). Os parâmetros físico-químicos diferiram significativamente entre os rebanhos (ANOVA, Tukey-Kramer, p < 0,05) e a gordura foi o constituinte que demonstrou maior amplitude, sendo que 63,4% dos rebanhos apresentaram os valores abaixo do exigido pela legislação brasileira. Não houve associação significativa entre a presença de mastite diagnosticada pelo exame bacteriológico e os valores obtidos para os parâmetros físico-químicos (t-Student p > 0,05). Com base nos resultados obtidos, recomenda-se a associação do exame bacteriológico quando na utilização do CMT para diagnóstico da mastite subclínica caprina. Goat mastitis causes significant economic losses due to the discarding of milk, costs of drugs and veterinary care, reducing the quantity and quality of milk and dairy products. In this study, 129 raw milk samples from 11 goat farms were investigated by the Tamis test, California mastitis test (CMT), bacteriological exam, presence of Mycoplasma spp. and physicochemical parameters. Seven (4.6%) and four samples (3.1%) were positive by CMT and Tamis test respectively. Bacteriological exam was positive from 57.4% of samples and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most frequent bacteria isolated showing 56% of the strains resistant to penicillin and no resistance to gentamicin. Negative results were obtained from traditional culture as well as by PCR for Mycoplasma spp. The diagnosis of mastitis, the bacteriological exam and the CMT results differed significantly and no association was observed (chi squared, p < 0.05). Fat was the constituent with more variations and 63.4% of the herds did not meet the minimum requirement according to Brazilian government criteria for this constituent. There was no significant association between mastitis and the physicochemical parameters (t-Student, p > 0.05). The physicochemical parameters differed significantly (ANOVA, Tukey-Kramer, p < 0.05) among the herds. These results indicate the need to associate microbiological exam when the CMT is used for the diagnosis of goat mastitis.

Hand-Schuller-Christian disease is a multifocal variant of eosinophilic granuloma, characterised by the classical triad of bony lesions, exophtamos and diabetes insipidus. This case relates recurrent Langerhan's cell histiocytisis lesions presented as destruction of periodontal support associated with diabetis in a 10-year–old patient. Medical history suggests that the case represents a case of Hand- Schuller Christian disease.