Analyzing the relationship between car generation and severity of motor-vehicle crashes in Denmark

While the number of fatalities on Danish roads has decreased in the last 40 years, research has not investigated the contribution of legislation changes, enforcement measures, technological enhancements, infrastructural improvements and human factors to this reduction. In the context of a Danish car market with remarkably high registration tax that causes potential buyers to hold longer onto old cars, the relationship between technological enhancements of vehicles and severity of crashes requires particular attention.     

Water soluble trehalose-derived oligoamides

A new family of oligotrehaluronamides was synthesized through the polycondensation of α,α-trehaluronic acid dimethyl ester and different diamines or polyamines. In particular, diamines with different molecular structure (1,n-alkylene diamines, aromatic diamine, and alkyleneoxydiamine) were used in order to modulate the molecular weights and the physical characteristics of the products, such as T_g, hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties, and solubility. α,α-Trehaluronic acid was obtained from a renewable source as α,α-trehalose. The syntheses of oligotrehaluronamides were carried out in different solvents such as ethanol, methanol, THF and DMSO, using triethylamine as catalyst. All the compounds obtained in this study were characterized through FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights were evaluated by ¹H-NMR and in some cases compared with those obtained from ESI-MS spectrometry. Glass transition temperatures and melting points were detected by differential scanning calorimetry. Low molecular weight oligoamides, containing several hydroxyl groups, are water-soluble and could be used in water-based formulations.     

Sensitivity Analysis and Model Validation of a 2-DoF Mini Spherical Robot

This paper is focused on the development and validation of an error kinematic model of a mini spherical robot, aimed at its kinematic calibration. The robot is actually a spatial five-bar linkage, provided with two rotational degrees of freedom. A non-overconstrained kinematics is assumed for the robot in order to provide a simple mathematical model and allow a sensitivity analysis of all the involved geometric parameters. A simplified version of the model is proposed. It differs only for the degree of approximation. A comparison between full and reduced models is presented by means of numerical simulations, analyzing their behavior in a significant region of the robot workspace. In order to validate both of them a robot calibration is carried out on a physical prototype of the robot using a vision system, namely a fixed camera in a eye-to-hand configuration. An iterative algorithm aimed at the experimental identification of the geometric data of the robot is used. Some experimental results show the effectiveness of the study.     

Electronic nose and GC–MS analysis of volatile compounds in Tuber magnatum Pico: Evaluation of different storage conditions

The characteristic aromatic composition of white truffles (Tuber magnatum Pico) determines its culinary and commercial value. However modifications of truffle organoleptic proprieties occur during preservation. A study of headspace of white truffles by using Electronic nose (E-nose), gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and sensory analyses was performed. Truffles were stored at different conditions for 7 days: +4 and +8 °C wrapped in blotting paper or covered by rice or none of the above. Headspace E-nose measurements and sensory analyses were performed each day. Statistical multivariate analysis of the data showed the capability of E-nose to predict sensorial analysis scores and to monitor aroma profile changes during storage. Truffle’s volatile molecules were also extracted by headspace solid phase microextraction technique and separated and identified by GC–MS. Partial Components Analysis of data was performed. E-nose and GC–MS results were in agreement and showed that truffle storage in paper at +8 °C seemed to be the best storage condition.     

Influence of mineral additions on the performance of 100% recycled aggregate concrete

A judicious use of resources, by using by-products and waste materials, and a lower environmental impact, by reducing carbon dioxide emission and virgin aggregate extraction, allow to approach sustainable building development. Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) containing supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), if satisfactory concrete properties are achieved, can be an example of such sustainable construction materials.In this work concrete specimens were manufactured by completely replacing fine and coarse aggregates with recycled aggregates from a rubble recycling plant. Also RAC with fly ash (RA + FA) or silica fume (RA + SF) were studied.Concrete properties were evaluated by means of compressive strength and modulus of elasticity in the first experimental part. In the second experimental part, compressive and tensile splitting strength, dynamic modulus of elasticity, drying shrinkage, reinforcing bond strength, carbonation, chloride penetration were studied. Satisfactory concrete properties can be developed with recycled fine and coarse aggregates with proper selection and proportioning of the concrete materials.     

Combined Effects of Parallel and Series Detention Basins for Flood Peak Reduction

A simple analytical method is proposed that allows a preliminary evaluation of the overall efficiency of a detention basin system for flood risk reduction in a specific target section. Solutions are provided both for parallel and series systems, under some simplifying assumptions concerning the linearity of detention basin, river network and watershed responses. Further, for the series configuration a regressive model is proposed for the computation of the overall efficiency, because of the complexity of analytical solution. A case study is also presented, where the overall efficiency of a system of nine detention basins is computed by means of both the analytical and the regressive model. Results are discussed to assess the different influence of detention basins in parallel or in a series system.     

Intact and impaired mechanisms of action understanding in autism.

Typically developing children understand and predict others' behavior by extracting and processing relevant information such as the logic of their actions within the situational constraints and the intentions conveyed by their gaze direction and emotional expressions. Children with autism have difficulties understanding and predicting others' actions. With the use of eye tracking and behavioral measures, we investigated action understanding mechanisms used by 18 children with autism and a well-matched group of 18 typically developing children. Results showed that children with autism (a) consider situational constraints in order to understand the logic of an agent's action and (b) show typical usage of the agent's emotional expressions to infer his or her intentions. We found (c) subtle atypicalities in the way children with autism respond to an agent's direct gaze and (d) marked impairments in their ability to attend to and interpret referential cues such as a head turn for understanding an agent's intentions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The assessment of the damage probability of storage tanks in domino events triggered by fire

An approach aimed to the quantitative assessment of the risk caused by escalation scenarios triggered by fire was developed. Simplified models for the estimation of the vessel time to failure (ttf) with respect to the radiation intensity on the vessel shell were obtained using a multi-level approach to the analysis of vessel wall failure under different fire conditions. Each vessel “time to failure” calculated by this approach for the specific fire scenario of concern was compared to a reference time required for effective mitigation actions and related to the escalation probability. The failure probability of each vessel was correlated to the probability of scenarios involving multiple vessel failure as a consequence of the primary fire, thus allowing a comprehensive assessment of domino scenarios triggered by fire. The application of the methodology to the analysis of several case-studies allowed the estimation of the quantitative contribution of escalation events triggered by fire to the overall individual and societal risk indexes.