Design of an intelligent car

Science.gov (United States)

Na, Yongyi

2017-03-01

The design of simple intelligent car, using AT89S52 single chip microcomputer as the car detection and control core; The metal sensor TL - Q5MC induction to iron, to detect the way to send feedback to the signal of single chip microcomputer, make SCM according to the scheduled work mode to control the car in the area according to the predetermined speed, and the operation mode of the microcontroller choose different also can control the car driving along s-shaped iron; Use A44E hall element to detect the car speeds; Adopts 1602 LCD display time of car driving, driving the car to stop, take turns to show the car driving time, distance, average speed and the speed of time. This design has simple structure and is easy to implement, but are highly intelligent, humane, to a certain extent reflects the intelligence.

CARS microscopy for the monitoring of lipid storage in C. elegans

Science.gov (United States)

Enejder, Annika; Brackmann, Christian; Axäng, Claes; Åkeson, Madeleine; Pilon, Marc

2008-02-01

After several years of proof-of-principle measurements and focus on technological development, it is timely to make full use of the capabilities of CARS microscopy within the biosciences. We have here identified an urgent biological problem, to which CARS microscopy provides unique insights and consequently may become a widely accepted experimental procedure. In order to improve present understanding of mechanisms underlying dysfunctional metabolism regulation reported for many of our most wide-spread diseases (obesity, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases etc.), we have monitored genetic and environmental impacts on cellular lipid storage in the model organism C. elegans in vivo in a full-scale biological study. Important advantages of CARS microscopy could be demonstrated compared to present technology, i.e. fluorescence microscopy of labelled lipid stores. The fluorescence signal varies not only with the presence of lipids, but also with the systemic distribution of the fluorophore and the chemical properties of the surrounding medium. By instead probing high-density regions of CH bonds naturally occurring in the sample, the CARS process was shown to provide a consistent representation of the lipid stores. The increased accumulation of lipid stores in mutants with deficiencies in the insulin and transforming growth factor signalling pathways could hereby be visualized and quantified. Furthermore, spectral CARS microscopy measurements in the C-H bond region of 2780-2930 cm -1 provided the interesting observation that this accumulation comes with a shift in the ordering of the lipids from gel- to liquid phase. The present study illustrates that CARS microscopy has a strong potential to become an important instrument for systemic studies of lipid storage mechanisms in living organisms, providing new insights into the phenomena underlying metabolic disorders.

Recovery of CTF beam signals from a strong wakefield background

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yin, Y [TRIUMF, Vancouver, BC (Canada); Schulte, E [European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland); Ekeloef, T [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden)

1995-06-01

The beam monitor for the CERN Linear Collider Test Facility (CTF) has to work not only with very short pulses (350 ps FWHM) at a spacing of 330 ps, but also in a strong wakefield background. A cone-shaped button pickup electrode has been designed and constructed for use with CTF beams and tests have been made using a real time analogue Gaussian filter to recover the beam signals from the strong wakefield signals. As a comparison to the analogue filter, a study has been made to process the data off-line and extract the beam signals using digital filtering based on the wavelet concept. (author). 3 refs., 7 figs.

High-Rate Strong-Signal Quantum Cryptography

Science.gov (United States)

Yuen, Horace P.

1996-01-01

Several quantum cryptosystems utilizing different kinds of nonclassical lights, which can accommodate high intensity fields and high data rate, are described. However, they are all sensitive to loss and both the high rate and the strong-signal character rapidly disappear. A squeezed light homodyne detection scheme is proposed which, with present-day technology, leads to more than two orders of magnitude data rate improvement over other current experimental systems for moderate loss.

Cars, Cars, Cars

Science.gov (United States)

McIntosh, Phyllis

2013-01-01

Cars are the focus of this feature article, which explores such topics as the history of cars in the United States, the national highway system, safety and pollution concerns, mobility and freedom for women, classic car shows, and the road trip in American literature and film. Also included are links to the websites of Automobile in American Life…

Inter-vehicle gap statistics on signal-controlled crossroads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krbalek, Milan

2008-01-01

We investigate a microscopical structure in a chain of cars waiting at a red signal on signal-controlled crossroads. A one-dimensional space-continuous thermodynamical model leading to an excellent agreement with the data measured is presented. Moreover, we demonstrate that an inter-vehicle spacing distribution disclosed in relevant traffic data agrees with the thermal-balance distribution of particles in the thermodynamical traffic gas (discussed in [1]) with a high inverse temperature (corresponding to a strong traffic congestion). Therefore, as we affirm, such a system of stationary cars can be understood as a specific state of the traffic sample operating inside a congested traffic stream

Dismissive and deceptive car dealerships create barriers to electric vehicle adoption at the point of sale

Science.gov (United States)

Zarazua de Rubens, Gerardo; Noel, Lance; Sovacool, Benjamin K.

2018-06-01

As most consumers do not have pre-existing knowledge of electric vehicles (EVs), and current market conditions favour petrol and diesel vehicles, car dealership experiences may strongly influence EV purchasing decisions. Here, we show that car dealerships pose a significant barrier at the point of sale due to a perceived lack of business case viability in relation to petrol and diesel vehicles. In 126 shopping experiences at 82 car dealerships across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, we find that dealers were dismissive of EVs, misinformed shoppers on vehicle specifications, omitted EVs from the sales conversation and strongly oriented customers towards petrol and diesel vehicle options. Dealers' technological orientation, willingness to sell and displayed knowledge of EVs were the main contributors to likely purchase intentions. These findings combined with expert interviews suggest that government and industry signalling affect sales strategies and purchasing trends. Policy and business strategies that address barriers at the point of sale are needed to accelerate EV adoption.

Construction of coherent antistokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zidan, M. D.; Jazmati, A.

2007-01-01

Coherent Antistokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) has been built. It consists of a Raman cell, which is filled with CO 2 gas at 5 atm pressure and a frequency doubled Nd-YAG laser pumped dye laser. The two beams are focused by means of a bi-convex lens into Raman cell. The Antistokes signals (CARS signals) are generated due to Four-wave mixing process. The antistokes signals were directed to monochrometer entrance slit by prism . The signals are detected by photomultiplier detector which is fixed on the exit slit and connected to data acquisition card located inside the computed case. The dye laser frequency has to be tuned to satisfy the energy difference between the ν 1 beam (Nd- YAG laser beam) and the ν 2 beam (the stokes beam or the dye laser beam) exactly corresponds to a vibrational - rotational Raman resonance (ν 2 - ν 1 = ν M ) in the 12 CO 2 or 13 CO 2 molecule, then the antistokes signals (ν 3 ) will be generated. The spectra of the CARS signals have been recorded to determine the isotope shift of 12 CO 2 , 13 CO 2 , which is 18.3 cm -1 . (author)

Armored CAR T-cells: utilizing cytokines and pro-inflammatory ligands to enhance CAR T-cell anti-tumour efficacy

OpenAIRE

Yeku, Oladapo O.; Brentjens, Renier J.

2016-01-01

Chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are T-cells that have been genetically modified to express an artificial construct consisting of a synthetic T-cell receptor (TCR) targeted to a predetermined antigen expressed on a tumour. Coupling the T-cell receptor to a CD3ζ signalling domain paved the way for first generation CAR T-cells that were efficacious against cluster of differentiation (CD)19-expressing B-cell malignancies. Optimization with additional signalling domains such as CD28 or 4-...

On the potential of CARS spectroscopy in low-temperature plasma diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambrazyavichyus, A.B.; Gladkov, S.M.; Grigajtis, Yu.P.; Koroteev, N.I.

1989-01-01

The principles of coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) and its application to the diagnostics of technological plasmas are briefly discussed. THe CARS spectrometer is described, developed in IPTPE, Caunas for investigations of a nitrogen plasma stream generated by an industrial plasmatron, and several CARS spectra of nitrogen molecules are presented. As the CARS signal from vibrational-rotational energy levels decreases substantially at plasma temperatures above 2000 K, an alternative scheme using electronlevels of atoms or ions has to be used. To test the method, CARS signals from the lines of the first nitrogen ion were studied in a low-voltage spark discharge. (J.U.)

Evaluation of Intracellular Signaling Downstream Chimeric Antigen Receptors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah Karlsson

Full Text Available CD19-targeting CAR T cells have shown potency in clinical trials targeting B cell leukemia. Although mainly second generation (2G CARs carrying CD28 or 4-1BB have been investigated in patients, preclinical studies suggest that third generation (3G CARs with both CD28 and 4-1BB have enhanced capacity. However, little is known about the intracellular signaling pathways downstream of CARs. In the present work, we have analyzed the signaling capacity post antigen stimulation in both 2G and 3G CARs. 3G CAR T cells expanded better than 2G CAR T cells upon repeated stimulation with IL-2 and autologous B cells. An antigen-driven accumulation of CAR+ cells was evident post antigen stimulation. The cytotoxicity of both 2G and 3G CAR T cells was maintained by repeated stimulation. The phosphorylation status of intracellular signaling proteins post antigen stimulation showed that 3G CAR T cells had a higher activation status than 2G. Several proteins involved in signaling downstream the TCR were activated, as were proteins involved in the cell cycle, cell adhesion and exocytosis. In conclusion, 3G CAR T cells had a higher degree of intracellular signaling activity than 2G CARs which may explain the increased proliferative capacity seen in 3G CAR T cells. The study also indicates that there may be other signaling pathways to consider when designing or evaluating new generations of CARs.

Integration of the CAR Interface module for the RRS of Research Reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Sang Hoon; Baang, Dane; Park, Gee Yong; Choi, Young San; Kim, Young Ki [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-10-15

In a research reactor, a CAR(Control Absorber Rod) interface module which receives the control information from the RRS(Reactor Regulating System) control computer and transfer control signal to a step motor in a CAR has been composed of an interface card, an indexer card and a driver card. Due to such separated interface components, the additional interface for each component was inevitable. That is, a CAR interface was more complicated and its corresponding communication ports, drivers and signal cables were unnecessarily required. To simplify this stuff, the interface card and indexer card are integrated to one module and integrated communication network including a step motor driver card can be established through backplane network. The CAR interface module has not been redundant because power operation excluding a CAR by a failure in CAR could be available thanks to remained CARs. But, actually in spite of one CAR failure, operation with remained CARs normally is likely impossible to keep track of rapid dynamics. To solve this problem, the modular redundant structure is introduced herein and this method will let us anticipate the high reliability

Integration of the CAR Interface module for the RRS of Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Sang Hoon; Baang, Dane; Park, Gee Yong; Choi, Young San; Kim, Young Ki

2011-01-01

In a research reactor, a CAR(Control Absorber Rod) interface module which receives the control information from the RRS(Reactor Regulating System) control computer and transfer control signal to a step motor in a CAR has been composed of an interface card, an indexer card and a driver card. Due to such separated interface components, the additional interface for each component was inevitable. That is, a CAR interface was more complicated and its corresponding communication ports, drivers and signal cables were unnecessarily required. To simplify this stuff, the interface card and indexer card are integrated to one module and integrated communication network including a step motor driver card can be established through backplane network. The CAR interface module has not been redundant because power operation excluding a CAR by a failure in CAR could be available thanks to remained CARs. But, actually in spite of one CAR failure, operation with remained CARs normally is likely impossible to keep track of rapid dynamics. To solve this problem, the modular redundant structure is introduced herein and this method will let us anticipate the high reliability

Interaction of the phosphorylated DNA-binding domain in nuclear receptor CAR with its ligand-binding domain regulates CAR activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shizu, Ryota; Min, Jungki; Sobhany, Mack; Pedersen, Lars C; Mutoh, Shingo; Negishi, Masahiko

2018-01-05

The nuclear protein constitutive active/androstane receptor (CAR or NR1I3) regulates several liver functions such as drug and energy metabolism and cell growth or death, which are often involved in the development of diseases such as diabetes and hepatocellular carcinoma. CAR undergoes a conversion from inactive homodimers to active heterodimers with retinoid X receptor α (RXRα), and phosphorylation of the DNA-binding domain (DBD) at Thr-38 in CAR regulates this conversion. Here, we uncovered the molecular mechanism by which this phosphorylation regulates the intramolecular interaction between CAR's DBD and ligand-binding domain (LBD), enabling the homodimer-heterodimer conversion. Phosphomimetic substitution of Thr-38 with Asp increased co-immunoprecipitation of the CAR DBD with CAR LBD in Huh-7 cells. Isothermal titration calorimetry assays also revealed that recombinant CAR DBD-T38D, but not nonphosphorylated CAR DBD, bound the CAR LBD peptide. This DBD-LBD interaction masked CAR's dimer interface, preventing CAR homodimer formation. Of note, EGF signaling weakened the interaction of CAR DBD T38D with CAR LBD, converting CAR to the homodimer form. The DBD-T38D-LBD interaction also prevented CAR from forming a heterodimer with RXRα. However, this interaction opened up a CAR surface, allowing interaction with protein phosphatase 2A. Thr-38 dephosphorylation then dissociated the DBD-LBD interaction, allowing CAR heterodimer formation with RXRα. We conclude that the intramolecular interaction of phosphorylated DBD with the LBD enables CAR to adapt a transient monomer configuration that can be converted to either the inactive homodimer or the active heterodimer.

The Electric Car Challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Brian E.

1997-01-01

Describes the Electric Car Challenge during which students applied methods of construction to build lightweight, strong vehicles that were powered by electricity. The activity required problem solving, sheet metal work, electricity, design, and construction skills. (JOW)

Density and temperature measurement using CARS spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirth, A.; Vollrath, K.

1979-01-01

Coherent Anti Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) a technique derived from nonlinear optics offers two major advantages compared with the spontaneous Raman method: improved scattering efficiency and spatial coherence of the scattered signal. The theory of the coherent mixing in resonant media serves as a quantitative background of the CARS technique. A review of several applications on plasma physics and gasdynamics is given, which permits to consider the CARS spectroscopy as a potential method for nonintrusive measurement of local concentration and temperature in gas flows and reactive media. (Auth.)

Design of two wheel self balancing car

Science.gov (United States)

He, Chun-hong; Ren, Bin

2018-02-01

This paper proposes a design scheme of the two-wheel self-balancing dolly, the integration of the gyroscope and accelerometer MPU6050 constitutes the car position detection device.System selects 32-bit MCU stmicroelectronics company as the control core, completed the processing of sensor signals, the realization of the filtering algorithm, motion control and human-computer interaction. Produced and debugging in the whole system is completed, the car can realize the independent balance under the condition of no intervention. The introduction of a suitable amount of interference, the car can adjust quickly to recover and steady state. Through remote control car bluetooth module complete forward, backward, turn left and other basic action..

CARS measurement of vibrational and rotational temperature with high power laser and high speed visualization of total radiation behind hypervelocity shock waves of 5-7km/s

Science.gov (United States)

Sakurai, Kotaro; Bindu, Venigalla Hima; Niinomi, Shota; Ota, Masanori; Maeno, Kazuo

2010-09-01

Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS) method is commonly used for measuring molecular structure or condition. In the aerospace technology, this method is applies to measure the temperature in thermic fluid with relatively long time duration of millisecond or sub millisecond. On the other hand, vibrational/rotational temperatures behind hypervelocity shock wave are important for heat-shield design in phase of reentry flight. The non-equilibrium flow with radiative heating from strongly shocked air ahead of the vehicles plays an important role on the heat flux to the wall surface structure as well as convective heating. In this paper CARS method is applied to measure the vibrational/rotational temperature of N2 behind hypervelocity shock wave. The strong shock wave in front of the reentering space vehicles can be experimentally realigned by free-piston, double-diaphragm shock tube with low density test gas. However CARS measurement is difficult for our experiment. Our measurement needs very short pulse which order of nanosecond and high power laser for CARS method. It is due to our measurement object is the momentary phenomena which velocity is 7km/s. In addition the observation section is low density test gas, and there is the strong background light behind the shock wave. So we employ the CARS method with high power, order of 1J/pulse, and very short pulse (10ns) laser. By using this laser the CARS signal can be acquired even in the strong radiation area. Also we simultaneously try to use the CCD camera to obtain total radiation with CARS method.

Differences in passenger car and large truck involved crash frequencies at urban signalized intersections: an exploratory analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Chunjiao; Clarke, David B; Richards, Stephen H; Huang, Baoshan

2014-01-01

The influence of intersection features on safety has been examined extensively because intersections experience a relatively large proportion of motor vehicle conflicts and crashes. Although there are distinct differences between passenger cars and large trucks-size, operating characteristics, dimensions, and weight-modeling crash counts across vehicle types is rarely addressed. This paper develops and presents a multivariate regression model of crash frequencies by collision vehicle type using crash data for urban signalized intersections in Tennessee. In addition, the performance of univariate Poisson-lognormal (UVPLN), multivariate Poisson (MVP), and multivariate Poisson-lognormal (MVPLN) regression models in establishing the relationship between crashes, traffic factors, and geometric design of roadway intersections is investigated. Bayesian methods are used to estimate the unknown parameters of these models. The evaluation results suggest that the MVPLN model possesses most of the desirable statistical properties in developing the relationships. Compared to the UVPLN and MVP models, the MVPLN model better identifies significant factors and predicts crash frequencies. The findings suggest that traffic volume, truck percentage, lighting condition, and intersection angle significantly affect intersection safety. Important differences in car, car-truck, and truck crash frequencies with respect to various risk factors were found to exist between models. The paper provides some new or more comprehensive observations that have not been covered in previous studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Automatic Car Counting System Using OverFeat Framework

OpenAIRE

Biswas, Debojit; Su, Hongbo; Wang, Chengyi; Blankenship, Jason; Stevanovic, Aleksandar

2017-01-01

Automatic car counting is an important component in the automated traffic system. Car counting is very important to understand the traffic load and optimize the traffic signals. In this paper, we implemented the Gaussian Background Subtraction Method and OverFeat Framework to count cars. OverFeat Framework is a combination of Convolution Neural Network (CNN) and one machine learning classifier (like Support Vector Machines (SVM) or Logistic Regression). With this study, we showed another poss...

RESONANCE CARS IN BR2 MOLECULES AND BR-ATOMS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aben, I.; Levelt, P.; Ubachs, W.M.G.; Hogervorst, W.

1991-01-01

Resonance-enhanced CARS processes were studied in molecular bromine. On the basis of the known spectroscopic constants of the two electronic states involved, the features in the spectra could be identified. CARS signals from Br-atoms produced from dissociation of Br2 were obtained by tuning (omega-1

Surface-enhanced FAST CARS: en route to quantum nano-biophotonics

Science.gov (United States)

Voronine, Dmitri V.; Zhang, Zhenrong; Sokolov, Alexei V.; Scully, Marlan O.

2018-02-01

Quantum nano-biophotonics as the science of nanoscale light-matter interactions in biological systems requires developing new spectroscopic tools for addressing the challenges of detecting and disentangling weak congested optical signals. Nanoscale bio-imaging addresses the challenge of the detection of weak resonant signals from a few target biomolecules in the presence of the nonresonant background from many undesired molecules. In addition, the imaging must be performed rapidly to capture the dynamics of biological processes in living cells and tissues. Label-free non-invasive spectroscopic techniques are required to minimize the external perturbation effects on biological systems. Various approaches were developed to satisfy these requirements by increasing the selectivity and sensitivity of biomolecular detection. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopies provide many orders of magnitude enhancement of chemically specific Raman signals. Femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for CARS (FAST CARS) were developed to suppress the nonresonant background and optimize the efficiency of the coherent optical signals. This perspective focuses on the application of these techniques to nanoscale bio-imaging, discussing their advantages and limitations as well as the promising opportunities and challenges of the combined coherence and surface enhancements in surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS) and tip-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (TECARS) and the corresponding surface-enhanced FAST CARS techniques. Laser pulse shaping of near-field excitations plays an important role in achieving these goals and increasing the signal enhancement.

Surface-enhanced FAST CARS: en route to quantum nano-biophotonics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Voronine Dmitri V.

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Quantum nano-biophotonics as the science of nanoscale light-matter interactions in biological systems requires developing new spectroscopic tools for addressing the challenges of detecting and disentangling weak congested optical signals. Nanoscale bio-imaging addresses the challenge of the detection of weak resonant signals from a few target biomolecules in the presence of the nonresonant background from many undesired molecules. In addition, the imaging must be performed rapidly to capture the dynamics of biological processes in living cells and tissues. Label-free non-invasive spectroscopic techniques are required to minimize the external perturbation effects on biological systems. Various approaches were developed to satisfy these requirements by increasing the selectivity and sensitivity of biomolecular detection. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS spectroscopies provide many orders of magnitude enhancement of chemically specific Raman signals. Femtosecond adaptive spectroscopic techniques for CARS (FAST CARS were developed to suppress the nonresonant background and optimize the efficiency of the coherent optical signals. This perspective focuses on the application of these techniques to nanoscale bio-imaging, discussing their advantages and limitations as well as the promising opportunities and challenges of the combined coherence and surface enhancements in surface-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SECARS and tip-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (TECARS and the corresponding surface-enhanced FAST CARS techniques. Laser pulse shaping of near-field excitations plays an important role in achieving these goals and increasing the signal enhancement.

The No-Higgs Signal: Strong WW Scattering at the LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael S. Chanowitz

2004-12-07

Strong WW scattering at the LHC is discussed as a manifestation of electroweak symmetry breaking in the absence of a light Higgs bosom. The general framework of the Higgs mechanism--with or without a Higgs boson--is reviewed, and unitarity is shown to fix the scale of strong WW scattering. Strong WW scattering is also shown to be a possible outcome of five-dimensional models, which do not employ the usual Higgs mechanism at the TeV scale. Precision electroweak constraints are briefly discussed. Illustrative LHC signals are reviewed for models with QCD-like dynamics, stressing the complementarity of the W{sup {+-}}Z and like-charge W{sup +}W{sup +} + W{sup -}W{sup -} channels.

CuseCar--community car-sharing program : car sharing lessons learned.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-01

CuseCar of Syracuse launched services in December 2008 with 3 Toyota Prius Hybrids. CuseCar initially, due to : concerns about availability, limited membership to Origination Sponsor Locations, which in turn developed few : members. In 2009 CuseCar o...

Modelling of Fire in an Open Car Park

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marton, Timea; Dederichs, Anne Simone; Giuliani, Luisa

2015-01-01

Steel car parks exhibit high vulnerability to fire, as a consequence of the degradation of the steel mechanical properties at high temperatures and of the combustible type and amount. Real fire accidents in open car parks demonstrated a much faster and extended fire spread than predictions......, assuming that a fire spread rate of 12 min and consider at most 3-4 vehicles on fire at the same time. Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) is applied in this current paper to study fire spread between cars. The outcomes of the investigations show that the fire spread is strongly influenced by the geometrical...... layout and that the distance between cars plays a determinant role on the fire spread rate and ignition of adjacent cars. In particular it was found that the fire spread can be faster than 12 minutes in the case of the cars parked 40 and 60 cm from each other....

Crash protection of stock car racing drivers--application of biomechanical analysis of Indy car crash research.

Science.gov (United States)

Melvin, John W; Begeman, Paul C; Faller, Ronald K; Sicking, Dean L; McClellan, Scott B; Maynard, Edwin; Donegan, Michael W; Mallott, Annette M; Gideon, Thomas W

2006-11-01

Biomechanical analysis of Indy car crashes using on-board impact recorders (Melvin et al. 1998, Melvin et al. 2001) indicates that Indy car driver protection in high-energy crashes can be achieved in frontal, side, and rear crashes with severities in the range of 100 to 135 G peak deceleration and velocity changes in the range of 50 to 70 mph. These crashes were predominantly single-car impacts with the rigid concrete walls of oval tracks. This impressive level of protection was found to be due to the unique combination of a very supportive and tight-fitting cockpit-seating package, a six-point belt restraint system, and effective head padding with an extremely strong chassis that defines the seat and cockpit of a modern Indy car. In 2000 and 2001, a series of fatal crashes in stock car racing created great concern for improving the crash protection for drivers in those racecars. Unlike the Indy car, the typical racing stock car features a more spacious driver cockpit due to its resemblance to the shape of a passenger car. The typical racing seat used in stock cars did not have the same configuration or support characteristics of the Indy car seat, and five-point belt restraints were used. The tubular steel space frame chassis of a stock car also differs from an Indy car's composite chassis structure in both form and mechanical behavior. This paper describes the application of results of the biomechanical analysis of the Indy car crash studies to the unique requirements of stock car racing driver crash protection. Sled test and full-scale crash test data using both Hybrid III frontal crash anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) and BioSID side crash ATDs for the purpose of evaluating countermeasures involving restraint systems, seats and head/neck restraints has been instrumental in guiding these developments. In addition, the development of deformable walls for oval tracks (the SAFER Barrier) is described as an adjunct to improved occupant restraint through control

Fine-tuning the CAR spacer improves T-cell potency

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Norihiro; Bajgain, Pradip; Sukumaran, Sujita; Ansari, Salma; Heslop, Helen E.; Rooney, Cliona M.; Brenner, Malcolm K.; Leen, Ann M.; Vera, Juan F.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The adoptive transfer of genetically engineered T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has emerged as a transformative cancer therapy with curative potential, precipitating a wave of preclinical and clinical studies in academic centers and the private sector. Indeed, significant effort has been devoted to improving clinical benefit by incorporating accessory genes/CAR endodomains designed to enhance cellular migration, promote in vivo expansion/persistence or enhance safety by genetic programming to enable the recognition of a tumor signature. However, our efforts centered on exploring whether CAR T-cell potency could be enhanced by modifying pre-existing CAR components. We now demonstrate how molecular refinements to the CAR spacer can impact multiple biological processes including tonic signaling, cell aging, tumor localization, and antigen recognition, culminating in superior in vivo antitumor activity. PMID:28180032

The mechanism of the growth-inhibitory effect of coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR) on human bladder cancer: a functional analysis of car protein structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Okegawa, T; Pong, R C; Li, Y; Bergelson, J M; Sagalowsky, A I; Hsieh, J T

2001-09-01

The coxsackie and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is identified as a high-affinity receptor for adenovirus type 5. We observed that invasive bladder cancer specimens had significantly reduced CAR mRNA levels compared with superficial bladder cancer specimens, which suggests that CAR may play a role in the progression of bladder cancer. Elevated CAR expression in the T24 cell line (CAR-negative cells) increased its sensitivity to adenovirus infection and significantly inhibited its in vitro growth, accompanied by p21 and hypophosphorylated retinoblastoma accumulation. Conversely, decreased CAR levels in both RT4 and 253J cell lines (CAR-positive cells) promoted their in vitro growth. To unveil the mechanism of action of CAR, we showed that the extracellular domain of CAR facilitated intercellular adhesion. Furthermore, interrupting intercellular adhesion of CAR by a specific antibody alleviates the growth-inhibitory effect of CAR. We also demonstrated that both the transmembrane and intracellular domains of CAR were critical for its growth-inhibitory activity. These data indicate that the cell-cell contact initiated by membrane-bound CAR can elicit a negative signal cascade to modulate cell cycle regulators inside the nucleus of bladder cancer cells. Therefore, the presence of CAR cannot only facilitate viral uptake of adenovirus but also inhibit cell growth. These results can be integrated to formulate a new strategy for bladder cancer therapy.

ICT-Platform to Transform Car Dealerships to Regional Providers of Sustainable Mobility Services

OpenAIRE

Benjamin Wagner vom Berg; Jorge Marx Gómez; Alexander Sandau

2017-01-01

Aim/Purpose: The topic of this study is the ICT-enabled transformation of car dealerships to regional providers of sustainable mobility (e.g., car sharing). Background: Car dealerships offer specific conditions that enable a sustainable mobility offer, based on individual motorized transport like car sharing. This is especially useful in small towns or rural areas where people’s mobility is strongly dominated by private cars, and public transport coverage is limited. However, these new m...

ADULTEROUS BEHAVIOUR WITHIN THE CAR-OWNER COUPLE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francis PAPON

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this paper was to analyse two activities: who rents a car and why? Which households share the driving of their cars? In order to do that, the Parc-Auto (Car-Fleet database, built from annual postal surveys conducted with a panel of 10,000 French households, has been processed. Among approximately one hundred questions in the survey, two key questions have been crossed against many social, economic, demographic, geographic or time variables. KQ1: “During the last 12 months, did you — or another person from your home — rent a car in France for personal purposes?” KQ2: “Is this car occasionally used by other persons?” Here are the main findings. Renting households are mainly working, high income households, living in the core of big cities, and in particular in Paris. Most of them have two wage-sheets and two cars, one of which is generally a recent, high power, high quality car. Car rental is mainly an occasional practice. Yet for a minority of renters, it is a sustained habit. Households with more licence holders than cars share the most: about three quarters of them share their cars. On the contrary, single driver-single car households have less opportunity to share: only 15% share. Household car sharing shed light on the gender role within households: while 58% of the main users of the shared cars are male, 55% of secondary users are female. Household car sharing is mainly a regular practice. Finally, without diminishing the merits of innovative transport solutions proposed here and there, it is not a waste of time to give some insight on self established behaviour within households. This reveals that complex patterns have been built over time by the people themselves, to cope with diverse situations that cannot be easily handled by straightforward classifications. The car cannot be reduced to a personal object. Household car sharing also carries strong links with the issue of car dependency. Sifting car

Stimulated Emission Pumping Enablling Sub-Diffraction-Limited Spatial Resolution in CARS Microscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cleff, C.; Gross, P.; Fallnich, C.; Offerhaus, Herman L.; Herek, Jennifer Lynn; Kruse, K.; Beeker, W.P; Beeker, W.P.; Lee, Christopher James; Boller, Klaus J.; Dobner, S.

2012-01-01

Suppression of CARS signal generation is demonstrated by equalization of the ground and Raman states via a control state in a theoretical investigation. Using donut-shaped control light fields for population transfer results in sub-diffraction-limited spatial resolution CARS microscopy.

Pollutants Characterization of Car Wash Wastewater

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hashim Nor Haslina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The huge quantity of water consumed per car during washing cars yields the untreated effluents discharged to the stormwater system. Wastewater samples from snow car wash and two full hand service car wash station were analyzed for pH and the presence of PO43-,TP, O&G, alkalinity, TSS, NO3-, NO2-, COD and surfactant in accordance Standard Method of Water and Wastewater 2012. Two full hand wash service stations and one station of snow foam service were investigated in this study. Amongst the stations, snow foam car wash station indicates the highest concentration of PO43-, TP, O&G, TSS, COD and surfactant with the average value of 10.18 ± 0.87 mg/L, 30.93 ± 0.31 mg/L , 85.00 ± 0.64 mg/L 325.0 ± 0.6 mg/L, 485.0 ± 0.3 mg/L and 54.00 ± 2.50 mg/L as MBAS, respectively. Whereas, in parameters characterization in different stages throughout the car wash process, O&G was found to be the highest in pre soak stage, PO43-, TP, TSS and COD in washing stage and NO3- and NO2- in rinse stage. All parameters were compared to Environmental Quality (Industrial Effluent Regulations, 2009. There is a strong need to study on the characterization of car wash water in order to suggest the suitable treatment need for this type of wastewater.

Perceptions and attitudes of car owners on innovative automobiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pol, M.; Brunsting, S.

2012-01-01

To abate the detrimental effects of transport a transition is foreseen from the conventional fossil cars to energy-sustainable cars. A successful transition requires a major behavioral change of car consumers who need to make choices about new options for transport with uncertain costs and benefits compared to their current car. This paper examines consumers' perceptions about innovative cars and considerations for buying or not buying innovative cars (hybrid, electric, plug-in electric, hydrogen, flexifuel). In this study an on-line questionnaire on attitudes, interests and social norms regarding innovative cars was conducted among 339 Dutch respondents who recently bought a new car. To obtain in-depth understanding of the answers, a follow-up study was conducted consisting of two focus groups with a sample of survey participants. These focus groups respectively concentrated on respondents' perceptions of innovative cars, and on the personality traits of the 'typical' innovative car driver. The results of the survey shows that the attitude towards innovative cars are strongly influenced by affective aspects (such as comfort and pleasant) and to a (much) smaller extent by environmental considerations. The results of the focus groups confirm these findings. According to the participants the price of the car is decisive whereby environmental concerns play no role. The design and image of the car are important. In addition, it appears that the familiarity with (and thus the knowledge about) the innovative cars is still very limited (with the exception of the hybrid car). This point of view stresses the importance of the way in which innovative cars are positioned thereby affecting the image (social norms) people will have regarding these cars. [nl

T-cells fighting B-cell lymphoproliferative malignancies: the emerging field of CD19 CAR T-cell therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijink, D. M.; Kater, A. P.; Hazenberg, M. D.; Hagenbeek, A.; Kersten, M. J.

2016-01-01

CAR T-cells are autologous T-cells transduced with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). The CAR contains an antigen recognition part (originating from an antibody), a T-cell receptor transmembrane and cytoplasmic signalling part, and one or more co-stimulatory domains. While CAR T-cells can be

Coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy: a novel technique for imaging the retina.

Science.gov (United States)

Masihzadeh, Omid; Ammar, David A; Kahook, Malik Y; Lei, Tim C

2013-05-01

To image the cellular and noncellular structures of the retina in an intact mouse eye without the application of exogenous fluorescent labels using noninvasive, nondestructive techniques. Freshly enucleated mouse eyes were imaged using two nonlinear optical techniques: coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and two-photon autofluorescence (TPAF). Cross sectional transverse sections and sequential flat (en face) sagittal sections were collected from a region of sclera approximately midway between the limbus and optic nerve. Imaging proceeded from the surface of the sclera to a depth of ∼60 μm. The fluorescent signal from collagen fibers within the sclera was evident in the TPAF channel; the scleral collagen fibers showed no organization and appeared randomly packed. The sclera contained regions lacking TPAF and CARS fluorescence of ∼3 to 15 μm in diameter that could represent small vessels or scleral fibroblasts. Intense punctate CARS signals from the retinal pigment epithelial layer were of a size and shape of retinyl storage esters. Rod outer segments could be identified by the CARS signal from their lipid-rich plasma membranes. CARS microscopy can be used to image the outer regions of the mammalian retina without the use of a fluorescent dye or exogenously expressed recombinant protein. With technical advancements, CARS/TPAF may represent a new avenue for noninvasively imaging the retina and might complement modalities currently used in clinical practice.

10 Years of Car-2-X Communication - a Success Story?

Science.gov (United States)

Wischhof, Lars; Ebner, André

2012-05-01

For more than ten years, car-2-x communication has been a major topic of research in the scientific community and an important development focus for the automotive industry. First, this article takes a retrospective look at the evolution of car-2-x and the two different communication paradigms: decentralized car-2-car communication and centralized cellular solutions. Afterwards, a comparison of their technical advantages and limitations is presented, respectively. The result shows that in order to implement safety-relevant applications, car-2-car communication has strong advantages compared to cellular technologies but requires high market penetration. However, its introduction solely for safety applications is difficult since the required penetration will not be achieved until several years after initial deployment. Therefore, car-2-car communication must provide a benefit to the customer, even in the phase of market introduction. For this purpose, the article outlines an approach called SODAD (Segment-Oriented Data Abstraction and Dissemination). It offers a possibility to introduce decentralized vehicular applications with early customer benefit, in order to enable safety applications based on car-2-car communication on a long term.

One-Quarter-Car Active SuspensionModel Verification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyniova Katerina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Suspension system influences both the comfort and safety of the passengers. In the paper, energy recuperation and management in automotive suspension systems with linear electric motors that are controlled by a designed H∞ controller to generate a variable mechanical force for a car damper is presented. Vehicle shock absorbers in which forces are generated in response to feedback signals by active elements obviously offer increased design flexibility compared to the conventional suspensions with passive elements (springs and dampers. The main advantage of the proposed solution that uses a linear AC motor is the possibility to generate desired forces acting between the unsprung (wheel and sprung (one-quarter of the car body mass masses of the car, providing good insulation of the car sprung mass from the road surface roughness and load disturbances. As shown in the paper, under certain circumstances linear motors as actuators enable to transform mechanical energy of the vertical car vibrations to electrical energy, accumulate it, and use it when needed. Energy flow control enables to reduce or even eliminate the demands on the external power source. In particular, the paper is focused on experiments with active shock absorber that has been taken on the designed test bed and the way we developed an appropriate input signal for the test bed that as real road disturbance acts upon the vibration absorber and the obtained results are evaluated at the end. Another important point the active suspension design should satisfy is energy supply control that is made via standard controller modification, and which allows changing amount of energy required by the system. Functionality of the designed controller modification was verified taking various experiments on the experiment stand as mentioned in the paper.

CAR T cell therapy for breast cancer: harnessing the tumor milieu to drive T cell activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajgain, Pradip; Tawinwung, Supannikar; D'Elia, Lindsey; Sukumaran, Sujita; Watanabe, Norihiro; Hoyos, Valentina; Lulla, Premal; Brenner, Malcolm K; Leen, Ann M; Vera, Juan F

2018-05-10

The adoptive transfer of T cells redirected to tumor via chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has produced clinical benefits for the treatment of hematologic diseases. To extend this approach to breast cancer, we generated CAR T cells directed against mucin1 (MUC1), an aberrantly glycosylated neoantigen that is overexpressed by malignant cells and whose expression has been correlated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, to protect our tumor-targeted cells from the elevated levels of immune-inhibitory cytokines present in the tumor milieu, we co-expressed an inverted cytokine receptor linking the IL4 receptor exodomain with the IL7 receptor endodomain (4/7ICR) in order to transform the suppressive IL4 signal into one that would enhance the anti-tumor effects of our CAR T cells at the tumor site. First (1G - CD3ζ) and second generation (2G - 41BB.CD3ζ) MUC1-specific CARs were constructed using the HMFG2 scFv. Following retroviral transduction transgenic expression of the CAR±ICR was assessed by flow cytometry. In vitro CAR/ICR T cell function was measured by assessing cell proliferation and short- and long-term cytotoxic activity using MUC1+ MDA MB 468 cells as targets. In vivo anti-tumor activity was assessed using IL4-producing MDA MB 468 tumor-bearing mice using calipers to assess tumor volume and bioluminescence imaging to track T cells. In the IL4-rich tumor milieu, 1G CAR.MUC1 T cells failed to expand or kill MUC1+ tumors and while co-expression of the 4/7ICR promoted T cell expansion, in the absence of co-stimulatory signals the outgrowing cells exhibited an exhausted phenotype characterized by PD-1 and TIM3 upregulation and failed to control tumor growth. However, by co-expressing 2G CAR.MUC1 (signal 1 - activation + signal 2 - co-stimulation) and 4/7ICR (signal 3 - cytokine), transgenic T cells selectively expanded at the tumor site and produced potent and durable tumor control in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of targeting breast

CAR-T cells targeting CLL-1 as an approach to treat acute myeloid leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jinghua; Chen, Siyu; Xiao, Wei; Li, Wende; Wang, Liang; Yang, Shuo; Wang, Weida; Xu, Liping; Liao, Shuangye; Liu, Wenjian; Wang, Yang; Liu, Nawei; Zhang, Jianeng; Xia, Xiaojun; Kang, Tiebang; Chen, Gong; Cai, Xiuyu; Yang, Han; Zhang, Xing; Lu, Yue; Zhou, Penghui

2018-01-10

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common types of adult acute leukemia. Standard chemotherapies can induce complete remission in selected patients; however, a majority of patients eventually relapse and succumb to the disease. Thus, the development of novel therapeutics for AML is urgently needed. Human C-type lectin-like molecule-1 (CLL-1) is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein, and its expression is restricted to myeloid cells and the majority of AML blasts. Moreover, CLL-1 is expressed in leukemia stem cells (LSCs), but absent in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which may provide a potential therapeutic target for AML treatment. We tested the expression of CLL-1 antigen on peripheral blood cells and bone marrow cells in healthy donor and AML patients. Then, we developed a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) containing a CLL1-specific single-chain variable fragment, in combination with CD28, 4-1BB costimulatory domains, and CD3-ζ signaling domain. We further investigate the function of CLL-1 CAR-T cells. The CLL-1 CAR-T cells specifically lysed CLL-1 + cell lines as well as primary AML patient samples in vitro. Strong anti-leukemic activity was observed in vivo by using a xenograft model of disseminated AML. Importantly, CLL-1 + myeloid progenitor cells and mature myeloid cells were specifically eliminated by CLL-1 CAR-T cells, while normal HSCs were not targeted due to the lack of CLL-1 expression. CLL-1 CAR-T represents a promising immunotherapy for the treatment of AML.

Label-free imaging of arterial cells and extracellular matrix using a multimodal CARS microscope

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Han-Wei; Le, Thuc T.; Cheng, Ji-Xin

2008-04-01

A multimodal nonlinear optical imaging system that integrates coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), sum-frequency generation (SFG), and two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) on the same platform was developed and applied to visualize single cells and extracellular matrix in fresh carotid arteries. CARS signals arising from CH 2-rich membranes allowed visualization of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of the arterial wall. Additionally, CARS microscopy allowed vibrational imaging of elastin and collagen fibrils which are also rich in CH 2 bonds. The extracellular matrix organization was further confirmed by TPEF signals arising from elastin's autofluorescence and SFG signals arising from collagen fibrils' non-centrosymmetric structure. Label-free imaging of significant components of arterial tissues suggests the potential application of multimodal nonlinear optical microscopy to monitor onset and progression of arterial diseases.

[Current Status and Challenges of CAR-T Immunotherapy in Hematologic Malignancies -Review].

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xin; Wang, Ya-Jie; Feng, Shuai; Wu, Ya-Yun; Yang, Tong-Hua; Lai, Xun

2018-04-01

The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has gradually became a new trend in the treatment of refractory and relapsed hematologic malignancies by developing for 30 years. With the exciting development of genetic engineering, CAR-T technology has subjected to 4 generations of innovation. Structure of CAR-T started from a single signal molecule to 2 or more than 2 co-stimulatory molecules, and then coding the CAR gene or promoter. CAR-T can specifically recognize tumor antigens, and does not be restricted by major histocompatibility complex (MHC), thus making a breakthrough in clinical treatment. In this review, the history, structure and mechanism of action of CAR-T, as well as the current status and challenges of CAR-T immunotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia and multiple myeloma are summarized.

Distributed and self-adaptive vehicle speed estimation in the composite braking case for four-wheel drive hybrid electric car

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Z.-G.; Zhou, L.-J.; Zhang, J.-T.; Zhu, Q.; Hedrick, J.-K.

2017-05-01

Considering the controllability and observability of the braking torques of the hub motor, Integrated Starter Generator (ISG), and hydraulic brake for four-wheel drive (4WD) hybrid electric cars, a distributed and self-adaptive vehicle speed estimation algorithm for different braking situations has been proposed by fully utilising the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) sensor signals and multiple powersource signals. Firstly, the simulation platform of a 4WD hybrid electric car was established, which integrates an electronic-hydraulic composited braking system model and its control strategy, a nonlinear seven degrees-of-freedom vehicle dynamics model, and the Burckhardt tyre model. Secondly, combining the braking torque signals with the ESP signals, self-adaptive unscented Kalman sub-filter and main-filter adaptable to the observation noise were, respectively, designed. Thirdly, the fusion rules for the sub-filters and master filter were proposed herein, and the estimation results were compared with the simulated value of a real vehicle speed. Finally, based on the hardware in-the-loop platform and by picking up the regenerative motor torque signals and wheel cylinder pressure signals, the proposed speed estimation algorithm was tested under the case of moderate braking on the highly adhesive road, and the case of Antilock Braking System (ABS) action on the slippery road, as well as the case of ABS action on the icy road. Test results show that the presented vehicle speed estimation algorithm has not only a high precision but also a strong adaptability in the composite braking case.

Hydrogen storage capacity of titanium met-cars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akman, N; Durgun, E; Yildirim, T; Ciraci, S

2006-01-01

The adsorption of hydrogen molecules on the titanium metallocarbohedryne (met-car) cluster has been investigated by using the first-principles plane wave method. We have found that, while a single Ti atom at the corner can bind up to three hydrogen molecules, a single Ti atom on the surface of the cluster can bind only one hydrogen molecule. Accordingly, a Ti 8 C 12 met-car can bind up to 16 H 2 molecules and hence can be considered as a high-capacity hydrogen storage medium. Strong interaction between two met-car clusters leading to the dimer formation can affect H 2 storage capacity slightly. Increasing the storage capacity by directly inserting H 2 into the met-car or by functionalizing it with an Na atom have been explored. It is found that the insertion of neither an H 2 molecule nor an Na atom could further promote the H 2 storage capacity of a Ti 8 C 12 cluster. We have also tested the stability of the H 2 -adsorbed Ti 8 C 12 met-car with ab initio molecular dynamics calculations which have been carried out at room temperature

The simulation of emergent dispatch of cars for intelligent driving autos

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Ziao

2018-03-01

It is widely acknowledged that it is important for the development of intelligent cars to be widely accepted by the majority of car users. While most of the intelligent cars have the system of monitoring itself whether it is on the good situation to drive, it is also clear that studies should be performed on the way of cars for the emergent rescue of the intelligent vehicles. In this study, writer focus mainly on how to derive a separate system for the car caring teams to arrive as soon as they get the signal sent out by the intelligent driving autos. This simulation measure the time for the rescuing team to arrive, the cost it spent on arriving on the site of car problem happens, also how long the queue is when the rescuing auto is waiting to cross a road. This can be definitely in great use when there are a team of intelligent cars with one car immediately having problems causing it's not moving and can be helpful in other situations. Through this way, the interconnection of cars can be a safety net for the drivers encountering difficulties in any time.

Design of remote car anti-theft system based on ZigBee

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Hong; Yan, GangFeng; Li, Hong Lian

2015-12-01

A set of remote car anti-theft system based on ZigBee and GPRS with ARM11 built-in chip S3C6410 as the controller is designed. This system can detect the alarm information of the car with vibration sensor, pyroelectric sensor and infrared sensor. When the sensor detects any alarm signal, the ZigBee node in sleep will be awakened and then directly send the alarm signal to the microcontroller chip S3C6410 in the control room of the parking lot through ZigBee wireless transceiver module. After S3C6410 processes and analyzes the alarm signal, when any two sensors of the three collect the alarm signal, the LCD will display and generate an alarm and meanwhile it will send the alarm signal to the phone of the user in a wireless manner through the form of short message through GPRS module. Thus, the wireless remote monitoring of the system is realized.

CARS Spectral Fitting with Multiple Resonant Species using Sparse Libraries

Science.gov (United States)

Cutler, Andrew D.; Magnotti, Gaetano

2010-01-01

The dual pump CARS technique is often used in the study of turbulent flames. Fast and accurate algorithms are needed for fitting dual-pump CARS spectra for temperature and multiple chemical species. This paper describes the development of such an algorithm. The algorithm employs sparse libraries, whose size grows much more slowly with number of species than a conventional library. The method was demonstrated by fitting synthetic "experimental" spectra containing 4 resonant species (N2, O2, H2 and CO2), both with noise and without it, and by fitting experimental spectra from a H2-air flame produced by a Hencken burner. In both studies, weighted least squares fitting of signal, as opposed to least squares fitting signal or square-root signal, was shown to produce the least random error and minimize bias error in the fitted parameters.

Exploiting natural killer group 2D receptors for CAR T-cell therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Demoulin, Benjamin; Cook, W James; Murad, Joana; Graber, David J; Sentman, Marie-Louise; Lonez, Caroline; Gilham, David E; Sentman, Charles L; Agaugue, Sophie

2017-08-01

Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are genetically engineered proteins that combine an extracellular antigen-specific recognition domain with one or several intracellular T-cell signaling domains. When expressed in T cells, these CARs specifically trigger T-cell activation upon antigen recognition. While the clinical proof of principle of CAR T-cell therapy has been established in hematological cancers, CAR T cells are only at the early stages of being explored to tackle solid cancers. This special report discusses the concept of exploiting natural killer cell receptors as an approach that could broaden the specificity of CAR T cells and potentially enhance the efficacy of this therapy against solid tumors. New data demonstrating feasibility of this approach in humans and supporting the ongoing clinical trial are also presented.

Car glass microphones using piezoelectric transducers for external alarm detection and localization

Science.gov (United States)

Bolzmacher, Christian; Le Guelvouit, Valentin

2015-05-01

This work describes the potential use of car windows as a long range acoustic sensing device for external alarm signals. The goal is to detect and localize siren signals (e.g. ambulances and police cars) and to alert presbycusic drivers of its presence by visual and acoustic feedback in order to improve individual mobility and increase the sense of security. The glass panes of a Renault Zoé operating as an acoustic antenna have been equipped with large 50 mm outer diameter piezoceramic rings, hidden in the lower part of the door structure and the lower part of the windshield and the rear window. The response of the glass to quasi-static signals and sweep excitation has been recorded. In general, the glass pane is acting as a high pass filter due to its inherent stiffness and provides only little damping. This effect is compensated by using a charge amplifier electronic circuit. The detection capability up to 120 m as well as a dynamic test where the car is moving towards the sound source is reported.

The market for gasoline cars and diesel cars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verboven, F.

1999-01-01

In Europe the tax tariff is much lower for diesel fuel than for gasoline. This benefit is used by manufacturers to increase the price of diesel-fueled cars, which limits the possibility to control the use of diesel cars by means of a fiscal policy (tax incidence). Attention is paid to the impact of fiscal advantages for diesel cars on the purchasing behavior of the consumer and the pricing policy (price discrimination) of the car manufacturers. 1 ref

Adaptation Model for Corporate Car Sharing in the Car Rental Industry

OpenAIRE

Matthes, Martin

2016-01-01

The focus of this thesis was on developing an adaption model for implementing a corporate car sharing service within the existing infrastructure of a car rental company. The investigated case companies were a leading Finnish car rental franchisee and an international car sharing subsidiary, largely owned by the car rental franchisor, which offers corporate car sharing solutions in major European countries. Adapting this new service in Finland will help the car rental franchisee to assert its ...

Multiplex CARS imaging with spectral notch shaped laser pulses delivered by optical fibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Seung Ryeol; Park, Joo Hyun; Kim, Kyung-Soo; Lee, Jae Yong; Kim, Soohyun

2017-12-11

We present an experimental demonstration of single-pulse coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) using a spectrally shaped broadband laser that is delivered by an optical fiber to a sample at its distal end. The optical fiber consists of a fiber Bragg grating component to serve as a narrowband notch filter and a combined large-mode-area fiber to transmit such shaped ultrashort laser pulses without spectral distortion in a long distance. Experimentally, our implementation showed a capability to measure CARS spectra of various samples with molecular vibrations in the fingerprint region. Furthermore, CARS imaging of poly(methyl methacrylate) bead samples was carried out successfully under epi-CARS geometry in which backward-scattered CARS signals were collected into a multimode optical fiber. A compatibility of single-pulse CARS scheme with fiber optics, verified in this study, implies a potential for future realization of compact all-fiber CARS spectroscopic imaging systems.

Distortionary company car taxation: deadweight losses through increased car ownership

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Ommeren, J.N.; Gutierrez Puigarnau, E.

2013-01-01

We analyse the effects of distortionary company car taxation through increased household car consumption for the Netherlands. We use several identification strategies and demonstrate that for about 20 % of households company car possession increases car ownership. The annual welfare loss of

An Automatic Car Counting System Using OverFeat Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debojit Biswas

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Automatic car counting is an important component in the automated traffic system. Car counting is very important to understand the traffic load and optimize the traffic signals. In this paper, we implemented the Gaussian Background Subtraction Method and OverFeat Framework to count cars. OverFeat Framework is a combination of Convolution Neural Network (CNN and one machine learning classifier (like Support Vector Machines (SVM or Logistic Regression. With this study, we showed another possible application area for the OverFeat Framework. The advantages and shortcomings of the Background Subtraction Method and OverFeat Framework were analyzed using six individual traffic videos with different perspectives, such as camera angles, weather conditions and time of the day. In addition, we compared the two algorithms above with manual counting and a commercial software called Placemeter. The OverFeat Framework showed significant potential in the field of car counting with the average accuracy of 96.55% in our experiment.

An Automatic Car Counting System Using OverFeat Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Biswas, Debojit; Su, Hongbo; Wang, Chengyi; Blankenship, Jason; Stevanovic, Aleksandar

2017-06-30

Automatic car counting is an important component in the automated traffic system. Car counting is very important to understand the traffic load and optimize the traffic signals. In this paper, we implemented the Gaussian Background Subtraction Method and OverFeat Framework to count cars. OverFeat Framework is a combination of Convolution Neural Network (CNN) and one machine learning classifier (like Support Vector Machines (SVM) or Logistic Regression). With this study, we showed another possible application area for the OverFeat Framework. The advantages and shortcomings of the Background Subtraction Method and OverFeat Framework were analyzed using six individual traffic videos with different perspectives, such as camera angles, weather conditions and time of the day. In addition, we compared the two algorithms above with manual counting and a commercial software called Placemeter. The OverFeat Framework showed significant potential in the field of car counting with the average accuracy of 96.55% in our experiment.

Hydrogen fuel cells for cars and buses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, L.J.J.

2007-01-01

The use of hydrogen fuel cells for cars is strongly promoted by the governments of many countries and by international organizations like the European Community. The electrochem. behavior of the most promising fuel cell (polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell, PEMFC) is critically discussed, based

Enhancement of PSMA-Directed CAR Adoptive Immunotherapy by PD-1/PD-L1 Blockade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inna Serganova

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T cell therapy in hematologic malignancies has shown remarkable responses, but the same level of success has not been observed in solid tumors. A new prostate cancer model (Myc-CaP:PSMA(+ and a second-generation anti-hPSMA human CAR T cells expressing a Click Beetle Red luciferase reporter were used to study hPSMA targeting and assess CAR T cell trafficking and persistence by bioluminescence imaging (BLI. We investigated the antitumor efficacy of human CAR T cells targeting human prostate-specific membrane antigen (hPSMA, in the presence and absence of the target antigen; first alone and then combined with a monoclonal antibody targeting the human programmed death receptor 1 (anti-hPD1 mAb. PDL-1 expression was detected in Myc-CaP murine prostate tumors growing in immune competent FVB/N and immune-deficient SCID mice. Endogenous CD3+ T cells were restricted from the centers of Myc-CaP tumor nodules growing in FVB/N mice. Following anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1 treatment, the restriction of CD3+ T cells was reversed, and a tumor-treatment response was observed. Adoptive hPSMA-CAR T cell immunotherapy was enhanced when combined with PD-1 blockade, but the treatment response was of comparatively short duration, suggesting other immune modulation mechanisms exist and restrict CAR T cell targeting, function, and persistence in hPSMA expressing Myc-CaP tumors. Interestingly, an “inverse pattern” of CAR T cell BLI intensity was observed in control and test tumors, which suggests CAR T cells undergo changes leading to a loss of signal and/or number following hPSMA-specific activation. The lower BLI signal intensity in the hPSMA test tumors (compared with controls is due in part to a decrease in T cell mitochondrial function following T cell activation, which may limit the intensity of the ATP-dependent Luciferin-luciferase bioluminescence signal.

From acoustic descriptors to evoked quality of car door sounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Bezat, Marie-Céline; Kronland-Martinet, Richard; Roussarie, Vincent; Ystad, Sølvi

2014-07-01

This article describes the first part of a study aiming at adapting the mechanical car door construction to the drivers' expectancies in terms of perceived quality of cars deduced from car door sounds. A perceptual cartography of car door sounds is obtained from various listening tests aiming at revealing both ecological and analytical properties linked to evoked car quality. In the first test naive listeners performed absolute evaluations of five ecological properties (i.e., solidity, quality, weight, closure energy, and success of closure). Then experts in the area of automobile doors categorized the sounds according to organic constituents (lock, joints, door panel), in particular whether or not the lock mechanism could be perceived. Further, a sensory panel of naive listeners identified sensory descriptors such as classical descriptors or onomatopoeia that characterize the sounds, hereby providing an analytic description of the sounds. Finally, acoustic descriptors were calculated after decomposition of the signal into a lock and a closure component by the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method. A statistical relationship between the acoustic descriptors and the perceptual evaluations of the car door sounds could then be obtained through linear regression analysis.

Emerging immunotherapeutics in adenocarcinomas: A focus on CAR-T cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yazdanifar, Mahboubeh; Zhou, Ru; Mukherjee, Pinku

2016-01-01

More than 80% of all cancers arise from epithelial cells referred to as carcinomas. Adenocarcinomas are the most common type of carcinomas arising from the specialized epithelial cells that line the ducts of our major organs. Despite many advances in cancer therapies, metastatic and treatment-refractory cancers remain the 2 nd leading cause of death. Immunotherapy has offered potential opportunities with specific targeting of tumor cells and inducing remission in many cancer patients. Numerous therapies using antibodies as antagonists or checkpoint inhibitors/immune modulators, peptide or cell vaccines, cytokines, and adoptive T cell therapies have been developed. The most innovative immunotherapy approach so far has been the use of engineered T cell, also referred to as chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells). CAR-T cells are genetically modified naïve T cells that express a chimeric molecule which comprises of the antigen-recognition domains (scFv) of an anti-tumor antibody and one, two, or three intracellular signaling domains of the T cell receptor (TCR). When these engineered T cells recognize and bind to the tumor antigen target via the scFv fragment, a signal is sent to the intracellular TCR domains of the CAR, leading to activation of the T cells to become cytolytic against the tumor cells. CAR-T cell therapy has shown tremendous success for certain hematopoietic malignancies, but this success has not been extrapolated to adenocarcinomas. This is due to multiple factors associated with adenocarcinoma that are different from hematopoietic tumors. Although many advances have been made in targeting multiple cancers by CAR-T cells, clinical trials have shown adverse effects and toxicity related to this treatment. New strategies are yet to be devised to manage side effects associated with CAR-T cell therapies. In this review, we report some of the promising immunotherapeutic strategies being developed for treatment of most common adenocarcinomas with

A new look for the CERN car sharing service

CERN Multimedia

GS-IS

2015-01-01

From Tuesday, 2 June 2015 onwards, the CERN car sharing service will have a new service provider.   Two information days will be organised with the new provider – Mobility – in the Main Building (501) on 28 and 29 May. This will be an opportunity for us to present to you this new service and to distribute cards to current users. Please make sure you bring along the “Mobility number” that you received by e-mail. After this date, you can still pick up your card at the Car Pool (Building 130). For technical reasons, car sharing will be out of service on 1 June and we apologise for any inconvenience this might cause. New users should contact the Car Pool from 2 June onwards. Please be reminded that this service is available to CERN and contractor personnel in the pursuit of their professional activities, exclusively at CERN. The conditions of use can be consulted at the Car Sharing website. *A 35-strong fleet of ready-to-use CER...

PASSENGER CAR EQUIVALENT (PCE OF THROUGH VEHICLES AT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS IN DHAKA METROPOLITAN CITY, BANGLADESH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Partha SAHA

2009-01-01

PCE currently used in Bangladesh is based on the values given in Geometric Design of Highways (MoC, 2001, which is the modification of the values given by Webster (1958 on the study performed in the United Kingdom in the 50's and 60's. But now-a-days, the situation is far different both for traffic and road user as the characteristics have changed from that time. Hence, in this paper an empirical study was carried out to determine the PCE of different types of vehicle that reflect the actual traffic conditions of Dhaka Metropolitan City. Data were collected from ten signalized intersections and the headway ratio method was used to estimate the PCE of different types of vehicle. The main vehicle compositions observed during the study period consist of passenger cars, auto-rickshaws, mini-buses and buses. The PCE obtained in this study were compared to the values established earlier. It was found that the estimated PCE are smaller than those being used in Bangladesh.

49 CFR 1247.1 - Annual Report of Cars Loaded and Cars Terminated.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Annual Report of Cars Loaded and Cars Terminated... TRANSPORTATION BOARD, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) ACCOUNTS, RECORDS AND REPORTS REPORT OF CARS LOADED AND CARS TERMINATED § 1247.1 Annual Report of Cars Loaded and Cars Terminated. Beginning with the...

Effect of CAR activation on selected metabolic pathways in normal and hyperlipidemic mouse livers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezen, Tadeja; Tamasi, Viola; Lövgren-Sandblom, Anita; Björkhem, Ingemar; Meyer, Urs A; Rozman, Damjana

2009-08-19

Detoxification in the liver involves activation of nuclear receptors, such as the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), which regulate downstream genes of xenobiotic metabolism. Frequently, the metabolism of endobiotics is also modulated, resulting in potentially harmful effects. We therefore used 1,4-Bis [2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)] benzene (TCPOBOP) to study the effect of CAR activation on mouse hepatic transcriptome and lipid metabolome under conditions of diet-induced hyperlipidemia. Using gene expression profiling with a dedicated microarray, we show that xenobiotic metabolism, PPARalpha and adipocytokine signaling, and steroid synthesis are the pathways most affected by TCPOBOP in normal and hyperlipidemic mice. TCPOBOP-induced CAR activation prevented the increased hepatic and serum cholesterol caused by feeding mice a diet containing 1% cholesterol. We show that this is due to increased bile acid metabolism and up-regulated removal of LDL, even though TCPOBOP increased cholesterol synthesis under conditions of hyperlipidemia. Up-regulation of cholesterol synthesis was not accompanied by an increase in mature SREBP2 protein. As determined by studies in CAR -/- mice, up-regulation of cholesterol synthesis is however CAR-dependent; and no obvious CAR binding sites were detected in promoters of cholesterogenic genes. TCPOBOP also affected serum glucose and triglyceride levels and other metabolic processes in the liver, irrespective of the diet. Our data show that CAR activation modulates hepatic metabolism by lowering cholesterol and glucose levels, through effects on PPARalpha and adiponectin signaling pathways, and by compromising liver adaptations to hyperlipidemia.

Optimizing EphA2-CAR T Cells for the Adoptive Immunotherapy of Glioma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhongzhen Yi

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Glioblastoma is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in humans and is virtually incurable with conventional therapies. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T cell therapy targeting the glioblastoma antigen EphA2 is an attractive approach to improve outcomes because EphA2 is expressed highly in glioblastoma but only at low levels in normal brain tissue. Building upon our previous findings in this area, we generated and evaluated a panel of EphA2-specific CARs. We demonstrate here that T cells expressing CD28.ζ and 41BB.ζ CARs with short spacers had similar effector function, resulting in potent antitumor activity. In addition, incorporating the 41BB signaling domain into CD28.ζ CARs did not improve CAR T cell function. While we could not determine functional differences between CD28.ζ, 41BB.ζ, and CD28.41BB.ζ CAR T cells, we selected CD28.ζ CAR T cells for further clinical development based on safety consideration. Keywords: GBM, CAR T cells, EphA2, brain tumor

49 CFR 172.330 - Tank cars and multi-unit tank car tanks.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tank cars and multi-unit tank car tanks. 172.330..., TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, AND SECURITY PLANS Marking § 172.330 Tank cars and multi-unit tank car tanks. (a... material— (1) In a tank car unless the following conditions are met: (i) The tank car must be marked on...

Auditory signal design for automatic number plate recognition system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heydra, C.G.; Jansen, R.J.; Van Egmond, R.

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on the design of an auditory signal for the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system of Dutch national police. The auditory signal is designed to alert police officers of suspicious cars in their proximity, communicating priority level and location of the suspicious car and

Development of photoelectric balanced car based on the linear CCD sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Feng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The smart car is designed based on Freescale’s MC9S12XS128 and a linear CCD camera. The linear CCD collects the road information and sends it to MCU through the operational amplifier. The PID control algorithm, the proportional–integral–derivative control algorithm, is adopted synthetically to control the smart car. First, the smart car’s inclination and angular velocity are detect through the accelerometers and gyro sensors, then the PD control algorithm, the proportional–derivative control algorithm, is employed to make the smart car have the ability of two-wheeled self-balancing. Second, the speed of wheel obtained by the encoder is fed back to the MCU by way of pulse signal, then the PI control algorithm, the proportional–integral control algorithm, is employed to make the speed of smart car reach the set point in the shortest possible time and stabilize at the set point. Finally, the PD control algorithm is used to regulate the smart car’s turning angle to make the smart car respond quickly while the smart car is passing the curve path. The smart car can realize the self-balancing control of two wheels and track automatically the black and while lines to march.

5 kHz thermometry in a swirl-stabilized gas turbine model combustor using chirped probe pulse femtosecond CARS. Part 1: Temporally resolved swirl-flame thermometry

KAUST Repository

Dennis, Claresta N.

2016-06-20

Single-laser-shot temperature measurements at 5 kHz were performed in a gas turbine model combustor using femtosecond (fs) coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS). The combustor was operated at two conditions; one exhibiting a low level of thermoacoustic instability and the other a high level of instability. Measurements were performed at 73 locations within each flame in order to resolve the spatial flame structure and compare to previously published studies. The measurement procedures, including the procedure for calibrating the laser system parameters, are discussed in detail. Despite the high turbulence levels in the combustor, signals were obtained on virtually every laser shot, and these signals were strong enough for spectral fitting analysis for determination of flames temperatures. The spatial resolution of the single-laser shot temperature measurements was approximately 600 µm, the precision was approximately ±2%, and the estimated accuracy was approximately ±3%. The dynamic range was sufficient for temperature measurements ranging from 300 K to 2200 K, although some detector saturation was observed for low temperature spectra. These results demonstrate the usefulness of fs-CARS for the investigation of highly turbulent combustion phenomena. In a companion paper, the time-resolved fs CARS data are analyzed to provide insight into the temporal dynamics of the gas turbine model combustor flow field.

5 kHz thermometry in a swirl-stabilized gas turbine model combustor using chirped probe pulse femtosecond CARS. Part 1: Temporally resolved swirl-flame thermometry

KAUST Repository

Dennis, Claresta N.; Slabaugh, Carson D.; Boxx, Isaac G.; Meier, Wolfgang; Lucht, Robert P.

2016-01-01

Single-laser-shot temperature measurements at 5 kHz were performed in a gas turbine model combustor using femtosecond (fs) coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS). The combustor was operated at two conditions; one exhibiting a low level of thermoacoustic instability and the other a high level of instability. Measurements were performed at 73 locations within each flame in order to resolve the spatial flame structure and compare to previously published studies. The measurement procedures, including the procedure for calibrating the laser system parameters, are discussed in detail. Despite the high turbulence levels in the combustor, signals were obtained on virtually every laser shot, and these signals were strong enough for spectral fitting analysis for determination of flames temperatures. The spatial resolution of the single-laser shot temperature measurements was approximately 600 µm, the precision was approximately ±2%, and the estimated accuracy was approximately ±3%. The dynamic range was sufficient for temperature measurements ranging from 300 K to 2200 K, although some detector saturation was observed for low temperature spectra. These results demonstrate the usefulness of fs-CARS for the investigation of highly turbulent combustion phenomena. In a companion paper, the time-resolved fs CARS data are analyzed to provide insight into the temporal dynamics of the gas turbine model combustor flow field.

AFFECTIVE COMPUTING AND AUGMENTED REALITY FOR CAR DRIVING SIMULATORS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragoș Datcu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Car simulators are essential for training and for analyzing the behavior, the responses and the performance of the driver. Augmented Reality (AR is the technology that enables virtual images to be overlaid on views of the real world. Affective Computing (AC is the technology that helps reading emotions by means of computer systems, by analyzing body gestures, facial expressions, speech and physiological signals. The key aspect of the research relies on investigating novel interfaces that help building situational awareness and emotional awareness, to enable affect-driven remote collaboration in AR for car driving simulators. The problem addressed relates to the question about how to build situational awareness (using AR technology and emotional awareness (by AC technology, and how to integrate these two distinct technologies [4], into a unique affective framework for training, in a car driving simulator.

Positive and negative spillover effects from electric car purchase to car use

OpenAIRE

Kløckner, Christian; Nayum, Alim; Mehmetoglu, Mehmet

2013-01-01

This study reports the results of two online surveys conducted on buyers of conventional combustion engine cars compared to those of electric vehicles in Norway. The results show that electric cars are generally purchased as additional cars, do not contribute to a decrease in annual mileage if the old car is not substituted, and that electric car buyers use the car more often for their everyday mobility. Psychological determinants derived from the theory of planned behavior and the norm-activ...

Attending to weak signals: the leader's challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerfoot, Karlene

2005-12-01

Halverson and Isham (2003) quote sources that report the accidental death rate of simply being in a hospital is " ... four hundred times more likely than your risk of death from traveling by train, forty times higher than driving a car, and twenty times higher than flying in a commercial aircraft" (p. 13). High-reliability organizations such as nuclear power plants and aircraft carriers have been pioneers in the business of recognizing weak signals. Weike and Sutcliffe (2001) note that high-reliability organizations distinguish themselves from others because of their mindfulness which enables them to see the significance of weak signals and to give strong interventions to weak signals. To act mindfully, these organizations have an underlying mental model of continually updating, anticipating, and focusing the possibility of failure using the intelligence that weak signals provides. Much of what happens is unexpected in health care. However, with a culture that is continually looking for weak signals, and intervenes and rescues when these signals are detected, the unexpected happens less often. This is the epitome of how leaders can build a culture of safety that focuses on recognizing the weak signals to manage the unforeseen.

Electric Car Special

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zoethout, T.; Belin, H.; Verwijs, H.; Nicola, S.; De Saint Jacob, Y.; Gatermann, R.

2009-09-15

In six articles, two columns and two interviews a part of this issue is dedicated to electric car developments: about winners and losers in the electric car race; a unique business model to rolling out the electric car by the electric battery company Better Place and the automobile industry Renault Nissan; interview with entrepreneur Shai Agassi of the Indian company Better Place; the development of electric cars in Germany; interview with Jean-Jacques Chanaron, an economist specialising in innovation management and a firm believer in electric cars; start of mass production of electric vehicles at the Japanese Nissan automobile industry; the constraints in Sweden in developing fuel-efficient automobiles; plans for 1 million electric or hybrid cars by 2025 in the Netherlands.

Development of the CARS method for measurement of pressure and temperature gradients in centrifuges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeltmann, A.H.; Valentini, J.J.

1983-12-01

These experiments evaluated the feasibility of applying the CARS technique to the measurement of UF 6 concentrations and pressure gradients in a gas centrifuge. The resultant CARS signals were properly related to system parameters as suggested by theory. The results have been used to guide design of an apparatus for making CARS measurements in a UF 6 gas centrifuge. Ease of measurement is expected for pressures as low as 0.1 torr. Temperature gradients can be measured by this technique with changes in the data acquisition method. 16 references, 8 figures, 2 tables

The development of CAR design for tumor CAR-T cell therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Dandan; Jin, Guoliang; Chai, Dafei; Zhou, Xiaowan; Gu, Weiyu; Chong, Yanyun; Song, Jingyuan; Zheng, Junnian

2018-03-02

In recent years, the chimeric antigen receptor modified T cells (Chimeric antigen receptor T cells, CAR-T) immunotherapy has developed rapidly, which has been considered the most promising therapy. Efforts to enhance the efficacy of CAR-based anti-tumor therapy have been made, such as the improvement of structures of CAR-T cells, including the development of extracellular antigen recognition receptors, intracellular co-stimulatory molecules and the combination application of CARs and synthetic small molecules. In addition, effects on the function of the CAR-T cells that the space distance between the antigen binding domains and tumor targets and the length of the spacer domains have are also being investigated. Given the fast-moving nature of this field, it is necessary to make a summary of the development of CAR-T cells. In this review, we mainly focus on the present design strategies of CAR-T cells with the hope that they can provide insights to increase the anti-tumor efficacy and safety.

Transit Car Performance Comparison, State-of-the-Art Car vs. PATCO Transit Car, NYCTA R-46, MBTA Silverbirds

Science.gov (United States)

1978-02-01

The first phase of this contract authorized the design, development, and demonstration of two State-Of-The-Art Cars (SOAC). This document reports on the gathering of comparative test data on existing in-service transit cars. The three transit cars se...

IMPROVING CAR NAVIGATION WITH A VISION-BASED SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Kim

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The real-time acquisition of the accurate positions is very important for the proper operations of driver assistance systems or autonomous vehicles. Since the current systems mostly depend on a GPS and map-matching technique, they show poor and unreliable performance in blockage and weak areas of GPS signals. In this study, we propose a vision oriented car navigation method based on sensor fusion with a GPS and in-vehicle sensors. We employed a single photo resection process to derive the position and attitude of the camera and thus those of the car. This image georeferencing results are combined with other sensory data under the sensor fusion framework for more accurate estimation of the positions using an extended Kalman filter. The proposed system estimated the positions with an accuracy of 15 m although GPS signals are not available at all during the entire test drive of 15 minutes. The proposed vision based system can be effectively utilized for the low-cost but high-accurate and reliable navigation systems required for intelligent or autonomous vehicles.

Improving Car Navigation with a Vision-Based System

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, H.; Choi, K.; Lee, I.

2015-08-01

The real-time acquisition of the accurate positions is very important for the proper operations of driver assistance systems or autonomous vehicles. Since the current systems mostly depend on a GPS and map-matching technique, they show poor and unreliable performance in blockage and weak areas of GPS signals. In this study, we propose a vision oriented car navigation method based on sensor fusion with a GPS and in-vehicle sensors. We employed a single photo resection process to derive the position and attitude of the camera and thus those of the car. This image georeferencing results are combined with other sensory data under the sensor fusion framework for more accurate estimation of the positions using an extended Kalman filter. The proposed system estimated the positions with an accuracy of 15 m although GPS signals are not available at all during the entire test drive of 15 minutes. The proposed vision based system can be effectively utilized for the low-cost but high-accurate and reliable navigation systems required for intelligent or autonomous vehicles.

Electric cars in Brazil: A method for assessing innovation impacts on the economy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paixao, Paulo

2010-09-15

The adoption of the electric car as an alternative for private transport is becoming a strong possibility. Most, if not all, major car manufacturers in the world already have either their own prototypes or are already starting to offer commercial models in the market. Although as a product no major changes can be pointed out - they still are cars - the changes in transmission gears, energy consumed and manufacturing processes are profound. This work presents a methodology to quantify these impacts, both in what concerns technological and economic issues.

Car Seat Safety

Science.gov (United States)

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Car Seat Safety KidsHealth / For Parents / Car Seat Safety ... certified child passenger safety technician.) Guidelines for Choosing Car Seats Choose a seat with a label that ...

Femtosecond Time-Resolved Resonance-Enhanced CARS of Gaseous Iodine at Room Temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Ping; Fan Rong-Wei; Xia Yuan-Qin; Yu Xin; Chen De-Ying; Yao Yong

2011-01-01

Time-resolved resonance-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) is applied to investigate molecular dynamics in gaseous iodine. 40 fs laser pulses are applied to create and monitor the high vibrational states of iodine at room temperature (corresponding to a vapor pressure as low as about 35 Pa) by femtosecond time-resolved CARS. Depending on the time delay between the probe pulse and the pump/Stokes pulse pairs, the high vibrational states both on the electronically ground states and the excited states can be detected as oscillations in the CARS transient signal. It is proved that the femtosecond time-resolved CARS technique is a promising candidate for investigating the molecular dynamics of a low concentration system and can be applied to environmental and atmospheric monitoring measurements. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

Car Sickness

Science.gov (United States)

... Preventable Diseases Healthy Children > Health Issues > Conditions > Head Neck & Nervous System > Car Sickness Health Issues Listen Español Text Size Email Print Share Car Sickness Page Content ...

THEORETICAL BASIS OF PARAMETRIC SYNTHESIS FOR CARRYING SYSTEMS OF CARS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. V. Fomin

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The article is aimed to systematize and structure representation of theoretical grounds for the optimization designing of railway car components and practical ways of its implementation. Methodology. The study is based on analysis of several well-known articles on the subject, as well as on authors' researches, some mathematical foundations and computer modeling. The rolling stock components structural analysis was made by applying modern and acknowledged methods. Findings. In the study the authors systematized the set of methodological approaches to the freight car design processes; they also analyzed every application phase of the designing process and its conditions. The article presents the developed mathematical model of the car component implementation. This model takes into account all the calculated cases of the car life cycle. Moreover, the model also can be applied to other transport modes accounting their specific operation modes. The possibility to generate different construction options for equally strong car component with minimum material intensity was also shown in the article. There were several methods developed for finding optimal solutions that make it possible to calculate the sought characteristics of construction elements with the reliable accuracy. The presented variety of different approaches significantly extends engineering apparatus by increasing the synthesis and analysis abilities of the car design. Originality. The authors proposed the methodological foundations of the car components design aimed at creating their optimal structural parameter execution and the operating features based on the results of the detailed research. Practical value. Expediency and effectiveness of the presented methods has been confirmed by positive experience of its application when constructing the general-purpose gondola cars, models 12-9904 and 12-9904-01, as well as when upgrading existing constructions of freight cars, model

Different Subsets of T Cells, Memory, Effector Functions, and CAR-T Immunotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Golubovskaya, Vita; Wu, Lijun

2016-03-15

This review is focused on different subsets of T cells: CD4 and CD8, memory and effector functions, and their role in CAR-T therapy--a cellular adoptive immunotherapy with T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptor. The CAR-T cells recognize tumor antigens and induce cytotoxic activities against tumor cells. Recently, differences in T cell functions and the role of memory and effector T cells were shown to be important in CAR-T cell immunotherapy. The CD4⁺ subsets (Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17, Th22, Treg, and Tfh) and CD8⁺ memory and effector subsets differ in extra-cellular (CD25, CD45RO, CD45RA, CCR-7, L-Selectin [CD62L], etc.); intracellular markers (FOXP3); epigenetic and genetic programs; and metabolic pathways (catabolic or anabolic); and these differences can be modulated to improve CAR-T therapy. In addition, CD4⁺ Treg cells suppress the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy, and different approaches to overcome this suppression are discussed in this review. Thus, next-generation CAR-T immunotherapy can be improved, based on our knowledge of T cell subsets functions, differentiation, proliferation, and signaling pathways to generate more active CAR-T cells against tumors.

Different Subsets of T Cells, Memory, Effector Functions, and CAR-T Immunotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vita Golubovskaya

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This review is focused on different subsets of T cells: CD4 and CD8, memory and effector functions, and their role in CAR-T therapy––a cellular adoptive immunotherapy with T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptor. The CAR-T cells recognize tumor antigens and induce cytotoxic activities against tumor cells. Recently, differences in T cell functions and the role of memory and effector T cells were shown to be important in CAR-T cell immunotherapy. The CD4+ subsets (Th1, Th2, Th9, Th17, Th22, Treg, and Tfh and CD8+ memory and effector subsets differ in extra-cellular (CD25, CD45RO, CD45RA, CCR-7, L-Selectin [CD62L], etc.; intracellular markers (FOXP3; epigenetic and genetic programs; and metabolic pathways (catabolic or anabolic; and these differences can be modulated to improve CAR-T therapy. In addition, CD4+ Treg cells suppress the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy, and different approaches to overcome this suppression are discussed in this review. Thus, next-generation CAR-T immunotherapy can be improved, based on our knowledge of T cell subsets functions, differentiation, proliferation, and signaling pathways to generate more active CAR-T cells against tumors.

MMSE Estimator for Children’s Speech with Car and Weather Noise

Science.gov (United States)

Sayuthi, V.

2018-04-01

Previous research mentioned that most people need and use vehicles for various purposes, in this recent time and future, as a means of traveling. Many ways can be done in a vehicle, such as for enjoying entertainment, and doing work, so vehicles not just only as a means of traveling. In this study, we will examine the children’s speech from a girl in the vehicle that affected by noise disturbances from the sound source of car noise and the weather sound noise around it, in this case, the rainy weather noise. Vehicle sounds may be from car engine or car air conditioner. The minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimator is used as an attempt to obtain or detect the children’s clear speech by representing simulation research as random process signal that factored by the autocorrelation of both the child’s voice and the disturbance noise signal. This MMSE estimator can be considered as wiener filter as the clear sound are reconstructed again. We expected that the results of this study can help as the basis for development of entertainment or communication technology for passengers of vehicles in the future, particularly using MMSE estimators.

Transcriptional activation of PPARalpha by phenobarbital in the absence of CAR and PXR.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamasi, Viola; Juvan, Peter; Beer, Markus; Rozman, Damjana; Meyer, Urs A

2009-01-01

The nuclear receptors CAR (constitutive androstane receptor) and PXR (pregnane X receptor) mediate the effects of phenobarbital on gene transcription. To investigate the relative contribution of these nuclear receptors to the expression of specific genes we studied the effect of phenobarbital in livers of wild type, CAR(-/-), PXR(-/-) and CAR/PXR(-/-) knockout mice. Spotted Steroltalk v1 cDNA arrays were applied containing probes for genes involved in drug metabolism, sterol biosynthesis, steroid synthesis/transport and heme synthesis. In the absence of CAR and PXR, phenobarbital unexpectedly induced mRNAs of several nuclear receptors, including PPARalpha and its target genes Cyp4a10 and Cyp4a14. Interestingly, in primary cultures of hepatocytes isolated from CAR/PXR(-/-) knockout mice, phenobarbital increased HNF-4alpha levels. In further experiments in these hepatocyte cultures we provide evidence that phenobarbital directly induces transcription of the PPARalpha gene via its HNF-4alpha response element, and indirectly by lack of inhibitory crosstalk of AMPK, CAR and PXR with HNF-4alpha. Our results provide further insight into CAR and PXR-independent effects of phenobarbital and the crosstalk between different nuclear receptor signaling pathways.

Perancangan dan Implementasi Kontroler PID untuk Pengaturan Autonomous Car-Following Car

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Parluhutan Bonor Sinaga

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Pengiriman logistik ke daerah-daerah rawan bencana merupakan hal yang sangat sulit dilakukan, tentunya diperlukan pengetahuan mengenai kondisi medan jalan. Salah satu dampak yang utama adalah sulitnya melakukan manuver dalam pengendalian performansi  truk logistik yang pada umumnya berupa truk-truk gandeng. Untuk membantu pengemudi truk dalam berkendara pada kondisi tersebut, dirancang sebuah prototype mobil mandiri (Autonomous Car yang mampu melakukan manuver-manuver pergerakan secara sendirinya, salah satu manuver tersebut ialah Following Car.  Dalam Tugas Akhir ini perancangan sistem yang akan dilakukan dengan  memodelkan  dua buah kendaraan mobil RC (remote control yang bertindak sebagai  follower dan leader car. Pengoperasian dari  following car dilakukan dengan memodifikasi dari kendaraan RC-1, sedangkan RC-2 bertindak sebagai leader car yang dikondisikan secara manual. Dengan penerapan kontroler PID pada implementasi sistem didapatkan penurunan time settling menjadi 2,7 Detik dan peningkatan error steady state sebesar 2,44%. Pada implementasi diberikan kecepatan leader secara acak, dengan implementasi kontroler PID, kondisi jarak antara autonomous car dengan leader car masih dalam range keadaan ideal pada set point.

New Strategies for the Treatment of Solid Tumors with CAR-T Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hao; Ye, Zhen-Long; Yuan, Zhen-Gang; Luo, Zheng-Qiang; Jin, Hua-Jun; Qian, Qi-Jun

2016-01-01

Recent years, we have witnessed significant progresses in both basic and clinical studies regarding novel therapeutic strategies with genetically engineered T cells. Modification with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) endows T cells with tumor specific cytotoxicity and thus induce anti-tumor immunity against malignancies. However, targeting solid tumors is more challenging than targeting B-cell malignancies with CAR-T cells because of the histopathological structure features, specific antigens shortage and strong immunosuppressive environment of solid tumors. Meanwhile, the on-target/off-tumor toxicity caused by relative expression of target on normal tissues is another issue that should be reckoned. Optimization of the design of CAR vectors, exploration of new targets, addition of safe switches and combination with other treatments bring new vitality to the CAR-T cell based immunotherapy against solid tumors. In this review, we focus on the major obstacles limiting the application of CAR-T cell therapy toward solid tumors and summarize the measures to refine this new cancer therapeutic modality.

Seismic switch for strong motion measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Harben, P.E.; Rodgers, P.W.; Ewert, D.W.

1995-05-30

A seismic switching device is described that has an input signal from an existing microseismic station seismometer and a signal from a strong motion measuring instrument. The seismic switch monitors the signal level of the strong motion instrument and passes the seismometer signal to the station data telemetry and recording systems. When the strong motion instrument signal level exceeds a user set threshold level, the seismometer signal is switched out and the strong motion signal is passed to the telemetry system. The amount of time the strong motion signal is passed before switching back to the seismometer signal is user controlled between 1 and 15 seconds. If the threshold level is exceeded during a switch time period, the length of time is extended from that instant by one user set time period. 11 figs.

The impact of attitudes and perceptions on travel mode choice and car ownership in a Chinese megacity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

He, Sylvia Y.; Thøgersen, John

2017-01-01

The objective of this research is to understand intentions to buy a car and how car-ownership, together with other personal, situational and attitudinal factors, influences travel mode choice in a Chinese megacity. A survey was carried out in Guangzhou, China to examine respondents’ car ownership...... and travel mode perceptions and choices, as well as personal and situational characteristics. A quota sampling procedure was used to select members of three different groups: car owners; no car but planning to buy one in the next 5 years – car intenders; and no car and not planning to buy one. We find...... that car ownership is the most important among included predictors of travel mode choice, which also depend on other personal and situational factors, but only indirectly by attitudinal factors. However, attitudinal factors have a strong impact on the intention to buy a car, while controlling for other...

Polyvalent cation receptor proteins (CaRs) are salinity sensors in fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Nearing, J; Betka, M; Quinn, S; Hentschel, H; Elger, M; Baum, M; Bai, M; Chattopadyhay, N; Brown, E M; Hebert, S C; Harris, H W

2002-07-09

To determine whether calcium polyvalent cation-sensing receptors (CaRs) are salinity sensors in fish, we used a homology-based cloning strategy to isolate a 4.1-kb cDNA encoding a 1,027-aa dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) kidney CaR. Expression studies in human embryonic kidney cells reveal that shark kidney senses combinations of Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Na(+) ions at concentrations present in seawater and kidney tubules. Shark kidney is expressed in multiple shark osmoregulatory organs, including specific tubules of the kidney, rectal gland, stomach, intestine, olfactory lamellae, gill, and brain. Reverse transcriptase-PCR amplification using specific primers in two teleost fish, winter flounder (Pleuronectes americanus) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), reveals a similar pattern of CaR tissue expression. Exposure of the lumen of winter flounder urinary bladder to the CaR agonists, Gd(3+) and neomycin, reversibly inhibit volume transport, which is important for euryhaline teleost survival in seawater. Within 24-72 hr after transfer of freshwater-adapted Atlantic salmon to seawater, there are increases in their plasma Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Na(+) that likely serve as a signal for internal CaRs, i.e., brain, to sense alterations in salinity in the surrounding water. We conclude that CaRs act as salinity sensors in both teleost and elasmobranch fish. Their tissue expression patterns in fish provide insights into CaR functions in terrestrial animals including humans.

Simultaneous rotational and vibrational CARS generation through a multiple-frequency combination technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alden, M.; Bengtsson, P.E.; Edner, H.

1987-01-01

One most promising laser technique for probing combustion processes is coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), which due to its coherent nature and signal strength is applied in several real-world applications. Until today almost all CARS experiments are based on probing the population of molecular vibrational energy levels. However, there are several reasons rotational CARS, i.e. probing of rotational energy levels, may provide a complement to or even a better choice than vibrational CARS. Recently an alternative way to produce rotational CARS spectra is proposed, which is based on a multiple-frequency combination technique. The energy-level diagram for this process is presented. Two dye laser beams at ω/sub r/, and one fix frequency laser beam at ω/sub g/ are employed. ω/sub r,1/ and ω/sub r,2/ are two frequencies of many possible pairs with a frequency difference matching a rotational transition in a molecule. The excitation induced by ω/sub r,1/ and ω/sub r,2/ is then scattered by the narrowband ω/sub g/ beam resulting in a CARS beam ω/sub g/ at ω/sub g/ + ω/sub r,1/ - ω/sub r,2/. An interesting feature with this technique is that it is possible to generate simultaneously a rotational and vibrational CARS spectrum by using a double-folded boxcars phase matching approach. The authors believe that the proposed technique for producing rotational and vibration CARS spectra could be of interest, e.g., when measuring in highly turbulent flows. In this case the rotational CARS spectra could use for temperature measurements in the cooler parts, whereas vibrational CARS are to be preferred when measuring in the hotter parts

Molecular cloning and characterization of an F-box family gene CarF-box1 from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Yuying; Gu, Hanyan; Wang, Xiansheng; Chen, Quanjia; Shi, Shubing; Zhang, Jusong; Ma, Lin; Zhang, Hua; Ma, Hao

2012-03-01

F-box protein family has been found to play important roles in plant development and abiotic stress responses via the ubiquitin pathway. In this study, an F-box gene CarF-box1 (for Cicer arietinum F-box gene 1, Genbank accession no. GU247510) was isolated based on a cDNA library constructed with chickpea seedling leaves treated by polyethylene glycol. CarF-box1 encoded a putative protein with 345 amino acids and contained no intron within genomic DNA sequence. CarF-box1 is a KFB-type F-box protein, having a conserved F-box domain in the N-terminus and a Kelch repeat domain in the C-terminus. CarF-box1 was localized in the nucleus. CarF-box1 exhibited organ-specific expression and showed different expression patterns during seed development and germination processes, especially strongly expressed in the blooming flowers. In the leaves, CarF-box1 could be significantly induced by drought stress and slightly induced by IAA treatment, while in the roots, CarF-box1 could be strongly induced by drought, salinity and methyl jasmonate stresses. Our results suggest that CarF-box1 encodes an F-box protein and may be involved in various plant developmental processes and abiotic stress responses.

Toward brain-actuated car applications: Self-paced control with a motor imagery-based brain-computer interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Yang; Zhou, Zongtan; Yin, Erwei; Jiang, Jun; Tang, Jingsheng; Liu, Yadong; Hu, Dewen

2016-10-01

This study presented a paradigm for controlling a car using an asynchronous electroencephalogram (EEG)-based brain-computer interface (BCI) and presented the experimental results of a simulation performed in an experimental environment outside the laboratory. This paradigm uses two distinct MI tasks, imaginary left- and right-hand movements, to generate a multi-task car control strategy consisting of starting the engine, moving forward, turning left, turning right, moving backward, and stopping the engine. Five healthy subjects participated in the online car control experiment, and all successfully controlled the car by following a previously outlined route. Subject S1 exhibited the most satisfactory BCI-based performance, which was comparable to the manual control-based performance. We hypothesize that the proposed self-paced car control paradigm based on EEG signals could potentially be used in car control applications, and we provide a complementary or alternative way for individuals with locked-in disorders to achieve more mobility in the future, as well as providing a supplementary car-driving strategy to assist healthy people in driving a car. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The principal-agent problem and transport energy use: Case study of company lease cars in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graus, Wina; Worrell, Ernst

2008-01-01

Barriers exist for improvement of energy efficiency, of which the principal-agent problem is considered an important one. The principal-agent problem is a potential barrier for energy policies based on economic instruments, as the decision maker may be partially insulated from the price signal given by such policies. We estimate the size and the impact of the principal-agent problem for cars provided by companies as a benefit to employees in the Netherlands. Of all passenger cars in the Netherlands, 11% is classified as company cars, which consume 21% of the total energy consumption by passenger cars. As company cars are newer, operate more diesel engines, but are also larger, the fuel efficiency is slightly worse than that of private cars. Company cars seem to drive longer distances for commuting than the national average of private cars. Together, this might result in a net 1-7% increase of all fuel use of passenger cars in the Netherlands. This indicates that there is potential to reduce energy consumption of company cars and a need for policies aimed at improving energy efficiency of company cars

CAR2 - Czech Database of Car Speech

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Sovka

1999-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents new Czech language two-channel (stereo speech database recorded in car environment. The created database was designed for experiments with speech enhancement for communication purposes and for the study and the design of a robust speech recognition systems. Tools for automated phoneme labelling based on Baum-Welch re-estimation were realised. The noise analysis of the car background environment was done.

CAR2 - Czech Database of Car Speech

OpenAIRE

Pollak, P.; Vopicka, J.; Hanzl, V.; Sovka, Pavel

1999-01-01

This paper presents new Czech language two-channel (stereo) speech database recorded in car environment. The created database was designed for experiments with speech enhancement for communication purposes and for the study and the design of a robust speech recognition systems. Tools for automated phoneme labelling based on Baum-Welch re-estimation were realised. The noise analysis of the car background environment was done.

Augmentation of Antitumor Immunity by Human and Mouse CAR T Cells Secreting IL-18

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Biliang Hu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The effects of transgenically encoded human and mouse IL-18 on T cell proliferation and its application in boosting chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T cells are presented. Robust enhancement of proliferation of IL-18-secreting human T cells occurred in a xenograft model, and this was dependent on TCR and IL-18R signaling. IL-18 augmented IFN-γ secretion and proliferation of T cells activated by the endogenous TCR. TCR-deficient, human IL-18-expressing CD19 CAR T cells exhibited enhanced proliferation and antitumor activity in the xenograft model. Antigen-propelled activation of cytokine helper ensemble (APACHE CAR T cells displayed inducible expression of IL-18 and enhanced antitumor immunity. In an intact mouse tumor model, CD19-IL-18 CAR T cells induced deeper B cell aplasia, significantly enhanced CAR T cell proliferation, and effectively augmented antitumor effects in mice with B16F10 melanoma. These findings point to a strategy to develop universal CAR T cells for patients with solid tumors.

Competing expectations. The case of the hydrogen car

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bakker, S.

2011-04-15

expectations. They do so not only because funds are limited, but also because a wide portfolio of options signals that none of the options is truly convincing Despite the fact that the competition between the different hydrogen technologies has resulted in a clearly favored design of the hydrogen car, the hydrogen car as such is currently in a phase of low expectations. To a large extent this is the result of overpromising by the hydrogen community in the past.

The Green City Car. A holistic approach for NVH abatement of city cars

OpenAIRE

Bein, Thilo; Mayer, Dirk; Elliott, Steve; Ferrali, Leonardo; Casella, Mauro; Saemann, Ernst-Ulrich; Kropp, Wolfgang; Nielsen, Finn Kryger; Meschke, Jens; Pisano, Emanuel

2014-01-01

Pursuing the different passive and active concepts in a holistic approach, the FP7 project Green City Car demonstrates the feasibility of applying active systems to NVH-related problems light city cars from a system point-of view. During the project, a city car equipped with a small engine has been considered equipped with the latest technology in terms of safety aspects related to pedestrian’s impact and car-to-car compatibility, which are of major importance in an urban environment. The noi...

The comparing analysis of simulation of emergent dispatch of cars for intelligent driving autos in crossroads

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Ziao

2018-03-01

It is widely acknowledged that it is important for the development of intelligent cars to be widely accepted by the majority of car users. While most of the intelligent cars have the system of monitoring itself whether it is on the good situation to drive, it is also clear that studies should be performed on the way of cars for the emergent rescue of the intelligent vehicles. In this study, writer focus mainly on how to derive a separate system for the car caring teams to arrive as soon as they get the signal sent out by the intelligent driving autos. This simulation measure the time for the rescuing team to arrive, the cost it spent on arriving on the site of car problem happens, also how long the queue is when the rescuing auto is waiting to cross a road. This can be definitely in great use when there are a team of intelligent cars with one car immediately having problems causing its not moving and can be helpful in other situations. Through this way, the interconnection of cars can be a safety net for the drivers encountering difficulties in any time.

UV exposure in cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Moehrle, Matthias; Soballa, Martin; Korn, Manfred

2003-08-01

There is increasing knowledge about the hazards of solar and ultraviolet (UV) radiation to humans. Although people spend a significant time in cars, data on UV exposure during traveling are lacking. The aim of this study was to obtain basic information on personal UV exposure in cars. UV transmission of car glass samples, windscreen, side and back windows and sunroof, was determined. UV exposure of passengers was evaluated in seven German middle-class cars, fitted with three different types of car windows. UV doses were measured with open or closed windows/sunroof of Mercedes-Benz E 220 T, E 320, and S 500, and in an open convertible car (Mercedes-Benz CLK). Bacillus subtilis spore film dosimeters (Viospor) were attached to the front, vertex, cheeks, upper arms, forearms and thighs of 'adult' and 'child' dummies. UV wavelengths longer than >335 nm were transmitted through car windows, and UV irradiation >380 nm was transmitted through compound glass windscreens. There was some variation in the spectral transmission of side windows according to the type of glass. On the arms, UV exposure was 3-4% of ambient radiation when the car windows were shut, and 25-31% of ambient radiation when the windows were open. In the open convertible car, the relative personal doses reached 62% of ambient radiation. The car glass types examined offer substantial protection against short-wave UV radiation. Professional drivers should keep car windows closed on sunny days to reduce occupational UV exposure. In individuals with polymorphic light eruption, produced by long-wave UVA, additional protection by plastic films, clothes or sunscreens appears necessary.

Sector-Based Detection for Hands-Free Speech Enhancement in Cars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bourgeois Julien

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Adaptation control of beamforming interference cancellation techniques is investigated for in-car speech acquisition. Two efficient adaptation control methods are proposed that avoid target cancellation. The "implicit" method varies the step-size continuously, based on the filtered output signal. The "explicit" method decides in a binary manner whether to adapt or not, based on a novel estimate of target and interference energies. It estimates the average delay-sum power within a volume of space, for the same cost as the classical delay-sum. Experiments on real in-car data validate both methods, including a case with km/h background road noise.

Spectrum of absorption of a weak signal by an atom in a strong field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakaev, D.S.; Vdovin, Y.A.; Ermachenko, V.M.; Yakovlenko, S.I.

1985-01-01

An analysis is made of the spectrum of absorption of a weak probe electromagnetic field by two-level atoms in a strong resonant laser field, undergoing collision with buffer gas atoms. The analysis is made using an approach that allows for the direct influence of a strong electromagnetic field on the dynamics of an elastic collision between an active atom and a buffer gas atom. Rate equations are analyzed for a combined ''atom--strong electromagnetic field'' system (an atom ''dressed'' by the field) allowing for spontaneous and optical collisional transitions, and also for the interaction with the probe field. In the steady-state case, an expression is derived for the electric susceptibility of the medium at the small-signal frequency. This expression contains the rates of the optical collisional transitions that depend nontrivially on the parameters of the strong electromagnetic field. The phenomenological characteristics of optical collisional transitions generally used are only valid at low intensities and for small frequency detunings of the strong electromagnetic field, i.e., in the impact limit

Car use within the household

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Borger, Bruno; Mulalic, Ismir; Rouwendal, Jan

2013-01-01

In this paper we study the demand for car kilometres in two-car households, focusing on the substitution between cars in response to fuel price changes. We use a large sample of detailed Danish data on two-car households to estimate—for each car owned by the household—own and cross-price effects...... of increases in fuel costs per kilometre. The empirical results show that failure to capture substitution between cars within the household can result in substantial misspecification biases. Ignoring substitution, we estimate fuel price elasticities of –0.81 and -0.65 for the primary and secondary cars...... efficient car, finding partial support for the underlying hypothesis. More importantly, the results of this extended model emphasize the importance of behavioural differences related to the position of the most fuel efficient car in the household, suggesting that households’ fuel efficiency choices...

Tank car leaks gasoline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1997-01-01

On January 27, 1994, a Canadian National (CN) tank car loaded with gasoline began to leak from a crack in the tank shell on the end of the car near the stub sill. The tank car had been damaged from impact switching. A part of the tank car was sent for laboratory analysis which concluded that: (1) the fracture originated in two locations in welds, (2) the cracks propagated in a symmetrical manner and progressed into the tank plate, (3) the fracture surface revealed inadequate weld fusion. A stress analysis of the tank car was conducted to determine the coupling force necessary to cause the crack. It was noted that over the last decade several problems have occurred pertaining to stub sill areas of tank cars that have resulted in hazardous material spills. An advisory was sent to Transport Canada outlining many examples where tank cars containing serious defects had passed CN inspections that were specifically designed to identify such defects. 4 figs

Three-pulse multiplex coherent anti-Stokes/Stokes Raman scattering (CARS/CSRS) microspectroscopy using a white-light laser source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bito, Kotatsu; Okuno, Masanari; Kano, Hideaki; Leproux, Philippe; Couderc, Vincent; Hamaguchi, Hiro-o

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► We have developed a simultaneous measurement system of CARS and CSRS. ► We can obtain information on the electronic resonance effect with the measurement. ► The simultaneous measurement provides us with more reliable spectral information. - Abstract: We have developed a three-pulse non-degenerate multiplex coherent Raman microspectroscopic system using a white-light laser source. The fundamental output (1064 nm) of a Nd:YAG laser is used for the pump radiation with the white-light laser output (1100–1700 nm) for the Stokes radiation to achieve broadband multiplex excitations of vibrational coherences. The second harmonic (532 nm) of the same Nd:YAG laser is used for the probe radiation. Thanks to the large wavelength difference between the pump and probe radiations, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and coherent Stokes Raman scattering (CSRS) can be detected simultaneously. Simultaneous detection of CARS and CSRS enables us to obtain information on the electronic resonance effect that affects differently the CARS and CSRS signals. Simultaneous analysis of the CARS and CSRS signals provides us the imaginary part of χ (3) without introducing any arbitrary parameter in the maximum entropy method (MEM)

Car allocation between household heads in car deficient households : A decision model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anggraini, Renni; Arentze, Theo A.; Timmermans, Harry J P

2008-01-01

This paper considers car allocation choice behaviour in car-deficient households explicitly in the context of an activity-scheduling process, focusing on work activities. A decision tree induction method is applied to derive a decision tree for the car allocation decision in automobile deficient

First results from car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure radio channel measurements at 5.2GHZ

OpenAIRE

Paier, Alexander; Kåredal, Johan; Czink, Nicolai; Hofstetter, Helmut; Dumard, Charlotte; Zemen, Thomas; Tufvesson, Fredrik; Mecklenbräuker, Christoph; Molisch, Andreas

2007-01-01

Car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure (henceforth called C2X) communications are constantly gaining importance for road-safety and other applications. In order to design efficient C2X systems, an understanding of realistic C2X propagation channels is required, but currently, only few measurements have been published. This paper presents a description of an extensive measurement campaign recently conducted in an urban scenario, a rural scenario, and on a highway. We focused on 4 ÿ 4 multiple-in...

Frontline Science: Functionally impaired geriatric CAR-T cells rescued by increased α5β1 integrin expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Guha, Prajna; Cunetta, Marissa; Somasundar, Ponnandai; Espat, N Joseph; Junghans, Richard P; Katz, Steven C

2017-08-01

Chimeric antigen receptor expressing T cells (CAR-T) are a promising form of immunotherapy, but the influence of age-related immune changes on CAR-T production remains poorly understood. We showed that CAR-T cells from geriatric donors (gCAR-T) are functionally impaired relative to CAR-T from younger donors (yCAR-T). Higher transduction efficiencies and improved cell expansion were observed in yCAR-T cells compared with gCAR-T. yCAR-T demonstrated significantly increased levels of proliferation and signaling activation of phosphorylated (p)Erk, pAkt, pStat3, and pStat5. Furthermore, yCAR-T contained higher proportions of CD4 and CD8 effector memory (EM) cells, which are known to have enhanced cytolytic capabilities. Accordingly, yCAR-T demonstrated higher levels of tumor antigen-specific cytotoxicity compared with gCAR-T. Enhanced tumor killing by yCAR-T correlated with increased levels of perforin and granzyme B. yCAR-T had increased α5β1 integrin expression, a known mediator of retroviral transduction. We found that treatment with M-CSF or TGF-β1 rescued the impaired transduction efficiency of the gCAR-T by increasing the α5β1 integrin expression. Neutralization of α5β1 confirmed that this integrin was indispensable for CAR expression. Our study suggests that the increase of α5β1 integrin expression levels enhances CAR expression and thereby improves tumor killing by gCAR-T. © Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with the second generation of CD19 CAR-T containing either CD28 or 4-1BB.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shiqi; Zhang, Jiasi; Wang, Meiling; Fu, Gang; Li, Yunyan; Pei, Li; Xiong, Zhouxing; Qin, Dabing; Zhang, Rui; Tian, Xiaobo; Wei, Zhihao; Chen, Run; Chen, Xuejiao; Wan, Jia; Chen, Jun; Wei, Xia; Xu, Yanmin; Zhang, Pei; Wang, Ping; Peng, Xi; Yang, Sainan; Shen, Junjie; Yang, Zhi; Chen, Jieping; Qian, Cheng

2018-04-10

T cells modified with anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) containing either CD28 or 4-1BB (also termed TNFRSF9, CD137) costimulatory signalling have shown great potential in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). However, the difference between CD28 and 4-1BB costimulatory signalling in CAR-T treatment has not been well elucidated in clinical trials. In this study, we treated 10 relapsed or refractory ALL patients with the second generation CD19 CAR-T. The first 5 patients were treated with CD28-CAR and the other 5 patients were treated with 4-1BB CAR-T. All the 10 patients were response-evaluable. Three patients achieved complete remission and 1 patient with extramedullary disease achieved partial response after CD28-CAR-T treatment. In the 4-1BB CAR-T treatment group, 3 patients achieved complete remission. Furthermore, FLT-3 ligand (FLT3LG) was highly correlated with response time and may serve as a prognosis factor. No severe adverse events were observed in these 10 treated patients. Our study showed that both CD28 CAR-T and 4-1BB CAR-T both worked for response but they differed in response pattern (peak reaction time, reaction lasting time and reaction degree), adverse events, cytokine secretion and immune-suppressive factor level. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dual-pump CARS of Air in a Heated Pressure Vessel up to 55 Bar and 1300 K

Science.gov (United States)

Cantu, Luca; Gallo, Emanuela; Cutler, Andrew D.; Danehy, Paul M.

2014-01-01

Dual-pump Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) measurements have been performed in a heated pressure vessel at NASA Langley Research Center. Each measurement, consisting of 500 single shot spectra, was recorded at a fixed location in dry air at various pressures and temperatures, in a range of 0.03-55×10(exp 5) Pa and 300-1373 K, where the temperature was varied using an electric heater. The maximum output power of the electric heater limited the combinations of pressures and temperatures that could be obtained. Charts of CARS signal versus temperature (at constant pressure) and signal versus pressure (at constant temperature) are presented and fit with an empirical model to validate the range of capability of the dual-pump CARS technique; averaged spectra at different conditions of pressure and temperature are also shown.

Jet Car Track Site

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Located in Lakehurst, New Jersey, the Jet Car Track Site supports jet cars with J57 engines and has a maximum jet car thrust of 42,000 pounds with a maximum speed of...

Community knowledge, attitudes and behaviours about environmental tobacco smoke in homes and cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Jeff; Greenbank, Susan; McDowell, Michelle; Mahoney, Catherine; Mazerolle, Paul; Occhipinti, Stefano; Steginga, Suzanne

2008-08-01

to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviours about environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in cars and homes in Queensland. 1,026 randomly selected Queensland residents (84% response) participated in a computer assisted telephone survey to assess knowledge, attitudes and behaviours about ETS in cars and homes; and attitudes towards restrictions on smoking in a range of contexts. Most respondents are aware of the negative health effects of ETS and have smoking bans in their cars (75.8%) and homes (76.8%), however bans are less prevalent for smokers (cars: 37.9%; homes: 51%; p=0.000). For cars/homes, most smokers who did not have smoking bans would not smoke at all around pregnant women (67.7%/53.7%); fewer would refrain for childrennon-smoking adults (31.3%/17.9%); and children 13-17 years (30.9%/21.2%). Parent smokers are less likely to not smoke at all around children>or=2 years (p=0.000) compared to non-parent smokers. Most respondents support car/ home smoking bans for childrenstrong community support for legislation targeting ETS in cars and homes, however this varies by context, smoking and parental status.

An engineered CARS substrate with giant field enhancement in crisscross dimer nanostructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jia; Chen, Shu; Wang, Junqiao; Mu, Kaijun; Fan, Chunzhen; Liang, Erjun; Ding, Pei

2018-01-15

We theoretically investigate the optical properties of a nanostructure consisting of the two identical and symmetrically arranged crisscrosses. A plasmonic Fano resonance is induced by a strong interplay between bright mode and dark modes, where the bright mode is due to electric dipole resonance while dark modes originate from the magnetic dipole induced by LC resonances. In this article, we find that the electric field "hotspots" corresponding to three different wavelengths can be positioned at the same spatial position, and its spectral tunability is achieved by changing geometric parameters. The crisscrosses system can be designed as a plasmonic substrate for enhancing Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) signal. This discovery provides a new method to achieve single molecule detection. At the same time, it also has many important applications for multi-photon imaging and other nonlinear optical processes, such as four-wave mixing and stimulated Raman scattering.

Multi Car Elevator Control by using Learning Automaton

Science.gov (United States)

Shiraishi, Kazuaki; Hamagami, Tomoki; Hirata, Hironori

We study an adaptive control technique for multi car elevators (MCEs) by adopting learning automatons (LAs.) The MCE is a high performance and a near-future elevator system with multi shafts and multi cars. A strong point of the system is that realizing a large carrying capacity in small shaft area. However, since the operation is too complicated, realizing an efficient MCE control is difficult for top-down approaches. For example, “bunching up together" is one of the typical phenomenon in a simple traffic environment like the MCE. Furthermore, an adapting to varying environment in configuration requirement is a serious issue in a real elevator service. In order to resolve these issues, having an autonomous behavior is required to the control system of each car in MCE system, so that the learning automaton, as the solutions for this requirement, is supposed to be appropriate for the simple traffic control. First, we assign a stochastic automaton (SA) to each car control system. Then, each SA varies its stochastic behavior distributions for adapting to environment in which its policy is evaluated with each passenger waiting times. That is LA which learns the environment autonomously. Using the LA based control technique, the MCE operation efficiency is evaluated through simulation experiments. Results show the technique enables reducing waiting times efficiently, and we confirm the system can adapt to the dynamic environment.

Report on electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars; Redegoerelse - elbiler og plug-in hybridbiler

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elkjaer Toennesen, A.; Winther, K.; Noerregaard, K. (Teknologisk Institut, Taastrup (Denmark)); Larsen, Esben; Christensen, Linda; Kveiborg, O. (Danmarks Teknologiske Univ., Kgs. Lyngby (DTU) (Denmark))

2010-04-15

The Center for Green Transport at the Danish Transport Authority has prepared this statement in order to uncover driving technical aspects, user expectations and needs, and the environmental consequences of using electric and plug-in hybrid cars. An electric car is defined as a car driven by an electric motor that has a battery that can be charged with power from the grid. A plug-in hybrid car is defined as a car that combines gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor with a battery which can be recharged with power from the grid. From an overall consideration related to the transport sector electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars have the major advantage that negative impacts on environment and climate from traffic can be reduced while the high mobility is maintained. Through an increased use of electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars, the many advantages attached to the car as an individual transportation form is maintained, while CO{sub 2} emissions etc. are reduced. Electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars is one of the technologies that are considered to have particularly great prospects in the medium term when it comes to promoting new technologies in transport. Another advantage of using electric vehicles is the power supply factor. An increased use of electricity in transport will reduce the need for and dependence on fossil fuels in the sector. Both electric cars and plug-in hybrid cars are expected to be used for storage of wind power, a possibility which is hardly available today. The plug-in hybrid car could meet some of the challenges facing the pure electric car, because it also can use conventional fuel. The report presents analyses based on three focus areas: a) Users' needs, expectations and economics in relation to vehicles; b) The technology - and hence the manufacturers' opportunities and challenges; c) Connection to the power grid. (ln)

CARS hyperspectral imaging of cartilage aiming for state discrimination of cell

Science.gov (United States)

Shiozawa, Manabu; Shirai, Masataka; Izumisawa, Junko; Tanabe, Maiko; Watanabe, Koichi

2016-03-01

Non-invasive cell analyses are increasingly important for medical field. A CARS microscope is one of the non-invasive imaging equipments and enables to obtain images indicating molecular distribution. Some studies on discrimination of cell state by using CARS images of lipid are reported. However, due to low signal intensity, it is still challenging to obtain images of the fingerprint region (800~1800 cm-1), in which many spectrum peaks correspond to compositions of a cell. Here, to identify cell differentiation by using multiplex CARS, we investigated hyperspectral imaging of fingerprint region of living cells. To perform multiplex CARS, we used a prototype of a compact light source, which consists of a microchip laser, a single-mode fiber, and a photonic crystal fiber to generate supercontinuum light. Assuming application to regenerative medicine, we chose a cartilage cell, whose differentiation is difficult to be identified by change of the cell morphology. Because one of the major components of cartilage is collagen, we focused on distribution of proline, which accounts for approximately 20% of collagen in general. The spectrum quality was improved by optical adjustments about power branching ratio and divergence of broadband Stokes light. Hyperspectral images were successfully obtained by the improvement. Periphery of a cartilage cell was highlighted in CARS image of proline, and this result suggests correspondence with collagen generated as extracellular matrix. A possibility of cell analyses by using CARS hyperspectral imaging was indicated.

Background free CARS imaging by phase sensitive heterodyne CARS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jurna, M.; Korterik, Jeroen P.; Otto, Cornelis; Herek, Jennifer Lynn; Offerhaus, Herman L.

2008-01-01

In this article we show that heterodyne CARS, based on a controlled and stable phase-preserving chain, can be used to measure amplitude and phase information of molecular vibration modes. The technique is validated by a comparison of the imaginary part of the heterodyne CARS spectrum to the

Auralization of Accelerating Passenger Cars Using Spectral Modeling Synthesis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reto Pieren

2015-12-01

Full Text Available While the technique of auralization has been in use for quite some time in architectural acoustics, the application to environmental noise has been discovered only recently. With road traffic noise being the dominant noise source in most countries, particular interest lies in the synthesis of realistic pass-by sounds. This article describes an auralizator for pass-bys of accelerating passenger cars. The key element is a synthesizer that simulates the acoustical emission of different vehicles, driving on different surfaces, under different operating conditions. Audio signals for the emitted tire noise, as well as the propulsion noise are generated using spectral modeling synthesis, which gives complete control of the signal characteristics. The sound of propulsion is synthesized as a function of instantaneous engine speed, engine load and emission angle, whereas the sound of tires is created in dependence of vehicle speed and emission angle. The sound propagation is simulated by applying a series of time-variant digital filters. To obtain the corresponding steering parameters of the synthesizer, controlled experiments were carried out. The tire noise parameters were determined from coast-by measurements of passenger cars with idling engines. To obtain the propulsion noise parameters, measurements at different engine speeds, engine loads and emission angles were performed using a chassis dynamometer. The article shows how, from the measured data, the synthesizer parameters are calculated using audio signal processing.

Vibrational Imaging with High Sensitivity via Epidetected Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkmer, Andreas; Cheng, Ji-Xin; Sunney Xie, X.

2001-01-01

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally a novel epidetection scheme for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy that significantly improves the detection sensitivity. Calculations show that epidetected CARS (E-CARS) signals are present for scatterers smaller than the wavelength of light, whereas the large background signals from the surrounding bulk solvent are suppressed by destructive interference. E-CARS microscopy is capable of revealing small intracellular features that are otherwise buried by the strong water CARS signal

Cloning and characterization of an 11S legumin, Car i 4, a major allergen in pecan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Girdhari M; Irsigler, Andre; Dhanarajan, Pushparani; Ayuso, Rosalia; Bardina, Luda; Sampson, Hugh A; Roux, Kenneth H; Sathe, Shridhar K

2011-09-14

Among tree nut allergens, pecan allergens remain to be identified and characterized. The objective was to demonstrate the IgE-binding ability of pecan 11S legumin and characterize its sequential IgE-binding epitopes. The 11S legumin gene was amplified from a pecan cDNA library and expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The native 11S legumin in pecan extract was identified by mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Sequential epitopes were determined by probing the overlapping peptides with three serum pools prepared from different patients' sera. A three-dimensional model was generated using almond legumin as a template and compared with known sequential epitopes on other allergenic tree nut homologues. Of 28 patients tested by dot blot, 16 (57%) bound to 11S legumin, designated Car i 4. MS/MS sequencing of native 11S legumin identified 33 kDa acidic and 20-22 kDa basic subunits. Both pecan and walnut seed protein extracts inhibited IgE binding to recombinant Car i 4, suggesting cross-reactivity with Jug r 4. Sequential epitope mapping results of Car i 4 revealed weak, moderate, and strong reactivity of serum pools against 10, 5, and 4 peptides, respectively. Seven peptides were recognized by all three serum pools, of which two were strongly reactive. The strongly reactive peptides were located in three discrete regions of the Car i 4 acidic subunit sequence (residues 118-132, 208-219, and 238-249). Homology modeling of Car i 4 revealed significant overlapping regions shared in common with other tree nut legumins.

Secondhand smoke exposure in young people and parental rules against smoking at home and in the car.

Science.gov (United States)

Cartmell, Kathleen B; Miner, Christine; Carpenter, Matthew J; Vitoc, Camelia S; Biggers, Sharon; Onicescu, Georgiana; Hill, Elizabeth G; Nickerson, Brenda C; Alberg, Anthony J

2011-01-01

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is an important cause of morbidity in children. We assessed the impact of family rules about smoking in the home and car on SHS exposure prevalence in students in grades six to 12. We studied never-smoking young people (n = 1,698) in the random sample cross-sectional South Carolina Youth Tobacco Survey, a 2006 survey of middle and high school students in South Carolina. Overall, 40% of the students reported SHS exposure in either the home or car in the past week; among these, 85% reported exposure in cars. Subsequent analyses focused on students who lived with a smoker (n = 602). Compared with those whose families prohibited smoking in the home or car, SHS exposure prevalence was 30% (p car) and 36% (p car, and 55% (p car that were adhered to, SHS exposure prevalence was significantly higher (p cars were much less likely to report SHS exposure. Parents would be wise to endorse and enforce strong smoke-free policies for both homes and cars.

Breaking car use habits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thøgersen, John; Møller, Berit Thorup

2008-01-01

Based on calls for innovative ways of reducing car traffic and research indicating that car driving is often the result of habitual decision-making and choice processes, this paper reports on a field experiment designed to test a tool aimed to entice drivers to skip the habitual choice of the car...... and consider using-or at least trying-public transport instead. About 1,000 car drivers participated in the experiment either as experimental subjects, receiving a free one-month travelcard, or as control subjects. As predicted, the intervention had a significant impact on drivers' use of public transport...... and it also neutralized the impact of car driving habits on mode choice. However, in the longer run (i.e., four months after the experiment) experimental subjects did not use public transport more than control subjects. Hence, it seems that although many car drivers choose travel mode habitually, their final...

Misuse of car safety seats.

Science.gov (United States)

Bull, M J; Stroup, K B; Gerhart, S

1988-01-01

Correct use of car seats for small children is essential to prevent serious injuries and death from automotive accidents. Failure to use a car seat properly can contribute to serious injury or death of a child. A case study in which misuse of a car seat occurred is reported. The infant died of hemorrhage and shock secondary to liver laceration which resulted from excessive pressure over the abdomen sustained on impact. Surveys of car seat use for small children prior to and following a child restraint law are also reported. Observers noted types of car seats and specific forms of misuse. Survey results suggest that parents are more likely to misuse car seats for infants than toddlers. Medical professionals can reinforce the importance of proper car seat use by incorporating specific car seat use questions into the patient interview and by providing educational materials.

Preferences for Alternative Fuel Vehicles of Lease Car Drivers in The Netherlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koetse, M.J.; Hoen, A.

2012-04-15

In this paper we aim to get insight into preferences of Dutch lease car drivers for alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) and their characteristics. Since AFVs are either not yet available on the market or have only very limited market shares, we have to rely on stated preference research. We perform a state-of-the-art conjoint analysis, based on data obtained through an online choice experiment among Dutch lease car drivers. Results show that under current tax regulations the average lease car driver is indifferent between the conventional technology, flexifuel and the hybrid car, while negative preferences exist for the plug-in hybrid, the electric and the fuel cell car. When current tax regulations would be abolished, strong negative preferences would result for all AFCs, and especially for the electric and fuel cell car. Increases in driving range, reductions in refuelling time, and reductions in additional detour time for reaching an appropriate fuel station, increase AFV preferences substantially. On average the gap between conventional technologies and AFVs remains large, however. We also find that there is considerable heterogeneity in preferences of lease car drivers, and that various market segments and potential early adopters can be identified. In this respect the most interesting finding is that preferences for electric and fuel cell cars decrease substantially, and willingness to pay for driving range increases substantially, when annual mileage increases. Annual mileage also has a substantial impact on sensitivity to monthly costs. We therefore use simulations to assess market shares of electric and fuel cell cars for different annual mileage categories. We find that people with a relatively low annual mileage are more likely to adopt than people with a relatively high annual mileage, regardless of driving range and monthly costs. For the fuel cell car we find similar results, although when driving range is high and cost differences are large, lease car

Car-use habits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Berit Thorup; Thøgersen, John

2008-01-01

It is often claimed that many drivers use their private car rather habitually. The claim gains credibility from the fact that travelling to many everyday destinations fulfils all the prerequisites for habit formation: it is recurring, performed under stable circumstances and produces rewarding...... consequences. Since the decision is made quite automatically and only one choice alternative is considered (the habitually chosen one), behaviour guided by habit is difficult to change. The implications of car use habits for converting drivers to commuters using public transportation is analysed based...... to do so, car use habit, and the interaction between the two, confirms the theory-derived hypothesis that car use habits act as an obstacle to the transformation of intentions to commute by public transportation into action....

49 CFR 1037.2 - Cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cars. 1037.2 Section 1037.2 Transportation Other... GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS BULK GRAIN AND GRAIN PRODUCTS-LOSS AND DAMAGE CLAIMS § 1037.2 Cars. A car is... railroad-leased cars. [57 FR 54334, Nov. 18, 1992] ...

Xenosensor CAR mediates down-regulation of miR-122 and up-regulation of miR-122 targets in the liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kazantseva, Yuliya A.; Yarushkin, Andrei A.; Mostovich, Lyudmila A. [The Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Timakova str., 2/12, Novosibirsk 630117 (Russian Federation); Pustylnyak, Yuliya A. [Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova str., 2, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); Pustylnyak, Vladimir O., E-mail: pustylnyak@ngs.ru [The Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Timakova str., 2/12, Novosibirsk 630117 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova str., 2, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation); The Institute International Tomography Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institutskaya str. 3-A, Novosibirsk 630090 (Russian Federation)

2015-10-01

MiR-122 is a major hepatic microRNA, accounting for more than 70% of the total liver miRNA population. It has been shown that miR-122 is associated with liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma. Mir-122 is an intergenic miRNA with its own promoter. Pri-miR-122 expression is regulated by liver-enriched transcription factors, mainly by HNF4α, which mediates the expression via the interaction with a specific DR1 site. It has been shown that phenobarbital-mediated activation of constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), xenobiotic nuclear receptor, is associated with a decrease in miR-122 in the liver. In the present study, we investigated HNF4α–CAR cross-talk in the regulation of miR-122 levels and promitogenic signalling in mouse livers. The level of miR-122 was significantly repressed by treatment with 1,4-bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP), which is an agonist of mouse CAR. ChIP assays demonstrated that TCPOBOP-activated CAR inhibited HNF4α transactivation by competing with HNF4α for binding to the DR1 site in the pri-miR-122 promoter. Such transcription factor replacement was strongly correlated with miR-122 down-regulation. Additionally, the decrease in miR-122 levels produced by CAR activation is accompanied by an increase in mRNA and cellular protein levels of E2f1 and its accumulation on the target cMyc gene promoter. The increase in accumulation of E2f1 on the target cMyc gene promoter is accompanied by an increase in cMyc levels and transcriptional activity. Thus, our results provide evidence to support the conclusion that CAR activation decreases miR-122 levels through suppression of HNF4α transcriptional activity and indirectly regulates the promitogenic protein cMyc. HNF4α–CAR cross-talk may provide new opportunities for understanding liver diseases and developing more effective therapeutic approaches to better drug treatments. - Highlights: • CAR activation decreased the level of miR-122 in mouse livers. • CAR decreases

Xenosensor CAR mediates down-regulation of miR-122 and up-regulation of miR-122 targets in the liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazantseva, Yuliya A.; Yarushkin, Andrei A.; Mostovich, Lyudmila A.; Pustylnyak, Yuliya A.; Pustylnyak, Vladimir O.

2015-01-01

MiR-122 is a major hepatic microRNA, accounting for more than 70% of the total liver miRNA population. It has been shown that miR-122 is associated with liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma. Mir-122 is an intergenic miRNA with its own promoter. Pri-miR-122 expression is regulated by liver-enriched transcription factors, mainly by HNF4α, which mediates the expression via the interaction with a specific DR1 site. It has been shown that phenobarbital-mediated activation of constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), xenobiotic nuclear receptor, is associated with a decrease in miR-122 in the liver. In the present study, we investigated HNF4α–CAR cross-talk in the regulation of miR-122 levels and promitogenic signalling in mouse livers. The level of miR-122 was significantly repressed by treatment with 1,4-bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP), which is an agonist of mouse CAR. ChIP assays demonstrated that TCPOBOP-activated CAR inhibited HNF4α transactivation by competing with HNF4α for binding to the DR1 site in the pri-miR-122 promoter. Such transcription factor replacement was strongly correlated with miR-122 down-regulation. Additionally, the decrease in miR-122 levels produced by CAR activation is accompanied by an increase in mRNA and cellular protein levels of E2f1 and its accumulation on the target cMyc gene promoter. The increase in accumulation of E2f1 on the target cMyc gene promoter is accompanied by an increase in cMyc levels and transcriptional activity. Thus, our results provide evidence to support the conclusion that CAR activation decreases miR-122 levels through suppression of HNF4α transcriptional activity and indirectly regulates the promitogenic protein cMyc. HNF4α–CAR cross-talk may provide new opportunities for understanding liver diseases and developing more effective therapeutic approaches to better drug treatments. - Highlights: • CAR activation decreased the level of miR-122 in mouse livers. • CAR decreases

Gasoline cars produce more carbonaceous particulate matter than modern filter-equipped diesel cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Platt, S M; El Haddad, I; Pieber, S M; Zardini, A A; Suarez-Bertoa, R; Clairotte, M; Daellenbach, K R; Huang, R-J; Slowik, J G; Hellebust, S; Temime-Roussel, B; Marchand, N; de Gouw, J; Jimenez, J L; Hayes, P L; Robinson, A L; Baltensperger, U; Astorga, C; Prévôt, A S H

2017-07-13

Carbonaceous particulate matter (PM), comprising black carbon (BC), primary organic aerosol (POA) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA, from atmospheric aging of precursors), is a highly toxic vehicle exhaust component. Therefore, understanding vehicle pollution requires knowledge of both primary emissions, and how these emissions age in the atmosphere. We provide a systematic examination of carbonaceous PM emissions and parameterisation of SOA formation from modern diesel and gasoline cars at different temperatures (22, -7 °C) during controlled laboratory experiments. Carbonaceous PM emission and SOA formation is markedly higher from gasoline than diesel particle filter (DPF) and catalyst-equipped diesel cars, more so at -7 °C, contrasting with nitrogen oxides (NO X ). Higher SOA formation from gasoline cars and primary emission reductions for diesels implies gasoline cars will increasingly dominate vehicular total carbonaceous PM, though older non-DPF-equipped diesels will continue to dominate the primary fraction for some time. Supported by state-of-the-art source apportionment of ambient fossil fuel derived PM, our results show that whether gasoline or diesel cars are more polluting depends on the pollutant in question, i.e. that diesel cars are not necessarily worse polluters than gasoline cars.

Gasoline-powered series hybrid cars cause lower life cycle carbon emissions than battery cars

Science.gov (United States)

Meinrenken, Christoph; Lackner, Klaus S.

2012-02-01

Battery cars powered by grid electricity promise reduced life cycle green house gas (GHG) emissions from the automotive sector. Such scenarios usually point to the much higher emissions from conventional, internal combustion engine cars. However, today's commercially available series hybrid technology achieves the well known efficiency gains in electric drivetrains (regenerative breaking, lack of gearbox) even if the electricity is generated onboard, from conventional fuels. Here, we analyze life cycle GHG emissions for commercially available, state-of the-art plug-in battery cars (e.g. Nissan Leaf) and those of commercially available series hybrid cars (e.g., GM Volt, at same size and performance). Crucially, we find that series hybrid cars driven on (fossil) gasoline cause fewer emissions (126g CO2eq per km) than battery cars driven on current US grid electricity (142g CO2eq per km). We attribute this novel finding to the significant incremental emissions from plug-in battery cars due to losses during grid transmission and battery dis-/charging, and manufacturing larger batteries. We discuss crucial implications for strategic policy decisions towards a low carbon automotive sector as well as relative land intensity when powering cars by biofuel vs. bioelectricity.

Gasoline-powered serial hybrid cars cause lower life cycle carbon emissions than battery cars

Science.gov (United States)

Meinrenken, Christoph J.; Lackner, Klaus S.

2011-04-01

Battery cars powered by grid electricity promise reduced life cycle green house gas (GHG) emissions from the automotive sector. Such scenarios usually point to the much higher emissions from conventional, internal combustion engine cars. However, today's commercially available serial hybrid technology achieves the well known efficiency gains from regenerative breaking, lack of gearbox, and light weighting - even if the electricity is generated onboard, from conventional fuels. Here, we analyze emissions for commercially available, state-of the-art battery cars (e.g. Nissan Leaf) and those of commercially available serial hybrid cars (e.g., GM Volt, at same size and performance). Crucially, we find that serial hybrid cars driven on (fossil) gasoline cause fewer life cycle GHG emissions (126g CO2e per km) than battery cars driven on current US grid electricity (142g CO2e per km). We attribute this novel finding to the significant incremental life cycle emissions from battery cars from losses during grid transmission, battery dis-/charging, and larger batteries. We discuss crucial implications for strategic policy decisions towards a low carbon automotive sector as well as relative land intensity when powering cars by biofuel vs. bioelectricity.

NREL Model Car Competitions | NREL

Science.gov (United States)

work together building cars with guidance from a parent, teacher, or coach to compete in race and Solar and Lithium Ion model car races in Colorado. Building solar- and battery-powered cars requires listPDF for Junior Solar Sprint and Lithium-Ion Battery model cars. Junior Solar Sprint Solar Made Pitsco

Increase of child car seat temperature in cars parked in the outpatient parking lot.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugimura, Tetsu; Suzue, Junji; Kamada, Makoto; Ozaki, Yukiko; Tananari, Yoshifumi; Maeno, Yasuki; Ito, Shinichi; Nishino, Hiroshi; Kakimoto, Noriko; Yamakawa, Rumi

2011-12-01

A guideline for the safe use of child car seats (CS) was published by the Japan Pediatric Society in 2008. There have been few studies of the increase of temperature of a CS in parked cars. The aim of this study was to determine the change in the temperature of the CS in cars parked in full sun. The temperature of CS was measured during summer (July and August) in 2006, 2007, and 2008. The CS used in this study (n= 50) were for children (≤ 6 years old) who were taken by car to Sugimura Children's Medical Clinic. Temperatures were only measured on sunny days. Measurements were performed from 09.00 to 17.00 hours. Thermochron (Thermochron i-Button: G type, Maxim Integrated Products, CA, USA) was used to measure the temperatures. The maximum temperatures of CS were compared in time at the clinic, taking into consideration seat colors, and car colors. Of the 50 cars, three cars were excluded due to being in the shade while the temperature was measured. A total of 47 cars were used for this study. The temperature of the CS ranged from 38.0 to 65.5°C (47.8 ± 5.8°C). Eighteen CS (38.3%) reached a temperature of 50°C or above. The maximum temperature of the 13.00-15.00-hours group was significantly higher than that of the 09.00-11.00-hours group (P= 0.035). The CS temperatures in the black car group were significantly higher than those of the white car group (P= 0.013). CS may become very hot while a car is parked in sun, especially if the car and the CS are black, so the CS should be cooled before a young child is placed in it. Guardians of small children should be aware of this risk. © 2011 The Authors. Pediatrics International © 2011 Japan Pediatric Society.

Car stickers for 2012

CERN Multimedia

GS Department

2011-01-01

The 2012 car stickers are now available. Holders of blue car stickers will receive by internal mail their 2012 car stickers as of 5 December. Holders of red car stickers are kindly requested to come to the Registration Service (Building 55,1st floor) to renew their 2011 stickers. This service is open from Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm non-stop. Documents related to the vehicles concerned are mandatory. Reception and Access Control Service – GS/IS/SIS General Infrastructure Services Department

Car stickers for 2011

CERN Multimedia

GS Department

2010-01-01

The 2011 car stickers are now available. Holders of blue car stickers will receive their 2011 car stickers by internal mail as of 15 December.   Holders of red car stickers are kindly requested to come to the Registration Service (Building 55,1st floor) to renew their 2011 stickers. This service is open from Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm non-stop. Documents for the vehicles concerned must be presented. Reception and Access Control Service – GS/ISG/SIS General Infrastructure Services Department

Present challenges and future opportunities for Dacia cars on the Romanian automobile market

OpenAIRE

Cruceru, Gheorghe; Micuda, Dan

2011-01-01

Dacia car models are becoming well known and appreciated not only on the Romanian market but also on European markets. The present paper presents a current survey of Dacia cars sales on the domestic market, both in terms of territorial and structural elements, in order to identify the company strong points. A territorial level analysis was conducted in order to identify market areas suitable for further development along with a Dacia models analysis, the final objective being to highlight the...

The Socialist Car

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Lars K.

2013-01-01

Review of L.H. Siegelbaum (ed.) The Socialist Car. Automobility in the Eastern Block. Cornell University Press, 2011.......Review of L.H. Siegelbaum (ed.) The Socialist Car. Automobility in the Eastern Block. Cornell University Press, 2011....

Vital Sign Monitoring and Mobile Phone Usage Detection Using IR-UWB Radar for Intended Use in Car Crash Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Leem, Seong Kyu; Khan, Faheem; Cho, Sung Ho

2017-05-30

In order to avoid car crashes, active safety systems are becoming more and more important. Many crashes are caused due to driver drowsiness or mobile phone usage. Detecting the drowsiness of the driver is very important for the safety of a car. Monitoring of vital signs such as respiration rate and heart rate is important to determine the occurrence of driver drowsiness. In this paper, robust vital signs monitoring through impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar is discussed. We propose a new algorithm that can estimate the vital signs even if there is motion caused by the driving activities. We analyzed the whole fast time vital detection region and found the signals at those fast time locations that have useful information related to the vital signals. We segmented those signals into sub-signals and then constructed the desired vital signal using the correlation method. In this way, the vital signs of the driver can be monitored noninvasively, which can be used by researchers to detect the drowsiness of the driver which is related to the vital signs i.e., respiration and heart rate. In addition, texting on a mobile phone during driving may cause visual, manual or cognitive distraction of the driver. In order to reduce accidents caused by a distracted driver, we proposed an algorithm that can detect perfectly a driver's mobile phone usage even if there are various motions of the driver in the car or changes in background objects. These novel techniques, which monitor vital signs associated with drowsiness and detect phone usage before a driver makes a mistake, may be very helpful in developing techniques for preventing a car crash.

Vital Sign Monitoring and Mobile Phone Usage Detection Using IR-UWB Radar for Intended Use in Car Crash Prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seong Kyu Leem

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In order to avoid car crashes, active safety systems are becoming more and more important. Many crashes are caused due to driver drowsiness or mobile phone usage. Detecting the drowsiness of the driver is very important for the safety of a car. Monitoring of vital signs such as respiration rate and heart rate is important to determine the occurrence of driver drowsiness. In this paper, robust vital signs monitoring through impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB radar is discussed. We propose a new algorithm that can estimate the vital signs even if there is motion caused by the driving activities. We analyzed the whole fast time vital detection region and found the signals at those fast time locations that have useful information related to the vital signals. We segmented those signals into sub-signals and then constructed the desired vital signal using the correlation method. In this way, the vital signs of the driver can be monitored noninvasively, which can be used by researchers to detect the drowsiness of the driver which is related to the vital signs i.e., respiration and heart rate. In addition, texting on a mobile phone during driving may cause visual, manual or cognitive distraction of the driver. In order to reduce accidents caused by a distracted driver, we proposed an algorithm that can detect perfectly a driver's mobile phone usage even if there are various motions of the driver in the car or changes in background objects. These novel techniques, which monitor vital signs associated with drowsiness and detect phone usage before a driver makes a mistake, may be very helpful in developing techniques for preventing a car crash.

Regulation of G-protein coupled receptor traffic by an evolutionary conserved hydrophobic signal.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelotti, Tim; Daunt, David; Shcherbakova, Olga G; Kobilka, Brian; Hurt, Carl M

2010-04-01

Plasma membrane (PM) expression of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is required for activation by extracellular ligands; however, mechanisms that regulate PM expression of GPCRs are poorly understood. For some GPCRs, such as alpha2c-adrenergic receptors (alpha(2c)-ARs), heterologous expression in non-native cells results in limited PM expression and extensive endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention. Recently, ER export/retentions signals have been proposed to regulate cellular trafficking of several GPCRs. By utilizing a chimeric alpha(2a)/alpha(2c)-AR strategy, we identified an evolutionary conserved hydrophobic sequence (ALAAALAAAAA) in the extracellular amino terminal region that is responsible in part for alpha(2c)-AR subtype-specific trafficking. To our knowledge, this is the first luminal ER retention signal reported for a GPCR. Removal or disruption of the ER retention signal dramatically increased PM expression and decreased ER retention. Conversely, transplantation of this hydrophobic sequence into alpha(2a)-ARs reduced their PM expression and increased ER retention. This evolutionary conserved hydrophobic trafficking signal within alpha(2c)-ARs serves as a regulator of GPCR trafficking.

Construction of CARS Spectroscopy for Determination of Isotope shift of Hydrogen H2, D2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zidan, M. D.; Jazmati, A.; Manni, A.

2007-01-01

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectrometer has been built. It consists of Raman cell, which is filled with a H2 gas at 5 atm pressure, and a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser-pumped dye laser. The two beams are focused by means of a bi-convex 400 mm lens into the Raman cell. The anti-Stokes signal (CARS beam) is generated due to four-wave mixing process. The anti-Stokes signal is directed to a monochrometer entrance slit by prism to be detected by a photomultiplier, which is connected to a computer. The dye laser frequency has to be tuned to satisfy the energy difference between the V 1 beam (Nd:YAG laser beam) and the V 2 beam (the Stokes beam or the dye laser beam) that exactly corresponds to a vibrational or a rotational Raman resonance (E 2 -E 1 ) in the hydrogen molecule, then the anti-Stokes signal ( V 3 ) is generated. The spectra of the anti-Stokes signal has been recorded to determine the isotope shift between H 2 , and D 2 , which is 1161 cm -1 .

Smoking in cars in England: a study of school students in an English city.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogdanovica, Ilze; Szatkowski, Lisa; Britton, John; McNeill, Ann

2014-06-05

Exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk of adverse health effects among children. Although smoking in the home is an established major source of exposure, less is known about rules on smoking in cars. In a survey including a sample of secondary school students in Nottingham (UK) in 2012, participants were asked whether smoking was allowed in the family car, and how often the respondent travelled in a car in which smoking was allowed. Rules on smoking in cars were investigated in relation to socio-demographic variables and whether children had ever smoked themselves using logistic regression. Of 4,190 students aged 11-16 who provided data, approximately 12% reported that smoking was allowed in their family car and 35% that they travelled in a car where smoking was allowed at least sometimes. Absence of smoke free rules in the family car was more likely to be reported by children from more disadvantaged families, if parents and friends were smokers and if smoking was allowed in the main home. These factors, and having a sibling who smokes, were also independently associated with an increased risk of travelling in a car in which smoking was allowed at least sometimes. Respondents who were not protected from secondhand smoke in the car were also more likely to have ever smoked (adjusted odds ratio 1.59, 95% CI 1.18-2.14). Absence of smoke free rules in a family car and travelling in a car where smoking was allowed was relatively common among secondary school students, was strongly related to social disadvantage and a higher risk of smoking experimentation. Measures to prevent such exposure are therefore indicated.

Effects of strong electron correlations in Ti8C12 Met-Car

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varganov, Sergey A.; Gordon, Mark S.

2006-01-01

The results of multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) with single and double excitations and single reference coupled cluster (CCSD(T)) calculations on Ti 8 C 12 metallocarbohedryne (Met-Car) are reported. The distortions of the T d structure to D 2d and C 3v structures due to the Jahn-Teller effect are studied. It is shown that the Ti 8 C 12 wave function has significant multireference character. The choice of the active space for multireference self-consistent field (MCSCF) calculations is discussed. The failure of multireference perturbation theory with a small active space is attributed to multiple intruder states. A new, novel type of MCSCF calculation, ORMAS (occupation restricted multiple active spaces) with a large active space are carried out for several electronic states of Ti 8 C 12 . The Jahn-Teller distorted D 2d 1 A 1 (nearly T d ) structure is predicted to be the Ti 8 C 12 ground state. Predictions of the Ti 8 C 12 ionization potential with different ab initio methods are presented

Substitution between Cars within the Household

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

de Borger, Bruno; Mulalic, Ismir; Rouwendal, Jan

In this paper we study the demand for car kilometres in two-car households, focusing on the substitution between cars in response to fuel price changes. We use a large sample of detailed Danish data on two-car households to estimate—for each car owned by the household—own and cross-price effects...... of increases in fuel costs per kilometre. The empirical results show that failure to capture substitution between cars within the household can result in substantial misspecification biases. Ignoring substitution, we estimate fuel price elasticities of –0.81 and -0.65 for the primary and secondary cars...... efficient car, finding partial support for the underlying hypothesis. More importantly, the results of this extended model emphasize the importance of behavioural differences related to the position of the most fuel efficient car in the household, suggesting that households’ fuel efficiency choices...

Cars, Cycles, and Consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Idleman, Hillis K. Ed.

The purpose of this consumer education module is to provide information and skills, and the ability to raise questions and find answers, while seeking the best automobile or motorcycle buy available for the money. The module may be used for a full or part semester course. The five sections (cars and the consumer, renting and leasing cars, cars and…

A Novel Blind Source Separation Algorithm and Performance Analysis of Weak Signal against Strong Interference in Passive Radar Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chengjie Li

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In Passive Radar System, obtaining the mixed weak object signal against the super power signal (jamming is still a challenging task. In this paper, a novel framework based on Passive Radar System is designed for weak object signal separation. Firstly, we propose an Interference Cancellation algorithm (IC-algorithm to extract the mixed weak object signals from the strong jamming. Then, an improved FastICA algorithm with K-means cluster is designed to separate each weak signal from the mixed weak object signals. At last, we discuss the performance of the proposed method and verify the novel method based on several simulations. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Ortho-aminoazotoluene activates mouse constitutive androstane receptor (mCAR) and increases expression of mCAR target genes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smetanina, Mariya A.; Pakharukova, Mariya Y.; Kurinna, Svitlana M.; Dong, Bingning; Hernandez, Juan P.; Moore, David D.; Merkulova, Tatyana I.

2011-01-01

2'-3-dimethyl-4-aminoazobenzene (ortho-aminoazotoluene, OAT) is an azo dye and a rodent carcinogen that has been evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a possible (class 2B) human carcinogen. Its mechanism of action remains unclear. We examined the role of the xenobiotic receptor Constitutive Androstane Receptor (CAR, NR1I3) as a mediator of the effects of OAT. We found that OAT increases mouse CAR (mCAR) transactivation in a dose-dependent manner. This effect is specific because another closely related azo dye, 3'-methyl-4-dimethyl-aminoazobenzene (3'MeDAB), did not activate mCAR. Real-time Q-PCR analysis in wild-type C57BL/6 mice revealed that OAT induces the hepatic mRNA expression of the following CAR target genes: Cyp2b10, Cyp2c29, Cyp3a11, Ugt1a1, Mrp4, Mrp2 and c-Myc. CAR-null (Car -/- ) mice showed no increased expression of these genes following OAT treatment, demonstrating that CAR is required for their OAT dependent induction. The OAT-induced CAR-dependent increase of Cyp2b10 and c-Myc expression was confirmed by Western blotting. Immunohistochemistry analysis of wild-type and Car -/- livers showed that OAT did not acutely induce hepatocyte proliferation, but at much later time points showed an unexpected CAR-dependent proliferative response. These studies demonstrate that mCAR is an OAT xenosensor, and indicate that at least some of the biological effects of this compound are mediated by this nuclear receptor. - Highlights: → The azo dye and mouse carcinogen OAT is a very effective mCAR activator. → OAT increases mCAR transactivation in a dose-dependent manner. → OAT CAR-dependently increases the expression of a specific subset of CAR target genes. → OAT induces an unexpectedly deferred, but CAR-dependent hepatocyte proliferation.

The importance of high vehicle power for passenger car emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Carslaw, David C.; Williams, Martin L.; Tate, James E.; Beevers, Sean D.

2013-04-01

In this paper we use a quantile regression technique to explore the emissions characteristics of petrol and diesel passenger cars to reveal the importance of high vehicle power on exhaust emissions. A large database of ≈67,000 passenger cars from vehicle emission remote sensing data was used from surveys from several campaigns around the UK. Most previous remote sensing studies have focused on presenting mean emission estimates by vehicle type over time. However, as shown in the current work, considerably more insight can be gained into vehicle emission characteristics if techniques are used that can describe and model the full distribution of vehicle emissions as a function of important explanatory variables. For post-2000 model year (Euro 3-5) diesel cars it is shown that there is a strong dependence of vehicle specific power for emissions of NOx that was absent in earlier models and is absent for other pollutants such as CO, hydrocarbons and 'smoke'. Furthermore, we also find a stronger dependence on vehicle specific power for older catalyst-equipped petrol vehicles (Euro 1/2) on emissions of NOx that is less important for other emissions such as CO and hydrocarbons. Moreover, it is shown that while the rated maximum power output of petrol cars has remained almost constant over the past 15-20 years, the power output from diesel cars has increased markedly by about 50%. These results suggest that changes to vehicle technology, driving conditions and driver behaviour have become more important determinants of passenger car NOx emissions in recent years and may help explain why urban ambient concentrations of NOx have not decreased as much as anticipated.

Modelling and optimization of car-to-car compatibility - Modellierung und optimierung von pkw-pkw-kompatibilität

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mooi, H.G.; Nastic, T.; Huibers, J.H.A.M.

1999-01-01

In this paper simple and more detailed MADYMO multibody models were used to simulate the car structure for improving the car-to-car compatibility of the whole car fleet. As a first step, survey studies were performed to develop a method for the optimization of car design with respect to frontal and

Car Covers | Outdoor Covers Canada

OpenAIRE

Covers, Outdoor

2018-01-01

Protect your car from the elements with Ultimate Touch Car Cover. The multi-layer non-woven fabric is soft on the finish and offers 4 seasons all weather protection.https://outdoorcovers.ca/car-covers/

VIBROACOUSTIC DIAGNOSING OF DISTURBANCES IN THE CAR IGNITION SYSTEM BY AMPLITUDE ESTIMATES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotr CZECH

2014-06-01

Full Text Available An important issue in vibroacoustic examination of engines is a correct interpretation of complex measured signals by applying property methods of their processing. The main tasks in diagnostics include: separation of a useful vibroacoustic signal and selection of characteristic, damage-sensitive features of the processed signal. The paper presents an attempt of detecting disturbances in the ignition system by measuring vibrations and noise. The object of the tests was a four-cylinder engine of a Volkswagen Polo car with swept capacity 1,0 dm3, adjusted to alternative power supply with the use of LPG gas fuel

Nanobody Based Dual Specific CARs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stijn De Munter

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Recent clinical trials have shown that adoptive chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T cell therapy is a very potent and possibly curative option in the treatment of B cell leukemias and lymphomas. However, targeting a single antigen may not be sufficient, and relapse due to the emergence of antigen negative leukemic cells may occur. A potential strategy to counter the outgrowth of antigen escape variants is to broaden the specificity of the CAR by incorporation of multiple antigen recognition domains in tandem. As a proof of concept, we here describe a bispecific CAR in which the single chain variable fragment (scFv is replaced by a tandem of two single-antibody domains or nanobodies (nanoCAR. High membrane nanoCAR expression levels are observed in retrovirally transduced T cells. NanoCARs specific for CD20 and HER2 induce T cell activation, cytokine production and tumor lysis upon incubation with transgenic Jurkat cells expressing either antigen or both antigens simultaneously. The use of nanobody technology allows for the production of compact CARs with dual specificity and predefined affinity.

Nanobody Based Dual Specific CARs.

Science.gov (United States)

De Munter, Stijn; Ingels, Joline; Goetgeluk, Glenn; Bonte, Sarah; Pille, Melissa; Weening, Karin; Kerre, Tessa; Abken, Hinrich; Vandekerckhove, Bart

2018-01-30

Recent clinical trials have shown that adoptive chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is a very potent and possibly curative option in the treatment of B cell leukemias and lymphomas. However, targeting a single antigen may not be sufficient, and relapse due to the emergence of antigen negative leukemic cells may occur. A potential strategy to counter the outgrowth of antigen escape variants is to broaden the specificity of the CAR by incorporation of multiple antigen recognition domains in tandem. As a proof of concept, we here describe a bispecific CAR in which the single chain variable fragment (scFv) is replaced by a tandem of two single-antibody domains or nanobodies (nanoCAR). High membrane nanoCAR expression levels are observed in retrovirally transduced T cells. NanoCARs specific for CD20 and HER2 induce T cell activation, cytokine production and tumor lysis upon incubation with transgenic Jurkat cells expressing either antigen or both antigens simultaneously. The use of nanobody technology allows for the production of compact CARs with dual specificity and predefined affinity.

A dynamical model of car-following with the consideration of the multiple information of preceding cars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, G.H.; Sun, D.H.

2010-01-01

An improved multiple car-following (MCF) model is proposed, based on the full velocity difference (FVD) model, but taking into consideration multiple information inputs from preceding vehicles. The linear stability condition of the model is obtained by using the linear stability theory. Through nonlinear analysis, the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation is derived to describe the traffic behavior near the critical point. Numerical simulation shows that the proposed model is theoretically an improvement over others, while retaining many strong points in the previous ones by adjusting the information of the multiple leading vehicles.

External exposure dose of car mechanics during the maintenance of the cars from the risk cautionary area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawakami, Hiroto; Yamada, Norikazu; Sasaki, Satoru; Kawasaki, Satoru

2011-12-01

At the request of the Local Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters, JNES has estimated the effective external exposure dose of car mechanics during the maintenance of the cars from the risk cautionary area. JNES investigated the contamination of the cars from the risk cautionary area and of the average cars at Fukushima city cooperated by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association. Data of screed cars by the Local Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters is also considered in. Effective external exposure dose of car mechanics treating the cars screened with the emergency situation screening level is estimated to be less than 1 mSv/y under the conservative conditions. This result shows that particular health concern isn't necessary for them. (author)

Secondhand smoke in cars: assessing children's potential exposure during typical journey conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Semple, Sean; Apsley, Andrew; Galea, Karen S; MacCalman, Laura; Friel, Brenda; Snelgrove, Vicki

2012-11-01

To measure levels of fine particulate matter in the rear passenger area of cars where smoking does and does not take place during typical real-life car journeys. Fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) was used as a marker of secondhand smoke and was measured and logged every minute of each car journey undertaken by smoking and non-smoking study participants. The monitoring instrument was located at breathing zone height in the rear seating area of each car. Participants were asked to carry out their normal driving and smoking behaviours over a 3-day period. 17 subjects (14 smokers) completed a total of 104 journeys (63 smoking journeys). Journeys averaged 27 min (range 5-70 min). PM(2.5) levels averaged 85 and 7.4 μg/m(3) during smoking and non-smoking car journeys, respectively. During smoking journeys, peak PM(2.5) concentrations averaged 385 μg/m(3), with one journey measuring over 880 μg/m(3). PM(2.5) concentrations were strongly linked to rate of smoking (cigarettes per minute). Use of forced ventilation and opening of car windows were very common during smoking journeys, but PM(2.5) concentrations were still found to exceed WHO indoor air quality guidance (25 μg/m(3)) at some point in the measurement period during all smoking journeys. PM(2.5) concentrations in cars where smoking takes place are high and greatly exceed international indoor air quality guidance values. Children exposed to these levels of fine particulate are likely to suffer ill-health effects. There are increasing numbers of countries legislating against smoking in cars and such measures may be appropriate to prevent the exposure of children to these high levels of secondhand smoke.

49 CFR 215.121 - Defective car body.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Defective car body. 215.121 Section 215.121..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components Car Bodies § 215.121 Defective car body. A railroad may not place or continue in service a car, if: (a) Any portion of...

Engineering CAR-T cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Cheng; Liu, Jun; Zhong, Jiang F; Zhang, Xi

2017-01-01

Chimeric antigen receptor redirected T cells (CAR-T cells) have achieved inspiring outcomes in patients with B cell malignancies, and are now being investigated in other hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. CAR-T cells are generated by the T cells from patients' or donors' blood. After the T cells are expanded and genetically modified, they are reinfused into the patients. However, many challenges still need to be resolved in order for this technology to gain widespread adoption. In this review, we first discuss the structure and evolution of chimeric antigen receptors. We then report on the tools used for production of CAR-T cells. Finally, we address the challenges posed by CAR-T cells.

Car sick.

Science.gov (United States)

Renner, M G

1988-01-01

The automobile is currently seen as the most desirable mode of transportation. However, this view needs to be changed since the proliferation of the automobile worldwide is leading to the poisoning of the environment and people. In the US the number of passenger cars grew 51% between 1971-86 and in the noncommunist industrialized community that figure is 71%. The gasoline and diesel fuel used to power the overwhelming majority of cars creates a variety of problems. The pollution is estimated to have a hidden cost of US $.80/gallon. Others estimate that the pollution causes 30,000 premature deaths annually just in the US. 75% of the carbon monoxide (CO), 48% of nitrogen oxides (NO2), 13% of particulates (P), and 3% of sulfur (S) emissions come from cars in the countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which includes the US, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. 17% of all worldwide carbon dioxide (CO2) emission comes from the production and use of fossil fuels for cars. The single biggest problem associated with cars is the photochemical smog they create in urban areas. In 1986 75 million Americans lived in areas that failed to meet national air quality standards for CO, P, and ozone (03). The only area of major improvement has been the removal of lead from gasoline. It was known to cause problems from the beginning of its use in the 1920s, but remained for 50 years because of auto and oil company pressure. Ground 03 is estimated by the US government to cost US $4 billion in annual losses, just for corn, wheat, soybeans, and peanuts. Acid rain is the other major problem associated with cars, and its damage is estimated at US $5 billion annually. Both these problems are shortterm, their effects occur immediately; the longterm disadvantage is the build up of CO2 and its contribution to the greenhouse effect. While the US is at the forefront of regulation and many other countries are modeling their emission

Development of RaRaII solar car. Solar car RaRaII no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohashi, M [Toyota Motor Corp., Aichi (Japan)

1991-05-31

A solar car was developed to be able to travel, by utilizing solar energy, as a guiding car for the marathon race in the public road. That car is 210kg in weight, 1 in number of riding persons and 4.8m in smallest rotating radius. Its traveling performance is 44km h in highest speed, 10{degree} in hill-climbing ability and 0.6m s{sup 2} in acceleration. Those principal particulars satisfied the required condition of guiding car for the marathon race. That car was equipped with a polycrystalline silicon type solar cell, 6m{sup 2} in area to generate 870Wp power. A silver oxide-zinc battery, used as a secondary battery to secure traveling in case of rain, is of a performance to travel twice the marathon race road through. To satisfy the public road traveling in safety standard, that car was equipped with head lamps, wiper, direction winkers, rear-view mirrors, etc. As material of the body, aramid fiber and carbon fiber were adopted for securing the rigidity to cover the lightening in weight. That car, as used at an opportunity of intercollegiate marathon relay race, traveled a distance of about 30km which was its entire public road portion of course. 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Engineering an Affordable Self-Driving Car

KAUST Repository

Budisteanu, Alexandru Ionut

2018-01-01

for affordable self-driving cars and he designed a low-cost self-driving car. The car's roof has cameras and low-resolution 3D LiDAR equipment to detect traffic lanes, other cars, curbs and obstacles, such as people crossing by. To process this dizzying amount

An Extended Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour to Predict the Usage Intention of the Electric Car: A Multi-Group Comparison

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingrid Moons

2015-05-01

Full Text Available An Extended Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour (DTPB is developed that integrates emotions towards car driving and electric cars as well as car driving habits of the DTPB, and is empirically validated in a Belgian sample (n = 1023. Multi-group comparisons explore how the determinants of usage intention are different between groups of consumers differing in environmentally-friendly behaviour, environmental concern, innovativeness and personal values. Besides attitudes, media, perceived complexity, compatibility and relative advantage, emotions towards the electric car and reflective emotions towards car driving have a strong effect on usage intention. Car driving habits and perceived behavioural control (facilitators and constraints do not substantially affect usage intention. Only people differing in personal values show a different motivational structure for a number of important drivers of usage intention.

49 CFR 215.203 - Restricted cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Restricted cars. 215.203 Section 215.203..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Restricted Equipment § 215.203 Restricted cars. (a) This section restricts the operation of any railroad freight car that is— (1) More than 50...

Our Car as Power Plant

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Wijk, A.J.M.; Verhoef, L.

2014-01-01

Fuel cell cars can provide more efficient and cleaner transportation. However, we use our cars for transportation only 5% of the time. When parked, the fuel cell in the car can produce electricity from hydrogen, which is cleaner and more efficient than the current electricity system, generating

Enhanced stability of car-following model upon incorporation of short-term driving memory

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Da-Wei; Shi, Zhong-Ke; Ai, Wen-Huan

2017-06-01

Based on the full velocity difference model, a new car-following model is developed to investigate the effect of short-term driving memory on traffic flow in this paper. Short-term driving memory is introduced as the influence factor of driver's anticipation behavior. The stability condition of the newly developed model is derived and the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation is constructed to describe the traffic behavior near the critical point. Via numerical method, evolution of a small perturbation is investigated firstly. The results show that the improvement of this new car-following model over the previous ones lies in the fact that the new model can improve the traffic stability. Starting and breaking processes of vehicles in the signalized intersection are also investigated. The numerical simulations illustrate that the new model can successfully describe the driver's anticipation behavior, and that the efficiency and safety of the vehicles passing through the signalized intersection are improved by considering short-term driving memory.

Driving CAR T-cells forward

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Hollie J.; Rafiq, Sarwish; Brentjens, Renier J.

2017-01-01

The engineered expression of chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on the surface of T cells enables the redirection of T-cell specificity. Early clinical trials using CAR T cells for the treatment of patients with cancer showed modest results, but the impressive outcomes of several trials of CD19-targeted CAR T cells in the treatment of patients with B-cell malignancies have generated an increased enthusiasm for this approach. Important lessons have been derived from clinical trials of CD19-specific CAR T cells, and ongoing clinical trials are testing CAR designs directed at novel targets involved in haematological and solid malignancies. In this Review, we discuss these trials and present strategies that can increase the antitumour efficacy and safety of CAR T-cell therapy. Given the fast-moving nature of this field, we only discuss studies with direct translational application currently or soon-to-be tested in the clinical setting. PMID:27000958

Substitution between cars within the household

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Borger, Bruno; Mulalic, Ismir; Rouwendal, Jan

The purpose of this paper is to study to what extent two-car households substitute the use of their less fuel efficient car by the use of their more fuel efficient car after an increase in fuel prices. Based on a simple theoretical framework we use a large sample of detailed Danish data on two-car...... households to estimate, for each car owned by the household, own and cross-price effects of increases in fuel costs per kilometer. The empirical results point at important substitution effects, so that models that estimate responses to fuel prices on the implicit or explicit assumption of one car per...

49 CFR 174.615 - Cleaning cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cleaning cars. 174.615 Section 174.615... Requirements for Division 6.1 (Poisonous) Materials § 174.615 Cleaning cars. (a) [Reserved] (b) After Division 6.1 (poisonous) materials are unloaded from a rail car, that car must be thoroughly cleaned unless...

Cycling environmental perception in Beijing – A study of residents' attitudes towards future cycling and car purchasing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhao, Chunli; Nielsen, Thomas Alexander Sick; Olafsson, Anton Stahl

2018-01-01

distances up to 2 km are positively linked to future cycling prospects. Non-car owners' attitude to future car ownership is strongly linked to socio-demographic status - low education and low income level groups seems to be most unlikely to take up driving in the future. To encourage people to cycle more...... and drive less, policy should direct efforts to promoting the clarity of cycling space on the street and strengthen pro-cycling policies. Attention should also be given to stabilizing the current travel modes of non-car users, including promoting the image of cycling, improving the service of walking...

The sustainable car company - or the comeback of the electric car

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sticher, Georg; Rizoulis, Dimitrios [The Boston Consulting Group, Muenchen (Germany)

2008-07-01

Every day there are article published about the future of propulsion technology. Opinions are diverging: 'We'll sell nothing but hybrids by 2020' says one automotive executive; whereas for another power train executive ''Hybrids are a violation of physics'. The topic has moved beyond specialized automotive magazines and is strongly emotionalized: Hollywood stars appear driving hybrid vehicles and a documentary film charges the automotive industry as guilty for conspiring against and 'killing the electric car'. Those emotional discussions are largely driven by the announcement of many new vehicles powered by hybrid-electric power trains, fuel cells or batteries. The public is overwhelmed by announcements and can hardly tell concept vehicles from production announcements apart. One core aspect of sustainability is the reduction of CO2 emissions and the increase of vehicle efficiency. The electrification of the vehicle will have to be an integral part of every OEMs and suppliers' portfolio. But without adequate incentives of consumers to purchase the cars and of utilities and/or private investors to provide the necessary infrastructure, the emergence of the electric vehicle may be off to another false start. We do want to offer a structured, multi-stakeholder view in an attempt to de-mystify this rather complex topic. To this, we will present facts on what drives the need for change in the propulsion systems market, what are the viable technological options, what market scenario is likely for 2020 and what does this entail for the major stakeholders. (orig.)

Proton - Malaysia's national car project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fleming, Daniel; Søborg, Henrik

2017-01-01

The rise and development of the Malaysian national car project. How this project has become an esential part of the industrial development in Malaysia and how it has underpinned a growing middle class consumption culture with house and car as it pivotal goods.......The rise and development of the Malaysian national car project. How this project has become an esential part of the industrial development in Malaysia and how it has underpinned a growing middle class consumption culture with house and car as it pivotal goods....

Demand for mini cars and large cars; decay effects, and gasoline demand in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonilla, David; Schmitz, Klaus E.; Akisawa, Atsushi

2012-01-01

This article explains why: (a) consumers underinvest in new car fuel economy by opting to buy large vehicles; (b) macro shifts in vehicle classes have occurred in the last decades; and how (c) the effects of vehicle fuel economy and shifts in vehicle type influence the growth path of gasoline demand, which is the key to designing effective energy efficiency goals for transport. From 2008, 1.9 EXJ (Exajoules) of energy were consumed in Japan by private vehicles producing 124 MtCO 2 emissions. For the period 1980 to 2008, we estimated: (1) gasoline demand for three vehicle sizes; (2) vehicle sales; (3) new car fuel economy changes (the ‘real’ technical change); and (4) vehicle stocks. Using a data sample for 1980–2008 we found that: (a) in the short term consumers buy fuel economy, that is sales of mini and small cars increase, but this is not sustained in the long term: and (b) consumers increasingly traded in their cars for larger cars. A further finding was that gasoline demand is projected to increase to 2.3 EXJ by 2035, even with a growing number of mini cars. The policy implication is clear: Japan’s policy to reduce oil dependency to 80% by 2030 is in peril as long as buyers prefer larger cars and drive ever longer distances.

Are weeds hitchhiking a ride on your car? A systematic review of seed dispersal on cars.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Ansong

Full Text Available When traveling in cars, we can unintentionally carry and disperse weed seed; but which species, and where are they a problem? To answer these questions, we systematically searched the scientific literature to identify all original research studies that assess seed transported by cars and listed the species with seed on/in cars. From the 13 studies that fit these criteria, we found 626 species from 75 families that have seed that can be dispersed by cars. Of these, 599 are listed as weeds in some part of the world, with 439 listed as invasive or naturalized alien species in one or more European countries, 248 are invasive/noxious weeds in North America, 370 are naturalized alien species in Australia, 167 are alien species in India, 77 are invasive species in China and 23 are declared weeds/invaders in South Africa. One hundred and one are classified as internationally important environmental weeds. Although most (487 were only recorded once, some species such as Chenopodium album, Poa pratensis and Trifolium repens were common among studies. Perennial graminoids seem to be favoured over annual graminoids while annual forbs are favoured over perennial forbs. Species characteristics including seed size and morphology and where the plants grew affected the probability that their seed was transported by cars. Seeds can be found in many different places on cars including under the chassis, front and rear bumpers, wheel wells and rims, front and back mudguards, wheel arches, tyres and on interior floor mats. With increasing numbers of cars and expanding road networks in many regions, these results highlight the importance of cars as a dispersal mechanism, and how it may favour invasions by some species over others. Strategies to reduce the risk of seed dispersal by cars include reducing seed on cars by mowing road verges and cleaning cars.

SODA-IIoT4ConnectedCars: Spread updates between cars with limited Internet access

OpenAIRE

Boudguiga , Aymen; Quesnel , Flavien; Bouzerna , Nabil

2017-01-01

International audience; A blockchain infrastructure, combined with cryptographic signatures, can improve availability and accountability for the deployment of IoT updates.However, cars with limited or intermittent Internet access may have difficulties in downloading full updates fromthe blockchain. Therefore, we allow cars that successfully downloaded updates to share them with other cars by means of a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) mechanism.

GLYCAN-DIRECTED CAR-T CELLS.

Science.gov (United States)

Steentoft, Catharina; Migliorini, Denis; King, Tiffany R; Mandel, Ulla; June, Carl H; Posey, Avery D

2018-01-23

Cancer immunotherapy is rapidly advancing in the treatment of a variety of hematopoietic cancers, including pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia and diffuse large B cell lymphoma, with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells. CARs are genetically encoded artificial T cell receptors that combine the antigen specificity of an antibody with the machinery of T cell activation. However, implementation of CAR technology in the treatment of solid tumors has been progressing much slower. Solid tumors are characterized by a number of challenges that need to be overcome, including cellular heterogeneity, immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), and, in particular, few known cancer-specific targets. Post-translational modifications that differentially occur in malignant cells generate valid cell surface, cancer-specific targets for CAR-T cells. We previously demonstrated that CAR-T cells targeting an aberrant O-glycosylation of MUC1, a common cancer marker associated with changes in cell adhesion, tumor growth, and poor prognosis, could control malignant growth in mouse models. Here, we discuss the field of glycan-directed CAR-T cells and review the different classes of antibodies specific for glycan-targeting, including the generation of high affinity O-glycopeptide antibodies. Finally, we discuss historic and recently investigated glycan targets for CAR-T cells and provide our perspective on how targeting the tumor glycoproteome and/or glycome will improve CAR-T immunotherapy. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

49 CFR 231.6 - Flat cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Flat cars. 231.6 Section 231.6 Transportation... TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD SAFETY APPLIANCE STANDARDS § 231.6 Flat cars. (Cars with sides 12 inches or less above the floor may be equipped the same as flat cars.) (a) Hand brakes—(1) Number. Same as specified for...

Engineering an Affordable Self-Driving Car

KAUST Repository

Budisteanu, Alexandru Ionut

2018-01-17

"More than a million people die in car accidents each year, and most of those accidents are the result of human errorﾔ Alexandru Budisteanu is 23 years old and owns a group of startups including Autonomix, an Artificial Intelligence software for affordable self-driving cars and he designed a low-cost self-driving car. The car\\'s roof has cameras and low-resolution 3D LiDAR equipment to detect traffic lanes, other cars, curbs and obstacles, such as people crossing by. To process this dizzying amount of data, Alexandru employed Artificial Intelligence algorithms to extract information from the visual data and plot a safe route for the car. Then, he built a manufacturing facility in his garage from Romania to assembly affordable VisionBot Pick and Place robots that are used to produce electronics. During this lecture, Alexandru will talk about this autonomous self-driving car prototype, for which he received the grand prize of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and was nominated by TIME magazine as one of the worldﾒs most influential teens of 2013.

CAR-T cells are serial killers.

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, Alexander J; Jenkins, Misty R; Ritchie, David S; Prince, H Miles; Trapani, Joseph A; Kershaw, Michael H; Darcy, Phillip K; Neeson, Paul J

2015-12-01

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have enjoyed unprecedented clinical success against haematological malignancies in recent years. However, several aspects of CAR T cell biology remain unknown. We recently compared CAR and T cell receptor (TCR)-based killing in the same effector cell and showed that CAR T cells can not only efficiently kill single tumor targets, they can also kill multiple tumor targets in a sequential manner. Single and serial killing events were not sustained long term due to CAR down-regulation after 20 hours.

Art Cars: Transformations of the Mundane

Science.gov (United States)

Stienecker, Dawn

2010-01-01

The automobile itself is often understood as an extension of oneself, where individuals may manipulate the interior and exterior of cars and trucks, decorating them through detailing, stickers, custom colors, and so on. Others go further and change their cars into unique works of art called art cars. Such cars break away from the banality of mass…

Substitution between cars within the household

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

De Borger, Bruno; Mulalic, Ismir; Rouwendal, Jan

2016-01-01

In this paper we study the demand for car kilometres in two-car households, focusing on the substitution between cars of different fuel efficiency in response to fuel price changes. We use a large sample of detailed Danish data on two-car households to estimate – for each car owned by the household...... – own and cross-price effects of increases in fuel costs per kilometre. The empirical results show that failure to capture substitution between cars within the household can result in substantial misspecification biases. Ignoring substitution, the basic model yielded fuel price elasticities of 0.......98 and 1.41 for the primary and secondary cars, respectively. Accounting for substitution effects, these figures reduce to, respectively, 0.32 and 0.45. Consistent with substitution behaviour, we find that the fuel price elasticity of fuel demand exceeds the elasticity of kilometre demands with respect...

Cloning and characterization of a novel NAC family gene CarNAC1 from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Hui; Yu, Xingwang; Cheng, Huiying; Shi, Qinghua; Zhang, Hua; Li, Jiangui; Ma, Hao

2010-01-01

The plant-specific NAC (for NAM, ATAF1,2 and CUC2) proteins have been found to play important roles in plant development and stress responses. In this study, a NAC gene CarNAC1 (for Cicer arietinum L. NAC gene 1) was isolated from a cDNA library constructed with chickpea seedling leaves treated by polyethylene glycol. CarNAC1 encoded a putative protein with 239 amino acids and contained 3 exons and 2 introns within genomic DNA sequence. CarNAC1 had a conserved NAC domain in the N-terminus and the CarNAC1:GFP (green fluorescent protein) fusion protein was localized in the nucleus of onion epidermal cells. Additionally, CarNAC1 exhibited the trans-activation activity which was mapped to the C-terminus. The CarNAC1 transcript was detected in many chickpea organs including seedling leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and young pods, but less accumulated in young seeds. CarNAC1 was induced by leaf age and showed changes in expression during seed development and germination. Furthermore, the expression of CarNAC1 was strongly induced by drought, salt, cold, wounding, H(2)O(2), ethephon, salicylic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and gibberellin. Our results suggest that CarNAC1 encodes a novel NAC-domain protein and may be a transcriptional activator involved in plant development and various stress responses.

Identification and characterization of a LEA family gene CarLEA4 from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Hanyan; Jia, Yuying; Wang, Xiansheng; Chen, Quanjia; Shi, Shubing; Ma, Lin; Zhang, Jusong; Zhang, Hua; Ma, Hao

2012-04-01

Late-embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins have been reported to be closely correlated with the acquisition of desiccation tolerance during seed development and response of plant to drought, salinity, and freezing, etc. In this study, a LEA gene, CarLEA4 (GenBank accession no. GU247511), was isolated from chickpea based on a cDNA library constructed with chickpea seedling leaves treated by polyethylene glycol (PEG). CarLEA4 contained two exons and one intron within genomic DNA sequence and encoded a putative polypeptide of 152 amino acids. CarLEA4 had a conserved pfam domain, and showed high similarity to the group 4 LEA proteins in secondary structure. It was localized in the nucleus. The transcripts of CarLEA4 were detected in many chickpea organs including seedling leaves, stems, roots, flowers, young pods, and young seeds. CarLEA4 was inhibited by leaf age and showed expression changes in expression during seed development, pod development and germination. Furthermore, the expression of CarLEA4 was strongly induced by drought, salt, heat, cold, ABA, IAA, GA(3) and MeJA. Our results suggest that CarLEA4 encodes a protein of LEA group 4 and may be involved in various plant developmental processes and abiotic stress responses.

49 CFR 238.311 - Single car test.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Single car test. 238.311 Section 238.311... Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment § 238.311 Single car test. (a) Except for self-propelled passenger cars, single car tests of all passenger cars and all unpowered vehicles used in passenger trains shall...

Clinical trials of CAR-T cells in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bingshan; Song, Yongping; Liu, Delong

2017-10-23

Novel immunotherapeutic agents targeting tumor-site microenvironment are revolutionizing cancer therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells are widely studied for cancer immunotherapy. CD19-specific CAR-T cells, tisagenlecleucel, have been recently approved for clinical application. Ongoing clinical trials are testing CAR designs directed at novel targets involved in hematological and solid malignancies. In addition to trials of single-target CAR-T cells, simultaneous and sequential CAR-T cells are being studied for clinical applications. Multi-target CAR-engineered T cells are also entering clinical trials. T cell receptor-engineered CAR-T and universal CAR-T cells represent new frontiers in CAR-T cell development. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of CAR constructs and registered clinical trials of CAR-T cells in China and provided a quick glimpse of the landscape of CAR-T studies in China.

Development of dual-broadband rotational CARS for combustion diagnostics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bood, Joakim

2000-06-01

The present thesis concerns development and application of dual-broadband rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (DB-RCARS) for temperature and species concentration measurements in combustion processes. Both fundamental development of the technique, including experimental as well as modelling results, and measurements in practical combustion devices were conducted. A code for calculation of rotational CARS spectra of pure acetylene as well as mixtures of acetylene and nitrogen was developed. Using this code, temperatures and relative acetylene to nitrogen concentrations were evaluated from DB-RCARS measurements in pure acetylene and different acetylene/nitrogen mixtures. Moreover, rotational CARS spectra of dimethyl-ether (DME) have been analyzed. A powerful tool for simultaneous temperature and multiple species concentration measurements was developed by combining rotational CARS with vibrational CARS. The concept was demonstrated for measurements of temperature, oxygen, and carbon monoxide concentrations simultaneously in a premixed sooting ethene/air flame. Rotational CARS spectra of nitrogen at very high pressures (0.1-44 MPa) at room temperature were investigated. The experimental spectra were compared with calculated spectra using different Raman linewidth models. The results indicate some shortcomings in the present model, basically the density calculation and neglecting overlapping effects between adjacent spectral lines. A new method for CARS measurements in several spatially separated points simultaneously was developed. By using DB-RCARS the method was demonstrated for quantitative measurements of profiles of temperatures and oxygen concentrations. An atomic filter for rejection of stray light was developed. The filter was shown to efficiently reject stray light from the narrowband laser without affecting the shape of the rotational CARS spectrum or causing any signal losses. Within an interdisciplinary project intended to increase the

CAR-T cells and combination therapies: What's next in the immunotherapy revolution?

Science.gov (United States)

Ramello, Maria C; Haura, Eric B; Abate-Daga, Daniel

2018-03-01

Cancer immunotherapies are dramatically reshaping the clinical management of oncologic patients. For many of these therapies, the guidelines for administration, monitoring, and management of associated toxicities are still being established. This is especially relevant for adoptively transferred, genetically-modified T cells, which have unique pharmacokinetic properties, due to their ability to replicate and persist long-term, following a single administration. Furthermore, in the case of CAR-T cells, the use of synthetic immune receptors may impact signaling pathways involved in T cell function and survival in unexpected ways. We, herein, comment on the most salient aspects of CAR-T cell design and clinical experience in the treatment of solid tumors. In addition, we discuss different possible scenarios for combinations of CAR-T cells and other treatment modalities, with a special emphasis on kinase inhibitors, elaborating on the strategies to maximize synergism. Finally, we discuss some of the technologies that are available to explore the molecular events governing the success of these therapies. The young fields of synthetic and systems biology are likely to be major players in the advancement of CAR-T cell therapies, providing the tools and the knowledge to engineer patients' T lymphocytes into intelligent cancer-fighting micromachines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Autonomous and nonautonomous regulation of axis formation by antagonistic signaling via 7-span cAMP receptors and GSK3 in Dictyostelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Ginsburg, G T; Kimmel, A R

1997-08-15

Early during Dictyostelium development a fundamental cell-fate decision establishes the anteroposterior (prestalk/prespore) axis. Signaling via the 7-transmembrane cAMP receptor CAR4 is essential for creating and maintaining a normal pattern; car4-null alleles have decreased levels of prestalk-specific mRNAs but enhanced expression of prespore genes. car4- cells produce all of the signals required for prestalk differentiation but lack an extracellular factor necessary for prespore differentiation of wild-type cells. This secreted factor decreases the sensitivity of prespore cells to inhibition by the prestalk morphogen DIF-1. At the cell autonomous level, CAR4 is linked to intracellular circuits that activate prestalk but inhibit prespore differentiation. The autonomous action of CAR4 is antagonistic to the positive intracellular signals mediated by another cAMP receptor, CAR1 and/or CAR3. Additional data indicate that these CAR-mediated pathways converge at the serine/threonine protein kinase GSK3, suggesting that the anterior (prestalk)/posterior (prespore) axis of Dictyostelium is regulated by an ancient mechanism that is shared by the Wnt/Fz circuits for dorsoventral patterning during early Xenopus development and establishing Drosophila segment polarity.

Clinical trials of CAR-T cells in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bingshan Liu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Novel immunotherapeutic agents targeting tumor-site microenvironment are revolutionizing cancer therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-engineered T cells are widely studied for cancer immunotherapy. CD19-specific CAR-T cells, tisagenlecleucel, have been recently approved for clinical application. Ongoing clinical trials are testing CAR designs directed at novel targets involved in hematological and solid malignancies. In addition to trials of single-target CAR-T cells, simultaneous and sequential CAR-T cells are being studied for clinical applications. Multi-target CAR-engineered T cells are also entering clinical trials. T cell receptor-engineered CAR-T and universal CAR-T cells represent new frontiers in CAR-T cell development. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of CAR constructs and registered clinical trials of CAR-T cells in China and provided a quick glimpse of the landscape of CAR-T studies in China.

Nuclear Car Wash sensitivity in varying thicknesses of wood and steel cargo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Church, J; Slaughter, D; Asztalos, S; Biltoft, P; Descalle, M; Hall, J; Manatt, D; Mauger, J; Norman, E; Petersen, D; Prussin, S

2006-01-01

The influence of incident neutron attenuation on signal strengths in the Nuclear Car Wash has been observed experimentally for both wood and steel-pipe mock cargos. Measured decay curves are presented for β-delayed high-energy γ-rays and thermalized neutrons following neutron-induced fission of HEU through varying irradiation lengths. Error rates are extracted for delayed-γ and delayed-n signals integrated to 30 seconds, assuming Gaussian distributions for the active background. The extrapolation to a field system of 1 mA deuterium current and to a 5 kg sample size is discussed

Resonance Polarization and Phase-Mismatched CARS of Pheophytin b Excited in the Qy Band

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Boeij, W.P.; Lucassen, G.W.; Lucassen, Gerald; Otto, Cornelis; Greve, Jan

1993-01-01

Resonance polarization and phase-mismatched coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) measurements were performed on pheophytin b dissolved in acetone excited in the Qy absorption band, where strong broad fluorescence makes spontaneous Raman spectroscopy impossible. The phase-mismatching

Car-borne gamma spectrometry: a virtual exercise in emergency response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dowdall, M.; Smethurst, M.A.; Watson, R.

2012-01-01

experience in the field however are limited by cost considerations and practicability. These limitations are exacerbated by the fact that field data can differ significantly from data generated in the laboratory. As a means of exercising existing emergency measuring/surveying capability and introducing car......-borne measurements to a larger group, a virtual exercise was devised. The exercise ORPEX (Orphan Sources and Fresh Fallout Virtual Exercise in Mobile Measurement) featured two typical emergency scenarios: a search for orphan sources and surveying to delineate fallout from a local release point. Synthetic spectral...... a local fire involving radioactive material were added to real car-borne data, participants being asked to produce maps identifying and characterising the regions of contamination. Fourteen individual organisations from seven different countries supplied results which indicated that for strong sources...

AAP Updates Recommendations on Car Seats

Science.gov (United States)

... Size Email Print Share AAP Updates Recommendations on Car Seats Page Content Article Body Children should ride ... of approved car safety seats. Healthy Children Radio: Car Seat Safety Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, lead author ...

In Vivo Expansion and Antitumor Activity of Coinfused CD28- and 4-1BB-Engineered CAR-T Cells in Patients with B Cell Leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Zhi; Wei, Runhong; Ma, Qiuling; Shi, Lin; He, Feng; Shi, Zixiao; Jin, Tao; Xie, Ronglin; Wei, Baofeng; Chen, Jing; Fang, Hongliang; Han, Xiaolu; Rohrs, Jennifer A; Bryson, Paul; Liu, Yarong; Li, Qi-Jing; Zhu, Bo; Wang, Pin

2018-04-04

Several recent clinical trials have successfully incorporated a costimulatory domain derived from either CD28 or 4-1BB with the original CD3ζ T cell activating domain to form second-generation chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that can increase the responsiveness and survival of CAR-engineered T (CAR-T) cells. However, a rigorous assessment of the individual benefits of these costimulatory components relative to the in vivo performance of infused T cells in patients is still lacking. Therefore, we have designed a study that allows us to investigate and compare the impact of different costimulatory signal domains on CAR-T cells in vivo. Patients with B cell leukemia were infused with a mixture of two types of CD19-specific CAR-T cells, individually bearing CD28 (28ζ) and 4-1BB (BBζ) costimulatory signaling domains. We found that such a clinical procedure was feasible and safe. Complete remission (CR) was observed in five of seven enrolled patients, with two patients exhibiting durable CR lasting more than 15 months. The in vivo expansion pattern of 28ζ and BBζ CAR-T cells varied significantly among individual patients. These results confirm a feasible method of comparing different CAR designs within individual patients, potentially offering objective insights that may facilitate the development of optimal CAR-T cell-based immunotherapies. Copyright © 2018 The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seatbelts in CAR therapy: How Safe Are CARS?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kentaro Minagawa

2015-05-01

Full Text Available T-cells genetically redirected with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR to recognize tumor antigens and kill tumor cells have been infused in several phase 1 clinical trials with success. Due to safety concerns related to on-target/off-tumor effects or cytokine release syndrome, however, strategies to prevent or abate serious adverse events are required. Pharmacologic therapies; suicide genes; or novel strategies to limit the cytotoxic effect only to malignant cells are under active investigations. In this review, we summarize results and toxicities of investigations employing CAR redirected T-cells, with a focus on published strategies to grant safety of this promising cellular application.

Gap Acceptance Behavior Model for Non-signalized

OpenAIRE

Fajaruddin Bin Mustakim

2015-01-01

The paper proposes field studies that were performed to determine the critical gap on the multiple rural roadways Malaysia, at non-signalized T-intersection by using The Raff and Logic Method. Critical gap between passenger car and motorcycle have been determined.   There are quite number of studied doing gap acceptance behavior model for passenger car however still few research on gap acceptance behavior model for motorcycle. Thus in this paper, logistic regression models were developed to p...

DOES ELECTRIC CAR PRODUCE EMISSIONS?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimír RIEVAJ

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on the comparison of the amount of emissions produced by vehicles with a combustion engine and electric cars. The comparison, which is based on the LCA factor results, indicates that an electric car produces more emissions than a vehicle with combustion engine. The implementation of electric cars will lead to an increase in the production of greenhouse gases.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified natural killer cell-based immunotherapy and immunological synapse formation in cancer and HIV.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dongfang; Tian, Shuo; Zhang, Kai; Xiong, Wei; Lubaki, Ndongala Michel; Chen, Zhiying; Han, Weidong

2017-12-01

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells contribute to the body's immune defenses. Current chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cell immunotherapy shows strong promise for treating various cancers and infectious diseases. Although CAR-modified NK cell immunotherapy is rapidly gaining attention, its clinical applications are mainly focused on preclinical investigations using the NK92 cell line. Despite recent advances in CAR-modified T cell immunotherapy, cost and severe toxicity have hindered its widespread use. To alleviate these disadvantages of CAR-modified T cell immunotherapy, additional cytotoxic cell-mediated immunotherapies are urgently needed. The unique biology of NK cells allows them to serve as a safe, effective, alternative immunotherapeutic strategy to CAR-modified T cells in the clinic. While the fundamental mechanisms underlying the cytotoxicity and side effects of CAR-modified T and NK cell immunotherapies remain poorly understood, the formation of the immunological synapse (IS) between CAR-modified T or NK cells and their susceptible target cells is known to be essential. The role of the IS in CAR T and NK cell immunotherapies will allow scientists to harness the power of CAR-modified T and NK cells to treat cancer and infectious diseases. In this review, we highlight the potential applications of CAR-modified NK cells to treat cancer and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and discuss the challenges and possible future directions of CAR-modified NK cell immunotherapy, as well as the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms of CAR-modified T cell- or NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and side effects, with a focus on the CAR-modified NK cell IS.

Analysis of luminosity distributions of strong lensing galaxies: subtraction of diffuse lensed signal

Science.gov (United States)

Biernaux, J.; Magain, P.; Hauret, C.

2017-08-01

Context. Strong gravitational lensing gives access to the total mass distribution of galaxies. It can unveil a great deal of information about the lenses' dark matter content when combined with the study of the lenses' light profile. However, gravitational lensing galaxies, by definition, appear surrounded by lensed signal, both point-like and diffuse, that is irrelevant to the lens flux. Therefore, the observer is most often restricted to studying the innermost portions of the galaxy, where classical fitting methods show some instabilities. Aims: We aim at subtracting that lensed signal and at characterising some lenses' light profile by computing their shape parameters (half-light radius, ellipticity, and position angle). Our objective is to evaluate the total integrated flux in an aperture the size of the Einstein ring in order to obtain a robust estimate of the quantity of ordinary (luminous) matter in each system. Methods: We are expanding the work we started in a previous paper that consisted in subtracting point-like lensed images and in independently measuring each shape parameter. We improve it by designing a subtraction of the diffuse lensed signal, based only on one simple hypothesis of symmetry. We apply it to the cases where it proves to be necessary. This extra step improves our study of the shape parameters and we refine it even more by upgrading our half-light radius measurement method. We also calculate the impact of our specific image processing on the error bars. Results: The diffuse lensed signal subtraction makes it possible to study a larger portion of relevant galactic flux, as the radius of the fitting region increases by on average 17%. We retrieve new half-light radii values that are on average 11% smaller than in our previous work, although the uncertainties overlap in most cases. This shows that not taking the diffuse lensed signal into account may lead to a significant overestimate of the half-light radius. We are also able to measure

CAR-mediated repression of Foxo1 transcriptional activity regulates the cell cycle inhibitor p21 in mouse livers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazantseva, Yuliya A.; Yarushkin, Andrei A.; Pustylnyak, Vladimir O.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • CAR activation decreased the level of Foxo1 in mouse livers. • CAR activation decreased the level of p21 in mouse livers. • CAR activation inhibited Foxo1 transcriptional activity in mouse livers. - Abstract: 1,4-Bis[2-(3,5-dichloropyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP), an agonist of constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), is a well-known strong primary chemical mitogen for the mouse liver. Despite extensive investigation of the role of CAR in the regulation of cell proliferation, our knowledge of the intricate mediating mechanism is incomplete. In this study, we demonstrated that long-term CAR activation by TCPOBOP increased liver-to-body weight ratio and decreased tumour suppressor Foxo1 expression and transcriptional activity, which were correlated with reduced expression of genes regulated by Foxo1, including the cell-cycle inhibitor Cdkn1a(p21), and upregulation of the cell-cycle regulator Cyclin D1. Moreover, we demonstrated the negative regulatory effect of TCPOBOP-activated CAR on the association of Foxo1 with the target Foxo1 itself and Cdkn1a(p21) promoters. Thus, we identified CAR-mediated repression of cell cycle inhibitor p21, as mediated by repression of FOXO1 expression and transcriptional activity. CAR-FOXO1 cross-talk may provide new opportunities for understanding liver diseases and developing more effective therapeutic approaches to better drug treatments

Parents smoking in their cars with children present.

Science.gov (United States)

Nabi-Burza, Emara; Regan, Susan; Drehmer, Jeremy; Ossip, Deborah; Rigotti, Nancy; Hipple, Bethany; Dempsey, Janelle; Hall, Nicole; Friebely, Joan; Weiley, Victoria; Winickoff, Jonathan P

2012-12-01

To determine prevalence and factors associated with strictly enforced smoke-free car policies among smoking parents. As part of a cluster, randomized controlled trial addressing parental smoking, exit interviews were conducted with parents whose children were seen in 10 control pediatric practices. Parents who smoked were asked about smoking behaviors in their car and receipt of smoke-free car advice at the visit. Parents were considered to have a "strictly enforced smoke-free car policy" if they reported having a smoke-free car policy and nobody had smoked in their car within the past 3 months. Of 981 smoking parents, 817 (83%) had a car; of these, 795 parents answered questions about their car smoking policy. Of these 795 parents, 29% reported having a smoke-free car policy, and 24% had a strictly enforced smoke-free car policy. Of the 562 parents without a smoke-free car policy, 48% reported that smoking occurred with children present. Few parents who smoke (12%) were advised to have a smoke-free car. Multivariable logistic regression controlling for parent age, gender, education, and race showed that having a younger child and smoking ≤10 cigarettes per day were associated with having a strictly enforced smoke-free car policy. The majority of smoking parents exposed their children to tobacco smoke in cars. Coupled with the finding of low rates of pediatricians addressing smoking in cars, this study highlights the need for improved pediatric interventions, public health campaigns, and policies regarding smoke-free car laws to protect children from tobacco smoke.

Aerodynamics of Race Cars

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Joseph

2006-01-01

Race car performance depends on elements such as the engine, tires, suspension, road, aerodynamics, and of course the driver. In recent years, however, vehicle aerodynamics gained increased attention, mainly due to the utilization of the negative lift (downforce) principle, yielding several important performance improvements. This review briefly explains the significance of the aerodynamic downforce and how it improves race car performance. After this short introduction various methods to generate downforce such as inverted wings, diffusers, and vortex generators are discussed. Due to the complex geometry of these vehicles, the aerodynamic interaction between the various body components is significant, resulting in vortex flows and lifting surface shapes unlike traditional airplane wings. Typical design tools such as wind tunnel testing, computational fluid dynamics, and track testing, and their relevance to race car development, are discussed as well. In spite of the tremendous progress of these design tools (due to better instrumentation, communication, and computational power), the fluid dynamic phenomenon is still highly nonlinear, and predicting the effect of a particular modification is not always trouble free. Several examples covering a wide range of vehicle shapes (e.g., from stock cars to open-wheel race cars) are presented to demonstrate this nonlinear nature of the flow field.

An evaluation of the hybrid car technology for the Mexico Mega City

Science.gov (United States)

Jazcilevich, Aron D.; Reynoso, Agustin Garcia; Grutter, Michel; Delgado, Javier; Ayala, Ulises Diego; Lastra, Manuel Suarez; Zuk, Miriam; Oropeza, Rogelio Gonzalez; Lents, Jim; Davis, Nicole

The introduction of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technology in the private car fleet of Mexico City is evaluated in terms of private costs, energy, public health and CO 2 emission benefits. In addition to constructing plausible scenarios for urban expansion, emission, car fleet, and fuel consumption for year 2026 and comparing them with a 2004 base case, a time series is built to obtain accumulated economic benefits. Experimental techniques were used to build a vehicle library for a car simulator that included a Prius 2002, chosen as the HEV technology representative for this work. The simulator is used to estimate the emissions and fuel consumption of the car fleet scenarios. In the context of an urban scenario for year 2026, a complex air quality model obtains the concentrations of criterion pollutants corresponding to these scenarios. Using a technology penetration model, the hybridized fleet starts unfolding in year 2009 reaching to 20% in 2026. In this year, the hybridized fleet resulted in reductions of about 10% of CO 2 emissions, and yielded reductions in daytime mean concentrations of up to 7% in ozone and 3.4% in PM 2.5 compared to the 2004 base case. These reductions are concentrated in the densely populated areas of Mexico City. By building a time series of costs and benefits it is shown that, depending on fuel prices and using a 5% return rate, positive accumulated benefits (CO 2 benefits + energy benefits + public health benefits - private costs) will start generating in year 2015 reaching between 2.8 and 4.5 billion US Dlls in 2026. Another modernized private fleet consisting exclusively of Tier I and II cars did not yield appreciable results, signaling that a change in private car technology towards HEV's is needed to obtain significant accumulated benefits.

Ground effect aerodynamics of racing cars

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Xin; Toet, Willem; Zerihan, Jonathan

2006-01-01

We review the progress made during the last thirty years on ground effect aerodynamics associated with race cars, in particular open wheel race cars. Ground effect aerodynamics of race cars is concerned with generating downforce, principally via low pressure on the surfaces nearest to the ground. The “ground effected” parts of an open wheeled car's aerodynamics are the most aerodynamically efficient and contribute less drag than that associated with, for example, an upper rear wing. Whilst dr...

49 CFR 210.9 - Movement of a noise defective locomotive, rail car, or consist of a locomotive and rail cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Movement of a noise defective locomotive, rail car, or consist of a locomotive and rail cars. 210.9 Section 210.9 Transportation Other Regulations... locomotive, rail car, or consist of a locomotive and rail cars. A locomotive, rail car, or consist of a...

The kinematic advantage of electric cars

Science.gov (United States)

Meyn, Jan-Peter

2015-11-01

Acceleration of a common car with with a turbocharged diesel engine is compared to the same type with an electric motor in terms of kinematics. Starting from a state of rest, the electric car reaches a distant spot earlier than the diesel car, even though the latter has a better specification for engine power and average acceleration from 0 to 100 km h-1. A three phase model of acceleration as a function of time fits the data of the electric car accurately. The first phase is a quadratic growth of acceleration in time. It is shown that the tenfold higher coefficient for the first phase accounts for most of the kinematic advantage of the electric car.

Active deceleration support in car following

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mulder, M.; Pauwelussen, J.J.A.; Paassen, M.M. van; Mulder, M.; Abbink, D.A.

2010-01-01

A haptic gas pedal feedback system is developed that provides car-following information via haptic cues from the gas pedal. During normal car-following situations, the haptic feedback (HF) cues were sufficient to reduce control activity and improve car-following performance. However, in more

Passenger car fuel consumption survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-03-01

This survey originated from a proposal to monitor the fuel consumption and fuel economy of personal use passenger cars operated in Canada. Its purpose is to establish a data base which would contain information on total distance travelled, total amount of fuel consumed, average distance obtained per unit of fuel, total expenditures on fuel, and seasonal fluctuations in fuel consumption and in distance travelled. Among the needs served by this data base are the monitoring of passenger car fuel economy standards and the estimation of pasenger car fuel requirements in conditions involving fuel shortages. Survey methodology is by telephone interview to trace selected vehicles to the registered owners, at which time a fuel purchase diary is then mailed to the principal driver of the car. The results are tabulated on a quarterly basis and to be released as they become available in bulletins similar to this. Data are presented for each province and the total for Canada is given. During the fourth quarter of 1982, it is estimated that there were 7.3 million personal use passenger cars operated in Canada. These cars were driven 28 billion kilometers and consumed 4.3 billion litres of fuel. Their average litres/100 kilometres and the average fuel consumption was 590 litres. 8 tabs.

CAR SECURITY ENHANCEMENT IN PARKING AREAS

OpenAIRE

NANYONGA BERINDA; AYESIGA LINDSEY PATRA; BYEKWASO FAISAL; NATULINDA LADAN

2017-01-01

Over time, car thefts have been reported within Kampala parking areas. This has been majorly due to inefficient security measures of the available parking systems which focus mainly on the car and not the driver, making parking management a challenge. The focus of this survey was to explore the requirements of a new system called Car to Driver Matching Security System to enhance security of cars in Kampala, in particular, from the experience of 15 people. The data collected was then analyzed ...

30 CFR 57.19079 - Blocking mine cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blocking mine cars. 57.19079 Section 57.19079... Hoisting Procedures § 57.19079 Blocking mine cars. Where mine cars are hoisted by cage or skip, means for blocking cars shall be provided at all landings and also on the cage. ...

30 CFR 56.19079 - Blocking mine cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Blocking mine cars. 56.19079 Section 56.19079... Hoisting Procedures § 56.19079 Blocking mine cars. Where mine cars are hoisted by cage or skip, means for blocking cars shall be provided at all landings and also on the cage. ...

Prediction of future car forms based on historical trends

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bijendra Kumar

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Cars are one of the most important products that affects our daily life. Manufacturers of cars are inclined to know factors that affect the sales of cars and how to influence them. Car is a very competitive product whose technology is already matured. Thus, purchase decisions of a car depend on factors such as, aesthetics, ergonomics, features available and price. Exterior form and colour of a car are the most important factors that influence likeness of the car. We did a case study on car aesthetics (form, colour, shape, and user focus with more than 500 car advertisements over the past 70 years, appearing in various car magazines. Results show that form of cars has changed from sharp to smooth over the years, and white colour cars are becoming more popular. Additionally, car size is becoming smaller and increasingly focused towards family. Thus, manufacturers are recommended to develop compact, efficient and hybrid cars.

Testin, a novel binding partner of the calcium-sensing receptor, enhances receptor-mediated Rho-kinase signalling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magno, Aaron L.; Ingley, Evan; Brown, Suzanne J.; Conigrave, Arthur D.; Ratajczak, Thomas; Ward, Bryan K.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A yeast two-hybrid screen revealed testin bound to the calcium-sensing receptor. → The second zinc finger of LIM domain 1 of testin is critical for interaction. → Testin bound to a region of the receptor tail important for cell signalling. → Testin and receptor interaction was confirmed in mammalian (HEK293) cells. → Overexpression of testin enhanced receptor-mediated Rho signalling in HEK293 cells. -- Abstract: The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) plays an integral role in calcium homeostasis and the regulation of other cellular functions including cell proliferation and cytoskeletal organisation. The multifunctional nature of the CaR is manifested through ligand-dependent stimulation of different signalling pathways that are also regulated by partner binding proteins. Following a yeast two-hybrid library screen using the intracellular tail of the CaR as bait, we identified several novel binding partners including the focal adhesion protein, testin. Testin has not previously been shown to interact with cell surface receptors. The sites of interaction between the CaR and testin were mapped to the membrane proximal region of the receptor tail and the second zinc-finger of LIM domain 1 of testin, the integrity of which was found to be critical for the CaR-testin interaction. The CaR-testin association was confirmed in HEK293 cells by coimmunoprecipitation and confocal microscopy studies. Ectopic expression of testin in HEK293 cells stably expressing the CaR enhanced CaR-stimulated Rho activity but had no effect on CaR-stimulated ERK signalling. These results suggest an interplay between the CaR and testin in the regulation of CaR-mediated Rho signalling with possible effects on the cytoskeleton.

49 CFR 174.57 - Cleaning cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cleaning cars. 174.57 Section 174.57... and Loading Requirements § 174.57 Cleaning cars. All hazardous material which has leaked from a package in any rail car or on other railroad property must be carefully removed. ...

Car Builder: Design, Construct and Test Your Own Cars. School Version with Lesson Plans. [CD-ROM].

Science.gov (United States)

Highsmith, Joni Bitman

Car Builder is a scientific CD-ROM-based simulation program that lets students design, construct, modify, test, and compare their own cars. Students can design sedans, four-wheel-drive vehicles, vans, sport cars, and hot rods. They may select for aerodynamics, power, and racing ability, or economic and fuel efficiency. It is a program that teaches…

M-CARS and EFISHG study of the influence of a static electric field on a non-polar molecule

Science.gov (United States)

Capitaine, E.; Louot, C.; Ould-Moussa, N.; Lefort, C.; Kaneyasu, J. F.; Kano, H.; Pagnoux, D.; Couderc, V.; Leproux, P.

2016-03-01

The influence of a static electric field on a non-polar molecule has been studied by means of multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (M-CARS). A parallel measurement of electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISHG) has also been led. Both techniques suggest a reorientation of the molecule due to the presence of an electric field. This phenomenon can be used to increase the chemical selectivity and the signal to non-resonant background ratio, namely, the sensitivity of the M-CARS spectroscopy.

CAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMPETE WITH THE PRIVATE CAR?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linda STEG

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Public transport is often perceived to be a poor alternative for car use. This paper describes who may be open to use public transport more often, and how people might be persuaded to use it. A computerised questionnaire study was conducted among 1,803 Dutch respondents in May 2001. Results revealed that especially fervent car users disliked public transport. For them, the car outperformed public transport not only because of its instrumental function, but also because the car represents cultural and psychological values, e.g. the car is a symbol of freedom and independence, a status symbol and driving is pleasurable. So, for fervent car users, car use is connected with various important values in modern society. Infrequent car users judged less positively about the car and less negatively about public transport. Consequently, they may be open to use public transport more regularly. In contrast, many efforts are needed to stimulate fervent car users to travel by public transport, because in their view, public transport cannot compete with their private car. In this case, policies should be aimed at reducing the functional, psychological and cultural values of private cars, as well as increasing the performance of public transport and other (more environmentally sound modes of transport on these aspects.

Solar Powered Heat Control System for Cars

OpenAIRE

Abin John; Jithin Thomas

2014-01-01

It takes times for an air-conditioner to effectively start cooling the passenger compartment in the car. So the passenger of the car will feel the heat in the car extremely before the air-conditioner fully cooling the interior of the car. Excessive heat can also damage an automobile's interior as well as personal property kept in the passenger compartment. So, a system to reduce this excessive heat by pumping out hot air and allowing cooler ambient air to enter the car by mean...

Flying car design and testing

OpenAIRE

Klein, S.; Smrcek, L.

2009-01-01

This paper is primarily concerned with the inverted design process and manufacture of a flying car prototype which can overcome the problem of traffic management in the world today. A possible solution to the problem of overcrowded roads would be to design a flying or hovering car. Given technological advances in aircraft construction, navigation and operation, flying cars or personal aircraft are now a feasible proposition. The viability of such a concept was investigated in terms of produci...

CD19-Targeted CAR T Cells as Novel Cancer Immunotherapy for Relapsed or Refractory B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

OpenAIRE

Davila, Marco L.; Brentjens, Renier J.

2016-01-01

Immunotherapy has demonstrated significant potential for the treatment of patients with chemotherapy-resistant hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. One type of immunotherapy involves the adoptive transfer of T cells that have been genetically modified with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to target a tumor. These hybrid proteins are composed of the antigen-binding domains of an antibody fused to T-cell receptor signaling machinery. CAR T cells that target CD19 recently have made the ju...

49 CFR 180.507 - Qualification of tank cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Qualification of tank cars. 180.507 Section 180... QUALIFICATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PACKAGINGS Qualification and Maintenance of Tank Cars § 180.507 Qualification of tank cars. (a) Each tank car marked as meeting a “DOT” specification or any other tank car used...

Car sharing à la carte

CERN Multimedia

Anaïs Schaeffer

2012-01-01

Do you want to make your commute to CERN easier, while saving money at the same time? Would you prefer not to spend a quarter of an hour crawling round the CERN car parks looking for a space? If so, read on: this article might well be of great interest to you.   We would like to draw your attention to a well established, albeit sadly under-used, method of transport: car sharing. To promote car-sharing, the GS Department has stepped in to call on the services of the Swiss firm Green Monkeys which specialises in this user-friendly and intelligent transport scheme. The company’s slogan is:  “Car-sharing as you want, when you want and as much as you want”. The principle is very straightforward. To use this car-sharing facility, you simply complete your free online registration with Green Monkeys, providing the following details: your journey, departure time, arrival time and days of the week, and indicating whether you are a passenger or driver or both. &a...

Consumer Behavior towards Safer Car Purchasing Decisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In Malaysia, the car safety level has been elevated through regulations and a consumer-based approach, i.e. the New Car Assessment Program in Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP. Nevertheless, the availability of information on consumers’ car purchasing decisions towards safety is still limited in Malaysia. Thus, this study was aimed at evaluating consumers’ purchasing decisions of their present cars and investigating their awareness of ASEAN NCAP. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed among consumers visiting different car showrooms and dealer shops. The findings suggest that safety was considered as one of the top three factors by the respondents when purchasing their present cars. Awareness of ASEAN NCAP has increased as compared to a previous study. This information is essential for policy makers, manufacturers and other stakeholders to assist in setting priorities with regard to the promotion of car safety in the country.

Systemic treatment with CAR-engineered T cells against PSCA delays subcutaneous tumor growth and prolongs survival of mice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hillerdal, Victoria; Ramachandran, Mohanraj; Leja, Justyna; Essand, Magnus

2014-01-01

Adoptive transfer of T cells genetically engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) has successfully been used to treat both chronic and acute lymphocytic leukemia as well as other hematological cancers. Experimental therapy with CAR-engineered T cells has also shown promising results on solid tumors. The prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) is a protein expressed on the surface of prostate epithelial cells as well as in primary and metastatic prostate cancer cells and therefore a promising target for immunotherapy of prostate cancer. We developed a third-generation CAR against PSCA including the CD28, OX-40 and CD3 ζ signaling domains. T cells were transduced with a lentivirus encoding the PSCA-CAR and evaluated for cytokine production (paired Student’s t-test), proliferation (paired Student’s t-test), CD107a expression (paired Student’s t-test) and target cell killing in vitro and tumor growth and survival in vivo (Log-rank test comparing Kaplan-Meier survival curves). PSCA-CAR T cells exhibit specific interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2 secretion and specific proliferation in response to PSCA-expressing target cells. Furthermore, the PSCA-CAR-engineered T cells efficiently kill PSCA-expressing tumor cells in vitro and systemic treatment with PSCA-CAR-engineered T cells significantly delays subcutaneous tumor growth and prolongs survival of mice. Our data confirms that PSCA-CAR T cells may be developed for treatment of prostate cancer

Stock-car racing makes intuitive physicists

Science.gov (United States)

Gwynne, Peter

2008-03-01

Formula One races involve cars festooned with gadgets and complex electronic devices, in which millions of dollars are spent refining a vehicle's aerodynamics and reducing its weight. But in events run by America's National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), cars hurtle round an oval track at speeds of about 300 km h-1 without the help of the complex sensors that are employed in Formula One cars. To avoid crashing, drivers must make their own adjustments to track conditions, engine problems and the traffic around them.

Experimental study of variations in background radiation and the effect on Nuclear Car Wash sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Church, J; Slaughter, D; Norman, E; Asztalos, S; Biltoft, P

2007-01-01

Error rates in a cargo screening system such as the Nuclear Car Wash [1-7] depend on the standard deviation of the background radiation count rate. Because the Nuclear Car Wash is an active interrogation technique, the radiation signal for fissile material must be detected above a background count rate consisting of cosmic, ambient, and neutron-activated radiations. It was suggested previously [1,6] that the Corresponding negative repercussions for the sensitivity of the system were shown. Therefore, to assure the most accurate estimation of the variation, experiments have been performed to quantify components of the actual variance in the background count rate, including variations in generator power, irradiation time, and container contents. The background variance is determined by these experiments to be a factor of 2 smaller than values assumed in previous analyses, resulting in substantially improved projections of system performance for the Nuclear Car Wash

Electric Cars and Oil Prices

OpenAIRE

Azar, Jose

2009-01-01

This paper studies the joint dynamics of oil prices and interest in electric cars, measured as the volume of Google searches for related phrases. Not surprisingly, I find that oil price shocks predict increases in Google searches for electric cars. Much more surprisingly, I also find that an increase in Google searches predicts declines in oil prices. The high level of public interest in electric cars between April and August of 2008 can explain approximately half of the decline in oil prices...

Research of braking peculiarities of used cars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Mitunevičius

2002-06-01

Full Text Available This paper briefly describes some analysis of a car braking process - the peculiarities of car wheel-to-road adhesion, the influence of distribution of braking forces on car stability between front and rear axles. The requirements of EU Directive 71/320/EEC to braking force coefficients of car front and rear axles are exposed. Structural designs of braking systems are analyzed with respect to their meeting the EU standards. Experimental measurements of braking force coefficients for some models of cars which are used in Lithuania, are presented with the analysis how these coefficients meet the EU standards. The analysis of test results, suggestions for the ratio of braking forces of car front and rear axles are presented.

Car stickers for 2009

CERN Multimedia

TS Department

2008-01-01

All members of the personnel holding a valid contract (except owners of cars with green or CD plates) can come to the Registration Service (Building 55, 1st floor) to obtain their 2009 car sticker, Mondays to Fridays from 7.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. non-stop. Please ensure you bring with you the documents relating to the vehicles(s) concerned. If you only wish to register one vehicle, you can obtain the 2009 sticker using the request form on the Web (via internet Explorer only). NB: This notice only applies to members of the personnel who obtained one or several blue car stickers for 2008. Reception and Access Control Service – TS/FM

Preferences for Alternative Fuel Vehicles of Company Car Drivers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koetse, M.J.; Hoen, A.

2014-01-01

Costs of car ownership for company cars drivers and private car owners are very different. Car use, car choice decisions and preferences for car characteristics may therefore differ substantially between these two markets. In this paper, we present results of a study on the preferences of company

Cloning and characterization of 2S albumin, Car i 1, a major allergen in pecan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Girdhari M; Irsigler, Andre; Dhanarajan, Pushparani; Ayuso, Rosalia; Bardina, Luda; Sampson, Hugh A; Roux, Kenneth H; Sathe, Shridhar K

2011-04-27

Although pecans are associated with IgE-mediated food allergies, the allergens responsible remain to be identified and characterized. The 2S albumin gene was amplified from the pecan cDNA library. Dot-blots were used to screen the recombinant protein with pecan allergic patients' serum. The affinity purified native protein was analyzed by Edman sequencing and mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis. Cross-reactivity with walnut was determined by inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sequential epitopes were determined by probing the overlapping peptides with three different patients' serum pool. The 3-dimensional homology model was generated, and the locations of the pecan epitopes were compared with those of known sequential epitopes on other allergenic tree nut homologues. Of 28 patients tested by dot-blot, 22 (79%) bound to 2S albumin, designated as Car i 1. Edman sequencing and the MS/MS sequencing of native 2S albumin confirmed the identity of recombinant (r) Car i 1. Both pecan and walnut protein extracts inhibited the IgE-binding to rCar i 1. Sequential epitope mapping indicated weak, moderate, and strong reactivity against 12, 7, and 5 peptides, respectively. Of the 11 peptides recognized by all serum pools, 5 peptides were strongly reactive and located in 3 discrete regions of the Car i 1 (amino acids 43-57, 67-78, and 106-120). Three-dimensional modeling revealed IgE-reactive epitopes to be solvent accessible and share significant homology with other tree nuts providing a possible basis for previously observed cross-reactivity.

The Electric Cars Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2011-01-01

Over 100 years ago, the great inventor Thomas Edison warned that gasoline cars would pollute the environment and lead to gasoline shortages. He preferred the use of clean electric vehicles. He also put his money where his mouth was and developed an entirely new alkaline storage battery system for his beloved cars, the nickel-iron storage battery.…

A smart car for the surface shape measurement of large antenna based on laser tracker

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yonggang; Hu, Jing; Jin, Yi; Zhai, Chao

2012-09-01

The geometric accuracy of the surface shape of large antenna is an important indicator of antenna’s quality. Currently, high-precision measurement of large antenna surface shape can be performed in two ways: photogrammetry and laser tracker. Photogrammetry is a rapid method, but its accuracy is not enough good. Laser tracker can achieve high precision, but it is very inconvenient to move the reflector (target mirror) on the surface of the antenna by hand during the measurement. So, a smart car is designed to carry the reflector in this paper. The car, controlled by wireless, has a small weight and a strong ability for climbing, and there is a holding bracket gripping the reflector and controlling reflector rise up and drop down on the car. During the measurement of laser tracker, the laser beam between laser tracker and the reflector must not be interrupted, so two high-precision three-dimensional miniature electronic compasses, which can real-time monitor the relative angle between the holding bracket and the laser tracker’s head, are both equipped on the car and the head of laser tracker to achieve automatic alignment between reflector and laser beam. With the aid of the smart car, the measurement of laser tracker has the advantages of high precision and rapidity.

ICT-Platform to Transform Car Dealerships to Regional Providers of Sustainable Mobility Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benjamin Wagner vom Berg

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Aim/Purpose: The topic of this study is the ICT-enabled transformation of car dealerships to regional providers of sustainable mobility (e.g., car sharing. Background: Car dealerships offer specific conditions that enable a sustainable mobility offer, based on individual motorized transport like car sharing. This is especially useful in small towns or rural areas where people’s mobility is strongly dominated by private cars, and public transport coverage is limited. However, these new mobility services are combined services with the need of a deep integration of information systems, and these services are not yet related to car dealerships and customer acquisition has to be supported. Methodology: An empirical study with an inductive approach was chosen. The study consists of interviews with three focus groups of different stakeholders of car dealerships. Within the frame of the research project, “ReCaB – Regional Car-Balancing” a qualitative research approach was chosen. Within a design science approach the existing SusCRM architecture was adapted based on the elaborated requirements. Contribution: A software architecture is proposed, where Customer Relationship Management (CRM components to market new sustainable mobility offers are vital parts and existing information systems of car dealerships are integrated. Findings: The basic feasibility of the establishment and customer acceptance has been demonstrated, at least in the area of car sharing within ReCaB. The execution in the car sharing field has already started and a number of car dealerships are already bringing their own offers to market. Major findings for the SusCRM architecture have been elaborated in a design science approach in the national German research project “Showcase for electro mobility”. Recommendations for Practitioners: There is still no fully functional prototype developed for this specific use case and evaluated in the car dealership environment. An

49 CFR 231.8 - Tank cars without side sills and tank cars with short side sills and end platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tank cars without side sills and tank cars with... APPLIANCE STANDARDS § 231.8 Tank cars without side sills and tank cars with short side sills and end platforms. (a) Hand brakes—(1) Number. Same as specified for “Box and other house cars” (see § 231.1(a)(1...

Development of a micromirror-scanned multimodal CARS miniaturized microscope for the in vivo study of spinal cord disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Murugkar, Sangeeta; Smith, Brett; Naji, Majid; Brideau, Craig; Stys, Peter; Anis, Hanan

2011-03-01

We discuss the design and implementation of a novel multimodal coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) miniaturized microscope for imaging of injured and recovering spinal cords in a single living animal. We demonstrate for the first time, the use of a biaxial microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror for scanning and diffraction limited multiple lens miniaturized objective for exciting a CARS signal. The miniaturized microscope design includes light delivery using a large mode area photonic crystal fiber (PCF), and multimode fiber for collection of the nonlinear optical signal. The basic design concept, major engineering challenges, solutions, and preliminary results are presented. We demonstrate CARS and two photon excitation fluorescence microscopy in a benchtop setup with the miniaturized optics and MEMS scanning. The light source is based on a single femtosecond laser (pump beam) and a supercontinuum generated in a nonlinear PCF (Stokes beam). This is coupled using free space optics onto the surface of a resonantly driven two dimensional scanning MEMS mirror that scans the excitation light in a Lissajous pattern. The novel design of the miniaturized microscope is expected to provide significant new information on the pathogenesis of demyelinating diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Spinal Cord Injury.

CARS 2009. Computer assisted radiology and surgery. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

The CARS 2009 proceedings include contributions and poster sessions concerning different conferences and workshops: computer assisted radiology, 23rd international congress and exhibition, CARS clinical day, 13th annual conference of the international society for computer aided surgery, 10th CARS/SPIE/EuroPACS joint workshop on surgical PACS and the digital operating, 11th international workshop on computer-aided diagnosis, 15th computed maxillofacial imaging congress, CARS - computer assisted radiology and surgery, 1st EPMA/CARS workshop on personalized medicine and ICT, JICARS - Japanese institutes of CARS, 1st EuroNotes/CTAC/CARS workshop on NOTES: an interdisciplinary challenge, 13th annual conference for computer aided surgery, 27th international EuroPACS meeting.

IL-7 and CCL19 expression in CAR-T cells improves immune cell infiltration and CAR-T cell survival in the tumor.

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Keishi; Kano, Yosuke; Nagai, Tomohiko; Okuyama, Namiko; Sakoda, Yukimi; Tamada, Koji

2018-04-01

Infiltration, accumulation, and survival of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells in solid tumors is crucial for tumor clearance. We engineered CAR-T cells to express interleukin (IL)-7 and CCL19 (7 × 19 CAR-T cells), as these factors are essential for the maintenance of T-cell zones in lymphoid organs. In mice, 7 × 19 CAR-T cells achieved complete regression of pre-established solid tumors and prolonged mouse survival, with superior anti-tumor activity compared to conventional CAR-T cells. Histopathological analyses showed increased infiltration of dendritic cells (DC) and T cells into tumor tissues following 7 × 19 CAR-T cell therapy. Depletion of recipient T cells before 7 × 19 CAR-T cell administration dampened the therapeutic effects of 7 × 19 CAR-T cell treatment, suggesting that CAR-T cells and recipient immune cells collaborated to exert anti-tumor activity. Following treatment of mice with 7 × 19 CAR-T cells, both recipient conventional T cells and administered CAR-T cells generated memory responses against tumors.

How does Euro NCAP results correlate to real life injury risks - a paired comparison study of car-to-car crashes in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lie, A. [Swedish National Road Administration, Borlaenge (Sweden)]|[ Karolinska Institutet (Sweden); Tingvall, C. [Monash University, Accident Research Centre (Australia)

2001-07-01

Euro NCAP is a resource for consumers regarding vehicle crash safety. The program also promotes safety developments, and credits car manufacturers focussing on safety. This study, based on real life car to car crashes, shows that the overall indication of the safety level, provided by the crash testing, is a valid prediction, at least when looking at the star rating and severe to fatal injuries. For minor injuries no significant injury risk differences are seen. The cars with three or four stars are approximately 30% safer, compared to two star cars or cars without an Euro NCAP score, in car to car collisions. The good general correlation between injury risk, and Euro NCAP scores is not necessarily similarly good for individual car models. Pedestrian safety and child occupant protection was not studied. (orig.)

49 CFR 236.205 - Signal control circuits; requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

..., INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR OF SIGNAL AND TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND APPLIANCES Automatic... car, (b) When points of a switch are not closed in proper position, (c) When an independently operated...

The old-new car sticker

CERN Multimedia

2000-01-01

You have had the same car sticker for ten years and have been driving in and out of CERN every day. Suddenly one morning the guard stops you and tells you need a new one. Hmmm ?! “There were 60 000 stickers in circulation in Geneva and we could not control wether the sticker had been distributed to the right person”, saysa Claude Ducastel, responsible for Entrance Security. “So to solve this problem, last year DSU decided to change Operational Circular N°2 and introduce new car stickers that will be changed every year.” Three types of car stickers were introduced: blue, green and red. The blue one is for staff members whose contract is for one year or more. It indicates the plate number of the car. The green one is for staff members whose contract is for less than one year. It indicates the plate number of the car and the date the contract of the employee terminates. It also has a big L for "Limited". The red one is for enterprise subcontractors whose contracts finish at the end of the year. If ...

Forecasting U.S. Car Sales and Car Registrations in Japan: Rationality, Accuracy and Herding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stadtmann, Georg; Rülke, Jan; Pierdzioch, Christian

2011-01-01

We analyze forecasts of car sales in the U.S. and forecasts of car registrations in Japan. We document a substantial heterogeneity of forecasts, and we show that, based on traditional criteria, forecasts are neither rational nor unbiased. We also report that forecasters anti-herd, that is...

FLAG-tagged CD19-specific CAR-T cells eliminate CD19-bearing solid tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Berahovich, Robert; Xu, Shirley; Zhou, Hua; Harto, Hizkia; Xu, Qumiao; Garcia, Andres; Liu, Fenyong; Golubovskaya, Vita M; Wu, Lijun

2017-06-01

Autologous T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) specific for CD19 have demonstrated remarkable efficacy as therapeutics for B cell malignancies. In the present study, we generated FLAG-tagged CD19-specific CAR-T cells (CD19-FLAG) and compared them to their non-tagged counterparts for their effects on solid and hematological cancer cells in vitro and in vivo . For solid tumors, we used HeLa cervical carcinoma cells engineered to overexpress CD19 (HeLa-CD19), and for hematological cancer we used Raji Burkitt's lymphoma cells, which endogenously express CD19. Like non-tagged CD19 CAR-T cells, CD19-FLAG CAR-T cells expanded in culture >100-fold and exhibited potent cytolytic activity against both HeLa-CD19 and Raji cells in vitro . CD19-FLAG CAR-T cells also secreted significantly more IFN-gamma and IL-2 than the control T cells. In vivo , CD19-FLAG CAR-T cells significantly blocked the growth of HeLa-CD19 solid tumors, increased tumor cleaved caspase-3 levels, and expanded systemically. CD19-FLAG CAR-T cells also significantly reduced Raji tumor burden and extended mouse survival. These results demonstrate the strong efficacy of FLAG-tagged CD19 CAR-T cells in solid and hematological cancer models.

Collaborative Car Pooling System

OpenAIRE

João Ferreira; Paulo Trigo; Porfírio Filipe

2009-01-01

This paper describes the architecture for a collaborative Car Pooling System based on a credits mechanism to motivate the cooperation among users. Users can spend the accumulated credits on parking facilities. For this, we propose a business model to support the collaboration between a car pooling system and parking facilities. The Portuguese Lisbon-s Metropolitan area is used as application scenario.

Panorama 2014 - Car-sharing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vinot, Simon

2013-10-01

Car-sharing is a new mode of transportation that consists of multiple users sharing the same vehicle. This type of service is expanding with the arrival of larger players, such as traditional car rental companies, automotive manufacturers, and large firms specializing in transportation. This new mode of transportation offers real potential and is currently finding its users, in France and worldwide. (author)

Comparative analysis of used car price evaluation models

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chuancan; Hao, Lulu; Xu, Cong

2017-05-01

An accurate used car price evaluation is a catalyst for the healthy development of used car market. Data mining has been applied to predict used car price in several articles. However, little is studied on the comparison of using different algorithms in used car price estimation. This paper collects more than 100,000 used car dealing records throughout China to do empirical analysis on a thorough comparison of two algorithms: linear regression and random forest. These two algorithms are used to predict used car price in three different models: model for a certain car make, model for a certain car series and universal model. Results show that random forest has a stable but not ideal effect in price evaluation model for a certain car make, but it shows great advantage in the universal model compared with linear regression. This indicates that random forest is an optimal algorithm when handling complex models with a large number of variables and samples, yet it shows no obvious advantage when coping with simple models with less variables.

Is this car looking at you? How anthropomorphism predicts fusiform face area activation when seeing cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Kühn, Simone; Brick, Timothy R; Müller, Barbara C N; Gallinat, Jürgen

2014-01-01

Anthropomorphism encompasses the attribution of human characteristics to non-living objects. In particular the human tendency to see faces in cars has long been noticed, yet its neural correlates are unknown. We set out to investigate whether the fusiform face area (FFA) is associated with seeing human features in car fronts, or whether, the higher-level theory of mind network (ToM), namely temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) show a link to anthropomorphism. Twenty participants underwent fMRI scanning during a passive car-front viewing task. We extracted brain activity from FFA, TPJ and MPFC. After the fMRI session participants were asked to spontaneously list adjectives that characterize each car front. Five raters judged the degree to which each adjective can be applied as a characteristic of human beings. By means of linear mixed models we found that the implicit tendency to anthropomorphize individual car fronts predicts FFA, but not TPJ or MPFC activity. The results point to an important role of FFA in the phenomenon of ascribing human attributes to non-living objects. Interestingly, brain regions that have been associated with thinking about beliefs and mental states of others (TPJ, MPFC) do not seem to be related to anthropomorphism of car fronts.

49 CFR 172.331 - Bulk packagings other than portable tanks, cargo tanks, tank cars and multi-unit tank car tanks.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Bulk packagings other than portable tanks, cargo tanks, tank cars and multi-unit tank car tanks. 172.331 Section 172.331 Transportation Other Regulations... packagings other than portable tanks, cargo tanks, tank cars and multi-unit tank car tanks. (a) Each person...

Benefits of magnesium wheels for consumer cars

Science.gov (United States)

Frishfelds, Vilnis; Timuhins, Andrejs; Bethers, Uldis

2018-05-01

Advantages and disadvantages of magnesium wheels are considered based on a mechanical model of a car. Magnesium wheels are usually applied to racing cars as they provide slightly better strength/weight ratio than aluminum alloys. Do they provide notable benefits also for the everyday user when the car speeds do not exceed allowed speed limit? Distinct properties of magnesium rims are discussed. Apart from lighter weight of magnesium alloys, they are also good in dissipating the energy of vibrations. The role of energy dissipation in the rim of a wheel is estimated by a quarter car model. Improvements to safety by using the magnesium wheels are considered. Braking distance and responsiveness of the car is studied both with and without using an Anti Blocking System (ABS). Influence of rim weight on various handling parameters of the car is quantitatively tested.

Rear-facing car seat (image)

Science.gov (United States)

A rear-facing car seat position is recommended for a child who is very young. Extreme injury can occur in an accident because ... child. In a frontal crash a rear-facing car seat is best, because it cradles the head, ...

FUEL PRICES AND CAR SALES

OpenAIRE

Vlad Cârstea

2008-01-01

Automotive industry is a very important economic sector that is highly responsive to changes in the world economy. The fuel price is the biggest enemy of car manufacturers. This is a compared analysis between Europe and Romania regarding new car registrations.

Running performance of racing solar car; Kyogiyo solar car no soko seino

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujita, H [Osaka Sangyo Univ., Osaka (Japan); Ando, Y

1997-11-25

The paper reported on `96 World Solar Challenge which is a solar car race traveling a total of 3010km from Darwin to Adelaide of the Australian continent. We accomplished running with general cars on general roads at mean speed of 60.3km/h for 6 days. To reduce vehicle weight, the monocock structure honeycombed with carbon fiber and aramid was adopted to the whole vehicle, and a light alloy to driving system parts. To reduce air resistance, adopted were reduction in the front projection area and the smooth body form. The required power is 44.8 kWh, and the power consumption ratio during travel is very high, approximately 67 km/kWh. In the travel of solar car in the unstable weather, dependence upon battery becomes higher, and therefore the battery capacity of 3.5 kWh with which the car was loaded is small, which resulted in affecting the race totally. To predict the travel in the race and determine the travel method, needed are collection and management of realtime and accurate travel data. The measuring management system developed this time together with the vehicle was applicable to the actual race and high in practicality. 2 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.

Modelling strategic responses to car and fuel taxation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijnen, P.; Kooreman, P.

We develop a model to analyse the interactions between actors involved in car and fuel taxation: consumers, car producers, fuel producers and the government. Heterogeneous consumers choose between two versions of a car that differ in engine type (diesel or gasoline). Car manufacturers and fuel

Consumer Behavior towards Safer Car Purchasing Decisions

OpenAIRE

Khairil Anwar Abu Kassim; Mohd Hafzi Md Isa; Yahaya Ahmad; Intan Osman; Lawrence Arokiasamy

2016-01-01

In Malaysia, the car safety level has been elevated through regulations and a consumer-based approach, i.e. the New Car Assessment Program in Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP). Nevertheless, the availability of information on consumers' car purchasing decisions towards safety is still limited in Malaysia. Thus, this study was aimed at evaluating consumers' purchasing decisions of their present cars and investigating their awareness of ASEAN NCAP. Self-administered questionnaires were dis...

Company car study 2011. Reduction of environmental impacts by influencing the selection process of company cars; Tyoesuhdeautotutkimus 2011. Ympaeristoehaittojen vaehentaeminen autonvalinnan ohjauksella

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-07-01

The purpose of the study is to identify: What kinds of operational models directing towards eco-friendlier company car use there are and which are in use. What kinds of practical impacts these operational models have had. What is the demand for company car use and what changes have taken place from the viewpoint of companies and beneficiaries. What factors should the best company car taxation include in terms of directiveness (from the environmental point of view). The main objective is to find directive factors in company car use which would result in smaller environmental impacts and which company car users could commit themselves to. The main target groups of the study were the recipients of company car benefits, and enterprises using company cars. Company cars are mainly used for two reasons: in many organisations, work is carried out where the customer is, in which case company cars are used for reducing travel costs. On the other hand, a company car is a significant means for attracting and motivating employees, especially skilled experts and management staff. Company cars also play a significant role in the replacement rate of Finnish motor vehicles. The car selection rules of organisations determine the roles that entitle an employee to have a company car and how they can choose their car. Factors restricting the choice are usually CO{sub 2} and the price and make of the car. The CO{sub 2} limit is used by about 70% of organisations. According to this study, the average emission limit is 168 g/km, depending on the company and the position of the beneficiary. However, the average CO{sub 2} emissions of new company cars are currently about 140 g/km, and therefore the emission limits of organisations have not followed the development of motor technology. In entrepreneurship, environmental issues will be regarded as very important in the future, and there is also a notion for this to be reflected in the guidelines for selecting company cars. Emissions reduction

City Car = The City Car / Andres Sevtshuk

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Sevtshuk, Andres, 1981-

2008-01-01

Massachusettsi Tehnoloogiainstituudi (MIT) meedialaboratooriumi juures tegutseva Targa Linna Grupi (Smart City Group) ja General Motorsi koostööna sündinud kaheistmelisest linnasõbralikust elektriautost City Car. Nimetatud töögrupi liikmed (juht William J. Mitchell, töögruppi kuulus A. Sevtshuk Eestist)

A Two-Sensor Noise Reduction System: Applications for Hands-Free Car Kit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guérin Alexandre

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a two-microphone speech enhancer designed to remove noise in hands-free car kits. The algorithm, based on the magnitude squared coherence, uses speech correlation and noise decorrelation to separate speech from noise. The remaining correlated noise is reduced using cross-spectral subtraction. Particular attention is focused on the estimation of the different spectral densities (noise and noisy signals power spectral densities which are critical for the quality of the algorithm. We also propose a continuous noise estimation, avoiding the need of vocal activity detector. Results on recorded signals are provided, showing the superiority of the two-sensor approach to single microphone techniques.

The feedback control research on straight and curved road with car-following model

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yi-Ming; Cheng, Rong-Jun; Ge, Hong-Xia

2017-07-01

Taking account of the road consisting of curved part and straight part, an extended car-following model is proposed in this paper. A control signal including the velocity difference between the considered vehicle and the vehicle in front is taken into account. The control theory method is applied into analysis of the stability condition for the model. Numerical simulations are implemented to prove that the stability of the traffic flow strengthens effectively with an increase of the radius of curved road, and the control signal can suppress the traffic congestion. The results are in good agree with the theoretical analysis.

An improved car-following model with consideration of the lateral effect and its feedback control research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Ya-Zhou; Zheng Peng-Jun; Ge Hong-Xia

2014-01-01

A car-following model is presented, in which the effects of non-motor vehicles on adjacent lanes are taken into account. A control signal including the velocity differences between the following vehicle and the target vehicle is introduced according to the feedback control theory. The stability condition for the new model is derived. Numerical simulation is used to demonstrate the advantage of the new model including the control signal; the results are consistent with the analytical ones. (general)

Shopping for a safer car

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

This brochure provides some helpful tips on what to look for when shopping for a safer car. Automakers are increasingly advertising the safety features of their cars. The problem is sorting out their claims and zeroing in on the safety features that ...

Dwelling on Everyday Car Journeys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tølbøll, Lene; Jensen, Hanne Louise

different traffic conditions as well as the emotional states related to the drivers’ thoughts about work and family issues, the materiality of the car and the recreational activities inside the car. Analyses are based on a web-based questionnaire, sent to 373 participating drivers in the Big Data research...... project Intelligent Transportation System Platform North Denmark (Lahrmann 2012). In that project data on e.g. position and speed was collected via an On Board Unit from more than 400 cars in 2012-2014 (Tøfting et. al. 2014). The full dataset includes a driven distance of approximately 14 million km...... experiences related to commuting. The findings will be discussed using theoretical inspiration from Sheller (2004), Bull (2003) and Thrift (2004) and we will suggest that the various emotional experiences of the commuters are of great importance for their ability to use of the car as a dwelling place....

49 CFR 215.119 - Defective freight car truck.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Defective freight car truck. 215.119 Section 215... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Freight Car Components Suspension System § 215.119 Defective freight car truck. A railroad may not place or continue in service a...

19 CFR 151.26 - Molasses in tank cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Molasses in tank cars. 151.26 Section 151.26....26 Molasses in tank cars. When molasses is imported in tank cars, the importer shall file with the... sugars or the character of the molasses in the different cars. ...

Influence in the car taxation system. Henkiloeautojen vermuutosten vaikutukset

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alppivuori, K; Kallberg, H; Pekki, M

1986-06-01

In Finland the car prices are exeptionally high due to car taxes included in the new car prices. The gasoline price, which is at international leve, includes also taxes. The aim of this study was to calculate the effects of reducing the car taxes and correspondingly rising fuel taxes so that the state income car taxation does not change. The study was performed in two stages: an interview and a simulation study. The interview was aimed at the general public (postal poll) and at experts in car trade (personal interview). The aim was to reveal the parameters in the economic models explaining the behaviour of the public in car purchasing and car use. The simulation study was performed to calculate quantitative changes in, e.g. car park, traffic volumes and energy consumption caused by supposed changes in the taxation. One of the main results was that unchanged taxation is leading to rapidly increasing traffic volumes and total taxes for car use.

Flex cars and the alcohol price

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, Alex Luiz; Da Silveira, Jaylson Jair; De Almeida Prado, Fernando Pigeard

2009-01-01

We build a model that incorporates the effect of the innovative 'flex' car, an automobile that is able to run with either gasoline or alcohol, on the dynamics of fuel prices in Brazil. Our model shows that differences regarding fuel prices will now depend on the proportions of alcohol, gasoline and flex cars in the total stock. Conversely, the demand for each type of car will also depend on the expected future prices of alcohol and gasoline (in addition to the car prices). The model reflects our findings that energy prices are tied in the long run and that causality runs stronger from gasoline to alcohol. The estimated error correction parameter is stable, implying that the speed of adjustment towards equilibrium remains unchanged. The latter result is probably due to a still small fraction of flex cars in the total stock (approx. 5%), despite the fact that its sales nearly reached 100% in 2006. (author)

49 CFR 231.11 - Caboose cars without platforms.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... inches end-ladder clearance, within 30 inches of side of car, until car is shopped for work amounting to... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Caboose cars without platforms. 231.11 Section 231... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD SAFETY APPLIANCE STANDARDS § 231.11 Caboose cars without...

49 CFR 215.303 - Stenciling of restricted cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Stenciling of restricted cars. 215.303 Section 215... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD FREIGHT CAR SAFETY STANDARDS Stenciling § 215.303 Stenciling of restricted cars. (a) Each restricted railroad freight car that is described in § 215.205(a) of...

Rational-driver approximation in car-following theory

Science.gov (United States)

Lubashevsky, Ihor; Wagner, Peter; Mahnke, Reinhard

2003-11-01

The problem of a car following a lead car driven with constant velocity is considered. To derive the governing equations for the following car dynamics a cost functional is constructed. This functional ranks the outcomes of different driving strategies, which applies to fairly general properties of the driver behavior. Assuming rational-driver behavior, the existence of the Nash equilibrium is proved. Rational driving is defined by supposing that a driver corrects continuously the car motion to follow the optimal path minimizing the cost functional. The corresponding car-following dynamics is described quite generally by a boundary value problem based on the obtained extremal equations. Linearization of these equations around the stationary state results in a generalization of the widely used optimal velocity model. Under certain conditions (the “dense traffic” limit) the rational car dynamics comprises two stages, fast and slow. During the fast stage a driver eliminates the velocity difference between the cars, the subsequent slow stage optimizes the headway. In the dense traffic limit an effective Hamiltonian description is constructed. This allows a more detailed nonlinear analysis. Finally, the differences between rational and bounded rational driver behavior are discussed. The latter, in particular, justifies some basic assumptions used recently by the authors to construct a car-following model lying beyond the frameworks of rationality.

Robust Multivariable Estimation of the Relevant Information Coming from a Wheel Speed Sensor and an Accelerometer Embedded in a Car under Performance Tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilmar Hernandez

2005-11-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, in order to estimate the response of both a wheel speedsensor and an accelerometer placed in a car under performance tests, robust and optimalmultivariable estimation techniques are used. In this case, the disturbances and noisescorrupting the relevant information coming from the sensors’ outputs are so dangerous thattheir negative influence on the electrical systems impoverish the general performance of thecar. In short, the solution to this problem is a safety related problem that deserves our fullattention. Therefore, in order to diminish the negative effects of the disturbances and noiseson the car’s electrical and electromechanical systems, an optimum observer is used. Theexperimental results show a satisfactory improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of therelevant signals and demonstrate the importance of the fusion of several intelligent sensordesign techniques when designing the intelligent sensors that today’s cars need.

CD19-Targeted CAR T cells as novel cancer immunotherapy for relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Davila, Marco L; Brentjens, Renier J

2016-10-01

Immunotherapy has demonstrated significant potential for the treatment of patients with chemotherapy-resistant hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. One type of immunotherapy involves the adoptive transfer of T cells that have been genetically modified with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) to target a tumor. These hybrid proteins are composed of the antigen-binding domains of an antibody fused to T-cell receptor signaling machinery. CAR T cells that target CD19 recently have made the jump from the laboratory to the clinic, and the results have been remarkable. CD19-targeted CAR T cells have induced complete remissions of disease in up to 90% of patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), who have an expected complete response rate of 30% in response to chemotherapy. The high efficacy of CAR T cells in B-ALL suggests that regulatory approval of this therapy for this routinely fatal leukemia is on the horizon. We review the preclinical development of CAR T cells and their early clinical application for lymphoma. We also provide a comprehensive analysis of the use of CAR T cells in patients with B-ALL. In addition, we discuss the unique toxicities associated with this therapy and the management schemes that have been developed.

CARS diagnostics of high pressure discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhlenbusch, J.

2001-01-01

After a short description of the principles of the CARS, RECARS and POLCARS techniques and a discussion of setups for CARS experiments some experimental results are summarized. The results concern mainly plasma under atmospheric pressure, in particular the determination of temperature in a CO 2 laser-induced pyrolysis flame burning in a silane-acetylene gas mixture, the measurements of N 2 vibrational and rotational temperatures as well as the electron density by CARS and of an NO minority by POLCARS in an atmospheric microwave discharge, and finally RECARS experiments on indium iodide, Which is present in metal halide discharge lamps. Guided by these examples some problems and difficulties arising when performing CARS measurements are discussed

CarSim: Automatic 3D Scene Generation of a Car Accident Description

OpenAIRE

Egges, A.; Nijholt, A.; Nugues, P.

2001-01-01

The problem of generating a 3D simulation of a car accident from a written description can be divided into two subtasks: the linguistic analysis and the virtual scene generation. As a means of communication between these two system parts, we designed a template formalism to represent a written accident report. The CarSim system processes formal descriptions of accidents and creates corresponding 3D simulations. A planning component models the trajectories and temporal values of every vehicle ...

A video-based approach to calibrating car-following parameters in VISSIM for urban traffic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhengyang Lu

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Microscopic simulation models need to be calibrated to represent realistic local traffic conditions. Traditional calibration methods are conducted by searching for the model parameter set that minimizes the discrepancies of certain macroscopic metrics between simulation results and field observations. However, this process could easily lead to inappropriate selection of calibration parameters and thus erroneous simulation results. This paper proposes a video-based approach to incorporate direct measurements of car-following parameters into the process of VISSIM model calibration. The proposed method applies automated video processing techniques to extract vehicle trajectory data and utilizes the trajectory data to determine values of certain car-following parameters in VISSIM. This paper first describes the calibration procedure step by step, and then applies the method to a case study of simulating traffic at a signalized intersection in VISSIM. From the field-collected video footage, trajectories of 1229 through-movement vehicles were extracted and analyzed to calibrate three car-following parameters regarding desired speed, desired acceleration, and safe following distance, respectively. The case study demonstrates the advantages and feasibility of the proposed approach.

Car radiator burns: a prevention issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabbitts, Angela; Alden, Nicole E; Conlin, Tara; Yurt, Roger W

2004-01-01

Scald burns continue to be the major cause of injury to patients admitted to the burn center. Scald burns occurring from car radiator fluid comprise a significant subgroup. Although manufacturer warning labels have been placed on car radiators, these burns continue to occur. This retrospective review looks at all patients admitted to our burn center who suffered scald burns from car radiator fluid to assess the extent of this problem. During the study period, 86 patients were identified as having suffered scald burns as a result of contact with car radiator fluid. Seventy-one percent of the burn injuries occurred in the summer months. The areas most commonly burned were the head and upper extremities. Burn prevention efforts have improved greatly over the years; however, this study demonstrates that scald burns from car radiator fluid continue to cause physical, emotional, and financial devastation. The current radiator warning labels alone are not effective. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a new federal motor vehicle safety standard to aid in decreasing the number of scald burns from car radiators. The results of this study were submitted to the United States Department of Transportation for inclusion in a docket for federal legislation supporting these safety measures.

Automated Coal-Mine Shuttle Car

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, E. R., Jr.

1984-01-01

Cable-guided car increases efficiency in underground coal mines. Unmanned vehicle contains storage batteries in side panels for driving traction motors located in wheels. Batteries recharged during inactive periods or slid out as unit and replaced by fresh battery bank. Onboard generator charges batteries as car operates.

MODERN ELECTRIC CARS OF TESLA MOTORS COMPANY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. F. Vynakov

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This overview article shows the advantages of a modern electric car as compared with internal combustion cars by the example of the electric vehicles of Tesla Motors Company. It (в смысле- статья describes the history of this firm, provides technical and tactical characteristics of three modifications of electric vehicles produced by Tesla Motors. Modern electric cars are not less powerful than cars with combustion engines both in speed and acceleration amount. They are reliable, economical and safe in operation. With every year the maximum range of an electric car is increasing and its battery charging time is decreasing.Solving the problem of environmental safety, the governments of most countries are trying to encourage people to switch to electric cars by creating subsidy programs, lending and abolition of taxation. Therefore, the advent of an electric vehicle in all major cities of the world is inevitable.

49 CFR 173.314 - Compressed gases in tank cars and multi-unit tank cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... or secondary Division 2.1 (flammable gas) hazard. For single unit tank cars, interior pipes of... lading exceeding 1.52 mm (0.060 inch) diameter must be equipped with excess flow valves. For single unit... inches) glass fiber placed over 5.08 cm (2 inches) of ceramic fiber. Tank cars must have excess flow...

49 CFR 173.31 - Use of tank cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Use of tank cars. 173.31 Section 173.31... SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Preparation of Hazardous Materials for Transportation § 173.31 Use of tank cars. (a) General. (1) No person may offer a hazardous material for transportation in a tank car unless the tank car...

Car and motorcycle deaths: an evolutionary perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Luís dos Santos Medeiros

Full Text Available Abstract Our aim was to assess differences between men and women in the likelihood of exposure to traffic as drivers of cars and motorcycles, and in the risk of dying from a car or a motorcycle crash, in order to verify the extent to which Darwin's Sexual Selection Theory could have predicted the findings and can help to interpret them. Study population was composed of men and women aged 18 to 60 years residents in the state of Rio de Janeiro between 2004 and 2010, and in the state of Rio Grande do Sul between 2001 and 2010. We built frequency distribution tables and drew bar charts in order to check whether there were differences between the sexes and interactions of sex with age. More men exposed themselves to and died in traffic than women, especially the young. Society should have an especially vigilant attitude towards men on the wheel due to their increased innate tendency to exposure to risk. Darwin's sexual selection theory can be an important ally when postulating hypotheses and interpreting epidemiological findings aiming at improving public policies to reduce the excessive number of traffic deaths, especially in societies where machismo is strong or the stimulus to masculinity is exaggerated.

Car and motorcycle deaths: an evolutionary perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Medeiros, André Luís Dos Santos; Nadanovsky, Paulo

2016-12-01

Our aim was to assess differences between men and women in the likelihood of exposure to traffic as drivers of cars and motorcycles, and in the risk of dying from a car or a motorcycle crash, in order to verify the extent to which Darwin's Sexual Selection Theory could have predicted the findings and can help to interpret them. Study population was composed of men and women aged 18 to 60 years residents in the state of Rio de Janeiro between 2004 and 2010, and in the state of Rio Grande do Sul between 2001 and 2010. We built frequency distribution tables and drew bar charts in order to check whether there were differences between the sexes and interactions of sex with age. More men exposed themselves to and died in traffic than women, especially the young. Society should have an especially vigilant attitude towards men on the wheel due to their increased innate tendency to exposure to risk. Darwin's sexual selection theory can be an important ally when postulating hypotheses and interpreting epidemiological findings aiming at improving public policies to reduce the excessive number of traffic deaths, especially in societies where machismo is strong or the stimulus to masculinity is exaggerated.

CHANGE TRENDS IN THE USE OF PASSENGER CARS ON URBAN TRIPS: CAR-POOLING IN GDYNIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna HEBEL

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The wide accessibility of European citizens to cars results in problems caused by their excessive use as a means of urban transport. Given this situation, it is necessary to find new solutions for the more efficient use of passenger cars in cities. This problem affects almost all European cities, including those in Poland. The paper analyses the level of motorization and modal split in Polish cities with county status, while selected European cities serve as a background to determine the scale of the problem. In the search of solutions in relation to Poland, an analysis of different documents outlining the directions of urban mobility was conducted. One of these documents concerned the promotion of car-pooling, the history of which dates back to the Second World War and the 1950s. Initially introduced in the USA, its increasing development in European cities has been witnessed in recent years. Research on the evaluation of real car-pooling in Polish cities was conducted in Gdynia by the authors of this study. The results of marketing research presented in the article have determined the degree to which participants in urban mobility are inclined to take part in car-pooling schemes in Polish cities.

MODERN ELECTRIC CARS OF TESLA MOTORS COMPANY

OpenAIRE

O. F. Vynakov; E. V. Savolova; A. I. Skrynnyk

2016-01-01

This overview article shows the advantages of a modern electric car as compared with internal combustion cars by the example of the electric vehicles of Tesla Motors Company. It (в смысле- статья) describes the history of this firm, provides technical and tactical characteristics of three modifications of electric vehicles produced by Tesla Motors. Modern electric cars are not less powerful than cars with combustion engines both in speed and acceleration amount. They are reliable, economical ...

Clean cars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piffaretti, M.

2008-07-01

This well-illustrated presentation made at the Swiss 2008 research conference on traffic by the Protoscar company takes a look at research, design, engineering and communication topics in the area of 'clean cars'. The present situation with electrically driven and hybrid-drive cars is reviewed and the chances and problems of the present-day vehicles are examined. New developments and a number of vehicles that should be on the market in the period from 2012 to 2015 are presented. Also, 'clean' specialist vehicles such as trucks and buses are reviewed. Battery systems and associated problems and new developments are looked at. The promotion scheme in Mendrisio, Switzerland is reviewed. Bottom-up and top-down approaches are discussed and future market developments are looked at, as are promotional activities in various countries.

Initial heating in cold cars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daanen, H.A.M.; Teunissen, L.P.J.; Hoogh, I.M. de

2012-01-01

During the initial minutes after entering a cold car, people feel uncomfortably cold. Six different warming systems were investigated in a small car in order to find out how to improve the feeling of comfort using 16 volunteers. The methods were: no additional warming next to a standard heating

Energy Use of Passenger Cars

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Kaj

1998-01-01

Analysis of the Danish sale and stock of passenger cars, focusing particularly on aspects influencing energy use. The project has tracked the development of vehicle weight, power and fuel economy for both the sale of new cars (from 1980 to 1997)and the stock. In addition, the energy use...

Trial products of solar cars; Solar car no shisaku

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shimizu, A; Hatakeyama, S; Sugiura, S; Shinoda, S; Daigo, Y; Fujihara, Y; Yano, K; Kasuga, M [Yamanashi University, Yamanashi (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1997-11-25

A solar car was trially manufactured installing solar panels on a motor-wheelchair for the old (senior car). It is a car for one person with maximum speed of 6km/h, motor of 360w, two of storage battery of 12Vtimes29AH, and two of solar cell of 20Vtimes3A. The output of solar cell is about 100W, which may not be enough to drive a 360W motor. However, if action time per day is about 2 hours, the required power 700WH, and the sunshine duration 7 hours per day, solar cells of 100W can generate 700WH. This is stored in battery, and when it is short, it is supplemented by nighttime power. Product prices are 200,000-250,000 yen. A solar go-cart was trially manufactured remodeling the gasoline-run go-cart. It is a solar go-cart for one person with maximum speed of 30km/h, a motor of 600W, four of storage battery of 12Vtimes29AH, and four of solar cell of 20Vtimes3A. The output of solar battery at 200W is a third of the motor power, with battery charged three times the travel time. More than 1000 persons trially rode the go-cart. 2 figs.

Self-Parking Cars – “Killer Application” for Autonomous Driving?

OpenAIRE

Lenz, Barbara; Cyganski, Rita

2017-01-01

Current surveys on the acceptance of automated driving reveal that (potential) users are still quite hesitant towards the new technology. One reason for this reluctance can be found in the lack of obvious usefulness of autonomous driving. Promises that are linked to autonomous driving are often not strong enough or not relevant enough for the everyday user of a car:  - Several benefits occur only on the aggregate level of traffic, like for instance smoother traffic flows.  - Some indi...

Experimental Investigation of Aerodynamic Noise Generated by a Train-Car Gap

Science.gov (United States)

Mizushima, Fumio; Takakura, Hiroyuki; Kurita, Takeshi; Kato, Chisachi; Iida, Akiyoshi

To investigate the mechanism of noise generation by a train-car gap, which is one of a major source of noise in Shinkansen trains, experiments were carried out in a wind tunnel using a 1/5-scale model train. We measured velocity profiles of the boundary layer that approaches the gap and confirmed that the boundary layer is turbulent. We also measured the power spectrum of noise and surface pressure fluctuations around the train-car gap. Peak noise and broadband noise were observed. It is found that strong peak noise is generated when the vortex shedding frequency corresponds to the acoustic resonance frequency determined by the geometrical shape of the gap, and that broadband noise is generated at the downstream edge of the gap where vortexes collide. It is estimated that the convection velocity of the vortices in the gap is approximately 45% of the uniform flow velocity.

Expression of Human CAR Splicing Variants in BAC-Transgenic Mice

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Yu-Kun Jennifer; Lu, Hong; Klaassen, Curtis D.

2012-01-01

The nuclear receptor constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a key regulator for drug metabolism in liver. Human CAR (hCAR) transcripts are subjected to alternative splicing. Some hCAR splicing variants (SVs) have been shown to encode functional proteins by reporter assays. However, in vivo research on the activity of these hCAR SVs has been impeded by the absence of a valid model. This study engineered an hCAR-BAC-transgenic (hCAR-TG) mouse model by integrating the 8.5-kbp hCAR gene as wel...

Situations of car-to-pedestrian contact.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsui, Yasuhiro; Hitosugi, Masahito; Takahashi, Kunio; Doi, Tsutomu

2013-01-01

To reduce the severity of injuries and the number of pedestrian deaths in traffic accidents, active safety devices providing pedestrian detection are considered effective countermeasures. The features of car-to-pedestrian collisions need to be known in detail to develop such safety devices. Because information on real-world accidents is limited, this study investigated near-miss situations captured by drive recorders installed in passenger cars. We showed similarities of the contact situation between near-miss incidents and real-world fatal pedestrian accidents in Japan. We analyzed the near-miss incident data via video capturing pedestrians crossing the road in front of forward-moving cars. Using a video frame captured by a drive recorder, the time to collision (TTC) was calculated from the car velocity and the distance between the car and pedestrian at the moment that the pedestrian initially appeared. The average TTC in the cases where pedestrians were not using a pedestrian crossing was shorter than that in the cases where pedestrians were using a pedestrian crossing. The average TTC in the cases where pedestrians emerged from behind obstructions was shorter than that in the cases where drivers had unobstructed views of the pedestrians. We propose that the specifications of the safety device for pedestrian detection and automatic braking should reflect the severe approach situation for a pedestrian and car including the TTC observed for near-miss incidents.

Clinical trials of CAR-T cells in China

OpenAIRE

Bingshan Liu; Yongping Song; Delong Liu

2017-01-01

Abstract Novel immunotherapeutic agents targeting tumor-site microenvironment are revolutionizing cancer therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells are widely studied for cancer immunotherapy. CD19-specific CAR-T cells, tisagenlecleucel, have been recently approved for clinical application. Ongoing clinical trials are testing CAR designs directed at novel targets involved in hematological and solid malignancies. In addition to trials of single-target CAR-T cells, simultaneous...

Molecular study on the carAB operon reveals that carB gene is required for swimming and biofilm formation in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuo, Tao; Rou, Wei; Song, Xue; Guo, Jing; Fan, Xiaojing; Kamau, Gicharu Gibson; Zou, Huasong

2015-10-23

The carA and carB genes code the small and large subunits of carbamoyl-phosphate synthase (CPS) that responsible for arginine and pyrimidine production. The purpose of this work was to study the gene organization and expression pattern of carAB operon, and the biological functions of carA and carB genes in Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri. RT-PCR method was employed to identify the full length of carAB operon transcript in X. citri subsp. citri. The promoter of carAB operon was predicted and analyzed its activity by fusing a GUS reporter gene. The swimming motility was tested on 0.25% agar NY plates with 1% glucose. Biofilm was measured by cell adhesion to polyvinyl chloride 96-well plate. The results indicated that carAB operon was composed of five gene members carA-orf-carB-greA-rpfE. A single promoter was predicted from the nucleotide sequence upstream of carAB operon, and its sensitivity to glutamic acid, uracil and arginine was confirmed by fusing a GUS reporter gene. Deletion mutagenesis of carB gene resulted in reduced abilities in swimming on soft solid media and in forming biofilm on polystyrene microtiter plates. From these results, we concluded that carAB operon was involved in multiple biological processes in X. citri subsp. citri.

Students to Race Solar-Powered Model Cars

Science.gov (United States)

race model solar cars on Saturday, May 12. The cars, designed to tap into energy from the sun, are than 12 inches wide, 24 inches long and 12 inches high. The 20-meter race is a double elimination competition with awards going to the five fastest cars. Five design awards also will be given out for

Are all types of expertise created equal? Car experts use different spatial frequency scales for subordinate categorization of cars and faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Harel, Assaf; Bentin, Shlomo

2013-01-01

A much-debated question in object recognition is whether expertise for faces and expertise for non-face objects utilize common perceptual information. We investigated this issue by assessing the diagnostic information required for different types of expertise. Specifically, we asked whether face categorization and expert car categorization at the subordinate level relies on the same spatial frequency (SF) scales. Fifteen car experts and fifteen novices performed a category verification task with spatially filtered images of faces, cars, and airplanes. Images were categorized based on their basic (e.g. "car") and subordinate level (e.g. "Japanese car") identity. The effect of expertise was not evident when objects were categorized at the basic level. However, when the car experts categorized faces and cars at the subordinate level, the two types of expertise required different kinds of SF information. Subordinate categorization of faces relied on low SFs more than on high SFs, whereas subordinate expert car categorization relied on high SFs more than on low SFs. These findings suggest that expertise in the recognition of objects and faces do not utilize the same type of information. Rather, different types of expertise require different types of diagnostic visual information.

Safety analysis report for packaging (onsite) contaminated well cars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercado, J.E.

1998-01-01

In support of past operations, railcars were used to ship irradiated fuel from the 100 Area fuel storage basins to the Plutonium Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Facility. There are two configurations for the packaging systems that transported the fuel: the Three-Well Cask Car, which is outfitted with three casks, and the taller, single well, New Production Reactor (NPR) Cask Car. In this document, these cask cars are referred to collectively as well cars. The purpose of this document is to evaluate and authorize the onsite transportation of well cars that contain significant levels of contamination. No irradiated fuel will be transported in the well cars. Neutron detection data confirmed that the well cars do not contain fuel. The intention is to move 14 retired well cars from their current locations in the 100 Area to a suitable storage location in the 200 Area. Each well car contains Type B quantities of radioactivity; so that the hazard of the transport operation is relatively low. This safety analysis report for packaging (SARP) provides the analyses and evaluations necessary to demonstrate that the contaminated well cars meet the transportation safety requirements of HNF-PRO-154, Responsibilities and Procedures for Hazardous Material Shipments for an onsite packaging. The scope of this document addresses the preparation and transportation of the contaminated well cars

Investigation of factors that stimulate car drivers to change from car to carpooling in city center oriented work trips

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Waerden, P.J.H.J.; Lem, A.; Schaefer, W.F.

2015-01-01

The current study aims to get more insight into the attributes that stimulate car drivers to use carpool as an alternative for their commuting trips in which the car is still the most used travel mode. The study was set up as a stated choice experiment. In the experiment, car drivers were asked to

A NAC transcription factor gene of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum), CarNAC3, is involved in drought stress response and various developmental processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Hui; Cheng, Hui-Ying; Chen, Chen; Yu, Xin-Wang; Yang, Jia-Ni; Gao, Wen-Rui; Shi, Qing-Hua; Zhang, Hua; Li, Jian-Gui; Ma, Hao

2009-11-15

NAC transcription factors have been found to play important roles in plant development and responses to environmental stresses. Based on two cDNA libraries constructed from the PEG-treated and -nontreated seedling leaves of chickpea, a NAC gene, CarNAC3, was isolated and characterized. The results indicated that CarNAC3 contained 285 amino acids and had a conserved NAC domain. It was localized in the nucleus and possessed trans-activation activity in the C-terminus. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CarNAC3 belonged to the NAP (NAC-like, activated by APETALA3/PISTILLATA) subgroup of the NAC protein family. CarNAC3 exhibited organ-specific expression and its induction was strongly dependent on leaf age. CarNAC3 showed differential expression patterns during seed development and germination, and could be significantly induced by drought stress, abscisic acid (ABA), ethephon (Et) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), but was inhibited by N-6-benzyl-adenine (6-BA). Our data suggest that CarNAC3 may be a transcriptional activator involved in drought stress response and various developmental processes.

Analysis Of Data Mining For Car Sales Sparepart Using Apriori Algorithm (Case Study: PT. IDK 1 FIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khairul Ummi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available PT. IDK 1 is one of the branch offices honda car dealership that sells various types of variants honda matic or manual car and motorcycle parts. Any sales or goods sold will be performed by inputting the database directly connected directly to the central office. But PT. IDK 1 do not know a couple items frequently purchased parts simultaneously. When the stock of spare parts which amount is low, the office is only asking them to send the stock of spare parts from the central office without knowing that the other parts if the parts were purchased then the other parts were also purchased. It was considered difficult when restocking of goods because of the many types of auto parts. Data mining techniques have been widely used to solve the existing problems with the implementation of the algorithm one A-Priori to obtain information about the association between the product of a database transaction. Sales transaction data honda car parts at PT. IDK 1 can be reprocessed using data mining applications resulting association rules is a strong link between itemset sales of spare parts so that it can provide recommendations and facilitate restocking items in the arrangement or placement of goods related to a strong interdependence.

Motor car driving; Kraftfahrzeugfuehrung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juergensohn, T. [Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany). ISS-Fahrzeugtechnik; Timpe, K.P. (eds.) [Technische Univ. Berlin (DE). Zentrum Mensch-Maschine-Systeme (ZMMS)

2001-07-01

This is the first comprehensive book on motor car driving, i.e. all aspects of motor car technology that cannot be looked at separately from the needs, characteristics and limitations of the human driver. This includes ergonomics as well as the design of the driver interface in consideration of the findings of cognitive science, problems of driving simulation in the context of simulation of technical systems, problems relating to optimal car automation up to traffic psychology. The book is in honour of Prof. Dr. Willumeit who died in summer 2000. Prof. Willumeit was one of the few scientists in Germany who had been an expert on all aspects of motor car driving for many years. [German] Erstmalig wird das Thema der Fahrzeugfuehrung geschlossen dargestellt. Die Thematik der 'Kraftfahrzeugfuehrung' umfasst in diesem Zusammenhang alle Aspekte der Kraftfahrzeugtechnik, die nicht isoliert von den Erfordernissen, Eigenschaften und Grenzen des menschlichen Fahrers betrachtet werden koennen. Dies beinhaltet u.a. Probleme der Ergonomie, aber auch Fragen nach einer kognitionswissenschaftlich unterstuetzten Schnittstellengestaltung, Fragen der Simulation des Fahrverhalten im Kontext der Simulation technischer Systeme oder Fragen einer optimalen Fahrzeugautomatisierung bis hin zu verkehrspsychologischen Aspekten. Das Buch ist als Gedenkband fuer Prof. Dr. Willumeit konzipiert, der im Sommer 2000 verstarb. Prof. Willumeit war einer der wenigen Wissenschaftler in Deutschland, der ueber viele Jahre diese Thematik der Kraftfahrzeugfuehrung in ihrer vollen Breite verfolgte. (orig.)

Charging electric cars from solar energy

OpenAIRE

Liang, Xusheng; Tanyi, Elvis; Zou, Xin

2016-01-01

Before vehicles were heavily relied on coal, fossil fuels and wind for power.  Now, they are rapidly being replaced by electric vehicles and or plug-in hybrid electric cars. But these electric cars are still faced with the problem of energy availability because they rely on energy from biomass, hydro power and wind turbines for power generation. The abundance of solar radiation and its use as solar energy as a power source in driving these rapidly increasing electric cars is not only an impor...

49 CFR 223.15 - Requirements for existing passenger cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Requirements for existing passenger cars. 223.15... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAFETY GLAZING STANDARDS-LOCOMOTIVES, PASSENGER CARS AND CABOOSES Specific Requirements § 223.15 Requirements for existing passenger cars. (a) Passenger cars built or...

A Radio-Controlled Car Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2010-01-01

Watching a radio-controlled car zip along a sidewalk or street has become a common sight. Within this toy are the basic ingredients of a mobile robot, used by industry for a variety of important and potentially dangerous tasks. In this challenge, students consider modifying an of-the-shelf, radio-controlled car, adapting it for a robotic task.

Development, Problems and Countermeasures of Chinese Racing Car Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, J. J.

2018-05-01

In recent years, motor car racing has developed rapidly in China. However, under the background of maximum vehicle production and car ownership in China, the racing car industry has a long way compared with that of the developed countries. The paper analyzes the current situation and summarizes the problems of Chinese racing car industry with supporting documentation and review of the literature. The future trend of the development of car industry in China is discussed. On the basis of the analysis and prediction, the strategies to respond to the future racing car industry in China are presented.

Development of an Earthquake Early Warning System Using Real-Time Strong Motion Signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yih-Min; Kanamori, Hiroo

2008-01-09

As urbanization progresses worldwide, earthquakes pose serious threat to livesand properties for urban areas near major active faults on land or subduction zonesoffshore. Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) can be a useful tool for reducing earthquakehazards, if the spatial relation between cities and earthquake sources is favorable for suchwarning and their citizens are properly trained to respond to earthquake warning messages.An EEW system forewarns an urban area of forthcoming strong shaking, normally with afew sec to a few tens of sec of warning time, i.e., before the arrival of the destructive Swavepart of the strong ground motion. Even a few second of advanced warning time willbe useful for pre-programmed emergency measures for various critical facilities, such asrapid-transit vehicles and high-speed trains to avoid potential derailment; it will be alsouseful for orderly shutoff of gas pipelines to minimize fire hazards, controlled shutdown ofhigh-technological manufacturing operations to reduce potential losses, and safe-guardingof computer facilities to avoid loss of vital databases. We explored a practical approach toEEW with the use of a ground-motion period parameter τc and a high-pass filtered verticaldisplacement amplitude parameter Pd from the initial 3 sec of the P waveforms. At a givensite, an earthquake magnitude could be determined from τ c and the peak ground-motionvelocity (PGV) could be estimated from Pd. In this method, incoming strong motion acceleration signals are recursively converted to ground velocity and displacement. A Pwavetrigger is constantly monitored. When a trigger occurs, τ c and Pd are computed. Theearthquake magnitude and the on-site ground-motion intensity could be estimated and thewarning could be issued. In an ideal situation, such warnings would be available within 10sec of the origin time of a large earthquake whose subsequent ground motion may last fortens of seconds.

Modelling future private car energy demand in Ireland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daly, Hannah E.; Ó Gallachóir, Brian P.

2011-01-01

Targeted measures influencing vehicle technology are increasingly a tool of energy policy makers within the EU as a means of meeting energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate change and energy security goals. This paper develops the modelling capacity for analysing and evaluating such legislation, with a focus on private car energy demand. We populate a baseline car stock and car activity model for Ireland to 2025 using historical car stock data. The model takes account of the lifetime survival profile of different car types, the trends in vehicle activity over the fleet and the fuel price and income elasticities of new car sales and total fleet activity. The impacts of many policy alternatives may only be simulated by such a bottom-up approach, which can aid policy development and evaluation. The level of detail achieved provides specific insights into the technological drivers of energy consumption, thus aiding planning for meeting climate targets. This paper focuses on the methodology and baseline scenario. Baseline results for Ireland forecast a decline in private car energy demand growth (0.2%, compared with 4% in the period 2000–2008), caused by the relative growth in fleet efficiency compared with activity. - Highlights: ► Bottom-up private car energy forecasting model developed. ► The demographic and technological distribution of vehicle activity is a key veriable. ► Irish car energy demand growth predicted to slow steadily. ► Change in vehicle taxation forecast to save 10% energy.

Levels of house dust mite allergen in cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Howard J; Smith, Ian; Anua, Siti Marwanis; Tagiyeva, Nargiz; Semple, Sean; Devereux, Graham

2015-09-01

This small study investigated house dust mite (HDM) allergen levels in cars and their owners' homes in north-east Scotland. Dust samples from twelve households and cars were collected in a standardised manner. The dust samples were extracted and measured for the Dermatophagoides group 2 allergens (Der p 2 and Der f 2) and total soluble protein. Allergen levels at homes tended to be higher than in the cars, but not significantly. However, they significantly correlated with paired car dust samples expressed either per unit weight of dust or soluble protein (rho=0.657; p=0.02 and 0.769; p=0.003, respectively). This points to house-to-car allergen transfer, with the car allergen levels largely reflecting levels in the owner's home. Car HDM allergen levels were lower than those reported in Brazil and the USA. Twenty-five percent of the houses and none of the cars had allergen levels in dust greater than 2000 ng g(-1). This value is often quoted as a threshold for the risk of sensitisation, although a number of studies report increased risk of sensitisation at lower levels. This small study does not allow for characterisation of the distribution of HDM allergen in vehicles in this geographic area, or of the likely levels in other warmer and more humid areas of the UK. Cars and other vehicles are an under-investigated micro-environment for exposure to allergenic material.

Determination of the electric field strength of filamentary DBDs by CARS-based four-wave mixing

Science.gov (United States)

Böhm, P.; Kettlitz, M.; Brandenburg, R.; Höft, H.; Czarnetzki, U.

2016-10-01

It is demonstrated that a four-wave mixing technique based on coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) can determine the electric field strength of a pulsed-driven filamentary dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) of 1 mm gap, using hydrogen as a tracer medium in nitrogen at atmospheric pressure. The measurements are presented for a hydrogen admixture of 10%, but even 5% H2 admixture delivers sufficient infrared signals. The lasers do not affect the discharge by photoionization or by other radiation-induced processes. The absolute values of the electric field strength can be determined by the calibration of the CARS setup with high voltage amplitudes below the ignition threshold of the arrangement. This procedure also enables the determination of the applied breakdown voltage. The alteration of the electric field is observed during the internal polarity reversal and the breakdown process. One advantage of the CARS technique over emission-based methods is that it can be used independently of emission, e.g. in the pre-phase and in between two consecutive discharges, where no emission occurs at all.

Possible use of electric cars as balancing instrument

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tirez, Andreas; Luickx, Patrick; Woitrin, Dominique

2010-09-15

A massive introduction of electric cars is foreseeable in the mid to long term. Implementing a 'vehicle-to-grid' setting makes it possible to use these cars to deliver ancillary services to the electricity system. In this paper, the possibility of delivering active reserves in the Belgian control area is analyzed. We assume one million electric cars that can be connected to the Belgian grid. Based on our simulation, electric cars could be used for delivering all primary, all secondary and part of the tertiary reserves. Using electric cars as a balancing instrument would facilitate absorbing intermittent energy into the electricity system.

National car and customer loyalty: the Malaysian perspective

OpenAIRE

Md Isa, Mohd Azwardi

2017-01-01

The ASEAN Free Trade Agreement has facilitated the entrance of foreign cars into Malaysia’s passenger car market and consequently imported cars are posing a serious threat to domestic automotive companies. This can be seen by decreasing sales figures and the deteriorating market share for the Proton and Perodua (companies partly-owned by government). Driven by this situation, this study examines customer satisfaction and loyalty for the consumers who have purchased these cars. ...

The taxation of diesel cars in Belgium – revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayeres, Inge; Proost, Stef

2013-01-01

This paper compares the current taxation of diesel and gasoline cars in Belgium with the guidelines for optimal taxation. We find that diesel cars are still taxed much less than gasoline cars, resulting in a dominant market share for diesel cars in the car stock. If the fuel tax is the main instrument to control for externalities and generate revenues, the diesel excise should be much higher than the excise on gasoline for two reasons: diesel is more polluting than gasoline and more importantly, through the better fuel efficiency, diesel cars contribute less fiscal revenues per mile. - Highlights: ► With a correct tax system the diesel excise should be higher than that on gasoline. ► When this is difficult, the fixed annual charge should be higher for diesel cars. ► The current tax structure for gasoline and diesel cars in Belgium is suboptimal. ► It implies that CO 2 emissions are reduced, but in a very cost-inefficient way

Beam Shaping for CARS Measurements in Turbulent Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Magnotti, Gaetano; Cutler, Andrew D.; Danehy, Paul M.

2010-01-01

This paper describes a new technique to mitigate the effect of beam steering on CARS measurements in turbulent, variable density environments. The new approach combines Planar BOXCARS phase-matching with elliptical shaping of one of the beams to generate a signal insensitive to beam steering, while keeping the same spatial resolution. Numerical and experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. One set of experiments investigated the effect of beam shaping in the presence of a controlled and well quantified displacement of the beams at the focal plane. Another set of experiments, more qualitative, proved the effectiveness of the technique in the presence of severe beam steering due to turbulence.

Development of sealed nickel-cadmium battery for linear motor car (Maglev). Linear motor car yo Ni-Cd denchi no kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kono, K; Yoshimura, H; Yufu, H [Yuasa Corp., Osaka (Japan)

1993-10-29

Development was made of a linear motor car use battery which is strong in repetition of quick charging/discharging and characterized as follows: Its volumetric energy density is 42Wh/kg which is 1.3 times as high as the conventional one. It excels in high efficiency charging/discharging characteristics. High tension steel sheet is used for it, which is incombustible. To lighten the weight, paste type electrodes and high yield point materials were used for the positive and negative electrodes, and jar materials, respectively. To heighten the charging/discharging characteristics, used were electrodes heightened in current collecting effect. To lengthening the life, unwoven nylon cloth was used as a separator. Also to heighten the thermal discharge characteristics, the electrodes were made metallic with a fitting of cooling fins. The battery characteristics as tested gave the following result: At a capacity ratio of 100%, the discharging factor cleared its target value of development also with a high discharging voltage. The charging/discharging characteristics hardly fall in the high temperature region. The charging characteristics include quick charging made possible. As a result of cyclic simulation presuming the linear motor car, the fall in capacity per cycle was as good as 1.5%. 11 figs., 2 tabs.

Characterization of a chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) NAC family gene, CarNAC5, which is both developmentally- and stress-regulated.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Hui; Cheng, Hui-Ying; Yu, Xin-Wang; Shi, Qing-Hua; Zhang, Hua; Li, Jian-Gui; Ma, Hao

2009-01-01

It has been documented that the plant-specific NAC (for NAM, ATAF1,2 and CUC2) transcription factors play an important role in plant development and stress responses. In this study, a chickpea NAC gene CarNAC5 (for Cicer arietinum L. NAC gene 5) was isolated from a cDNA library from chickpea leaves treated by polyethylene glycol (PEG). CarNAC5, as a single/low copy gene, contained three exons and two introns within genomic DNA sequence and encoded a polypeptide with 291 amino acids. CarNAC5 protein had a conserved NAC domain in the N-terminus and showed high similarity to other NACs, especially ATAF subgroup members. The CarNAC5:GFP fusion protein was localized in the nucleus of onion epidermal cells. Furthermore, CarNAC5 protein activated the reporter genes LacZ and HIS3 in yeast. The transactivation activity was mapped to the C-terminal region. The transcripts of CarNAC5 appeared in many chickpea tissues including seedling leaves, stems, roots, flowers, seeds and pods, but mostly accumulated in flowers. Meanwhile, CarNAC5 was strongly expressed during seed maturation and in embryos of the early germinating seeds. It was also significantly induced by drought, heat, wounding, salicylic acid (SA), and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) treatments. Our results suggest that CarNAC5 encodes a novel NAC-domain protein and acts as a transcriptional activator involved in plant developmental regulation and various stress responses.

New development in CAR-T cell therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhenguang; Wu, Zhiqiang; Liu, Yang; Han, Weidong

2017-02-21

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells (CAR-T cells) have yielded unprecedented efficacy in B cell malignancies, most remarkably in anti-CD19 CAR-T cells for B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with up to a 90% complete remission rate. However, tumor antigen escape has emerged as a main challenge for the long-term disease control of this promising immunotherapy in B cell malignancies. In addition, this success has encountered significant hurdles in translation to solid tumors, and the safety of the on-target/off-tumor recognition of normal tissues is one of the main reasons. In this mini-review, we characterize some of the mechanisms for antigen loss relapse and new strategies to address this issue. In addition, we discuss some novel CAR designs that are being considered to enhance the safety of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors.

New development in CAR-T cell therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenguang Wang

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-engineered T cells (CAR-T cells have yielded unprecedented efficacy in B cell malignancies, most remarkably in anti-CD19 CAR-T cells for B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL with up to a 90% complete remission rate. However, tumor antigen escape has emerged as a main challenge for the long-term disease control of this promising immunotherapy in B cell malignancies. In addition, this success has encountered significant hurdles in translation to solid tumors, and the safety of the on-target/off-tumor recognition of normal tissues is one of the main reasons. In this mini-review, we characterize some of the mechanisms for antigen loss relapse and new strategies to address this issue. In addition, we discuss some novel CAR designs that are being considered to enhance the safety of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors.

Generating strain signals under consideration of road surface profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Putra, T. E.; Abdullah, S.; Schramm, D.; Nuawi, M. Z.; Bruckmann, T.

2015-08-01

The current study aimed to develop the mechanism for generating strain signal utilising computer-based simulation. The strain data, caused by the acceleration, were undertaken from a fatigue data acquisition involving car movements. Using a mathematical model, the measured strain signals yielded to acceleration data used to describe the bumpiness of road surfaces. The acceleration signals were considered as an external disturbance on generating strain signals. Based on this comparison, both the actual and simulated strain data have similar pattern. The results are expected to provide new knowledge to generate a strain signal via a simulation.

enviroCar - citizen science for sustainable traffic

Science.gov (United States)

Stasch, Christoph; Remke, Albert; Jirka, Simon; Nuest, Daniel

2015-04-01

Optimizing traffic flow is a challenging task, affecting both the mobility of people and the environment. Up to now, traffic monitoring is based on small samples using GPS devices or remote sensors such as cameras. Citizens are usually not actively involved in the process of collecting or analyzing traffic data. The enviroCar project (www.envirocar.org) aims at addressing this situation by providing an open platform that can be used by everyone to collect and analyze traffic-related data and thus to achieve sustainable traffic management by answering questions such as: How is the average speed on a certain route? Where are exceptionally long waiting times in front of traffic lights? At which crossings do more cars stop than drive through? Where are hotspots of fuel consumption and air pollutant emission during a certain time interval? In this presentation, an overview on the enviroCar project is given and current research challenges addressed in the context of the project are presented. Citizens are able to participate by registering at the enviroCar portal and downloading the enviroCar Android app. Once installed, the Android app allows citizens to collect car sensor data, e.g. speed, mass air flow, or intake temperature via an On-Board Diagnosis 2 (OBD-II) Adapter. After finishing a car ride, the data can be uploaded to the central enviroCar server where the data is anonymized and published as open data. Each enviroCar member has a profile page giving control on his own data and providing statistics on personal driving behavior. The portal also allows comparing personal statistics with the statistics of other members. It thus facilitates analysis whether, for example, a member is driving in a more fuel saving manner than other users. Besides only acting as a data collector, citizens can also explore the enviroCar data in online maps or download the data in standard formats for certain spatial areas and/or time intervals allowing them to conduct spatio

Detection of Lipid-Rich Prostate Circulating Tumour Cells with Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering Microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitra, Ranjana; Chao, Olivia; Urasaki, Yasuyo; Goodman, Oscar B; Le, Thuc T

2012-01-01

Circulating tumour cells (CTC) are an important indicator of metastasis and associated with a poor prognosis. Detection sensitivity and specificity of CTC in the peripheral blood of metastatic cancer patient remain a technical challenge. Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy was employed to examine the lipid content of CTC isolated from the peripheral blood of metastatic prostate cancer patients. CARS microscopy was also employed to evaluate lipid uptake and mobilization kinetics of a metastatic human prostate cancer cell line. One hundred CTC from eight metastatic prostate cancer patients exhibited strong CARS signal which arose from intracellular lipid. In contrast, leukocytes exhibited weak CARS signal which arose mostly from cellular membrane. On average, CARS signal intensity of prostate CTC was 7-fold higher than that of leukocytes (P<0.0000001). When incubated with human plasma, C4-2 metastatic human prostate cancer cells exhibited rapid lipid uptake kinetics and slow lipid mobilization kinetics. Higher expression of lipid transport proteins in C4-2 cells compared to non-transformed RWPE-1 and non-malignant BPH-1 prostate epithelial cells further indicated strong affinity for lipid of metastatic prostate cancer cells. Intracellular lipid could serve as a biomarker for prostate CTC which could be sensitively detected with CARS microscopy in a label-free manner. Strong affinity for lipid by metastatic prostate cancer cells could be used to improve detection sensitivity and therapeutic targeting of prostate CTC

The impact of transit signal priority: case study in Dubai, UAE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Al Khateeb Hadeel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Abdulfatah & Alkhateeb proposes on this paper one of the Intelligent Transportation Systems- ITS, the Transit Signal Priority- TSP, which involves real time tracking. The United States is considered one of the lead countries in implementing this strategy since decades ago. Europe and Germany have also implemented TSP quite extensively to improve rider-ship and buses efficiency. TSP is a strategy that supports the transit system through easing the movement of the service. The operational technique used for TSP is controlling the signal system at the intersections. A detector system must be integrated in the implementation stage. It will detect the preference of public buses among the other vehicles in the traffic queue. Determining of optimal detector location for the TSP with queued lanes is the main feature. It must be studied and decided on before starting different signalization proposals for the intersection. Controlling traffic signal in favor of the public bus system will improve reliability and efficiency for buses. Meanwhile, the extreme impact of the TSP on general traffic as well as on public buses became the basis for many recent studies and thesis tested by many authors. The scope of the project as addressed in this paper is to report the delivered results of different scenarios tested, and then compare these proposed scenarios to select the best signal consideration, which has a potential impact on bus and traffic performance. After applying TSP, the results show that the impact of actuating traffic signals in Al Mussallah / Al Maktoum corridor after extending green time for bus approach (15 sec through minimum reduction on average travel time for busses by 7.04%and tremendous increase in travel time for cars by 38.68%. A reduction in cars Avg. Speed by 28.04% in comparison to 35.52% buses Avg. Speed. On the other hand, a reduction in buses delay received by 14.11% and a decrease in Avg. Stopped delay per bus of about 18.56%, while

The Hungarian car insurance cartel saga

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cseres, K.J.; Szilágyi, P.; Rodger, B.

2013-01-01

his chapter discusses the landmark Hungarian case relating to the car insurance and repair markets, which involved both vertical and horizontal agreements. The case concerned the horizontal relationship between Hungary’s two largest insurance companies and their vertical relationships with car

49 CFR 218.80 - Movement of occupied camp cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Movement of occupied camp cars. 218.80 Section 218... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD OPERATING PRACTICES Protection of Occupied Camp Cars § 218.80 Movement of occupied camp cars. Occupied cars may not be humped or flat switched unless coupled to...

49 CFR 179.4 - Changes in specifications for tank cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Changes in specifications for tank cars. 179.4... TANK CARS Introduction, Approvals and Reports § 179.4 Changes in specifications for tank cars. (a...—Tank Car Safety, AAR, for consideration by its Tank Car Committee. An application for construction of...

BilBooking CarAdmin

OpenAIRE

Ensrud, Marius; Gjerde, Ketil; Solberg, Yngve

2005-01-01

ETC CarAdmin er en biladministreringsløsning utviklet for å effektivisere og lette kostnadene ved den interne biladministrasjonen i kommuner og bedrifter. Det var her to hovedoppdrag vi fikk av oppdragsgiver. Det ene var å bruke Microsoft Outlook sin kalender mot Microsoft Exchange, som har mulighet for ressursreservering, til å gi brukere av CarAdmin-løsningen mulighet til å reservere biler. Oppdrag to, var å bygge opp en webside som kunne gi en kalender visning til bruker og også gi m...

Household choices of car-use reduction measures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaerling, T. [Goeteborg Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Psychology; Gaerling, A. [Goeteborg Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Psychology; Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Road and Traffic Planning; Johannsson, A. [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Road and Traffic Planning

2000-07-01

The present research investigated what car-use reduction measures are perceived by households to be feasible if their goal is to reduce car driving. In Study 1 a number of such measures were included in a survey questionnaire requesting a total of 770 randomly selected respondents to rate how likely they would be to choose the different measures. The ratings suggested that for shopping trips choosing closer stores and trip chaining are more likely to be chosen than any other measure. A similar pattern was observed for leisure trips. Switching to public transport was the most. likely choice for work trips. Women were more likely than men to choose public transport and trip chaining, whereas men were more likely than women to choose motorbike/moped. Choices of car pooling, biking. and motorbike/moped decreased with age. In Study 2 it was determined in interviews what choices households would make in forming car-use reduction intentions, then 1-week travel diaries were collected to assess whether their car-use intentions were implemented. A random sample of 113 multiperson households participated. They expected to he able to change approximately 10% of their car trips. However they made many more trips than they had expected. Constraints, perceived costs, and preferences for different car-use reduction measures may all play a role for the choices. Further research needs to disentangle these roles since their implications for policies are different. (Author)

49 CFR 231.9 - Tank cars without end sills.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... clearance, within 30 inches of side of car, until car is shopped for work amounting to practically... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tank cars without end sills. 231.9 Section 231.9..., DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD SAFETY APPLIANCE STANDARDS § 231.9 Tank cars without end sills. (a...

Establishing guidelines for CAR-T cells: challenges and considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wei; Qin, Di-Yuan; Zhang, Bing-Lan; Wei, Wei; Wang, Yong-Sheng; Wei, Yu-Quan

2016-04-01

T cells, genetically modified by chimeric antigen receptors (CAR-T), are endowed with specificity to a desired antigen and are cytotoxic to cells expressing the targeted antigen. CAR-T-based cancer immunotherapy is a promising therapy for curing hematological malignancy, such as acute lymphoid leukemia, and is promising for extending their efficacy to defeat solid tumors. To date, dozens of different CAR-T cells have been evaluated in clinical trials to treat tumors; this necessitates the establishment of guidelines for the production and application of CAR-T cells. However, it is challenging to standardize CAR-T cancer therapy because it involves a combination of gene therapy and cell therapy. In this review, we compare the existing guidelines for CAR-T cells and discuss the challenges and considerations for establishing guidance for CAR-T-based cancer immunotherapy.

The electric car as a source of exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities; El coche electrico como fuente de explotacion de oportunidades emprendedoras

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Montoro Sanchez, M. A.; Romero Martinez, A. M.

2010-07-01

Energy and environmental crisis along, with technological advances in new kinds of batteries and electric cars, is making the electric car emerges strongly as a great opportunity in the automotive sector. In fact, political leaders see it as a lever to exit the economic crisis as a challenge and an opportunity not only for auto makers, but also for suppliers of related goods and services to the sector and producers and distributors of electricity. (Author) 32 refs.

Computer Security: your car, my control

CERN Multimedia

Stefan Lueders, Computer Security Team

2015-01-01

We have discussed the Internet of Things (IoT) and its security implications already in past issues of the CERN Bulletin, for example in “Today’s paranoia, tomorrow’s reality” (see here). Unfortunately, tomorrow has come. At this years's Black Hat conference researchers presented their findings on how easily your car can be hacked and controlled remotely. Sigh.   While these researchers have just shown that they can wirelessly hijack a Jeep Cherokee, others have performed similar studies with SmartCars, Fords, a Tesla, a Corvette, BMWs, Chryslers and Mercedes! With the increasing computerisation of cars, the engine management system, air conditioning, anti-lock braking system, electronic stability programme, etc. are linked to the infotainment, navigation and communication systems, opening the door for these vehicles to be hacked remotely. The now prevalent Bluetooth connection with smartphones is one entry vector to attack your car remotely...

Design consideration of solar powered cars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koten, Hasan; Yilmaz, Mustafa; Zafer Gul, M. [Marmara University Mechanical Engineering Department (Turkey)], E-mail: hasan.koten@marmara.edu.tr

2011-07-01

With the coming shortage of fossil fuels and the rising concerns over the environment, it is important to develop new technologies that reduce both energy consumption and pollution at the same time. Using solar energy is a good solution which could meet the world's energy needs. The aim of this study is to present the design process in the production of a solar powered car. Designing a solar powered car is a difficult task as there are strict requirements in term of efficiency: the car must have low drag resistance, be light-weight, and have low rolling resistance. In addition this paper presents the use of the solar powered Stirling engine technology rather than a photovoltaic conversion system for vehicle propulsion. This study presented a design process in the construction of a solar powered car and is expected to provide a new topic of research in the transportation field.

Dynamic imaging for CAR-T-cell therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Emami-Shahri, Nia; Papa, Sophie

2016-04-15

Chimaeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy is entering the mainstream for the treatment of CD19(+)cancers. As is does we learn more about resistance to therapy and the role, risks and management of toxicity. In solid tumour CAR therapy research the route to the clinic is less smooth with a wealth of challenges facing translating this, potentially hugely valuable, therapeutic option for patients. As we strive to understand our successes, and navigate the challenges, having a clear understanding of how adoptively transferred CAR-T-cells behavein vivoand in human trials is invaluable. Harnessing reporter gene imaging to enable detection and tracking of small numbers of CAR-T-cells after adoptive transfer is one way by which we can accomplish this. The compatibility of certain reporter gene systems with tracers available routinely in the clinic makes this approach highly useful for future appraisal of CAR-T-cell success in humans. © 2016 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

Automated Car Park Management System

Science.gov (United States)

Fabros, J. P.; Tabañag, D.; Espra, A.; Gerasta, O. J.

2015-06-01

This study aims to develop a prototype for an Automated Car Park Management System that will increase the quality of service of parking lots through the integration of a smart system that assists motorist in finding vacant parking lot. The research was based on implementing an operating system and a monitoring system for parking system without the use of manpower. This will include Parking Guidance and Information System concept which will efficiently assist motorists and ensures the safety of the vehicles and the valuables inside the vehicle. For monitoring, Optical Character Recognition was employed to monitor and put into list all the cars entering the parking area. All parking events in this system are visible via MATLAB GUI which contain time-in, time-out, time consumed information and also the lot number where the car parks. To put into reality, this system has a payment method, and it comes via a coin slot operation to control the exit gate. The Automated Car Park Management System was successfully built by utilizing microcontrollers specifically one PIC18f4550 and two PIC16F84s and one PIC16F628A.

Charging free floating shared cars in metropolitan areas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Poel, Gijs; Tensen, Tim; van Goeverden, Tom; van den Hoed, Robert

2017-01-01

This paper analyses the effect of two new developments: electrification and ‘free floating’ car sharing and their impact on public space. Contrary to station based shared cars, free floating cars do not have dedicated parking or charging stations. They therefore park at public parking spots and

CARs in the Lead Against Multiple Myeloma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ormhøj, Maria; Bedoya, Felipe; Frigault, Matthew J.

2017-01-01

The recent clinical success of CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy in chronic and acute leukemia has led to increased interest in broadening this technology to other hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Now, advances are being made using CAR T cell technology...... to target myeloma antigens such as B cell maturation antigen (BCMA), CD138, and kappa-light chain as well as CD19 on putative myeloma stem cells. To date, only a limited number of multiple myeloma patients have received CAR T cell therapy but preliminary results have been encouraging. In this review, we...... summarize the recently reported results of clinical trials conducted utilizing CAR T cell therapy in multiple myeloma (MM)....

Near- Source, Seismo-Acoustic Signals Accompanying a NASCAR Race at the Texas Motor Speedway

Science.gov (United States)

Stump, B. W.; Hayward, C.; Underwood, R.; Howard, J. E.; MacPhail, M. D.; Golden, P.; Endress, A.

2014-12-01

Near-source, seismo-acoustic observations provide a unique opportunity to characterize urban sources, remotely sense human activities including vehicular traffic and monitor large engineering structures. Energy separately coupled into the solid earth and atmosphere provides constraints on not only the location of these sources but also the physics of the generating process. Conditions and distances at which these observations can be made are dependent upon not only local geological conditions but also atmospheric conditions at the time of the observations. In order to address this range of topics, an empirical, seismo-acoustic study was undertaken in and around the Texas Motor Speedway in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area during the first week of April 2014 at which time a range of activities associated with a series of NASCAR races occurred. Nine, seismic sensors were deployed around the 1.5-mile track for purposes of documenting the direct-coupled seismic energy from the passage of the cars and other vehicles on the track. Six infrasound sensors were deployed on a rooftop in a rectangular array configuration designed to provide high frequency beam forming for acoustic signals. Finally, a five-element infrasound array was deployed outside the track in order to characterize how the signals propagate away from the sources in the near-source region. Signals recovered from within the track were able to track and characterize the motion of a variety of vehicles during the race weekend including individual racecars. Seismic data sampled at 1000 sps documented strong Doppler effects as the cars approached and moved away from individual sensors. There were faint seismic signals that arrived at seismic velocity but local acoustic to seismic coupling as supported by the acoustic observations generated the majority of seismic signals. Actual seismic ground motions were small as demonstrated by the dominance of regional seismic signals from a magnitude 4.0 earthquake that arrived at

A novel solution for car traffic control based on radiometric microwave devices

Science.gov (United States)

Soldovieri, Francesco; Denisov, Alexander; Speziale, Victor

2014-05-01

The significant problem of traffic in big cities, connected with huge and building up quantity of automobile cars, demands for novel strategies, based on nonconventional solutions, in order to improve system traffic control, especially at crossroads. As well known, the usual solution is based on the time relay, which requires the installation of a fixed traffic interval (signal light switching) at a crossroad; this solution is low cost, but does not account for the actual traffic conditions. Therefore, in the recent years, attention is towards to new designs, where the monitoring of the and control of traffic is carried out by using various methods including, optical, the infrared, magnetic, radar tracking, acoustical ones. In this work, we discuss the deployment of high sensitivity radiometric systems and radiometers(sensor) in the microwave range [1, 2]. In fact, the radiometer as "sensor" can provide an always updated information about the car traffic in any weather condition and in absence or low visibility conditions. In fact, the radiometric sensor detects the cars thanks to the different behavior of the car roofs which reflect the cold sky whereas the road asphalt is visible as warm object (at around outside temperature). [1] A. G. Denisov, V. P. Gorishnyak, S. E. Kuzmin et al., "Some experiments concerning resolution of 32 sensors passive 8mm wave imaging system," in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology (ISSTT '09), Charlottesville, Va, USA, April 2009. [2] F. Soldovieri, A. Natale, V. Gorishnyak, A. Pavluchenko, A. Denisov, and L. Chen, "Radiometric Imaging for Monitoring and Surveillance Issues," International Journal of Antennas and Propagation, vol. 2013, Article ID 272561, 8 pages, 2013. doi:10.1155/2013/272561.

49 CFR 231.18 - Cars of special construction.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cars of special construction. 231.18 Section 231... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD SAFETY APPLIANCE STANDARDS § 231.18 Cars of special construction. Cars of construction not covered specifically in the foregoing sections in this part, relative to...

Who are the early adopters of car sharing? A brief history and an analysis of the early adoption of car sharing in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thøgersen, John; Norre, Lise

1999-01-01

After briefly outlining the context, focusing primarily on the economic conditions for car sharing and on the history of the first car sharing initiatives in Denmark, this paper presents results from a study of the early adopters of the car sharing idea in Denmark and some speculations about...... the future of car sharing in this country....

Broadband high-resolution multi-species CARS in gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber.

Science.gov (United States)

Trabold, Barbara M; Hupfer, Robert J R; Abdolvand, Amir; St J Russell, Philip

2017-09-01

We report the use of coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) in gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber (HC-PCF) for trace gas detection. The long optical path-lengths yield a 60 dB increase in the signal level compared with free-space arrangements. This enables a relatively weak supercontinuum (SC) to be used as Stokes seed, along with a ns pump pulse, paving the way for broadband (>4000  cm -1 ) single-shot CARS with an unprecedented resolution of ∼100  MHz. A kagomé-style HC-PCF provides broadband guidance, and, by operating close to the pressure-tunable zero dispersion wavelength, we can ensure simultaneous phase-matching of all gas species. We demonstrate simultaneous measurement of the concentrations of multiple trace gases in a gas sample introduced into the core of the HC-PCF.

Incorporation of Immune Checkpoint Blockade into Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR-Ts): Combination or Built-In CAR-T.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Dok Hyun; Osborn, Mark J; Tolar, Jakub; Kim, Chong Jai

2018-01-24

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy represents the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved gene therapy and these engineered cells function with unprecedented efficacy in the treatment of refractory CD19 positive hematologic malignancies. CAR translation to solid tumors is also being actively investigated; however, efficacy to date has been variable due to tumor-evolved mechanisms that inhibit local immune cell activity. To bolster the potency of CAR-T cells, modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment with immune-checkpoint blockade is a promising strategy. The impact of this approach on hematological malignancies is in its infancy, and in this review we discuss CAR-T cells and their synergy with immune-checkpoint blockade.

Incorporation of Immune Checkpoint Blockade into Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells (CAR-Ts: Combination or Built-In CAR-T

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dok Hyun Yoon

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T cell therapy represents the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved gene therapy and these engineered cells function with unprecedented efficacy in the treatment of refractory CD19 positive hematologic malignancies. CAR translation to solid tumors is also being actively investigated; however, efficacy to date has been variable due to tumor-evolved mechanisms that inhibit local immune cell activity. To bolster the potency of CAR-T cells, modulation of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment with immune-checkpoint blockade is a promising strategy. The impact of this approach on hematological malignancies is in its infancy, and in this review we discuss CAR-T cells and their synergy with immune-checkpoint blockade.

30 CFR 56.14215 - Coupling or uncoupling cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coupling or uncoupling cars. 56.14215 Section... Equipment Safety Practices and Operational Procedures § 56.14215 Coupling or uncoupling cars. Prior to coupling or uncoupling cars manually, trains shall be brought to a complete stop, and then moved at minimum...

Car App's Persuasive Design Principles and Behavior Change

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chao; Wan, Lili; Min, Daihwan

2016-01-01

The emphasis of this study lies in behavior change after using car apps that assist users in using their vehicles and establishing a process for examining the interrelationship between car app's persuasive characteristics and behavior change. A categorizing method was developed and 697 car apps were investigated and classified into eight…

SEAT BELT USE AMONG CAR USERS IN MALAYSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. KULANTHAYAN

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The car is the second (40% most common mode of transportation in Malaysia. In terms of fatal road accidents, car drivers constitute about 9.0% and passengers 13.6% of fatalities. The major cause of car occupants' fatality in such accidents is head injuries, which consist of more than half (56.4% of the fatalities. Thus restraining the head and body, the initial position is the most important injury control strategy for car users. The use of seat belts was deemed one of the most effective ways to reduce road accident fatalities in Malaysia and consequently the mandatory seat belt law was enforced in the early seventies. Therefore, a study on factors influencing the compliance behaviour of seat belt use among cars is needed as to date no such research has been undertaken in Malaysia. A questionnaire study was carried out in Selangor, Malaysia on the compliance behaviour of car occupants in relation to seat belt use. A total of 237 respondents were interviewed and the data analysed using logistic regression method. Six variables were found to be significant at 5 percent level (p<0.05: seating position, location of travel, education level, speeding, night-time driving and enforcement. Compliance with the seat belt law was higher among drivers, educated car users, in the presence of enforcement activities, travelling in city-center areas and car users with a positive attitude towards the risks of speeding and night driving.

Can a road-driven car outrace a free-falling car?

Science.gov (United States)

Castaño, Diego J.

2011-11-01

Motivated by an advertising scenario in which a luxury sports sedan races against a similar car falling under the influence of gravity, a calculation using undergraduate physics and calculus is performed to theoretically predict the outcome.

Application brushless machines with combine excitation for a hybrid car and an electric car

OpenAIRE

GANDZHA S.A.; KIESSH I.E.

2015-01-01

This article shows advantages of application the brushless machines with combined excitation (excitation from permanent magnets and excitation winding) for the hybrid car and the electric car. This type of electric machine is compared with a typical brushless motor and an induction motor. The main advantage is the decrease of the dimensions of electric machine and the reduction of the price for an electronic control system. It is shown the design and the principle of operation of the electric...

Car Stopping Distance on a Tabletop

Science.gov (United States)

Haugland, Ole Anton

2013-01-01

Stopping distances in car braking can be an intriguing topic in physics teaching. It illustrates some basic principles of physics, and sheds valuable light on students' attitude towards aggressive driving. Due to safety considerations, it can be difficult to make experiments with actual car braking. (Contains 2 figures.)

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane technical mixture regulates cell cycle and apoptosis genes through the activation of CAR and ERα in mouse livers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kazantseva, Yuliya A.; Yarushkin, Andrei A. [Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics SB RAMS, Novosibirsk, Timakova str., 2, 630117 (Russian Federation); Pustylnyak, Vladimir O., E-mail: pustylnyak@ngs.ru [Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics SB RAMS, Novosibirsk, Timakova str., 2, 630117 (Russian Federation); Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Pirogova str., 2, 630090 (Russian Federation)

2013-09-01

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is a widely used organochlorine pesticide and a xenoestrogen that promotes rodent hepatomegaly and tumours. A recent study has shown significant correlation between DDT serum concentration and liver cancer incidence in humans, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We hypothesised that a mixture of DDT isomers could exert effects on the liver through pathways instead of classical ERs. The acute effects of a DDT mixture containing the two major isomers p,p′-DDT (85%) and o,p′-DDT (15%) on CAR and ERα receptors and their cell cycle and apoptosis target genes were studied in mouse livers. ChIP results demonstrated increased CAR and ERα recruitment to their specific target gene binding sites in response to the DDT mixture. The results of real-time RT-PCR were consistent with the ChIP data and demonstrated that the DDT was able to activate both CAR and ERα in mouse livers, leading to target gene transcriptional increases including Cyp2b10, Gadd45β, cMyc, Mdm2, Ccnd1, cFos and E2f1. Western blot analysis demonstrated increases in cell cycle progression proteins cMyc, Cyclin D1, CDK4 and E2f1 and anti-apoptosis proteins Mdm2 and Gadd45β. In addition, DDT exposure led to Rb phosphorylation. Increases in cell cycle progression and anti-apoptosis proteins were accompanied by a decrease in p53 content and its transcriptional activity. However, the DDT was unable to stimulate the β-catenin signalling pathway, which can play an important role in hepatocyte proliferation. Thus, our results indicate that DDT treatment may result in cell cycle progression and apoptosis inhibition through CAR- and ERα-mediated gene activation in mouse livers. These findings suggest that the proliferative and anti-apoptotic conditions induced by CAR and ERα activation may be important contributors to the early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis as produced by DDT in rodent livers. - Highlights: • DDT activated both CAR and ERα and their cell

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane technical mixture regulates cell cycle and apoptosis genes through the activation of CAR and ERα in mouse livers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kazantseva, Yuliya A.; Yarushkin, Andrei A.; Pustylnyak, Vladimir O.

2013-01-01

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) is a widely used organochlorine pesticide and a xenoestrogen that promotes rodent hepatomegaly and tumours. A recent study has shown significant correlation between DDT serum concentration and liver cancer incidence in humans, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We hypothesised that a mixture of DDT isomers could exert effects on the liver through pathways instead of classical ERs. The acute effects of a DDT mixture containing the two major isomers p,p′-DDT (85%) and o,p′-DDT (15%) on CAR and ERα receptors and their cell cycle and apoptosis target genes were studied in mouse livers. ChIP results demonstrated increased CAR and ERα recruitment to their specific target gene binding sites in response to the DDT mixture. The results of real-time RT-PCR were consistent with the ChIP data and demonstrated that the DDT was able to activate both CAR and ERα in mouse livers, leading to target gene transcriptional increases including Cyp2b10, Gadd45β, cMyc, Mdm2, Ccnd1, cFos and E2f1. Western blot analysis demonstrated increases in cell cycle progression proteins cMyc, Cyclin D1, CDK4 and E2f1 and anti-apoptosis proteins Mdm2 and Gadd45β. In addition, DDT exposure led to Rb phosphorylation. Increases in cell cycle progression and anti-apoptosis proteins were accompanied by a decrease in p53 content and its transcriptional activity. However, the DDT was unable to stimulate the β-catenin signalling pathway, which can play an important role in hepatocyte proliferation. Thus, our results indicate that DDT treatment may result in cell cycle progression and apoptosis inhibition through CAR- and ERα-mediated gene activation in mouse livers. These findings suggest that the proliferative and anti-apoptotic conditions induced by CAR and ERα activation may be important contributors to the early stages of hepatocarcinogenesis as produced by DDT in rodent livers. - Highlights: • DDT activated both CAR and ERα and their cell

Should Diesel cars in Europe be discouraged?

OpenAIRE

Mayeres, Inge; Proost, Stef

2001-01-01

This paper examines the rationale for the different tax treatment of gasoline and diesel cars currently observed in Europe. First, we analyse possible justifications for a different tax treatment: pure tax revenue considerations, externality cons0iderations and constraints on the tax instruments used for cars and trucks. Next, an applied general equilibrium model is used to assess the welfare effects of revenue neutral changes in the vehicle and fuel taxes on diesel and gasoline cars. The mod...

DISTRIBUTED EXTERNAL SURFACE HARDENING OF CAR DESIGN BY WINDING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. V. Fomin

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The paper involves coverage of features and results of the research conducted by the authors to determine the feasibility and establishment of pre-stressed-strained state of freight cars by winding in order to improve their strength characteristics. It is also necessary to present the theoretical justification for the effectiveness of the application of this method for car designs and an appropriate example for the tank-car. Methodology. The conducted study is based on an analysis of known works on the subject, mathematical justification and computer modeling. At the calculations of rolling stock components contemporary conventional techniques were used. Findings. Authors found that the winding method for pre-stressed-strained state is effective and appropriate for use in the construction of railway rolling stock and, in particular freight cars. Freight car designs with the pre-stressed-strained state are characterized by a number of strength advantages, among which there is an improvement of the work on the perception of operational loads and resource conservation. Originality. For the first time it is proposed the improvement of bearing capacity of freight car constructions through the creation of its component in the directed stress-strained state. It is also for the first time proposed the use of distributed external surface hardening by the method of winding to create a pre-stress-strained state of structural components of freight cars. The methods for winding designs of freight cars and their implementation were considered. Practical value. The studies developed a number of technical solutions for improving the design of freight cars and tank-container, which has been patented. Corresponding solutions for the tank-car are partially presented. Practical implementation of such solutions will significantly improve the technical, economic and operational performances of car designs.

Calculating the Insulated Car Roof Opening System Components and Strength Analysis of Car Design in Its Various Embodiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. S. Kopytov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Opening roof cars can be used in transportation of a diversity of goods that require weather protection. Their operation allows us to fulfill the tasks of the Ministry of Railways that is to ensure both the qualitative and lossless transportation of various national economy and special loads and the significant improvement in the technical and economic indexes of the industry. Thus, there are three embodiment options of the opening roofs: single-leaf roof with axial of rotation along one car side; double-leaf roof with axial of rotation of its flaps along both car sides; single-leaf roof with axial of rotation along the car end wall. The work analyses and compares the first two options of the opening systems of the car roof. Analysis of various schemes of opening the roof-insulated cars is based on kinematic and force calculations. The paper defines how the changing length of hydraulic cylinders depends on the stroke and on the arm of applied force, depending on the opening roof angle for various embodiment options. To find the forces acting on the cylinders were determined the forces acting on the roof and the total applied moment of all the forces acting on them with respect to the axial of rotation. Thus, the total applied moment was considered to comprise the weighting unbalance moments of the roof and snow on it, as well as a moment of the force of wind acting on the roof (dead wind or downwind. Upon finding how the changing total moment of the force applied to the roof depends on the rotation angle and on the change of the applied force arm of hydraulic cylinders, the work determines the forces acting on the cylinders. The maximum tensile and compression force acting on the cylinders allows us to define their geometric characteristics such as piston stroke, diameter of the rod, piston-and rod-working cavity. Using a software package SADAS (developed at the Department "Rocket Launching Complexes" in BMSTU the core models were built and

CAR-T therapy for leukemia: progress and challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Xiao, Qing; Wang, Zhe; Feng, Wen-Li

2017-04-01

Despite the rapid development of therapeutic strategies, leukemia remains a type of difficult-to-treat hematopoietic malignancy that necessitates introduction of more effective treatment options to improve life expectancy and quality of patients. Genetic engineering in adoptively transferred T cells to express antigen-specific chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) has proved highly powerful and efficacious in inducing sustained responses in patients with refractory malignancies, as exemplified by the success of CD19-targeting CAR-T treatment in patients with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Recent strategies, including manipulating intracellular activating domains and transducing viral vectors, have resulted in better designed and optimized CAR-T cells. This is further facilitated by the rapid identification of an accumulating number of potential leukemic antigens that may serve as therapeutic targets for CAR-T cells. This review will provide a comprehensive background and scrutinize recent important breakthrough studies on anti-leukemia CAR-T cells, with focus on recently identified antigens for CAR-T therapy design and approaches to overcome critical challenges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CERN car sharing scheme now open to everyone

CERN Multimedia

GS Department

2011-01-01

The CERN car sharing service is a self-service scheme providing a pool of 30 CERN cars available for pick-up free of charge from 13 points around the Meyrin and Prévessin sites. From Thursday, 1st December 2011, the service will be open to all members of the CERN personnel and contractors' personnel, in the framework of their professional activities at CERN only. The conditions of use can be consulted at: http://gs-dep.web.cern.ch/en/content/Mobility/Car_sharing To be able to use the service, members of the CERN personnel and contractors' personnel must: have a contractual link to CERN, possess an e-mail address registered in the CERN databases; hold an RFID access card, which can be obtained from the CERN Car Pool on presentation of a valid CERN access card. Car Pool, Building 130-R-012, open Monday-Friday, 8.00 a.m.-12.00 noon/1.00 p.m.-5.00 p.m. https://gs-dep.web.cern.ch/en/content/car-pool GS-IS

PC-based car license plate reader

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Chung-Mu; Shu, Shyh-Yeong; Chen, Wen-Yu; Chen, Yie-Wern; Wen, Kuang-Pu

1992-11-01

A car license plate reader (CLPR) using fuzzy inference and neural network algorithm has been developed in Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and installed in highway toll stations to identify stolen cars. It takes an average of 0.7 seconds to recognize a car license plate by using a PC with 80486-50 CPU. The recognition rate of the system is about 97%. The techniques of CLPR include vehicle sensing, image grab control, optic pre- processing, lighting, and optic character recognition (OCR). The CLPR can be used in vehicle flow statistics, the checking of stolen vehicles, automatic charging systems in parking lots or garage management, and so on.

Car free cities: Pathway to healthy urban living.

Science.gov (United States)

Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J; Khreis, Haneen

2016-09-01

Many cities across the world are beginning to shift their mobility solution away from the private cars and towards more environmentally friendly and citizen-focused means. Hamburg, Oslo, Helsinki, and Madrid have recently announced their plans to become (partly) private car free cities. Other cities like Paris, Milan, Chengdu, Masdar, Dublin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Bogota, and Hyderabad have measures that aim at reducing motorized traffic including implementing car free days, investing in cycling infrastructure and pedestrianization, restricting parking spaces and considerable increases in public transport provision. Such plans and measures are particularly implemented with the declared aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These reductions are also likely to benefit public health. We aimed to describe the plans for private car free cities and its likely effects on public health. We reviewed the grey and scientific literature on plans for private car free cities, restricted car use, related exposures and health. An increasing number of cities are planning to become (partly) private car free. They mainly focus on the reduction of private car use in city centers. The likely effects of such policies are significant reductions in traffic-related air pollution, noise, and temperature in city centers. For example, up to a 40% reduction in NO2 levels has been reported on car free days. These reductions are likely to lead to a reduction in premature mortality and morbidity. Furthermore the reduction in the number of cars, and therefore a reduction in the need for parking places and road space, provides opportunities to increase green space and green networks in cities, which in turn can lead to many beneficial health effects. All these measures are likely to lead to higher levels of active mobility and physical activity which may improve public health the most and also provide more opportunities for people to interact with each other in public space. Furthermore, such

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from Serbia: revision of CarO classification.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarina Novovic

Full Text Available Carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii present a significant therapeutic challenge for the treatment of nosocomial infections in many European countries. Although it is known that the gradient of A. baumannii prevalence increases from northern to southern Europe, this study provides the first data from Serbia. Twenty-eight carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii clinical isolates were collected at a Serbian pediatric hospital during a 2-year period. The majority of isolates (67.68% belonged to the sequence type Group 1, European clonal complex II. All isolates harbored intrinsic OXA-51 and AmpC cephalosporinase. OXA-23 was detected in 16 isolates (57.14%, OXA-24 in 23 isolates (82.14% and OXA-58 in 11 isolates (39.29%. Six of the isolates (21.43% harbored all of the analyzed oxacillinases, except OXA-143 and OXA-235 that were not detected in this study. Production of oxacillinases was detected in different pulsotypes indicating the presence of horizontal gene transfer. NDM-1, VIM and IMP were not detected in analyzed clinical A. baumannii isolates. ISAba1 insertion sequence was present upstream of OXA-51 in one isolate, upstream of AmpC in 13 isolates and upstream of OXA-23 in 10 isolates. In silico analysis of carO sequences from analyzed A. baumannii isolates revealed the existence of two out of six highly polymorphic CarO variants. The phylogenetic analysis of CarO protein among Acinetobacter species revised the previous classification CarO variants into three groups based on strong bootstraps scores in the tree analysis. Group I comprises four variants (I-IV while Groups II and III contain only one variant each. One half of the Serbian clinical isolates belong to Group I variant I, while the other half belongs to Group I variant III.

Using in-car feedback to influence travel decisions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byrne, I T [WS Atkins plc, Dublin (Ireland); O' Mahony, M M; Broderick, B M [Trinity College, Dublin (Ireland). Dept. of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering

1999-11-01

It is widely accepted that there is a need to reduce private car use, thereby alleviating congested urban areas and reducing fuel consumption and emissions from transport vehicles. This paper examines one approach to achieving this aim, based on the hypothesis that car owners do not correctly perceive the full cost of a car trip. The primary objective of the research was to assess the potential for correcting this misperception through the use of a digital car running-cost meter, installed on the dashboard of a car, which displays on a real-time basis the cost of each trip. Cost meter information on marginal trip cost, external cost and the effect of driving style was provided to a sample of drivers in a small pilot action in Dublin. The findings from the data (diaries and interviews) are presented and extrapolated by means of a transport network model to assess potential energy saving. The key findings from the work are as follows. (a) There was a significant reduction in off-peak-period trips observed as a result of the car meter but there was no significant reduction in time spent in the car, distance travelled by car and cost of driving. (b) A surprising finding from the project was that 40% of the subjects who happened to be changing their vehicle shortly after being involved in the project chose more fuel-efficient vehicles. They attributed their choice in part to their increased awareness of fuel costs as a result of their involvement in the project. (author)

PLC Based Automatic Multistoried Car Parking System

OpenAIRE

Swanand S .Vaze; Rohan S. Mithari

2014-01-01

This project work presents the study and design of PLC based Automatic Multistoried Car Parking System. Multistoried car parking is an arrangement which is used to park a large number of vehicles in least possible place. For making this arrangement in a real plan very high technological instruments are required. In this project a prototype of such a model is made. This prototype model is made for accommodating twelve cars at a time. Availability of the space for parking is detecte...

Unexpected attraction of polarotactic water-leaving insects to matt black car surfaces: mattness of paintwork cannot eliminate the polarized light pollution of black cars.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miklos Blaho

Full Text Available The horizontally polarizing surface parts of shiny black cars (the reflection-polarization characteristics of which are similar to those of water surfaces attract water-leaving polarotactic insects. Thus, shiny black cars are typical sources of polarized light pollution endangering water-leaving insects. A new fashion fad is to make car-bodies matt black or grey. Since rough (matt surfaces depolarize the reflected light, one of the ways of reducing polarized light pollution is to make matt the concerned surface. Consequently, matt black/grey cars may not induce polarized light pollution, which would be an advantageous feature for environmental protection. To test this idea, we performed field experiments with horizontal shiny and matt black car-body surfaces laid on the ground. Using imaging polarimetry, in multiple-choice field experiments we investigated the attractiveness of these test surfaces to various water-leaving polarotactic insects and obtained the following results: (i The attractiveness of black car-bodies to polarotactic insects depends in complex manner on the surface roughness (shiny, matt and species (mayflies, dolichopodids, tabanids. (ii Non-expectedly, the matt dark grey car finish is much more attractive to mayflies (being endangered and protected in many countries than matt black finish. (iii The polarized light pollution of shiny black cars usually cannot be reduced with the use of matt painting. On the basis of these, our two novel findings are that (a matt car-paints are highly polarization reflecting, and (b these matt paints are not suitable to repel polarotactic insects. Hence, the recent technology used to make matt the car-bodies cannot eliminate or even can enhance the attractiveness of black/grey cars to water-leaving insects. Thus, changing shiny black car painting to matt one is a disadvantageous fashion fad concerning the reduction of polarized light pollution of black vehicles.

Unexpected attraction of polarotactic water-leaving insects to matt black car surfaces: mattness of paintwork cannot eliminate the polarized light pollution of black cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Blaho, Miklos; Herczeg, Tamas; Kriska, Gyorgy; Egri, Adam; Szaz, Denes; Farkas, Alexandra; Tarjanyi, Nikolett; Czinke, Laszlo; Barta, Andras; Horvath, Gabor

2014-01-01

The horizontally polarizing surface parts of shiny black cars (the reflection-polarization characteristics of which are similar to those of water surfaces) attract water-leaving polarotactic insects. Thus, shiny black cars are typical sources of polarized light pollution endangering water-leaving insects. A new fashion fad is to make car-bodies matt black or grey. Since rough (matt) surfaces depolarize the reflected light, one of the ways of reducing polarized light pollution is to make matt the concerned surface. Consequently, matt black/grey cars may not induce polarized light pollution, which would be an advantageous feature for environmental protection. To test this idea, we performed field experiments with horizontal shiny and matt black car-body surfaces laid on the ground. Using imaging polarimetry, in multiple-choice field experiments we investigated the attractiveness of these test surfaces to various water-leaving polarotactic insects and obtained the following results: (i) The attractiveness of black car-bodies to polarotactic insects depends in complex manner on the surface roughness (shiny, matt) and species (mayflies, dolichopodids, tabanids). (ii) Non-expectedly, the matt dark grey car finish is much more attractive to mayflies (being endangered and protected in many countries) than matt black finish. (iii) The polarized light pollution of shiny black cars usually cannot be reduced with the use of matt painting. On the basis of these, our two novel findings are that (a) matt car-paints are highly polarization reflecting, and (b) these matt paints are not suitable to repel polarotactic insects. Hence, the recent technology used to make matt the car-bodies cannot eliminate or even can enhance the attractiveness of black/grey cars to water-leaving insects. Thus, changing shiny black car painting to matt one is a disadvantageous fashion fad concerning the reduction of polarized light pollution of black vehicles.

Development of an Earthquake Early Warning System Using Real-Time Strong Motion Signals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroo Kanamori

2008-01-01

Full Text Available As urbanization progresses worldwide, earthquakes pose serious threat to livesand properties for urban areas near major active faults on land or subduction zonesoffshore. Earthquake Early Warning (EEW can be a useful tool for reducing earthquakehazards, if the spatial relation between cities and earthquake sources is favorable for suchwarning and their citizens are properly trained to respond to earthquake warning messages.An EEW system forewarns an urban area of forthcoming strong shaking, normally with afew sec to a few tens of sec of warning time, i.e., before the arrival of the destructive Swavepart of the strong ground motion. Even a few second of advanced warning time willbe useful for pre-programmed emergency measures for various critical facilities, such asrapid-transit vehicles and high-speed trains to avoid potential derailment; it will be alsouseful for orderly shutoff of gas pipelines to minimize fire hazards, controlled shutdown ofhigh-technological manufacturing operations to reduce potential losses, and safe-guardingof computer facilities to avoid loss of vital databases. We explored a practical approach toEEW with the use of a ground-motion period parameter τc and a high-pass filtered verticaldisplacement amplitude parameter Pd from the initial 3 sec of the P waveforms. At a givensite, an earthquake magnitude could be determined from τc and the peak ground-motionvelocity (PGV could be estimated from Pd. In this method, incoming strong motion acceleration signals are recursively converted to ground velocity and displacement. A Pwavetrigger is constantly monitored. When a trigger occurs, τc and Pd are computed. Theearthquake magnitude and the on-site ground-motion intensity could be estimated and thewarning could be issued. In an ideal situation, such warnings would be available within 10sec of the origin time of a large earthquake whose subsequent ground motion may last fortens of seconds.

Analysis of Flexible Car Body of Straddle Monorail Vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Yuanmu

2018-03-01

Based on the finite element model of straddle monorail vehicle, a rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model considering vehicle body’s flexibility is established. The influence of vertical stiffness and vertical damping of the running wheel on the modal parameters of the car body is analyzed. The effect of flexible car body on modal parameters and vehicle ride quality is also studied. The results show that when the vertical stiffness of running wheel is less than 1 MN / m, the car body bounce and pitch frequency increase with the increasing of the vertical stiffness of the running wheel, when the running wheel vertical stiffness is 1MN / m or more, car body bounce and pitch frequency remained unchanged; When the vertical stiffness of the running wheel is below 1.8 MN / m, the vehicle body bounce and pitch damping ratio increase with the increasing of the vertical stiffness of the running wheel; When the running wheel vertical stiffness is 1.8MN / m or more, the car body bounce and pitch damping ratio remained unchanged; The running wheel vertical damping on the car body bounce and pitch frequency has no effect; Car body bounce and pitch damping ratio increase with the increasing of the vertical damping of the running wheel. The flexibility of the car body has no effect on the modal parameters of the car, which will improve the vehicle ride quality index.

Connected Car: Quantified Self becomes Quantified Car

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melanie Swan

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The automotive industry could be facing a situation of profound change and opportunity in the coming decades. There are a number of influencing factors such as increasing urban and aging populations, self-driving cars, 3D parts printing, energy innovation, and new models of transportation service delivery (Zipcar, Uber. The connected car means that vehicles are now part of the connected world, continuously Internet-connected, generating and transmitting data, which on the one hand can be helpfully integrated into applications, like real-time traffic alerts broadcast to smartwatches, but also raises security and privacy concerns. This paper explores the automotive connected world, and describes five killer QS (Quantified Self-auto sensor applications that link quantified-self sensors (sensors that measure the personal biometrics of individuals like heart rate and automotive sensors (sensors that measure driver and passenger biometrics or quantitative automotive performance metrics like speed and braking activity. The applications are fatigue detection, real-time assistance for parking and accidents, anger management and stress reduction, keyless authentication and digital identity verification, and DIY diagnostics. These kinds of applications help to demonstrate the benefit of connected world data streams in the automotive industry and beyond where, more fundamentally for human progress, the automation of both physical and now cognitive tasks is underway.

Emergency automatic signalling system using time scheduling

Science.gov (United States)

Rayavel, P.; Surenderanath, S.; Rathnavel, P.; Prakash, G.

2018-04-01

It is difficult to handle traffic congestion and maintain roads during traffic mainly in India. As the people migrate from rural to urban and sub-urban areas, it becomes still more critical. Presently Roadways is a standout amongst the most vital transportation. At the point when a car crash happens, crisis vehicles, for example, ambulances and fire trucks must rush to the mischance scene. There emerges a situation where a portion of the crisis vehicles may cause another car crash. Therefore it becomes still more difficult for emergency vehicle to reach the destination within a predicted time. To avoid that kind of problem we have come out with an effective idea which can reduce the potential in the traffic system. The traffic system is been modified using a wireless technology and high speed micro controller to provide smooth and clear flow of traffic for ambulance to reach the destination on time. This is achieved by using RFID Tag at the ambulance and RFID Reader at the traffic system i.e., traffic signal. This mainly deals with identifying the emergency vehicle and providing a green signal to traffic signal at time of traffic jam. — By assigning priorities to various traffic movements, we can control the traffic jam. In some moments like ambulance emergency, high delegates arrive people facing lot of trouble. To overcome this problem in this paper we propose a time priority based traffic system achieved by using RFID transmitter at the emergency vehicle and RFID receiver at the traffic system i.e., traffic signal. The signal from the emergency vehicle is sent to traffic system which after detecting it sends it to microcontroller which controls the traffic signal. If any emergency vehicle is detected the system goes to emergency system mode where signal switch to green and if it is not detected normal system mode.

Transient Heat Transfer Model for Car Body Primer Curing

OpenAIRE

D. Zabala; N. Sánchez; J. Pinto

2010-01-01

A transient heat transfer mathematical model for the prediction of temperature distribution in the car body during primer baking has been developed by considering the thermal radiation and convection in the furnace chamber and transient heat conduction governing equations in the car framework. The car cockpit is considered like a structure with six flat plates, four vertical plates representing the car doors and the rear and front panels. The other two flat plates are the...

49 CFR 218.75 - Methods of protection for camp cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Methods of protection for camp cars. 218.75... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RAILROAD OPERATING PRACTICES Protection of Occupied Camp Cars § 218.75 Methods of protection for camp cars. When camp cars requiring protection are on either main track...

Operation car for horizontal coke ovens. Bedienungswagen fuer waagrechte Verkokungsoefen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwasnik, H J; Piduch, H G

1981-07-30

An operation car which is driveable on the coke side of a coke oven battery is described. The operation car is equipped with a door lifter, a door and frame cleaner, a coke guiding grid and a collection hood for emissions developed on coke pushing. The car has a portal construction and it is driveable on both sides of the path of the coke receiving car. The operation has a considerable lower weight than usual cars. (HGOE).

A Time Series Analysis Using R for Understanding Car Sales On The Romanian Market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela Cornelia Sandu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The size of the Romanian automobile industry is relative small compared to the main car producers in Europe and the world, but an analysis of its structure and dynamic appears to be most relevant given the strong linkages with the main macroeconomic indicators and important microeconomic variables at the level of the household.The paper presents a time series analysis for car sales in Romania, in the period 2007-2014, focusing on the sales dynamic of the national main producer– Dacia Pitesti. The aim of the investigation is twofold: to test the impact of macroeconomic variables on this important and underexplored segment of the economy and to emphasize potential differences between the factors influencing the buying decision for domestic versus foreign cars (observed in three regimes: new, registered and reenrolled. While the major influence of the global economic crisis cannot be ignored for the analyzed interval, we believe that it may also help to illustrate the real behaviors of individuals by setting the line between the immediate period after the crisis as treatment under scarcity conditions and the re-installment of normality towards the second half of the time interval. The results are confirming the general findings of the literature for the main indicators but they not entirely consistent with the rational economic models, especially with regard to the nature of the investigated goods (the cars – normal or positional.

Building a CAR Garage: Preparing for the Delivery of Commercial CAR T Cell Products at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Perica, Karlo; Curran, Kevin J; Brentjens, Renier J; Giralt, Sergio A

2018-03-01

Two commercial chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies for CD19-expressing B cell malignancies, Kymriah and Yescarta, have recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The administration of CAR T cells is a complex endeavor involving cell manufacture, tracking and shipping of apheresis products, and management of novel and severe toxicities. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, we have identified 8 essential tasks that define the CAR T cell workflow. In this review, we discuss practical aspects of CAR T cell program development, including clinical, administrative, and regulatory challenges for successful implementation. Copyright © 2018 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

49 CFR 231.31 - Drawbars for freight cars; standard height.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Drawbars for freight cars; standard height. 231.31... cars; standard height. (a) Except on cars specified in paragraph (b) of this section— (1) On standard gage (561/2-inch gage) railroads, the maximum height of drawbars for freight cars (measured...

PENGARUH CAR DAN LDR TERHADAP RETURN ON ASSETS

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Deden Edwar Yokeu Bernardin

2016-10-01

  Banking is one of the sectors that dominate perkonomian Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR and the Loan to Deposit Ratio (LDR Of Return On Assets (ROA at Bank BJB listed on the Stock Exchange with the observation period 2009 - 2015. The method used by researchers is using dekskriptif and verification method with quantitative approach using multiple regression analysis. This study uses a support program SPSS 20. The results in this study stated that partially showed that the CAR significant effect on ROA, means to show the truth of the factual from the Bank BJB is possible with the increased quality of the CAR will be the effect on the profit shown by the increase in ROA and LDR no significant effect on ROA, that the increase in liquidity does not necessarily increase profits in the analysis using ROA and by no means influence. Additionally simultaneously both CAR and LDR significant effect on ROA, means that the ratio analysis done of the higher value of CAR and LDR will necessarily increase in the profits of the Bank BJB by using ROA.   Keywords: CAR, LDR and ROA

Car Travel-Related Thrombosis: Fact or Fiction?

Science.gov (United States)

Lippi, Giuseppe; Favaloro, Emmanuel J

2018-06-01

The condition sometimes referred to as "economy class syndrome," and also known as "traveler's thrombosis," is a distinctive pathological condition characterized by occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in a patient who has recently experienced a long journey (i.e., ≥ 4 h). Typically, the identified travel is by airplane, but travel with other vehicles, such as trains, trucks, buses, or cars, could potentially qualify as contributing to VTE events. Although the enhanced risk of VTE after long haul flights is now widely acknowledged, albeit potentially overhyped, the risk of venous thrombosis after prolonged travel by other modes of transport, in particular, by cars, is less well appreciated. Current evidence, collected from some epidemiological studies, suggests that if any risk of VTE can be attributed to prolonged and uninterrupted car travels, and we give moderate credibility to such an association, the risk may be similar to that already proven for long haul flights. The risk is especially high in individuals undergoing uninterrupted car journeys lasting 4 hours or longer, in vehicles with a narrow seat-pitch, and in particularly would affect those with pre-existing acquired or inherited prothrombotic conditions. The putative biological mechanisms basically entail venous stasis and edema, which are often compounded by a certain degree of hypercoagulability. When these factors are combined with preexistent prothrombotic conditions, the risk may be substantially magnified. In this perspective, then, 'car thrombosis' may be regarded as a trigger rather than a risk factor for venous thrombosis. Although the current evidence is certainly not solid enough to endorse the use of general chemical prophylaxis for lowering the risk of car-related VTE, a set of possible precautionary measures, with no or very little side effects, may be suggested before planning prolonged car travels, especially for at risk individuals. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue

Forces on wheels and fuel consumption in cars

Science.gov (United States)

Güémez, J.; Fiolhais, M.

2013-07-01

Motivated by real classroom discussions, we analyze the forces acting on moving vehicles, specifically friction on their wheels. In typical front-wheel-drive cars when the car accelerates these forces are in the forward direction in the front wheels, but they are in the opposite direction in the rear wheels. The situation may be intriguing for students, but it may also be helpful and stimulating to clarify the role of friction forces on rolling objects. In this paper we also study the thermodynamical aspects of an accelerating car, relating the distance traveled to the amount of fuel consumed. The fuel consumption is explicitly shown to be Galilean invariant and we identify the Gibbs free energy as the relevant quantity that enters into the thermodynamical description of the accelerating car. The more realistic case of the car's motion with the dragging forces taken into account is also discussed.

Forces on wheels and fuel consumption in cars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Güémez, J; Fiolhais, M

2013-01-01

Motivated by real classroom discussions, we analyze the forces acting on moving vehicles, specifically friction on their wheels. In typical front-wheel-drive cars when the car accelerates these forces are in the forward direction in the front wheels, but they are in the opposite direction in the rear wheels. The situation may be intriguing for students, but it may also be helpful and stimulating to clarify the role of friction forces on rolling objects. In this paper we also study the thermodynamical aspects of an accelerating car, relating the distance traveled to the amount of fuel consumed. The fuel consumption is explicitly shown to be Galilean invariant and we identify the Gibbs free energy as the relevant quantity that enters into the thermodynamical description of the accelerating car. The more realistic case of the car's motion with the dragging forces taken into account is also discussed. (paper)

49 CFR 174.110 - Car magazine.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Car magazine. 174.110 Section 174.110...) Materials § 174.110 Car magazine. When specially authorized by the carrier, Division 1.1 or 1.2 (explosive... packages of Class 1 (explosive) materials are placed in a “magazine” box made of sound lumber not less than...

A FPGA Implementation of the CAR-FAC Cochlear Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Xu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a digital implementation of the Cascade of Asymmetric Resonators with Fast-Acting Compression (CAR-FAC cochlear model. The CAR part simulates the basilar membrane's (BM response to sound. The FAC part models the outer hair cell (OHC, the inner hair cell (IHC, and the medial olivocochlear efferent system functions. The FAC feeds back to the CAR by moving the poles and zeros of the CAR resonators automatically. We have implemented a 70-section, 44.1 kHz sampling rate CAR-FAC system on an Altera Cyclone V Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA with 18% ALM utilization by using time-multiplexing and pipeline parallelizing techniques and present measurement results here. The fully digital reconfigurable CAR-FAC system is stable, scalable, easy to use, and provides an excellent input stage to more complex machine hearing tasks such as sound localization, sound segregation, speech recognition, and so on.

A FPGA Implementation of the CAR-FAC Cochlear Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ying; Thakur, Chetan S; Singh, Ram K; Hamilton, Tara Julia; Wang, Runchun M; van Schaik, André

2018-01-01

This paper presents a digital implementation of the Cascade of Asymmetric Resonators with Fast-Acting Compression (CAR-FAC) cochlear model. The CAR part simulates the basilar membrane's (BM) response to sound. The FAC part models the outer hair cell (OHC), the inner hair cell (IHC), and the medial olivocochlear efferent system functions. The FAC feeds back to the CAR by moving the poles and zeros of the CAR resonators automatically. We have implemented a 70-section, 44.1 kHz sampling rate CAR-FAC system on an Altera Cyclone V Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) with 18% ALM utilization by using time-multiplexing and pipeline parallelizing techniques and present measurement results here. The fully digital reconfigurable CAR-FAC system is stable, scalable, easy to use, and provides an excellent input stage to more complex machine hearing tasks such as sound localization, sound segregation, speech recognition, and so on.

Traffic sounds and cycling safety : the use of electronic devices by cyclists and the quietness of hybrid and electric cars.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stelling-Konczak, A. Hagenzieker, M.P. & Wee, B. van

2015-01-01

The growing popularity of electric devices and the increasing number of hybrid and electric cars have recently raised concerns about the use of auditory signals by vulnerable road users. This paper consolidates current knowledge about the two trends in relation to cycling safety. Both a literature

A Route Guidance System for Car Finding in Indoor Parking Garages

OpenAIRE

Pei-Chun Lee; Sheng-Shih Wang

2016-01-01

This paper presents a route guidance system for car owners to find their cars in parking garages. The presents system comprises a positioning-assisting subsystem and a car-finding mobile app. The positioning-assisting subsystem mainly uses the iBeacon technology for indoor positioning. The car-finding mobile app guides car owners to their cars based on a non-map navigation strategy. This study also designs a virtual coordinate system to support identifying the locations of parking spaces and ...

Comfortable car interiors: Experiments as a basis for car interior design contributing to the pleasure of the driver and passengers

OpenAIRE

Kamp, I.

2012-01-01

One of the main challenges for car manufacturers is complying with the stringent environmental regulations without compromising driving comfort and pleasure. Reducing the overall weight of a car reduces fuel consumption and increases acceleration. However weight reduction seems in contradiction with another important aspect of car-sales; comfort. In this PhD thesis five experiments are presented proving that weight reduction and comfort improvement can go hand in hand. In these studies specif...

An experimental investigation of tobacco smoke pollution in cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Sendzik, Taryn; Fong, Geoffrey T; Travers, Mark J; Hyland, Andrew

2009-06-01

Tobacco smoke pollution (TSP) has been identified as a serious public health threat. Although the number of jurisdictions that prohibit smoking in public places has increased rapidly, just a few successful attempts have been made to pass similar laws prohibiting smoking in cars, where the cabin space may contribute to concentrated exposure. In particular, TSP constitutes a potentially serious health hazard to children because of prolonged exposure and their small size. The present study investigated the levels of TSP in 18 cars via the measurement of fine respirable particles (Car owners smoked a single cigarette in their cars in each of five controlled air-sampling conditions. Each condition varied on movement of the car, presence of air conditioning, open windows, and combinations of these airflow influences. Smoking just a single cigarette in a car generated extremely high average levels of PM(2.5): more than 3,800 microg/m3 in the condition with the least airflow (motionless car, windows closed). In moderate ventilation conditions (air conditioning or having the smoking driver hold the cigarette next to a half-open window), the average levels of PM(2.5) were reduced but still at significantly high levels (air conditioning = 844 microg/m3; holding cigarette next to a half-open window = 223 microg/m3). This study demonstrates that TSP in cars reaches unhealthy levels, even under realistic ventilation conditions, lending support to efforts occurring across a growing number of jurisdictions to educate people and prohibit smoking in cars in the presence of children.

Will Brazil's cars go on the wagon?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homewood, B.

1993-01-01

The use of ethanol as an alternative fuel for cars in Brazil, may shortly be reduced. Falling world oil prices have meant that ethanol, derived from sugar cane, following a fourteen year research program, has ceased to be a financially viable replacement for petrol. Although about a third of Brazil's cars are at present powered by ethanol, only substantial government subsidies could reinstate this fuel despite its reduced pollutant status. Government officials now predict that ethanol will become merely a petrol additive and production of ethanol cars will have stopped by the year 2000. (UK)

THEORETICAL BASIS OF MOTOR CAR QUALITY EVALUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Bazhinova

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Comprehensive assessment of the quality of cars, which is based on the integral parameters of comfort, reliability, safety, environmental and technical solutions are considered and defined. The amount of parameters that define the quality level of the car use throughout the country is defined. Mathematical formulas and quality indicators of the integral index are developed. The integral quality index of vehicles allows comparing the vehicles of different classes based on external operating conditions. The numerical values of the integral index determines the quality of the car.

Electric cars as mobile power storage systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herzog, B.

2010-01-01

This article discusses the use of electric cars as a means of optimising the use of renewable energy sources. Charging the cars' batteries during periods when cheap electricity prices prevail and then using excess capacity to supply the mains with electricity during periods of peak demand is discussed. The possible use of wind for power generation is discussed and a system proposed by a leading supplier of electrical apparatus and systems is examined. Two examples of electric cars and associated power chains are looked at and tests in everyday practice are described

Speed-dependent emission of air pollutants from gasoline-powered passenger cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Sungwoon; Lee, Meehye; Kim, Jongchoon; Lyu, Youngsook; Park, Junhong

2011-01-01

In Korea emissions from motor vehicles are a major source of air pollution in metropolitan cities, and in Seoul a large proportion of the vehicle fleet is made up of gasoline-powered passenger cars. The carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) contained in the exhaust emissions from 76 gasoline-powered passenger cars equipped with three-way catalysts has been assessed by vehicle speed, vehicle mileage and model year. The results show that CO, HC, NOx and CO2 emissions remained almost unchanged at higher speeds but decreased rapidly at lower speeds. While a reduction in CO, HC and NOx emissions was noticeable in vehicles of recent manufacture and lower mileage, CO2 emissions were found to be insensitive to vehicle mileage, but strongly dependent on gross vehicle weight. Lower emissions from more recent gasoline-powered vehicles arose mainly from improvements in three-way catalytic converter technology following strengthened emission regulations. The correlation between CO2 emission and fuel consumption has been investigated with a view to establishing national CO2 emission standards for Korea.

Glioblastoma-targeted CD4+ CAR T cells mediate superior antitumor activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dongrui; Aguilar, Brenda; Starr, Renate; Alizadeh, Darya; Brito, Alfonso; Sarkissian, Aniee; Ostberg, Julie R; Forman, Stephen J; Brown, Christine E

2018-05-17

Chimeric antigen receptor-modified (CAR-modified) T cells have shown promising therapeutic effects for hematological malignancies, yet limited and inconsistent efficacy against solid tumors. The refinement of CAR therapy requires an understanding of the optimal characteristics of the cellular products, including the appropriate composition of CD4+ and CD8+ subsets. Here, we investigated the differential antitumor effect of CD4+ and CD8+ CAR T cells targeting glioblastoma-associated (GBM-associated) antigen IL-13 receptor α2 (IL13Rα2). Upon stimulation with IL13Rα2+ GBM cells, the CD8+ CAR T cells exhibited robust short-term effector function but became rapidly exhausted. By comparison, the CD4+ CAR T cells persisted after tumor challenge and sustained their effector potency. Mixing with CD4+ CAR T cells failed to ameliorate the effector dysfunction of CD8+ CAR T cells, while surprisingly, CD4+ CAR T cell effector potency was impaired when coapplied with CD8+ T cells. In orthotopic GBM models, CD4+ outperformed CD8+ CAR T cells, especially for long-term antitumor response. Further, maintenance of the CD4+ subset was positively correlated with the recursive killing ability of CAR T cell products derived from GBM patients. These findings identify CD4+ CAR T cells as a highly potent and clinically important T cell subset for effective CAR therapy.

Efficient tumor regression by adoptively transferred CEA-specific CAR-T cells associated with symptoms of mild cytokine release syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Linan; Ma, Ning; Okamoto, Sachiko; Amaishi, Yasunori; Sato, Eiichi; Seo, Naohiro; Mineno, Junichi; Takesako, Kazutoh; Kato, Takuma; Shiku, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a cell surface antigen highly expressed in various cancer cell types and in healthy tissues. It has the potential to be a target for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T-cell therapy; however, the safety of this approach in terms of on-target/off-tumor effects needs to be determined. To address this issue in a clinically relevant model, we used a mouse model in which the T cells expressing CEA-specific CAR were transferred into tumor-bearing CEA-transgenic (Tg) mice that physiologically expressed CEA as a self-antigen. The adoptive transfer in conjunction with lymphodepleting and myeloablative preconditioning mediated significant tumor regression but caused weight loss in CEA-Tg, but not in wild-type mice. The weight loss was not associated with overt inflammation in the CEA-expressing gastrointestinal tract but was associated with malnutrition, reflected in elevated systemic levels of cytokines linked to anorexia, which could be controlled by the administration of an anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody without compromising efficacy. The apparent relationship between lymphodepleting and myeloablative preconditioning, efficacy, and off-tumor toxicity of CAR-T cells would necessitate the development of CEA-specific CAR-T cells with improved signaling domains that require less stringent preconditioning for their efficacy. Taken together, these results suggest that CEA-specific CAR-based adoptive T-cell therapy may be effective for patients with CEA + solid tumors. Distinguishing the fine line between therapeutic efficacy and off-tumor toxicity would involve further modifications of CAR-T cells and preconditioning regimens.

Analysis of mixed traffic flow with human-driving and autonomous cars based on car-following model

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wen-Xing; Zhang, H. M.

2018-04-01

We investigated the mixed traffic flow with human-driving and autonomous cars. A new mathematical model with adjustable sensitivity and smooth factor was proposed to describe the autonomous car's moving behavior in which smooth factor is used to balance the front and back headway in a flow. A lemma and a theorem were proved to support the stability criteria in traffic flow. A series of simulations were carried out to analyze the mixed traffic flow. The fundamental diagrams were obtained from the numerical simulation results. The varying sensitivity and smooth factor of autonomous cars affect traffic flux, which exhibits opposite varying tendency with increasing parameters before and after the critical density. Moreover, the sensitivity of sensors and smooth factors play an important role in stabilizing the mixed traffic flow and suppressing the traffic jam.

On practicality of a hybrid car with solar cells; Taiyo denchi wo tosaishita hybrid car no jitsuyosei ni tsuite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasaki, K; Nagayoshi, H; Kamisako, K [Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo (Japan)

1997-11-25

The paper stated a development of a hybrid car which is a parallel type with gasoline engine and electric motor as driving source (connecting each according to the situation) and is also equipped with solar cells. Specifications are gasoline engine of 1200cc, induction motor of 5.5kW, lead battery of 288V and 7.2kWh, monocrystal silicon solar cells of 180W maximum output, and body weight of 1100kg. The rear wheel is driven by electric motor, and the front wheel by gasoline engine. The car is loaded with battery charge use solar cells on hood and roof. To enhance cleaning degree, 1.6kW solar cells are installed as an installed power system and used for battery charge. Even by an electric motor with output less than that of the usual electric car, harmful exhaust gas emitted in start-up can be controlled. This is because the electric motor can be used in accelerating. It was confirmed that the power required for it could be supplied by solar cells installed on the car. The hybrid car is practically useful for prevention of local air pollution. 5 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

Autonomous Car Parking System through a Cooperative Vehicular Positioning Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Correa, Alejandro; Boquet, Guillem; Morell, Antoni; Lopez Vicario, Jose

2017-04-13

The increasing development of the automotive industry towards a fully autonomous car has motivated the design of new value-added services in Vehicular Sensor Networks (VSNs). Within the context of VSNs, the autonomous car, with an increasing number of on-board sensors, is a mobile node that exchanges sensed and state information within the VSN. Among all the value added services for VSNs, the design of new intelligent parking management architectures where the autonomous car will coexist with traditional cars is mandatory in order to profit from all the opportunities associated with the increasing intelligence of the new generation of cars. In this work, we design a new smart parking system on top of a VSN that takes into account the heterogeneity of cars and provides guidance to the best parking place for the autonomous car based on a collaborative approach that searches for the common good of all of them measured by the accessibility rate, which is the ratio of the free parking places accessible for an autonomous car. Then, we simulate a real parking lot and the results show that the performance of our system is close to the optimum considering different communication ranges and penetration rates for the autonomous car.

Autonomous Car Parking System through a Cooperative Vehicular Positioning Network

Science.gov (United States)

Correa, Alejandro; Boquet, Guillem; Morell, Antoni; Lopez Vicario, Jose

2017-01-01

The increasing development of the automotive industry towards a fully autonomous car has motivated the design of new value-added services in Vehicular Sensor Networks (VSNs). Within the context of VSNs, the autonomous car, with an increasing number of on-board sensors, is a mobile node that exchanges sensed and state information within the VSN. Among all the value added services for VSNs, the design of new intelligent parking management architectures where the autonomous car will coexist with traditional cars is mandatory in order to profit from all the opportunities associated with the increasing intelligence of the new generation of cars. In this work, we design a new smart parking system on top of a VSN that takes into account the heterogeneity of cars and provides guidance to the best parking place for the autonomous car based on a collaborative approach that searches for the common good of all of them measured by the accessibility rate, which is the ratio of the free parking places accessible for an autonomous car. Then, we simulate a real parking lot and the results show that the performance of our system is close to the optimum considering different communication ranges and penetration rates for the autonomous car. PMID:28406426

Development, Control, and Evaluation of an Actuated Car Door.

Science.gov (United States)

Strolz, M; Mortl, A; Graf, M; Buss, M

2009-01-01

Actuated car doors are a promising way to increase the convenience of access to cars. We propose an advanced actuation and control concept which can easily be integrated into conventional car doors. By utilizing a linear, nonbackdrivable actuator and various sensors, both automatic and manual door operations are enabled. A discrete state controller ensures a safe operation of the door, including automatic opening and closing. The realization of a supportive, high-quality haptic interaction with the car door for the manual operation is the principal part of our work. Due to the impracticality of a direct measurement of the user interaction force at a car door, we chose impedance control to render the desired dynamics. The impedance was designed to provide a convenient, intuitive, and safe manual handling of the door. We implemented and tested four different impedance control schemes, of which impedance control with actuator force feedback performed best. Two experimental evaluations with 16 and 27 participants revealed a predominant approval of the actuated car door.

Advanced Infant Car Seat Would Increase Highway Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Dabney, Richard; Elrod, Susan

2004-01-01

An advanced infant car seat has been proposed to increase highway safety by reducing the incidence of crying, fussy behavior, and other child-related distractions that divert an adult driver s attention from driving. In addition to a conventional infant car seat with safety restraints, the proposed advanced infant car seat would include a number of components and subsystems that would function together as a comprehensive infant-care system that would keep its occupant safe, comfortable, and entertained, and would enable the driver to monitor the baby without having to either stop the car or turn around to face the infant during driving. The system would include a vibrator with bulb switch to operate; the switch would double as a squeeze toy that would make its own specific sound. A music subsystem would include loudspeakers built into the seat plus digital and analog circuitry that would utilize plug-in memory modules to synthesize music or a variety of other sounds. The music subsystem would include a built-in sound generator that could synthesize white noise or a human heartbeat to calm the baby to sleep. A second bulb switch could be used to control the music subsystem and would double as a squeeze toy that would make a distinct sound. An anti-noise sound-suppression system would isolate the baby from potentially disturbing ambient external noises. This subsystem would include small microphones, placed near the baby s ears, to detect ambient noise. The outputs of the microphone would be amplified and fed to the loudspeakers at appropriate amplitude and in a phase opposite that of the detected ambient noise, such that the net ambient sound arriving at the baby s ears would be almost completely cancelled. A video-camera subsystem would enable the driver to monitor the baby visually while continuing to face forward. One or more portable miniature video cameras could be embedded in the side of the infant car seat (see figure) or in a flip-down handle. The outputs of

How much do incentives affect car purchase? Agent-based microsimulation of consumer choice of new cars. Part 2. Forecasting effects of feebates based on energy-efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haan, Peter de; Mueller, Michel G.; Scholz, Roland W.

2009-01-01

In this paper, we simulate the car market in order to forecast the effects of feebate systems based on an energy-labeling scheme using categories A to G. Very fuel-efficient (A) cars receive a cash incentive, highly inefficient (G) cars pay additional fees. Consumers have different price elasticities and behavioral options to react to feebates. They can switch to a smaller sized car, but as energy-efficiency varies widely within size segments, they can also stick to the preferred size class and choose a more efficient (smaller) engine. In addition, previously owned cars influence the next car to be chosen. We use an agent-based microsimulation approach particularly suited to predict environmental and market effects of feebates. Heteorogeneous agents choose from a choice set drawn from a detailed fleet of new cars. Incentives of EUR2000 for A-labeled cars induce an additional rated CO 2 emission decrease of new car registrations between 3.4% and 4.3%, with CO 2 abatement costs between EUR6 and EUR13 per ton, and otherwise little undesired market disturbance. The risk of rebound effects is estimated to be low. After adopting the frequencies of consumer segments to a given country, the model presented is applicable to all European car markets. (author)

Mixed Vehicle Flow At Signalized Intersection: Markov Chain Analysis

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Gertsbakh Ilya B.

2015-09-01

Full Text Available We assume that a Poisson flow of vehicles arrives at isolated signalized intersection, and each vehicle, independently of others, represents a random number X of passenger car units (PCU’s. We analyze numerically the stationary distribution of the queue process {Zn}, where Zn is the number of PCU’s in a queue at the beginning of the n-th red phase, n → ∞. We approximate the number Yn of PCU’s arriving during one red-green cycle by a two-parameter Negative Binomial Distribution (NBD. The well-known fact is that {Zn} follow an infinite-state Markov chain. We approximate its stationary distribution using a finite-state Markov chain. We show numerically that there is a strong dependence of the mean queue length E[Zn] in equilibrium on the input distribution of Yn and, in particular, on the ”over dispersion” parameter γ= Var[Yn]/E[Yn]. For Poisson input, γ = 1. γ > 1 indicates presence of heavy-tailed input. In reality it means that a relatively large ”portion” of PCU’s, considerably exceeding the average, may arrive with high probability during one red-green cycle. Empirical formulas are presented for an accurate estimation of mean queue length as a function of load and g of the input flow. Using the Markov chain technique, we analyze the mean ”virtual” delay time for a car which always arrives at the beginning of the red phase.

Coupling Mechanism and Decoupled Suspension Control Model of a Half Car

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hailong Zhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A structure decoupling control strategy of half-car suspension is proposed to fully decouple the system into independent front and rear quarter-car suspensions in this paper. The coupling mechanism of half-car suspension is firstly revealed and formulated with coupled damping force (CDF in a linear function. Moreover, a novel dual dampers-based controllable quarter-car suspension structure is proposed to realize the independent control of pitch and vertical motions of the half car, in which a newly added controllable damper is suggested to be installed between the lower control arm and connection rod in conventional quarter-car suspension structure. The suggested damper constantly regulates the half-car pitch motion posture in a smooth and steady operation condition meantime achieving the expected completely structure decoupled control of the half-car suspension, by compensating the evolved CDF.

Understanding adolescents' intentions to commute by car or bicycle as adults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sigurdardottir, Sigrun Birna; Kaplan, Sigal; Møller, Mette

2013-01-01

This study focuses on the intentions of adolescents to commute by car or bicycle as adults. The behavioral model is based on intrapersonal and interpersonal constructs from the theory of planned behavior extended to include constructs from the institutional, community and policy domains. Data from...... a survey among Danish adolescents is analyzed. It is found that car use intentions are related to positive car passenger experience, general interest in cars, and car ownership norms, and are negatively related to willingness to accept car restrictions and perceived lack of behavioral control. Cycling...

Race Car Rally.

Science.gov (United States)

Anthony, Joan L.

1994-01-01

Describes an activity where teams of parents and children work together to solve problems involving matchbox-sized race cars. The teams collect, record, and analyze data; measure distances in metric; and explore concepts related to mass, friction, and force. (PR)

Potential and impacts of car-sharing in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Tampere and Turku; Autojen yhteiskayton potentiaali ja vaikutukset paakaupunkiseudulla, Turussa ja Tampereella

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voltti, V.

2010-07-01

The objective of the study was to assess the potential and impacts of car-sharing in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Tampere and Turku. Car-sharing means flexible car rental suitable for everyday needs. It is a service that is growing rapidly in Central Europe and North America. The number car-sharing users has increased, for example, in Belgium by approximately 35% and in Great Britain by up to 70-100% each year. The characteristics of car sharers have been studied on the basis of an online questionnaire aimed at the customers of the City Car Club operating in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The potential number of car-sharing customers has been estimated, for example, with the so called 'Kulkuri' postal survey material and the National Travel Survey (HLT) material, based on a population-based cohort. In addition to the questionnaire material, overseas studies and statistical data from car-sharing operators in various countries have also been used as source and reference material. Car sharers are typically young adults. In the Helsinki metropolitan area, almost half of car sharers are families with children. The most popular reasons for using car sharing cars include shopping trips and various leisure trips. The daily travel of car sharers relies strongly on public transport. As a result of its transparent cost structure, a car-sharing car is not used in vain, and therefore public transport, cycling and walking remain as primary modes of travel. Approximately 60% of households using the car-sharing service have not owned a car before joining the car-sharing service. After joining, about 80% of households do not own a car. Approximately 30% of customers give up a previously owned car and about 20% of customers who did not own a car will not purchase one, either. One car-sharing car replaces about 20 private cars, and therefore more widespread use of car-sharing will save street space to a considerable extent. The mobility options for car sharers who were

Estimate of Annual Ultraviolet-A Exposures in Cars in Australia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parisi, A.V.; Kimlin, M.G.

2000-01-01

The annual solar UVA exposures in four cars were estimated by measuring the UVA irradiances in the vehicles in each of the four seasons and in the morning, noon and afternoon. For the cars with untinted windows the maximum UVA irradiances in cars do not necessarily occur at noon when the outside irradiances are at their highest. Additionally, they do not occur in summer. The range of annual UVA exposures between 9:00 and 15:00 EST is 1918 to 6177 J.cm -2 for the cars without the after-market window tint. These correspond to 5% to 17% of the ambient UVA on a horizontal plane over the same period outside the cars. The range is for the different sites in the car. For the car with the after-market window tint, the range of the annual UVA exposures was 489 to 2969 J.cm -2 or 1% to 8% of the ambient UVA. (author)

Car drivers' perceptions of electronic stability control (ESC) systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Vadeby, Anna; Wiklund, Mats; Forward, Sonja

2011-05-01

As a way to reduce the number of car crashes different in-car safety devices are being introduced. In this paper one such application is being investigated, namely the electronic stability control system (ESC). The study used a survey method, including 2000 private car drivers (1000 driving a car with ESC and 1000 driving a car without ESC). The main objective was to investigate the effect of ESC on driver behaviour. Results show that drivers report that they drive even more carelessly when they believe that they have ESC, than when they do not. Men are more risk prone than women and young drivers more than older drivers. Using the theory of planned behaviour the results show that attitude, subjective norm and perceived control explain between 62% and 67% of driver's variation of intentions to take risks. When descriptive norm was added to the model a small but statistically significant increase was found. The study also shows that more than 35% erroneously believe that their car is equipped with an ESC system. These findings may suggest that driver behaviour could reduce the positive effect ESC has on accidents. It also shows that drivers who purchase a new car are not well informed about what kind of safety devices the car is equipped with. These findings highlight the need for more targeted information to drivers. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aerodynamic Noise Generated by Shinkansen Cars

Science.gov (United States)

KITAGAWA, T.; NAGAKURA, K.

2000-03-01

The noise value (A -weighted sound pressure level, SLOW) generated by Shinkansen trains, now running at 220-300 km/h, should be less than 75 dB(A) at the trackside. Shinkansen noise, such as rolling noise, concrete support structure noise, and aerodynamic noise are generated by various parts of Shinkansen trains. Among these aerodynamic noise is important because it is the major contribution to the noise generated by the coaches running at high speed. In order to reduce the aerodynamic noise, a number of improvements to coaches have been made. As a result, the aerodynamic noise has been reduced, but it still remains significant. In addition, some aerodynamic noise generated from the lower parts of cars remains. In order to investigate the contributions of these noises, a method of analyzing Shinkansen noise has been developed and applied to the measured data of Shinkansen noise at speeds between 120 and 315 km/h. As a result, the following conclusions have been drawn: (1) Aerodynamic noise generated from the upper parts of cars was reduced considerably by smoothing car surfaces. (2) Aerodynamic noise generated from the lower parts of cars has a major influence upon the wayside noise.

Spring-Wound Toy Cars--Experiments in Mechanics.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Charles

1983-01-01

Use of spring-wound toy cars in kinematics experiments is described. The cars, used in place of traditional dynamics carts rolling down an inclined plane, are inexpensive, motivational, and give reproducible results. Details of acceleration experiments and suggestions for additional experiments are provided. (JN)

Direction and Policies Needed to Support Hybrid Electric Car Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ridwan Arief Subekti

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The rising number of vehicles over the years has driven the increase of air pollution and fuel consumption. One of the solutions to overcome this problem is using hybrid electric car because it is environmentally friendly and efficient in fuel consumption. LIPI has conducted electric car research since 1997, but there were so many problems in its development that electric car can not be developed into a national industry scale. Therefore, it is important to conduct a study that maps the problems and finds the solutions to prevent the same failure of electric car commercialization process from happening to hybrid electric car . This study was done by collecting and analyzing the primary and secondary data through interviews, discussing electric hybrid car with stakeholders, and examining earlier study results and regulations. Based on this study, several policies to support sustainability research of hybrid electric car were proposed. Some recommendations were the making of national roadmap and regulation for the usage of hybrid electric car on the road. For policy makers at LIPI, a research focus, research coordination, and pre-commercialization program were recommended.

Antigen-specific T cell activation independently of the MHC: chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-redirected T cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hinrich eAbken

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Adoptive T cell therapy has recently shown powerful in initiating a lasting anti-tumor response with spectacular therapeutic success in some cases. Specific T cell therapy, however, is limited since a number of cancer cells are not recognized by T cells due to various mechanisms including the limited availability of tumor-specific T cells and deficiencies in antigen processing or major histocompatibility complex (MHC expression of cancer cells. To make adoptive cell therapy applicable for the broad variety of cancer entities, patient's T cells are engineered ex vivo with pre-defined specificity by a recombinant chimeric antigen receptor (CAR which consists in the extracellular part of an antibody-derived domain for binding with a tumor-associated antigen and in the intracellular part of a TCR-derived signaling moiety for T cell activation. The specificity of CAR mediated T cell recognition is defined by the antibody domain, is independent of MHC presentation and can be extended to any target for which an antibody is available. We discuss the advantages and limitations of MHC-independent T cell targeting by an engineered CAR and review most significant progress recently made in early stage clinical trials to treat cancer.

The Study of Fabric Performance for Car Seats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonin Havelka

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the investigation of the performance of car seat fabrics in terms of physiological comfort of sitting, specifi cally their water vapour resistance and air permeability. The current work presents an alternative approach to increasing the effectiveness of car seat fabrics through a combination of newly designed middle layer with forced convection achieved by a supplementary suction ventilation device. The supplementary device was designed to measure water vapour permeability by means of the sweating guarded hot plate (SGHP system. It consists of two parts: a frame to grip a tested sample for measurements within the SGHP system and two suction ventilators which are arranged at one end of the mentioned frame in order to provide suction into the tested fabric plane during the SGHP test. The results of this investigation show that water vapour transport is increased by approximately 20% compared to the standard way of measurement by means of SGHP because of forced air flow in the plane of ribbed – channelled structure of the car seat middle layer. The findings of this study have a number of important implications for future practice. The combination of a car seat cover with channelled structure and forced air fl ow improves physiological comfort of sitting which is a key issue for both drivers and manufacturers. The suggested device for forced air flow convection in the plane of a car seat fabric has not yet been part of an actual car seat, however it is possible to use its principles in a smart car seat prototype.

Self-Brand Personality Differences and Attitudes towards Electric Cars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingrid Moons

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In two representative Belgian samples, by means of an online survey, we investigate the effect of self-brand personality differences on car brand evaluation, the evaluation of an eco-friendly branded electric car extension and the evaluation of car brands after electric extension. We show that self-brand personality differences influence the attitude towards car brands. The relative importance of personality dimensions that drive extension judgment and parent brand attitudes after electric extension is different from that of brand evaluation without extension. More particularly, perceptions of a brand being more responsible than one’s self is a much more important driver of brand evaluation after electric extension than without extension. Car personality characteristics, such as activity and sophistication, drive brand evaluations before, as well as after electric extension. These effects are moderated by brand ownership in that the relative importance of brand personality dimensions is different for brand owners than for consumers who do not own a specific brand. Car manufacturers can fine-tune their marketing approach when launching eco-friendly extensions, taking into account that, in this context, partly different self-brand personality fit considerations are used by consumers than for car brands without electric extension.

Injuries resulting from car surfing--United States, 1990-2008.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-10-17

"Car surfing" is a term introduced in the mid-1980s to describe a thrill-seeking activity that involves riding on the exterior of a moving motor vehicle while it is being driven by another person. Although reports of car-surfing injuries have been published in the United States, no study to date has analyzed these events from a national perspective. Because traditional public health datasets do not collect morbidity or mortality data on this practice, CDC searched U.S. newspaper reports to provide an initial characterization of car-surfing injuries on a national scale. That analysis identified 58 reports of car-surfing deaths and 41 reports of nonfatal injury from 1990 through August 2008. Most reports of car-surfing injuries came from newspapers in the Midwest and South (75%), and most of the injuries were among males (70%) and persons aged 15-19 years (69%). The first identified newspaper reports about car-surfing injuries were published in the early 1990s, and new reports have been published every year since then. Parents and teens should be aware of the potentially lethal consequences of car surfing, which can occur even at low vehicle speeds, sometimes resulting from unanticipated movements of the vehicle, such as swerving or braking.

Advantages and Applications of CAR-Expressing Natural Killer Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolfgang eGlienke

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In contrast to donor T cells, natural killer (NK cells are known to mediate anti-cancer effects without the risk of inducing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD. In order to improve cytotoxicity against resistant cancer cells, auspicious efforts have been made with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR expressing T- and NK cells. These CAR-modified cells express antigen receptors against tumor-associated surface antigens, thus redirecting the effector cells and enhancing tumor-specific immunosurveillance. However, many cancer antigens are also expressed on healthy tissues, potentially leading to off tumor/ on target toxicity by CAR-engineered cells. In order to control such potentially severe side effects, the insertion of suicide genes into CAR-modified effectors can provide a means for efficient depletion of these cells. While CAR-expressing T cells have entered successfully clinical trials, experience with CAR-engineered NK cells is mainly restricted to pre-clinical investigations and predominantly to NK cell lines. In this review we summarize the data on CAR expressing NK cells focusing on the possible advantage using these short-lived effector cells and discuss the necessity of suicide switches. Furthermore, we address the compliance of such modified NK cells with regulatory requirements as a new field in cellular immunotherapy.

Directional control-response compatibility of joystick steered shuttle cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess-Limerick, Robin; Zupanc, Christine M; Wallis, Guy

2012-01-01

Shuttle cars are an unusual class of vehicle operated in underground coal mines, sometimes in close proximity to pedestrians and steering errors may have very serious consequences. A directional control-response incompatibility has previously been described in shuttle cars which are controlled using a steering wheel oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel. Some other shuttle car operators are seated perpendicular to the direction of travel and steer the car via a seat mounted joystick. A virtual simulation was utilised to determine whether the steering arrangement in these vehicles maintains directional control-response compatibility. Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to either a condition corresponding to this design (consistent direction), or a condition in which the directional steering response was reversed while driving in-bye (visual field compatible). Significantly less accurate steering performance was exhibited by the consistent direction group during the in-bye trials only. Shuttle cars which provide the joystick steering mechanism described here require operators to accommodate alternating compatible and incompatible directional control-response relationships with each change of car direction. A virtual simulation of an underground coal shuttle car demonstrates that the design incorporates a directional control-response incompatibility when driving the vehicle in one direction. This design increases the probability of operator error, with potential adverse safety and productivity consequences.

49 CFR 238.413 - End structures of trailer cars.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false End structures of trailer cars. 238.413 Section... II Passenger Equipment § 238.413 End structures of trailer cars. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the end structure of a trailer car shall be designed to include the following...

INVESTIGATION OF DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF GONDOLA CARS ON PERSPECTIVE BOGIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. V. Myamlin

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose. In this paper, it is necessary to examine the dynamic properties of the gondola car with bogies, model 18-1711 when it moves on straight and curved sections of a track. Methodology. The calculations were performed using the object-oriented programming on the program "Dynamics of Rail Vehicles" ("DYNRAIL" Myamlin S.V. registered 20.03.2003. Mathematical models of a gondola car and bogies 18-100 and 18-711 were created for the calculations. Findings. Dynamic performances comparison of the gondola car with bogies 18-1711 and the gondola car with bogies 18-100, obtained by calculation method was carried out. Originality. Firstly calculations in order to determine the dynamic properties of the gondola car with bogies 18-1711 when it moves on straight and curved sections of track were performed. At the same time an assessment of the dynamic characteristics of the gondola car was made. The following dynamic standards were determined: the coefficient of vertical dynamics (Cdv, the coefficient of horizontal dynamics (Cdh, and the safety factor against derailment (SFd. Track irregularities in vertical and horizontal transverse planes were assigned as perturbations. They should be so that the dynamic indexes of the widely used in operation gondola car on bogies model 18-100 keep in admissible range of speeds up to 80km / h for the empty gondola car and at speeds up to 90km / h for the loaded gondola cars. Practical value. As a result of the calculations and comparisons of their results, we have findings that the use of bogies with bilinear characteristic of the central suspension will improve the dynamic performances of gondola cars, currently operating on bogies, model 18-100. And by improving the dynamic performances it is possible to increase the permissible speeds of these cars motion.

Evolution of the crashworthiness and aggressivity of the Spanish car fleet.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez Méndez, Alvaro; Aparicio Izquierdo, Francisco; Arenas Ramírez, Blanca

2010-11-01

This paper investigates the relationship between a passenger car's year of registration and its crashworthiness and aggressivity in real-world crashes. Crashworthiness is defined as the ability of a car to protect its own occupants, and has been evaluated in single and two-car crashes. Aggressivity is defined as the ability to protect users travelling in other vehicles, and has been evaluated only in two-car crashes. The dependent variable is defined as the proportion of injured drivers who are killed or seriously injured; following previous research, we refer to this magnitude as injury severity. A decrease in the injury severity of a driver is interpreted as an improvement in the crashworthiness of their car; similarly, a decrease in the injury severity of the opponent driver is regarded as an improvement in aggressivity. Data have been extracted from the Spanish Road Accident Database, which contains information on every accident registered by the police in which at least one person was injured. Two types of regression models have been used: logistic regression models in single-car crashes, and generalised estimating equations (GEE) models in two-car crashes. GEE allow to take account of the correlation between the injury severities of drivers involved in the same crash. The independent variables considered have been: year of registration of the subject car (crashworthiness component), year of registration of the opponent car (aggressivity component), and several factors related to road, driver and environment. Our models confirm that crashworthiness has largely improved in two-car crashes: when crashing into the average opponent car, drivers of cars registered before 1985 have a significantly higher probability of being killed or seriously injured than drivers of cars registered in 2000-2005 (odds ratio: 1.80; 95% confidence interval: 1.61; 2.01). In single-car crashes, the improvement in crashworthiness is very slight (odds ratio: 1.04; 95% confidence interval

Car Deceleration Considering Its Own Velocity in Cellular Automata Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Keping

2006-01-01

In this paper, we propose a new cellular automaton model, which is based on NaSch traffic model. In our method, when a car has a larger velocity, if the gap between the car and its leading car is not enough large, it will decrease. The aim is that the following car has a buffer space to decrease its velocity at the next time, and then avoid to decelerate too high. The simulation results show that using our model, the car deceleration is realistic, and is closer to the field measure than that of NaSch model.

Modeling human learning involved in car driving

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wewerinke, P.H.

1994-01-01

In this paper, car driving is considered at the level of human tracking and maneuvering in the context of other traffic. A model analysis revealed the most salient features determining driving performance and safety. Learning car driving is modelled based on a system theoretical approach and based

In-vehicle VOCs composition of unconditioned, newly produced cars.

Science.gov (United States)

Brodzik, Krzysztof; Faber, Joanna; Łomankiewicz, Damian; Gołda-Kopek, Anna

2014-05-01

The in-vehicle volatile organic compounds (VOCs) concentrations gains the attention of both car producers and users. In the present study, an attempt was made to determine if analysis of air samples collected from an unconditioned car cabin can be used as a quality control measure. The VOCs composition of in-vehicle air was analyzed by means of active sampling on Carbograph 1TD and Tenax TA sorbents, followed by thermal desorption and simultaneous analysis on flame ionization and mass detector (TD-GC/FID-MS). Nine newly produced cars of the same brand and model were chosen for this study. Within these, four of the vehicles were equipped with identical interior materials and five others differed in terms of upholstery and the presence of a sunroof; one car was convertible. The sampling event took place outside of the car assembly plant and the cars tested left the assembly line no later than 24 hr before the sampling took place. More than 250 compounds were present in the samples collected; the identification of more than 160 was confirmed by comparative mass spectra analysis and 80 were confirmed by both comparison with single/multiple compounds standards and mass spectra analysis. In general, aliphatic hydrocarbons represented more than 60% of the total VOCs (TVOC) determined. Depending on the vehicle, the concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons varied from 12% to 27% of total VOCs. The very short period between car production and sampling of the in-vehicle air permits the assumption that the entire TVOC originates from off-gassing of interior materials. The results of this study expand the knowledge of in-vehicle pollution by presenting information about car cabin air quality immediately after car production. Copyright © 2014 The Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.